RATIONAL REVIEW NEWS DIGEST
The Freedom Movement's Daily Newspaper
Volume XVI, Issue #3,885
Steemit Edition -- Thursday, January 11th, 2018
Web Edition: http://rationalreview.com
Email Edition: http://eepurl.com/bSo8ST
TODAY'S NEWS
China: Regime officials recommend slowing or halting US bond purchases
Source: Reuters
“Officials reviewing China’s vast foreign-exchange holdings have recommended slowing or halting purchases of U.S. government bonds, seeing the market for them as becoming less attractive, Bloomberg News said on Wednesday. The report helped push yields of U.S. Treasuries to multi-month highs and caused the U.S. dollar to fall. China has the world’s biggest currency reserves, approximately $3 trillion, and is the biggest foreign holder of U.S. government debt, with $1.19 trillion in Treasuries as of October 2017, data from the Treasury Department show.” (01/10/18)
—–
ICE thugs raid 7-Eleven stores nationwide, abduct 21
Source: NBC News
“U.S. immigration agents raided dozens of 7-Eleven stores before dawn Wednesday and [abducted] 21 people in the biggest crackdown on a company suspected of hiring undocumented workers since President Donald Trump took office. Some 98 of the convenience stores nationwide — from Los Angeles to New York — were targeted by [thugs] from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, whose top official described the raids as a warning to other companies that may have unauthorized employees on their payrolls.” (01/10/18)
—–
Myanmar: Prosecutor seeks Official Secrets Act charges against Reuters reporters
Source: Reuters
“Myanmar prosecutors sought charges on Wednesday against two Reuters reporters under the Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years, the reporters’ lawyer said. Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, were detained on Dec. 12 after they had been invited to meet police officers over dinner. Family members have said the two told them they were arrested almost immediately after being handed some documents by the officers they had gone to meet. The two had worked on Reuters coverage of a crisis in the western state of Rakhine, where (according to U.N. estimates) about 655,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled from a fierce military crackdown on militants.” (01/10/18)
—–
VT: Senate passes recreational marijuana bill
Source: The Hill
“Vermont’s state Senate passed a bill on Wednesday that would legalize recreational marijuana use for adults over the age of 21, removing the last major roadblock on the drug’s path to legalization in the state. Gov. Phil Scott (R) is expected to sign the bill when it reaches his desk. Vermont’s Senate had previously passed a version of the bill last summer, but today’s vote was required to approve the state House of Representatives’s decision to remove a study commission from the bill. The bill removes the civil penalty and fine for possessing one ounce or less of marijuana, and allows limited growing of marijuana plants.” (01/10/18)
—–
Trump declines to say whether he would sit for interview with Mueller’s team
Source: Washington Post
“President Trump on Wednesday declined to say whether he would grant an interview to special counsel Robert S. Mueller III and his team, deflecting questions on the topic by saying there had been ‘no collusion’ between his campaign and Russia during the 2016 presidential election. ‘We’ll see what happens,’ Trump said when asked directly about meeting with the special counsel. Trump then questioned why he would be interviewed, arguing again there had been 'no collusion' between his campaign and Russia. … Mueller’s team told Trump’s lawyers in December they are likely to request an interview with the president, The Washington Post has reported, as part of its investigation into Moscow’s [alleged] meddling in the election and whether any Trump associates conspired with Russian agents.” (01/10/18)
—–
Democratic report warns of Russian meddling across Europe
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
“A new report by Senate Democrats warns of deepening Russian interference throughout Europe and concludes that even as some Western democracies have responded with aggressive countermeasures, President Donald Trump has offered no strategic plan to bolster their efforts or safeguard the U.S. from again falling victim to the Kremlin’s systematic meddling. The report commissioned by the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is the first from Congress to comprehensively detail Russian efforts to undermine democracies since the 2016 presidential election. It wastes no time in calling out Trump personally for what it describes as a failure to respond to Russia’s mounting destabilization activities in the U.S. and worldwide. The report was obtained by The Associated Press in advance of its public release Wednesday. ‘Never before has a U.S. president so clearly ignored such a grave and growing threat to U.S. national security,’ the report warns.” [editor’s note: These stories just get sillier – SAT] (01/10/18)
—–
Pence to lead US delegation at Winter Olympics
Source: USA Today
“Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, will lead the U.S. delegation to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang next month, USA TODAY confirmed on Wednesday, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The person spoke to USA TODAY on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly. Pence will make stops during the trip in Japan and Alaska, where he will review some of the United States’ missile defense systems. He also plans to attend the Games, which are scheduled to begin Feb. 9. The news comes one day after North Korea said it will send a delegation to South Korea for the Olympics, including athletes, a cheering squad and high-ranking officials. North Korea has won two medals (one silver and one bronze) in the history of the Winter Games.” (01/10/18)
—–
SC: Owner of “Obama Gas Station” faces sales tax evasion charges
Source: Fox News
“The owner of a South Carolina gas station named in honor of former President Barack Obama was arrested and charged Tuesday with tax evasion. Murad A. Alhanik, 39, the owner of the Obama Store and gas station in Columbia, S.C., was charged with ‘four counts of sales tax evasion,’ WISTV reported. The South Carolina Department of Revenue said Alhanik filed $971,935 in sales tax returns in the period between 2013 and 2016, but after an investigation the agency found the store’s sales was $2.6 million, according to a press release. Alhanik dodged paying more than $136,000 in sales taxes during that four-year period, the department said. Alhanik was booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, arrest records show. He could face up to five years in prison and fines nearing $10,000.” [editor’s note: Well, all taxation is theft, but this almost seems karmic for someone with his statist politics – SAT] (01/10/18)
—–
LA DA: Handcuffed teacher won’t be prosecuted
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
“A Louisiana prosecutor says a teacher who was handcuffed and arrested after she spoke about teacher pay at a school board meeting won’t be prosecuted. Widely viewed video shows middle school language arts teacher Deyshia Hargrave screaming on the floor as an officer handcuffs her and orders her not to resist. KATC-TV reports that Hargrave later bonded out of jail on charges of ‘remaining after being forbidden’ and resisting an officer. Ike Funderburk, the prosecutor and city attorney in Abbeville, Louisiana, tells the station he won’t approve the charges for further proceedings. It wasn’t immediately clear when the charges would be formally dismissed.” [editor’s note: But of course neither the officer nor the superintendent who ordered her to leave get squat, and the latter thug still got his raise – SAT] (01/10/18)
—–
Catherine Deneuve defends men’s “right to hit on” women
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“French actress Catherine Deneuve has said that men should be ‘free to hit on’ women. She is one of 100 French women who wrote an open letter, warning about a new “puritanism” sparked by recent sexual harassment scandals. It deplores a wave of ‘denunciations,’ following rape allegations made against US movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. A group of French feminists condemned the letter, accusing the signatories of trivialising sexual violence. Mr Weinstein denies all allegations of non-consensual sex, but has admitted that his behaviour has ’caused a lot of pain.’ The letter by French women writers, performers and academics was published in France’s Le Monde newspaper on Tuesday. ‘Men have been punished summarily, forced out of their jobs when all they did was touch someone’s knee or try to steal a kiss,’ it said. ‘Rape is a crime, but trying to seduce someone, even persistently or clumsily, is not — nor is men being gentlemanly a chauvinist attack.’” [editor’s note: Seems to me like “try to steal a kiss” borders on assault, but anything less is just “boorish behavior;” the key word missing here is “consent” – SAT] (01/10/18)
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-42630108
—–
Report: White House fears mass staff exodus
Source: Raw Story
“The White House has reportedly told staff to decide by the end of January if they will be leaving the administration or staying to battle it out in the November mid-terms. According to a source cited by CBS News, the White House is facing an exodus of staff drawn to higher pay packets in the private sector amid plunging morale and exhaustion. The notification is intended to give White House chief of staff John Kelly an idea of the number of staff intending to leave so the departures can be staggered, thus avoiding the impression of a rush to leave the embattled administration. Sources close to the West Wing told CNN that the Trump administration is finding it difficult to fill vacancies, as the Russia probe focuses on close Trump aides and the president’s popularity has plummeted in the polls. In December, deputy national security adviser Dina Powell announced she would be departing the administration, and is expected to leave after Vice President Mike Pence’s trip to the Middle East next week.” (01/10/18)
https://www.rawstory.com/2018/01/white-house-fears-mass-staff-exodus
—–
Expert: Kim Jong Un’s weak voice signals possible kidney problem
Source: Fox News
“Kim Jong Un may have delivered a defiant New Year’s Day address railing against the United States, but his weak voice during the speech may show the despot is suffering from ‘a kidney problem,’ an audio forensic expert said Tuesday. Chungnam State University professor Cho Dong-uk said he scrutinized Kim’s voice for ‘energy’ and tremors, Korea Times reported. Based on the data, Cho said the leader may have kidney issues. ‘At least, the samples show that his kidneys are weaker than other organs,’ Cho said, according to the Korea Times. Kidney disorders can cause fluid to build up in a person’s body and cause organs to swell. Cho cited Kim’s rotund stature and his drinking and smoking as possible issues.” (01/10/18)
