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President Donald Trump told a crowd of supporters in October that if he really wanted to overcome Joe Biden’s fundraising supremacy, he could call the heads of any major company and they would come to his aid.

“All I have to do is call up the head of every Wall Street firm, head of every major company, the head of every major energy company, ‘Do me a favor, send me $10 million for my campaign.’ Yes, sir,'” Trump told the crowd of supporters in Arizona in October.

However, new Federal Election Commission records, tracking fundraising from Oct. 15 to Nov. 23, show that wealthy GOP financiers largely did not help Trump in the final weeks of the bruising battle with Biden as he dropped in the polls or parachute in millions toward his current legal fight.

It’s the latest sign that many executives could be ready to work with President-elect Biden. In the case of the legal fight, some of the leading party donors had previously maxed out to the campaign and Republican National Committee, leaving Trump’s political team unable to turn to them for financial assistance.

The Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee, his two joint fundraising committees and the president’s leadership committee, Save America, raised over $200 million since Election Day. Save America will likely be used to fund any political initiatives Trump is planning after he leaves the White House, including possibly running for president again in 2024.

Trump’s fraud pitch, while apparently not moving many business leaders, appears to be resonating with small-dollar donors, who may be convinced that their money is going expressly to the fraud fight, and likely provided much of the money raised in the period.

Steve Schwarzman, the CEO of private equity behemoth Blackstone, and a longtime Trump confidant, did not contribute to any pro-Trump groups in recent weeks, according to election filings. Instead, he gave $15 million in November to the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

As CNBC reported, Schwarzman was one of the many Wall Street executives who walked away from helping Trump in the final stretch of the election. Schwarzman said in late November that, after supporting the president for the past four years, he’s now ready to move on to “help President-elect Biden and his team as they confront the significant challenges of rebuilding our post-Covid economy.”

Since Election Day on Nov. 3, the Trump campaign has initiated dozens of legal fights in states where Biden has been deemed the winner, including in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia. Trump and his allies have lost or withdrawn essentially every court case related to the election, failing to invalidate any votes for Biden.

Attorney General William Barr this week said that the Justice Department has found no evidence of widespread ballot fraud, much less any fraud that would overturn Biden’s projected victory. The campaign spent millions on legal fees linked to the “recount,” filings say, including $600,000 that went toward the law firm Kasowitz Benson Torres. The firm was founded by longtime Trump attorney Marc Kasowitz.

The Trump campaign requested a partial recount in Wisconsin, for which it paid $3 million.

But Reuters reported last month that large chunks of contributions are, in fact, not going toward efforts to overturn the election results and instead are going to Save America or the Republican National Committee. The fine print on the Trump election defense fund donation page says that “75% of each contribution [goes] first to Save America, up to $5,000,” suggesting that a majority of contributions to the legal matter actually go to Trump’s committee for other purposes.

“We enjoy unprecedented financial support from an ever-growing group of investors, large and small, because President Trump and Republicans continue to fight on the issues that a majority of Americans care about, most notably ensuring the integrity of our elections and defending the Republican majority in the Senate,” Cassie Smedile, RNC deputy communications director, said in a statement.

Representatives for the Trump campaign did not respond to requests for comment.

Trump donor Dan Eberhart told CNBC that many Republican business leaders were not interested in investing in a candidate that had flailing public poll numbers in the final weeks of the election or his next moves in politics. By Election Day, a Real Clear Politics national polling average had Biden up by seven points.

“Only the crazies still believe,” Eberhart told CNBC when discussing who is still giving to Trump. “This is grassroots, true believers,” he added.

A former senior campaign official told CNBC on the condition of anonymity that big-money donors that hadn’t yet given to the cause had shied away by the end of the campaign because the president wasn’t taking part in certain in-person events because of the coronavirus pandemic and some executives wouldn’t attend if he wasn’t there. This person declined to be named in order to speak freely.

Some GOP megadonors had given big earlier in the election cycle toward Trump’s joint fundraising committees, which allow donors to write six-figure checks, or pro-Trump super PACs, which accept an unlimited amount of money from contributors. Most recently, many decided to spend millions on the battles being waged in both the Senate and House campaigns.

Of the top Republican big-money donors that, combined, gave over $500 million throughout the 2020 election cycle to Trump and other GOP campaigns, only a handful gave to entities supporting the commander-in-chief over the six-week period from mid-October to late November.

Those few Republican megadonors that did spend heavily for the president in the final weeks of the election include casino magnates Sheldon and Miriam Adelson, who contributed a combined $15 million to the pro-Trump PAC Preserve America. Bernard Marcus, a co-founder of Home Depot, gave a $5 million contribution to the same PAC. That PAC is currently not involved with the president’s legal battle, and records show that those big donations came in the final two weeks of October.

The new records show that Miriam Adelson recently gave $106,500 to the RNC, as did Marcus. The Adelsons finished the 2020 election cycle donating at least $200 million toward Republican efforts.

Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein, the founders of shipping supply company Uline and longtime Trump supporters, also virtually disappeared in financially assisting the president, recording minimal contributions since mid-October. The couple, who recently tested positive for the coronavirus, had previously spent over $65 million on GOP-related causes this cycle.

Timothy Mellon, the chairman of Pan Am Systems, gave $5 million to the Senate Leadership Fund in November. Pro-Trump groups saw very little from him over that same period, after he gave millions to the president’s cause earlier in the campaign.

In September, Ike Perlmutter, chairman of Marvel Entertainment and a reputed outside advisor to Trump on the Department of Veterans Affairs, combined with his wife to give $21 million to America First Action. Since mid-October, records show no sign of the Perlmutters spending in the latter stages of the campaign to help Trump.

Even some of Trump’s friends who supported him in the past seem to be distancing themselves from the president’s future endeavors. Ronald Lauder, the heir of Estee Lauder Companies and a friend of Trump’s, donated $3.5 million to the Senate Leadership Fund in October. The most recent records show that since the late stages of the election, he has not given anything to the president.

CNBC reported in August that Lauder has gone quiet on supporting Trump.

Source Article from https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/04/trump-gop-fundraising-election-vote-fraud-claims.html

February 28 at 9:16 AM

The U.S. economy expanded at a 2.9 percent pace last year, the Commerce Department reported Thursday, a strong rate but just shy of President Trump’s goal of 3 percent.

Last year’s growth marked the fastest gain for the economy since 2015, according to official government data. The economy received a big boost from the largest corporate tax cut in U.S. history that went into effect last year, as well as additional government spending on military and domestic programs. But that stimulus is widely expected to wear off later this year, causing growth to slow.

Growth in the final quarter of last year was 2.6 percent, above forecasts but below the 3.4 percent pace in the third quarter and 4.2 percent pace in the second quarter. Consumer and business spending were both strong, but Americans bought a little less than they did earlier in the year.

