NEWS SUMMARY AT THIS HOUR

                          (UPDATING AND EXPANDING WILL CONTINUE UP TO 745AM)

While John McCain's 2008 running mate Sarah Palin is being excluded from his funeral services, the man she ran against, former Democrat Vice-President Joe Biden is very much involved.

A longtime US Senator, Biden eulogized Senator McCain at a Thursday memorial service in Phoenix saying he always thought of McCain "as a brother".   Biden explained his long time relationship that began when McCain served as a US Navy liaison officer with the Senate in the 1970's.

Biden is one of the Democrat front-runners to run against President Trump in 2020.

At least are seven are dead after a tractor-trailer crashed head-on into a packed Greyhound bus along Interstate 40 in northwestern New Mexico.   The truck driver and most of the 49 people on the bus were injured in the Thursday afternoon accident..  New Mexico State Police believe that the death toll will rise.

The semi truck blew a tire while travelling eastbound and the driver lost control with the truck crossing the median and hitting the bus going westbound.

LATE WORD FROM AMSTERDAM OF A FRIDAY KNIFE ATTACK AT AMSTERDAM'S CENTRAL TRAIN STATION, TWO REPORTED INJURED AND THE ATTACKER SHOT BY POLICE AND ARRESTED.

The attack comes in a week of controversy involving plans for a Prophet Mohammed cartoon contest.

Saying via Twitter yesterday that "the safety and security of my countrymen come first" Dutch Parliament member Geert Wilders cancelled plans for a Prophet Mohammed cartoon contest in November.

Announcement of the contest triggered protests on the streets of Pakistan and denunciation of the contest by Pakistan's foreign minister.    A Pakistani athlete placed a bounty on Wilder's head.   The Dutch government issued a warning to its citizens there.

Wilders said the events of recent days "showed the true face of Islam with death threats, fatwas and violence".    Police arrested a man in the Netherlands earlier this week for plotting to kill Wilders.

Argentina's currency plummeted 13 percent in value Thursday after the nation's central bank raised the prime lending rate from 45 to 60 percent.

The peso has dropped 50 percent in value in relation to the US dollar this year.

Today is the deadline for a new North American trade deal to be finished for presentation to Congress.   Mexico and the United States reached agreement Monday with Canada left out.   Now its crunch time for Canada to secure its place in a deal.    President Trump wants a new North American trade agreement to replace the NAFTA deal which he says was bad for the United States.

The FBI has arrested a 68-year old California man for threatening reporters at the "Boston Globe".  Robert Chain is charged in connection with a dozen threats and could face up to five years in prison and a 250-thousand dollar fine.

Media reports say Mr. Chain used the phrase "enemy of the people" when he called the newspaper, a phrase associated with President Trump's criticism of the mainstream media's biased reporting.

Russian military maneuvers are set to begin Saturday in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Syria.

25 surface ships and 30 aircraft are involved.

Tensions are high in the region with Syria's Foreign Minister claiming the "White Helmets" group has kidnapped 44 children to participate a in false flag chemical attack and Russia saying US and allied forces that would retaliate against Syria for the false flag attack are capable of launching an attack within 24 hours.

United Nations Syria representative Staffan de Mistrua is urging negotiations and humanitarian corridors to evacuate the northern Idlib region's civilian population ahead of an expected government offensive.

Police in Israel say that the wife of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is suspected of bribery.   A lawyer for Sara Netanyahu dismisses the allegation as nonsense.

Police in Israel are investigating corruption allegations against both Mr. and Mrs. Netanyahu in separate cases.

And Israeli television station "Hadashot TV" is reporting that Yair Netanyahu, eldest son of the prime minister, is suspected of receiving bribes.

Police in Paris have opened a preliminary investigation into an allegation of rape against actor Gerard Depardieu.   A woman in her 20's alleges she was raped twice at Depardieu's home on two separate occasions earlier this month.   His lawyer says he "absolutely" denies the allegations.

                    NEWS SUMMARY AT THIS HOUR

                                       (EXPANDING AND UPDATING TILL 730AM)

In the flurry of tweets yesterday from President Trump was word that White House Counsel Donald McGahn is leaving soon.   The President's announcement follows the revelation that McGahn spent 30 hours being interviewed by the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Interviewed on National Public Radio this morning legal scholar and supporter of the President, Alan Dershowitz, said it was a good idea for McGahn to be leaving because his conversations with Mueller's team make him a potential witness against the President.

Dershowitz thinks the President "should be worried" about what McGahn said because Mueller probably got information he didn't have before and could use it to promote the notion that the President is involved in wrongdoing,

An economic crisis in Argentina as the value of the country's currency dropped seven percent Wednesday.

President Mauricio Macri asked the International Monetary Fund for early release of a 50 billion dollar loan Argentina secured earlier this year.

At that time Macri has said Argentina's economy was doing so well  that the loan would not be needed.

In Venezuela the new government economic decrees are driving private business out of business.

Blogger Daniel Duquenal posted on "Venezuela News And Views" from Caracas in the last 24 hours:

"no food whatsoever within one month".

Figures for economic growth in the USA during the second quarter of this year have been revised upwards.    The growth rate for the nations Gross Domestic Product revised up from 4.1 to 4.2 percent.  A growth rate that strong signals strong job producing growth. 

President Trump says North Korea's disturbing attitude towards the United States recently is because of China and the dispute over tariffs with North Korea's close ally.

Trump says he hopes to work out the trade dispute with China's president.

The President's comments came on Twitter.

China has responded characterizing the comments as hard to understand and irresponsible.

New York's incumbent Democrat Governor Andrew Cuomo spared with outsider progressive challenger Cynthia Nixon in a debate at Hofstra University.    They are running against each other in the Democrat primary on September 13th.

Cuomo challenged Nixon: "Can you stop interrupting?" to which Nixon replied: "Can you stop lying? with Cuomo's response: "Yeah, as soon as you do".

Senator John McCain's 2008 running mate Governor Sarah Palin is not invited to the funeral services for him.

According to Kelly O'Donnell of NBC News, a source in the Palin family says:  "Out of respect to Senator McCain and his family we have nothing to add at this point.   The Palin family will always cherish their friendship with the McCains and hold those memories dear."

Russia's Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov says he has expressed concern to the US government about signs that military action is being planned against Syria.  Antonov warned against any 'groundless and illegal aggression against Syria".

A Russian military spokesman said last Saturday that British intelligence is plotting with jihadist opposition forces to stage a false flag chemical attack in Syria to trigger US military action.

The US State Department is disputing reports claiming that Syrian officials met with US officials earlier this year.   The reports said that the US offered to pull its forces out of northeastern Syria in exchange for an Iranian withdrawal in Syria's south.

And in Germany more nationalist protests are planned today and Saturday over the attack on three Germans last weekend in the city of Chemnitz that killed one of them, a 35-year old man.  Two foreign born suspects are in custody, an Iraqi and a Syrian.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has denounced the protests as "hate on the streets" that "has nothing to do with our constitutional state".

Government officials are investigating the leak online of an arrest warrant for one of the suspects expressing alarm that individuals the media describe as "far right" inside the police and courts may have been responsible for the leak.

                    NEWS SUMMARY AT THIS HOUR

                               (UPDATING EXPANDING THROUGH 8AM EASTERN TIME)

We begin with the latest on the Russia, Syria, Iran situation.

The United States is publicly warning Russia and Syria against the use of chemical weapons during the upcoming government offensive in Syria.

Heather Nauert of the State Department says that the United States will respond to any verified use of chemical weapons in Syria" "in a swift and appropriate manner".  She said US officials are talking about the matter with their Russian counterparts.

Russia's Defense Ministry spokesman said last Saturday that British intelligence and jihadist opposition forces in Syria were planning a false flag chemical attack to trigger a military response by the US and allied nations.

Mainstream media reports stressed a threatening Russian military posture Tuesday with word that Russia now has the largest number of warships in Syrian waters ever since they began supporting the government there in 2015.

Another big story involved Russia's plans for a major military exercise next month involving thousands of tanks and planes and hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu says Russia is negotiating with opposition forces in northern Syria to avoid a fight with the Assad regime forces preparing to launch their expected offensive.

Meanwhile, US UN Ambassador Nikki Haley says Iran is using human shields in the war in Yemen where Iran backs the Houthi rebels.

Her comments came hours after a United Nations human rights panel reported that the various factions in Yemen's Civil War including the Saudi Arabian led military coalition supported by the US may be guilty of war crimes.

US Defense Secretary James Mattis says the US is working for a negotiated settlement of the conflict but also said Saudi Arabia has a right to defend itself from missile attacks launched by Houthi rebels against Saudi targets.

