Trump Defends Inflammatory Comments, Asks ‘Who Is Doing the Raping?’

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By Eugene Scott. Washington (CNN)Businessman Donald Trump continued his verbal attack against illegal immigrants on Wednesday, in an exclusive interview set to air at 10 p.m. on CNN Tonight with Don Lemon.

He has stirred up controversy in recent days for claiming “rapists” and “killers” are migrating over the United States’ southern border. Univision and NBC Universal have cut ties with the businessman, refusing to air the “Miss Universe” pageant he partially owns as a result, and Macy’s announced Wednesday it was also discontinuing his clothing line.

On Wednesday, Trump, who is a Republican presidential candidate, told Lemon he was pulling his facts from a Fusion article.

“Well if you look at the statistics of people coming, you look at the statistics on rape, on crime, on everything coming in illegally into this country it’s mind-boggling!” he told Lemon, in a clip previewed on CNN’s “Situation Room.”

“If you go to Fusion, you will see a story: About 80% of the women coming in, you know who owns Fusion? Univision! Go to Fusion and pick up the stories on rape. It’s unbelievable when you look at what’s going on. So all I’m doing is telling the truth,” Trump said. (Read more from “Trump Defends Inflammatory Comments, Asks ‘Who Is Doing the Raping?'” HERE)


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Macy’s Becomes Latest to Cut Ties With Donald Trump

By Nathan Layne. Department store Macy’s Inc said on Wednesday that it would end its business relationship with Donald Trump, becoming the latest company to sever ties with the real estate developer and TV personality after his comments insulting Mexicans.

Macy’s said it would phase-out Trump’s menswear collection, which includes shirts, ties, cufflinks and suits and have been sold by the department store since 2004.

“Macy’s is a company that stands for diversity and inclusion. We have no tolerance for discrimination in any form,” the company said in a statement. “In light of statements made by Donald Trump, which are inconsistent with Macy’s values, we have decided to discontinue our business relationship with Mr. Trump.”

Trump fired back, saying in a statement that it was his decision to end ties with Macy’s “because of the pressure being put on them by outside sources.” He added that he was not happy that his products were being made in China.

“While selling Trump ties and shirts at Macy’s is a small business in terms of dollar volume, my principles are far more important and therefore much more valuable,” the Trump Organization said. (Read more from “Macy’s Becomes Latest to Cut Ties With Donald Trump” HERE)

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Twisted Girl Scouts Refuse $100,000 Gift Because Donor Wouldn’t Allow it to be Used for Cross-Dressing Boys [+video]

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By Katia Hetter. It’s not every day the Girl Scouts or any non-profit is handed a $100,000 pledge.

The Girl Scouts of Western Washington recently received the donation to help fund activities for girls participating in Girl Scouts . . .

As transgender stories took over the airwaves in May, the Girl Scouts national organization clarified its long-existing policy allowing transgender girls to be Girl Scouts.

That may have inspired the donor to sending a note adding one condition: “Please guarantee that our gift will not be used to support transgender girls,” the note read, according to Seattle Metropolitan magazine’s Monday story. “If you can’t, please return the money.”

Girl Scouts of Western Washington council head Megan Ferland said she felt “very sad” after receiving that letter. But shortly thereafter, she says she decided to return the money. (Read more from “Girl Scouts Refuse $100,000 Gift With Transgender Limits” HERE)

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After Supporting Inclusion of of Transgender Girls, Girl Scouts Crowdfunding Campaing Exceeds $250K

By Sarah Lawson. Girl Scouts has just come out in support of transgender girls with an inspiring new crowdfunding campaign.

The Girl Scouts of Western Washington accepted a $100,000 donation, but later learned it came with a stipulation: the money could not be used to support transgender girls. The Girl Scouts gave the money back. To show its support for all girls and to make up the difference—the organization reports that $100,000 is nearly one-third of its yearly financial assistance program—Girl Scouts of Western Washington launched an IndieGogo campaign Monday to raise back the money lost in the deal.

