Brian Williams Will Return to MSNBC Primetime for Iowa Caucuses

Former NBC "Nightly News" anchor Brian Williams will return to the primetime news anchor seat, co-anchoring MSNBC's coverage of the Iowa caucuses with Rachel Maddow on Monday.

Williams and Maddow will anchor from New York, while "Hardball" host Chris Matthews, Andrea Mitchell and Chuck Todd will be stationed in Des Moines.

Williams returned to television last September after a six-month suspension for exaggerating details from various situations throughout his career. The scandal broke when Williams claimed a chopper he was riding in got hit by an RPG during his coverage in the early days of the Iraq War.

"I told stories that were not true. Over the years, looking back, it is very clear. I never intended to. It got mixed up. It got turned around," Williams told NBC's Matt Lauer last June on NBC's "Today."

Williams has been a breaking-news and continuing coverage anchor for MSNBC since returning from his suspension.

"Nightly News" has seen continued success with Williams' replacement anchor, Lester Holt.

MSNBC personalities Chris Hayes, Kasie Hunt, Hallie Jackson, Chris Jansing, Katy Tur, and Kristen Welker will report live from campaign headquarters and caucus sites across Iowa.

Brian Williams Will Return to MSNBC Primetime for Iowa Caucuses

Trump campaign says candidate won’t participate in Fox News/Google debate

This is a first. The Republican in the top spot for POTUS is a no show for a debate. When it comes to the media he needs all the friends he could get so I would imagine alienating FOX is not a good move. 

I have my qualms about Trump in a lot of ways. But I guess if he could shoot someone on 5th Ave. and not lose voters skipping a debate is nothing. Interesting to see if his poll numbers drop after the debate. I suspect not. 

This is really lame.

A spokesperson for Fox News mocked Donald Trump's use of Twitter polls joking that as president The Donald would 'replace the cabinet with his Twitter followers to see if he should even go to those meetings'.


Gets worse. 

Video 213

To be fair, she came down on him like a ton of bricks in the first debate. Had to rub my eyes... thought I was watching Rachel Maddow. 

Think it was a mistake for him to pull out. I can hear the rest of his contenders  now…’if he can’t handle a moderator how’s he going to handle the country’? Knowing him though he’ll probably come out unscathed. 

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Donald Trump’s campaign said Tuesday night that the Republican primary front-runner does not plan to participate in the upcoming Fox News/Google debate, shortly after the debate lineup was announced. 

Trump’s campaign confirmed the decision to Fox News. 

The Republican presidential candidate already had said he probably would not be going, accusing Fox News of “playing games” with him. Trump has cited concerns with one of the debate moderators, Megyn Kelly – but apparently made his decision not to attend following press statements from Fox News. 

Trump, though, took heat for his decision not to attend from his closest rival in the polls, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who accused Trump of being "afraid of Megyn Kelly." 

“If Donald is afraid to defend his record, it speaks volumes,” Cruz said in a radio interview with Mark Levin, challenging Trump to a one-on-one debate. 

The Fox News/Google debate is set for this Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa. It would mark the first GOP presidential primary debate that Trump has not attended. 

His campaign put out a statement Tuesday night confirming the candidate “will not be participating in the FOX News debate and will instead host an event in Iowa to raise money for the Veterans and Wounded Warriors.” 

Addressing the matter on “The Kelly File,” Kelly later said: “I’ll be there. … The debate will go on with or without Mr. Trump.”

Despite his complaints, he had easily qualified as one of the eight candidates in the prime-time event. 

Fox News announced the candidate lineup for that debate earlier Tuesday evening, and the qualifying participants were: 

Trump; Texas Sen. Ted Cruz; Florida Sen. Marco Rubio; retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson; former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie; Ohio Gov. John Kasich; and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.

The participants qualifying for the earlier, 7 p.m. ET debate were:

Former HP CEO Carly Fiorina; former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee; former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum; and former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore.

The lineup reflects a polling boost for Paul, who did not qualify for the most recent Fox Business Network prime-time debate earlier this month, and declined to participate in that program’s evening event. 

This time, Paul suggested he’ll attend, saying the campaign is “very excited” about qualifying for the main stage. 

Meanwhile, Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes has defended Megyn Kelly amid the criticism from Trump. He issued a statement earlier to The Washington Post saying, “Megyn Kelly is an excellent journalist, and the entire network stands behind her. She will absolutely be on the debate stage on Thursday night." 

Kelly has withstood Trump’s attacks since the August debate, when he accused her of purposely attacking him. As part of Trump’s explanation for not participating in Thursday’s debate he called the "Kelly File" host a "lightweight" and "third-rate reporter."

Trump’s campaign manager Corey Lewandowski even threatened to ramp up the verbal attacks Trump has repeated since the first August debate.

“In a call on Saturday with a FOX News executive, Lewandowski stated that Megyn had a ‘rough couple of days after that last debate’ and he ‘would hate to have her go through that again,’” a Fox News statement said late Tuesday.

“Lewandowski was warned not to level any more threats, but he continued to do so. We can’t give in to terrorizations toward any of our employees,” the statement added.

