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Anthony Weiner May be Connected to Clinton Emails

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Anthony WeinerSince the announcement by FBI Director Comey, the news of more emails from Clinton’s private email server have put a dent in her Presidential election efforts.

Federal law enforcement officials have already made it clear that they believe the emails found during their investigation of former Congressman Anthony Weiner are pertinent to the closet Hillary Clinton investigation, reports MSN.

In his letter directed to Congress, FBI Director James Comey stated that the emails surfaced while investigating the congressman. Weiner’s wife, Huma Abedin, is a top aide to Hillary Clinton, which is where the connection comes from her emails.

Both Candidates Seem to be Thwarting their Attempts to Make it to Office

While it appears that both candidates have their share of controversy, one wonders if they are sabotaging themselves more than anyone else. After all, Hillary Clinton’s email scandals, according to USA Today, almost give Donald Trump vindication on his claims that she is a corrupt politician.

Then again, Trump’s issues with the alleged sexual abuse do not help his case either. Also, his handling of the claims in the media does not make him appear any less likely to have committed the crimes women accuse him of.

How the Emails Tie into Anthony Weiner

Anthony Weiner is currently being investigated for allegedly sending illicit and sexually natured text messages to a 15-year-old girl, reports MSN. While the FBI was investigating his case, and seeking out these text messages, they found emails from Hillary Clinton, which tied into her private email server controversy.

FBI Director James Comey, who has been accused of overstepping his authority, wrote a letter to Congress about his intentions to reopen the investigation into Clinton. He stated that if the emails contained classified information, then it was his job to investigate. One issue that was not stated, however, is that Comey did not make it clear if the emails came from the private server or if they even contained classified information in the first place.

Comey stated that the emails were pertinent, but the FBI has still not yet investigated the letters.

Clinton’s Team Seeks Damage Control

Hillary Clinton’s team works quickly to handle the situation. They not only criticized the FBI for how they handled their announcement, but they also urged the FBI to release the so-called emails to the public so that Clinton can clear her name before the election on November 8th.

She made a public statement calling on the FBI to release all information that it has. She also urged the public that she has nothing to hide and there is no issue with these emails, reports ABC News.

Trump, on the other hand, took this opportunity to highlight how he has been saying Clinton is corrupt all along. He also went on to state that the election may not be as rigged as he originally thought, reports ABC News. Further, Trump stated that he feels justice will finally be done in the case, says MSN.

Ironically, Trump has been recorded on multiple occasions calling the FBI corrupt and inept.

U.S. Navy Contracts BAE System $600 Million for Laser-Guided Rockets

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BAE laser-guided rocketsBAE Systems was awarded a contract from the United States Navy estimated at $600 million to create laser-guided rockets, reports BusinessWire.

The agreement specifically addresses the United States need for Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems, which are laser-guided missiles, says UPI.

The contract is for three years, with an indefinite quantity, with an initial award valued at $130 million. The United States initiated the deal to speed the delivery of rockets to meet the needs of the country’s allies in overseas missions, says UPI. These rockets are designed to assist all branches of the United States military, including the Marine Corps, Air Force, Navy, and Army, says BusinessWire.

In the contract, which was signed on October 7th, BAE listed five countries that were designated to receive these rockets after production, reports AIN Online. In response to the contract, BAE has created a new manufacturing location in New Hampshire, which will meet demands to the growing need for their rocket systems. In this facility alone, BAE Systems produces 20,000 units annually.

The new contract will service countries that include Australia, Netherlands, Lebanon, Iraq, and Jordan. Through the military sales program, lots 5 to 7 will also supply the Navy, Marine Corps, and United States Air Force. The initial contract award was valued at $130 million, reports AIN Online, and was designed to speed up delivery times for these precision-guided rockets.

