Comey Tried to Shield the F.B.I. From Politics. Then He Shaped an Election. - NYT

Despite his concerns, Mr. Comey avoided calling it an investigation. “I am confident we have the resources and the personnel assigned to the matter,” Mr. Comey told reporters days after the meeting.

The F.B.I. investigation into Mrs. Clinton’s email server was the biggest political story in the country in the fall of 2015. But something much bigger was happening in Washington. And nobody recognized it.

While agents were investigating Mrs. Clinton, the Democratic National Committee’s computer system was compromised. It appeared to have been the work of Russian hackers.

The significance of this moment is obvious now, but it did not immediately cause alarm at the F.B.I. or the Justice Department.

Over the previous year, dozens of think tanks, universities and political organizations associated with both parties had fallen prey to Russian spear phishing — emails that tricked victims into clicking on malicious links. The D.N.C. intrusion was a concern, but no more than the others.

Months passed before the D.N.C. and the F.B.I. met to address the hacks. And it would take more than a year for the government to conclude that the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, had an audacious plan to steer the outcome of an American election. 

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Comey Tried to Shield the F.B.I. From Politics. Then He Shaped an Election. - NYT

Saturday April 22nd, 2017 at 10:03 AM

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Mr. Comey owes his job and his reputation to the night in 2004 when he rushed to the Washington hospital room of John Ashcroft, the attorney general, and prevented Bush administration officials from persuading him to reauthorize a classified program that had been ruled unconstitutional. At the time, Mr. Comey, a Republican, was the deputy attorney general.

Years later, when Mr. Obama was looking for a new F.B.I. director, Mr. Comey seemed an inspired bipartisan choice. But his style eventually grated on his bosses at the Justice Department.

In 2015, as prosecutors pushed for greater accountability for police misconduct, Mr. Comey embraced the controversial theory that scrutiny of police officers led to increases in crime — the so-called Ferguson effect. “We were really caught off guard,” said Vanita Gupta, the Justice Department’s top civil rights prosecutor at the time. “He lobbed a fairly inflammatory statement, without data to back it up, and walked away.”

On other issues, Mr. Comey bucked the administration but won praise from his agents, who saw him as someone who did what he believed was right, regardless of the political ramifications.

“Jim sees his role as apolitical and independent,” said Daniel C. Richman, a longtime confidant and friend of Mr. Comey’s. “The F.B.I. director, even as he reports to the attorney general, often has to stand apart from his boss.”

The F.B.I.’s involvement with Mrs. Clinton’s emails began in July 2015 when it received a letter from the inspector general for the intelligence community.

The letter said that classified information had been found on Mrs. Clinton’s home email server, which she had used as secretary of state. The secret email setup was already proving to be a damaging issue in her presidential campaign.

Mr. Comey’s deputies quickly concluded that there was reasonable evidence that a crime may have occurred in the way classified materials were handled, and that the F.B.I. had to investigate. “We knew as an organization that we didn’t have a choice,” said John Giacalone, a former mob investigator who had risen to become the F.B.I.’s top national security official.

On July 10, 2015, the F.B.I. opened a criminal investigation, code-named “Midyear,” into Mrs. Clinton’s handling of classified information. The Midyear team included two dozen investigators led by a senior analyst and by an experienced F.B.I. supervisor, Peter Strzok, a former Army officer who had worked on some of the most secretive investigations in recent years involving Russian and Chinese espionage.

There was controversy almost immediately.

Responding to questions from The Times, the Justice Department confirmed that it had received a criminal referral — the first step toward a criminal investigation — over Mrs. Clinton’s handling of classified information. But the next morning, the department revised its statement.

“The department has received a referral related to the potential compromise of classified information,” the new statement read. “It is not a criminal referral.”

At the F.B.I., this was a distinction without a difference: Despite what officials said in public, agents had been alerted to mishandled classified information and in response, records show, had opened a full criminal investigation.

The Justice Department knew a criminal investigation was underway, but officials said they were being technically accurate about the nature of the referral. Some at the F.B.I. suspected that Democratic appointees were playing semantic games to help Mrs. Clinton, who immediately seized on the statement to downplay the issue. “It is not a criminal investigation,” she said, incorrectly. “It is a security review.”

In September of that year, as Mr. Comey prepared for his first public questions about the case at congressional hearings and press briefings, he went across the street to the Justice Department to meet with Ms. Lynch and her staff.

Both had been federal prosecutors in New York — Mr. Comey in the Manhattan limelight, Ms. Lynch in the lower-wattage Brooklyn office. The 6-foot-8 Mr. Comey commanded a room and the spotlight. Ms. Lynch, 5 feet tall, was known for being cautious and relentlessly on message. In her five months as attorney general, she had shown no sign of changing her style.

At the meeting, everyone agreed that Mr. Comey should not reveal details about the Clinton investigation. But Ms. Lynch told him to be even more circumspect: Do not even call it an investigation, she said, according to three people who attended the meeting. Call it a “matter.”

Ms. Lynch reasoned that the word “investigation” would raise other questions: What charges were being investigated? Who was the target? But most important, she believed that the department should stick by its policy of not confirming investigations.

It was a by-the-book decision. But Mr. Comey and other F.B.I. officials regarded it as disingenuous in an investigation that was so widely known. And Mr. Comey was concerned that a Democratic attorney general was asking him to be misleading and line up his talking points with Mrs. Clinton’s campaign, according to people who spoke with him afterward.

As the meeting broke up, George Z. Toscas, a national security prosecutor, ribbed Mr. Comey. “I guess you’re the Federal Bureau of Matters now,” Mr. Toscas said, according to two people who were there.

Despite his concerns, Mr. Comey avoided calling it an investigation. “I am confident we have the resources and the personnel assigned to the matter,” Mr. Comey told reporters days after the meeting.

The F.B.I. investigation into Mrs. Clinton’s email server was the biggest political story in the country in the fall of 2015. But something much bigger was happening in Washington. And nobody recognized it.

While agents were investigating Mrs. Clinton, the Democratic National Committee’s computer system was compromised. It appeared to have been the work of Russian hackers.

The significance of this moment is obvious now, but it did not immediately cause alarm at the F.B.I. or the Justice Department.

Over the previous year, dozens of think tanks, universities and political organizations associated with both parties had fallen prey to Russian spear phishing — emails that tricked victims into clicking on malicious links. The D.N.C. intrusion was a concern, but no more than the others.

Months passed before the D.N.C. and the F.B.I. met to address the hacks. And it would take more than a year for the government to conclude that the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, had an audacious plan to steer the outcome of an American election.

Missing Emails

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At least 160 dead after Taliban attack on major Afghan army base, official says

Saturday April 22nd, 2017 at 10:01 AM

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A military ambulance enters the base a day after it was attacked. (Mutalib Sultani/EPA)

By Sayed Salahuddin By Sayed Salahuddin April 22 at 8:05 AM

KABUL — The death toll from a Taliban raid on a key army base has exceeded 160, an official said Saturday, the bloodiest single incident in an attack by the resurgent militants since their ouster in 2001.

The attack Friday was seen as another major blow for President Ashraf Ghani’s shaky U.S.-backed government, which, apart from facing rising violence by militants, is also locked in a growing internal power struggle.

The major military base for the northern region in Afghanistan’s mostly secure Balkh province was targeted Friday. A group of 10 Taliban fighters in military uniforms drove in two army vehicles and opened fire on mostly unarmed soldiers and officers inside the sprawling base.

After the nearly six hours of reportedly indiscriminate gunfire and blasts caused by hand grenades as well as suicide bombers, officials Friday said that dozens of soldiers were killed either after leaving Friday prayers at the base’s mosque or at the dining facility.

The level of carnage became clearer Saturday after authorities finished the room-to room search for survivors and cleared the mess caused by the brazen attack, a lawmaker for Balkh said on the condition of anonymity.

An Afghan security official stands guard. (Mutalib Sultani/EPA)

“The figure I have heard for the deaths is 163,” the lawmaker said. “It could go higher as some of the dozens of wounded are in critical condition. For a while, there was shortage for coffins, but somehow they managed to sort that out”

The Defense Ministry’s spokesman, Dawlat Waziri, said 100 people had been killed.

Ghani, who rushed Saturday to Balkh to console victims’ families, described the attackers as “infidels” because officials said the insurgents opened fire on soldiers while they were praying inside the mosque.

The attack drew stern condemnation from the U.S. military, which leads the war against militants, including the Taliban, more than 16 years after ousting the radical Islamic government.

The Taliban denied killing soldiers inside the mosque. Images on social media showed a bullet-riddled pulpit.

The militants managed to get past two security gates of the base pretending to have brought wounded soldiers for medical treatment, local officials said. They were challenged at the third gate after refusing to hand over their assault rifles and other weapons. Then, they blew up one vehicle to allow their comrades to get inside.

The Taliban said four of the attackers were army defectors who had served at the base until recent years. The group said the rampage was a “prelude” to the militants’ traditional spring offensive.

One wounded soldier who survived the massacre told a private TV station that he had seen many casualties. The soldier said security was always tight at the base. Like many, he questioned the failure of those on duty and said the attack was highly unlikely without inside help.

“Taking and observing tight security measure is equivalent to winning a war,” Attiqullah Amarkhail, a retired general and military analyst said.

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“Here we have seen unfortunately, total failure of security. Government leaders fight over power and are after sidelining one another and that affects the level of hierarchy in provincial levels,” he said in a short interview.

Amarkhail said he had heard that more 200 people were killed in the attack, the second major incident since militants linked to Islamic State stormed the country’s main military hospital in Kabul six weeks ago. More than 50 people were killed there.

[Gunmen disguised as doctors assault Kabul hospital]

The attack on the base came less than a week after the powerful and longtime governor of Balkh, Ustad Atta, was said to have wiped out the Taliban from various parts of the province that border Central Asia.

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Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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German intelligence spied on Interpol: Spiegel

Saturday April 22nd, 2017 at 7:36 AM

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Paramilitary: Russian Military Contractors

Saturday April 22nd, 2017 at 6:57 AM

StrategyPage.Com

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April 22, 2017: Noting the success the United States had with private security contractors in Afghanistan and Iraq, Russia has tried to create a similar capability. That is not working out as expected and the government is still trying to come up with a concept it can make legal yet resistant to abuse by gangsters or corrupt politicians in remote parts of the country. Russia has a century’s long history of “private armies” and governments (communist and non-communist) have grown wary of the concept. A recent example of this can be seen in Chechnya. There Russia applied an ancient technique to keep things quiet by appointing a local politician to head the Chechnya provincial government. The understanding is that the Chechen strongman put in charge will have the support of the national government as long as he keeps things under control. The Chechen leader can do whatever it takes as long as he keeps the nasty stuff out of the news.

This sort of thing goes back thousands of years and includes the ability to recruit a private army. Russia does not bestow this sort of power as much as in the past because it can lead to major armed rebellion. To make this sort of thing work in places like Chechnya Russia has brought back the secret police and expanded special operations troops available for dealing with troublesome criminal and Islamic terrorist groups anywhere, but especially in the Caucasus where Chechnya at the center most regional unrest. Thus the government has enough federal resources to crack down on a misbehaving Chechen leader, but not on several of them. So Russia has sought to expand the number of dependable and skilled combat troops available.

Not enough veteran soldiers could be persuaded to join or stay in uniform so the government has allowed a limited (apparently about ten) private security companies to operate in Russia. Most of these are just providers of skilled security personnel for guarding important commercial enterprises from gangsters and skilled thieves, often in remote locations. But about half these private security companies are believed to have organized combat units that are reliable enough to be used in place of scarce army special operations troops. By monitoring Russian language social media activity (which anyone can do) it has been noted that recent military veterans working for several of these private security companies have been in Syria and Ukraine. Casualties were suffered in both places although the duties of the contractors were different. In Syria the security contractors mainly guarded Russian bases but were also used in combat when they provided security for Russian artillery units supporting Syrian Army troops. In a few cases the contractors were sent in to assist Syrian troops who got themselves in trouble. Russia described these men as special operations troops, because outside Russia the security contractors often wear Russian military uniforms. But social media revealed that many of these dead Russians in Syria (about 30 so far) were actually contractors. In Ukraine at least one private security company has been used as “enforcers” to punish troublesome pro-Russian Ukrainian rebels. Often this just meant arranging an accidental death for a disobedient rebel leader but in a few cases a larger number of rebels had to disappear. The Russian supported rebels came to call these contractors “cleaners” and were justifiably terrorized and impressed.

Meanwhile Russia continues to have problems getting enough Russians to join the military in any capacity. In 2015, for example, Russia changed the rules and made it easier for foreigners to join the Russian armed forces. This meant all you needed was the ability to speak passable Russian and have no criminal record and meet physical and educational standards. These recruits could join for five years as “contract soldiers” in the military or para-military (Interior Ministry) forces. The navy and air force are particularly short of technically qualified personnel and don't care if the new guys speak with an accent as long as they can do the job. Successful completion of the five year contract makes it easier for the foreign soldier to become a Russian citizen. Russia had earlier begun accepting foreigners but only those that could prove some connection to the old Soviet Union. By late 2014 only a few hundred of these foreigners were serving. The new rules weren’t expected to bring in many more recruits, and that was indeed the case. But every new one counts as Russia is desperate to attract enough volunteers to be able to eliminate the use of conscription.

Many other nations seek foreign recruits for the same reasons; not enough locals want to serve. In Russia the situation is far worse. There is a fundamental problem in that few Russian men are willing to join, even at good pay rates. Earlier efforts to recruit women and foreigners have not made up for this. The Russian military suffers from an image problem that just won't go away. This resulted in the period of service for conscripts being lowered to one year (from two) in 2008. That was partly to placate the growing number of parents who were encouraging, and assisting, their kids in avoiding military service.