READ THE FOX NEWS STATEMENT ON TRUMP DECLINING TO PARTICIPATE IN FOX NEWS/GOOGLE DEBATE

Trump, speaking earlier in Iowa, said he’d probably raise money for veterans instead of doing the event. And speaking with Fox News’ Bret Baier, Trump said he “didn’t like the press releases Fox put out.” 

The Fox News/Google debate in Des Moines this Thursday will be the candidates’ last before next week’s Iowa caucuses – which kicks off the Republican presidential nominating process.

In the run-up, the candidates are ramping up their ad spending and shoe-leather campaigning, while going after each other in the process. 

After clashing at the most recent GOP debate, Iowa front-runners Trump and Cruz have only turned up their attacks in recent days – particularly as Trump regains his Iowa lead over Cruz in most polls. The race, though, remains close. The latest Quinnipiac University poll showed Trump leading Cruz just 31-29 percent in Iowa.

Cruz said Tuesday that “no state is a must-win for us.” But the reality is his campaign is fighting hard for an Iowa victory, as Trump maintains a huge polling lead in the next contest: the New Hampshire primary.

One new ad from a Cruz-supporting super PAC is accusing Trump of being aligned with Democrats on “government-run health care.” Another from the Cruz campaign returns to the well of criticizing Trump’s “New York values,” while playing a clip of him saying, “How stupid are the people of Iowa?”

Trump, meanwhile, called Cruz a “liar” in an MSNBC interview Tuesday.

“Nobody likes him,” Trump said, attempting to draw a contrast with his own business experience by saying Cruz can’t make a deal with anybody.

The debate on Thursday will be moderated by Fox News anchors Bret Baier, Megyn Kelly, and Chris Wallace.

The candidate lineup was decided based on the results of national, New Hampshire and Iowa polling – released before 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

To qualify for the prime-time debate, a candidate had to place in the top six in an average of recent national polls, or in the top five in an average of recent Iowa or New Hampshire polls. ‎The evening debate features other candidates who received a minimum 1 percent in at least one recent national poll.

Trump campaign says candidate won’t participate in Fox News/Google debate

What about the other two?

Escaped California inmate was ordered deported in 1998, but never left

One of the three violent convicts who escaped from a Southern California jail Friday had been ordered deported to his native Vietnam in 1998, but was able to remain in the U.S. and rack up more criminal convictions.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Tuesday that Bac Duong, 43, came to the United States legally in 1991 but was ordered removed seven years later after he served time in state prison for a 1997 burglary conviction. However, the Orange County Register reported that Vietnam routinely refused requests from the U.S. to accept Duong and other deportees. 

Duong escaped from the Orange County jail on Friday along with Jonathan Tieu, 20, and Hossein Nayeri, 37, by sawing through a quarter-inch thick grill on a dormitory wall and climbing through plumbing tunnels to reach an unguarded area of the roof. There, the men moved aside razor wire and rappelled to the ground using bed linen.

Immigration officials said they took Duong into custody a second time in 2003 and released him the following year. He continued to check in with authorities as required until 2014, the statement said.

In the intervening years, Duong also faced a series of charges involving burglary and drug possession and did stints in state prison. Last year, he was charged with attempted murder and assault in the shooting of a man outside a home in Santa Ana.

Federal officials can't keep immigrants locked up indefinitely while they await deportation. Most must be released after six months, except those accused of posing a terrorist threat or deemed especially dangerous.

In 2008, Vietnam agreed to provide travel documents for deportees, but only those who entered the U.S. since July 1995, meaning it didn't apply to Duong.

Duong's case is is one of thousands involving criminal immigrants who federal authorities want to deport but haven't been able to because their native countries wouldn't take them back.

In 2012, ex-convict Binh Thai Luc was charged with killing five people in San Francisco after Vietnam didn't issue the travel documents needed to repatriate him.

What about the other two?

Maybe there's still hope for Killary

East Chicago councilman charged with murder takes oath of office while behind bars

And why does this happen? 

Fact:

Congressman all under criminal investigation before they were elected and yet they still won. In their districts, a white man can't win; even if that white man was Jesus Christ.

Jesse                Charlie

     Was in jail               Should be in jail

Chaka Fattah's          William Jefferson's

Going to jail            Still in jail

(Thought Chaka Fattah was an act in Vegas) 

It gets worse: 

http://hemingwayreport.blogspot.com/2013/08/jesse-jacksons-newest-staff-member.html

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East Chicago City Councilman Robert Battle took the oath of office from behind bars at the Porter County Jail last week.

Battle was re-elected to his council seat in November, one month after murder and drug charges were filed by the federal government.

An unnamed official was brought in to do the swearing-in on Friday for Battle, who is being held in federal custody at the Porter County facility, according to Sheriff David Reynolds.

"There is no reason for me to deny it legally," Reynolds said, adding he spoke to the U.S. marshal, who agreed. Battle could have chosen to be sworn in via video conferencing but opted for an in-person oath, Reynolds said.