The World Seeks Cost-Effective Systems

Significant budget constraints are affecting military services around the world. Therefore, more military branches are seeking cost-effective systems, reports BusinessWire. BAE Systems uses their proprietary Distributed Laser Seeking technology to allow transformation of existing rockets into precision, laser-guided systems. Existing rockets require no modifications, launcher systems or platforms, and militaries can cut costs by utilizing existing ammunitions and infrastructures in place.

The current BAE Systems design can convert a 2.75-inch munition into a laser-guided rocket with maximum precision, says AIN Online. Their system fits directly between the warhead and the motor, reports BusinessWire. It is a mid-body guidance system designed to limit collateral damage when deployed.

The BAE System has been employed since 2012, reports BusinessWire. The system has also been approved for 14 rotary and fixed wiring platforms.

Since 2012, BAE Systems has delivered more than 7,000 units to branches of the United States Military, says AIN Online.

Most BAE System rockets are deployed for use on helicopters, including the Navy’s MQ-8B Fire Scout unnamed helicopter, reports AIN Online. There are larger models in production that will be used soon, and they are specifically created for the United States Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt as well as the Navy’s Harrier jets.

The purchase of more systems from BAE is a signal to the rest of the world that their technology is sound and powerful. BAE is one of the few suppliers to meet the cost-effective needs of the world’s military, and their innovative designs are what earned them further contracts with the United States and other countries.

Emma Watson Calls on Women to Vote (While Admitting that Elections are Excruciating)

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Emma WatsonEmma Watson cannot vote on November 8th, but that did not stop her from encouraging women in the U.S. to vote.

Watson, a British actress, has been a longstanding feminist and the United Nations Women Goodwill Ambassador, used Twitter to share her inspirational message. She encouraged women eligible to vote in the United States to participate in this year’s upcoming election and cast their vote, reports Fox News.

Watson made it clear that she wished she could cast a vote for Hillary Clinton and explained why women throughout the country should vote, reports E Online.

Her essay posted on Twitter emphasized how frustrating it was for her to sit on the sidelines when she wanted to participate in the election, says UPI. She emphasized how there will be a ripple effect based on the outcome of the election, and it will impact the rest of the world. As her “second home,” Watson wants women out there to know that they do and can make a different in this election.

She went on to discuss how the next president would make decisions for women in the United States, determining everything from how they are treated to their success in this world. Even more, she told her fans how women have a significant impact on presidential elections and could swing the vote in favor of one candidate.

70 Million Women to 60 Million Men

In her essay, Watson highlighted how 70 million women voted in the last presidential election, compared to only 60 million men, says Fox News. In her words, women have “real power” to decide what future generations of women endure.

Her essay on Twitter is not the first instance where she has spoken publicly about gender equality, says Fox News. During the UN Women’s HeForShe initiative in 2015, Watson named Hillary Clinton for support.

During a speech at the college campus for the United Nations, Watson gave a speech on sexual assault, says E Online. In her Twitter post, she further addressed those issues and made references to Donald Trump’s alleged sexual assaults on women he interacts with. While she did not name Trump explicitly, her Tweet focused on how men should act and treat women, which defines their character, says UPI.

James Franco referenced Watson during his comparison of Watson’s Harry Potter Character to Hillary Clinton on social media, says UPI. In his words, Clinton’s secret service name is “Hermione,” because she is a wizard.

Watson makes it clear that she feels women should be treated equally. In her words, women are integral components of their home, society, government, and workplace.

Emma Watson also believes that the world’s successes are held back because women are not treated fairly, reports Fox News.

For now, Watson must remain on the sidelines watching the election pan out. She certainly hopes that her message on Twitter, as well as her stand on equality over time, makes an impact on female voters out there.

Trump Supporter Charged for Voting Twice: Election Still Rigged?

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Trump supporterDonald Trump has consistently made claims that the election is “rigged” against him. However, a Trump supporter was recently arrested and charged for voting twice. Which begs the question: is the election still rigged against only Trump?

The Republican voter in Iowa, Terri Lynn Rote, was arrested and charged with first-degree election misconduct, reports The Hill. She was arrested when it was suspected that she voted twice in this year’s election.