Meanwhile the United States has used contractors successfully for centuries. For example from 2010 through 2013 there were about 105,000 contractors (on average) in Afghanistan and currently there are still over 20,000. During that period most contractors were foreigners with essential technical skills but at least a quarter were security specialists. Before most American troops left Afghanistan in 2014 there as many as 28,000 (in 2012) foreign security contractors there. Most of these contractors were guarding American bases. With American troops now staying in Afghan run bases, there are only about a thousand foreign security contractors and most of these are guarding the embassy. There was a similar situation in Iraq but the contractor presence was more critical in Afghanistan where the local population did not have the education, skills and experience to replace a lot of Western combat support.

By the late 20th century it had become customary to use lots of contractors for supply and service tasks, in effect running overseas bases used by American troops and government officials. It was also found practical to also employ contractors to handle some of the base security. These civilians were armed and known as PSC (Private Security Contractors). A lot of them were used in Iraq after 2003 and continued to be used in Afghanistan and Iraq to guard bases, convoys, embassies, and anything or anyone the Islamic terrorists want to attack. In Iraq PSC strength peaked in 2009, with 15,279 PSC personnel. By 2013, after nearly all American troops had left, there were still over 3,000 PSCs there, mostly protecting embassy personnel and foreign aid officials. Another 3,000 such civilian contractors were doing non-combat jobs. At that time the U.S. employed about 18,000 PSC personnel worldwide. The 11,000 or so in Afghanistan not only provided security but also trained Afghan police and assist in destroying opium and heroin production. All this PSC activity gets little media coverage and even less interest by reporters regarding the ancient origins of PSCs (and military contractors in general) and how the United States and most other industrialized nations had been using them for centuries.

Instead the media and entertainment industries decided that military contractors were the new bad guys and expended considerable effort inventing and publicizing anything evil about contractors that could be passed off as plausible. This led politicians to demand that many contractor jobs be given back to government employees. This was called "insourcing" and once the implications of this were clearly explained (more expensive, less competent), enthusiasm for it quietly disappeared.

The problem, from the beginning, is that the media either didn't understand the use, and history, of military contractors or just ignored that reality. The fact of the matter is that contractors have been around for thousands of years and have become more common against since the 1960s for the simple reason that they are cheaper and more effective than using troops or government employees. Ordering insourcing didn't change that fact of life, as the politicians quickly learned.

The presence of so many civilian contractors in the combat zone was first noted by the mass media in Iraq. There were indeed a lot of contractors there and by 2009 there was one civilian contractor for each member of the military in Iraq. Thus half the American force was civilians. Yet this is not the first time this has happened. In the 1990s, half the American peacekeeping force in the Balkans was civilian contractors. No one noticed it back then. In past wars the percentage varied. During the 1991 Gulf war contractors were only about two percent of the force. That was because the U.S. troops came to liberate Kuwait and leave. Moreover, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf States, had bases and plenty of civilian workers (most of them foreigners) they allowed U.S. forces to use for the operation. The American troops basically lived "in the field" as they would in a conventional war while local civilians took care of many support tasks.

In the Vietnam War, where U.S. troops were there for a long time, contractors were 16 percent of the force. In the Korean War it was 28 percent, during World War II it was 12 percent, 4 percent in World War I, 17 percent for the U.S. Civil War, 15 percent during the Mexican-American War and during the Revolutionary War it was 18 percent. It was not just the U.S. that was using contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan but many other nations around the world have been doing the same thing. It's particularly popular in Europe, but even Russia and China began picking up on this after the Cold War ended in 1991. And this has been going on everywhere for a long time.

This current trend is actually a return to the past, when many of the "non-combat" troops were civilians. Another major change in modern times is the shrinking proportion of troops who actually fight. A century ago most armies comprised over 80 percent fighters and the rest "camp followers (support troops) in uniform." Today the ratio is reversed and therein resides a major problem. Way back in the day, the support troops were called "camp followers," and they took care of supply, support, medical care, maintenance, and "entertainment" (that's where the term "camp follower" got a bad name). The majority of these people were men and some of them were armed, mainly for defending the camp if the combat troops got beat real bad and needed somewhere to retreat to. The military is using a lot more civilians now. In an age when most troops are highly paid volunteers, it's cheaper to hire additional civilians, on short term contracts, than it is to recruit and train more troops.

The U.S. military has actually been hiring contractors, more and more, since the 1960s, but does not give a lot of publicity to the program. This was mainly because some of the contractors, especially those in medical jobs, get paid far more than someone in uniform doing the same job. But most of the civilians, hired to do what was previously done by soldiers, are making as much, or less, than the troops (including benefits).

Some American generals have suggested dispense with expensive contractors because they believe these people are much more expensive than soldiers would be, doing the same work. That is not always possible, as some of these contractors are technical specialists (as in electronics and communications) for which the military has no counterparts. This has always been the case with medical personnel and with the explosion in new tech since the 1950s the need for highly skilled personnel has grown enormously.

The military has always had a lot of civilians around but more of them are now doing jobs in combat zones or out in the field. Many of the PSCs are retired military or have served for a few years. They know the drill and what they are getting into. This is what the Russians noted and successfully copied.

One of the great revolutions in military operations in this century has been in the enormous increase in support troops. This came after a sharp drop in the proportion of camp followers in the 18th and 19th centuries. Before that it was common for an army on the march to consist of 10-20 percent soldiers and the rest camp followers. There was a reason for this. Armies "in the field" were camping out and living rough could be unhealthy and arduous if you didn't have a lot of servants along to take care of the camping equipment and help out with the chores. Generals usually had to allow a lot of camp followers in order to get the soldiers, especially the officers and key technical people (who handled artillery and engineering) to go along with the idea of campaigning.

Only the most disciplined armies could do away with all those camp followers and get the troops to do their own housekeeping. The Romans had such an army, with less than half the "troops" being camp followers. But the Romans system was not re-invented until the 18th century, when many European armies trained their troops to do their own chores in the field, just as the Romans had. In the 19th century, steamships and railroads came along and made supplying the troops even less labor intensive and more dependent on civilian support "troops." The widespread introduction of conscription in the 19th century also made it possible to get most of your "camp followers" cheap by drafting them and putting them in uniform.

Since the 1950s conscription has fallen out of favor, but volunteer troops are too expensive to be used for a lot of support jobs, so more and more of these chores are contracted out to civilians. Even if you're in Iraq or Afghanistan you often won't even notice a lot of the contractor civilians. They often wear army combat uniforms, without any rank insignia. Some are armed. They work for the army without being in the army. But the truth of the situation is that the military has been going back to the past to find the future.

Generals who try to get rid of civilian contractors soon face resistance from subordinate commanders who will point out that more troops assigned to support jobs will mean fewer available for combat. Now the contractors have proved useful to allies as well, especially in the Middle East and Afghanistan, areas where is not enough local talent to support, or sometimes operate, high-tech equipment.

Russia, and most other European nations, has also used contractors in the past but with the arrival of the industrial revolution it was possible to implement large scale conscription which, in effect, put most contractor personnel (or at least their jobs) in uniform.

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Twenty-five million reasons the US...

Saturday April 22nd, 2017 at 6:01 AM

Google News

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Twenty-five million reasons the US hasn't struck North Korea

Washington Post - ‎17 hours ago‎

TOKYO — If the United States were to strike North Korea, Kim Jong Un's regime would retaliate by unleashing its conventional weaponry lined up on the demilitarized zone that has separated the two Koreas for about seven decades. And that conventional ...

North Korea: Experts Warn Only Way Forward May Be Diplomacy

<a href="http://NBCNews.com" rel="nofollow">NBCNews.com</a> - ‎41 minutes ago‎

For all the talk of naval strike groups and pre-emptive military action, Donald Trump's only option to solve the North Korean crisis could be compromise. His presidency has seen tensions ratcheting up over the Korean peninsula, with dictator Kim Jong ...

Keep Calm and Carry On... Gangnam Style

Huffington Post - ‎2 hours ago‎

“Hey, mom! I survived the Cuban Missile Crisis!” declared my 11 year-old on Easter morning 2017 here in South Korea where we live and then hunted for chocolate. The night before, TV/Internet Zero was the formula for sleep because Washington pundits ...

AP Explains: How a single Trump sentence enraged South Korea

Washington Post - ‎Apr 21, 2017‎

SEOUL, South Korea — U.S. President Donald Trump's apparently offhand comment after meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping — that “Korea actually used to be a part of China” — has enraged many South Koreans. The historically inaccurate sentence ...

North Korean ships dock in Chinese port despite coal embargo

CNN - ‎Apr 21, 2017‎

Beijing (CNN) The docking of six North Korean ships at a port in northern China has raised questions over a Chinese ban on coal imports from the nuclear-armed state. The ships docked Thursday and Friday at a port in the city of Tangshan in northern ...

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Power outage cripples San Francisco...

Saturday April 22nd, 2017 at 5:58 AM

Google News

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Power outage cripples San Francisco for seven hours

Reuters - ‎7 hours ago‎

SAN FRANCISCO A massive power outage threw San Francisco into chaos for most of the work day on Friday, knocking out traffic signals, paralyzing businesses and halting the city's famed cable cars. The power outage, which was triggered by a fire in a ...

Power Outages Delay Commutes in Both N.Y., San Francisco

Bloomberg - ‎10 hours ago‎

Swan Oyster Depot patrons sit in the dark during a citywide power outage on April 21, in San Francisco, Calif. Photographer: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images. Commuters in San Francisco and New York both showed up to work late Friday morning for the same ...

Power restored in SF after blackout shuts businesses, cable cars

SFGate - ‎13 hours ago‎

Power restored in SF after blackout shuts businesses, cable cars. By Sarah Ravani, Jill Tucker and Hamed Aleaziz. Updated 8:57 pm, Friday, April 21, 2017. Benjamin W. Feldman took this photo in the Montgomery BART Station during a power outage.

Power outage cripples San Francisco for hours

Reuters - ‎11 hours ago‎

A sign on a restaurant informs customers that the facility is closed due to a power cut, in the financial district of San Francisco, California, U.S. April 21, 2017. REUTERS/Alexandria Sage. 1/22. left. right. A firefighter works on a fire extinguisher ...

Power nearly fully restored after San Francisco outage

Washington Post - ‎10 hours ago‎

SAN FRANCISCO — A San Francisco power outage that stranded people in elevators and left tens of thousands of others in the dark Friday was caused by the massive failure of a circuit breaker that sparked a fire at a power substation, a utility company ...

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Excerpts from AP interview with President Donald Trump

Saturday April 22nd, 2017 at 5:55 AM

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Excerpts from The Associated Press interview conducted Friday with President Donald Trump, with editing for clarity and brevity:

YOUNG IMMIGRANTS

On the legal status of the “dreamers,” young immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally and protected from deportation by the Obama administration.

TRUMP: We aren’t looking to do anything right now.

AP: That’s going to be the policy of your administration, to allow the dreamers to stay?

TRUMP: Yes. That’s our policy. I am not saying ... Long-term we are going to have to fix the problem, the whole immigration problem. ... Here is what they can hear: The dreamers should rest easy. OK? I’ll give you that. The dreamers should rest easy.

DEPORTING CRIMINALS

On deporting criminals in the country illegally, particularly those affiliated with the brutal Central American street gang MS-13:

TRUMP: It’s a little different than the dreamer case, right? But we are putting MS-13 in jail and getting them the hell out of our country. They’ve taken over towns and cities and we are being really brutal with MS-13 and that’s what we should be. They are a bad group and somebody said they are as bad as al-Qaida, which is a hell of a reference. So we are moving criminals out of our country and we are getting them out in record numbers, and those are the people we are after. We are not after the dreamers. We are after the criminals. ...

TRUMP: We are cleaning out cities and towns of hard-line criminals, some of the worst people on Earth, people that rape and kill women, people that are killing people just for the sake of having fun. They are being thrown in jails and they are being all over the country and nobody’s ever done it like us, so we are being unbelievably thorough with that. We are out in Long Island cleaning out the MS-13 scum. They are all scum. That’s probably the worst gang anywhere on Earth.

FRANCE AND TERROR ATTACKS

On the impact on France’s election of the possible terror attack in Paris: “Well, I think it will have a big effect on who people are going to vote for in the election.”

AP: Do you think it’s going to help Marine Le Pen?

TRUMP: I think so.

AP: Do you believe that she should be the president?

TRUMP: No, I have no comment on that, but I think that it’ll probably help her ‘cause she is the strongest on borders and she is the strongest on what’s been going on in France.

AP: Do you worry at all that by saying that, that a terrorist attack would have an impact on a democratic election, that it would actually embolden terrorists to try to ...

TRUMP: No. Look, everybody is making predictions who is going to win. I am no different than you. You could say the same thing.

MEETING FOREIGN LEADERS

TRUMP: One of the best chemistries I had was with (German Chancellor Angela) Merkel. ... And I guess somebody shouted out, “Shake her hand, shake her hand,” you know. But I never heard it. But I had already shaken her hand four times, you know, because we were together for a long time.

AP: Did you expect you would have good chemistry with her?

TRUMP: No. Because I’m at odds on, you know, the NATO payments and I’m at odds on immigration. We had unbelievable chemistry. And people have given me credit for having great chemistry with all of the leaders, including (Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah) el-Sissi.

