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 | February 11, 2015 |
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| DUAL MEDIA SHAKEUP |
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AP: Comedy Central Says Jon Stewart Leaving 'The Daily Show'
Jon Stewart, who turned his biting and free-wheeling humor into an unlikely source of news and analysis for viewers of "The Daily Show," will leave as host this year, Comedy Central said Tuesday. His departure was announced by Comedy Central President Michele Ganeless after Stewart, host of the show since 1999, broke the news to the audience at Tuesday's taping in New York. "Through his unique voice and vision, `The Daily Show' has become a cultural touchstone for millions of fans and an unparalleled platform for political comedy that will endure for years to come," Ganeless said in a statement. She called Stewart, 52, a "comic genius." He will remain as host until later this year, she said, but did not specify his exit date or what led to his decision. Read more..
NBC News: Brian Williams Suspended Six Months In Wake Of Review
NBC News is suspending managing editor and Nightly News anchor Brian Williams for six months, without pay, in the wake of an internal review of comments about his experiences in the early days of the Iraq war. In a memo to the entire staff, NBC News president Deborah Turness announced the decision, saying it was effective immediately. "We let Brian know of our decision earlier today. Lester Holt will continue to substitute Anchor the NBC Nightly News," said Turness. Holt has been filling in for Williams since Monday after the anchor voluntarily took a leave of absence following growing controversy over his telling of an anecdote from 2003. Read more..
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| More News |
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| ISLAMIC STATE LATEST |
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The Hill: Obama’s ISIS War Powers Request To Ban ‘Enduring’ Troops
The White House will ask Congress to approve military action against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) that bans “enduring offensive ground operations.” Administration officials briefed lawmakers on Tuesday about the emerging language, which is intended to win over Republicans. GOP lawmakers had balked at earlier language considered by a Senate panel in December that banned ground troops in combat operations with some exceptions, such as self-defense and rescue missions. What is unclear is whether Democrats wary of voting for a new war will withhold their support for the updated language, which even some Republicans acknowledge is vague. Read more..
Washington Post: Kayla Mueller, American Hostage Of The Islamic State, Is Confirmed Dead
The U.S. government has confirmed that Kayla Mueller, a 26-year-old American woman held hostage by the Islamic State in Syria, was killed, reaching that conclusion after the group sent pictures of her body to her family. “We are heartbroken to share that we’ve received confirmation that Kayla Jean Mueller has lost her life,” her parents said in a statement Tuesday. “Kayla was a compassionate and devoted humanitarian. She dedicated the whole of her young life to helping those in need of freedom, justice, and peace.” In a statement, President Obama said that “it is with profound sadness that we have learned of the death of Kayla Jean Mueller. On behalf of the American people, Michelle and I convey our deepest condolences to Kayla’s family — her parents, Marsha and Carl, and her brother Eric and his family — and all of those who loved Kayla dearly. At this time of unimaginable suffering, the country shares in their grief.” Read more..
NYT: Kayla Mueller's Letter To Her Family
After news of her death was confirmed, Ms. Mueller’s family released a copy of an unpublished letter that she wrote to her loved ones in the spring of 2014, while held hostage by Islamic State militants. [Full copy of the letter after the jump] Read more..
AP: 20,000 Foreign Fighters Flock To Syria, Iraq
Foreign fighters are streaming into Syria and Iraq in unprecedented numbers to join the Islamic State or other extremist groups, including at least 3,400 from Western nations among 20,000 from around the world, U.S. intelligence officials say in an updated estimate of a top terrorism concern. Intelligence agencies now believe that as many as 150 Americans have tried and some have succeeded in reaching in the Syrian war zone, officials told the House Homeland Security Committee in testimony prepared for delivery on Wednesday. Some of those Americans were arrested en route, some died in the area and a small number are still fighting with extremists. The testimony and other data were obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press. Read more..
Washington Post: UAE Rejoins Airstrike Operations Against Islamic State
The United Arab Emirates said Tuesday its warplanes carried out airstrikes against Islamic State targets, in the first acknowledgment of rejoining combat operations since grounding jets after the capture of a Jordanian pilot. Last week, the UAE said it deployed F-16 fighters to Jordan, but did not indicate when it would resume the U.S.-led air campaign against the militants. Jordan, another key Arab partner in the coalition, stepped up attacks last week after the release of a video showing the captive pilot, Muath al-Kaseasbeh, burned to death by the Islamic State. The UAE had suspended airstrikes following Kaseasbeh’s capture in late December. The UAE’s state news agency WAM said the F-16s carried out attacks and returned safely to base, but gave no further details. Read more..