By Tuesday, the #ForEVERYGirl campaign had raised two-and-a-half-times its goal with $250,000 and counting from 5,000 donors (and nearly a month left to go on the IndieGogo clock). In an update to the campaign on Tuesday night, Girl Scouts said it could now help at least 1,000 girls with the money. On Wednesday, the organization was receiving enthusiastic messages of support from all over the U.S. as well as the UK, Australia and Canada. (Read more from this story HERE)

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The 75 Trillion Dollar Shadow Banking System Is in Danger of Collapsing

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Keep an eye on the shadow banking system – it is about to be shaken to the core. According to the Financial Stability Board, the size of the global shadow banking system has reached an astounding 75 trillion dollars. It has approximately tripled in size since 2002. In the U.S. alone, the size of the shadow banking system is approximately 24 trillion dollars. At this point, shadow banking assets in the United States are even greater than those of conventional banks. These shadow banks are largely unregulated, but governments around the world have been extremely hesitant to crack down on them because these nonbank lenders have helped fuel economic growth. But in the end, we will all likely pay a very great price for allowing these exceedingly reckless financial institutions to run wild.

If you are not familiar with the “shadow banking system”, the following is a pretty good definition from investing answers.com . . .

The shadow banking system (or shadow financial system) is a network of financial institutions comprised of non-depository banks — e.g., investment banks, structured investment vehicles (SIVs), conduits, hedge funds, non-bank financial institutions and money market funds . . .

Shadow banking institutions generally serve as intermediaries between investors and borrowers, providing credit and capital for investors, institutional investors, and corporations, and profiting from fees and/or from the arbitrage in interest rates.

Because shadow banking institutions don’t receive traditional deposits like a depository bank, they have escaped most regulatory limits and laws imposed on the traditional banking system. Members are able to operate without being subject to regulatory oversight for unregulated activities. An example of an unregulated activity is a credit default swap (CDS).

These institutions are extremely dangerous because they are highly leveraged and they are behaving very recklessly. They played a major role during the financial crisis of 2008, and even the New York Fed admits that shadow banking has “increased the fragility of the entire financial system” . . .

So let’s hope that the financial devastation that we have seen so far this week is not a preview of things to come. The global financial system has been transformed into a delicately balanced pyramid of glass that is not designed to handle turbulent times. We should have never allowed the shadow banks to run wild like this, but we did, and now in just a short while we are going to get to witness a financial implosion unlike anything the world has ever seen before.

(Read more from “The 75 Trillion Dollar Shadow Banking System Is in Danger of Collapsing” HERE)

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Ex-CNN Anchor Survives Wild Motel Shootout

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By Shawn Cohen. A road trip down old Route 66 led to a Wild West-style motel shootout for a pioneering CNN anchor and her former-soldier hubby.

Lynne Russell — the first woman to ever solo-anchor a primetime network news show — and Chuck de Caro, 65, had stopped at a Motel 6 for the night in Albuquerque when an intruder slipped into their room as Russell went to grab something from the car around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday.

“I opened the door and he materialized out of nowhere; he was inside,” she told The Post. “And he pushed me into the room and onto the bed and closed the door.”

De Caro, who was in the shower, emerged completely naked and tried talking to the gunman, who was demanding the couple fork over their money and valuables.

“We tried to calm the man, ask him not to point the gun because we really couldn’t think what we could give him,” Russell said. “It felt to me he was used to doing this, that whatever happened wouldn’t bother him.” (Read more from “Ex-CNN Anchor Survives Wild Motel Shootout” HERE)

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Former CNNers Survive New Mexico Motel Gunfight

Here’s how CNN belatedly described the incident:

The gunman wanted money and other valuables, [the ex-CNN anchor] said.

She told the gunman she would look in her purse to see what they had. She reached down and put one of the two handguns the couple had in a side table into the purse. She gave the handbag to her husband.

Russell said the guns were legal, something police are still investigating.

The man’s behavior was increasingly erratic, Russell said. He told them to get a briefcase he saw.