The Houthis say they fired another missile at Saudi Arabia today.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei says that Iran could pull out of the nuclear deal with foreign powers if the deal does not serve its own interests.   The United States has already pulled out of it with other powers saying they are trying to salvage the deal.    Khamenei's comments were posted today on his official website.

Former Congressman, Republican presidential candidate and longtime Libertarian activist Ron Paul has endorsed the independent candidacy of Ryan Bundy for governor of Nevada.

Paul said Bundy knows abuse at the hands of the federal government first hand and noted how he was imprisoned in connection with the Bunkerville Standoff while the federal government hid evidence proving his innocence.

Ryan Bundy faces Republican Adam Laxalt and Democrat Steve Sisolak in the General Election in Nevada this November.

Tuesday was a big primary election day.

President Trump put the best spin on outcome of the 3-way Republican US Senate race in Arizona.  

In 2016 the primary winner Republican Congresswoman Martha McSally wouldn't say who she would vote for in the November election echoing the lack of enthusiasm for Donald Trump in the Arizona GOP led by the late Senator John McCain who wrote in Senator Lindsey Graham.

Tweeting late last night, Trump noted that McSally did not accept the endorsement of outgoing Republican Senator Jeff Flake, an outspoken opponent of the President.   He urged support for McSally in November. 

Flake responded saying that he had never endorsed anyone in the race to begin with and his last endorsement was of Democrat Doug Jones against Roy Moore in the Alabama Special Election last year.

Conservative Trump supporting candidate Kelli Ward was heavily attacked by anti-Trump special interests with a massive negative ad campaign during the primary campaign.

She was also hampered by the third candidate in the race, former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Democrat Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema won in her primary to face McSally in November.

Among the Democrats in Florida former Clinton Administration Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala won the nomination for an open House seat in the Miami area.

And a Bernie Sanders type Democrat Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum won his party's nomination for US Senate.   He will face Republican Governor Rick Scott in the fall.

Police in the Netherlands have arrested a man alleged to be planning an attack on Dutch Parliament member and Party of Freedom leader Geert Wilders.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister has condemed a planned Prophet Mohammed cartoon contest being held by Wilders in November.   Shah Mahmood Qureshi complained to his Dutch counterpart over the planned contest saying:  "such acts spread hate and intolerance".

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he's agreeable to a new trade deal with the United States if its favorable to Canada.

Canada's Foreign Minister broke off a European trip and rushed to Washington after President Trump announced agreement with Mexico leaving Canada out in the cold on a new trade agreement to replace NAFTA, which the President said was bad for the United States.

Canada is now trying to cut a deal so it can be in on the pact between US and Mexico.

Actress Rose McGowan is coming out in support of former child actor Jimmy Bennett, who says he was sexually assaulted by Actress-Director Asia Argento in 2013 when he was 17.

McGowan says what happened to Bennett "wasn't fair (or) right".

McGowan also says she is reevaluating her relationship with Argento.   Both of them say they were victimized by movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Argento has admitted paying Bennett 380-thousand dollars but denies any sexual misconduct.

Text messages have recently been published that appear to contradict her denial of sexual activity with him.

French and British fishing boats have clashed in the English Channel.   A group of several dozen French boats came down on five British vessels with insults, rocks and smoke bombs hurled at the Brits.

The French were angered by the British fishing for scallops in waters 12 miles off the coast of Normandy.   Its legal for the British to be fishing there but the French say their catch is being stolen from them.

The European Union regulates how much fishing can be done causing problems for the fishing industry with many in Britain advocating Brexit as a way to rejuvenate the industry.

A British fishing association is calling for calm in the aftermath of the incident.  A French local government official says both sides attacked each other during the confrontation.

How many people died when Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico last September?    A "independent investigation"  revised the number of dead 50 times higher to 2.975.    The governor of Puerto Rico accepted the findings officially this week.

Blame is being thrown at Washington and the Trump Administration with some critics going so far as to claim President Trump cared more about victims of hurricanes in Texas and Florida than in Puerto Rico.

Pennsylvania's Governor Tom Wolf, a  Democrat running for re-election this year, is visiting Puerto Rico this week.  Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York has made relief for Puerto Rico a major issue in his re-election year as well.   Both politicians apparently trying to capitalize on the issue to reach Puerto Rican voters in their states.

Governor Cuomo will face off against his left-leaning Democrat primary opponent actress Cynthia Nixon in a debate this evening at Hofstra University.   Nixon says Cuomo is controlling the debate through direct interaction with sponsor WCBS-TV leaving her out in the cold.  She also says that Cuomo is even controlling the air conditioning to cool down the temperatures for his comfort and make her female metabolism uncomfortable.

Voters will decide the winner in the primary on September 13th.

In the southern German state of Bavaria, latest polling for the October 14th election shows the lowest numbers ever for the Christian Social Union, the sister party of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union.     The CSU is down to 36 percent.   They won nearly 48 percent  of the vote and a parliamentary majority in the last election.

Immigration and migrant crime are major issues.

The anti-European Union  Alternative for Germany Party is in its first quest for votes in the state elections.    They are polling at 14 percent with the left-leaning Green Party polling at 15 percent.

That's the news and if you want to remember 50 years ago in Chicago, the tumultuous Democratic National Convention, there's a special post at this link.....DNC 1968 POST

                    NEWS SUMMARY AT THIS HOUR

             (EDITING AND EXPANDING THROUGH 5AM THIS MORNING EASTERN TIME)

Its Primary Election Day in Arizona and Florida today with the 3-way Republican Senate primary to find a candidate for the fall.   Anti-President Trump Republican Jeff Flake is retiring.

Conservative candidate Kelli Ward is facing a massive media campaign against her and the vote splitting caused by former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's presence in the race.

The big campaign against Ward is designed to help Republican Congresswoman Martha McSally win the primary contest.   She would not commit to supporting President Trump in 2016 during the election campaign.

President Trump tweeted an endorsement of Arizona's incumbent Republican governor Doug Ducey on Monday.

He also twice Monday tweeted a presidential endorsement of Congressman Ron DeSantis  in the Republican primary for Governor in Florida.

There were injuries as rival protests took to the streets in the German city of Chemnitz Monday.

One man was killed and two others injured early Sunday in a knife attack with a Syrian and an Iraqi suspect in custody.

This brought German nationalist protestors onto the streets of the city Sunday with reports that foreigners were chased and police saying they are investigating assaults on three foreigners.

On Monday leftists took to the streets to oppose the nationalist protesters with objects thrown by both sides according to news reports.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has denounced what she is calling "vigilantism" following the knife attack by the foreigners.

Meanwhile, Syria was on the mind of Mrs. Merkel in a conversation with President Trump.  Her spokesman says that both leaders were concerned about the "humanitarian situation" in northern Syria, where government forces are expected to launch an offensive.  Russia is being urged to restrain "escalation" of the situation, according to Merkel's spokesman.

In February, President Trump condemned the humanitarian situation in Syria blaming Syria, Russia and Iran for conditions in war zones where government offensives were underway.

Also Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May is also sharing her concerns about military escalation and the "possible use of chemical weapons" in Syria according to Reuters.   She spoke about those matters with the Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday.

These developments come two days after the Russian military spokesman's statement Saturday that British intelligence and jihadists in northern Syria are preparing a false flag chemical attack there using civilians trained to be fake casualties with the involvement of the "White Helmets".  The Russian say such an incident could come within days and would trigger a US-UK-French military attack on Syria.

Supporting the Al Qaeda jihadists in Syria was a major cause of  the late Senator John McCain.  His longtime friend Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina visited Syrian opposition forces in northern Syria two months ago in a surprise visit.

A funeral ceremony will be held at the National Cathedral in Washington this Saturday for Senator McCain.  President Trump will not attend but members of his administration including his chief of staff and the Secretary of Defense will be there.

Former President's George W. Bush and Barack Obama will offer eulogies.

Vice President Mike Pence will address a service for McCain at the Capitol on Friday.

Italy's Interior Minister said that any investigation by prosecutors into his handling of 177 migrants on an Italian coast guard ship will "boomerang".

A Sicilian prosecutor has placed Matteo Salvini under investigation for allegedly kidnapping the migrants.

Salvini said he was doing his job defending Italy's interests and will do it again.  The migrants are being taken in by Albania, Ireland and the Roman Catholic Church in Italy at no cost to taxpayers and are leaving the ship.

Three Egyptians and a Bangladeshi are under arrest for trafficking the migrants.

A United Nations human rights reports has come out about the war in Yemen saying that all sides may be guilty of war crimes including Yemen's government, the Saudi led coalition supporting it and the Houthi rebels.

