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Reporter Given Ticket For Listening To Classic Christmas Song
William Shatner goes boldly into Christmas
Man charged over using sweets to abduct six-year-old girl at Christmas fair
Surprise! Toy store pushes 'birth of Jesus' for Christmas
(Image courtesy Pixabay)
Put “Christmas” and “toys” in a search engine dialogue box and you’re going to see many links to retailers, lists of the “Hottest Toys of 2018” and a never-ending stream of directed ads on your computer screen.
But one toy retailer with hundreds of shops is giving up his high-profile advertising spot – the front windows of his stores – to remind people about the real “reason for the season – the birth of Jesus.”
Gary Grant, executive chairman of The Entertainer, a chain of nearly 200 toy shops in the United Kingdom, was interviewed recently by the Christian Institute. He explained that while he is immersed in the secular part of Christmas with his sales, he wants to make sure the significance of the date is not overlooked.
So he puts a Nativity scene in all of his shop windows.
A sign wishes passers-by a Happy Christmas with the reminder, “The reason for the season – the birth of Jesus.”
“This is the true meaning of Christmas,” he told the institute, “in amongst the giving of presents and the coming together as families – the essence of Christmas is obviously the birth of Jesus.”
He said the scenes are placed because of the biblical instruction and promise from 1 Samuel 2:30, “Those who honor me, I will honor.”
“I would hate that ‘the reason for the season’ got completely overlooked and it was all about the Christmas tree and Father Christmas,” he said in the interview.
He said he’s concerned that an entire generation has missed the point of the holiday. He sees grandparents explaining the Nativity to their grandchildren. But that doesn’t happen as often when it’s the parents with their children.
“I am passionate about making sure the next generation, the younger generation, have the Christmas story told to them,” he said.
His company started with a single shop in the 1980s, and now there are almost 200.
“I don’t think it’s just a coincidence that our business has grown exponentially when we’re doing things that commercially don’t make sense,” he explained. “But it makes sense to God, and actually it’s making sense to me.”
He said each person has a sphere of influence, and his is in the commercial world of retailing.
“It’s our responsibility to live our faith out in the way in which we operate,” he said.
The institute reported Grant also uses his income for charitable works.
The company tithes 10 percent of its profits to children’s charities. This this year it is working alongside the Salvation Army with “The Big Toy Appeal,” the report said.
The post Surprise! Toy store pushes 'birth of Jesus' for Christmas appeared first on WND.
John Kelly Reportedly Expected To Resign 'Soon' (Again)
This isn't the first time that White House Chief of Staff John Kelly has reportedly been on the verge of resigning (or being fired), only to bounce back from the abyss (in fact, it's probably closer to the 10th). But with weeks to go before the Trump administration's second birthday - and prophecies about another cabinet reshuffle having so far gone unfulfilled - reports that the Chief of Staff will resign during the coming days are once again gaining traction.
According to Axios, Kelly is expected to resign during the coming days as his relationship with the president has reached an "impasse." CNN, which was one of the first movers in what turned into a wave of confirmations, cited two senior West Wing officials in a report that the relationship between the two men had seriously deteriorated. Kelly is expected to be replaced by Nick Ayers, Mike Pence's chief of staff, who has long been rumored to be a stalking horse for the White House chief of staff job. Crucially, Ayers has the support of Jared and Ivanka, who have reportedly clashed with Kelly since the former Marine general first arrived in the West Wing seventeen months ago. However, CNN cautioned that "nothing is final right now."
Trump is actively discussing a replacement plan, though a person involved in the process said nothing is final right now and ultimately it is up to Trump. Potential replacements include Nick Ayers, Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff, who is still seen as a leading contender.
News of Kelly's imminent departure was first reported by Axios.
Kelly has seen his status as chief of staff diminished in recent months, with the President circumventing many of the policies and protocols the retired Marine Corps general put in place when he entered the West Wing last year.
In July, Kelly announced to White House staff that Trump had asked him to stay on as chief of staff until at least 2020, and that he had agreed.
CNN reported last month that Trump was considering potential replacements for several senior positions in his administration as part of a post-midterms staff shakeup.
Bolstering the speculation that Kelly's tenure within the administration has finally reached its conclusion, ABC's lead White House reporter says this morning's West Wing staff meeting has been cancelled.
I am told this morning’s White House senior staff meeting, which would have been led by John Kelly, has been cancelled.
— Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) December 7, 2018
CNN's Jim Sciutto added that Trump and Kelly have reportedly "stopped speaking" in recent days.
Breaking: WH Chief of Staff John Kelly is expected to resign in the coming days. President Trump and Kelly have reached a stalemate in their relationship & have stopped speaking in recent days - @kaitlancollins reporting
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) December 7, 2018
The consensus on social media is that these are the most credible reports so far that Kelly is finally ready to leave. But then again, we've heard that one before.
