US Military at Risk of ‘Losing Next War’

A new Rand Corp. study warns the U.S. military is inadequately structured to combat threats from China, Russia and Islamic terrorism, according to the Washington Times.

The study, titled “U.S. Military Capabilities and Forces for a Dangerous World,” concludes the American military must reform its structure and war-fighting plans to better meet the challenges it faces.

“Put more starkly, assessments in this report will show that U.S. forces could, under plausible assumptions, lose the next war they are called upon to fight, despite the United States outspending China on military forces by a ratio of 2.7 to 1 and Russia by 6 to 1,” the report said. “The nation needs to do better than this.”

The report stated American forces are currently big enough to fight a single major war but have not kept pace with military advances by other global powers. They are “poorly postured to meet key challenges in Europe and East Asia, and insufficiently trained and ready to get the most operational utility from many of its active component units,” according to the report.

Rand suggested that instead of preparing the military to fight two regional wars in overlapping time frames, the military should focus on battling its five main present-day enemies: China, Russia, North Korea, Iran and Islamic terror organizations. (Read more from “US Military at Risk of ‘Losing Next War'” HERE)

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Senate Intel Committee Grills Trump Jr. For 9 Hours

Donald Trump Jr. on Wednesday met with the Senate Intelligence Committee for a closed-door interview that lasted just over nine hours.

The committee is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election as well as possible collusion between Moscow and Trump campaign officials.

The president’s eldest son became a central figure in the various probes of Russian meddling —including the federal probe led by special counsel Robert Mueller — in part because of his participation in a June 2016 Trump Tower meeting with a Russian lawyer who he believed had incriminating information on then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

Trump Jr.’s evolving explanations for meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya have fueled further scrutiny from panels investigating the matter.

He initially claimed that the two discussed the adoption of Russian babies and nothing campaign-related. It was later revealed through emails that Trump Jr. was meeting the lawyer for dirt on Clinton. (Read more from “Senate Intel Committee Grills Trump Jr. For 9 Hours” HERE)

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Free-Market Advocates Hail ‘Net Neutrality’ Repeal

The Federal Communications Commission voted to reverse Obama-era “net neutrality” regulations Thursday, causing free-market advocates to celebrate and sparking fierce resistance from opponents who fear customers will be at the mercy of service providers.

The final vote, as expected, came along party lines. Three GOP appointees voted for the change, while the two commissioners appointed by President Obama voted against it.

In recent weeks, critics of the reversal intensified their protests, claiming that reversing net neutrality would allow Internet service providers to gouge consumers and force them into buying more of their products. They also suggest removing government control increases the likelihood of fewer players in the industry.

However, those verbal protests have escalated in ways that draw alarm, going so far as to publicize the names of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s children. Thursday’s proceedings were briefly interrupted by a security scare.

After the vote, the mainstream media posted alarming headlines. “End of the Internet as we know it,” stated the headline at CNN.com. (Read more from “Free-Market Advocates Hail ‘Net Neutrality’ Repeal” HERE)

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‘Insurance Policy’ Puts FBI on Hot Seat

Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is demanding answers from the Justice Department concerning a cryptic text from one of the FBI’s top Russian counterintelligence experts discussing an “insurance policy” in the event that then-presidential candidate Donald Trump won election to the White House.

As WND reported, after months of bashing then-candidate Trump in texts and stating that Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton “just has to win,” Peter Strzok and FBI lawyer Lisa Page exchanged a mysterious text concerning a so-called “insurance policy” against a possible Trump win.

On Aug. 15, 2016, Strzok wrote: “I want to believe the path you threw out for consideration in [Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe’s] office that there’s no way he gets elected – but I’m afraid we can’t take that risk. It’s like an insurance policy in the unlikely event you die before you’re 40 …”

It’s unclear what the “insurance policy” against Trump’s election might have involved. However, as WND recently reported, the FBI’s investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the presidential election began in late July 2016, just weeks before Strzok’s mysterious text. And only a month before the “insurance policy” comment, the anti-Trump dossier had been given to the FBI “near the start of July,” according to former British spy Christopher Steele.

On Thursday, Sen. Grassley sent a letter to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein demanding more information about the texts between Strzok and Page, including the one that referenced the “insurance policy.” He is also seeking more information concerning communication the two senior FBI employees had in McCabe’s office. (Read more from “‘Insurance Policy’ Puts FBI on Hot Seat” HERE)

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Reporter: Tape Exists of a Woman Being Offered Hundreds of Thousands to Make False Claims Against Trump

On a radio show Monday, former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly came to the defense of President Donald Trump amid accusations that the president engaged in sexual misconduct with multiple women.

O’Reilly told Glenn Beck, host of “The Glenn Beck Program,” that there would be a “tremendous assault” coming for Trump in the near future as a last ditch effort by Democrat’s to derail his potential re-election in 2020.