The UN report says that the Saudi coalition's naval and air blockade of rebel areas may also be a war crime.

The United States has provided weapons and ammunition to the Saudi coalition while Iran backs the Houthi rebel forces.

President Trump announced a new trade deal with Mexico is on the way.   He spoke at the Oval Office Monday and said the deal will be finalized within days.  Trump urged Canada to get on board with the new deal that will replace NAFTA.

Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland is flying to Washington, cutting short a European trip, to try to get talks with the US moving.

And Toyota, the Japanese carmaker, is investing 500 million dollars in Uber and expanding a partnership between the two companies to develop self-driving cars.

THE DNC CHICAGO 1968: REMEMBERING 50 YEARS AGO

I was eight years old and school didn't start up until after Labor Day.  Television had limited choices.

No cable in my house just what the antenna brought in.   Three big networks and their stations along with  the "educational" channel soon to be known as "public television".

The networks devoted pretty much their full attention to the political conventions with gavel to gavel on NBC and CBS with ABC running some entertainment, then the convention.

I watched from my living room not aroused by issues and protests.  Television to me was watching Adam West and Burt Ward ("Batman" and "Robin") fighting with the bad guys as the "Pow", "Zap", and "Zowie" were flashed on the screen.

The fighting inside and outside the convention provided some entertainment from my perspective.

The adults were fed up with protests and having to see them on television all the time.  The racial violence was bad enough, now these "long-haired hippies" with their anti-war issue.   The adults were growing weary of the media.

For Mayor Richard J. Daley, the Mayor of Chicago, the Democrat Boss, the Rahm Emmanuel of his time, the issue of violence was threatening his ability to rule Chicago.    The deaths, injuries and property damage inflicted by five years of sporadic but serious outbreaks of racial violence was wearing the patience of the mostly white working class voters thin.

In 1966 the Democrats in Illinois lost a Senate seat to Republican Charles Percy as the whites in Chicago deserted the machine.   They wanted police to get tough with protesters.

Daley had to control the convention inside against liberal anti-war elements supporting Eugene McCarthy and George McGovern and others who were there like Georgia Governor Lester Maddox, stalking for the third party candidacy of Alabama Governor George Wallace.

The machine had to bring off the nomination of Vice President Hubert Humphrey as the Democrat nominee for president.

And as you can see in the video links, they did it, but at a great cost to the Democratic Party that it was unable to recover from by November 1968 as Richard Nixon came through the three way split with George Wallace to defeat Humphrey.

Protesters on the streets, dissenters inside the convention hall and the media reporting it all were roughed up.

Links below.....

NBC-DELEGATES REPORTER ROUGHED UP ON FLOOR, STREET PROTESTS

,CBS NEWS (DAN RATHER ROUGHED UP)


EDITED VIDEO OF STREET PROTESTS, POLICE, NATIONAL GUARD CRACKDOWN

                   NEWS SUMMARY AT THIS HOUR

                             

US Senator John McCain of Arizona is dead at 81.   McCain was diagnosed with a brain tumor last year.

He was the son and grandson of  US Navy Admirals and followed them into the Navy.  McCain was shot down and became a prisoner of war in North Vietnam in the 1960's.  After the war he served as a liaison officer with Congress.

This led to a political career, first as a member of the House, then a US Senator.

McCain served on committees overseeing media regulation and the armed services.

McCain sought the presidency losing the Republican Party nomination to George W. Bush in 2000.  He then won the GOP nod in 2008, losing to Barack Obama following the economic downturn that emerged in September 2008.

McCain picked then Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate.

Tonight Palin said:  "John McCain was my friend.  I will remember the good times"

The public controversy surrounding Senator McCain began with an ethics committee investigation into his connections with banker Charles Keating and those of four other senators.   The ethics committee cleared McCain of wrongdoing in 1991, but said he had exercised "poor judgement".

In more recent times Senator McCain's support for a liberal immigration policy and military intervention in the Middle East were sources of controversy, with McCain linked to jihadist militants fighting civil wars in Libya and Syria.  McCain also supported an aggressive stance against Russia including military support for Ukraine. 

The controversy surrounding McCain culminated with his involvement in handling the anti-Donald Trump "Steele Dossier".

Tonight President Trump tweeted:  "My deepest sympathies and respect go out to the family of Senator John McCain.  Our hearts and prayers are with you!".

Also expressing her sadness and sympathy for Senator McCain's family is his primary opponent in his last Arizona Republican primary election, Dr. Kelli Ward.     Dr. Ward is running in a three-way Republican Primary contest to find a candidate for the seat currently held by Republican Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona.  Election Day is Tuesday.

Flake has been a harsh critic of President Trump and Ward is reminding voters that the candidate backed by powerful interests in Arizona and leading in polls, Congresswoman Martha McSally, will be the next Jeff Flake.

Russia is warning of another chemical attack incident in Syria.  A spokesman for Russia's Defense Ministry said Saturday that jihadist militants, aided by British intelligence, intend to stage the chemical incident to justify another American, British, French attack on Syrian government facilities.

The Syrian government, backed by Russian Aerospace Forces (Air Force), intends to launch a major offensive in northern Syria where the fake chemical attack is allegedly being prepared.  

The Russian spokesman says the deployment of a US Navy destroyer to the Persian Gulf with 56 cruise missiles and a B-1 bomber to Qatar with surface to air missiles are signs of preparation for an attack on Syria.

He accused the Western nations of acting contrary to public statements and acting to disrupt the peace process in Syria.

President Trump recently announced that the United States will not spend money on reconstruction efforts in Syria, saying that Saudi Arabia will pick up the tab.

Italian prosecutors in Sicily are investigating Interior Minister Matteo Salvini because migrants have not been allowed to leave a boat that docked on Monday.

They are investigating Salvini for possible illegal confinement, illegal arrest and abuse of power.

Salvini is rebuffing the probe, saying the migrants will be allowed off the boat in due course.

The Italian government is seeking to get other European nations to take more of the migrants and is keeping them on the boat until matters could be worked out.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte says his government is not involved in a Prophet Mohammed cartoon contest being organized by Dutch Parliament member Geert Wilders.

Wilders is the leader of the Party of Freedom, an opposition party, and plans to hold the contest at the party's headquarters in November.

Rutte responded to anger caused by the planned cartoon contest in Pakistan.

Today Wilders tweeted:  "Never give in to Islamic totalitarianism nor to Islamic cuddlers like the weak Dutch Prime Minister Rutte   Always fight for freedom. Always".

BUNKERVILLE STANDOFF:  SET THE CAPTIVES FREE, APPEAL TO PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR PARDONS

While others are free after the truth came out, three men are still in prison in spite of the obvious rigging of the cases against them by the US Justice Department (Todd Engel-14 years, Greg Burleson-68 years-three months and Jerry Delemus-seven years,three months).

Before Todd Engel was removed late Thursday from a privately owned prison in Pahrump, Nevada to his new federal prison location, Briana Bundy issued an appeal which was published on his Facebook support page.

The appeal links to a letter Todd wrote called "A Long Trail Of Abuses". Link here: Todd Engel-Trail Of Abuses Letter  Bundy is urging that the letter be printed and mailed to:

President Trump

1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW

Washington DC 20500

She hopes everyone will also write a letter of their own urging a Presidential Pardon for Todd and Greg Burleson.

Also more than well deserving of a Presidential Pardon is Jerry Delemus, co-chair of the New Hampshire Veterans Coalition for Donald Trump in 2016 before his arrest.   Jerry actually met Donald Trump as a candidate during the primary campaign.

Link below to Todd Engel support page:

FREE TODD ENGEL FACEBOOK

Link below to Greg Burleson support page:

SUPPORT GREG BURLESON FACEBOOK

Link below to Jerry Delemus support page:

FREE JERRY NOW FACEBOOK

REMEMBER MISSISSIPPI....IS ARIZONA NEXT?....THE LATEST DONALD TRUMP BRUTUS ENDORSEMENT

"Mississippians know I'm the only conservative in this race.  They know I'll be the toughest fighter for President Trump's America First agenda and I look forward to working together with him very soon to continue making America great."

Mississippi Conservative candidate Chris "Remember Mississippi" McDaniel Twitter 8/23/2018

"@cindyhydesmith has helped me put America First!"

President Donald J. Trump Twitter Endorsement of Chris "Remember Mississippi" McDaniel's opponent, appointed US Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith

Chris McDaniel was taken out by a nasty RINO political machine campaign in the 2014 primary runoff that recruited black Democrat voters into the contest on the notion that McDaniel was a racist.

The same RINO political machine that has undercut President Trump when the going got tough for President Trump (media attacks-scandal stories-controversial comments) and the same political machine that appointed Cindy Hyde-Smith to the US Senate from Mississippi.