“Last year was likely the best year of this business cycle,” said Ellen Zentner, chief economist at Morgan Stanley. “We stimulated the heck out of the economy last year and that stimulus will fade this year.”

Trump and his top officials have repeatedly said they can achieve at least 3 percent annual growth for the next decade with the president even claiming it “could go to 4, 5, and maybe even 6 percent” as Republicans put the final touches on the tax cut bill in late 2017.

The White House says it achieved its goal because the growth rate for the fourth quarter of 2018 is 3.1 percent above the fourth quarter of the prior year. The Commerce Department calculation compares the average growth for 2018 to the average growth in 2017.

“Our policies are working,” said Kevin Hassett, head of Trump’s Council of Economic Advisors. “We said there would be a capital spending boom and we would get 3.1 percent growth. That is what happened.”

There’s heavy debate among economists about which measure is preferable. Using the White House’s preferred method means last year was the strongest for economic growth since before the recession.

Hassett said the White House remains “confident” that “2019 will be another 3 percent year.”

The vast majority of economists predict growth will be lower this year. The Federal Reserve is currently predicting 2.3 percent growth for 2019. Fed vice chair Richard Clarida said Thursday morning that he is likely to lower his forecast as headwinds overseas in Europe and China could drag down growth at home.

“While my baseline outlook for growth, employment, and inflation is a positive one, a number of crosscurrents that are buffeting the economy bear careful scrutiny,” Clarida said, noting that some recent economic data has been disappointing.

The Commerce Department had to delay this report because of the partial government shutdown that furloughed many employees who work on key economic data collection and calculation.

Consumer spending continues to power the economy with Americans opening their wallets on a wide range of purchases. Business investment also picked up in the final quarter last year, a sign that companies are still hiring and investing because they do not foresee a recession on the horizon.

There were especially strong gains in intellectual property and equipment purchases, but spending on residential homes declined 3.5 percent. The home building industry has continued to struggle with rising interest rates dissuading buyers and higher costs for some materials because of Trump’s tariffs.

“The consumer is trending lower, though consumption is still strong. My main concern is housing investment which fell for the fourth consecutive quarter,” said Constance Hunter, chief economist at KPMG. “If this continues into 2019, it will be a worrying signal for future growth. “

​Trade was a drag on growth at the end of last year as imports heavily exceeded exports, meaning Americans brought more foreign products than they sold. There was a rush earlier in the year to sell U.S. soybeans and other products to China before Trump’s tariffs went into effect, but that trend has now reversed.

Trump and many top aides have sounded optimistic that there will soon be an agreement with China to end the trade dispute. Stocks have rallied and are back near an all-time high reached in late September as trade news has improved and the Fed announced a pause in interest rate increases.

Hassett predicted economists will likely need to revise their forecasts higher for this year once trade negotiations with China wrap up. But many economists remain more cautious, although they don’t see an imminent recession. Much will depend on whether American consumers continue to spend and whether businesses keep investing in new technology and factories.

“As we look ahead to 2019, there are good reasons to expect growth not to be as strong, but I don’t anticipate growth collapsing,” said Jim O’Sullivan, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics.

Related:

Fed chair Powell predicts no recession in 2019

Treasury to run out of money in September unless Congress acts, CBO says

Why Warren Buffett remains bullish on the stock market

Source Article from https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/02/28/economy-expanded-percent-beating-previous-years-missing-trumps-goal/

Millones de vídeos disponibles y una selección sólo basada en cantidad de visitas a e historial. No es la mejor forma de ver contenido relevante, verificado y de actualidad. Por eso YouTube ha creado un canal de vídeos de medios de comunicación verificados llamado YouTube Newswire, algo cada vez más común en los últimos días como la selección en Apple News y el nuevo proyecto de Twitter: Project Lightning.

Este canal es YouTube Newswire, la forma que tiene YouTube de ofrecer noticias de actualidad on demand de calidad. Es una apuesta por hacer la red social más valiosa mediante una selección más exhaustiva a diferencia de los algoritmos actuales. Para ello el gigante se ha aliado con la startup Storyful, enfocado en seleccionar contenido contrastado y verificado. También contarán con expertos de Eyewitness Media hub, Reported.ly y Verification Junkie para crear First Draft Coalition, un lugar para ofrecer herramientas y entrenamiento a los periodistas para ayudarlos a determinar la veracidad de los vídeos y de la ética tras ellos.

La realidad que estamos viviendo en Internet hace que a los usuarios no les baste con un contenido casi ilimitado, se necesita selección previa, rigor informativo y mostrarlo de forma destacada frente al contenido irrelevante y falso.

Source Article from http://hipertextual.com/2015/06/youtube-newswire

Florida fugitive Brian Laundrie’s attorney said Wednesday that Christopher Laundrie would begin assisting authorities in the search for his son – who was last seen on Sept. 13, just days after his fiancée Gabby Petito officially became a missing person.

The FBI later uncovered Petito’s remains at a remote Wyoming campsite on Sept. 19.

“Chris Laundrie was asked to assist law enforcement in their search for Brian at the preserve today,” Steve Bertolino, the family’s attorney, told Fox News Wednesday night. “Since the preserve has been closed to the public, Chris has not been able to look for Brian in the only place Chris and Roberta believe Brian may be.”

GABBY PETITO HOMICIDE: TIMELINE OF DISAPPEARANCE WITH BRIAN LAUNDRIE

He added that North Port police “had to postpone” the elder’s Laundrie’s participation and that he did not take part in the search Wednesday, which saw an increased police presence after resources appeared to have been drawn down over the weekend.

“Chris and Roberta are hopeful there will be another opportunity to assist,” he added, referring to both of Brian Laundrie’s parents.

BRIAN LAUNDRIE SHOULD SURRENDER, FORMER FUGITIVE SAYS

Bertolino told Newsday earlier that Chris Laundrie was “excited” to take part in the search – after weeks of remaining completely mum on the subject and barely leaving his home.

He also claimed that the elder Laundrie searched the T. Mabry Carlton Jr. Reserve on his own on Monday. Sept. 13 after his son failed to come home that night – even though the parents told police that Friday that they had last seen their son on Tuesday, according to the paper.

BRIAN LAUNDRIE’S SURVIALIST SKILLS ARE ‘MEDIOCRE,’ SAYS SISTER CASSIE

“The North Port police informed me that they were focusing on certain areas of the preserve today and they were actually hoping that Mr. Laundrie could join them on that search,” Bertolino told the newspaper. “Mr. Laundrie has consented and we are waiting for the call from the North Port Police Department to make that happen.”