TAX REFORM AND HEALTH CARE

TRUMP: I have great relationships with Congress. I think we’re doing very well and I think we have a great foundation for future things. We’re going to be applying — I shouldn’t tell you this, but we’re going to be announcing, probably on Wednesday, tax reform. ... We’ve worked on it long and hard. And you gotta understand, I’ve only been here now 93 days, 92 days. President Obama took 17 months to do “Obamacare.” I’ve been here 92 days, but I’ve only been working on the health care, you know, I had to get like a little bit of grounding, right? Health care started after 30 day(s), so I’ve been working on health care for 60 days. ... we’re very close. And it’s a great plan ... we have to get it approved.

AP: Is it this deal that’s between the Tuesday Group and the Freedom Caucus? Is that the deal you’re looking at?

TRUMP: So the Republican Party has various groups, all great people. They’re great people. But some are moderate, some are very conservative. The Democrats don’t seem to have that nearly as much. You know the Democrats have, they don’t have that. The Republicans do have that. And I think it’s fine. But you know there’s a pretty vast area in there. And I have a great relationship with all of ‘em. Now, we have government not closing. I think we’ll be in great shape on that, it’s going very well. Obviously that takes precedent.

AP: That takes precedent over health care? For next week?

TRUMP: Yeah, sure. Next week. Because the 100 days is just an artificial barrier. The press keeps talking about the 100 days. But we’ve done a lot. You have a list of things. I don’t have to read it.

BORDER WALL AND SPENDING BILL

AP: Obviously that’s going to come in a week where you’re going to be running up against the deadline for keeping the government open. If you get a bill on your desk that does not include funding for the wall, will you sign it?

TRUMP: I don’t know yet. People want the border wall. My base definitely wants the border wall. My base really wants it — you’ve been to many of the rallies, OK, the thing they want more than anything is the wall. ... They want to see the wall, they want to see security. Now, it just came out that (border apprehensions) they’re 73 percent down ... That’s a tremendous achievement. ... Look at this, in 100 days, that down to the lowest in 17 years and it’s going lower. Now, people aren’t coming because they know they’re not going to get through and there isn’t crime. You know the migration up to the border is horrible for women, you know that? (unintelligible) Now, much of that’s stopped because they can’t get through.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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· · · · ·

data on Americans caught up in surveillance - Google Search

Saturday April 22nd, 2017 at 5:48 AM

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New York Daily News

Senators Seek Data on Americans Caught Up in Surveillance

Bloomberg-2 hours ago

The two want to know more about how agencies handle these communications as well as data about the number of Americans affected.

In Secret Court Hearing, Lawyer Objected to FBI Sifting Through ...

The Intercept-22 hours ago

In her first appearance representing the American public before the ... access to data from one of the NSA's largest surveillance programs, which ... an estimate of how many Americans' communications are caught up in that ...

In Obama's final year, US secret court denied record number of ...

ZDNet-Apr 20, 2017

Newly released data by the US Courts show that the Washington DC. ... on how many Americans are caught up in its surveillance programs.

'Unmasking' 101: The Next Chapter In The Trump-Russia Imbroglio

WCAI-6 hours ago

When U.S. intelligence agencies spy on Americans, they're ... into how Americans can be swept up in government surveillance ... or "unmask" the names of the Americans who had been caught up, the ... Rogers told the panel that when an American's name pops up in so-called incidental collection, the data ...

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· ·

Dan Coats - Google Search

Saturday April 22nd, 2017 at 5:46 AM

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North Korea briefing moved to White House

The Hill-13 hours ago

The Trump administration has moved next week's planned Senate briefing on North Korea to the White House, Politico reported. Secretary of ...

Senators to attend North Korea briefing at White House
Highly Cited-Politico-15 hours ago

View all

Senators seek data on Americans caught up in surveillance

WCVB Boston-1 hour ago

The senators' Friday letter to Dan Coats, director of national intelligence, comes as lawmakers gear up for debate over the reauthorization of ...

CIA Found Assad Innocent? No Way, Agency Says, Denouncing ...

U.S. News & World Report-Apr 11, 2017

Tim Barrett, a spokesman for Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, also pushed back on the report, which notes Coats' absence from the ...

140 Soldiers Killed in Taliban Attack on Afghan Base, Official Says

Saturday April 22nd, 2017 at 5:42 AM

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KABUL, Afghanistan — A day after a lethal Taliban assault on an Army base in northern Afghanistan, an official said on Saturday that at least 140 soldiers had been killed, making it the single deadliest known attack on an Afghan military base in the course of the long war.

“Today, there was even a shortage of coffins,” said the official, Ibrahim Khairandish, a member of the provincial council in Balkh Province, where the attack occurred. Citing information from army officials, Mr. Khairandish said 60 soldiers had also been wounded in the attack.

The soldiers, most of them unarmed, were gunned down while eating lunch or emerging from Friday Prayer at the headquarters of the Afghan Army’s 209th Corps in Balkh by assailants in military uniforms who entered after another attacker had detonated explosives at a check post. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the assault.

“Most of those killed were in the mosque; some of them were in the dining facility,” Mr. Khairandish said.

Details were still emerging on Saturday, but other officials said the death toll had been staggeringly high. Another Balkh official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the news media, said 137 soldiers had been killed. A Western military official in Kabul, who insisted on anonymity because of a policy against commenting on Afghan security forces’ casualty figures, put the death toll at more than 100.

Gen. Dawlat Waziri, a spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Defense, said on Saturday that “more than a hundred soldiers were killed and wounded” in the attack, but he declined to discuss precise numbers.

“In continuing with their barbarism and criminality, the Taliban carried out a group attack in the 209th Corps mosque when our soldiers were standing for group prayers. This was against all human and Islamic values,” General Waziri said.

President Ashraf Ghani arrived in Balkh Province on Saturday to visit the Army base.

The Taliban released the names and a picture of 10 men who they said had taken part in the assault. All were dressed in Afghan military uniforms, down to helmets and kneepads. A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said the assailants had been led by four soldiers in the base who had long been working for the militants.

The attack came weeks after militants entered the Afghan Army’s main hospital in Kabul, the capital, and killed more than 50 people in a siege that lasted nearly seven hours. The Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, claimed responsibility for that assault. In that attack, security officials said, the militants also had inside help.

While ISIS has been getting attention in recent days because of the American military’s use of its largest conventional bomb against an Islamic State cave complex in eastern Afghanistan, the Taliban remain the biggest security threat to the country. The latter group has expanded its territory over the past couple years and threatens several cities.

Such a major security breach in Balkh, even before the start of the insurgents’ spring offensive, is a major concern to Afghan forces who are already struggling in the fight against the Taliban.

In 2016, more than 6,700 Afghan forces were killed in battle. The repeated ability of a few militants to cause tremendous bloodshed in highly secure areas was an especially troubling sign.

Continue reading the main story

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· ·

'Shattered' book review: The night...

Saturday April 22nd, 2017 at 5:04 AM

Google News

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'Shattered' book review: The night Clinton said what she never expected to say: 'Congratulations, Donald'

Allentown Morning Call - ‎9 hours ago‎

"Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton's Doomed Campaign" by Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes (Crown. $28, 464 pp.) Around 7:45 on election night, when Hillary Clinton and her aides still thought they were headed to the White House, troubling news emerged ...

LGBT Center honors Marc Jacobs, Hillary Clinton at annual New York gala

Los Angeles Times - ‎12 hours ago‎

Hillary Clinton cut a relaxed figure Thursday as she accepted the LGBT Center's Trailblazer Award at the organization's annual fund-raising dinner. Marc Jacobs, who admitted to being “very nervous” about addressing the crowd at Cipriani Wall Street, ...

Hillary Clinton Blasts Trump's "Cruel" Treatment of LGBT Rights

W Magazine - ‎13 hours ago‎

On Thursday night in Manhattan's Financial District, The Center—a community center for LGBTQ-identifying individuals—held its annual fundraising gala at Cipriani Wall Street. It is, of course, a worthwhile cause to support every year, but this year ...

Here Are the 7 Most Embarrassing Stories From the Titanic of Hillary Clinton's Campaign

Independent Journal Review - ‎10 hours ago‎

This week, the political world learned of the crisis, discontentment, infighting, elitism and Nixonian superstition that ruled the ill-fated Hillary Clinton campaign. The revelations laid bare in the forthcoming book, “Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton ...

Report: Clinton team's 'knives are out' for inside leakers to book authors

AOL - ‎11 hours ago‎

Hillary Clinton's team is reportedly trying to uncover the inside sources who contributed to the new book about her failed 2016 presidential bid titled, Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton's Doomed Campaign. Page Six quotes one unnamed person as saying ...

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· · ·

Trump's Organized Crime Ties Bring Blackmail to the White House

Saturday April 22nd, 2017 at 4:59 AM

AlterNet.Org Main RSS Feed

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The words were positively polite, at least for a man convicted of assault and racketeering. It was the implied target of his blackmail threat that was unusual: the president of the United States.

The threat came from Felix Sater, a Russian-American businessman who partnered with Donald Trump in launching the Trump Soho, a hotel-condominium project in New York City. The building was funded by Sater’s boss, Tevfik Arif, a mogul from Kazakhstan. In 2007, Trump's children, Donald Jr., Eric and Ivanka attended the unveiling ceremony for the 46-story luxury tower in Manhattan.

Trump, Arif and Sater were photographed standing next to one another at that event. Since then, the three men have parted ways in a haze of recriminations, lawsuits and amnesia. 

The Threat

Sater’s attorney came right to the point in a February 2 letter to Arif’s attorney about $3.5 million in disputed legal fees, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

“Clearly, if this matter between Mr. Sater and Mr. Arif escalates to public litigation, the media spotlight will be negatively cast on Mr. Arif and his past relationship with President Trump and the Republic of Kazakhstan,” the attorney wrote.

In the correspondence reviewed by the Journal, Sater warned he might file another lawsuit in which he would allege wrongdoing in Arif’s dealings in the post-Soviet metals business in Kazakhstan. “The headline will be, ‘The Kazakh Gangster and President Trump,’” Sater warned.

The Back Story

Both Arif and Sater know something about the media spotlight.

In October 2010, Turkish news outlets headlined the arrest of Arif and five other men for alleged involvement in a prostitution ring following a raid on a yacht once used by the country’s founder. Police stormed the 136-meter luxury yacht Savarona after a seven-month investigation. They also detained 10 Ukrainian and Russian women.

Arif had rented the yacht at a daily rate of $50,000, according to Turkish news reports. Arif denied all charges, saying he had only been entertaining friends aboard the Savarona. Nine of the women were deported, and Arif was later acquitted.

Also questioned, but not arrested in the raid, according to Israel’s YNet News was Alexander Mashkevich, an Israeli-Kazakh billionaire who, along with two partners, dominates Kazakhstan’s lucrative mineral sector, according to Wikipedia.

Sater’s recent threat implicitly links Arif’s relationship with Mashkevich to his dealings with Trump.

Tevfik and his brother Refik Arif, former Soviet government officials, achieved success after Kazakh independence in 1991 by gaining ownership of a chromium plant. The Arifs became close with Mashkevich and his partners, who operated large-scale mining projects in Kazakhstan, according to the Diplomat news site. The details of Arif's business empire emerged when he tried to buy a share of Milan AC, the storied football franchise.

Felix Sater too has some notoriety. In 1993, Sater was convicted and sent to prison for stabbing a commodities broker in the face with a broken margarita glass. He then became involved in a $40 million stock manipulation scheme run by members of the Gambino and Bonanno organized crime families. In return for his “cooperation” as a government informant, he was allowed to plead guilty and get on with his life. He partnered with Arif, who had developed luxury properties in Turkey, and they joined forces with Trump.

The Partnership

By 2007, Sater had an office on the 24th floor of Trump Tower, according to the Washington Post. In sworn testimony reviewed by the Post, Sater said he popped into Trump’s office frequently over a six-year period to talk business. He recalled flying to Colorado with Trump and said Trump once asked him to escort Donald Jr. and Ivanka around Moscow.

At the time, Arif also extolled Trump.

"He's been very helpful to us from the beginning and he's been very helpful in opening some doors," he told Real Estate Weekly. 

Donald Trump would prefer to forget such matters. In a 2013 deposition for a court case related to Trump Soho, Trump claimed he only met Sater a couple of times and would not recognize him.  

Sater seems to feel the relationship is closer. In February, he and Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen prepared a Ukraine peace proposal for the president, although it's not clear it ever reached the Oval Office.

The Washington vocabulary of scandal, corruption and sleaze does not quite do justice to the state of affairs that exists when the White House receives a foreign policy proposal from a felon who threatens to blackmail a former business partner (once detained in a prostitution investigation) of the president.

Some might see a moral swamp in need of drainage. In the Trump White House, it's called business as usual. 

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Министр обороны России провел очередное заседание Коллегии военного ведомства

Saturday April 22nd, 2017 at 4:40 AM

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Обсуждались ход испытаний головного фрегата «Адмирал Горшков» и реализации Плана деятельности Северного флота на 2016-2020 гг., перспективы развития наземной космической инфраструктуры, предложения в проект Государственной программы вооружения на 2018-2025 гг.

DOJ departure shakes up investigation into Russia scandal

Friday April 21st, 2017 at 8:12 PM

Msnbc.Com Latest Headlines

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The Rachel Maddow Show, 4/20/17, 9:26 PM ET

Report shows high level Russian role in 2016 election meddling

Rachel Maddow relays a Reuters report that a Vladimir Putin-linked think tank drafted strategy papers for Russian interference in the 2016 US election. Donald Trump has failed to deliver on his promise to deliver a report on Russia’s 2016 cyber attack.