Cindy Hyde-Smith is endorsed by the cheap labor express as in the US Chamber of Commerce.  People who ultimately are not the real friends of Donald J. Trump.

I was surprised to see President Trump's endorsement of far too many RINO's who would knife him in the back if the going got tough ala Mitt Romney in Utah and heck, Luther Strange over Roy Moore in Alabama last year.

If the impeachment calls come out and public opinion shifted, those RINO's would be whipping out their knives and stabbing him in the back.

Not only is a special election in Mississippi in front of us on November 6th, but one in Arizona to replace Jeff Flake, the ultimate NeverTrumper only exceeded by Arizona's senior senator himself,  now the late John McCain.

President Trump praised Kelli Ward for stepping up to the plate to oppose Flake who realized he was damaged goods because of his hostility to the President.  caused him to drop out of his re-election plans.

Then in comes Congresswoman Martha McSally.   A former military pilot just like John McCain but also just like McCain, a Trump skeptic who skipped the GOP convention when Trump was nominated for president.   She even told the media she wasn't sure who she was voting for in November 2016 while the convention was going on.

To further hurt Kelli Ward, former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio stepped in as a third candidate.

How will President Trump choose to respond to the race in Arizona?   Will he be silent and allow the three-way race and the massive dirty ad campaign against Kelli Ward on behalf of McSally take Ward out?.

Will the President stab someone he praised before in the back with an endorsement of RINO McSally?

Kelli Ward is with Donald J. Trump putting America First, supporting The Wall and warning that Martha McSally is another Jeff Flake and another John McCain.

What will Donald J. Trump do in the hours and days leading up to next Tuesday's primary election in Arizona?

Links below.....


CHRIS MCDANIEL MISSISSIPPI TWITTER


KELLI WARD ARIZONA TWITTER


DONALD J TRUMP TWITTER


FREE REPUBLIC TAKEDOWN OF THIS POST

(THIS POST WAS UPDATED THROUGH SUNDAY AUGUST 26th)

                   NEWS  SUMMARY AT THIS HOUR

Appearing on "Fox and Friends" this morning, President Trump said the plea deal between Special Counsel Robert Mueller and his former lawyer Michael Cohen was a deal for Cohen to make up stories in exchange for a lighter sentence.

The message is clear from President Trump following the conviction of former campaign manager Paul Manafort on charges of fraud brought by the Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Early this morning the President tweeted in all caps:  NO COLLUSION RIGGED-WITCH HUNT!

Two people are dead, one seriously wounded in a knife attack in a Paris suburb.  Police shot the attacker dead.   He shouted "Allahu Akhbar" during the attack.   Those killed were his mother and sister.

Kelli Ward continues her fight against the GOP machine in Arizona ahead of next Tuesday's primary for US Senate.   The mainstream media says her tour with nationally known conservative activists across the state is an appeal to the "kook vote".

Massive amounts of negative advertising by wealthy donors against Ward is designed to help Congresswoman Martha McSally to win the race.   McSally got in after anti-President Trump Senator Jeff Flake decided not to run for re-election as opinion polling showed Flake would lose to Ward in the primary.

The political fight is hot in Australia as Liberal Party leader Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is going down facing a second challenge in caucus this week from Peter Dutton,  Turnbull wants his opponents to put their support for his removal down in writing and now his Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, says she is best poised to be the new leader.

Three candidates are expected to run in the end with Scott Morrison also in contention.

Losses in recent by-elections and low popularity for Mr, Turnbull, along with opposition to climate change based restrictions on carbon emissions have caused rumblings for a change in Prime Minister with the Liberal Party.

A new election must be called in Australia by March.

The Mexican national accused of murder Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts is claiming memory loss regarding her death but he does recall "getting mad" when she threatened to call 911.

Cristhian Bahena Rivera, 24, was in the United States illegally according to police.

His lawyer says he is legally here and his Iowa farm employer claims that Rivera was vetted through the government's E-verify system and was an employee in good standing.

Yarrabee Farms owner Dane Lang is the brother of a prominent Republican.

Swedish Public Television SVT is reporting that 58 percent of those convicted of rape or attempted rape in Sweden are foreign born.  This news comes less than three weeks before Sweden's September 9th General Election.

The anti-mass immigration Sweden Democrats are running strong in the polls and may emerge as the country's leading party when the votes are counted.

President Trump tweeted late last night that he's asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to closely study the situation in South Africa where the government has taken the first step towards seizing farm lands owned by whites.  White farmers have been targeted by violence including murder in the period leading up to the government's decision.

In Saudi Arabia a women's rights activist who is a Shia Muslim in a Sunni Muslim ruled nation is to be put to death if the government prosecutor has his way.   Israa al-Ghomgham and four others recently went on trial before a Saudi 'terrorism tribunal' for participating in Shia protests against the Sunni government.

She has been in prison since her arrest in December of 2015.

The Middle East director of Human Rights Watch Sarah Leah Whitson said:  "Every day, the Saudi monarchy's unrestrained despotism makes it harder for its public relations teams to spin the fairy tale of 'reform' to allies and international business."

Hawaii is preparing for Hurricane Lane to pass very close in the next 24 to 48 hours.   The storm has maximum sustained winds of 130 miles per hour and could produce torrential rains.   Hurricane Warnings are in effect for all of the islands from Oahu southwards while a Hurricane Watch is in effect for Kauai.

NO NEWS SUMMARY TONIGHT BUT IT WILL RETURN 

I am too overworked and tired at this point to produce the usual news summary.

There is obviously very disturbing and emotional news tonight with the MSM in a frenzy over the "fruits" of the Muller Inquisition but downplaying the illegal alien related murder story from Iowa, particularly the illegal alien aspect of it.

So best wishes to all and a promise that as I am able the news summary will return plus more writing on various topics particularly those related to Bunkerville and Oregon Standoffs.

Ryan Bundy for Governor in Nevada my friends.

I hope President Trump will endorse Kelli Ward for US Senate in next Tuesday's primary in Arizona.

We can't have the next McCain or Flake elected as in Congresswoman Martha McSally on Tuesday August 28th.

No repost to Free Republic tonight, just this note on the blog.

                    NEWS SUMMARY AT THIS HOUR

Its Tuesday in Australia where Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull survived a vote of confidence as the Liberal Party caucus met just 24 hours after Turnbull backed down on part of an energy policy he announced last week.

Turnbull abandoned a plan setting targets for carbon emissions opposed by many caucus members.  The Liberal Party has also been reeling from defeats in recent by-elections for lower house seats in Parliament.

Mr. Turnbull was able to survive a challenge from Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton winning 48-35 in the caucus meeting.  A win for Turnbull but a narrow one in the context of a leadership challenge.   Mr. Dutton resigned his cabinet post after the vote.

Australia has seen five changes in Prime Minister since the world wide economic slump began in 2008 with many of them involving challenges within the ruling party caucuses.

Australia's government may have backed away from carbon emissions targets but it is still complying with the Paris Accord on climate change.

Big business in Australia is in the forefront of "green" policy with major grocery store chains like Woolworths, the "Down Under" version of Walmart, bringing in plastic bag bans, forcing shoppers to bring their own bags or pay for them at the store.

This policy cuts costs and helps improve the bottom line of the grocery store chains.   Here in the USA conservative shareholders challenging Walmart's 'sustainability' policy based on the notion of man-made climate change have been told such a policy makes the company more profitable.

Voters in Arizona go to the polls one week from Tuesday and the question being asked is "Who will Donald Trump endorse among the three Republican candidates in the US Senate primary?"

Kelli Ward, who was praised by the President when she began her challenge to anti-Trump candidate Jeff Flake, hopes for that endorsement.

After Flake decided to drop out after unfavorable ratings in opinion polls there were new developments.

Congresswoman Martha McSally, a Republican who told an Arizona television station she wasn't sure who she would vote for when Donald Trump was nominated at the GOP convention in 2016, entered the race.

Ward is telling Arizona voters in the face of a massive big business-big donor media onslaught in favor of  McSally that the Congresswoman is "Jeff Flake 2.0".   Also complicating things for Kelli Ward is the presence of former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio in the race.  He is splitting the anti-Establishment Conservative vote in the GOP ranks.

President Trump was out with a series of tweets Monday about Special Counsel Robert Mueller and figures associated with his investigation.   Trump described Mueller as "disgraced and discredited".  The President also asked if Justice Department official Bruce Ohr will: "ever be fired  from the Jeff Sessions 'Justice Department'  A total joke!"

Late news tonight from North Carolina where a demonstration at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill featuring smoke bombs from protestors and confrontations with police culminated in the toppling of a Confederate statue called "Silent Sam" around 915pm.