Brian Laundrie’s father leaving his house (Fox News)

Brian Laundrie had been named a person of interest in Petito’s disappearance days before authorities found her dead. On Sept. 23, the FBI announced a federal warrant for bank fraud charges after he allegedly used someone else’s debit card without authorization for more than $1,000.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

His whereabouts remained unknown as of Wednesday evening – but a search at the reserve has continued for weeks, even with reports of possible sightings in other parts of Florida and along the Appalachian Trail where it runs down the border of North Carolina and Tennessee.

FOLLOW UPDATES TO THIS STORY ON FOXNEWS.COM

Michael Ruiz is a U.S. and World Reporter for Fox News.

Source Article from https://www.fox13news.com/news/brian-laundrie-manhunt-fugitives-father-to-join-search-at-carlton-reserve-lawyer-says

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(CNN)The FBI has arrested a member of an armed militia that had detained hundreds of migrants at the border this week, the New Mexico attorney general’s office said Saturday.

Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/20/us/border-militia-arrests/index.html

El jefe del INPE confirmó que Gregorio Santos saldrá mañana por la tarde | Fuente: RPP Noticias

El jefe del Instituto Nacional Penitenciario, Julio Magán, afirmó que tras recibir la orden de comparecencia restringida, mañana “a partir del mediodía en adelante y hasta antes de las 3 de la tarde”, el ex candidato a la presidencia Gregorio Santos saldrá del penal Ancón. Horas antes, Fernando Ugaz, abogado de Santos, había asegurado que su patrocinado saldrá en libertad en las próximas horas, luego que la Sala Penal Nacional denegara el pedido fiscal para ampliar la prisión preventiva por siete meses más. Luego, a través de un comunicado se confirmó que la Segunda Sala Penal de Apelaciones Nacional revocó la medida de prisión preventiva del investigado Gregorio Santos.

No se amplía carcelería. “La Sala Penal Nacional ha logrado emitir una resolución ejecutando lo descrito por la casación. Esto es darle la inmediata libertad al señor Gregorio Santos y, por tanto, se declara la nulidad de la resolución de la jueza de primera instancia, mediante el cual quería ampliarse a siete meses más, hasta febrero del próximo año, para que siga preso Gregorio Santos”, dijo Fernando Ugaz a RPP Noticias.

Afrontará proceso en libertad. “Ya no hay nada pendiente, ya no hay más pedidos (de prisión preventiva). Esto significa en la práctica que el señor Gregorio Santos va a poder enfrentar su proceso en libertad, ir al juicio, a las audiencias, en plena libertad”, sentenció Ugaz.

Gregorio Santos afrontará en libertad el proceso que se le sigue por presuntos actos ilegales durante su gestión como gobernador de Cajamarca. | Fuente: Foto: Congreso / Video: RPP

Recupera cargo. Fernando Ugaz indicó que una vez en libertad Gregorio Santos podrá reincorporarse en sus funciones como gobernador regional de Cajamarca tras pasar un proceso administrativo, al recordar que su patrocinado fue sentenciado a prisión preventiva, pero no se le quitó otro derecho.

Seguirá siendo investigado. La Sala también valoró que Santos Guerrero está recluido 25 meses sin que se haya resuelto, de manera definitiva, su situación jurídica y, además porque se presentó voluntariamente a la audiencia cuando se ordenó su prisión preventiva. Añaden que esta decisión judicial, sin embargo, no significa que el referido investigado haya sido absuelto del proceso judicial, sino que continuará afrontando el mismo en libertad con mandato de comparecencia con restricciones.

Reglas de conducta. La Sala fijó una serie de reglas de conducta que Santos Guerrero deberá cumplir, caso contrario, se ordenará su reingreso al establecimiento penitenciario. Entre estas, figura el pago de una caución de 100,000 soles en el plazo de 15 días útiles contados a partir de la notificación, pago que podrá hacer estando fuera de la cárcel según dijo el jefe del INPE, Julio Magán. Tampoco podrá ausentarse del lugar donde reside ni cambiar de domicilio sin previo aviso de la autoridad judicial y fiscal.

La denuncia. Con esta decisión, Gregorio Santos afrontará en libertad el proceso que se le sigue por presuntos actos ilegales durante su gestión como gobernador de Cajamarca. Entre las acusaciones, se lo relaciona con el empresario Wilson Vallejos y las millonarias licitaciones que obtuvo, según refiere el diario La República.

Source Article from http://rpp.pe/politica/judiciales/gregorio-santos-saldra-de-prision-en-las-proximas-horas-noticia-982369

1- Aprehenden a dos jóvenes cuando los vecinos intentaban hacer justicia por mano propia

El hecho, que ocurrido alrededor de las 19, generó un violento revuelo en la zona de Colombia al 4.300 que terminó con policías heridos y patrulleros dañados. Habrían intentado cometer un arrebato. Sin embargo fueron reducidos y agredidos por algunos vecinos.

2- Qué están eligiendo los tucumanos para veranear

Brasil o El Caribe, la Costa Argentina o la Patagonia. O más lejos, cruzando el océano y embarcando hacia destinos más exóticos. Hasta el momento los tucumanos, en el mapa y en las agencias, pusieron el ojo en esos destinos para las vacaciones de 2017, según confiesan operadores turísticos consultados. 

3- Volverán a exigir al Poder Ejecutivo asistencia para adictos

Partirán a las 17 desde plaza Urquiza hasta plaza Independencia. Solicitan un centro de internación para mujeres y que se reactiven las obras del Cepla de Costanera. “Si siguen sin dar respuestas, cada vez que muera un adicto lo velaremos en la plaza Independencia para que en Casa de Gobierno vean las consecuencias de todo lo que hace falta”, prometió uno de los organizadores.

4- Lo condenan por matar a su ex pareja, que estaba embarazada

Antes de la sentencia, el acusado lloró frente a los jueces y afirmó que es inocente. El tribunal ordenó una restricción de 200 metros para que no se enfrenten las familias de la víctima y del homicida. La joven de 27 años, que estaba embarazada de cuatro meses, murió de un tiro en la cabeza el 17 de mayo de 2014.

5- San Martín tuvo un premio al esfuerzo

El domingo pasado, frente a Argentinos Juniors, los jugadores de San Martín tuvieron la posibilidad de comprobar lo complicada que será la B Nacional. Esta vez los “Santos” rescataron un punto con sabor a victoria casi sobre el final del partido, pero no siempre va a suceder eso. 

Source Article from http://www.lagaceta.com.ar/nota/696933/politica/cinco-noticias-tenes-saber-para-empezar-manana.html

The summons, which has not been served on the former governor, directs Cuomo to appear in City Court on Nov. 17. A law enforcement source said the sheriff’s department did not expect the summons to be issued on Thursday — or to be made public.

The summons was issued without the consent of the alleged victim, Brittany Commisso, or her attorney, Brian D. Premo, according to sources familiar with the matter. However, Commisso has been cooperating with investigators and was planning to move forward with the criminal complaint, according to law enforcement sources.