A key aspect of the scandal surrounding Russia and its efforts to elect Donald Trump is the hacking operation, which stole Democratic materials. But as Reuters 

reported

, that wasn’t the only element of the broader espionage operation.

A Russian government think tank controlled by Vladimir Putin developed a plan to swing the 2016 U.S. presidential election to Donald Trump and undermine voters’ faith in the American electoral system, three current and four former U.S. officials told Reuters.
They described two confidential documents from the think tank as providing the framework and rationale for what U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded was an intensive effort by Russia to interfere with the Nov. 8 election. U.S. intelligence officials acquired the documents, which were prepared by the Moscow-based Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, after the election.

Of particular interest is what changed in October 2016, as Americans learned of allegations surrounding Trump’s sexual misconduct – and the recording in which Trump boasted of assaulting women – when it appeared Hillary Clinton was likely to win. At that point, the Reuters 

report

 noted, the Kremlin switched gears, moving away from pro-Trump propaganda and instead trying to raise questions about the legitimacy of the U.S. election.

The point was to undermine Clinton’s presidency before it occurred, in the eyes of Americans and the world. What’s more, as Rachel noted on last night’s show, this wasn’t some low-level scheme: this was a government-run, intelligence operation, coordinated in part by the Kremlin`s in-house intelligence think tank, which Vladimir Putin has staffed with his former senior intelligence officers.

It was right around this time that Trump’s message mirrored the one the Kremlin’s think tank was pushing, with the Republican insisting that the American election process is “rigged” and unreliable.

It’s interesting that Moscow and Moscow’s preferred American candidate adopted similar messaging at similar times.

The Rachel Maddow Show, 4/20/17, 9:36 PM ET

Trump Russia national security investigator leaving DoJ

Matthew Miller, former Justice Department spokesperson, talks with Rachel Maddow about the announced departure of Mary McCord, who is in charge of the Justice Department’s investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and possible ties…

This may be of some interest to the FBI investigator overseeing the bureau’s ongoing counter-intelligence investigation, but as 

Politicoreported

, it turns out, she’s leaving her post.

The Justice Department official who is leading the government’s investigation into potential collusion between President Donald Trump’s campaign and the Russian government will step down next month.
Mary McCord, who has served as acting assistant attorney general for national security since October, informed DOJ employees this week that she will be leaving in mid-May, a spokesman confirmed to POLITICO.
DOJ’s National Security Division is leading the agency’s inquiry into possible links between Trump campaign aides and Moscow, as well as the Kremlin’s alleged digital meddling campaign during the 2016 presidential race.

This does not mean that the investigation is over, but Rachel spoke about this last night with Matthew Miller, a former Justice Department spokesperson, 

who raised

 an under-appreciated point.

McCord, who’s now stepping down for reasons that haven’t been publicly disclosed, is a career Justice Department official, not a political appointee, who’s had a hands-on, day-to-day oversight role in the counter-intelligence investigation. Once she steps down, it’s possible, if not likely, that the DOJ will replace her with a political appointee, chosen by Team Trump, at least temporarily.

You see the problem: Team Trump is the subject of the investigation Mary McCord has helped lead. Indeed, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who’s been accused of lying under oath about his own communications with Russian officials, has recused himself from the investigation, but it may soon fall to him to choose McCord’s acting successor.

It’s why 

Matthew Miller said

 on the show last night, “I think it would be hugely troubling if [the Trump administration] put a political appointee, who had not been nominated, not been confirmed by the Senate into this job to investigate the president…. Eventually, I think it has to be a special counsel, but short of that, it has to be an acting career person until someone can be confirmed by the Senate.”

Watch this space.

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· · ·

Russian FM Presses Tillerson Over Syria Probe

Friday April 21st, 2017 at 8:01 PM

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed "regret" in a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on April 21 at the United States' opposition to a Moscow-backed plan to investigate an alleged chemical attack in Syria.

In the call with Tillerson which "took place at U.S. initiative," Lavrov raised the probe proposal made by Russia and Iran at the global chemical arms watchdog the OPCW, said a Russian Foreign Ministry statement.

Western nations have accused the Syrian regime of carrying out the suspected April 4 air strike, but Moscow and Tehran, allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, have sought to clear Damascus of blame.

During the call Lavrov notably "expressed regrets about the opposition of the United States at the [OPCW] to an initiative...to send inspectors to Syria to verify reports of the use of sarin gas in the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhun" which left 87 dead, including many children.

Lavrov and Tillerson "agreed to examine again a possibility of opening an objective probe into this incident under the auspices of the OPCW," the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), said in the statement.
The OPCW on April 20 "overwhelmingly" rejected the Russian-Iranian move to launch a new investigation into the suspected chemical attack in Syria, delegates said, backing a probe that is already under way.

Based on reporting by AFP and TASS

FBI, NSA call for further testimony on Trump-Russia investigation

Friday April 21st, 2017 at 7:01 PM

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Ramping up their Congressional investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election, lawmakers have invited directors of the FBI and National Security Agency to testify again, in addition to expressing a desire to hear from the Obama administration’s top intelligence officials.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Conaway has invited FBI Director James Comey and National Security Advisor Adm. Mike Rogers to appear at a closed hearing on May 2.

Former CIA Director John Brennan, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates have been requested to provide public testimony after May 2.

Last month, during the House Committee’s first public hearing, Mr. Comey confirmed his agency has been investigating alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Last October, in the heat of the presidential election, the Obama administration formally accused the Kremlin of stealing and disclosing emails from the Democratic National Committee. At the time, Mr. Clapper issued a statement detailing how leaked DNC emails were “intended to interfere with the U.S. election process.”

Both the Kremlin and the Trump administration insist there is “no evidence of Trump-Russia collusion.”

Ms. Yates, while serving as at the acting attorney general at the start of the year, battled with the White House over the legality of Mr. Trump’s executive order banning certain immigrants and refugees. She questioned the legitimacy of the executive order and Mr. Trump fired her.

Report: Russia tried to infiltrate Trump campaign through advisers

Friday April 21st, 2017 at 7:00 PM

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Trump’s first 100 days: An appreciation

Friday April 21st, 2017 at 6:15 PM

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The inside track on Washington politics.

Be the first to know about new stories from PowerPost. Sign up to follow, and we’ll e-mail you free updates as they’re published.

You’ll receive free e-mail news updates each time a new story is published.

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The Hamlet Suite - Shostakovich - YouTube

Friday April 21st, 2017 at 5:44 PM

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Published on May 29, 2014

Theodore Kuchar/National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine

Along with his score to Kozintsev's King Lear (1970), Shostakovich's score to Kozintsev's Hamlet (1963 - 1964) is commonly said to be the best of his film scores. The intensity of mood, the concentration of its effect, and the originality of the themes elevate the score far beyond the music for the many propaganda films Shostakovich scored in the late 1930s and again in the late 1940s and early 1950s. But it is the overall integrity and sincerity of the music that elevate the Hamlet music to the highest levels of Shostakovich's art.

Putin-linked think tank drew up plan to sway 2016 US election

Friday April 21st, 2017 at 5:32 PM

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By Ned Parker, Jonathan Landay and John Walcott

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Russian government think tank controlled by Vladimir Putin developed a plan to swing the 2016 U.S. presidential election to Donald Trump and undermine voters’ faith in the American electoral system, three current and four former U.S. officials told Reuters.

They described two confidential documents from the think tank as providing the framework and rationale for what U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded was an intensive effort by Russia to interfere with the Nov. 8 election. U.S. intelligence officials acquired the documents, which were prepared by the Moscow-based Russian Institute for Strategic Studies [https://en.riss.ru/], after the election.

The institute is run by retired senior Russian foreign intelligence officials appointed by Putin’s office.

The first Russian institute document was a strategy paper written last June that circulated at the highest levels of the Russian government but was not addressed to any specific individuals.

It recommended the Kremlin launch a propaganda campaign on social media and Russian state-backed global news outlets to encourage U.S. voters to elect a president who would take a softer line toward Russia than the administration of then-President Barack Obama, the seven officials said.

A second institute document, drafted in October and distributed in the same way, warned that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was likely to win the election. For that reason, it argued, it was better for Russia to end its pro-Trump propaganda and instead intensify its messaging about voter fraud to undermine the U.S. electoral system’s legitimacy and damage Clinton’s reputation in an effort to undermine her presidency, the seven officials said.

The current and former U.S. officials spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the Russian documents’ classified status. They declined to discuss how the United States obtained them. U.S. intelligence agencies also declined to comment on them.

Putin has denied interfering in the U.S. election. Putin’s spokesman and the Russian institute did not respond to requests for comment.

The documents were central to the Obama administration's conclusion that Russia mounted a “fake news” campaign and launched cyber attacks against Democratic Party groups and Clinton's campaign, the current and former officials said.

“Putin had the objective in mind all along, and he asked the institute to draw him a road map,” said one of the sources, a former senior U.S. intelligence official.

Trump has said Russia’s activities had no impact on the outcome of the race. Ongoing congressional and FBI investigations into Russian interference have so far produced no public evidence that Trump associates colluded with the Russian effort to change the outcome of the election.

Four of the officials said the approach outlined in the June strategy paper was a broadening of an effort the Putin administration launched in March 2016. That month the Kremlin instructed state-backed media outlets, including international platforms Russia Today and Sputnik news agency, to start producing positive reports on Trump’s quest for the U.S. presidency, the officials said.

Russia Today did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Sputnik dismissed the assertions by the U.S. officials that it participated in a Kremlin campaign as an “absolute pack of lies.” “And by the way, it's not the first pack of lies we're hearing from 'sources in U.S. official circles'," the spokesperson said in an email.

PRO-KREMLIN BLOGGERS

Russia Today and Sputnik published anti-Clinton stories while pro-Kremlin bloggers prepared a Twitter campaign calling into question the fairness of an anticipated Clinton victory, according to a report by U.S. intelligence agencies on Russian interference in the election made public in January. [http://bit.ly/2kMiKSA]

Russia Today’s most popular Clinton video - “How 100% of the 2015 Clintons’ ‘charity’ went to ... themselves” - accumulated 9 millions views on social media, according to the January report. [http://bit.ly/2os8wIt]

The report said Russia Today and Sputnik “consistently cast president elect-Trump as the target of unfair coverage from traditional media outlets."

The report said the agencies did not assess whether Moscow’s effort had swung the outcome of the race in Trump’s favor, because American intelligence agencies do not “analyze U.S. political processes or U.S. public opinion.” [http://bit.ly/2kMiKSA]

CYBER ATTACKS

Neither of the Russian institute documents mentioned the release of hacked Democratic Party emails to interfere with the U.S. election, according to four of the officials. The officials said the hacking was a covert intelligence operation run separately out of the Kremlin.

The overt propaganda and covert hacking efforts reinforced each other, according to the officials. Both Russia Today and Sputnik heavily promoted the release of the hacked Democratic Party emails, which often contained embarrassing details.

Five of the U.S. officials described the institute as the Kremlin’s in-house foreign policy think tank.

The institute’s director when the documents were written, Leonid Reshetnikov, rose to the rank of lieutenant general during a 33-year-career in Russia’s foreign intelligence service, according to the institute’s website [http://bit.ly/2oVhiCF]. After Reshetnikov retired from the institute in January, Putin named as his replacement Mikhail Fradkov. The institute says he served as the director of Russia’s foreign intelligence service from 2007 to 2016. [http://bit.ly/2os4tvz]

Reuters was unable to determine if either man was directly involved in the drafting of the documents. Reshetnikov’s office referred questions to the Russian institute.

On its website, the Russian institute describes itself as providing “expert appraisals,” “recommendations,” and “analytical materials” to the Russian president’s office, cabinet, National Security Council, ministries and parliament. [http://bit.ly/2pCBGpR]

On Jan. 31, the websites of Putin’s office [http://bit.ly/2os9wMr] and the institute [http://bit.ly/2oLn9Kd] posted a picture and transcript of Reshetnikov and his successor Fradkov meeting with Putin in the Kremlin. Putin thanked Reshetnikov for his service and told Fradkov he wanted the institute to provide objective information and analysis.

“We did our best for nearly eight years to implement your foreign policy concept,” Reshetnikov told Putin. “The policy of Russia and the policy of the President of Russia have been the cornerstone of our operation.”

(additional reporting by Warren Strobel and Arshad Mohammed)

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· · · · ·

Taliban Attack Afghan Army Base,...

Friday April 21st, 2017 at 5:31 PM

Google News

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Taliban Attack Afghan Army Base, Killing Dozens

New York Times - ‎2 hours ago‎

KABUL, Afghanistan — Dozens of soldiers were killed on Friday when Taliban gunmen and suicide bombers in military uniforms stormed an Afghan Army base in northern Afghanistan, Afghan and Western officials said. The attack on the 209th Corps in Balkh ...

Dozens Reported Killed in Taliban Attack on Afghan Army Base

Voice of America - ‎20 minutes ago‎

A group of heavily armed Taliban suicide bombers Friday attacked a regional military base in northern Afghanistan, reportedly killing dozens of soldiers in one of the deadliest assaults on Afghan forces in recent years. Local authorities said the ...

Taliban militants kill dozens of Afghan troops in brazen attack on army base

Washington Post - ‎1 hour ago‎

KABUL — Disguised in army uniforms, a group of Taliban insurgents stormed an army base in Afghanistan's most secure northern Balkh province Friday, killing several dozen soldiers in one of the bloodiest such attacks in years, officials said. There ...

