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Trump Just Did Something Amazing with His 1st Quarter Salary

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By Associated Press. President Donald Trump is donating his first quarter salary to the Department of Veterans Affairs, as his search continues for a nominee to lead the agency.

Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders presented a check from the president to acting VA secretary Robert Wilkie during the White House briefing on Thursday.

Trump has pledged to return his entire salary to the federal government, and has used the symbolic check handover quarterly to highlight his administration’s policy efforts. (Read more from “Trump Just Did Something Amazing with His 1st Quarter Salary” HERE)

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Trump Donates Quarterly Salary to Department of Veterans Affairs

By The Hill. . .White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump’s $100,000 quarterly salary will go toward the VA’s caregiver programs. The president is donating his salary each quarter to “important projects,” she said.

Acting Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie attended Thursday’s press briefing to accept the donation. He said the money will go toward mental health and peer support programs, financial aid and research that will assist individuals who care for veterans.

“The president’s gift underscores his promise to do all he can for vets, which includes supporting those who care for veterans. Not just those of us at VA, but the husbands, the wives, the families and the community caregivers who are out there day in and day out,” Wilkie said.

The VA is currently without a full-time director. Trump fired former VA Secretary David Shulkin in March. He nominated Adm. Ronny Jackson to replace him, but Jackson withdrew last month in the face of allegations of improper behavior. (Read more from “Trump Donates Quarterly Salary to Department of Veterans Affairs” HERE)

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HUGE: Mueller Reaches Indictment Decision on Trump

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By Daily Wire. On Wednesday, a new report revealed that Special Counsel Robert Mueller has reportedly informed the legal team representing President Donald Trump that they cannot indict the president, according to a lawyer for the president.

“All they get to do is write a report,” Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani told CNN. “They can’t indict. At least they acknowledged that to us after some battling, they acknowledged that to us.”

Fox News noted that “The precedent that federal prosecutors cannot indict a sitting president is laid out in a 1999 Justice Department memo.” (Read more from “Mueller Reaches Indictment Decision on Trump-Russia Investigation” HERE)

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Mueller Told Trump’s Legal Team He Will Not Indict the President, Giuliani Tells Fox News

By Fox News. . .Giuliani, himself a former federal prosecutor and mayor of New York City, also told Fox News that Mueller’s investigators have not responded to five information requests from the president’s team. That has forced Trump’s legal team to push off making a decision about whether the president will sit for an interview with the special counsel — a decision they had hoped to reach by Thursday.

“We’ve had no response from them,” Giuliani told Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle” about his interactions with Mueller’s team. “We’re asking … what do they really need to know, what kind of assurances do we have that they’ll get it over with quickly, just like they did for [Hillary] Clinton.” . . .

Giuliani joined Trump’s legal team last month and has repeatedly warned that an in-person interview of the president by the special counsel’s team would constitute a “perjury trap.” Complicating matters, Trump himself has refused to rule out agreeing to an interview with Mueller.

In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity earlier this month, Giuliani said that the Mueller team had ruled out allowing the Trump team to submit written answers to the special counsel’s questions. (Read more from “Mueller Told Trump’s Legal Team He Will Not Indict the President, Giuliani Tells Fox News” HERE)

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Bombshell: FBI Used Secret Program to Gather Information on Trump Campaign, No Judge Needed

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By The Intercept. The FBI routinely uses secret orders known as national security letters to demand information that recipients might not actually have to give up, internal documents indicate. The letters are among the FBI’s most potent instruments, because they function like subpoenas without requiring the approval of a judge. Internal guidelines suggest that the bureau has been using them to pursue sensitive electronic data and phone records — despite the fact that such attempts overstep the bureau’s legal authority.

The Intercept obtained the FBI’s rules for national security letters as they are spelled out in two different guides: a document detailing current guidelines for agents using the letters and an uncensored 2011 version of the FBI’s main operating manual, the Domestic Investigations and Operations Guide, or DIOG. Both documents are marked “unclassified” or “for official use only.” The first document has not been previously released. The DIOG has been made public only in heavily redacted form.

