Former FBI director James Comey has agreed to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on September 30 regarding “Crossfire Hurricane,” the counterintelligence investigation into whether President Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election, Senator Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) announced Wednesday. "The day of reckoning is upon us when it comes to Crossfire Hurricane," said Graham, the Republican chairman of the Senate panel, in an appearance on Fox News."I appreciate Mr. Comey coming before the committee and he will be respectfully treated but asked hard questions. We are negotiating with [former Deputy FBI Director Andrew] McCabe; we are hoping to get him without a subpoena -- time will tell."Graham added that former special counsel Robert Mueller had declined a request to testify about his own investigation, saying he “doesn’t have enough time.” Ahead of Comey’s testimony, the committee will likely interview two FBI employees who interviewed Russian analyst Igor Danchenko, the primary source for Christopher Steele’s Trump dossier.Graham has been following up on an investigation by the Justice Department inspector general that found under Comey’s leadership, the FBI had misled the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to get surveillance orders against former Trump aide Carter Page.The report said the FBI used the Steele dossier as justification to surveil Page, but did not disclose that during interviews with the FBI and Justice Department in January 2017 Danchenko had warned that Steele embellished parts of the dossier. Graham said he aims to uncover which FBI officials were told about Danchenko’s statements during the interviews in which an FBI counterintelligence agent and a supervisory intelligence analyst took part. “Now who did the intel analyst and the case agent tell?” Graham said. “We’re going to talk to them in the next week to 10 days.”The case agent has been identified as Steven Somma, a veteran counterintelligence investigator in the FBI’s New York Field Office, the Daily Caller reported. Somma, who was involved in several aspects of Crossfire Hurricane, was the first FBI investigator to suggest applying for a FISA warrant against Page.In May, Graham requested documents related to FBI supervisory intelligence analyst Brian Auten, though the FBI has declined to say whether he is the analyst mentioned in the IG report.

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 10:48:49 -0400

“I popped it open and it looked like a chicken breast � kind of.”

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 09:40:51 -0400

The slow-moving storm has hovered over the US Gulf coast, dumping "four months of rain in four hours".

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 08:03:22 -0400

The current Isis leader gave intelligence to US forces leading to strikes on al-Qaeda, newly released files show. Documents released on Thursday suggest Muhammad Sa'id Abdal-Rahman al-Mawla gave information after his arrest in 2008 on dozens of fellow jihadists as well as the structure of al Qaeda in Mosul. He allegedly provided names for 68 al-Qaeda fighters including 19 from photographs. Three Tactical Interrogation Reports released by the Combating Terrorism Centre (CTC) allege al-Mawla, who at the time was an al-Qaeda judge, identified leading figures behind assassinations, kidnappings and the production of improved explosive devices, used to kill coalition forces. One jihadist was a Moroccan national called Abu Jasim Abu Qaswarah. Thought to be the second-in-command of al-Qaeda in Iraq at the time, he was killed by US forces eight months after al-Mawla named him as a member of the terrorist group.