A tape exists, according to O’Reilly, that if made public would expose a supposed plot to dethrone the president by use of falsified sexual misconduct allegations.

“There is a tape Beck — an audio tape of a(n) anti-Trump person offering $200,000 to a woman to accuse Donald Trump of untoward behavior,” O’Reilly said. “It’s there.”

Beck questioned O’Reilly’s statement, asking if the tape would ever be released to the public.

“I may have to go to the U.S. attorney myself,” O’Reilly said, before stating his reluctance to insert himself into the situation.

“I had my lawyer listen to the tape — my attorney — he listened to it,” the former Fox News host added. “There are at least three crimes on the tape.”

O’Reilly cited his duty as a U.S. citizen for feeling the need to ensure the release of the supposed tape, before adding that the evidence was currently “in the hands of someone who knows the seriousness of the situation.”

When pressed on the unnamed individual’s reluctance to release the tape, O’Reilly relayed that he could not discuss that information. However, he did add that someone of extreme importance is aware of the tape’s existence.

“But I can tell you that Donald Trump knows about the tape,” O’Reilly added.

He did admit that he was perplexed by Trump’s decision to refrain from exposing the “powerful piece of evidence” that would expose an “industry” built on perpetuating false sexual misconduct allegations for political gain.

He made sure to include that the audio doesn’t necessarily absolve Trump of all wrongdoing, but it does raise awareness of the existence of a sinister scheme that involves “money changing hands” in order to stain reputations.

“It’s there. It’s amazing. And it will change the whole discussion if it ever gets out,” O’Reilly said.

As reported by The New York Times, several women who came forward during the 2016 presidential election accusing Trump of sexual misconduct renewed their claims Monday.

“Now it’s just like, ‘All right let’s try Round 2, the environment is different, let’s try again,’” former Miss USA contestant Samantha Holvey said on Monday’s edition of “Megyn Kelly Today.”

Over 50 female Democrat lawmakers have called for an investigation into the accusations, according to Reuters.

On Monday, the White House released a statement Monday, denying the accusations against Trump.

“These false claims, totally disputed in most cases by eyewitness accounts, were addressed at length during last year’s campaign, and the American people voiced their judgment by delivering a decisive victory,” the statement said. (For more from the author of “Reporter: Tape Exists of a Woman Being Offered Hundreds of Thousands to Make False Claims Against Trump” please click HERE)

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As Trump-Russia Goes Cold, Clinton-Comey Turns up Smoking Gun

Text messages released by the Department of Justice Tuesday revealed an extreme anti-Trump bias by Peter Strzok, a former senior member of special counsel Robert Mueller’s election probe team. The texts also hint at the possibility that the James Comey-led FBI may have had a plan to illegally thwart Trump’s presidential ambitions.

Following an internal Justice Department investigation, agent Strzok was quietly reassigned from his senior post at the FBI to a human resources position in the Bureau. It’s unclear at this time whether his text messages had anything to do with his reassignment. He was exchanging messages with Lisa Page, a fellow FBI official at the time, during the 2016 election campaign, according to reports.

Some have argued that Strzok did no wrong, because he had every right to criticize and use explicit language to target then-candidate Trump in his private exchanges. Strzok and Page frequently called the president “an idiot,” or “awful,” which is 100 percent their right to do as observers of politics.

However, some of the texts hint at the possibility that Strzok may have stepped over that line, and that he moved beyond simply expressing his discontent with the Republican presidential nominee.

One particular text may be interpreted as strategizing to interfere in the electoral process — what could be understood as discussing a plan to work with FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe to stop Trump from becoming president.

“I want to believe the path you threw out for consideration in Andy’s (McCabe) office — that there’s no way he gets elected — but I’m afraid we can’t take that risk. It’s like an insurance policy in the unlikely event you die before you’re 40,” Strzok texted Page in 2016.

Andrew McCarthy, a former federal prosecutor, remarks that the text “clearly indicates” that Strzok was “infected by political viewpoints,” describing the text as “disqualifying.”

The text’s possible reference to Andrew McCabe raises another giant red flag about Comey’s deputy.

Although McCabe’s wife was running for office with the help of Clinton allies, the FBI deputy director refused to recuse himself from the Clinton email investigation until one week before the presidential election. Judicial Watch later found out that he was using his work email account to spread the word about his wife’s political ambitions.

It’s worth recalling that the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee paid for the research into the infamous “Trump-Russia” dossier. The FBI (under James Comey and McCabe) then reportedly paid for this information and used the mostly debunked dossier to wiretap Trump advisers.

The ongoing investigation into the 2016 election was far from a smooth-running ship prior to these latest revelations. Peter Strzok is far from the only extreme partisan on Mueller’s investigation team. (For more from the author of “As Trump-Russia Goes Cold, Clinton-Comey Turns up Smoking Gun” please click HERE)

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Bill Clinton, Accused Rapist, Celebrates Roy Moore Loss With a Message for Doug Jones

After Democrat Doug Jones’ projected victory in the Alabama Senate special election, Bill and Hillary Clinton shared messages of congratulations to the elected senator.