Read the summons:

Cuomo Criminal Complaint by cseiler8597 on Scribd

A sheriff’s investigator who had been a lead investigator in the case, in which the governor was accused of groping a female aide at the Executive Mansion last year, had met with a City Court official on Thursday to receive “guidance” if the department were to move forward with filing a complaint, which was supposed to happen next week at the earliest, according to a law enforcement source.

It’s unclear what happened after that, but a person briefed on the matter and not authorized to comment publicly said that someone in City Court issued the summons after determining the paperwork submitted by the investigator was sufficient to do so. The investigator had apparently filed the paperwork in anticipation of obtaining a summons next week, if the victim agreed to go forward with any charges, according to sources familiar with the matter. 

The issuance of the summons was leaked almost immediately to a news organization.

The district attorney’s office issued a statement late Thursday afternoon confirming they were not aware the sheriff’s department had filed a complaint with City Court until it was reported publicly.

“Like the rest of the public, we were surprised to learn today that a criminal complaint was filed in Albany City Court by the Albany County Sheriff’s Office against Andrew Cuomo,” the statement says. “The Office of Court Administration has since made that filing public. Our office will not be commenting further on this case.”

The evidence gathered by sheriff’s investigators in the case included text messages, Blackberry “PIN” messages between state troopers who staff the Executive Mansion, cell phone records, and Capitol swipe-card access records that confirmed Commisso returning to her Capitol office after visiting the mansion on Dec. 7, the day of the alleged incident.

The evidence also includes information confirming Cuomo held a news conference in central New York earlier that day — an event that Commisso had told investigators she remembered occurred before she was summoned to the governor’s mansion that afternoon.

The complaint filed in Albany City Court was signed by Albany County sheriff’s Investigator Amy Kowalski, who has been the lead investigator on the case. It states the incident took place between the hours of 3:51 and 4:07 p.m., at the governor’s mansion, and that Cuomo “did knowingly, and intentionally commit the class A misdemeanor of Forcible Touching.” 

The complaint adds that Cuomo “did intentionally, and for no legitimate purpose, forcibly place his hand under the blouse shirt of the victim and onto her intimate body part” for “the purposes of degrading and gratifying his sexual desires.”

The district attorney’s office and sheriff’s department had been scheduled to meet on Friday to discuss whether to move forward with any criminal case against Cuomo. It’s unclear whether that meeting will still take place. Both agencies declined to comment.

The sheriff’s department has been investigating groping allegations against Cuomo since August. That investigation was nearing conclusion but a second source, with law enforcement ties, said that a meeting was scheduled to take place in the coming days to determine whether to move forward with any charges, including obtaining the alleged victim’s consent.

The criminal investigation followed an attorney general’s report that led to Cuomo’s resignation following a four-month investigation that included interviews with the women who accused Cuomo of conduct ranging from making sexually charged remarks to grooming and groping at least one female executive assistant.

Despite the confusion over the filing of the complaint, state Attorney General Letitia James issued a statement Thursday afternoon saying her office had “proceeded without fear or favor.” in its investigation of sexual harassment charges leveled against Cuomo by multiple women.

“The criminal charges brought today against Mr. Cuomo for forcible touching further validate the findings in our report,” James said.

The attorney general’s investigation was headed by Joon H. Kim, a former acting U.S. attorney for New York’s Southern District in Manhattan, and Anne L. Clark, who specializes in labor law and sexual harassment cases.

Cuomo has denied kissing a former aide, Lindsey Boylan, and denied groping Commisso, another female aide, at the Executive Mansion last year. Commisso’s allegation is the most incendiary to be leveled against Cuomo, who has dismissed his workplace behavior as “playful” and an attempt to “make jokes that I think are funny.”


Other women also came forward and recounted similar unsettling encounters with the governor, including a woman who was photographed at the wedding of one of Cuomo’s top aides as the governor held her face and asked to kiss her.

The governor stated earlier this year that he “never inappropriately touched anybody and I never propositioned anybody and I never intended to make anyone feel uncomfortable, but these are allegations that New Yorkers deserve answers to.”

In the wake of the earliest allegations — before the groping allegations were first reported by the Times Union — Cuomo had authorized Attorney General Letitia James’ office to commence a “review” of the complaints. But that directive did not authorize the attorney general to conduct a criminal investigation or to subpoena witnesses before a grand jury. That authority would have needed to be given to James under a separate provision in Executive Law.

The groping allegations subsequently became the subject of ongoing investigations by the Albany County Sheriff’s Office and the Albany County district attorney’s office after Commisso filed a formal complaint with the sheriff’s office in August.

On Oct. 11, the Times Union reported that electronic records gathered by investigators for the state Assembly’s Judiciary Committee, which is expected to issue a report on their investigation that began as an impeachment proceeding, showed Commisso was at the governor’s mansion with Cuomo on Dec. 7.

Source Article from https://www.timesunion.com/state/article/Criminal-summons-Cuomo-16572344.php

A lengthy hand recount of ballots conducted as part of the Arizona GOP-led Senate’s review of Maricopa County’s 2020 ballots and election equipment affirmed the results certified nearly 10 months ago: President Joe Biden won Arizona. 

That outcome appears in a draft copy of the report about the ballot review, which was obtained by CBS News Thursday night via a public records request with the Arizona Secretary of State’s office.

According to the draft, Mr. Biden’s approximately 45,000-vote victory in the state’s most populous county even expanded by a few hundred votes. 

The report surfaced less than 24 hours before the Arizona Senate is set to go over the report with the contractors, led by cybersecurity firm Cyber Ninjas, who were hired to conduct the review. 

Republican Arizona Senate President Karen Fann has not responded to a request for comment. An audit spokeswoman noted that more of the report will be released Friday. A separate audit spokesman told KJZZ, which posted similar documents of the draft report, that “it’s not the final report, but it’s close.”

“This means the tabulation equipment counted the ballots as they were designed to do, and the results reflect the will of the voters,” Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jack Sellers, a Republican, said in a statement. “That should be the end of the story. Everything else is just noise.”

While the draft report raises concerns issues with the election administration, it asserts that votes were counted accurately.

“What has been found is both encouraging and alarming. On the positive side there were no substantial differences between the hand count of the ballots provided and the official canvass results for the County,” the draft report says.

Still, the authors criticized the county’s recordkeeping, cited issues with some of its election systems and proposed some reforms to the state’s election processes. The contractors who wrote the report chided Maricopa County for not fully cooperating with the process and said that this prevented “a complete audit.”

“Had Maricopa County chosen to cooperate with the audit, the majority of these obstacles would have easily been overcome,” the draft report says. 

One of the biggest proponents of the ballot review, GOP state Senator Wendy Rogers tweeted that she had spoken with Doug Logan, Cyber Ninjas CEO, and he noted that the leaked draft is “only a partial report” and said “tomorrow’s hearings will render findings of great consequence.”  