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 08:01:18 -0400

After Israel’s resounding victory over the Egyptian, Jordanian, and Syrian armies in 1967, the Jewish state again offered the Arab world peace in exchange for recognition. And it was again rebuffed. Instead, the Arab League convened in Khartoum to formulate a consensus response that became known as “The 3 Noes” � no recognition, no negotiations, and no peace with Israel.Needless to say, this posture left little room for positive dialogue.Indeed, three years before Israel had ever attained its “occupied” territories in the West Bank, the Arab League had already created and funded the Palestine Liberation Organization, a nationalist terror group that would not only operate within Israel but develop the tactics that would subsequently be adopted by Islamists around the world.Arab states, including those in Gulf, would support and fund this violence against Jewish civilians for decades.Fast-forward to 2020. Earlier this month, the Palestinians, who had held veto power over Arab foreign policy for years, demand nothing less than a full condemnation of the Israel-UAE normalization. The Arab League gave them nothing.Instead, a couple of weeks later, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates, and Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani of Bahrain all came to Washington to sign the Abraham Accords, in which all three promised to “to take the necessary steps to prevent any terrorist or hostile activities against each other on or from their respective territories, as well as deny any support for such activities abroad or allowing such support on or from their respective territories.”It takes only a rudimentary knowledge of modern Middle East history to comprehend the immense changes going on in the region -- and yet this seems lost on many contemporary journalists.There are likely a number of reasons that normalization deals between Israel and Arab nations haven’t received the attention and praise they deserve. The first is the most obvious: Few in legacy media want to credit Donald Trump -- certainly not during a presidential campaign. Had Barack Obama facilitated a deal between Israel and any Arab nation, it would have dominated coverage. Rightly so.Even the stories written about the deal attempt to diminish the role of the Trump administration. The New York Times headline, for example, is “Israel, U.A.E and Bahrain Sign Accords, with an Eager Trump Hosting.” Sunni nations and Israel have a number of geopolitical reasons to strengthen ties -- one of them the Obama administration’s coddling of Iran. But it was Trump who seized on the opportunity, and for that he deserves at least as much credit as Jimmy Carter did for the Egypt–Israel peace deal or Bill Clinton did for the Israel–Jordan peace deal.Second, many reporters, think-tankers, and D.C. foreign-policy experts are all part of a hive mind in which the word “peace” means little more than the creation of Palestinian state and an embrace of Iran.And Washington’s foreign-policy consensus has taken a body blow. In four years, Jared Kushner has done more to advance the cause of peace in the Middle East than the entire Brookings Institution foreign-policy team has in a lifetime.The John Kerrys of the world have long argued that wider peace would not be possible without acquiescing to the Palestinians first. They were wrong. After the Trump administration moved the American Embassy to the Israeli capital of Jerusalem, the same people warned that an eruption of violence would envelop the Middle East. They made the same claim after Trump assassinated Qasem Soleimani. Wrong. And wrong, again.The Abraham Accords also laid to rest the myth that Israel would find itself in “deepening international isolation” if it failed to heed Obama’s efforts to create a Palestinian state. The Abraham Accords offer considerable economic benefits for all sides.Israel is already a major investment destination, and it now has economic ties to increasing numbers of prosperous Arab nations. A Dubai-based port operator has already reportedly partnered with an Israeli firm to bid on the largest shipping hub in Israel.The BDS movement and other economic boycotts of Israel are now little more than an anti-Semitic outlet for Western radicals.With economic ties come cultural ones, as the nations promise to “promote tourism cooperation” as well as ”people-to-people” exchanges. For years, Arab nations have depicted Jews in the most nefarious ways. Yet, only two weeks after the announcement of Israel–United Arab Emirates, the latter is teaching and praising the peace initiative with the Jews. Its Islamic Studies textbook is teaching and praising the peace initiative with the Jews.Perhaps most important, the Abraham Accords may just be the beginning of the thawing. Trump says he expected Saudi Arabia -- the steward of Islam’s holiest sites � to recognize Israel. “At least five or six” other countries may as well, Trump says. We’ll have to see about that. But Saudi Arabia has announced that it will permit commercial flights from Israel to pass through its airspace. Bahrain would never have agreed to a deal with Israel without the Saudis’ blessing. These deals only make more normalization possible.Though there are no guarantees in the Middle East, these peace deals also probably make an Israeli–Palestinian deal possible. Kushner approached Palestinian leadership to engage in these talks, and he was rebuffed. Mahmoud Abbas is waiting out Trump for a more friendly administration. It’s probably too late.Since the early 1990s, every attempt to create a lasting agreement in the region has been bogged down by intractable Palestinian demands to make Jerusalem their capital and force Israel to accept the suicidal “Right of Return.” These are non-starters. This isn’t merely a Likud position; it is the position of every major party in Israel and, increasingly, a reality accepted in wider Arab world.  The Abraham Accords, for example, pledge to deal with Palestinian issues in a manner that “meets the legitimate needs and aspirations of both peoples, and to advance comprehensive Middle East peace, stability and prosperity.” Nowhere does it mention anything about handing over Jerusalem, a Right of Return, returning to 1967 lines, or even a Palestinian state.The decades of Middle East policy being conducted through the grievances of the PLO are likely over. Without obligatory backing from the Arab world, Palestinians may be forced to embrace reality, too. If not, they’ll continue to be left behind.Some critics have pointed out that Israel has now struck deals with a number of authoritarian nations. Well, guess what, Hamas and Fatah are also authoritarians, and yet the Washington foreign-policy establishment want to give them their own state.Alas, there are the realities of the region. One hopes that Arab theocracies accelerate their liberalization, but right now it is Iran, and its proxies in Syria, Yemen, and Lebanon, that threaten peace. New alliances between Jews and Arabs, on the other hand, can only strengthen it.