Taliban kill dozens at army HQ in northern Afghanistan

Reuters - ‎3 hours ago‎

Afghan national Army (ANA) troops keep watch near the site of an ongoing attack on an army headquarters in Mazar-i-Sharif, northern Afghanistan April 21, 2017. REUTERS/Anil Usyan. 1/2. left. right. Afghan national Army (ANA) troops arrive near the site ...

Dozens of Afghan troops dead in Taliban base attack

BBC News - ‎3 hours ago‎

At least 50 Afghan soldiers have been killed in an attack by Taliban insurgents on a military base in northern Balkh province, military officials say. Reports say the number of casualties is far higher than the eight deaths initially reported. The ...

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· ·

House Intel Committee invites Yates, Brennan, Clapper to open hearing

Friday April 21st, 2017 at 5:25 PM

Politics

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Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. Thomson Reuters

The House Intelligence Committee said on Friday that it had invited three former officials with knowledge of Russia's interference in the US election to testify in an open hearing in May, over a month after the committee's chairman first scrapped the session.

"Yesterday, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence sent two letters related to its investigation into Russian active measures during the 2016 election campaign," Emily Hytha, a spokeswoman for Republican Rep. Mike Conaway, said on Friday.

"The first letter was sent to FBI Director James Comey and National Security Advisor Admiral Mike Rogers, inviting them to appear at a closed hearing on May 2, 2017," Hytha said. "The second letter was sent to former CIA Director John Brennan, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates inviting them to appear at an open hearing to be scheduled after May 2nd."

The letters appear to mark the end of an impasse that emerged late last month, when the committee's chairman, Devin Nunes, accused Democrats of not signing a letter inviting Comey to testify before the committee in a closed session. Democrats said they did not support substituting an open hearing with a closed one and had been pushing to reschedule the open session with Yates, Brennan, and Clapper that Nunes had scrapped.

"The chairman requested that in lieu of a public hearing we have a closed hearing with James Comey and Mike Rogers," Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, who sits on the committee, told Business Insiderlate last month. "I did not support having one substitute for another."

Sally Yates, the former US deputy attorney general. Pete Marovich/Getty Images

In the end, the committee agreed to hold both the closed session with Comey and Rogers that Republicans wanted and the open hearing with Yates, Brennan, and Clapper that Democrats advocated.

The compromise is arguably a bigger victory for the Democrats, however, who have been eager to publicly question Yates about her knowledge of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's relationship with Russia.

Yates was fired as acting attorney general after refusing to enforce Trump's first executive order on immigration in late January. Earlier that month, she reportedly traveled to the White House to warn Trump administration officials that Flynn could be vulnerable to Russian blackmail.

Interest in Yates' testimony grew even more last month after The Washington Post reported that the White House had tried to prevent her from testifying publicly. The White House has denied the charge.

Brennan has also come back into the spotlight recently amid reports that he established a counterintelligence task force last summer to examine whether the Trump campaign had improper contact with the Kremlin. The investigation was based on intelligence that was handed to the CIA by foreign intelligence agencies beginning in late 2015, The Guardian reported earlier this month.

Clapper's testimony, meanwhile, will be of interest to those who feel that Trump's Russia ties have been overblown. The former director of national intelligence told MSNBC's Chuck Todd in early March that he had seen "no evidence" of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin.

Rep. Devin Nunes. J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Nunes a few weeks ago stepped aside from the committee's investigation into Trump's ties to Russia. He handed the probe over to Conaway in early April amid questions about his ability to lead an unbiased investigation.

Nunes, who served on Trump's transition team, came under intense scrutiny last month for his decision to bypass the rest of his committee and brief Trump on classified executive-branch documents that he said showed that members of Trump's transition team had been swept up in government surveillance.

Reports have said he obtained those documents from White House officials — despite Nunes' earlier claims that he got them from an intelligence source — fueling speculation that administration officials had orchestrated the stunt to distract the press from Comey's revelation that the FBI was investigating whether various Trump associates had ties to Russia.

The committee's ranking Democrat, Rep. Adam Schiff, criticized Nunes for bypassing the committee, calling on him to either share the documents with his colleagues or recuse himself.

"I don't know how to conduct a credible investigation if you have even one person, let alone the chairman, of a committee saying, 'I've seen evidence, but I won't share it with anyone else,'" Schiff told CNN late last month. "We can't conduct an investigation this way. That's not sustainable. It's not credible."

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It looks like House Democrats just...

Friday April 21st, 2017 at 5:22 PM

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It looks like House Democrats just won a big victory in the Trump-Russia investigation

Business Insider - ‎3 hours ago‎

The House Intelligence Committee said on Friday that it had invited three former officials with knowledge of Russia's interference in the US election to testify in an open hearing in May, over a month after the committee's chairman first scrapped the ...

Former Acting AG Sally Yates to Testify Publicly in House Russia Probe

<a href="http://NBCNews.com" rel="nofollow">NBCNews.com</a> - ‎3 hours ago‎

Former acting attorney general Sally Yates, who is said to have told the White House that then-National Security Adviser Michael Flynn was vulnerable to blackmail, has been invited to testify publicly before Congress. The Republican and Democrat ...

Top US officials to testify in Trump-Russia probe reboot

Reuters - ‎1 hour ago‎

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), accompanied by Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), vice chairman of the committee, speaks at a news conference to discuss their probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election on Capitol ...

House intel committee invites Obama admin officials to Russia hearings

ABC News - ‎1 hour ago‎

The House Intelligence Committee has invited a number of former senior Obama administration officials, including former acting attorney general Sally Yates, to testify before the panel in a public setting, the latest indication that the committee is ...

House Intelligence Committee Invites Sally Yates to Testify

U.S. News & World Report - ‎3 hours ago‎

The invitation comes after the cancellation of a previous committee hearing at which the former acting attorney general was scheduled to testify. By Matthew Cella, Staff Writer | April 21, 2017, at 2:09 p.m.. MORE. LinkedIn · StumbleUpon · Google + ...

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House intel panel to hear from Comey, other top officials on Russia probe

Friday April 21st, 2017 at 5:17 PM

House Intel Panel To Hear From Comey, Other Top Officials On Russia Probe – PBS NewsHour

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21/04/17 08:29 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
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21/04/17 08:28 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
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21/04/17 08:26 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
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» Putin is challenged over letter claiming he will QUIT
21/04/17 08:20 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from News | Mail Online. Vladimir Putin is preparing to stand down as Russian president and hand over power to a trusted successor, a leaked letter from a friend has claimed. He is ready to anoint speaker of th...

» Vladimir Putin is about to QUIT as Russian president and hand power to one of his mates, letter from a ‘friend’ claims
21/04/17 08:17 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from The Sun. A political rival of one of Putin's allies stunned the Kremlin by reading out the letter during a parliament meeting VLADIMIR Putin is preparing to dramatically quit the Kremlin and hand over to a...

» #NewNationalism - Vladimir Putin remains popular with Russia's youth - Deutsche Welle
21/04/17 08:15 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin - Google News. Deutsche Welle #NewNationalism - Vladimir Putin remains popular with Russia's youth Deutsche Welle Putin's approval ratings still hover around 80 percent in Russia, and he is particula...

» World War 3 threat as Russian nuclear bombers come closest to US since Trump took office - Daily Star
21/04/17 08:14 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin - Google News. Daily Star World War 3 threat as Russian nuclear bombers come closest to US since Trump took office Daily Star Russian NUCLEAR bombers intercepted by US jets as Putin squares up to Tru...

» Putin still calling shots in Syria - The Star Beacon
21/04/17 08:14 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin - Google News. Crikey (registration) Putin still calling shots in Syria The Star Beacon How, then, with Russian soldiers all over the remote air strip where the gas attack was allegedly launched, cou...

» Putin's army: Russia's secret Arctic military base with nuke-dropping jets ready for war - Daily Star
21/04/17 08:14 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin - Google News. Daily Star Putin's army: Russia's secret Arctic military base with nuke-dropping jets ready for war Daily Star Vladimir Putin's army was keen to show off its new red, white and blue ba...

» Why Protests Keep Putin Up at Night - Foreign Affairs (subscription)
21/04/17 08:13 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin - Google News. Foreign Affairs (subscription) Why Protests Keep Putin Up at Night Foreign Affairs (subscription) By all appearances, Russian President Vladimir Putin is at the height of his power. He...

» Trump's war powers, Putin goes Arctic, and a Georgia runoff - CBS News
21/04/17 08:13 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin - Google News. CBS News Trump's war powers, Putin goes Arctic, and a Georgia runoff CBS News With Arctic sea ice melting, a once frozen ocean is now open for business. Legally it's still unclear who ...

» The big winner in the French election will be Vladimir Putin - Quartz
21/04/17 08:13 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin - Google News. Quartz The big winner in the French election will be Vladimir Putin Quartz Vladimir Putin's fortunes may be declining in the United States, but he is still well placed to win big in th...

» Russian journalist and Putin critic dies after being beaten up by ... - The Independent
21/04/17 08:13 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin - Google News. The Independent Russian journalist and Putin critic dies after being beaten up by ... The Independent A Russian journalist known for his criticism of President Vladimir Putin has died ...

» Putin's Deadly Election Hack — 10 Spies Murdered In Cover-Up - The National Enquirer
21/04/17 08:13 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin - Google News. The National Enquirer Putin's Deadly Election Hack — 10 Spies Murdered In Cover-Up The National Enquirer “Seth Rich's murder is the missing piece,” top GOP operative Jack Burkman told ...

» WW3 FEARS: Trump-Putin tensions escalate as Russian bombers intercepted near US coast - Express.co.uk
21/04/17 08:13 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin - Google News. Express.co.uk WW3 FEARS: Trump- Putin tensions escalate as Russian bombers intercepted near US coast Express.co.uk He even went so far as to claim NATO, a body he has previously been h...

» Here's How Vladimir Putin Could Secretly Be the Richest Man in the World - Fortune
21/04/17 08:12 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin - Google News. Daily Star Here's How Vladimir Putin Could Secretly Be the Richest Man in the World Fortune The Kremlin source based his estimate on Putin's alleged stakes in several companies, mostly...

» Putin-linked think tank drew up plan to sway 2016 US election - CNBC
21/04/17 08:12 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin - Google News. CNBC Putin -linked think tank drew up plan to sway 2016 US election CNBC A Russian government think tank controlled by Vladimir Putin developed a plan to swing the 2016 U.S. presidenti...

» Trump-Putin Arctic Dreams - Huffington Post
21/04/17 08:12 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin - Google News. Huffington Post Trump- Putin Arctic Dreams Huffington Post In an analysis in Vanity Fair titled “In Trump's Amerika”, Mike Mariani posits that Trump is using the same “chaos theory” te...

» Russia sends BOMBERS to US coast TWICE in two days as Trump-Putin relations intensify - Express.co.uk
21/04/17 08:11 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin - Google News. Express.co.uk Russia sends BOMBERS to US coast TWICE in two days as Trump- Putin relations intensify Express.co.uk ... after US President Donald Trump claimed relations with Russia “ma...

» Why did Putin oppose Clinton? Decades of American hypocrisy. - Washington Post
21/04/17 08:11 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin - Google News. Washington Post Why did Putin oppose Clinton? Decades of American hypocrisy. Washington Post We don't know how effective Russian President Vladimir Putin's efforts were to get Presiden...

» Putin: Falsification, Manipulation of History Lead to Global Disunity - Sputnik International
21/04/17 08:11 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin - Google News. Sputnik International Putin : Falsification, Manipulation of History Lead to Global Disunity Sputnik International MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Falsification of history leads to disunity in the ...

» Sweden's WAR MESSAGE to Putin: Nato member bolsters army in latest warning to Russia - Express.co.uk
21/04/17 08:11 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin - Google News. Express.co.uk Sweden's WAR MESSAGE to Putin : Nato member bolsters army in latest warning to Russia Express.co.uk SWEDISH prime minister Stefan Löfven issued a fresh warning to Vladimi...

» Why Putin is shy about celebrating the centenary of the Russian revolution - Raw Story
21/04/17 08:10 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin - Google News. Raw Story Why Putin is shy about celebrating the centenary of the Russian revolution Raw Story And while Putin accepts that some countries do require serious political and economic ref...

» Chechen Leader Denies Anti-Gay Purge in Putin Meeting - Human Rights Watch
21/04/17 08:10 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin - Google News. Human Rights Watch Chechen Leader Denies Anti-Gay Purge in Putin Meeting Human Rights Watch Russia's president Vladimir Putin met yesterday with the Chechen leader, Ramzan Kadyrov. Off...

» Gorbachev throws shade at Putin: 'Russia can succeed only through democracy' - Politico
21/04/17 08:10 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin - Google News. Politico Gorbachev throws shade at Putin : 'Russia can succeed only through democracy' Politico Decisions made by Russian President Vladimir Putin were “justified” and successfully sta...

» Mohammad Bin Zayed holds talks with Putin - gulfnews.com
21/04/17 08:10 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin - Google News. gulfnews.com Mohammad Bin Zayed holds talks with Putin gulfnews.com Moscow: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the...

» Putin is challenged over letter claiming he will QUIT - Daily Mail
21/04/17 08:08 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin - Google News. Daily Mail Putin is challenged over letter claiming he will QUIT Daily Mail 'The most outrageous thing, Vladimir Vladimirovich ( Putin ), is that here, in this very letter, Klintsevich...

» Vladimir Putin is about to QUIT as Russian president and hand power to one of his mates, letter from a 'friend' claims - The Sun
21/04/17 07:50 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin - Google News. The Sun Vladimir Putin is about to QUIT as Russian president and hand power to one of his mates, letter from a 'friend' claims The Sun VLADIMIR Putin is preparing to dramatically quit ...