Five Islamic terrorists are dead in the southern Russian region of Chechnya after they launched a series of attacks there.  Several police officers were also injured.

A man armed with a knife shouting "Allahu Akhbar" was shot dead after he entered a police station in a town near Barcelona Spain Monday morning.   Police say he intended to kill officers in the station.

Later Monday in the northern Spanish city of Casetas, a car was driven onto the pavement injuring three people.  The driver then fled.  Police has not released any more details.

Pope Francis has decried clerical sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church following the stunning revelations from a grand jury report commissioned by the Democrat Attorney General of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro.

The report described cases dating back as far as 80 years ago with some the names of some 300 priests and a thousand allegations of abuse included.  It also detailed efforts to cover up abuse by church leaders.

The Pope's statement said in part:

"It is essential that we, as a Church, be able to acknowledge and condemn, with sorrow and shame, the atrocities perpetrated by consecrated persons, clerics, and all those entrusted with the mission of watching over and caring for those most vulnerable.  Let us beg forgiveness for our own sins and the sins of others."

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says its trying to contact a young actor and his lawyer after the "New York Times" reported that actress-director Asia Argento paid the young actor in connection with an alleged sexual assault when he was 17.

There was a 380-thousand dollar settlement payment made to actor Jimmy Bennett, who played Argento's son in a 2004 movie.

The settlement related to the allegation of a sexual assault on Bennett by Argento on May 9, 2013 at a Marina del Rey hotel room.

Argento's settlement with Bennett came in the months after she alleged that producer Harvey Weinstein had sexually assaulted her.

                  NEWS SUMMARY AT THIS HOUR

            (EDITING ADDITIONS POSSIBLE UP UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT TONIGHT)

White House National Security Advisor John Bolton met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his official residence in Jersualem tonight.   Also in attendance were US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and Israel's Ambassador the the US Ron Dermer.

Netanyahu is quoted by Ynet News in Israel saying at the start of the meeting that most important topic for the meeting was :  "how to continue to roll back Iran's aggression in the region and to make sure they never have nuclear weapons".

Bolton is moving on to meetings in Ukraine and with Russian officials in Geneva.

Fox News reports Bolton is working on a broad range of issues during his trip including Syria and the reconstruction of the country from years of civil war damage.

Salih Khater, a Sudanese born UK national, will appear in court Monday charged with two counts of attempted murder over a terrorist incident last week in London.

Khater was arrested after crashing a car into barriers near the Houses of Parliament in London last Tuesday morning.    Pedestrians were struck before the crash.

The FBI and Oregon State Police handling of a January 26, 2016 "felony traffic stop" that killed one Oregon Standoff protestor, LaVoy Finicum, and injured another, Ryan Bundy, came under scrutiny from an esteemed mainstream media outlet this weekend.

Reporter Maxine Bernstein of the "Portland Oregonian" raised a series of questions=issues resulting from the testimony in the recent trial of FBI Hostage Rescue Team Agent Joseph Astarita.   A jury acquitted Astarita of lying about firing two shots at Finicum that night amid conflicting testimony from Oregon police and FBI agents about what happened during and after the deadly incident.

The Oregon Standoff protest was on behalf of Dwight and Stephen Hammond, Oregon ranchers jailed as terrorists for lighting a backfire to protect their land.   They had been subject to decades of rules, regulations and harassment by the federal government's Bureau of Land Management before their prosecution and imprisonment.   The Hammonds were pardoned by President Trump last month.

LINK TO PORTLAND OREGONIAN STORY

In South Africa, white farmers fearful of the government seizing their land are trying to sell their properties.

Their fear was sparked by comments last week from the chairman of the ruling African National Congress Party, Gwede Mantashe, who said no one should own more than 25-thousand acres of land.

Mantashe also said that those who own more should have their land taken away without compensation.

The "Express" newspaper in the UK reports there is fear of economic consequences in South Africa similar to those in neighboring Zimbabwe when then President Robert Mugabe's land seizures in the 1990's devastated the country with rampant inflation and food shortages.

A former special agent with Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been arrested on rape and sexual assault charges.

John Jacob Olivas of Riverside, California is accused of sexually assaulting one woman and raping another twice, using his position as an ICE agent to intimidate them.  Olivas allegedly told his victims that no one would believe them if they reported the crimes he was committing.

He could face up to life in prison if convicted on three counts of deprivation of rights.

President Trump has corrected the "New York Times" over its reporting about the cooperation of White House Counsel Donald McGahn with the investigation of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Trump tweeted to set the record straight that McGahn has not turned against the President to supply Mueller with incriminating information as is implied in the "Times" reporting that the President dubbed "FakeNews".

Brazil is sending troops to its border with Venezuela after violence at refugee camps on Saturday.

Local residents attacked several camps and set them ablaze around the town of Pacaraima following reports that a restaurant owner had been beaten badly by Venezuelans.

The United Nations estimated that as of the end of June, 2.3 million Venezuelans had fled the country with most of them ending up in Colombia, Brazil and Ecuador with others fleeing ever further away.

The flow of refugees has continued to increase since then with Venezuelans fleeing shortages of food and medicine brought about by the Marxist-Leninist Cuban style economic policies of the government.

The European Union bailout program for Greece is now over, but EU control of the Greek government and economy will continue.

A three year infusion of 70 billion dollars was put into Greece to help recapitalize banks and revitalize the economy accompanied by harsh economic measures that hurt average working people with higher taxes, reduced pensions and lower wages.

The European Union's European Commission will continue to monitor the Greece with what the BBC decribes as "enhanced surveillance" which will prevent Greece from independently managing its own economic affairs.

  BUNKERVILLE STANDOFF: FREE GREG BURLESON

 "I decided to go after I saw the videos of the BLM using their heavy handed techniques of slamming a woman to the ground, whom I found out was Cliven Bundy's 60 year old sister....the tasing of Ammon Bundy and the assault of Davey Bundy by throwing him to the ground grinding his face in the dirt.  I knew it was my Constitutional duty to come to the aid of my neighbor and stand with them against a tyrannical overreaching government..."    

Greg Burleson statement from prison

"My Friends, we cannot leave this man in prison"

Ammon Bundy Facebook Video 8/16/2018

He was a one time FBI informant but when Greg Burleson saw federal law enforcement attacking Cliven Bundy's sister Margaret Houston and his sons Dave Bundy and Ammon Bundy in videos posted online Burleson knew what his Constitutional duty was.

He went to Bundy Ranch in Nevada to exercise his First and Second Amendment rights in defense of the Bundy's.

Burleson was indicted by the federal government and tried in the first Bunkerville Standoff trial facing a massive amount of felony charges including assault on a federal officer even though no shots were fired nor were there any attacks on federal officers during the April 12, 2014 standoff.

Evidence proving his innocence including the presence of federal government snipers in the area was hidden by prosecutors during his trial and would not be revealed until the third trial later in 2017.

After his conviction on eight felonies, Burleson was sentenced on July 27th, 2017 to 68 years and 3 months in prison, a virtual life sentence.

On Thursday (August 16th) Ammon Bundy posted a video reading Greg Burleson's message from prison and appealed on his behalf.

He is now at Allenwood Federal Prison in Pennsylvania.  His health had deteriorated considerably since his arrest and he is now blind.

His condition leaves him vulnerable to the destruction and theft of his property by other prisoners.  He says other prisoners are threatening him as well.  Burleson has experienced the real horrors of prison life hearing the screams of those being physically and sexually assaulted at Allenwood.

Karen Drum in Pennsylvania has visited Greg in prison and brought his case to the attention of people in high places like Vice-President Mike Pence in person when the VP came for a political visit earlier this year.

Karen has set up a link through the Facebook page linked below where you can donate to Burleson.

I still remember 77 year old Joe Robertson, jailed for breaking the EPA rules by building a pond in Montana, getting the attention of Colorado Congressman Ken Buck.   Robertson eventually was taken out of that Colorado prison and moved to a retirement home and VA medical treatment.

Congressman Lou Barletta of Pennsylvania is running for US Senate and I frankly have no interest in supporting him until this prisoner here in the Keystone State, Greg Burleson, is taken care of and released from imprisonment.

Links below.....

AMMON BUNDY FACEBOOK

SUPPORT POLITICAL PATRIOT PRISONER GREG BURLESON

                    NEWS SUMMARY AT THIS HOUR

       (EDITING AND ADDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT TONIGHT)

There's news from the war that Saudi Arabia is conducting in Yemen against the Houthis who heavily populate the northern part of the country and are supported by Iran.

A bomb supplied by the United States was used in an attack on a school bus recently that killed 51 people including 40 children.