—–
Voter panel made no findings, White House “will destroy data”
Source: Raw Story
“U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial voter fraud panel made no early findings and will not give the Department of Homeland Security any voter data it received, the White House’s top technology official said. In a document filed late on Tuesday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, White House Information Technology Director Charles Herndon said it ‘intends to destroy all state voter data’ the panel had received after Trump disbanded to commission last week ‘The state voter data will not be transferred to, or accessed or utilized by, DHS or any other agency,’ Herndon wrote. Last week, the White House said it was shuttering the presidential election fraud panel amid costly lawsuits by civil rights groups and challenges by a number of U.S. states that had objected to handing over voters’ data.” (01/10/18)
https://www.rawstory.com/2018/01/voter-panel-made-no-findings-will-destroy-data-white-house
—–
Issa won’t seek re-election
Source: Washington Post
“Republican Rep. Darrell Issa, Hillary Clinton’s one-time chief antagonist on Capitol Hill, announced he will not seek reelection in his Southern California district this year. … Issa faced a highly competitive reelection bid in a district he barely won in 2016, with 51 percent of the vote. One possibility was a rematch between Issa and Democrat Doug Applegate, who already announced his plans to run again, but who faces at least one other Democrat in a primary.” (01/10/18)
—–
SCOTUS appears sympathetic to Ohio voter roll purge effort
Source: Chicago Tribune
The Supreme Court appeared sympathetic Wednesday to states that seek to prune their voting rolls by targeting people who haven’t voted in a while. In a case from Ohio, opponents of the practice called it a violation of a federal law that was intended to increase the ranks of registered voters. Justice Sonia Sotomayor said minorities and homeless people appear to be disproportionately kicked off the rolls. But the court’s conservatives and possibly also Justice Stephen Breyer indicated that they would uphold the state’s effort. Ohio is among a handful of states that use voters’ inactivity to trigger a process that could lead to their removal from voter rolls. A ruling for Ohio could prompt other states to adopt the practice, which generally pits Democrats against Republicans.” (01/10/18)
—–
Sears raises $100 million in new financing, eyes $200 million in cost cuts
Source: US News & World Report
“Sears has secured more financing, and is eying more cost cutting, as the beleaguered retailer reported a big sales drop during the critical holiday season. The company, which operates Sears and Kmart stores, said Wednesday that it secured $100 million in new financing, will seek twice that from other sources, and will attempt $200 million in additional cost cuts this year unrelated to store closings. It also warned that if the company’s efforts to complete these transactions are not fully successful, then the board will consider all other options to maximize the value of its assets. Sears Holdings Corp., which said last week it’s closing more than 100 stores, said that during the November and December period, comparable-store sales tumbled by 16 percent to 17 percent.” (01/10/18)
—–
Fart-tracking pill spies on your gut gases
Source: CNet News
“For most people, the digestive tract is a mystery. We eat and drink. Hidden things happen. Maybe our stomach rumbles or noises that would make Mel Brooks giggle come out. We do it all over again. We may soon know a lot more about our internal activity thanks to a swallowable pill that tracks the covert happenings in the human gut. A research team led by scientists at Australia’s RMIT University developed the pill, which measures hydrogen, carbon dioxide and oxygen gases in the gut in real time.” (01/10/18)
https://www.cnet.com/news/fart-tracking-pill-gut-ingestible-gases-swallowable-sensor/
—–
Buffett on cryptocurrencies: “I can say almost with certainty that they will come to a bad ending”
Source: CNBC
“Billionaire investor Warren Buffett told CNBC on Wednesday the recent craze over bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies won’t end well. … Also on the show, Buffett’s right-hand man, Charlie Munger, also blasted frothiness in bitcoin — and in venture capital funding. … Buffett’s comments came a day after J.P. Morgan Chase Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon backpedaled his earlier criticisms of cryptocurrencies.” [editor’s note: Of course, in the same interview he confesses that he knows nothing about the subject. I wonder if that’s true, or if he’s talking crypto down with the intention of buying it cheap (he denies that, btw) – TLK] (01/120/18)
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/10/buffett-says-cyrptocurrencies-will-almost-certainly-end-badly.html
—–
Report: Trump sold $35 million in real estate in 2017, mostly to secretive buyers
Source: USA Today
“President Trump’s companies sold more than $35 million in real estate in 2017, mostly to secretive shell companies that obscure buyers’ identities, continuing a dramatic shift in his customers’ behavior that began during the election, a USA TODAY review found. In Las Vegas alone, Trump sold 41 luxury condo units in 2017, a majority of which used limited liability companies – corporate entities that allow people to purchase property without revealing all of the owners’ names. The trend toward Trump’s real estate buyers obscuring their identities began around the time he won the Republican nomination, midway through 2016, according to USA TODAY’s analysis of every domestic real estate sale by one of his companies.” (01/10/18)