Kelly's departure could spell the end for other senior Trump administration officials whom he has reportedly protected from Trump's rages - most notably Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.
EXCLUSIVE PHOTO: Mexico Captures Cartel Boss Behind Border State Violence
Kevin Hart quits as Oscars 2019 host after backlash over homophobic tweets: 'I'm sorry I hurt people'
Radio Host Rails Against Satanic Sculpture Next To Christmas Tree At Illinois Capitol
Trump Says Giuliani’s ’87 Pages’ Deep on Mueller Rebuttal: Can’t Finish ‘Until We See the Final Witch Hunt Report’
President Donald Trump took to Twitter Friday morning to say that his attorney Rudy Giuliani has prepared 87 pages in a “counter” report against the special counsel Robert Mueller’s findings.
“It has been incorrectly reported that Rudy Giuliani and others will not be doing a counter to the Mueller Report,” Trump tweeted. “That is Fake News. Already 87 pages done, but obviously cannot complete until we see the final Witch Hunt Report.”
It has been incorrectly reported that Rudy Giuliani and others will not be doing a counter to the Mueller Report. That is Fake News. Already 87 pages done, but obviously cannot complete until we see the final Witch Hunt Report.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2018
Previously, Giuliani had informed the Daily Beast that “the first half,” or 58 pages had been completed.
“[The] second half isn’t done yet,” he said. “It needs an executive summary if it goes over a hundred.”
More recently, Giuliani said his “counter-report” was at 45 pages and growing, so it’s unclear exactly how close it is to being completed and how long the final product will be.
Shedding light on what might be causing the delay, in an interview with The Atlantic this week, Giuliani said he and the president have been working on their Mueller response for months, but described the process as “a nightmare.”
“Answering those questions was a nightmare,” he said. “It took him about three weeks to do what would normally take two days.”
UPDATE: Trump tweeted again about the counter report:
We will be doing a major Counter Report to the Mueller Report. This should never again be allowed to happen to a future President of the United States!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2018
[image via screengrab]
Donald Trump Previews 87-Page Counter Report to Robert Mueller Investigation
Blame The Algos - Stocks Dump After Kudlow Pump
Update: Who could have seen that coming? No immediate news catalyst for this sudden tumble - or did everyone just realize Kudlow's talk was just that...
Time to blame the algos!!
* * *
When in doubt - wheel out Larry Kudlow...
The White House Economic Advisor, under the guise of Plunge Protector, said this morning that:
-
*KUDLOW SAYS U.S. HAS BEEN WARNING HUAWEI ON SANCTIONS VIOLATION
-
*KUDLOW: HUAWEI DOESN'T HAVE TO SPILL INTO TRADE TALKS W/CHINA
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*KUDLOW SAYS CHINESE CAR TARIFFS WILL COME DOWN RAPIDLY
So don;'t worry about Hauwei, oh and remember how awesome the car tariffs cut will be...
And most notably:
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*KUDLOW SAYS TRUMP MAY GIVE CHINA MORE THAN 90 DAYS
And the result, stocks go vertical...
And the dollar dumps...
Someone please complain about these algos and machines that are ruining our markets... [crickets...]
Let's see what happens next - after Nasdaq futures were levitated to green.
Woman dies from brain-eating amoeba after using neti pot with filtered tap water - USA TODAY
A woman who was told by her doctor to rinse her sinuses twice daily to clear up a chronic sinus infection died from a brain-eating amoeba.
View full coverage on Google NewsCNN Blames Trump For Bomb Threat: POTUS ‘Inspired Violence Against CNN’
Trump Confirms Barr As AG Nominee, Nauert As UN Ambassador Pick
Confirming reports published last night, President Trump said former AG William Barr (who is "respected by Republicans and respected by Democrats") will be his nominee for attorney general.
Trump also confirmed that Heather Nauert will be nominated to replace Nikki Haley as UN Ambassador. "She's very talented, very smart, very quick...I think she's going to be respected by all."
Trump also hinted that he will unveil another nominee at tomorrow's Army-Navy game, which he is slated to attend.
BREAKING: @NBCNews Special Report: President Trump announces he will nominate William Barr for US attorney general. https://t.co/vA5zmuT5kQ
— NBC News (@NBCNews) December 7, 2018
Barr served as AG under President HW Bush between 1991 and 1993, and before that worked with Bush at the CIA in the 1970s. Nauert is a spokeswoman for the State Department who previously worked at Fox News.