The FBI issues thousands of NSLs each year. They are controversial in part because they carry the force of law but are created entirely outside the judicial system: To issue one, an FBI official just needs to attest that the information sought is relevant to a national security investigation. The letters have also been criticized because they are shrouded in secrecy. Companies that receive them are for the most part forbidden from notifying their customers or the public. The government has fought to keep even basic rules governing them secret. (Read more from “Bombshell: FBI Used Secret Program to Gather Information on Trump Campaign, No Judge Needed” HERE)

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Code Name Crossfire Hurricane: The Secret Origins of the Trump Investigation

By The New York Times. Within hours of opening an investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia in the summer of 2016, the F.B.I. dispatched a pair of agents to London on a mission so secretive that all but a handful of officials were kept in the dark.

Their assignment, which has not been previously reported, was to meet the Australian ambassador, who had evidence that one of Donald J. Trump’s advisers knew in advance about Russian election meddling. After tense deliberations between Washington and Canberra, top Australian officials broke with diplomatic protocol and allowed the ambassador, Alexander Downer, to sit for an F.B.I. interview to describe his meeting with the campaign adviser, George Papadopoulos.

The agents summarized their highly unusual interview and sent word to Washington on Aug. 2, 2016, two days after the investigation was opened. Their report helped provide the foundation for a case that, a year ago Thursday, became the special counsel investigation. But at the time, a small group of F.B.I. officials knew it by its code name: Crossfire Hurricane. (Read more from “Code Name Crossfire Hurricane: The Secret Origins of the Trump Investigation” HERE)

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President Trump Boldly Calls for Death Penalty of Cop Killers, Honors Fallen Officers and Their Families

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By Bizpac Review. President Trump came out swinging against “anti-police prejudice” and vowed to hold those who commit deadly attacks on our nation’s officers accountable to the highest degree.

“If we want to bring down violent crime then we must stand up for our police,” Trump said at the Peace Officers’ Memorial Service at the Capitol on Tuesday.

“We must confront and condemn anti-police prejudice,” he said.

Trump called for the “end of attacks” on our police. “We’re not going to let bad things happen to our police,” he continued. “We believe criminals who kill our police should get the death penalty. Bring it forth.”

At one point, Trump invited the family of a fallen NYC officer on the stage to join him as he paid the officer, who was murdered in cold-blood just for being an officer, and her grieving family his respects. (Read more from “President Trump Boldly Calls for Death Penalty of Cop Killers, Honors Fallen Officers and Their Families” HERE)

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At National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service, Trump Calls for Death Penalty for Cop Killers

By CBS News. President Trump delivered remarks at the 37th Annual National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service at the Capitol on Tuesday where he demanded stronger protections for law enforcement officials and an end to ambush-style attacks of police officers across the country.

“The Trump administration has a policy and it’s very clear: We will protect those who protect us,” the president said in front of the Capitol building . . .

The annual event honors law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, bringing together members of the law enforcement community with families of those who lost their lives in 2017 and years prior. The president delivered a solemn message to young children of officers killed during duty present at the memorial service: “Your moms and dads were among the bravest Americans to ever live.”

“When danger came when darkness fell, when distraction loomed, they did not flinch. They were not afraid. They did not falter,” he said. He added, “Their immortal legacy lives on in each and every one of you. Today, every American heart bleeds blue.” (Read more from “At National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service, Trump Calls for Death Penalty for Cop Killers” HERE)

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Fact Check: Has Iran’s Military Budget Grown 40% Since the Nuclear Deal?

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Trump announced Tuesday that the U.S. would withdraw from the Iran nuclear accord. The deal, signed in July 2015, required Iran to dismantle two-thirds of its centrifuges and give up 95 percent of its enriched uranium. Provisions took effect January 2016.

The Obama administration estimated that the deal would lengthen the “breakout” period – the amount of time it would take for Iran to build a nuclear weapon – from two to three months to about one year. But the agreement included sunset provisions, making it a temporary fix.

The deal provided Iran with sanctions relief estimated at somewhere between $29 billion and $150 billion. The Treasury Department separately paid Iran $1.7 billion in cash to settle a legal claim, although the timing of a prisoner swap led to accusations that the funds doubled as a ransom payment . . .

“In the years since the deal was reached, Iran’s military budget has grown by almost 40 percent, while its economy is doing very badly. After the sanctions were lifted, the dictatorship used its new funds to build nuclear-capable missiles, support terrorism, and cause havoc throughout the Middle East and beyond,” Trump said during the announcement . . .