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 06:30:59 -0400

Chris Evans played Ransom Drysdale in "Knives Out," while Jamie Lee Curtis played his on-screen mother Linda in Rian Johnson's murder mystery.

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 06:19:37 -0400

Democrats compared the admission to Kevin McCarthy's 2015 boast that the Benghazi probe was aimed to hurt Clinton

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 05:00:01 -0400

Salt Lake City police officer Nickolas Pearce is facing a second-degree felony assault charge after ordering his K9 to bite Jeffery Ryans on April 23.

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 23:23:14 -0400

Mexico said on Wednesday said it had formally requested a report from U.S. authorities regarding alleged negligent practices in U.S. immigration detention centers, citing accusations of sexual abuse and unauthorized hysterectomies. The request come after a complaint by a whistleblower nurse alleging that detainees in a Georgia immigration detention facility had improperly received hysterectomies and other gynecological procedures. The complaint did not specify the nationality of the affected detainees.

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 23:10:17 -0400

Coronavirus is still showing up at the White House. A journalist reportedly heard “a couple of positives today,” while at the White House and rumors quickly swirled there were more than one. At a recent briefing, journalists asked press secretary Kayleigh McEnany who on the staff has been infected but she would not reveal the person’s name.

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 21:32:00 -0400

Gov. Gavin Newsom says he is ready to announce action on theme parks amid high unemployment and economic distress in tourism-dependent cities

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 20:31:18 -0400

President Trump said CDC Director Robert Redfield "made a mistake" about when a COVID-19 vaccine would be ready.

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 19:40:15 -0400

The adverse reaction experienced by a participant in the Oxford and AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine trial may not have been caused by the experimental vaccine itself, it has been claimed. The trial was paused on September 6 after a participant exhibited an illness thought to be a rare spinal inflammatory disorder called transverse myelitis. An information leaflet for participants has now suggested that the adverse reaction may not have occurred as a result of the jab. “After independent review, these illnesses were either considered unlikely to be associated with the vaccine or there was insufficient evidence to say for certain that the illnesses were or were not related to the vaccine,” the document said. The vaccine trials have now resumed in Britain, Brazil and South Africa, but have not started up again in the United States.

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 19:13:39 -0400

While taking questions from reporters Wednesday, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden responded to President Trump’s remarks at a town hall criticizing Biden for not enacting a mask mandate. “I’m not the president. He’s the president,” Biden said.

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 16:54:23 -0400

Britain has returned three antique bronze sculptures to Indian authorities more than 40 years after they were stolen from a Hindu temple in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The thieves were convicted in India at the time but it was only in 2019 that three of the statues were found, when the Indian High Commission in London discovered that one of them was being offered for sale by a UK-based dealer. The Indian High Commission tweeted photographs of the statues, taken during a formal handover to the government of Tamil Nadu, describing the event as an "auspicious moment".