West Baton Rouge deputies arrested after probe into inmate escapes, more arrests possible
WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH - Two West Baton Rouge sheriff's deputies were arrested and more arrests are possible over an internal audit of the department's work release program.
According to the sheriff's office, the deputies were arrested after a probe of the work release program. The audit came in the wake of repeated escapes in recent years.
The sheriff's office says the arrests came after the investigation "uncovered some things" that should not have been happening. A sheriff's office spokesperson wouldn't say what charges the deputies were facing or identify those arrested but said more arrests are possible.
Jerome Corsi: Mueller Team Failed To Present Exculpatory Evidence To Grand Jury
Ancient tools discovery in Algeria forces scientists to rethink human evolution
Sheryl Sandberg 'asked Facebook staff to research George Soros' after his attack on tech companies
Marc Lamont Hill: CNN fires journalist who criticised Israel and called for 'free Palestine'
Environment watchdog says Ontario climate plan imposes carbon tax
Jeff Flake Inspires Fresh New Hatred by Blocking Judicial Confirmations
If you thought everybody hated Jeff Flake before, check out what they're saying now that the lame-duck Arizona senator is blocking judicial confirmations until he gets a floor vote on the bipartisan "Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act," which passed the Senate Judiciary Committee (upon which Flake sits) 14–7 in April but has been stymied since by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
"Jeff Flake's Sad Exit," runs the headline on The Wall Street Journal's editorial. The paper's argument: "Flake's stunt will have zero effect on President Trump or Mr. Mueller, and he's compromising a substantive principle to make a futile political gesture. Mr. Flake is hurting the cause of confirming conservative judges who would enforce the Constitution in the name of a bill that is unconstitutional."
Is the Mueller-protection act truly unconstitutional? The best answer to that may be that it would be "vulnerable to constitutional challenge" on separation-of-powers grounds, because by giving special counsels—which currently are allowed to exist not by statute but through internal Justice Department regulations—the ability to appeal their firings to the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., the bill would transfer some executive branch authority from the president to this awkwardly powerful post. The relevant Supreme Court precedent, 1988's Morrison v. Olson, is one of the more infamous rulings of the past few decades, known now mostly for Antonin Scalia's fiery and solitary dissent, which would likely be the argument the current SCOTUS finds most persuasive.
Is that constitutional vulnerability sufficient cause to block a floor vote? Sen. Mike Lee (R–Utah), one of the more constitutionally grounded members of the body, says so vehemently. But Commentary's Noah Rothman, in a piece for NBC News, makes a persuasive case that it's all more complicated than that. "The naïve might insist that this is an entirely good faith intra-party debate over the constitutionality of the bill," Rothman writes. However: "The unsatisfying fact is that a careless strike at Trump by Congress would only make the crisis it is trying to prevent more likely."
Fact is, the legislative branch under GOP rule specializes in three things: not voting on bills, not conducting meaningful oversight of the executive branch, and confirming as many judges as they can while the going's still good. As lame-duck Sen. Bob Corker (R–Tenn.) memorably pointed out in June, his Republican colleagues are terrified of poking the bear, meaning the erratic, anger-prone fellow in the White House. And as has been pointed out repeatedly by the most libertarian members of each chamber—Justin Amash (R–Mich.) in the House, Rand Paul (R–Ky.) in the Senate—the other governing fear is of attaching names to actual votes.
"People in Congress are protected from voting the wrong way," Amash told me a couple years back. "Everything's take-it-or-leave-it, all or nothing. It makes it harder to distinguish among the members of Congress—who's a good congressman and who's a bad congressman—because it's all just a jumble."
This insight may get closer to the true objections to Flake's bill. The Journal is correct to point out that the legislation is a non-starter, because even if it was voted on and passed, lame duck House Speaker Paul Ryan (R–Wisc.) would not take it up; the constitutional question would be moot. But the names of those Republicans who dared poke the bear would be written in neon lights at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. And should Trump's situation continue to deteriorate, or if he ends up firing Robert Mueller, an on-the-record vote against protecting the special counsel may prove politically hazardous.
Flake's gambit not only asks his Republican colleagues to do something they hate but also prevents them from doing something they love—confirm judges. I attended a D.C. fundraiser for Flake in 2017 a week before he announced that he wouldn't seek re-election, and the special guest star may surprise you: none other than Mitch McConnell. "We're in the personnel business," the majority leader said at the outset of his remarks. "There's over 1,200 presidential appointments that have to be confirmed in the Senate. And the most important ones, obviously, are the...courts....One of the most important things that President Trump will be able to do to change America is putting young, Gorsuch-like people in the courts. And right in the middle of the confirmation process is Jeff Flake and his colleagues on the Judiciary Committee. He's been a solid supporter." That was the entirety of McConnell's testimonial.