Sellers said in his statement, which was released before the draft report, “How could we cooperate with an inquiry that was led by people who have no idea how to run any election, let alone one in the second largest voting district in the United States?”

“The Board approved the election plan, we hired and supported our election experts, and they produced a well-run and accurate election in accordance with Arizona law,” he added. 

Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, who is running for governor, called the review a waste of resources. 

“The Cyber Ninjas embarrassed Arizona for months, violated voters’ trust, refused transparency, and stuck AZ taxpayers with a multi-million dollar bill. What’d they find? Biden won,” Hobbs tweeted. “The so-called leaders who allowed and encouraged this need to be held accountable in 2022.”

Source Article from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/arizona-election-review-maricopa-county-results/

A review of the 2020 election results in Arizona’s most populous county confirmed that Democrat Joe Biden won the Grand Canyon State’s 11 electoral votes legitimately and without the aid of fraud, the CEO of the cybersecurity firm that ran the audit indicated Friday.

Cyber Ninjas chief executive Doug Logan told state senators that his company’s review of the results in Maricopa County showed that Biden gained 99 votes over the official results. Trump lost 261 votes from the official total — which showed him losing the county to Biden by more than 45,000 votes.

“These are all very small numbers when we’re talking about 2.1 million ballots [cast],” Logan said. “These are very small discrepancies. We can say that the ballots that were provided to us to count … very accurately correlate with the official canvas numbers.”

Former President Donald Trump has implied to his supporters for months that the audit would turn up malfeasance that would prove he was removed from office through widespread election fraud. Though witnesses at the hearing where the audit report was presented raised questions about Maricopa County’s ballot-collecting and security procedures, no proof of such fraud was forthcoming.

Former President Trump lost Trump lost 261 votes in the audit.
LM Otero, File/AP

County officials pushed back particularly hard against claims made by Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai, a failed GOP Senate candidate from Massachusetts who claims to have invented email and was once married to the actress Fran Drescher.

In his remarks, Ayyadurai — who was referred to as “Dr. Shiva” throughout the hearing — charged that he had found thousands of mail-in ballot envelopes that were missing voter signatures or bore an illegible scribble.

Ayyadurai also alleged that thousands of duplicate ballots were received and may have been counted by the county, as well as that ballot envelopes with blank signature lines were marked as verified and approved by officials — and that the number of unsigned ballot envelopes submitted to officials increased in the days after Election Day.

Even then, Ayyadurai stopped short of accusing election officials outright fraud, saying at one point that “I don’t want to accuse that,” but called for a “full signature verification audit.”

The audit said President Biden took Maricopa County by 45,000 votes.
Matt York, Pool, File/AP

The county said in a series of statements on Twitter that election officials contacted voters who mailed ballots in an unsigned envelope “to ensure their vote counts.”

In another tweet, the county noted that voters who are unable to sign their name to a ballot receive assistance from special election boards who “visually affirm the marks are the voter’s correct sig.”

Officials also defended their process for counting duplicated ballots, insisting that “only one ballot [from each voter] is counted.”

“Unfortunately, AZ Senators gave unvetted, unqualified, private companies with known biases a platform to share misguided theories and faulty assumptions about Maricopa County elections,” the county said in another Twitter message.

Cyber Ninjas CEO Doug Logan waits for the Arizona Senate Republicans hearing review of the 2020 presidential election results in Maricopa County at the Arizona Capitol on Sept. 24, 2021.
Ross D. Franklin/AP

For his part, the 45th president insisted in a series of emailed statements that “[m]assive fraud was found in the Arizona Forensic Audit, sometimes referred to as ‘Fraudit.’ The numbers are Election Changing!”

In a subsequent message, Trump called on Arizona to “immediately decertify their 2020 Presidential Election Results” due to “incomprehensible Fraud at an Election Changing level, many times more votes than is needed.”

Trump closed with a promise to discuss the audit at his rally in Georgia Saturday night, which is expected to include remarks by Republican US Senate candidate Herschel Walker.

Source Article from https://nypost.com/2021/09/24/arizona-election-audit-confirms-biden-victory-over-trump/

Caitlyn Jenner grabbed plenty of attention when she launched her California gubernatorial recall election campaign in April.

The 1976 Olympic gold-medal-winning decathlete turned transgender rights activist and nationally known TV personality made headlines and landed numerous appearances on news networks during the opening months of her bid to oust and succeed embattled Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

WILL NEWSOM’S BIG WIN IN CALIFORNIA TRANSLATE TO UPCOMING ELECTIONS?

According to the latest unofficial results from election officials, roughly 64% of Californians voted no – meaning against removing Newsom from office – in Tuesday’s recall election, with just 36% casting ballots to oust the first-term governor. Newsom’s margin beat expectations, topping the final public opinion polls heading into the election, which suggested the governor would survive by a much smaller double-digit margin.

Caitlyn Jenner, Republican candidate for California governor, speaks during a news conference on Friday, July 9, 2021, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

For Jenner, the once high expectations of the spring were long gone by late summer. The Republican contender stood at a lowly 1% in the final polling average, and that’s where she finished, according to incomplete results – at 1.1% – in 13th place, far behind conservative talk radio host Larry Elder, who captured nearly half of the votes cast in support of the 46 replacement candidates.

Jenner made headlines for the wrong reasons in July – defending her trip to Australia to appear in a reality TV program – as she deflected accusations that she wasn’t a serious contender. And Jenner, along with Elder, skipped this summer’s gubernatorial debates, agreeing with her rival that she would only attend if Newsom took part in the showdowns.

JENNER DEFENDS TRIP TO AUSTRALIA AMID RECALL CAMPAIGN

“It’s simple. She didn’t run a real campaign or raise any real money,” said a source close to Jenner’s political team who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely. 

Talking with reporters on Tuesday night after the polls closed, Jenner said, “I can’t believe that this many people actually voted to keep him (Newsom) in office. It’s a shame, honestly, it’s a shame.” 

The first-time candidate thanked her advisers, saying, “When I decided to do this, I was coming in as an outsider. I’ve been around politics a long time, but never actually running for office. And I thought I really needed some great people to surround me, to help me get through this, that know the ins and outs of politics. I was able to assemble a great team. And I have to thank all of them, for giving me the guidance, the help, the work on issues.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Jenner wasn’t the only recall replacement candidate to suffer a disappointing finish.

Republican businessman and 2018 Republican gubernatorial nominee John Cox, who spent roughly $7 million to run ads for his recall election campaign, stood in fifth place, with 4.41% of the vote, according to the latest unofficial results.

Source Article from https://www.foxnews.com/politics/caitlyn-jenner-california-recall-election-finish

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(CNN)Police looking for a 5-year-old Illinois boy reported missing from his home say they’re putting special focus on the residence after determining it’s likely he neither was abducted nor walked away.

    Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/20/us/missing-illinois-boy/index.html

    A bus carrying German tourists has plunged off a road and overturned on the Portuguese island of Madeira.

    At least 29 people died and another 27 were injured in the accident near the town of Caniço, according to national news agency Lusa.

    Local mayor Filipe Sousa said all the tourists on the bus were German but some local people could also be among the casualties. Eleven of the fatalities were men and 17 women, Mr Sousa added. The bus was reported to be carrying 55 people.

    Source Article from https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-47969452/madeira-bus-crash-at-least-29-killed-on-tourist-bus

    But for many Chicagoans, the gathering had a cathartic, festive feel, with a brass band playing, children dancing and many in the crowd chanting in praise of their city. (“What city protects democracy? Chicago!”)

    Ian Wallace, a 38-year-old stay-at-home parent from the Old Town neighborhood whose children attend public elementary school, said he was drawn to the protest to stand against Mr. Trump, his policies and his frequent attacks on Chicago.

    “We wanted to show our disappointment with him,” Mr. Wallace said beside three of his children. “There’s a lot of negative things you hear about Chicago, and it’s almost always from someone who doesn’t live here. We love our city.”

    Mr. Trump in recent weeks has been showing up in places where he is unpopular, including the San Francisco Bay Area and Minneapolis, and in his brief day trip to Chicago on Monday, he mostly avoided its residents in favor of out-of-town conference attendees.

    Last week, Mr. Johnson, the superintendent, said he did not plan to attend Mr. Trump’s speech to police leaders because it “doesn’t line up with our city’s core values, along with my personal values.”

    “I can’t in good conscience stand by while racial insults and hatred are cast from the Oval Office, or Chicago is held hostage because of our views on New Americans,” he said in a statement.

    Speaking to the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Mr. Trump questioned Mr. Johnson’s values and said he protected illegal immigrants in a violent city.

    Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/28/us/trump-chicago-visit.html

    Facebook activa el filtro de noticias falsas para no repetir experiencia de elecciones de EE.UU.

    Foto de LOIC VENANCE/AFP/Getty Images

    Facebook se está adelantando a las elecciones de Alemania, que se realizarán en otoño, y para evitar que las noticias falsas y factores externos puedan intervenir en la campaña electoral como supuestamente habría ocurrido en EE.UU., la empresa está lanzando de forma adelantada su servicio de confirmación de noticias.

    Según reportó The Verge con información de The Financial Times, Facebook lanzará su filtro para alertar de noticias falsas en Alemania después de la creciente preocupación en este país por las noticias fabricadas mediante la injerencia de Rusia en las elecciones de EE.UU. y que les colocan como un blanco fácil.

    De este modo Facebook comenzará a verificar y marcar las noticias falsas para los usuarios alemanes las próximas semanas. Esta herramienta fue lanzada primero en EE.UU. mediante la asociación con organizaciones independientes de verificaciones de hechos.

    La decisión de Facebook también tiene un sustento económico. Los legisladores alemanes están considerando la imposición de multas a las redes sociales que permitan la difusión de noticias falsas.

    El funcionamiento de la herramienta de Facebook el Alemania será el siguiente: los usuarios reportarán las noticias, y una organización llamada Correctiv, sin ánimos de lucro y con sede en Berlín, las revisará y etiquetará como verificadas o falsas, según sea el caso.

    Facebook dijo al Times que estaba buscando socios de verificación en otros países para lanzar la herramienta en más lugares. “Nuestro enfoque está en Alemania en este momento, pero ciertamente estamos pensando en los siguientes países”, escribió The Verge.

    La propia red social de Mark Zuckerberg lanzó la semana pasada un proyecto periodístico para combatir la desinformación, en el cual sus ingenieros desarrollarán formatos para apoyar las noticias locales y de medios independientes, y para ayudar al negocio del periodismo.

    Nintendo deslumbra con la Switch y HTC introduce la línea U de celulares con IA

    [La semana en CNET en Español #118] Nintendo mostró finalmente su esperadísima consola Switch, HTC presentó su nueva línea de celulares U con inteligencia artificial y Facebook propone soluciones a la crisis de las noticias falsas.

    Source Article from https://www.cnet.com/es/noticias/facebook-noticias-falsas-en-alemania/

    Leaders at two dating app giants in Texas — Match Group and Bumble — have moved to set up funds to aid people affected by the state’s new abortion ban. Here, abortion-rights supporters march near the Texas state capitol in Austin earlier this year.

    Sergio Flores/Getty Images


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    Sergio Flores/Getty Images

    Leaders at two dating app giants in Texas — Match Group and Bumble — have moved to set up funds to aid people affected by the state’s new abortion ban. Here, abortion-rights supporters march near the Texas state capitol in Austin earlier this year.

    Sergio Flores/Getty Images

    The dating-app company Bumble has created a special fund to help people affected by Texas’ new abortion ban. The CEO of Match, which owns Tinder, is creating a similar fund. Both companies are based in Texas and are led by women.

    “I’m not speaking about this as the CEO of a company,” Match Group CEO Shar Dubey said in a note sent to employees Thursday night. “I’m speaking about this personally, as a mother and a woman who has fervently cared about women’s rights, including the very fundamental right of choice over her body.”

    “I immigrated to America from India over 25 years ago and I have to say, as a Texas resident, I am shocked that I now live in a state where women’s reproductive laws are more regressive than most of the world, including India,” Dubey added.

    The Texas law bans abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, which is earlier than most people would realize that they’ve become pregnant. It also extends enforcement powers to the general public.

    Match Group says its leader, not the company itself, is creating the fund, which would provide aid to any Match employees in Texas who are forced by the new abortion restriction to seek care outside the state. Dallas-based Match owns Tinder, Plenty of Fish and a dozen other apps.

    Dubey’s message came the day after Bumble, which is based in Austin, said it was setting up a fund to support reproductive rights.

    “Bumble has created a relief fund supporting the reproductive rights of women and people across the gender spectrum who seek abortions in Texas,” the company said as the state’s new abortion law took effect this week.

    “We’ll keep fighting against regressive laws like” the one in Texas, the company said, noting that it was founded by women and is led by CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd.

    Match Group CEO Dubey also called the Texas law regressive — a “big step back in women’s rights,” she said, noting that it does not allow exceptions to the ban for victims of rape or incest.

    Bumble’s tweet announcement of its fund has met with a mixed response. Some commenters asked the company to reconsider the move — but others said the company should move out of Texas altogether.

    Source Article from https://www.npr.org/2021/09/03/1033980404/texas-abortion-ban-bumble-match-funds

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democrats in the House of Representatives are gearing up to issue subpoenas to try to obtain Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s full report on Russia’s role in the 2016 U.S. election and President Donald Trump’s actions related to the inquiry.