His statistic may come from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), a Swedish research organization that studies conflict and arms control. Adjusted for inflation, it estimates that Iran spent $14.5 billion on its military in 2017, up from $10.6 billion in 2015 – a 37 percent increase. (Read more from “Fact Check: Has Iran’s Military Budget Grown 40% Since the Nuclear Deal?” HERE)

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Kellyanne Conway Reveals What Trump Is Planning to Do With ‘Traitors’

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Kellyanne Conway said Monday that President Trump would likely fire people from his administration after an embarrassing leak of a joke told about Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.). . .

“Can you tell us about that process about trying to figure out who is leaking from the communications department and what’s going to be done?” Martha MacCallum asked Conway.

“I won’t you the process so much as to tell you that there are all kinds of leaks,” Conway responded, “some leaks exist, I guess, to hurt colleagues, some leaks exist because they disagree with the policies that are being put forth.”

“None of them are helpful,” she explained. “And I will tell you there’s something else that is going on in this White House but not as badly as it was in the beginning where, it’s not so much leaking as using the media to shiv each other. And that was going on quite a bit at the beginning of this administration, and it’s less so now.”

“But I think the president is on solid ground here,” she continued, “that if you work at the pleasure of the president as we all do here and you have the privilege and the blessing of coming to work every day in this White House on behalf of the nation we all love, then you ought to be competent, you ought to be loyal and you ought to be able to reinforce the agenda that prevailed here.” (Read more from “Kellyanne Conway Hints at What Trump Is Planning to Do About ‘Traitors’” HERE)

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The Cheesecake Factory Responds to Attack on Black Man Who Wore MAGA Hat

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By Daily Wire. Late on Monday night, The Cheesecake Factory responded to an alleged attack on a black Trump supporter that happened at one of their restaurants in Miami, Florida, by announcing that they have launched an investigation into the incident.

In a statement to The Daily Wire, Alethea Rowe, Senior Director of Public Relations at The Cheesecake Factory, wrote:

No guest should ever feel unwelcomed in one of our restaurants and we are taking this matter very seriously. Upon learning of this incident, we immediately apologized to the guests in person. We are conducting an investigation and will take the appropriate corrective action.

The statement from The Cheesecake Factory comes in response to an exclusive report from The Daily Wire about an alleged event that happened on Mother’s Day at their restaurant located inside Dadeland Mall. (Read more from “The Cheesecake Factory Responds to Attack on Black Man Who Wore MAGA Hat” HERE)

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Black Trump Supporter with MAGA Hat Attacked by Cheesecake Factory Employees

By International Business Times. Employees at a Cheesecake Factory in Miami allegedly made threatening gestures and verbally attacked a black man for wearing a “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) hat. The attack took place Sunday at the Cheesecake Factory outlet inside Dadeland Mall when 22-year-old Eugenior Joseph was dining with his girlfriend’s family.

According to the victim’s account, a woman employee of the outlet walked up to him, pointed at his MAGA hat and signaled the other employees to come over.

A witness said they had no clue of what was happening, and the employee’s finger was literally on top of the victim’s head.

“She was pointing at him, calling her other co-workers, telling them to look at this guy wearing a Make America Great Again hat,” the witness said, the Daily Wire reported in an exclusive.

A dozen or so employees joined her at the table and started making statements about the hat. Some even said they wanted to punch Joseph in the face, the witness recalled. (Read more from “Black Trump Supporter with MAGA Hat Attacked by Cheesecake Factory Employees” HERE)

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Watch: Campus Reform Asks Students Who Don’t Think Trump Deserves Nobel Peace Prize Why Obama Won His in 2009

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On Saturday, Campus Reform uploaded a video in which Digital Media Director Cabot Phillips spoke with students at UC Santa Cruz about the possibility of President Trump being nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Some of Trump’s supporters have said that President Obama won the Nobel Prize in 2009, and they think President Trump has done more, and so he deserves the award for the global peace that’s been brought about as a result of the seeming end of the conflict [in the Korean Peninsula]. Do you think there’s any validity to that claim?

. . .

