Trump retweets 'Fire and Fury' parody cover, slams Wolff, Bannon

The Republican Party on Friday tweeted a parody cover of Michael Wolff's newly released book, "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House."

President Donald Trump took to Twitter on Friday evening to once again take shots at "Fire and Fury" author Michael Wolff -- and former White House strategist Steve Bannon.

Trump retweeted a parody cover of the book that the Republican Party had tweeted earlier Friday, and used it as a springboard for his latest criticisms -- calling Wolff “a total loser” and saying Bannon "cried when he got fired" and has been "dumped like a dog by almost everyone" since leaving the White House in August.

The GOP's parody cover retitles the book "Liar and Phony," and surrounds a photo of Wolff with blurbs from actual reviews of his much-criticized White House exposé.

"He gets basic details wrong," a New York Times writer says about Wolff. 

Blitzer had this to say:

Then there's the full content of Trump's tweet:

Michael Wolff is a total loser who made up stories in order to sell this really boring and untruthful book. He used Sloppy Steve Bannon, who cried when he got fired and begged for his job. Now Sloppy Steve has been dumped like a dog by almost everyone. Too bad! https://t.co/mEeUhk5ZV9

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018

In recent days Trump has unleashed a series of tweets attacking Wolff and the content of “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,” which went on sale Friday.

Trump has also targeted Bannon, whose trash-talking of the president and his family have sparked the media frenzy surounding the book's release.

For example, the book quotes Bannon dismissing Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump: “She became a White House staffer and that’s when people suddenly realized she’s as dumb as a brick.”

The book's Friday release was moved up from its original Jan. 9 release date, in part because of the swirl of publicity and also because Trump's legal team has demanded that the publication and release be halted. 

In addition, the date was pushed up “due to unprecedented demand,” a spokesman for publisher Henry Holt and Company told Fox News in an email.

Earlier Friday, Trump claimed the book was merely a distraction from the investigation into the Trump team's possible collusion with Russia turning out to be a “hoax.”

Well, now that collusion with Russia is proving to be a total hoax and the only collusion is with Hillary Clinton and the FBI/Russia, the Fake News Media (Mainstream) and this phony new book are hitting out at every new front imaginable. They should try winning an election. Sad!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018

In a tweet Thursday, the president attacked Wolff’s credibility, claiming he “authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times),” and that he “never spoke to him for book.”

Michael...I'll say anything to make a buck...Wolff.

Slime personified.



And yes, the book is selling like hotcakes. 

Bet 85% of sales went to liberals. Why? Because when it comes to the truth liberals don't care preferring to savor the opportunity of reading something negative about Trump. 

Their favorite pastime. 

Trump retweets 'Fire and Fury' parody cover, slams Wolff, Bannon

Trump threatens to withhold US aid to Pakistan

And he's thinking about telling Palestine they can go to hell too. They're just as bad if not worse.

Trump Slams Pakistan In First Tweet Of 2018: ‘Nothing But Lies And Deceit’

President Donald Trump used his first tweet of the new year to denounce Pakistan, saying the country has taken billions in U.S. aid and given “nothing but lies and deceit” in return. 

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$33 billion dollars and this is what we got in return...

Seriously, do we need to make a donation so they can buy more flags?

Wouldn't you like to have seen this money go to St. Jude Hospital, Paralyzed Veterans, American Cancer Society, infrastructure. etc instead of wasting it on these Muslim dogs?

Oh...and I'm sure no one in the upper hierarchy knew Bin Laden was a resident.

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Trump criticized Pakistan for harboring terrorists the U.S. is trying to fight in Southwest Asia and suggested that future aid might be withheld.

“The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools,” he tweeted. “They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!

The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2018

Trump has publicly expressed frustration with Pakistan before, but he praised the country as recently as October when Pakistan cooperated with U.S. authorities to free an American woman and her family from Taliban captivity.

“This is a very positive moment for our country’s relationship with Pakistan,” Trump said at the time, adding that Islamabad’s cooperation “is a sign that is honoring America wishes for it to do more to provide security in the region.”