“Congratulations, Doug Jones. You were a great US Attorney, and you ran a terrific campaign. You deserve this win. It’s a win for the people of Alabama,” the former president wrote.

“Tonight, Alabama voters elected a senator who’ll make them proud,” Hillary stated, “And if Democrats can win in Alabama, we can — and must — compete everywhere. Onward!”

Jones topped controversial Republican candidate Roy Moore in the Alabama Senate special election to fill the seat vacated by Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Moore faced multiple accusations of sexual assault but denied all wrongdoing leveled against him and refused to step down and make way for another Republican candidate.

The irony of the Clintons’ celebratory messages to Jones was not lost on the public:

“During the Monica Lewinsky scandal, Clinton figured out that if you have no shame and ignore calls to resign, you can survive any scandal,” Thiessen wrote.

As The Western Journal reported last week, The New York Times acknowledged the many accusations of sexual assault against former President Bill Clinton after the resignation of Sen. Al Franken.

Juanita Broaddrick, a former nursing home administrator, accused Clinton of rape in 1978. At the time, Clinton was the Attorney General of Arkansas.

The allegations by Clinton’s accusers have not been treated as legitimate reports by mainstream media until the recent #MeToo movement that’s allowed multiple victims to speak about their experiences with sexual assault.

“I think, in this situation, we’re actually advancing,” Broaddrick told Fox News. “I think people are starting to believe and realize that I was truly sexually assaulted by Bill Clinton.”

Kathleen Wiley, another Clinton accuser, is still upset that her fellow victims were not believed at the time they came out publicly with their experience, calling liberals and feminists “hypocrites.”

“They worship at the altar of all things Clinton,” she told The Times. “They’re all over Roy Moore, but they had nothing to say about Bill Clinton when he was accused of doing what he was accused of doing.” (For more from the author of “Bill Clinton, Accused Rapist, Celebrates Roy Moore Loss With a Message for Doug Jones” please click HERE)

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Deputy AG Won’t Say Whether the FBI Paid for Dossier

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein refused to say on Wednesday whether the FBI paid for the infamous Trump dossier.

Rosenstein, who was grilled by the House Judiciary Committee, suggested that he knew the answer to the question, which was posed by Florida Rep. Ron DeSantis.

“Did the FBI pay for the dossier?” DeSantis asked.

“I’m not in a position to answer that question,” Rosenstein responded . . .

“I believe I know the answer, but the Intelligence Committee is the appropriate committee…” Rosenstein began. (Read more from “Deputy AG Won’t Say Whether the FBI Paid for Dossier” HERE)

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McCain Hospitalized for Side Effects of Cancer Treatment

U.S. Sen. John McCain has been hospitalized at Walter Reed Medical Center where he’s being treated for “normal side effects of his ongoing cancer therapy,” according to a statement Wednesday from his office.

McCain, who missed votes on Monday and Tuesday, will return to work in the U.S. Senate “as soon as possible,” the statement said.

His hospitalization comes amid speculation about his future, and as the House of Representatives and Senate attempt to hold final votes next week on a $1.5 trillion tax-cut bill. The GOP is trying to maintain a fragile coalition, especially in the Senate, that could give President Donald Trump his first significant legislative achievement.

It was not immediately clear how long McCain would be hospitalized.

Since his cancer diagnosis, McCain has been healthy enough to attend the wedding of his daughter, Meghan, in Cornville last month and to receive the Liberty Medal from the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia in October. (Read more from “McCain Hospitalized for Side Effects of Cancer Treatment” HERE)

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Mueller Team Just Sent up a Major Red Flag

A top lawyer in Texas says the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller appears to be nothing more than effort to charge people with crimes unrelated to Russian meddling in the 2016 campaign. He also said recent revelations of rampant partisanship on the part of prosecutors on Mueller’s team ought to be the death blow to the probe.

Robert Henneke served an assistant attorney general and a top litigator for former Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott. He is now general counsel and president of the Center for the American Future at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

Within recent weeks, Mueller fired Peter Strzok for highly partisan texts to his mistress. However, three other figures are also under scrutiny.

Top Mueller deputy Andrew Weissman attended Hillary Clinton’s 2016 election night party and later lavished praise on Acting Attorney General Sally Yates for refusing to enforce President Trump’s first travel ban.

Justice Department official Bruce Ohr was severely demoted for improper contact with officials at Fusion GPS, the firm paid by the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee to dig up opposition research on Donald Trump. This week, Fox News confirmed Ohr’s wife, Nellie, worked for Fusion GPS during the campaign. (Read more from “Mueller Team Just Sent up a Major Red Flag” HERE)

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