“Hell no, that’s a joke,” one student replied. “What has he done for peace?” Another student said: “I think that’s crap.” . . .

After listening to similarly ridiculous responses from other students, Phillips finally spoke with someone who asked the right question: “I think if Obama won it, why wouldn’t he [Trump] win it, right? ‘Cause I don’t know why Obama won it. I like Obama, but I don’t think there was any legitimate reason why he should have won it.” (Read more from “Watch: Campus Reform Asks Students Who Don’t Think Trump Deserves Nobel Peace Prize Why Obama Won His in 2009” HERE)

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Watch: Green Beret Tim Kennedy Gets Waterboarded in Defense of CIA Nominee Gina Haspel

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On Friday, Green Beret Tim Kennedy live-streamed himself being waterboarded in his backyard by friends in order to demonstrate his belief that the procedure is not “torture,” as some claim.

Kennedy, who is also a UFC fighter, made the video to protest those who oppose Gina Haspel, Trump’s nominee for director of the CIA.

Haspel has been criticized for her work at a CIA black site in Thailand where “enhanced interrogation techniques” such as waterboarding were used in the aftermath of 9/11.

In 2005, then-head of the CIA’s National Clandestine Service (NCS), Jose Rodriguez, allegedly asked Haspel, who was his chief of staff, to write a cable directing personnel to destroy 92 tapes which are said to have shown the interrogations of Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri. Rodriguez claims that he ordered the destruction of the tapes because the faces of CIA agents could allegedly be seen.

However, Haspel was cleared of wrongdoing after a “disciplinary review” in 2011. In the review, then-Deputy Director of the CIA Mike Morell writes: “Ms. Haspel claims that she believed — incorrectly as it turned out — that Mr. Rodriguez was going to obtain approval from then (CIA) Director (Porter) Goss before releasing the cable.” (Read more from “Watch: Green Beret Tim Kennedy Gets Waterboarded in Defense of CIA Nominee Gina Haspel” HERE)

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Mueller Indicted a Russian Company That Doesn’t Exist

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By The Daily Wire. This week, one of the Russian companies accused by Special Counsel Robert Mueller of funding a conspiracy to meddle in the 2016 U.S. presidential election was revealed in court to not have existed during the time period alleged by Mueller’s team of prosecutors, according to a lawyer representing the defendant.

U.S. Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey asked Eric Dubelier, one of two lawyers representing the accused Russian company, Concord Management and Consulting LLC, if he was representing a third company listed in Mueller’s indictment . . .

“What about Concord Catering?” Harvey asked Dubelier. “The government makes an allegation that there’s some association. I don’t mean for you to – do you represent them, or not, today? And are we arraigning them as well?” . . .

“That company didn’t exist as a legal entity during the time period alleged by the government,” Dubelier continued. “If at some later time they show me that it did exist, we would probably represent them. But for purposes of today, no, we do not.” (Read more from “Mueller Indicted a Russian Company That Doesn’t Exist” HERE)

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Mueller, It’s Time to Wrap This Investigation Up

By The Hill. Special Counsel Robert Mueller has been the leading story in the headlines ever since his appointment on May 17, 2017. He promised the nation a swift, narrow, focused investigation into the allegations that President Trump had colluded with Russia, and as we approach the one year anniversary of his appointment he has failed to deliver despite extraordinary waivers of executive privilege by the Trump administration.

It would be a terrible thing for Mueller to stain, forever, his superb reputation going into this job by his conduct of the investigation. A key problem is that Mueller has two major conflicts of interest, which suggest, at a minimum, that he is the wrong man for this job.

First, the big legal charge he seems to be investigating is whether President Trump obstructed justice by firing former FBI director, James Comey, a close personal friend of Mueller’s with whom Mueller worked closely both during both the second Bush and Obama administrations. Nobody should be picked to investigate the legality of the firing of a close personal friend or acquaintance.

As the investigation has unfolded, a different conflict of interest for Mueller has arisen, which is that serious questions have arisen about whether the integrity of the FBI itself was seriously compromised during the time when James Comey was the FBI director. It is obvious that Mueller, a former FBI director, is not the right person to conduct an investigation into possible impermissible conduct by the FBI. (Read more from “Mueller, It’s Time to Wrap This Investigation Up” HERE)

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