The couple explained there was nothing of value in the bag, but the man lunged at them and “went around the bed and then opened fire on Chuck. There was a firefight inside the room.”

De Caro was shot once in the leg and twice in the abdomen.

He fired all the rounds in the first handgun then picked up the other and shot the man. The man, who police identified in a news release as the “offender in the altercation,” was found in the parking lot. He died at a hospital, CNN affiliate KOAT reported.

(Read more from this story HERE)

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FBI Investigating 11 Attacks on San Francisco-Area Internet Lines [+video]

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The FBI is investigating at least 11 physical attacks on high-capacity Internet cables in California’s San Francisco Bay Area dating back a year, including one early Tuesday morning.

Agents confirm the latest attack disrupted Internet service for businesses and residential customers in and around Sacramento, the state’s capital.

FBI agents declined to specify how significantly the attack affected customers, citing the ongoing investigation. In Tuesday’s attack, someone broke into an underground vault and cut three fiber-optic cables belonging to Colorado-based service providers Level 3 and Zayo . . .

Fiber-optic cables are essentially bundles of slender glass fibers that use light waves to transmit data. They are the interstate highways of the information superhighway, carrying vast amounts of data between decentralized hubs. From there, Internet services are delivered to homes and businesses by lower-capacity cables, including DSL . . .

In April 2009, underground fiber-optic cables in California were cut at four sites, knocking out landlines, cell phones and Internet service for tens of thousands in Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties. (Read more from “FBI Investigating 11 Attacks on San Francisco-Area Internet Lines” HERE)

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Alabama Chief Justice Issues Massive Order in Defiance of U.S. Supreme Court

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Same-sex couples in Alabama will have to hold on and wait a few weeks before proceeding with their nuptials, thanks to an order issued by the Alabama Supreme Court.

The court issued an order on Monday that essentially prohibits probate judges in the state from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples for 25 days.

This has effectively stalled the Supreme Court’s gay marriage ruling in Alabama, while providing time for interested parties to file motions and petitions contesting the ruling.

“Basically it states that in the court’s judgment, it (the U.S. Supreme Court ruling Friday) is tabled effective until after the hearing (before the Alabama Supreme Court),” Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore said. “It’s not in effect until after this hearing in this 25 day period” . . .

“I am not real clear what it’s saying .. it’s very unclear,” said Jefferson County Probate Judge Sherri Friday, who is continuing to issue licenses to same-sex couples while attorney’s review the order from Alabama’s highest court. (Read more from “Alabama Chief Justice Issues Massive Order in Defiance of U.S. Supreme Court” HERE)

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Out-of-Control Supreme Court Kills Efforts to Require Illegals to Show ID When Registering to Vote [+video]

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The case, Kobach, et al. v. Election Assistance Commission, et al., was about whether Arizona and Kansas could require voters to prove their citizenship when registering to vote with the so-called federal form. Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach led the suit against the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, which was an appeal of a lower court decision.

Both Kansas and Arizona have state laws that require applicants to prove their citizenship when applying to vote with state forms (for state or federal elections). But the U.S. EAC denied the states’ requests to have their citizenship laws applied when would-be voters use the standardized federal form.

The Supreme Court had already ruled in 2013 that state proof-of-citizenship laws couldn’t be applied when people try to register with the federal form. The states’ direct request to the EAC was a last-ditch effort to get around that.

By not hearing the case, the Supreme Court effectively upheld the decision of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled against Arizona and Kansas in November 2014, saying the EAC did not have to modify its form to meet state laws. Under the federal form, would-be voters need only swear under penalty of perjury that they are citizens.

“This is a very big deal,” University of California Irvine Law Professor Rick Hasen wrote on his election law blog Monday. “Kobach had the potential to shift more power away from the federal government in administering elections toward the states,” he added. (Read more from “Out-of-Control Supreme Court Kills Efforts to Require Illegals to Show ID When Registering to Vote” HERE)

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Three Obama Quotes About ‘God’ and Traditional Marriage That Bill O’Reilly Just Used to Make a Point About the White House’s Rainbow Light Display

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By Billy Hallowell. Fox News host Bill O’Reilly was less than impressed with President Barack Obama’s decision to light the White House up with rainbow colors on Friday evening following the Supreme Court’s gay marriage ruling, calling it an “in your face” move that alienated conservatives . . .