Since then, however, the already tense relationship between the U.S. and Pakistan has frayed even further. When he announced his national security strategy in December, Trump singled out Pakistan, saying “they have to help” the U.S. military in Afghanistan because of the “massive payments” Washington gives to Islamabad.

The New York Times reported last week that the U.S. might withhold $255 million in aid to Pakistan as punishment for its reluctance to confront terrorists operating in the country. The Trump administration delayed the aid package in August, and top administration officials met in December to decide whether to cancel it altogether, The Times reported.

U.S. Army Gen. John Nicholson said in November that he hadn’t seen a change in Pakistan’s behavior since Trump announced his Afghanistan strategy, which calls for Islamabad to do more. Nicholson, the commander of the NATO coalition in Afghanistan, said the U.S. will continue to pressure Pakistan to fight terrorists attacking coalition forces. 

“Pakistan has fought hard and suffered heavily against those terrorists focused on its government, and now we are asking them to focus on the terrorists that are attacking Afghanistan and attacking the coalition,” he said, according to CNN. “The United States has been very clear about the direction we want to go, and we hope to see some change in the coming weeks and months.” 

Trump threatens to withhold US aid to Pakistan

People in Oregon Are Freaking Out About the Thought of Pumping Their Own Gas Under a New Law

The new year is but two days old, and already we've got a nasty online debate on our hands. But don't worry, this isn't about politics. No, follow along to the Pacific Northwest, where the fine people of Oregon are having themselves an internet freak-out for the ages over the prospect of having to pump their own gas. The horror.

Up until January 1, 2018, Oregon was one of two states—the other being good old New Jersey—that required every filling station be staffed by attendants who pump your gas for you. But last spring, the state legislature passed a law allowing gas stations in rural counties with less than 40,000 residents to abandon the full-service model and let customers man the pumps themselves. The new law went into effect on Monday.

We should stop here to point out a keyword above: Allowing. Station owners are under no obligation to ditch their attendants, nor are they required to let drivers pump their own gas. It's just an option. The full-service gas station seems to be a surprisingly strong part of the Oregonian identity, and the Associated Press could only find a "handful" of stations who were planning on making the switch to self-serve.

But that's not enough for the angry online hordes, who can smell a slippery slope from a mile away. When local CBS affiliate KTVL posted an online poll asking residents if they thought the law should be expanded statewide, the comments blew up with Oregonians aghast at the thought of having to dirty their hands with the dangerous work of pumping gas.

Their complaints and concerns range from smelling like gasoline to spontaneous combustion, but they're all hilarious in their complete disregard for the fact that the vast, vast majority of drivers in the world manage to fill their own tanks on a regular basis without dousing themselves in fuel or setting their car on fire. 

This is our personal favorite. "I don't even know HOW to pump gas... I say NO THANKS!" Fear not, concerned Oregonian. If the reactions of your compatriots are any indication, full-service in your state is still here to stay—law or no law.

People in Oregon Are Freaking Out About the Thought of Pumping Their Own Gas Under a New Law

Sexual assaults reported in Berlin despite 'safety area' for women

The attackers were described only as being North African or Middle Eastern migrants. Wonder if these 'attackers' eat bacon and drink alcohol? 

At least 13 cases of sexual assault were reported in Germany's capital on New Year's Eve -- despite the city's creation of a "safety area" for women to celebrate the arrival of 2018 near Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.

Police made seven arrests, and multiple German media sources reported the attacks, but no information was released about the suspects.

A local police spokeswoman confirmed that police were still gathering information about the night's reported crimes but did not disclose more information about the detained people.

As midnight neared in Germany, Berlin police tweeted that they were receiving reports of sexual assaults, but warned that the force does not tolerate such crimes.

After being asked on Twitter about the nationality of the perpetrators, police declined to provide the information -- saying ethnicity or national origin would have no bearing on the cases.

Germany has been grappling with rampant sexual harassment of women during public celebrations. Two years ago, more than 1,000 complaints were filed about sexual harassment on New Year's Eve.