It was a laser-guided Mk 82 bomb manufactured by defense contractor Lockheed Martin according to lettering on it.

This news report has political overtones since CNN is behind it noting that former President Barack Obama banned the sale of these kind of bombs to the Saudis after an attack on a funeral in Yemen killed 140 people.   CNN also notes that President Donald Trump overturned the ban in 2017.

The heavy civilian casualty toll and humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Yemen has been largely ignored by the international news media with some saying that Saudi money and power has helped to silence the voices that would normally be incensed by such a brutal conflict.

In Syria some ground fighting reported Saturday in Hama province between government forces and jihadist opposition fighters.   The jihadists were attacked by government troops as they tried to build fortifications.

The fighting comes amid heavy bombing and shelling attacks in three northern provinces by the government ahead of a major offensive to drive the opposition forces in the last major area of the country they control.

In another part of Syria, government troops attacked ISIS in the Al-Suwayda province after ISIS tried to break out of an area they are surrounded in.  Five ISIS fighters were reported captured including two minors.

In Arizona conservative US Senate candidate Dr. Kelli Ward is lining up conservative support ahead of the crucial 3-way Republican primary a week from Tuesday.   It will determine the Republican candidate to replace anti-President Trump Republican Senator Jeff Flake.

Ward is planning a bus tour of the state with supporters including tough on borders Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar,  Congressman Steve King of Iowa, Kentucky US Senator Rand Paul and others.   She has also won the support of conservative host Shawn Hannity.

Her candidacy faces an uphill climb against the well-financed candidacy of US Representative Martha McSally with a massive propaganda campaign that even claims Dr. Ward is a liberal.  On top of that there's the conservative vote split caused by the candidacy of former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

On her Twitter page, Ward is reminding voters using video from 2016 about McSally's failure to attend the Republican National Convention that nominated Donald Trump for President and includes McSally saying when Trump won the nomination:  "I haven't decided who I'm voting for".

In bold letters with the tweeted video, Ward reminds voters "DONT BE FOOLED AGAIN, NO MORE FLAKES".

On August 28th its also primary election day in Florida and a former Bill Clinton cabinet member is seeking a seat in Congress.  The ex-Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala is the candidate Democratic insiders are pinning their hopes on to replace retiring Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in an open seat.

Shalala appears to be the favorite of party insiders in a five candidate Democrat primary field but a progressive backed candidate, State Representative David Richardson, is bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars in late campaign gifts with the "Miami Herald" saying Shalala is losing momentum.

The Special Counsel Robert Mueller wants a six month sentence for a former adviser to President Trump's 2016 campaign.

George Papadopoulos pled guilty last October to lying to the FBI about Russian contacts he has during the 2016 campaign.   

President Trump decried the Robert Mueller investigation in a tweet this evening saying he has allowed White House Counsel Don McGahn and other members of the White House staff to fully cooperate with Mueller saying:  "No Collusion No Obstruction Witch Hunt".

Mainstream media reports tonight say McGahn has spent 30 hours doing interviews with Mueller's team.

Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has died at the age of 80.  He was UN Secretary General from 1997 to 2006.   He died after a brief illness at a hospital in Bern, Switzerland.   A statement said he was a "deeply committed internationalist".

Tributes include those of former President Barack Obama who said Annan sought "a better world" and Russian President Vladimir Putin who called him a "remarkable person".

President Putin was part of a more joyous event today as he danced with the bride at a wedding in Austria.  Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl married businessman Wolfgang Meilinger in the southern Austrian town of Gamlitz.  

Putin brought wedding gifts as well including flowers for the bride, a troupe of cossack singers and several items including a painting, an antique oil press and a samovar, a urn to prepare tea.

The presence of Putin as Kneissl's wedding was condemned by opposition politicians who said she was undermining the foreign policy of the European Union.  Kneissl is a political independent picked for her post by the anti-mass immigration Freedom Party, a junior partner in Austria's coalition government.

Its being called "currency reform" by the government in Venezuela set to take effect Monday, but is being ridiculed inside and outside of the country.

"Forbes" magazine says that the actual exchange rate rate between Venezuela's "Bolivar" and the US Dollar is 6,670,079 to 1.  Venezuela now has an inflation rate according to the Forbes report of 48,760 percent a year.

Venezuelan blogger Daniel Duquenal noted in a tweet yesterday that credit cards are meaningless the country saying: "your credit limit is now BELOW minimum wage".

Tonight the BBC is reporting that Ecuador has imposed restrictions on Venezuelan refugees entering the country enroute to relatives who have fled further south to Peru and Chile.  The BBC also says Brazilians attacked a Venezuelan migrant camp and drove its occupants back into Venezuela.

A recent UN report said 2.3 million have fled Venezuela as of June, 7 percent of he country's population.

Three weeks from Sunday voters in Sweden go to the polls with the latest public opinion poll from the "Sentio" organization showing a tight race.     The anti-mass migration, mass immigration Sweden Democrats are at 22 percent with the Social Democrats slighly ahead at 23 percent. 

Sentio's poll two weeks earlier gave the Sweden Democrats a 25.5 percent to 21.1 percent lead over the Social Democrats but it was followed by six public opinion polls in rapid succession claiming 3 to 6 percentage point leads for the Social Democrats, who currently lead the Swedish government.

A church leader says that the word "Mormon" should no longer be used to characterize the faith.

Russell Nelson, who has led the church since the beginning of this year, says "the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" should be the name used.

The church's online guidelines say terms like "Mormon Church", "Mormons" and "Mormonism" as well as the abbreviation "LDS" are inappropriate.

Media in the church's home state of Utah including church owned media like KSL Radio-TV and the "Deseret News" newspaper have used the phrase 'LDS Church' in the past.

                     NEWS SUMMARY AT THIS HOUR

(EDITORIAL NOTE:  UPDATING AND EDITING IS POSSIBLE UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT)

The United States is redirecting 230 million dollars in aid funds for Syria to other purposes.   The State Department's Friday announcement emphasized that the US is not withdrawing from support for Syria but has found funding from other nations like Saudi Arabia to the tune of 300 million dollars.

The Saudis have been deeply involved in Syria funding jihadist opposition groups that are on the verge of total defeat in the Syrian Civil War that began seven years ago.

The money will be poured into the northeast parts of Syria devastated by coalition forces in their offensive against the Islamic State.

US District Judge T.S. Ellis III, who's presiding over the fraud trial of Paul Manafort in Alexandria, Virginia, says he's received death threats because of the case.   Ellis says he's under the protection of the US Marshals Service everywhere he goes.

His revelation comes as major media organizations are seeking to have the names of the jurors, which the judge has refused to give to them.  Judge Ellis says such information may subject them to the same threats he's received.

The jury is now deliberating 18 counts of fraud that Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office has charged Manafort with.

Two have been arrested in Chile following bomb threats that grounded nine commercial airline flights in Chile, Peru and Argentina on Thursday.

A 29-year old Chilean man was arrested early Friday morning in a northern Chilean city by police using cell phone triangulation to locate him and is charged with making threats to use explosives.

Another man was arrested in Santiago, Chile for joking about a bomb in his bag as he went through security at the airport.

Its been a deadly day on the Gaza border with Israel with Palestinian rioters approaching Israeli positions and drawing fire.   Two are dead with more than 100 injured.  Incendiary kites were also launched into southern Israel,

A few days ago Israel's security cabinet spoke of a more peaceful situation along the Gaza border allowing 700 trucks of supplies in amid talk of a cease fire deal.

But word from the Palestinian side is that talks will continue later this month on a cease fire plan with Israel's Haaretz newspaper reporting on a plan.

Some Israeli political leaders including Jewish Homeland party leader and Education Minister Naftali Bennett say that Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman is being too soft on Hamas, the militant group that runs Gaza.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was questioned for four hours Friday by police looking into a corruption case against him.

Case 4000 is one where its alleged that Mr. Netanyahu gave regulatory favors to a major Israeli firm BEZEQ when he held the porfolio of Minister of Communications alongside his Prime Minister's position.   BEZEQ got the favors so that it would give Netanyahu more positive news coverage on its news website.

There are three separate corruption investigations underway where Netanyahu is named as a suspect and the Prime Minister denies any wrongdoing.   Today his spokesman said that Case 4000 is collapsing and the news coverage of him was always negative during the period in question.

A state funeral is set for Genoa,Italy Saturday.   Italy's President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte will be at the ceremony for 18 of the 38 confirmed dead in Tuesday's superhighway bridge collapse.

Some families are angry at the government over the collapse and will not participate.

Meanwhile, the search for a cause of the collapse is underway led by a government commission.  One of its members is suggesting that broken cable rod was a serious possibility.  He said videos and eyewitness accounts point to the notion that a rod to the cables that run from the deck of the bridge to the top of its towers broke.