» Fresno shooting: Possible black...
21/04/17 06:46 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Kori Ali Muhammad - Google News. Fresno shooting: Possible black separatist Kori Ali Muhammad kills three Salon  - ‎2 hours ago‎ Fresno shooting: Possible black separatist Kori Ali Muhamma...

» Kori Ali Muhammad - Google Search
21/04/17 06:45 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . Fresno shooting: Possible black separatist Kori Ali Muhammad kills ... Salon - 2 hours ago Fresno shooting: Possible black separatist Kori Ali Muhammad kills three A Fresno police detective stands over the bo...

» Fresno Shooting: Kori Ali Muhammad Laughed About Killings
21/04/17 06:40 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . (FRESNO, Calif.) — The gunman suspected of killing three white men in a racially charged attack in Fresno was proud of what he had accomplished and laughed many times as he explained his actions in inte...

» US Defense Sec'y Mattis: Syria still has chemical weapons
21/04/17 06:36 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . By ROBERT BURNS AP National Security Correspondent TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) - Syria still possesses chemical weapons, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in Israel on Friday, warning against the banned muniti...

» South Korea army hunting down and prosecuting gay soldiers
21/04/17 06:05 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from News | Mail Online. A watchdog group says South Korea's army is 'hunting down and prosecuting' gay servicemen after a video of two male soldiers having sex was posted on the internet earlier this year. Acc...

» 2 Seattle officers shot after robbery 1 suspect dead
20/04/17 20:49 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from NYDN Rss Article only. SEATTLE (AP) — Two Seattle police officers were shot and injured Thursday while responding to a robbery at a convenience store. One suspect was dead, authorities said, and anot...

» 2 Seattle officers shot, 1 critically; a suspect on the run - New York Daily News
20/04/17 20:49 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. New York Daily News 2 Seattle officers shot, 1 critically; a suspect on the run New York Daily News A King County Sheriff's Deputy carries a gun as he runs near the scene of a sh...

» The Latest: Suspect in shooting of Seattle officers is dead - New York Daily News
20/04/17 20:48 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. New York Daily News The Latest: Suspect in shooting of Seattle officers is dead New York Daily News A Seattle Police vehicle turns near the scene of a shooting involving several ...

» Experts say automated accounts sharing fake news ahead of French election
20/04/17 20:46 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. (Reuters) - French voters are being deluged with false stories on social media ahead of the country's presidential election, though the onslaught of "junk news" is not as severe as tha...

» Why Giuliani Held a Secret Meeting With Turkey’s Leader
20/04/17 20:45 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. Rudolph W. Giuliani is part of the legal team representing Reza Zarrab, a Turkish gold trader jailed in Manhattan on charges of conspiring to violate the American sanctions on Iran.

» French police come under fire in Paris; three reported shot
20/04/17 20:04 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . PARIS — A gunman opened fire on French police Thursday on Paris’s best-known boulevard, killing one officer and wounding two others before being fatally shot himself in an incident that raised the...

» France concerned over Russian interference in elections amid reports of hacking, fake news - Fox News
20/04/17 19:07 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from russia france - Google News. Fox News France concerned over Russian interference in elections amid reports of hacking, fake news Fox News It feels a bit like déjà vu. As lawmakers and the U.S. intelligence...

» The Economic Ramifications of Conflict in Ukraine - STRATFOR
20/04/17 19:07 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from russia ukraine - Google News. Kyiv Post The Economic Ramifications of Conflict in Ukraine STRATFOR The conflict in eastern Ukraine has dealt a particularly heavy blow to its economic relationship with Russ...

» Watch: Trump and Italian Prime Minister Hold News Conference
20/04/17 19:06 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > Europe. President Trump and Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni spoke from the White House Thursday.

» A new time for choosing: Reagan's lessons to Trump on Russia - The Hill (blog)
20/04/17 19:06 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Russia international behavior - Google News. The Hill (blog) A new time for choosing: Reagan's lessons to Trump on Russia The Hill (blog) The yardstick for success can no longer be reaching consensus aroun...

» Putin Has Little Interest In Investigating Gay Murders in Chechnya - Advocate.com
20/04/17 19:05 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin - Google News. Advocate.com Putin Has Little Interest In Investigating Gay Murders in Chechnya Advocate.com Russian President Vladmir Putin continues to deny that gay men are facing persecution in Ch...

» Russia just effectively banned Jehovah's Witnesses from the country - Washington Post
20/04/17 19:04 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. Washington Post Russia just effectively banned Jehovah's Witnesses from the country Washington Post For the past few months, Russia's 175,000 Jehovah's Witnesses have been on edge. Af...

» Key US Lawmaker May End His House Term Early
20/04/17 19:04 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. A key U.S. Republican congressman who said this week he would not seek re-election or run for any other office next year now says he may leave Congress before his term in the House of Rep...

» Сегодня в Москве пройдет заседание Коллегии Министерства обороны
20/04/17 19:04 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from RSS. В ее работе примут участие руководящий состав Вооруженных Сил Российской Федерации, представители органов государственной власти, оборонно-промышленного комплекса и других организаций.

» The Danger of Underestimating Russia's Influence in France - Pacific Standard
20/04/17 19:03 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Russia influence in Eastern Europe - Google News. Pacific Standard The Danger of Underestimating Russia's Influence in France Pacific Standard As the French prepare to vote Sunday in a presidential electio...

» Justice Dept. debating charges against WikiLeaks members in revelations of diplomatic, CIA materials - Washington Post
20/04/17 19:03 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from russia as mafia state - Google News. Washington Post Justice Dept. debating charges against WikiLeaks members in revelations of diplomatic, CIA materials Washington Post Officials have said individuals “on...

» Former Brazil Minister Palocci Offers Details of Bribery Scheme
20/04/17 19:02 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Former Brazilian Finance Minister Antonio Palocci told a court hearing Thursday that he could provide details of a political kickback scheme, which could threaten former President Luiz In...

» US prepares charges to seek Julian Assange's arrest
20/04/17 18:09 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . The Justice Department investigation of Assange and WikiLeaks dates to at least 2010, when the site first gained wide attention for posting thousands of files stolen by the former US Army intelligence analyst...

» Trump, alongside Italian PM, says no US role in Libya
20/04/17 18:09 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . "I do not see a (US) role in Libya," Trump said during a joint news conference Thursday, moments after Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni called the US role in the country "critical." "I think the United ...

» Report: Two police officers shot in Paris - YouTube
20/04/17 16:34 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . Published on Apr 20, 2017 Rich Edson reports from the State Department

» Painting of Naked Actor Holding Trump's Head Sparks Debate | Alaska News
20/04/17 15:50 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A painting on display at the University of Alaska Anchorage depicting a naked actor holding President Donald Trump's head has sparked discussion. University officials are defend...

» painting shows Chris Evans, who plays Captain America, naked and holding Trump’s head - Google Search
20/04/17 14:16 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story .

» Trump or Trumpism? A conservative dilemma
20/04/17 13:21 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from BBC News - Home. As Fox News is forced to reassess its role in American political life, it might ask the question, is this White House about Trump or about the movement he stands for, call it Trumpism? The...

» French election dates: Why are there...
20/04/17 12:56 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from france elections - Google News. French election dates: Why are there two votes? How does the two-round system work? Express.co.uk  - ‎16 minutes ago‎ Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron will...

» French election odds tracker: Latest odds on Marine Le Pen and rivals | World | News
20/04/17 12:55 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Cell Phone For Senior Citizens. The first round of voting, which takes place on Sunday April 23, is set to be a closely-fought battle between the four major candidates. Marine Le Pen is running on an anti-...

» france elections - Google Search
20/04/17 12:52 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . What you need to know about the French election Washington Post - 7 hours ago This weekend, France will begin the process of selecting its next president. Sunday's vote is one of several major elections in We...

» No, Mr. President, you can’t do what you want
20/04/17 12:37 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . Two issues are paramount in American politics. The first is whether President Trump will get away with his arrogant dismissal of the public’s right to a transparent government free of corrupting conflic...

» Getting out was Chaffetz’s only good option
20/04/17 12:31 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . The inside track on Washington politics. Be the first to know about new stories from PowerPost. Sign up to follow, and we’ll e-mail you free updates as they’re published. You’ll receive free...

» A new high: Poll finds record support for pot legalization
20/04/17 12:27 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from FOX6Now.com. Getty Images More than 60% of Americans think marijuana use should be legalized, according to the latest CBS News poll. The number — 61% — is the highest percentage ever recorded i...

» Putin’s think tank may have hatched plan for Trump victory
20/04/17 12:25 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Bob Fredericks – New York Post. Loaded : 0% Progress : 0% 0:00 undefined April 19, 2017 | 10:41pm | Updated April 20, 2017 | 8:25am A Russian government think tank controlled by Vladimir Putin hatched a sc...

» How Donald Trump's Success Produced Bill O'Reilly's Downfall
20/04/17 12:22 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from The Atlantic. On Wednesday afternoon, the king of cable was summarily—and in the eyes of many, finally— dethroned . UC Berkeley Declares Itself Unsafe for Ann Coulter Bill O’Reilly’...

» Senate leader investigating possible FBI deception about Texas terror attack
20/04/17 12:03 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . A powerful U.S. senator has launched an investigation into whether the FBI knew about a planned attack by ISIS-inspired terrorists at an anti-Muslim cartoon show in the Dallas area and did nothing to sto...

» Comey and Pompeo may attend NZ Five Eyes spy gathering
20/04/17 11:32 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from TRUNEWS. CIA Director Mike Pompeo and FBI Director James Comey may be attending a secret Five Eyes spy meeting in New Zealand  (VERO BEACH, FL) The highly secretive meeting is being held in Queenstown...

» Report: Putin-controlled think tank...
20/04/17 11:28 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Google News. Report: Putin-controlled think tank developed plan to sway US election CBS News  - ‎3 hours ago‎ A Russian government think tank controlled by Russian President Vladimir Putin...

» Report: Putin-controlled think tank developed plan to sway U.S. election
20/04/17 11:23 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . A Russian government think tank controlled by Russian President Vladimir Putin prepared the framework for interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, current and former U.S. officials told Reuters. Th...

» Just imagine what kind of president we might elect after Trump - Washington Post
20/04/17 11:22 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from analysis of trump electorate - Google News. Washington Post Just imagine what kind of president we might elect after Trump Washington Post And then, of course, most recently, the American electorate decide...

» Insanity's First Draft - Anderson Valley
20/04/17 11:21 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin and the Mob - Google News. Insanity's First Draft Anderson Valley Now that Trump, his surrogates and palace guards have been linked with Russian mob money (Czar Putin is not just the Father of New Ru...

» McCain: Comey's integrity 'never wavered' - The Hill
20/04/17 11:21 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Comey resignation - Google News. The Hill McCain: Comey's integrity 'never wavered' The Hill President Trump said earlier this month that he would not request Comey's resignation , even as the FBI is inves...

» France's elections are just the latest in Russia's shadow war in a wary Europe - Salon
20/04/17 11:20 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Do mass shootings increase trump election chances? - Google News. Salon France's elections are just the latest in Russia's shadow war in a wary Europe Salon Officials say France and Europe are vulnerable b...

» Putin, Trump Named Among 100 Most Influential People in 2017 - Time Magazine - Sputnik International
20/04/17 11:20 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin Trump - Google News. Sputnik International Putin , Trump Named Among 100 Most Influential People in 2017 - Time Magazine Sputnik International "When so many, including me at times, didn't see ho...

» Russia's shadow war in a wary Europe - UPI.com
20/04/17 11:19 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin and American political process - Google News. UPI.com Russia's shadow war in a wary Europe UPI.com American politics was jolted when 17 intelligence agencies concluded in January that Russia had cove...

» Comey and Pompeo may attend NZ Five Eyes spy gathering - TRUNEWS
20/04/17 11:19 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Comey - Google News. Comey and Pompeo may attend NZ Five Eyes spy gathering TRUNEWS According to the NZ Herald, a local newspaper, FBI Director James Comey and CIA Director Mike Pompeo are believed to atte...

» Putin Election Hacking Cover-Up — 10 Spies Killed In 15 Months - Radar Online
20/04/17 11:15 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from russians killed putin cover-up - Google News. Radar Online Putin Election Hacking Cover-Up — 10 Spies Killed In 15 Months Radar Online A Hillary Clinton campaign aide, Seth Rich, was coldly assassinated at...

» russians killed putin cover-up - Google Search
20/04/17 11:13 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . Putin Election Hacking Cover-Up — 10 Spies Killed In 15 Months Radar Online - 4 hours ago Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, died in New York City at the age of 64. New York City...

» 'Follow the trail of dead Russians', security expert tells intelligence hearing on Trump-Kremlin links
20/04/17 10:57 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . US senators probing possible links between Russia and the Trump team have been told to “follow the dead bodies” as they hunt for evidence of the Kremlin’s involvement in last year’s pr...

» Venezuelans are still demonstrating. What happens next for the dictatorship of President Nicolás Maduro?
20/04/17 10:41 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . On April 19, opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro held the largest protest so far that month in Caracas. Footage showed them crossing a river to avoid tear gas. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington ...

» How far is too far? The Trump impeachment debate begins now.
20/04/17 10:30 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . By Brent Budowsky, opinion contributor - 04/20/17 09:20 AM EDT 20 The Hill 1625 K Street, NW Suite 900 Washington DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 tel | 202-628-8503 fax The contents of this site are ©2017 Capito...