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 13:38:56 -0400

Academic had 60,000 followers before her suspension

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 13:00:41 -0400

As a child survivor of the Holocaust in Poland, there was only one time when I was with another child during the war. Later on, that little boy was killed in front of me. I remember this clearly even though I was young, but when every day is the difference between life and death, you remember. Sadly, though, it is becoming clear that future generations may one day call these stories into question; they may not believe the horrors that Holocaust survivors endured and the atrocities we witnessed and have relived while telling our stories for the past 75 years. We must not let this happen.The idea that someone is less than a person and somehow undeserving of humanity because of religion, origin of birth, or family lineage is the bigotry and hatred that fueled the Holocaust. Teaching the lessons of the Holocaust to young people helps to ward off the impact of hate speech, discrimination, and racism. Unfortunately, we have not prioritized this in the U.S.The Nazi Hunter Taking On Mark ZuckerbergA first-ever state-by-state study of Holocaust knowledge among millennials and Gen Z by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) revealed what we have known for some time: that younger generations, removed from the memories of World War II, lack critical knowledge of the Holocaust. The study brings to light some especially shocking revelations: many twentysomethings and thirtysomethings in the U.S. think that the hateful views of neo-Nazism represent just an expression of free speech, and they also erroneously believe that the Jews caused the Holocaust. We must educate our younger generations on the atrocities of the Holocaust, or the growing ignorance will continue to fuel a rise in anti-Semitism and neo-Nazism across the United States� a danger not only to Jewish people, but society as a whole.The assumption is that the study of World War II is a basic staple of any high school social studies class. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Examination of the fascism that led to the rise of the Nazi party in Germany, and ultimately World War II and the genocide of six million Jews, is not standard curriculum across the United States. The result? In an open-ended question asking respondents who they thought caused the Holocaust, an astounding 19 percent of respondents in New York State felt that the Jews caused the Holocaust. Meanwhile, 16 percent of respondents in Louisiana, Tennessee, and Montana felt the same, while 15 percent of respondents in Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Nevada, and New Mexico also blamed the Jews for their own genocide. As we see the understanding of basic historical facts wane from our collective knowledge, we are also seeing the rise of antisemitism, the resurgence of hate crimes and racism, and a new generation of neo-Nazis. This is not a coincidence. He Was the Neo-Nazi Who Inspired ‘American History X.’ His Nazi Pals Are Now Cops.The overall lack of effective Holocaust education also leaves vulnerable our younger populations to the propaganda of hate speech, Holocaust denial, and distortion� and the survey shows that they know it. Also, very worrying to me and all of my survivor friends is the continuing Holocaust denial on social media, such as Facebook, which will not take down Holocaust denial on the platform. This study revealed that approximately half of U.S. millennials and Gen Z have seen Holocaust denial or distortion posts on social media or elsewhere online and 64 percent of respondents felt that there is anti-Semitism in the U.S. today. Also troubling: 15 percent of respondents nationwide believe it is acceptable for an individual to hold neo-Nazi views. In many countries throughout Europe, neo-Nazi views, symbols, and expressions are outlawed as hate speech. But again, in the United States we have not prioritized these matters. Fifty-nine percent of respondents in the state-by-state study believed that something like the Holocaust could happen again. Sadly, if we do not educate our younger generations about the Holocaust, we will continue to see this kind of racist hatred on our streets and in our communities. Let’s make sure that 59 percent will never be right.Stefanie Seltzer is the founder and president of the World Federation of Jewish Child Survivors of the Holocaust and Descendants and Claims Conference board memberRead more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 04:43:38 -0400

Divers have found what they believe is the wreck of a U.S. Navy submarine lost 77 years ago in Southeast Asia, providing a coda to a stirring but little-known tale from World War II. The divers have sent photos and other evidence from six dives they made from October 2019 to March this year to the United States Naval History and Heritage Command for verification that they have found the USS Grenadier, one of 52 American submarines lost during the conflict. The 1,475-ton, 307-foot long Grenadier was scuttled by its crew after bombs from a Japanese plane almost sent them to a watery grave.

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 01:02:45 -0400

For those looking to take a sightseeing flight during your next stay-cation, Singapore Airlines will soon have you covered, according to a new report.

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 17:52:24 -0400

Roughly 0.03% of coronavirus cases in kids and teens under 21 have been fatal so far in the US. Overwhelmingly, the deaths have been people of color.

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 17:42:00 -0400

For weeks, residents up and down the West Coast have been checking forecasts to find out when the suffocating, hazardous wildfire smoke will shift and allow them to once again open their doors and windows.

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 16:06:18 -0400

A Black seventh grader from Colorado had the police called to his house because he was playing with a toy gun during virtual art class. His mom, Dani Elliott, believes that if anyone did anything wrong, it was the school.

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 15:47:13 -0400