The GOP nominee has been constantly recorded telling his voters to watch the polls in the area and be on the lookout for voter fraud. The number of cases of voter fraud is extremely rare, reports The Huffington Post. However, the first known case in this election was a Trump supporter.

Rote’s charge is a Class D felony in the state of Iowa, says The Washington Post. She was released on a $5,000 bond over the weekend, and her preliminary hearing is ironically set for the day before the election, on November 7th.

Rote took advantage of early voting at a poll location in Des Moines; then, it was reported by The Hill that she cast her second ballot at a satellite early voting location.

She did not intend to vote twice, but ended up doing so as a spur-of-the-moment type of situation, reports The Washington Post. She told the newspaper that she had been a long-standing supporter of GOP candidate Donald Trump. Rote stated that she cast her first general election vote for Trump, but then feared it would be changed to Clinton because the polls are “rigged.”

She is one of three people suspected of voter fraud in that county alone. Two other instances allegedly voted through mail-in ballots. Rote is the only voter arrested so far, says The Hill. Police are still investigating all three cases. The Washington Post reported that the Polk County Auditor’s Office knows that the two others voted in satellite locations like Rote.

Polk County made it clear that this is the first instance of voter fraud that they have encountered in 12 years, reports The Washington Post. They went on to state that their voting system works. The prosecutor in Rote’s case made it clear that this was the first case he had seen in his 25 years working, reports Huffington Post.

How Voting is Looking in Iowa

Early voting in Polk County began on September 29th, and regular updates have been posted on their Twitter account. The county boasts 430,640 residents and includes the state’s capital of Des Moines.

Polls show a tight race between both candidates in Iowa, says The Washington Post. Currently the candidates are tied at 44 percent. In the same poll in September, Trump had 44 percent, while Clinton rested at 37 percent.

Trump’s Claims Not Helping the Election

With Rote admitting to fraud because she was afraid fraud was already happening, it is proof that Trump’s claims are not helping society.

There are other Republican party members, such as Rudolph Giuliana, also insisting Democrats engage in voter fraud.

Gunman Sought for Shooting Oklahoma Officers Broadcasts Himself on Facebook Live

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Oklahoma shooting suspect Michael Vance

Photo Credit: Oklahoma Highway Patrol via Flickr

There is a homicide suspect on the run in Oklahoma, reports UPI.

He has been accused of killing two of his family members, shooting and wounding two Oklahoma police officers, and now he is using Facebook while he is on the run to update friends and relatives.

A desperate manhunt is now underway looking for Michael Vance, who used an AK-47 and stole the police officer’s patrol car after injuring them. His two family member victims consisted of his aunt and uncle, reports Fox News. He had been hiding out at his aunt and uncle’s house.

The two officers survived the shooting, being shot in the leg and foot. They have been since released from the hospital, says Fox News. The officers, according to UPI, were Shaun Stewart and Jim Hampton.

Vance Shot Himself

Vance was shot at least twice, reports CBS News.  After the shooting, he took the patrol pickup and drove toward a local mobile home park. There he shot a woman and stole her vehicle. It was not released where Vance was shot and officers may not even know where he took the bullets.

Fox News reported that Vance had an accomplice at the time he stole the police car, but the accomplice was later arrested where Vance shot the woman in the mobile home park. The accomplice’s name was not released as of yet.

Posting Live Videos on Facebook About His Manhunt

Vance, who is 38, has posted several videos on Facebook, reports UPI. In one, he states that he loves his sister, but that he would not answer her phone calls, says CBS News. He also ended his speech to his sister by stating that he was going to steal another vehicle because the patrol truck was almost “dead.”

In one video, he instructed the audience to stay tuned to their local news to see what he did next, says Fox News.  He even took the time to pan over to the passenger seat and show his weapon.

The videos have not yet been verified, but they are posted on YouTube and Facebook.