Many of the victims have identified their attackers as being North African or Middle Eastern migrants -- a source of frustration as Germany struggles to assimilate new arrivals.

Achieving greater national unity has been a goal for Chancellor Angela Merkel.

(Yes...and Trump and Kim Jung-un have a 9am tee time Wednesday morning after dinner at Mar-a Lago Tuesday evening)

Related: 

Germans must ban ALCOHOL to prevent further sex attacks says, Muslim group

This would be like me migrating to Italy and issuing the proclamation...no more pasta for you!

Muslims are unique. Eating bacon and drinking booze is taboo. But raping women, chopping heads off a dime a dozen, and setting off IED's is perfectly acceptable.

For the first time this year, a “safety area” was set up for women where they could report or seek refuge in the event of sexual harassment during the festivities. The initiative was a part of broader measures to ensure safety during the mass celebration.

But the “safety area” was largely criticized, with German police union boss Rainer Wendt saying its creation sent a “devastating message.”

“By doing so, one is saying there are safe zones and unsafe zones” for women that could result in “the end of equality, freedom of movement and self-determination,” Wendt told the Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung daily newspaper.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Sexual assaults reported in Berlin despite 'safety area' for women

South Korea seizes second ship suspected of providing oil to North Korea

Proving what we have known for years. The Chinese and the Russians are liars.

Russian oil keeps flowing to North Korea in the New Year

The Lighthouse Winmore was seized in late November. South Korea has now seized a second vessel, KOTI. 

Trump following the "trust but verify" mantra of Reagan.

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South Korean authorities have seized a Panama-flagged vessel suspected of transferring oil products to North Korea in violation of international sanctions, a customs official said on Sunday. 

The seizure was the second to be revealed by South Korea within a few days, as the United Nations steps up efforts to squeeze essential oil supplies to the reclusive North following its nuclear or ballistic missile tests.

The ship, KOTI, was seized at Pyeongtaek-Dangjin port, the official told Reuters, without elaborating, due to the sensitivity of the issue. The port is on the west coast, south of Incheon.

A marine official also confirmed the seizure, which he said was done "recently".

The KOTI's estimated time of arrival at the port was Dec. 19, according to VesselFinder Ltd., a tracking service provider, the ship can carry 5,100 tonnes of oil and has a crew mostly from China and Myanmar, Yonhap News Agency reported, adding that South Korea's intelligence and

customs officials are conducting a joint probe into the vessel.

A Foreign Ministry spokesman confirmed the probe, declining to provide details.

"The government has been in close consultations with related countries and ministries to thoroughly implement the sanctions by the U.N. Security Council," the spokesman said.

On Friday, South Korea said that in late November it seized the Hong Kong-flagged Lighthouse Winmore, which is suspected of transferring as much as 600 tons of oil to the North Korea-flagged Sam Jong 2.

The U.N. Security Council last month unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea for a recent intercontinental ballistic missile test, seeking to limit its access to refined petroleum products and crude oil.

The United States has also proposed that the United Nations Security Council blacklist 10 ships for transporting banned items from North Korea, according to documents seen by Reuters on Tuesday.

The Lighthouse Winmore is one of the 10 ships proposed to be blacklisted. The KOTI does not seem to be included on the list.

On Thursday, China blocked a U.S. effort at the United Nations to blacklist six foreign-flagged ships, a U.N. Security Council diplomat said.

China's Foreign Ministry, responding to a question from Reuters on the blocking, said Beijing always fully and strictly implemented Security Council resolutions.

"At the same time, any measures taken by the Security Council must have a basis inconclusive and actual proof. China will continue to participate in the work of the relevant Security Council sanctions committee on this principle," it said in a short statement, without elaborating.

China also denied reports it had been illicitly selling oil products to North Korea in defiance of U.N. sanctions after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was unhappy that China had allowed oil to reach the isolated nation.

Russian tankers have supplied fuel to North Korea on at least three occasions in recent months by transferring cargoes at sea, breaching U.N. sanctions, sources told Reuters.

South Korea seizes second ship suspected of providing oil to North Korea