Indiana law permits Battle to hold his seat – and collect the $42,365 salary that it pays – until he resigns, admits his guilt on any of the charges or is found guilty in court. Battle, a Democrat, ran unopposed in November and received 308 votes.

Michelle Fajman, director of Lake County's election board, confirmed Saturday that her office received Battle's paperwork Friday. Newly elected officials whose terms start Jan. 1 have until Jan. 30 to be sworn into office.

Battle has pleaded not guilty. His trial is scheduled for August.

Maybe there's still hope for Killary

Grand jury in Texas indicts activists behind Planned Parenthood videos

Really...if this is the case Timothy McVeigh should have filed suit against the daycare center for defamation of character after blowing up the FUCKING Murrah building!

This is out-of-control disgusting. What kind of world do we live in? Instead of charging the debauched baby killing body part solicitors they charged the whistle-blowers?

This is a real PP ad. I attached the 'choice' they gave them... but left out.

(Click)

'Healthcare'... is a ruse for an abortion clinic. Everyone knows central to women's health are mammograms. How many of them were performed vs abortions?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2015/10/02/the-repeated-misleading-claim-that-planned-parenthood-provides-mammograms/

And to add insult to injury the Republican Congress who was so outraged by the videos voted to fund PP!

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A Houston grand jury investigating criminal allegations against stemming from a series of undercover videos on Monday instead indicted two of the anti-abortion activists who shot the footage.

In a stunning turn of events, the grand jury declined to indict officials from the abortion provider, and instead handed up a felony charges of tampering with a government record against Center for Medical Progress founder David Daleiden and center employee Sandra Merritt. Daleidon was also charged with a misdemeanor count related to purchasing human organs.

"We were called upon to investigate allegations of criminal conduct by Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast," Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson said. "As I stated at the outset of this investigation, we must go where the evidence leads us. All the evidence uncovered in the course of this investigation was presented to the grand jury. I respect their decision on this difficult case."

The case sprang from a series of dramatic undercover videos in which Center for Medical Progress employees posed as prospective buyers of fetal tissue, and captured several employees of Planned Parenthood and its contractors appearing to discuss practices banned by law. However, when the videos were released online last year, Planned Parenthood claimed selective editing had created a misperception.

Anderson didn't provide details on the charges, including what record or records were allegedly tampered with and why Daleiden faces a charge related to buying human organs. Anderson's office said it could not provide details until the documents charging Daleiden and Merritt were formally made public.

"The Center for Medical Progress uses the same undercover techniques that investigative journalists have used for decades in exercising our First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and of the press, and follows all applicable laws," Daleiden said in a statement in response to the indictment. 

"We respect the processes of the Harris County District Attorney, and note that buying fetal tissue requires a seller as well. Planned Parenthood still cannot deny the admissions from their leadership about fetal organ sales captured on video for all the world to see," the statement continued.

Planned Parenthood officials swiftly hailed the indictment as vindication.

"These anti-abortion extremists spent three years creating a fake company, creating fake identities, lying, and breaking the law. When they couldn't find any improper or illegal activity, they made it up," Eric Ferrero, vice president of communications for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement.

“As the dust settles and the truth comes out, it's become totally clear that the only people who engaged in wrongdoing are the criminals behind this fraud, and we're glad they're being held accountable,” Ferrero said. 

The videos, some of which were shot in Texas, riled anti-abortion activists and prompted Republicans in Congress last summer to unsuccessfully called for cutting off funding for the organization.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, has called footage from the Planned Parenthood clinic in Houston "repulsive and unconscionable." It showed people pretending to be from a company that procures fetal tissue for research touring the facility. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton also opened his own investigation into the videos.

Abbott said the indictments will not impact the state's investigation

“The State of Texas will continue to protect life, and I will continue to support legislation prohibiting the sale or transfer of fetal tissue,” he said in a statement.

Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn., author of the House-passed "Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015," said the she was “profoundly disappointed” in the indictments.

“It is a sad day in America when those who harvest the body parts of aborted babies escape consequences for their actions, while the courageous truth-tellers who expose their misdeeds are handed down a politically motivated indictment instead,” she said. 

Planned Parenthood says it abides by a law that allows providers to be reimbursed for the costs of processing tissue donated by women who have had abortions.

The Texas video was the fifth released by the group. Before its release, Melaney Linton, president of the Houston Planned Parenthood clinic, told state lawmakers last summer that it was likely to feature actors — pretending to be from a company called BioMax — asking leading questions about how to select potential donors for a supposed study of sickle cell anemia.

Linton said the footage could feature several interactions initiated by BioMax about how and whether a doctor could adjust an abortion if the patient has offered to donate tissue for medical research. She also said Planned Parenthood believed the video would be manipulated.

Earlier this month, Planned Parenthood sued the center in a California federal court, alleging extensive criminal misconduct. The lawsuit says the center's videos were the result of numerous illegalities, including making recordings without consent, registering false identities with state agencies and violating non-disclosure agreements.

After the lawsuit was filed, Daleiden told The Associated Press that he looked forward to confronting Planned Parenthood in court.

Grand jury in Texas indicts activists behind Planned Parenthood videos