When Austria's Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl marries businessman Wolfgang Meilinger at a vineyard in Austria Saturday there will be surprise guest.

The Kremlin announced earlier this week that Russia's President Vladimir Putin will be attending.  He was invited by Kneissl earlier this year.  Austria's Foreign Minister is a political independent but was selected for her post by the anti-mass immigration Freedom Party, the junior partner in the coalition government.

The left-wing Green Party has called on Kneissl to resign over Putin's presence at her wedding.

By the way, President Putin will travel on to Germany after the nuptials to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

President Trump says that a large military parade planned for Washington DC this November 11th to celebrate the centennial of World War One's end will have to be postposed.

The President says that local officials in the nations capital wanted too much money for the event.

He hopes that it can happen next year.

                    NEWS SUMMARY AT THIS HOUR

The headline on the editorial page of "The York Dispatch" newspaper in York, Pennsylvania today was "Trump Parrots Tyrants".   Hundreds of newspapers across the country participated in joint editorializing against President Trump's tough criticism of mainstream media in the country.

But that's not all.   There was also a cartoon to the right of the editorial depicting eight leaders.

Joseph Stalin, Mao Tse Tung, Adolf Hitler, Fidel Castro, Richard Nixon, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump.

Each of the eight had a word above them that added up to the phrase "The press is the enemy of the people".

The jurors spent Thursday deliberating in Alexandria, Virginia at the trial of Paul Manafort, a one time campaign manager for President Trump during the 2016 campaign, being prosecuted by the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

The jurors asked US District Judge T.S. Ellis III, who's presiding over the trial, to redefine for them reasonable doubt.   They had two other questions for the judge about the charges against Manafort.

The jury resumes deliberations at 930 Friday morning.

This message was tweeted in the United Kingdom Wednesday:

''....3 charged with grooming and raping 6 minors in Barrow in Furness.  They've been released on bail!  Not in the local press  I only know because a desperate father rang and told me"

The epidemic of child sex abuse grooming cases involving suspects who are Muslim in the United Kingdom accompanied by news blackouts and little or no punishments from courts have caused great outrage.

Activist Tommy Robinson was arrested and summarily convicted of contempt of court on May 25th in Leeds while he was live  streaming video outside the sentencing phase of a case involving 29 defendants.

In Israel, the Education Minister and leader of the Jewish Homeland Party, Naftali Bennett condemned the notion that Hamas will be replaced in Gaza.  A cease fire was proclaimed Wednesday in the conflict between Hamas and Israel after a meeting of Israel's security cabinet.

Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman's reported views that the population of Gaza might be persuaded to replace Hamas as its rulers were denounced by Bennett as "imaginary and detached from reality".

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced an Iran Action Group on Thursday.

Senior policy advisor Brian Hook will be the United States Special Representative for Iran.  Hook is an advocate for strong action against Iran.

Pompeo spoke at a news conference at the State Department Thursday saying:  "We are committed to a whole-of government effort to change the Iranian regime's behavior..."

Singing legend Aretha Franklin died in Detroit today at the age of 76 from an advanced form of pancreatic cancer.

Tributes poured in from around the world including President Donald Trump who saluted her as "a great woman with a wonderful voice from God".

Sir Elton John said her loss was a loss for all of those who love "real music" that came "from the heart, the soul, the church".

Pope Francis says that he is on the side of the victims of Catholic clergy in the wake of a Pennsylvania grand jury report on sex abuse cases involving some 301 priests in the state.

The grand jury convened by the elected Attorney General of Pennsylvania, Democrat Josh Shapiro, uncovered files kept by many of the Catholic bishops in the state naming priests accused of sexual abuse going back to the 1930's.

Some of those Catholic clergy who either were sexual abusers, did not report the sexual abuse cases to secular authorities or did not take action against clergy accused of sexual abuse ended up being elevated to higher positions in the church.

Corona beer owner Constellation Brands will put 4 billion dollars into a Canadian company that produces marijuana products.

Canopy is a company that has the largest legal marijuana presence in the world and Corona's financial backing will help Canopy produce products for markets in nearly 30 countries which allow some sort of marijuana usage.

Canopy already makes marijuana oils and gel caps and wants to expand into edible bars, inhalers, pre-rolled items and additional marijuana based medicinal items.

In Canada, recreational use of marijuana will be legal on October 17th.

The owner of a cake shop in Colorado who won his case at the US Supreme Court after refusing to bake a same-sex wedding cake based on his religious convictions is under attack again.

This time the "Colorado Civil Rights Commission" is targeting Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cake Shop over his refusal to bake a cake for a transgender person celebrating the anniversary of a gender change.   They ruled against Phillips and he's fighting back in court.

A civil rights lawsuit was filed in US District Court in Denver late Tuesday against Governor John Hickenlooper,  a Democrat, and Attorney General Cynthia Coffman, a Republican, among others.

An attorney for Jack Phillips, Jim Campbell, issued a statement saying Phillips should not have to fear government hostility when he opens his shop for business each day.

               NEWS SUMMARY AT THIS HOUR

With less than two weeks to go before Arizona's primary election Republican candidate US Representative Martha McSally is refusing to debate her rivals in the US Senate Primary set for August 28th.   The US Senate seat is open because of  the retirement of Senator Jeff Flake.

McSally is running against former State Senator Kelli Ward and former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Arpaio's decision to enter the race earlier this year appears to split the more conservative voters giving McSally a better chance of winning.

The missing factor in the race is a clear cut endorsement from President Donald Trump.   Trump did tweet praise of Ward within the last year.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has declared a state of emergency and released 5.7 million dollars worth of aid to the region where a highway bridge collapsed Tuesday.

39 people are dead with 15 others injured and 400 people have been evacuated.

Prime Minister Conte said in part:  "These are unacceptable tragedies...the government will do everything to prevent such tragedies from happening again."

The Italian government has begun the process of revoking the contract of  the private company responsible for maintaining the bridge. 

The social media industry assault on Alex Jones and Info Wars continues with a one week suspension of Jones on Twitter.

Its reported that Twitter judged a recent video post there to include "abusive behavior".

In Israel meanwhile a former handball coach is under arrest suspected of using social media networks to lure children into sexual abuse.

Beno Reinhorn, 35, is under suspicion of involvement in 140 sex offenses against minors.

There is a cease fire between Israel and the Hamas extremist group that rules Gaza following weeks of hostile actions aimed at Israel from Gaza.  Egypt played a role in mediating the agreement.  Israel allowed 700 trucks filled with supplies to enter Gaza Wednesday following the deal.

Shelling attacks continue against rebel positions in northern Syria ahead of a major government offensive by the Assad regime.

Some 25-thousand troops including armored units are poised to move into three northern Syrian provinces to retake the last major areas of the country still held by jihadist opposition forces.

The former CIA Director John Brennan has had his security clearance revoked by President Trump.

In a statement, Trump cited Brennan's "erratic conduct and behavior".  

Brennan was former President Obama's CIA Director and is considered a key figure in promoting the notion when he held office and since that Trump was or is in collusion with Russia. 

Turkey has announced 15 billion dollars in backing from the Persian Gulf oil kingdom of Qatar and imposed tariffs on some American goods as it struggles to boost its economic position in the face of the new metals tariffs on Turkey announced last week by President Trump.

The United States wants Turkey to release Christian pastor Andrew Brunson but this week a Turkish court refused an appeal for his release from house arrest where he currently is held awaiting trial.

The United Nations estimates that 2.3 million people have fled Venezuela as of June this year with most of them leaving the country because of malnutrition.

While the neighboring nation of Colombia has absorbed the largest numbers of Venezuelans, Brazil, Ecuador and Peru are also taking in large numbers of fleeing Venezuelans.

The economic crisis there is believed by opposition forces to be caused by the Cuban style Marxist economic policies of President Nicolas Maduro that began during the reign of former President Hugo Chavez.

South Korea's President Moon Jae In says he is committed to building a common economic community with North Korea.   Moon says that by the end of the year he hopes to have rail and highway links restored between the two Koreas.

                    NEWS SUMMARY AT THIS HOUR

Rescue efforts continued through the night in Italy where there are 26 dead and 15 seriously injured after the supporting tower of a large highway bridge collapsed during a torrential rain near Genoa.

Twelve are said to be missing with reports that cries are coming from the wreckage.

A 250-foot section of the bridge that carried a four lane highway up to 300 feet off the ground came crashing down.

British police searched locations in Birmingham and Nottingham after a 29 year old man was arrested for deliberately driving his car into pedestrians near the Houses of Parliament in London.