Vance Still on the Run

Currently, Vance is suspected of driving a 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse, with the license plate 943-LQQ, says UPI. He was traveling on Interstate 40 when last seen. However, UPI also states that he could be driving a 2014 White Chevrolet Sonic.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol and State Bureau of Investigations are joining the manhunt, reports CBS News. He is considered armed and dangerous and residents are encouraged to contact the police immediately if he is seen, but not approach him.

Vance had been released from jail recently for allegations of child sexual assault.

Vance Spreading a Disease

It was also reported by Fox News that Vance has a medical condition, HIV/AIDS and that he may be trying to spread that disease. Oklahoma Highway Patrol announced the potential for Vance’s condition but did not elaborate further.

Secret Service Agents Working the Campaign Trail Aren’t Being Paid What They’re Owed

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According to an income limit set in place by the federal government, a third of Secret Service Agents who have been working on the campaign trail will not be paid for hundreds of hours of work.

As many people know, this election season has been an unusual one filled with many public – and publicized – events. The Secret Service agents who have been tasked with protecting the candidates know this as well, and are paying the price for it.

The federal cap for Secret Service Agents is $160,300, which some agents reached as early as June during this campaign season. Once an agent reaches this cap, they can no longer be paid for overtime. This means there are agents who work well past the 40-hour workweek and aren’t receiving payment.

These Secret Service Agents work tirelessly to protect the lives of the presidential candidates and their families, as well as the current president and vice president.

This election season has also seen a higher count of security threats than normal. According to Secret Service Director Joseph Clancy, there have been six different occasions where people jumped over barriers at campaign rallies and events in an attempt to rush the stage during a candidate’s presentation.

Another reason Secret Service agents are particularly overworked this election season is because they are also understaffed. Two years ago, a hiring freeze went into effect, causing the demands of active agents to increase even outside of the campaign trail. The agency is so understaffed that it’s actually seeking to higher 1,000 more agents; the highest they’ve sought to hire at one time in over a decade.

There’s currently an effort to raise the federal salary cap to nearly $10,000 in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, but even this would do little to alleviate the root of the problem in future election years. There has also been very little backing to this proposal, as Congress focuses on issues that they find more pressing.

Some Congress members, however, are seeking to help the Secret Service Agents that travel nonstop with the candidates and protect them for hours on end.

Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz has reported that the Secret Service Agents are under “tremendous stress,” and would benefit from the elimination of some responsibilities. Chaffetz is the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and is seeking to eliminate the Secret Service Agency’s cyber and investigative mission to guard America’s financial institutions.

However, Clancy is highly opposed to Chaffetz proposal, stating that the elimination of this mission would also eliminate the investigative skills that have developed as a part of the mission, and would actually increase the pressure the agency is facing in terms of protective responsibility.

The bills that have been brought forth to lift the federal salary cap have not seen any movement, and it’s unclear if they ever will. Even if the bill is passed after this election season, the agents who have been working and aren’t being compensated for their overtime would eventually be able to receive payment for their work.

Resources:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/10/23/hundreds-secret-service-agents-maxed-out-overtime/92526456/

http://theweek.com/speedreads/657663/many-secret-service-agents-campaign-trail-arent-getting-paid-what-theyre-owed

https://www.buzzfeed.com/rubycramer/secret-service-agents-protecting-candidates-arent-getting-pa?utm_term=.cm8P4OrX0#.ytvv70g46

TV Personality Samantha Bee Starts Campaign Against Trump

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TV host Samantha Bee had much to talk about after the controversial second American Presidential candidate’s debate. In particular, the Canadian-born TV personality took jab after jab at Republican candidate Donald Trump. She zeroed in on his misinformed statements regarding his ideas on the legalization of abortion.

In response to Donald Trump’s statements at the final presidential debate, Bee called him a ‘dick-waving Berlusconi knock-off”. For reference, Berlusconi was the president of Italy and well-known for his tax-fraud scandal.