The commentator, who said that he was “a bit surprised” by the president’s “victory lap,” went on to share three Obama quotes illustrating the president’s past opposition to same-sex unions to show that, not long ago, Obama took a very different view on the matter.

“What I believe is that marriage is between a man and a woman,” Obama said in 2004.

In 2008, he invoked God, proclaiming in an interview with Pastor Rick Warren, “I believe that marriage is the union between a man and a woman. For me, as a Christian, it’s also a sacred union. God’s in the mix.”

Flash forward to 2010 and Obama was still opposed to gay marriage, saying, “My baseline is a strong civil union that provides them the protections and the legal rights that married couples have.” (Read more from “Three Obama Quotes About ‘God’ and Traditional Marriage That Bill O’Reilly Just Used to Make a Point About the White House’s Rainbow Light Display” HERE)


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We’re Not About to Crawl in a Hole and Die

By Michael Brown. Over and over again we are told that we have lost the culture wars and that it’s time for us to throw in the towel and capitulate, especially as the Supreme Court’s decision on redefining marriage is soon to be announced.

I’m here to announce that no matter what the Supreme Court says, no matter what the president says, no matter what society says, we are not bowing down to anyone other than the Lord Himself. And with God’s help, there’s not a shred of a possibility that we will compromise our convictions when it comes to the meaning of marriage.

Those who fear man more than God will compromise.

Those who have a misguided conception of compassion will compromise . . .

But those who love the Lord, who honor His Word, who truly care about what is best for society in the long term and who have already denied themselves and taken up their cross to follow Jesus—they will never compromise. (Read more from this story HERE)

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Feds Manipulating the Numbers: US Debt Now Stuck at Same Number for 15 Weeks

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The portion of the federal debt that is subject to a legal limit set by Congress closed Friday, June 26, at $18,112,975,000,000, according to the latest Daily Treasury Statement, which was published at 4:00 p.m. on Monday.

That, according to the Treasury’s statements, makes 15 straight weeks that the debt subject to the limit has been frozen at $18,112,975,000,000.

$18,112,975,000,000 is about $25 million below the current legal debt limit of $18,113,000,080,959.35.

The Daily Treasury Statement for March 13 was the first to show the federal debt subject to the limit closing the day at $18,112,975,000,000. Every Daily Treasury Statement since then has reported the same thing: the debt closing the day at $18,112,975,000,000.

Every Daily Treasury Statement since Monday, March 16, has reported the debt beginning and ending each day at $18,112,975,000,000. (Read more from “US Debt Now Stuck at Same Number for 15 Weeks” HERE)

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Obama’s Latest Regulation

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Millions of Americans could see a boost in wages or reduced workload as a result of new federal regulations on overtime pay the Obama administration is unveiling this week.

Under the regulations, private-sector workers who make up to $50,400 a year will be guaranteed the right to earn additional pay if they work more than 40 hours per week. Currently, only workers who make $23,660 a year, or less than $455 a week, have those same protections.

The salary threshold had not been raised for a decade when Obama ordered the Labor Department to conduct a review last year, calling the figure outdated. The president plans to discuss the change Thursday in a trip to Wisconsin and previewed it in a Huffington Post op-ed posted Monday night.

“We’ve got to keep making sure hard work is rewarded. Right now, too many Americans are working long days for less pay than they deserve,” he said.

The change is likely to please labor advocates who had called on the administration to consider raising the threshold to salaries of at least $42,000 per year. They say an increased threshold could help stimulate the economy by boosting middle-class workers’ wages or triggering new hiring to prevent the need for paying the higher overtime rate. (Read more from “Obama’s Latest Regulation” HERE)

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