» [PICS] Putin Election Hacking Cover-Up — 10 Spies Killed In 15 Months
20/04/17 10:25 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . 1 of 10 &amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;img src="http://i0.wp.com/radaronline.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/ladimir-putin-spies-dead-hacking-scandal-pp.jpg?fit=700%2C700" alt="" &amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; Getty Images...

» 7 states that legalized marijuana on Election Day
20/04/17 10:21 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Finance. America is seeing green after a historic day for the legal marijuana industry. Seven states in all legalized marijuana in some form on Election Day. California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada sh...

» national weed day 2017 - Google Search
20/04/17 10:21 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story .

» Pot polls high and earns big, and the "Year of the Twister"
20/04/17 10:19 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . All-time high A CBS News poll shows greater than ever public support in the U.S. for legal marijuana use . Overwhelming majorities, from across the political spectrum, say they support medical use and they ...

» Russia denies Reuters report think tank drew up plan to sway U.S. election
20/04/17 10:15 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . &amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-W9SLGS" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/iframe&amp...

» Editors Choice Pictures | Reuters.com
20/04/17 10:10 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . Editors Choice Pictures A dog hopes to be rescued in a destroyed area after mudslides caused by heavy rains leading several rivers to overflow, pushing sediment and rocks into buildings and roads, in Manizale...

» McCain praises FBI director Comey: ‘His integrity has never wavered’
20/04/17 10:00 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . “Shifting political winds have blown criticism James Comey’s way from different partisan directions,” Sen. John McCain writes. “But his independence has never faltered.” | AP Pho...

» US and South Korea carry out Max Thunder military drill
20/04/17 09:56 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from BBC News - Home. &amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p style="position: absolute; top: -999em"&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;img src="//sa.bbc.co.uk/bbc/bbc/s?name=news.world.asia.media_asset.39656840...

» It’s a Nice Night for Surfing. Beware of Sharks. - Google Search
20/04/17 09:42 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story .

» It’s a Nice Night for Surfing. Beware of Sharks.
20/04/17 09:40 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . <a href="http://NYTimes.com" rel="nofollow">NYTimes.com</a> no longer supports Internet Explorer 9 or earlier. Please upgrade your browser. LEARN MORE » Verified Commenters can leave comments...

» O’Reilly, Ousted - The New York Times
20/04/17 09:39 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . This article is part of the Opinion Today newsletter. You can sign up here to receive more briefings and a guide to the section daily in your inbox. Rupert Murdoch tried to make his firing of Bill O’Rei...

» Trump’s first 100 days: Trump aides turn up the heat on Iran
20/04/17 09:37 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . Follow 45: The Administration Stories 45: The Administration The inside track on Washington politics. Be the first to know about new 45: The Administration stories from PowerPost. Sign up to follow, and we ...

» The Kremlin has its watchful eyes set on the French elections
20/04/17 09:35 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . The Kremlin has its watchful eyes set on the French elections Highlight text to share via Facebook and Twitter &amp;amp;amp;lt;img alt="" height="1" src="http://b.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&amp;amp;...

» Claims Russia's Strategic Studies Institute Meddled in US Elections 'Baseless'
20/04/17 08:08 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Sputnik International - Breaking News & Analysis - Radio, Photos, Videos, Infographics. World Get short URL MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Accusations against the Russian Institute for Strategic St...

» Human interaction still key to cyber attacks, study reveals
20/04/17 08:06 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from ComputerWeekly: IT security. Security alerts at weekends and on public holidays dip significantly, which researchers at security firm Rapid7 attribute to a lack of employees interacting with malicious emai...

» South Koreans worried over USS Carl Vinson carrier group bluster
20/04/17 08:03 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . But its no-show has caused some South Koreans to question his leadership and strategy regarding their unpredictable neighbor in the north. And as the country prepares to vote for a new president on May 9, the...

» Bill Evans & Chet Baker - The Legendary Sessions (1959 Album) - YouTube
20/04/17 07:47 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . Published on Feb 29, 2016 The Legendary Sessions of Bill Evans & Chet Baker recorded in 1959 New York.

» Stan Getz & Chet Baker in Stockholm 1983 - YouTube
20/04/17 07:46 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . Published on Sep 1, 2014

» Pence talks trade, security and South China Sea in Jakarta - YouTube
20/04/17 07:41 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . Published on Apr 19, 2017 U.S. Vice President Mike Pence talks trade, security and the South China Sea in his meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Jakarta. No reporter narration.

» Влияние Москвы на выборы в США - YouTube
20/04/17 07:34 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . Streamed live 4 hours ago План по вмешательству в прези ...

» Bold, Unpredictable Foreign Policy Lifts Trump, but Has Risks
20/04/17 07:18 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . The biggest risk, critics say, is that Mr. Trump will talk himself into a war. Only slightly less dangerously, he could weaken the nation’s standing by backing off from a threat to use force. “In ...

» Trump Adviser’s Visit to Moscow Got the F.B.I.’s Attention
20/04/17 07:10 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . Developments beyond Mr. Page’s trip may have heightened the F.B.I.’s concern about Russian meddling in the campaign. Paul Manafort, then Mr. Trump’s campaign manager, was already under crimi...

» The Coming Crisis With Iran
20/04/17 06:51 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . <a href="http://NYTimes.com" rel="nofollow">NYTimes.com</a> no longer supports Internet Explorer 9 or earlier. Please upgrade your browser. LEARN MORE » Go to the Opinion Section » Go to...

» Wherever there's trouble in Mideast, you find Iran
20/04/17 06:48 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from DEBKAFile. Mattis in Riyadh: Wherever there's trouble in Mideast, you find Iran DEBKA file April 20, 2017, 11:14 AM (IDT) US Defense Secretary James Mattis said Wednesday in Riyadh after his talks with Sau...

» Confidante of Iranian Gen. Soleimani becomes ambassador to Baghdad
20/04/17 06:47 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from DEBKAFile. Confidante of Iranian Gen. Soleimani becomes ambassador to Baghdad DEBKA file April 20, 2017, 12:07 PM (IDT) Iranian Gen. Iraj Masjedi, who served until recently as a top adviser of Maj. Gen. Qa...

» Russia identifies mastermind behind St Petersburg metro bombing: Russian agencies
20/04/17 06:34 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . &amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-W9SLGS" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/iframe&amp...

» Man charged in shootings of 2 Detroit police officers
19/04/17 21:21 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Fox17. DETROIT (AP) — A 19-year-old man is charged in the shooting of two Detroit police officers who were responding to a reported home invasion. Juwan Plummer was arraigned Wednesday on assault, di...

» 1 dead, 1 hurt in Chinatown shooting, 2 officers hurt in crash
19/04/17 21:16 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . Two people were wounded, one of them fatally, in a shooting in the Chinatown neighborhood Wednesday evening, while two police officers were injured in a crash not far south, while they were responding to the ...

» IDF: Russia has overtaken Iran's dominant position in Syria - Ynetnews
19/04/17 21:05 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from russia in syria - Google News. IDF: Russia has overtaken Iran's dominant position in Syria Ynetnews A senior IDF officer reported that Russia has overtaken Iran's dominant position in Syria . He added to s...

» US Intelligence Agencies Fear Rogue Insiders as Much as Spies - Military.com
19/04/17 21:05 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from nsa contractor - Google News. Military.com US Intelligence Agencies Fear Rogue Insiders as Much as Spies Military.com He also mentioned Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor who shook public opinion wi...

» Trump's approval rating still underwater, polls show - CBS News
19/04/17 21:04 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from polls - Google News. CBS News Trump's approval rating still underwater, polls show CBS News The number of Americans who disapprove of President Trump's job performance continues to exceed the number who ap...

» Donald Trump, North Korea, and the Case of the Phantom Armada - The New Yorker
19/04/17 21:04 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Donald Trump - Google News. The New Yorker Donald Trump , North Korea, and the Case of the Phantom Armada The New Yorker “I said, 'Look, we have ships headed there,' ” President Donald J. Trump told the Wa...

» Exxon asks Trump administration for waiver from Russia sanctions - The Hill
19/04/17 21:04 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from trump and russia - Google News. The Hill Exxon asks Trump administration for waiver from Russia sanctions The Hill Oil giant Exxon Mobil Corp. is seeking a waiver from the Trump administration to work with...

» In Europe, accusations of Russian meddling in elections come as no surprise - PRI
19/04/17 21:03 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from elections - Google News. PRI In Europe, accusations of Russian meddling in elections come as no surprise PRI The French presidential election is on Sunday. If nobody wins a majority, forecasters predict th...

» The White House's game on Russia has now been fully exposed - Washington Post (blog)
19/04/17 21:02 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from trump and russia - Google News. Washington Post (blog) The White House's game on Russia has now been fully exposed Washington Post (blog) Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Co...

» Jim Mattis, in Saudi Visit, Calls for Political Solution in Yemen - New York Times
19/04/17 21:02 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Yemen Saudi Arabia Iran - Google News. New York Times Jim Mattis, in Saudi Visit, Calls for Political Solution in Yemen New York Times RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Defense Secretary Jim Mattis called on Wednesda...

» Tillerson, Mattis Seek to Mend Fences With Saudi Arabia - Foreign Policy (blog)
19/04/17 21:01 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Yemen Saudi Arabia Iran - Google News. Tillerson, Mattis Seek to Mend Fences With Saudi Arabia Foreign Policy (blog) Take Yemen . The Saudi -led war there against an Iran -backed Houthi rebellion has drawn...

» Iranian Plot To Take Over Saudi Arabia Revealed As Mattis Issues Veiled Warning To Teheran - Western Journalism
19/04/17 21:00 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Yemen Saudi Arabia Iran - Google News. Western Journalism Iranian Plot To Take Over Saudi Arabia Revealed As Mattis Issues Veiled Warning To Teheran Western Journalism While traveling to Saudi Arabia , Def...

» Russian thinktank gameplanned undermining of US election, sources say - The Guardian
19/04/17 21:00 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from US elections and russia - Google News. The Guardian Russian thinktank gameplanned undermining of US election , sources say The Guardian A Russian government thinktank controlled by Vladimir Putin developed...

» Have North Korea's missile tests paid off?
19/04/17 20:57 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from BBC News - Home. North Korea displayed a lot of missiles - including big ones - at a bombastic military parade over the weekend. But what do we really know about Pyongyang's missile capabilities? Defence e...

» US accuses Iran of 'alarming provocations'
19/04/17 20:54 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from BBC News - Home. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has accused Iran of "alarming ongoing provocations" aimed at destabilising the Middle East and undermining America's interests in the region. "An unchec...

» Exclusive: Putin-linked think tank drew up plan to sway 2016 U.S. election - documents
19/04/17 20:08 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Russian government think tank controlled by Vladimir Putin developed a plan to swing the 2016 U.S. presidential election to Donald Trump and undermine voters’ ...

» Putin-Linked Think Tank Drew Up Plan to Sway 2016 U.S. Election, Documents and Officials Say - U.S. News & World Report
19/04/17 20:08 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from World - Google News. U.S. News & World Report Putin-Linked Think Tank Drew Up Plan to Sway 2016 U.S. Election, Documents and Officials Say U.S. News & World Report Current and former U.S. officials spoke o...

» Cash-strapped Venezuela a major funder of Trump inauguration
19/04/17 20:08 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from World. President Nicolas Maduro may be struggling to feed Venezuela but his socialist administration still managed to make a $500,000 donation to Donald Trump’s inauguration.

» Putin-linked think tank crafted plan to swing election for Trump: report - The Hill
19/04/17 20:07 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from World - Google News. The Hill Putin-linked think tank crafted plan to swing election for Trump: report The Hill A Moscow-based think tank linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin created a plan to swing ...

» John McCain: Exxon Is ‘Crazy’ to Want to Drill for Oil in Russia
19/04/17 20:07 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from World – TIME. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) suggested Exxon Mobil is “crazy” in response to a report that the oil giant is seeking a waiver to resume projects in Russia . “Are they crazy? ...

» AP Source: Exxon seeks OK to resume Russian oil venture
19/04/17 20:07 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from AP Top News at 7:57 p.m. EDT. WASHINGTON (AP) -- Exxon Mobil is seeking permission from the U.S. government for approval to resume drilling around the Black Sea with a Russian partner, state-owned Rosneft,...

» Tillerson accuses Iran of 'alarming provocations' as U.S. reviews policy
19/04/17 20:06 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Wednesday accused Iran of 'alarming ongoing provocations' to destabilize countries in the Middle East as the Trump admin...

» leonid reshetnikov riss - Google Search
19/04/17 19:53 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . Exclusive: Putin-linked think tank drew up plan to sway 2016 US ... WTVB - 3 hours ago ... Institute for Strategic Studies [https://en. riss .ru/], after the election. ... were written, Leonid Reshetnikov , r...

» Putin-Linked Think Tank Drew Up Plan to Sway 2016 U.S. Election, Documents and Officials Say | Top News
19/04/17 19:34 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . By Ned Parker, Jonathan Landay and John Walcott WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Russian government think tank controlled by Vladimir Putin developed a plan to swing the 2016 U.S. presidential election to Donald Trum...

» Exclusive: Putin-linked think tank drew up plan to sway 2016 US election - documents - Reuters
19/04/17 19:31 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Google News. Reuters Exclusive: Putin-linked think tank drew up plan to sway 2016 US election - documents Reuters WASHINGTON A Russian government think tank controlled by Vladimir Putin developed a plan to...

» Putin-linked Russian think tank drafted a 'road map' for swaying the US election - The Week Magazine
19/04/17 19:31 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Google News. Putin-linked Russian think tank drafted a 'road map' for swaying the US election The Week Magazine A Russian think tank linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin created a "road map"...