    The question is: how successful will they be?

    Attorney General William Barr, who has broad authority under Justice Department regulations to decide how much of Mueller’s report to release, sent lawmakers a four-page letter on March 24 explaining Mueller’s “principal conclusions” and has promised to release the nearly 400-page report by the middle of this month, with some parts blacked out, or “redacted.”

    That has not satisfied Democrats, who control the House. The House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on Wednesday to authorize a subpoena to compel the Justice Department to hand over the complete report, without redactions, as well as underlying evidence.

    Here is an explanation of the legal hurdles Democrats must clear in their subpoena effort, important judicial precedents and Barr’s rationale for keeping parts of the report confidential.

    CAN CONGRESS SUBPOENA DOCUMENTS FROM THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH?

    Yes. Committees of the House and Senate possess the power to issues subpoenas for documents held by the executive branch or other subjects in investigations. Under the U.S. Constitution, Congress is a co-equal branch of the federal government alongside the executive branch and judiciary.

    If Barr refuses to comply with a Judiciary Committee subpoena to obtain the full report and underlying investigative material, the House could vote to hold him “in contempt” and turn to the courts to enforce the subpoena. Legal experts said that process could take years.

    Barr’s “principal conclusions” letter said Mueller’s inquiry did not establish that Trump’s campaign team conspired with Russia. Barr also said Mueller did not reach a conclusion on whether the Republican president committed obstruction of justice but also did not exonerate him. Barr subsequently concluded that Trump had not engaged in criminal obstruction.

    The letter provided scant details of the findings, though Trump immediately claimed “complete and total exoneration.” The Mueller investigation has cast a cloud over Trump’s presidency. House Democrats have launched a series of investigations into Trump, who is seeking re-election in 2020.

    A situation analogous to the current subpoena fight unfolded during the presidency of Trump’s Democratic predecessor Barack Obama. In 2012, the House, then controlled by Republicans, subpoenaed internal Justice Department documents related to a failed federal law enforcement operation to track illegal gun sales, dubbed “Fast and Furious.” Obama’s attorney general, Eric Holder, refused to comply. The House voted to hold him in contempt, marking the first time in U.S. history that Congress took such action against a sitting member of a president’s Cabinet.

    The Justice Department later turned over thousands of pages of documents but the matter was not resolved until after Obama left office, with a settlement reached in 2018.

    WHY DID BARR NOT SIMPLY RELEASE THE WHOLE REPORT?

    Barr told lawmakers in a March 29 letter that he was making “redactions that are required” before releasing the Mueller report. He cited four reasons for redactions: protecting secret grand jury proceedings; safeguarding intelligence-gathering sources and methods; shielding material that could affect ongoing investigations; and protecting information that would unduly infringe on personal privacy and reputations.

    Grand juries are groups of citizens who meet in secret and decide whether to authorize criminal indictments or demands for evidence sought by prosecutors. U.S. law generally requires that information obtained from grand jury proceedings be kept secret, though there are exceptions that let Congress, and even the general public, see it.

    Barr also could redact information by citing a legal doctrine called executive privilege, which allows the president to withhold information about internal executive branch deliberations from other branches of government.

    WHAT LAWS AND HISTORICAL PRECEDENTS APPLY?

    Federal law and judicial precedent could play a role in the subpoena fight.

    Under U.S. law, grand jury testimony generally must be kept secret. But if a grand jury matter involves “grave hostile acts of a foreign power” or other intelligence information, the information can be shared with appropriate government officials. The law also lets a judge release grand jury information when strong public interest is at stake.

    Slideshow (2 Images)

    A 1974 court decision involving Republican President Richard Nixon gives Democrats strong ammunition to argue that they are entitled to any grand jury information redacted by Barr. Leon Jaworski, a special prosecutor during the Watergate scandal, produced a report that relied on evidence from grand jury proceedings.

    H.R. Haldeman, who had served Nixon as White House chief of staff, sought to block that information from Congress, citing the same grand jury secrecy provision mentioned by Barr. The dispute ended up before a panel of federal appeals court judges in Washington, which ruled 5-1 against Haldeman. The court said Congress clearly needed the material to conduct an effective impeachment investigation, and noted that the Democratic-led House Judiciary committee had taken “elaborate precautions to insure against unnecessary and inappropriate disclosure of these materials.” The committee approved articles of impeachment against Nixon as Congress began the process of trying to remove him from office. Nixon resigned before the full House could vote on impeachment.

    If Barr were to cite executive privilege in redacting material, a 1974 Supreme Court ruling could come into play. Nixon withheld tape recordings and other material subpoenaed by Jaworski, citing executive privilege. The high court then ordered him to give the material to a federal district court, saying the president’s interest in keeping his communications secret was outweighed by the judiciary’s need for evidence.

    Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Editing by Will Dunham and Noeleen Walder

    Source Article from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-subpoena-explainer/explainer-can-democratic-subpoenas-force-the-release-of-muellers-trump-russia-report-idUSKCN1RE2GW

    Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on Sunday accused the Biden administration of being “in bed with Big Tech,” making the argument that comments made by White House press secretary Jen Psaki last week have only strengthened former President Donald Trump’s lawsuit accusing Facebook and Twitter of censorship. 

    “I kind of wonder if Jen Psaki is on the payroll of Donald Trump because her press conference strengthened President Trump’s lawsuit against Big Tech,” Cruz said in an appearance on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.” “It makes clear that everything we thought about the Biden administration – about their willingness to trample on free speech, to trample on the Constitution, to use government power to silence you, everything we feared they might do, they are doing and worse. And I think that President Trump’s lawsuit got much, much stronger this week.” 

    As coronavirus cases are on the rise and vaccination rates have slowed in the U.S., the White House launched an effort to crack down on misinformation, starting with a warning from U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy that bogus information about coronavirus is an “urgent threat” to public health. 

    The surgeon general’s office issued a new report titled, “Confronting Health Misinformation,” that makes recommendations for social media platforms to “impose clear consequences for accounts that repeatedly violate platform policies.”

    WHITE HOUSE DOUBLES DOWN ON ITS HARSH CRITICISM OF FACEBOOK FOLLOWING BIDEN’S ‘KILLING’ REMARKS 

    Psaki doubled down on the administration’s relationship with Facebook on Friday and said it is “making sure social media platforms are aware of the latest narratives,” and even added that if a user is banned from one platform “for providing misinformation” that user should be banned from all others. 

    “We don’t take anything down. We don’t block anything, Facebook, and any private sector company makes decisions about what information should be on their platform,” Psaki said in defense of the relationship and reported this week that 12 people are to blame for 65% of anti-vaccine misinformation on social media platforms.