Trump made many inaccurate statements regarding women’s abortions. In his world, an abortion is when “rip the baby out of the womb of the mother just prior to the birth of the baby.” Bee responded to this strange claim by Trump by saying “It sounds a lot like Trump has confused abortions with bear attacks. Removing a baby from the woman’s womb in the ninth month isn’t abortion,” she went on in a segment of her show “it’s a birth. And I’m sure Donald Trump would love to outlaw it. It makes the pussies too gross and screamy for grabbing.” Bee encouraged men across the country to log into their wives’ social media accounts and read first-hand survivor stories of women who have had abortions.

She also took aim at the debate’s moderator Chris Wallace. Wallace, a news anchor for Fox Broadcasting, confused the correct term for a late-term abortion, calling it instead a ‘partial abortion’.  Partial abortions are not medically possible, and Bee blatantly pointed out Wallace’s mistake.  “Chris Wallace confused partial-birth abortion, which doesn’t exist, with late-term abortion, which does — rarely.” The comedian went on to say, “Only 1.3 per cent of abortions take place at or after 21 weeks, and guess what? It’s not because women are selfish sluts who wake up in their third trimester and decide, “Not into this, I want a procasti-bortion.” It’s usually because the tests done at that point reveal a fatal birth defect or a serious risk to the mother’s life.”

She not only took jabs at Wallace and Trump but also the way the media has been covering Trump’s run for president. She mentioned that the current media is “punch drunk” from Trump’s “Hindenberg explosion” of a presidential candidacy. “They no longer notice how awful he is unless he hulks out on stage” she went on, “or grabs the foundational principles of our republic by the pussy.”

Bee is a strong defender of Hillary Clinton, in particular, her defense of women and their rights. Clinton is a strong campaigner for women taking control of their own bodies and their body’s health.

For her broadcast, she wore a t-shirt with the slogan “Nasty Woman”. This shirt is in reference to the last presidential debate, where Trump called Hillary Clinton a “nasty, nasty woman”. The phrase “nasty woman” has since been reclaimed by women across the country.

Samantha Bee is the host of hit talk show “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee”. The Canadian-American comedian is best known for her work as a correspondent on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”.

Native Americans Hold Their Ground Against Dakota Access Pipeline

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In a month’s long standoff near Cannon Ball, North Dakota, The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, along with some 300 other tribes from both across the nation and even other countries, have come together to protest the building of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Called the “water protectors,” over 7,000 people have assembled in what they call a peaceful protest to keep the pipeline from crossing a portion of their reservation. They are purporting that the pipeline will not only desecrate sacred burial ground, but that if allowed to go under the Missouri River, would threaten their only water supply, and the ecology of everyone down river.

The pipeline, if allowed to continue, would cross four states and carry 470,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The tribes contend that the risk of the pipeline bursting is too great, and wish to protect not just their land and water source, but that of “Mother Earth.”

“We’re the voices speaking up for the four-legged brothers that can’t talk for themselves — all the animals down the river that can’t speak out,” said Douglas James, a 64-year-old member of the Lummi Nation. “We’re just speaking out for Mother Earth.”

The protesters have been chanting and praying for months now. “We’re here in prayer,” said Joel Running Bear. “We have no weapons.”

A smaller group of protesters blocked a portion of Hwy 1806, which authorities say is private property. The protesters, however, claim the land belongs to them under the 1868 treaty of Fort Laramie. Using military tactics and dressed in riot gear, police forces moved in over the weekend. The clash became violent as shown in this video, with officers firing tear gas, rubber bullets, bean bags bullets, water blasts, and concussion grenades into the crowd. Despite attempts to disperse them, the protesters held their ground and set fire to blockades they had set up in an attempt to keep the police at bay. There were reports from the natives’ side that rubber bullets caused injuries to two horses, one of which had to be put down. At least one man was tazed and over 147 people were arrested. Police forces claim a woman drew a gun and fired toward the police. Protesters deny the incident. Police say no one was hurt in the event.