This is why Republicans are pissed. "Not productive," says Sen. Ted Cruz (R–Texas). "Flake is a selfish narcissist," snorts Mike Huckabee. Meanwhile, his vote-switch this week from "no" to "present" on controversial Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals nominee Jonathan Kobes is producing headlines in the lefty press like "Jeff Flake caves again."
No wonder the guy is downplaying the likelihood of any presidential bid ("I don't think that will be me," he said Sunday). Everybody hates Jeff Flake.
Huff Post Tries To Lecture People About The ‘Serious’ Problems Of ‘Rudolf The Red-Nosed Reindeer’
Former Bill Clinton Press Secretary Compares Trump To A ‘Crime Boss’ On CNN
Federal agents raid office of lawyer who previously did tax work for Trump
Fox News Hosts Dismiss Cohen Bombshell: Why Should We Believe Someone With History of Lying?
The hosts of Fox News’s Outnumbered dismissed Thursday’s bombshell news about Michael Cohen — arguing he lost his credibility the first time he was caught lying.
Cohen is the center of a new political firestorm after it was revealed that he is cooperating with Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Trump’s longtime former lawyer and fixer also pleaded guilty Thursday morning to lying to Congress in his testimony about President Trump‘s real estate dealings with Moscow.
Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright was Thursday’s #OneLuckyGuy, and he stressed that the new development highlights Trump’s dishonesty about his connections to Russia.
Fox News host Harris Faulkner interjected to defend the president from Cohen — who she said has a “history of lying.”
“You believe Michael Cohen, who has lied about other things, talking about the president and being a witness?” Faulkner asked Seawright incredulously. “So there are different points that you believe from somebody who has a history of lying?”
Harris did not question whether the president — who has lied more than 6,000 times in his 600 days in office, per the Washington Post fact checker — has a history of lying himself.
As Seawright argued that Cohen has no reason to lie now that he’s already facing the possibility of jail time, Melissa Francis asked him how Cohen’s plea deal establishes a lie on Trump’s part. Seawright invoked Trump’s past denials of having any business interests with Russia, but Lisa Boothe responded that Cohen is not a credible witness and “has every reason to lie” out of self preservation.
Watch above, via Fox News.
— —
The Guardian Faceplants As Manafort's Passport Stamps Don't Match "Fabricated" Assange Story
Further evidence that The Guardian "entirely fabricated" a report that former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort visited Julian Assange in 2013, 2015 and the spring of 2016; his passports...
The Washington Times reports that Manafort's three passports reveal just two visits to England in 2010 and 2012, which support his categorical denial of the "totally false and deliberately libelous" report in The Guardian, which said that Manafort visited Assange in the Ecuadorian Embassy - ostensibly to coordinate on the WikiLeaks release of Hillary Clinton's emails.
The Times does note that Manafort could have conceivably entered the UK from another European country and not received a stamp - however a representative for Manafort insisted to the Times that Manafort has only made those two visits to England since 2008, and that a libel suit against the Guardian is under discussion.
While two of Manafort's passports were entered as evidence at his tax evasion trial - something that The Guardian's Luke Harding and Dan Collyns could have easily looked up - the Times has obtained a copy of his third passport which confirms the two visits.
His attorney explained the passports this way: One was lost, one was used to submit to foreign embassies for visas, and one was used as a backup. Manafort later found the third passport. -Washington Times
WikiLeaks immediately fired back at The Guardian - betting the paper "a million dollars and its editor's head that Manafort never met Assange."
This is going to be one of the most infamous news disasters since Stern published the "Hitler Diaries".
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) November 27, 2018
Manafort, meanwhile, issued a statement on Tuesday afternoon through a spokesman, saying: "This story is totally false and deliberately libelous. I have never met Julian Assange or anyone connected to him. I have never been contacted by anyone connected to Wikileaks, either directly or indirectly. I have never reached out to Assange or Wikileaks on any matter. We are considering all legal options against the Guardian who proceeded with this story even after being notified by my representatives that it was false."
Blaming Russia
Following The Guardian's epic faceplant, an ex-CIA agent penned an article in Politico suggesting that Russia tricked The Guardian into writing the Manafort-Assange story.
Journalist and attorney Glenn Greenwald called them out in a scorching series of tweets - while dismantling The Guardian's original report the day before.
1/ Why do attacks on the US media - calling it "Fake News" - resonate so widely? Because of utterly fabricated and reckless articles like this one from @politico, by a former *CIA officer allowed to write under a "pen name"*. The whole thing is a fraud: https://t.co/kGRsiOXHHN
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) November 28, 2018
As Greenwald notes of Politico's response, it looks like "the whole thing is a fraud."