    Speaking with host Maria Bartiromo, Cruz posed a hypothetical situation, suggesting that what Biden is doing now to pressure Facebook to act would strike a more serious chord if, for example, the White House directed a private paramilitary organization to seize Americans’ guns – then signed a law granting that paramilitary group freedom from any civil liability for its actions. 

    Cruz explained that First Amendment protection apply to government censorship, but comments from the White House illustrate how private companies with a monopoly could also stamp out free speech. 

    “The Supreme Court has long recognized a line of cases when government uses a private company as a tool, as an arm to implement a government policy – in this instance, when government explicitly asks a private monopoly ‘censor the following speech we disagree with,’ that that private company can be treated as a state actor,” Cruz said. 

    President Joe Biden accused the tech companies of “killing people” by allowing misinformation to remain on their platforms, comments which drew a quick rebuke from Facebook. 

    “The White House is looking for scapegoats for missing their vaccine goals,” a Facebook spokesperson told NBC’s Dylan Byers.

    Appearing on Fox News before his speech at Turning Point USA’s Student Action Summit, Cruz further accused both the Democratic Party and Big Tech of being “in bed” with the Chinese Communist Party. 

    “Big Tech is in bed with the Chinese communists,” Cruz said. “Among the biggest funders of the Democratic Party are the giant corporations. And many of the giant corporations, the Fortune 50 and the Fortune 500, are in bed with the Chinese communists.” 

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    His examples included Biden nominating Linda Thomas-Greenfield as his United Nations ambassador despite her making a speech at a Chinese-funded Confucius Institute event, the State Department reversing its policy to ban Taiwanese flags on U.S. government property to appease the Chinese government and Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee rejecting a Green New Deal amendment that would have banned the purchase of electric cars from the region in China where the Uyghurs are being held in concentration camps. 

    Fox News’ Emma Colton, Marisa Schultz and Jacqui Heinrich contributed to this report. 

    Source Article from https://www.foxnews.com/politics/cruz-biden-big-tech-in-bed-vaccine-controversy

    Image copyright
    Omar Mateen

    Image caption

    Omar Mateen, estadounidense de 29 años, fue identificado como el atacante del club nocturno en Orlando.

    La policía identificó a Omar Mateen cçlomo el hombre que abrió fuego en un club nocturno gay en Orlando, Florida, y dejó 49 muertos y al menos 53 heridos, en la que es considerado la peor masacre en la historia de Estados Unidos.

    Mateen fue abatido por la policía después de una toma de rehenes en la discoteca Pulse que se prolongó durante tres horas..

    El joven de 29 años había nacido en Nueva York de padres afganos.

    El Buró de Investigaciones de EE.UU. (FBI, por sus siglas en inglés) confirmó que Mateen llamó al número de emergencia 911 antes del ataque y declararó su lealtad al grupo radical autodenominado Estado Islámico.

    En sus conversaciones telefónicas con la policía durante el ataque Mateen se mostró “tranquilo y calmado”.

    Image copyright
    Omar Mateen vía MySpace

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    Varias fotografías de Mateen estaban en un perfil de MySpace que presuntamente pertenecía al atacante.

    Mateen vivía en Fort Pierce, una localidad entre las ciudades de Orlando y Miami, en la costa este de Florida.

    Las autoridades dijeron que el atacante probablemente tuvo motivos ideológicos, sin embargo aún no hay confirmación de que Mateen estuviera asociado a un grupo en particular.

    Un portavoz del FBI declaró este domingo que la agencia investigó a Mateen en dos ocasiones.

    Primero en 2013 luego de que hiciera “comentarios incendiarios” a un colega.

    Image copyright
    Getty Images

    Image caption

    La casa de Mateen en Fort Pierce, Florida, fue puesta bajo custodia federal luego del tiroteo.

    En 2014 el FBI lo volvió a entrevistar, esta vez sobre una posible conexión con el atacante suicida estadounidense Moner Abu Salha, que se unió a Estado Islámico en Siria.

    Ambas investigaciones se cerraron.

    La empresa de seguridad privada G4S confirmó que Mateen había sido uno de sus empleados desde septiembre de 2007.

    “No estaba de guardia cuando ocurrió el incidente”, indicó la compañía en un comunicado, además de asegurar que está cooperando con el FBI y otras agencias.

    Este domingo el FBI confirmó que el atacante había comprado de manera legal al menos dos armas durante la semana pasada en Florida.

    Una era un rifle tipo AR calibre .223, que se destaca por su alta capacidad de disparos continuos, y otra era una pistola semiautomática de 9 mm.

    Además de los 49 fallecidos, otras 53 personas resultaron heridas en el ataque. Algunos de ellos se encuentran en condición crítica en hospitales de Orlando, informó el alcalde Buddy Dyer.

    Image copyright
    Omar Mateen vía MySpace

    Image caption

    Mateen portaba dos armas, una de ellas un rifle tipo AR con capacidad para disparar rondas continuas de balas.

    Sitora Yusufiy, la exesposa de Mateen, dijo a la prensa este domingo que su expareja era alguien “inestable emocionalmente”, que la golpeó en varias ocasiones durante su breve matrimonio.

    “Era un enfermo mental. Esa es la única explicación que puedo dar y estaba evidente perturbado”, dijo, además de relatar que fue “literalmente rescatada” de la casa en que vivía con Mateen.

    Al saber de la noticia, Sitora dice que quedó “devastada y conmocionada”.

    “Empecé a temblar y a llorar porque más que nada estaba tan profundamente herida y triste por las personas que perdieron a sus seres queridos y las familias que están sufriendo ahora”.

    Algunos medios en EE.UU. señalan que Mateen tiene un hijo pequeño de una relación con otra mujer, aunque la información no ha sido confirmada-.

    Padre

    Seddique Mateen, el padre del atacante, afirmó que las acciones de su hijo probablemente están motivadas por su rechazo a la homosexualidad y descartó que estuvieran relacionadas con la religión.

    Según dijo, su hijo había estado molesto luego de que vio a dos hombres besándose en Miami.

    Medios en EE.UU. han señalado que Seddique Mateen tiene un programa en una cadena vía satélite con sede en California dedicada a Afganistán llamado Durand Jirga Show y en el que habría mostrado su apoyo al Talibán.

    En un vídeo publicado en las últimas horas en su perfil de Facebook, el padre del atacante de Orlando asegura que “Dios castigará a los implicados en la homosexualidad” porque es un tema que “no corresponde a los humanos”.

    La casa de Omar Mateen fue puesta bajo custodia por la policía local y agentes del FBI, que lidera la investigación de lo que fue catalogado el presidente Barack Obama como “un acto terrorista”.

    Este lunes Obama declaró que no hay una evidencia concreta de que el atacante de Orlando haya actuado bajo la dirección de una red más grande, y que parecía estar inspirado por posturas extremistas en internet.

    Source Article from http://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-internacional-36512840