Huffington Post: Newsweek Twitter Account Hacked By 'Cyber Caliphate'
Newsweek's Twitter account was hacked Tuesday morning by a group calling itself the "Cyber Caliphate," which claims to be connected to the militant Islamic State group. The main banner and avatar of the publication's account was replaced with a masked man, the Black Standard flag and the phrase "Je su IS IS" -- a reference to the "Je Suis Charlie" slogan used after the deadly attack on the Charlie Hebdo offices by Islamic extremists in January. The group claimed to have access to documents from the U.S. National Cybersecurity Center, and posted a message wishing first lady Michelle Obama a "Bloody Valentine's Day." According to Newsweek, the account was hacked for a total of 14 minutes, and the images and tweets have since been deleted. Read more..
NBC News: Military Spouses Hacked, Threatened By Alleged ISIS Sympathizer
A hacker purporting to be an ISIS sympathizer breached the social accounts of a U.S. Marine's wife Tuesday, threatening her then using her Twitter feed to threaten at least four other military spouses and the Obama family, two of the spouses confirmed to NBC News. The FBI is investigating the breach and the online threats, said Liz Snell, a Marine wife, whose Twitter and Facebook accounts were hacked. Snell's husband was deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan five times. The FBI pulled down Snell's Twitter account on Tuesday morning, she said, and Snell removed her compromised Facebook profile. NBC News contacted the FBI, seeking confirmation that the agency is investigating the matter. The agency has not yet responded to that query. Read more..
In Related News...
Politico: White House Ripped For Comments On Kosher Deli Attack In Paris
White House press secretary Josh Earnest got into a tense exchange Tuesday over a shooting last month at a kosher supermarket in Paris, saying “there were people other than Jews who were in that deli.” The back-and-forth stemmed from a Vox interview with President Barack Obama published Monday. “It is entirely legitimate for the American people to be deeply concerned when you’ve got a bunch of violent, vicious zealots who behead people or randomly shoot a bunch of folks in a deli in Paris,” the president said. Reporters in Tuesday’s White House briefing raised questions about Obama’s decision not to label the shooting an anti-Semitic incident. ... In a subsequent State Department press briefing, spokeswoman Jen Psaki, asked about the exchange between Earnest and Karl, said that the victims did not come from one background or nationality. Asked if the deli attack targeted the Jewish community, Psaki said: “I don’t think we’re going to speak on behalf of French authorities and what they believe was the situation at play here.” Read more..
Washington Post: White House Weighs Adjusting Afghan Exit Plan To Slow Withdrawal Of Troops
The Obama administration is considering slowing its planned withdrawal from Afghanistan for the second time, according to U.S. officials, a sign of the significant security challenges that remain despite an end to the U.S. and NATO combat mission there. Under the still-evolving plans, Army Gen. John F. Campbell, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, could be given greater latitude to determine the pace of the drawdown in 2015 as foreign forces scramble to ensure Afghan troops are capable of battling Taliban insurgents on their own, the officials said. Read more..
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| POLITICAL NEWS |
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Politico: Hillary Clinton Fundraising Off To Slow Start
The main super PAC supporting Hillary Clinton is struggling in its early efforts to line up cash toward a fundraising goal of as much as $500 million, according to sources with knowledge of its fundraising. The group, Priorities USA Action, is trying to secure 30 or more pledges of at least $1 million apiece to be unveiled publicly when the former secretary of state officially enters the race, sources say. But, so far, it has received only about 10 firm commitments, and it is encountering resistance from top donors who have given to other Clinton-linked vehicles, including ostensibly aligned super PACs and even the apolitical Clinton Foundation. Read more..
The Hill: New Jeb Bush Aide Resigns Over Controversial Comments
A new aide to Jeb Bush's political action committee has resigned after it was revealed he made comments many deemed offensive about women and gay men. "The Right to Rise PAC accepted Ethan Czahor's resignation today," said Bush aide Kristy Campbell in a statement. "While Ethan has apologized for regrettable and insensitive comments, they do not reflect the views of Governor Bush or his organization and it is appropriate for him to step aside. We wish him the best." BuzzFeed News reported on Monday that Ethan Czahor, who had been hired to be the chief technology officer for the PAC, had previously tweeted disparaging remarks. Read more..
Politico: Jeb Bush’s Eye-Popping Event: $100k Per Ticket
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will raise money on Wall Street on Wednesday at an eye-popping $100,000 per-ticket Park Avenue event hosted by private equity mogul Henry Kravis and his wife. The price of admission to the event, which will raise funds for Bush’s “Right to Rise” super PAC, surprised even Wall Street veterans used to high-dollar fundraisers. The event comes as Bush continues a shock and awe approach to early 2016 fundraising that people close to the campaign say could eventually see the former governor reach a total of between $50 million and $100 million between the super PAC, a traditional political action committee and an eventual presidential campaign. Read more..