» Exclusive: Putin-linked think tank...
19/04/17 19:29 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Google News. Exclusive: Putin-linked think tank drew up plan to sway 2016 US election - documents Reuters  - ‎3 hours ago‎ WASHINGTON A Russian government think tank controlled by Vladimir...

» Trump Exposed As An Illegitimate President As Docs Reveal How Russia Helped Him Win
19/04/17 19:27 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Politicus USA.

» US officials: Putin-linked think tank drew up plan to sway US election
19/04/17 19:12 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Business Insider. Russian President Vladimir Putin. Thomson Reuters A Russian government think tank controlled by Vladimir Putin developed a plan to swing the 2016 US presidential election to Donald Trump ...

» Key Official in Trump-Russia Investigation Will Step Down
19/04/17 19:11 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . Mary B. McCord, who has been helping oversee the Justice Department’s probe into Russian interference in the presidential election, is stepping down from her post as the acting head of the department ...

» President Trump's Claim Of Being Wiretapped by President Obama Is Now At The Heart Of A FOIA Suit : NPR
19/04/17 19:02 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Politics : NPR. American Oversight, a group of Democratic lawyers, is suing the Justice Department and FBI over President Trump's tweeted allegation that he was wiretapped by then-President Barack Obama. E...

» Israel says Assad's forces still have several tonnes of chemical weapons
19/04/17 19:01 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . &amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-W9SLGS" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/iframe&amp...

» Putin-linked think tank crafted plan to swing election for Trump: report
19/04/17 18:57 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . By Nikita Vladimirov - 04/19/17 05:10 PM EDT 3,045 The Hill 1625 K Street, NW Suite 900 Washington DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 tel | 202-628-8503 fax The contents of this site are ©2017 Capitol Hill Publishi...

» Trump's inaugural committee took $1 million from a Russian-American whose money the GOP rejected - Quartz
19/04/17 18:53 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from trump russian money - Google News. Quartz Trump's inaugural committee took $1 million from a Russian -American whose money the GOP rejected Quartz In 2000, Alexander Shustorovich, a Russian -American milli...

» Trump's MS-13 Miss - FactCheck.org
19/04/17 18:52 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from donald trump racketeering - Google News. Fox Business Trump's MS-13 Miss FactCheck.org President Donald Trump blamed the Obama administration for allowing “bad MS 13 gangs to form in cities across U.S.” du...

» Exclusive: Putin-linked think tank drew up plan to sway 2016 U.S. election - documents | News
19/04/17 18:37 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . By Ned Parker, Jonathan Landay and John Walcott WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Russian government think tank controlled by Vladimir Putin developed a plan to swing the 2016 U.S. presidential election to Donald Trum...

» Syria Missile Strike Boosted Trump’s Ratings
19/04/17 18:11 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. President Donald Trump's popularity has risen slightly since the missile strike on Syria earlier this month, but most Americans still view him negatively. According to a new Quinnipiac Un...

» Putin-Linked Think Tank Drew Up Plan to Sway 2016 U.S. Election
19/04/17 17:25 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Washington Free Beacon. Russian President Vladimir Putin / REUTERS BY: Reuters By Ned Parker, Jonathan Landay, and John Walcott WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A Russian government think tank controlled by Vl...

» fradkov - Google Search
19/04/17 17:18 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . Exclusive: Putin-linked think tank drew up plan to sway 2016 US ... KFGO - 1 hour ago After Reshetnikov retired from the institute in January, Putin named as his replacement Mikhail Fradkov . The institute sa...

» Russian Institute for Strategic Studies - Google Search
19/04/17 16:56 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story .

» 'Putin linked think tank drew up plan to swing 2016 election in Donald Trump's favour' US officials claim
19/04/17 16:39 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from mirror - World news. A Putin linked think tank drew up plan to swing 2016 election in Donald Trump's favour US officials claim. The alleged plan was also aimed at undermining voters' faith in the American ...

» Russian think tank dismisses...
19/04/17 16:29 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Russian Institute for Strategic Studies - Google News. Russian think tank dismisses questions about Kremlin's role in US elections TASS  - ‎3 hours ago‎ The Institute's press service recom...

» Trump Orders Review of Iran Nuclear Deal
19/04/17 16:17 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. U.S. President Donald Trump has directed the National Security Council to review the international agreement on Iran's nuclear program and evaluate whether suspending sanctions “is ...

» Admiral’s illicit history with ‘Fat Leonard’ goes back 20 years, prosecutors say
19/04/17 16:14 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . The highest-ranking officer convicted so far in a colossal Navy corruption scandal began accepting a cornucopia of gifts and prostitutes from an Asian defense contractor 20 years ago and later suffered a ment...

» Pence: The United States is not seeking negotiations with North Korea
19/04/17 16:13 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . Vice President Pence warned North Korea not to test President Trump during a press conference in South Korea on April 17, citing "the strength and resolve of our new president in actions taken in Syria and Af...

» The White House’s game on Russia has now been fully exposed
19/04/17 16:11 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said today that the Committee’s investigation of Russian election interference and possible Trump campaign collusion with it i...

» Mr. Trump Plays by His Own Rules (or No Rules)
19/04/17 16:06 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . <a href="http://NYTimes.com" rel="nofollow">NYTimes.com</a> no longer supports Internet Explorer 9 or earlier. Please upgrade your browser. LEARN MORE » Verified Commenters can leave comments...

» Dem: Kushner may have committed ‘indictable’ offense
19/04/17 16:02 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . By The Hill Staff - 04/19/17 03:30 PM EDT 6 The Hill 1625 K Street, NW Suite 900 Washington DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 tel | 202-628-8503 fax The contents of this site are ©2017 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp...

» Ex-NFL star Hernandez hangs self in prison; family seeks probe
19/04/17 15:55 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . BOSTON Former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez hanged himself on Wednesday in a prison cell where he was serving a life sentence for murder, prison officials said, and his family called for an immedi...

» stan getz the thrill is gone - YouTube
19/04/17 15:40 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . &lt;div class="yt-alert yt-alert-default yt-alert-error "&gt; &lt;div class="yt-alert-icon"&gt; &lt;span class="icon master-sprite yt-sprite"&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&...

» The Thrill Is Gone - YouTube
19/04/17 13:49 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . 4:48 Pavarotti & B.B. King The Thrill Is Gone - Duration: 4:48. souremix 4 years ago 254,494 views Pavarotti & B.B. King The Thrill Is Gone 1999 friends friend. 5:05 Jose Feliciano - The Thrill is Gon...

» Aaron Hernandez found hanged - YouTube
19/04/17 13:08 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . In the state of Massachusetts, Hernandez technically died an innocent man due to the legal principle of abatement ab initio, where if a person dies and has not exhausted all legal appeals, the case reverts to...

» Nikolai Andruschenko - Google Search
19/04/17 12:55 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . Russian journalist dies from injuries sustained in March attack CBS News - 14 minutes ago The death Wednesday of 73-year-old Nikolai Andrushchenko was reported by Russian ... Andrushchenko's attackers have no...

» Nikolai Andrushchenko - Google Search
19/04/17 12:53 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story .

» Emmanuel Macron: France's Next President?
19/04/17 12:50 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . A relative unknown in French politics until he announced his candidacy, Emmanuel Macron is a front-runner in France’s presidential election this Spring. But who is Mr. Macron, what does he stand for, an...

» Russian Journalist, Putin Critic Dies After Severe Beating
19/04/17 11:17 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. A prominent Russian journalist known for articles criticizing Russian government and President Vladimir Putin has died in St. Petersburg after being severely beaten by un...

» Trump, top officials take aim at brutal MS-13 street gang
19/04/17 10:44 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Boston Herald - Boston Herald. WASHINGTON — The Trump administration vowed Tuesday to crack down on MS-13, a notoriously brutal Central American street gang blamed for a recent series of killings in ...

» Russia Collusion Investigations Struggle to Find Evidence - The Epoch Times
19/04/17 10:28 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Elections 2016 Investigation videos - Google News. The Epoch Times Russia Collusion Investigations Struggle to Find Evidence The Epoch Times There are multiple investigations into whether a foreign power i...

» FBI obtained FISA warrant to monitor Trump adviser Carter Page
19/04/17 10:11 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . The FBI obtained a secret court order last summer to monitor the communications of an adviser to presidential candidate Donald Trump, part of an investigation into possible links between Russia and the campai...

» Trumps election! Rigged is it possible? Yes! - YouTube
19/04/17 09:44 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . 11.9.16 Software programmer testifies about software he made that can fix an election. Where is that software at now?

» Trump-Russia investigation 'now has concrete evidence of collusion' - YouTube
19/04/17 09:33 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . Published on Apr 14, 2017 The official investigation into relations between Donald Trump and Russia now has "specific, concrete and corroborative evidence of collusion", it has been reported. New evidence pro...

» FBI Investigation Of President Trump’s Russia Ties Is ‘Huge,’ Analyst Says | TODAY - YouTube
19/04/17 09:32 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story . Published on Mar 21, 2017 MSNBC chief legal correspondent Ari Melber and political analyst Nicolle Wallace join TODAY to discuss FBI Director James Comey’s Capitol Hill testimony Monday and the White Ho...

» The U.S. and Global Security Review: 4.19.17 - One reason President Donald Trump changed his rhetoric on China? He really likes the Chinese president - CNN Wednesday April 19th, 2017 at 8:36 AM
19/04/17 08:48 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from The U.S. and Global Security Review. One reason President Donald Trump changed his rhetoric on China? He really likes the Chinese president - CNN Wednesday April 19 th , 2017  at  8:36 AM Donald ...

» The U.S. and Global Security Review: 4.19.17 - "The Daily Trumpet (Trump Pit)": News Review of Trump and his Investigations: Donald Trump has raised his approval ratings by embracing his inner bomb Quartz Since before he became president on Jan. 20, Donal
19/04/17 08:46 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from The U.S. and Global Security Review. 4.19.17 - "The Daily Trumpet (Trump Pit)"  News Review of Trump and his Investigations:  ____________________________________ The Felon And The Pop Star _____...

» One reason President Donald Trump changed his rhetoric on China? He really likes the Chinese president - CNN
19/04/17 08:36 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Donald Trump - Google News. CNN One reason President Donald Trump changed his rhetoric on China? He really likes the Chinese president CNN Washington (CNN) President Donald Trump told Fox and Friends on Tu...

» Donald Trump approval rating up: 50 percent say they think president doing a good job - AL.com
19/04/17 08:35 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Donald Trump - Google News. AL.com Donald Trump approval rating up: 50 percent say they think president doing a good job AL.com A new poll shows President Donald Trump's approval rating reaching 50 percent...

» Blackwater Founder Erik Prince Has Deep Ties To The Trump Administration After All - UPROXX
19/04/17 08:35 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Erik Prince - Google News. UPROXX Blackwater Founder Erik Prince Has Deep Ties To The Trump Administration After All UPROXX As late as last week, the Trump administration has claimed that Erik Prince , mos...

» Ukraine's back-channel diplomat still shopping peace plan to Trump ... - Chicago Tribune
19/04/17 08:35 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from felix sater - Google News. Ukraine's back-channel diplomat still shopping peace plan to Trump ... Chicago Tribune The last two months have not been easy for Andrey Artemenko. and more »

» Blackwater founder Erik Prince held backdoor meetings with Trump transition team - Death and Taxes
19/04/17 08:35 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Erik Prince - Google News. Death and Taxes Blackwater founder Erik Prince held backdoor meetings with Trump transition team Death and Taxes Erik Prince , founder of private military company Blackwater, and...

» Rudy Giuliani Says Trump is Doing Great Job with North Korea - TMZ.com
19/04/17 08:35 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Rudy Giuliani - Google News. TMZ.com Rudy Giuliani Says Trump is Doing Great Job with North Korea TMZ.com Rudy landed at LAX Tuesday when our photog asked if we should strike North Korea first or wait unti...

» Donald Trump Has a Conflict of Interest in Turkey. Just Ask Donald Trump. - Mother Jones
19/04/17 08:35 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Donald Trump - Google News. Mother Jones Donald Trump Has a Conflict of Interest in Turkey. Just Ask Donald Trump . Mother Jones Several media outlets have slammed President Donald Trump for congratulating...

» FBI used dossier allegations to bolster Trump-Russia investigation - CNN
19/04/17 08:34 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Donald Trump - Google News. CNN FBI used dossier allegations to bolster Trump -Russia investigation CNN The dossier alleges that Page met senior Russian officials as an emissary of the Trump campaign, and ...

» Blackwater founder Erik Prince said to have advised Trump team - The Boston Globe
19/04/17 08:34 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Erik Prince - Google News. The Boston Globe Blackwater founder Erik Prince said to have advised Trump team The Boston Globe NEW YORK — In the very public, post-election parade of dignitaries, confidantes, ...

» Trump Has Pivoted to Scoring Easy Wins - National Review
19/04/17 08:34 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Donald Trump - Google News. National Review Trump Has Pivoted to Scoring Easy Wins National Review But while Barack Obama was still in the White House, Donald Trump announced “deals” and appointments that ...

» The Putin-Trump embrace - Rutland Herald
19/04/17 08:34 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin Trump - Google News. The Mercury News The Putin - Trump embrace Rutland Herald The media are bursting with reports on possible Russian influence — through collusion with the Trump campaign — on our r...

» Can a New Journal Make Sense of Trumpism? - The Nation.
19/04/17 08:33 from Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks
mikenova shared this story from Trumpism - Google News. Can a New Journal Make Sense of Trumpism ? The Nation. Last February, an anonymous cohort of conservative writers, their bylines purloined from antiquity, started a group blog they ...