As both sides claim aggression from the other, pictures and videos are emerging, showing everything from burned out construction equipment to militant tactics from the other side, as they go from teepee to teepee, tent to tent, clearing out both people and possessions. The police were ultimately able to clear the blockade. Construction is expected to resume this coming week.

Of those arrested, witnesses say that law enforcement officers wrote numbers on their arms, not unlike the Nazis did to those in concentration camps. The arrestees were reportedly placed in “dog kennels.”

Native Americans Against Dakota Access Pipeline

Courtesy: LA Times

Because the indigenous tribes have been camped out for the past six months, there is little doubt that they fully intend to stay and continue their protest for as long as necessary to stop the pipeline from being built. There is currently a lawsuit brought on by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, stating in the court document, among other things, that they were not adequately consulted on the environmental impacts.

Berkeley ’s Greek Life Halts Parties Due To Reports of Sexual Assaults

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During the week of October 18, the University of California, Berkeley Greek life decided to temporarily suspend parties hosted by their fraternities

Berkeley’s Greek Life Halts Parties Due To Reports of Sexual Assaults

During the week of October 18, the University of California, Berkeley Greek life decided to temporarily suspend parties hosted by their fraternities and sororities.

This decision came after it was brought to light that two women reported being sexually assaulted at off-campus fraternity events earlier in the month of October. The Interfraternity Council at Berkeley voluntarily banned all of its fraternities, which amounts to over thirty, from hosting any events until new plans could be implemented in preventing sexual assault.

“We needed to take some time off and really assess our situation,” said IFC president Daniel Saedi. “These are grave acts of violence that are occurring. They have no place anywhere in this country let alone on college campuses.”

The Panhellenic council also decided to halt parties until they could reach a new system with the IFC to help prevent sexual assault from happening at Greek events.

After holding a meeting at the Delta Delta Delta sorority house on Saturday, October 22, the Berkeley IFC and Panhellenic council created new rules to help stop sexual assault and lifted their self-ban on parties.

The first new step they are implementing is to exclude non-Berkeley students from attending Greek life events. Members of the IFC don’t believe that the two assaults reported were acted out by Berkeley fraternity members. The Panhellenic President, Divya Thomas, also supported that it was likely non-Berkeley students who committed these sexual assaults.

“We’ve seen a lot of problems in the past in which people who are not members of the Greek community and not Berkeley students come into our parties and cause risk management situations,” Thomas said.

The second step Berkeley’s Greek life is implementing is to have a conversation about consent with every attendee of their parties. They’ve also decided to have at least three sober monitors at parties in order to have a stable person who is able to diffuse a situation where sexual assault may occur. Berkeley Greek life is also taking a page out of Stanford University’s book by banning hard liquor at parties.

Stanford decided to ban hard liquor after the controversial and highly publicized Brock Turner sentencing. Berkeley Greek life will fine members $20 if they are caught with hard liquor at parties.

Berkeley’s reported amount of rapes have gone down between 2014 and 2015, with 17 rapes being reported last year as opposed to 29 in 2014. Hopefully, with Berkeley’s IFC and Panhellenic Council decision to implement new regulations at their parties, these cases of sexual assault will continue to drop.

Sexual assault on college campuses has been a hot topic for the past few years; even Vice President Joe Biden has publicly spoken about the importance of sexual consent. The fact that a university organization with other 1,500 members has decided to actively address the issue of sexual assault and implement ways to prevent it from happening is good news for society. Not only will this help prevent sexual assault from happening at Berkeley’s campus, but this proactive approach will hopefully rub off on other campuses too.

Resources: http://motto.time.com/4544274/uc-berkeley-party-ban-sexual-assault/

http://hellogiggles.com/fraternities-and-sororities-at-berkeley-voluntarily-ban-greek-life-parties/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/uc-berkeley-greek-life-party-rules-sexual-assault_us_580f83a6e4b02444efa57e81

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