USA Today: Jeb Bush Releases E-mails In 'Spirit Of Transparency'
As promised, Jeb Bush on Tuesday released e-mails from his two terms as Florida governor that he hopes will provide insight into how he makes decisions and inform voters as he prepares to seek the presidency. The website, jebemails.com, includes the first chapter of a book Bush is writing to explain what’s behind eight years of electronic communications. The e-mails, which were already obtained by several news organizations and a Democratic super PAC through open records requests, are organized chronologically starting with Bush’s first year in office in 1999. “I am posting the e-mails of my governorship here. Some are funny; some are serious; some I wrote in frustration. But they’re all here so you can read them and make up your own mind,” Bush says under the header “in the spirit of transparency.” Read more..
BuzzFeed: Obama Welcomes Supreme Court Move To End 'Patchwork' Marriage Laws
President Obama Tuesday welcomed the Supreme Court’s signals that marriage equality is on the verge of becoming the law of the land, adding that he expected local Alabama officials resisting the shift to be swept aside by federal courts. The Supreme Court Monday morning refused to put on hold a federal court ruling striking down Alabama’s ban on same-sex couples’ marriages while the ruling is appealed, with Justice Clarence Thomas making clear in a dissent that the court’s action would be seen as a sign the court will soon rule that the Constitution requires equal marriage rights for same-sex couples. “My sense is that the Supreme Court is about to make a shift, one that I welcome, which is to recognize that — having hit a critical mass of states that have recognized same-sex marriage — it doesn’t make sense for us to now have this patchwork system,” Obama said in an interview with BuzzFeed News. Read more..
AP: David Axelrod Says Obama Misled On Gay Marriage Opposition
Former Obama strategist David Axelrod writes in a new book that Obama modified his public position to say he supported civil unions but not gay marriage. Axelrod says that was because his political advisers told him supporting gay marriages could hurt him politically. Obama in 2010 said his position was evolving, and then announced he supported gay marriage in during the run-up to his re-election. The revelation comes as the Supreme Court prepares to resolve the gay marriage issue nationwide in a few months. White House spokesman Josh Earnest isn't disputing Axelrod's account but says Obama's actions in support of gays and lesbians are clear. Read more..
Huffington Post: Benjamin Netanyahu Says Obama Shouldn't Take His Speech To Congress Personally
After coming under fire from several members of Congress, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took to Twitter on Tuesday to defend a planned address to the legislative body next month and said his country had "profound disagreements" with the United States on its negotiations with Iran.
@Netanyahu: I am going to the United States not because I seek a confrontation with the President, but to speak up for very survival of my country.
Read more..
Times Of Israel: Senate's Most Senior Member To Skip Netanyahu Speech
Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy announced he would boycott Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress next month, joining a growing list of US lawmakers who have vowed not to attend. Leahy, a powerful figure and the Senate’s most senior lawmaker, called the Republican invitation “a tawdry and high-handed stunt that has embarrassed not only Israel but the Congress itself.” Read more..
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Harry Reid To Staff: Full Speed Ahead To 2016
Moving to end speculation about his political future, Sen. Harry Reid delivered a message to his staff on Tuesday that he is moving full speed ahead to run for re-election in 2016. Reid told about 75 staffers from his leadership and Nevada-issue offices that he was definitely running again, according to several aides who attended. The announcement was met with applause, they added. Read more..
Politico: Aaron Schock Reviews His Travel Spending
Illinois GOP Rep. Aaron Schock has launched his own review of tens of thousands of dollars in reimbursements he received for official use of his personal vehicle, following questions raised Tuesday about the practice. Nearly every month since he’s been in Congress, the fourth-term Republican has received roughly $1,000 in “private auto mileage” reimbursements from his Member Representational Allowance. At the same time, he has chartered private jets on the taxpayers’ dime, costing hefty five-figure bills. And his campaign has shelled out upwards of $50,000 for the use of his vehicle. When originally asked by POLITICO about the reimbursements, his office defended the practice, citing Schock’s extensive travel throughout his Peoria, Illinois, area district. Read more..
Pew: Views of Job News Turn Much More Positive Over Past Year
For the first time since the end of the recession in 2009, a greater share of the public is hearing mostly good news (28%) than bad news (22%) about the job situation. Nearly half (47%) say they are hearing a mix of good and bad news. This marks a stark change from a year ago, when just 12% said they were hearing mostly good news about jobs, while more than three times as many (42%) had negative perceptions; 44% described the news as mixed. Read more..