The police consider it in their words a 'terrorist incident'.

Reacting to the attack, United Kingdom Independence Party leader Gerard Batten called it an attack on "diversity barriers" and alluded to Islam in a tweet commenting about the 'religion of peace'.

GERARD BATTEN TWITTER

More on last night's violence in Sweden.   The mobs of youths dressed in black who burned cars and stoned police in eight different locations were identified in source outside the mainstream media as migrant youths.

That's how radio host Michael Savage characterized the perpetrators as youths who are immigrants to Sweden.

The violence comes less than a month before a general election in Sweden with a number of opinion polls showing the anti-mass migration, immigration Sweden Democrats leading

The incumbent Republican governor of Kansas, Jeff Colyer, has conceded defeat in last week's primary election to Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach.

Kobach received the last minute endorsement of President Trump and defeated Colyer by a narrow margin.

Kobach thanked Colyer and said he looked forward to them working together to keep Kansas a 'red state' in the general election.

White House National Security Advisor John Bolton will meet with Russian officials in Geneva next week.

Bolton's meeting is a follow up to President Trump's summit meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last month in Geneva.

Bolton will also visit Israel and Ukraine during his overseas trip.

Yesterday Mr. Bolton met with Turkey's ambassador to the United States telling him that there is no retreat on the US demand that Christian pastor Andrew Brunson be freed.

A White House official warned today that more economic actions may be in store for Turkey if it does not release Brunson.

In Venezuela there have been arrests in connection with the alleged drone attack plot against President Nicolas Maduro including a general and colonel in the country's paramilitary National Guard, an internal security force used for controlling public demonstrations.

The national prosecutor of Maduro's regime says there have been a total of 14 arrests in connection with the incident and claims 34 people were involved in the August 4th incident where video showed Maduro being protected by his bodyguards and fearful actions and looks from those around him.

Opponents of the government feel the who incident was staged and is just an excuse to jail political opponents.

Five people were injured with non-life threatening injuries in a shooting incident at a Walmart store just outside Philadelphia tonight with the suspect also injuring police officers during his getaway attempt.  A man arguing with another customer grabbed a gun and fired 10 shots throughout the store.

The police chief of Cheltenham Township says the suspect and woman believed to be his sister were in a getaway car when it crashed into a Philadelphia police cruiser injuring two city police officers.  Philadelphia police say the man was seen throwing a gun out of his car before the crash a few blocks from the store.

                       NEWS SUMMARY AT THIS HOUR

Tomorrow is Primary Election Day in Minnesota with President Trump endorsing 8th District Republican Congressional candidate Pete Stauber  in a tweet today.

Meanwhile, Minnesota Democrat Congressman Keith Ellison in denying an allegation of domestic abuse. 

The son of his ex-girlfriend Karen Monahan posted the charge on Facebook Saturday night.  Ellison is running in the Democrat primary for Attorney General of Minnesota. 

The prosecution has rested its case against Paul Manafort, who was President Trump's campaign manager during part of the 2016 campaign.   Manafort is being prosecuted by the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.  He's accused of fraud and is on trial in Alexandria, Virginia.

Tomorrow morning Manafort's lead defense attorney is expected to file a motion for dismissal of the charges.

Controversial FBI Agent Peter Strzok was fired on Friday.   He worked for Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe until anti-Donald Trump texts of his during the 2016 election campaign were revealed.

Strzok's lawyer claims his firing was "political".  The FBI's own "Office of Professional Responsibility" a penalty of suspension for 60 days and demotion was proposed before the firing.

President Trump tweeted that Strzok was in charge of a sham investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails in 2016 that should be redone.

Dozens of cars have been set on fire and police and firefighters attacked with stones in several Swedish cities this evening.  Barricades were set up by rioting youths in some instances.

In Gothenburg vehicles were destroyed and in another city, Trollhattan, similar scenes played out with attackers dressed in black.  No injuries reported and there have been no arrests.

Unrest has also been reported in other locations in Sweden with some 90 cars destroyed.

The Instant News Alerts Twitter page posted a photo and video of the attacks.

The remains of 29-year old Richard Russell have been identified at the site of a plane crash on an island in Washington's Puget Sound.   Russell stole the plane Friday evening from the Sea-Tac Airport where he was an airline employee.

Investigators will now try to figure out if the plane crash was deliberate of accidental.  In his communications with ground control before the crash, Russell suggested he was rapidly running out of fuel and that he felt with an engine was cutting out.

Israel's Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman has said its not a question of if but when there will be another flare up of conflict with Hamas in Gaza.   For weeks persistent launches of incendiary balloons and kites have been accompanied by occasional mortar and rocket launches into southern Israel.

In recent hours a period of calm is leading Liberman to a reassessment of the security situation on Tuesday and a decision on allowing supply convoys into Gaza.

A sudden deluge of heavy rain hit the Philadelphia area late Monday morning.   Some motorists found themselves in high water with numerous water rescues reported.

Some creeks and small streams in also went over their banks as a result of the sudden downpour.

What will the weather in Philadelphia and other parts of the Northeast be like this winter?  The Old Farmers Almanac 2019 edition points to above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation.

The new edition of the Old Farmers Almanac is set to come out on September 10th.

The Chief Financial Officer of Netflix, David Wells, is stepping down after 14 years with the company and eight in his current position.  Wells managed the company's sharp growth in recent years and had asked the company's CEO about leaving.   He will remain on while Netflix looks for his successor.

                        NEWS SUMMARY AT THIS HOUR

As the bombing and shelling campaign against jihadist opposition forces intensifies in northern Syria, reports of civilian casualties are coming out of the area.

The anti-Syrian government Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says that children were among 39 people killed when a rebel ammunition dump was attacked.

The bombing and shelling in northern Syria is a prelude to a major government offensive to retake the last major areas held by the foreign backed jihadist opposition.

The Syrian government news agency reported Sunday that two aircraft were shot down trying to attack a northern Syrian airbase where Russian aircraft are located.   Russia has acknowledged drone attacks on the base in the past.

Left-wing and anarchist protesters flooded the streets of Washington DC today to oppose a very small white nationalist protest.   At best 25 or 30 of the nationalists were brought to a park across from the White House for their rally surrounded by a phalanx of police.

Fencing was also used to increase the level of security and the mass of police allowed the pro-white group to hold its rally, but they also allowed Anifa militants to set off firecrackers and hurl objects including frozen water bottles and eggs aimed at the white nationalists.

The lead juror at the trial of an FBI agent accused of lying about firing two shots during a January 2016 operation that killed one Oregon Standoff protester LaVoy Finicium and injured another Ryan Bundy says: "I feel its possible someone is lying....I don't know which side, or who, or it could be both".

He spoke anonymously to "The Portland Oregonian" newspaper after the jury rendered not guilty verdicts in the case of FBI Hostage Rescue Team agent Joseph Astarita.

The man who helped direct jury deliberations answered his juror questionnaire saying he considered law enforcement officers to be "heroes" and would 'always tend to give them the benefit of the doubt' in their testimony. 

But he would up hearing testimony that pointed to an 'us versus them' tension between the FBI and Oregon State Police who told conflicting stories about what happened during the bloody attack.   The family of LaVoy Finicum has filed wrongful death suit in federal court against all those involved.

President Trump is applauding a movement to boycott the motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson by Harley-Davidson owners.       The owners say they will boycott the company if moves production overseas.  Trump tweeted "Great" and called the company's decision earlier this year to move production overseas out of fear of foreign tariffs "A very bad move".

Gasoline prices rose a few cents a gallon in the last week to a nationwide average now at 2.93 a gallon.

Analyst Trilby Lundberg expects those prices to stay steady in the weeks ahead and perhaps drop.

There's increased production and refining of oil in the USA with weak demand for gasoline.  Also in the mix increased production of oil announced earlier this year by Saudi Arabia and Russia.

The Turkish government says its rolling out 'an action plan' following a big slump in the country's currency Friday.  The fall came after President Trump announced a doubling of steel and aluminum tariffs on Turkey.

The United States wants Turkey to release Christian Pastor Andrew Brunson.  Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday that the United States had set a deadline of last Wednesday for Brunson's release.   The Turkish government claims Brunson was supporting a radical Marxist Kurdish group and an Islamic cleric blamed for a 2016 coup attempt.

Firefighters in California now say the Holy Fire burning in southern California is 41 percent contained.

The blase has consumed 22 thousand, 700 acres across Orange and Riverside counties and 12 structures were destroyed.

Five countries have agreed on how to divide the Caspian Sea between them.

Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan have agreed in principle on a plan to divide the world's largest body of inland water.

The leader of the five countries signed a "Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea" in Kazakhstan on Sunday.