—–
Ecuador: Regime may seek mediation with UK regime over Assange
Source: Independent [UK]
“Julian Assange could be kicked out of Ecuador’s embassy in London after the country’s foreign minister said the situation was ‘not sustainable.’ The WikiLeaks founder was granted asylum in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over rape allegations, and has been holed up in Knightsbridge for five-and-a-half years. Swedish prosecutors have dropped their investigation into the allegations, but Mr Assange, who denied the allegations, fears he will be extradited to the United States if he leaves the building and that there is a sealed indictment ordering his arrest. … Maria Fernanda Espinosa, Ecuador’s foreign minister, said her country was now seeking possible mediation to resolve the impasse, which she called ‘not sustainable.’ ‘We’re considering, exploring the possibility of a mediation,’ she said, adding that a third country or person could lead a potential mediation.” (01/10/18)
—–
US Senate Democrats collect co-sponsors to reinstate corporate welfare program for Big Data
Source: Tech Times
“Democrats in the U.S. have now collected co-sponsors for a measure that would invalidate the Federal Communications Commission’s vote against net neutrality. To overturn the net neutrality repeal, Senate would use the Congressional Review Act. In December, the FCC repealed Obama-era net neutrality rules which protected [the bottom lines of bandwidth hogs like Netflix and YouTube]. … Using the Congressional Review Act, lawmakers can debate, vote, and undo actions by federal agencies. For the Congressional Review Act, Democrats needed only 30 votes.” (01/10/18)
—–
NZ: Pranksters jam police radios with anti-police music
Source: Otago Daily Times [New Zealand]
“Mysterious broadcasts of expletive-ridden rap music on southern police radios has interfered with an armed offenders squad (AOS) call-out, putting people ‘in danger.’ Otago coastal acting area commander Inspector Kelvin Lloyd said Dunedin police were aware of non-police members transmitting on police radio over the past few days. The radios have picked up multiple versions of the song F*** tha Police by 1990s Los Angeles rap group NWA. … The song features lyrics critical of police conduct. It is understood it was also repeated several times over the weekend. Radios have also picked up a version of the song by American rock band Rage Against the Machine.” [hat tip — The Daily Liberator] (01/09/18)
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/expletive-ridden-rap-interferes-aos-callout
—–
Judge blocks Trump decision to end young immigrant program
Source: ABC News
“A federal judge on Tuesday night temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s decision to end a program protecting young immigrants from deportation. U.S. District Judge William Alsup granted a request by California and other plaintiffs to prevent President Donald Trump from ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program while their lawsuits play out in court. … DACA has protected about 800,000 people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children or came with families who overstayed visas. The program includes hundreds of thousands of college-age students.” (01/10/18)
—–
NC: Court strikes down congressional districts as unconstitutional partisan gerrymanders
Source: Raleigh News & Observer
“A panel of federal judges struck down North Carolina’s election districts for U.S. Congress on Tuesday as unconstitutional partisan gerrymanders and gave lawmakers until Jan. 29 to bring them new maps to correct the problem. The ruling comes in cases filed by the League of Women Voters and Common Cause in North Carolina stemming from maps adopted in 2016 during a special legislative session. … The judges — James A. Wynn, a Barack Obama appointee to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and federal district judges W. Earl Britt, a Jimmy Carter appointee, and William L. Osteen Jr., a George W. Bush appointee — were unanimous that North Carolina lawmakers under Republican leadership violated the U.S. Constitution’s equal-protection clause when they drew maps explicitly to favor their party.” (01/09/18)
—–
Trump regime bars oil drilling off Florida after governor’s plea
Source: New Hampshire Union Leader
“President Donald Trump’s administration will not allow drilling for oil and gas off the coast of Florida after urging from the state’s governor, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said on Tuesday. … The Trump administration last week proposed opening nearly all U.S. offshore waters to oil and gas drilling, a move aimed at boosting domestic energy production and which sparked protests from coastal states, environmentalists and the tourism industry. The administration’s decision on Tuesday removes from consideration a portion of the eastern Gulf of Mexico, an area that oil drillers have said they are interested in exploring — but not all of it.” (01/10/18)
http://www.unionleader.com/article/20180110/NEWS06/180119970/-1/mobile
RATIONAL REVIEW NEWS DIGEST
Editors:
Thomas L. Knapp
Steve Trinward
Editors Emeritus:
Mary Lou Seymour
R. Lee Wrights