AP: Pentagon No. 2 Official Sounds Alarm Over Budget Constraints Eroding Military Technology Edge
The Pentagon's second-ranking official sounded alarm bells Tuesday about an erosion of America's military technological edge, warning that a return to automatic budget cuts would be an "unmitigated disaster" for the Pentagon. Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work made the assertions in remarks at a defense industry conference in San Diego, California. Work said the U.S. advantage in technological innovation is steadily eroding, even as the military modernization efforts of what he called "potential competitors" such as China and Russia are in "hyper-drive." He also made a pitch for the Obama administration's proposal for a $534 billion 2016 defense budget that would exceed congressionally imposed caps by about $36 billion. Read more..
The Hill: Obama Administration Won't Release IRS Targeting Documents
The Obama administration is refusing to publicly release more than 500 documents on the IRS’s targeting of Tea Party groups. Twenty months after the IRS scandal broke, there are still many unanswered questions about who was spearheading the agency’s scrutiny of conservative-leaning organizations. The Hill sought access to government documents that might provide a glimpse of the decision-making through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The Hill asked for 2013 emails and other correspondence between the IRS and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). The request specifically sought emails from former IRS official Lois Lerner and Treasury officials, including Secretary Jack Lew, while the inspector general was working on its explosive May 2013 report that the IRS used “inappropriate criteria” to review the political activities of tax-exempt groups. Read more..
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| U.S. CLOSES YEMEN EMBASSY & OTHER STORIES FOR THIS WEDNESDAY MORNING... |
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Al Jazeera: U.S. Closes Yemen Embassy And Orders Ambassador To Leave
The United States has ordered the closure of its embassy in Sanaa, Yemen's capital, and said its ambassador will leave the country by Wednesday. US officials said on Tuesday they were suspending operations at the embassy citing security concerns. According to the Reuters news agency, the US will ask either Turkey or Algeria to look after its interests in Yemen while the embassy is closed. Yemen has been plagued by crisis since Houthi fighters forcefully took power on Friday, in a move denounced by the international community. The Houthis dissolved parliament and installed Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a cousin of Abdel-Malik al-Houthi as the new president, in place of the ousted Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. Read more..
Reuters: Obama To Bring Back Most U.S. Troops Fighting Ebola In Africa
President Barack Obama is set to announce on Wednesday that he will bring back nearly all of the 1,300 U.S. troops deployed in West Africa to fight the Ebola epidemic by April 30, the White House said late on Tuesday. Obama, who was excoriated last fall for a slow start to his Ebola outbreak response, will hold a White House event to showcase how U.S. leadership helped stem the epidemic, which has killed almost 9,000 people, mainly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The number of new cases each week has dropped to about 150 in recent reports, down from more than 1,000 new cases per week in October, the White House said. Read more..
AP: Fighting Intensifies In Eastern Ukraine Ahead Of Peace Talks
Fighting intensified Tuesday in eastern Ukraine as pro-Russia rebels and Ukrainian troops sought to extend their gains ahead of crucial peace talks, and the government accused the separatists of shelling a town far behind the front lines, killing 12 people and wounding scores. Germany, which has joined with France to try to broker a peace deal, urged Russia and Ukraine to compromise and called on the warring parties to refrain from hostilities that could derail a four-way summit Wednesday in Minsk, Belarus. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said the talks were "one of the last" opportunities for ending the fighting that has killed more than 5,300 people since April. Read more..
The Hill: In Call, Obama Warns Putin On Ukraine
President Obama called Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday to warn that Russia risks greater costs if it continues to provide separatists operating in eastern Ukraine with troops, weapons and financing. The call came ahead of discussions planned later this week between diplomats from Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France to discuss a multilateral solution to the ongoing crisis... . "President Obama underscored the rising human toll of the fighting and underscored the importance of President Putin seizing the opportunity presented by the ongoing discussions between Russia, France, Germany, and Ukraine to reach a peaceful resolution," the White House said in a statement. Read more..
AP: Second Person's DNA Found In Apartment Of Argentine Prosecutor Nisman
Argentine investigators said Tuesday they have found a second person's DNA in the apartment where prosecutor Alberto Nisman was found dead and have called in a witness to check for a match. Nisman's mysterious death came days after he presented a report alleging that President Cristina Fernandez had conspired to protect Iranian officials implicated in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in which 85 people died. Fernandez and Iran have denied the allegations. The statement released by the office of Judge Fabiana Palmaghini said she is calling in a person who visited Nisman the day before his body was found. She did not name him, but consultant Diego Lagomarsino has acknowledged visiting Nisman on Jan. 17. Read more..
Huffington Post: Reports: NYPD Officer Indicted In Death Of Akai Gurley
A New York City police officer has been indicted in the shooting death of 28-year-old Akai Gurley, law enforcement sources told both NY1 and The New York Daily News on Tuesday. A bullet fired by rookie officer Peter Liang killed Gurley inside the darkened stairwell of the Louis Pink housing project in East New York, Brooklyn, on Nov. 20. Although New York Police Department Commissioner William Bratton initially characterized the shooting as an “accidental discharge,” Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson announced in December that he was convening a grand jury to investigate Gurley’s death.Read more..
The Hill: Record Number Of Americans Renounce U.S. Citizenship
For the second consecutive year, a record number of individuals gave up their U.S. citizenship or long-term residency in 2014, according to Treasury Department data released Tuesday. Figures show that 3,415 individuals renounced their U.S. citizenship or long-term residency in 2014. That amounts to a 14 percent increase from the 2,999 who did so the previous year, according to Andrew Mitchel, a Connecticut-based attorney who tracks the quarterly figures on his International Tax Blog. Read more..
NBC News: Florida Dad Accused Of Throwing Child Off Bridge Found Incompetent To Stand Trial
A Florida man accused of throwing his 5-year-old daughter off a bridge to her death is mentally incompetent to stand trial, according to two court-appointed doctors, NBC affiliate WFLA reported. John Jonchuck Jr., 25, was charged with first-degree murder in connection with the Jan. 8 death of his daughter, Phoebe. Jonchuck allegedly threw Phoebe over the edge of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa, Florida, where she fell 60 feet and drowned. The state must decide whether it will seek the opinion of a third court-appointed doctor, according to WFLA. If the court also rules that Jonchuck is incompetent, he likely would be sent to a mental health facility for six months and later re-evaluated.Read more..
Washington Post: Charlottesville Man Charged In Hannah Graham’s Killing
A man from the Charlottesville area has been charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of University of Virginia student Hannah Graham, officials in Albemarle County announced Tuesday. Jesse L. Matthew Jr., 33, was previously charged with Graham’s abduction after authorities said he was the last person seen with the 18-year-old from Fairfax County before she disappeared from Charlottesville in September. Her body was found in a wooded area about 10 miles from campus weeks later. Read more..
NBC News: French Court Awards $2.1 Million In Switched-At-Birth Case
A court on Tuesday ordered a private clinic in the Riviera city of Cannes to pay out 400,000 euros ($450,000) each to two 20-year-olds accidentally switched at birth and given to the wrong parents — part of a 1.88-million euro payment to members of the two families.The clinic's lawyer, Sophie Chas, said she wasn't immediately certain whether an appeal would be lodged against Tuesday's decision by the court in Grasse. Chas said the court ordered payments by the Clinica Jourdan and an insurance company of 300,000 euros for each of three parents involved in the case and 60,000 euros for three brothers and sisters. Read more..
Huffington Post: Apple To Power New Headquarters With Solar Energy
Apple is going green in a big way. CEO Tim Cook said Tuesday that the company would power its new corporate headquarters with energy from a 2,900-acre solar farm being built by First Solar. Apple committed $848 million to the solar project, which was approved for construction last month. “We know at Apple that climate change is real,” Cook said at the Goldman Sachs’ 2015 technology conference in San Francisco, according to 9to5Mac. “The time for talk is past and the time for action is now.” Apple spokesman Chris Gaither confirmed Cook's comments. Read more..
Reuters: Exclusive: Tesla CEO Threatens Firings After Dismal China Sales - Sources
Tesla Motors Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk is prepared to fire overseas executives, people with knowledge of the matter said, after weak Chinese sales of the company's luxury electric cars cast doubt on his ambitious global expansion plans. Tesla sold about 120 cars in China last month, one of the sources told Reuters, well below the company's aggressive targets. Musk, in an internal email to managers in late January, threatened to fire or demote country managers if they are "not on a clear path to positive long-term cash flow," according to sources who have seen the email. Two top China managers left the company in 2014, Tesla confirmed last year. Tesla had no immediate comment on Tuesday. Read more..
AP: Royal & Ancient Golf Club Announces First Female Members
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club announced its first seven female members on Thursday, including Swedish great Annika Sorenstam and Britain's Princess Anne. The club voted in September to end 260 years of male-only exclusivity by voting in favor of inviting women to join. R&A captain George Macgregor described the admittance of seven female honorary members as "an historic day for the club." Sorenstam, a 10-time major champion from Sweden, wrote on Twitter: "I am very honored to be one of the lucky ladies." Read more..
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