BREAKING: Feds Reportedly Wiretapped Trump Lawyer Michael Cohen’s Phones Weeks Before FBI Raid

by Aidan McLaughlin | 1:15 pm, May 3rd, 2018

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Federal investigators wiretapped the phone lines of President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Michael Cohen, NBC News reported on Thursday.

Investigators obtained a court-ordered warrant to wiretap Cohen’s phones “several weeks before” FBI agents raided the lawyer’s home and office in New York and seized documents related to his work for Trump and dealings with porn star Stormy Daniels.

“In addition to that, we’ve learned that at least one phone call conversation between a line belonging to Michael Cohen and the White House was also intercepted,” NBC News reporter Tom Winter said on MSNBC.

This story is breaking and will be updated.

https:// www.mediaite.com/tv/breaking-federal-investigators-reportedly-wiretapped-michael-cohens-phones-weeks-before-fbi-raid/

>>1287893

FBI Wiretapped Michael Cohen, Intercepted "At Least One" Call With White House

Tell us again, James Comey, how the Deep State doesn't exist.

In the latest bombshell about the FBI's investigation into President Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen, NBC News reported Thursday afternoon that the FBI had been wiretapping phone lines used by Cohen during the weeks before the raid on his home, office and hotel room, as well as for an unknown amount of time before.

And what's more, NBC says prosecutors recorded at least one call between Cohen and somebody at the White House. We can almost guess who that "somebody" is…

Federal investigators have wiretapped the phone lines of Michael Cohen, the longtime personal lawyer for President Donald Trump who is under investigation for a payment he made to an adult film star who alleged she had an affair with Trump, according to two people with knowledge of the legal proceedings involving Cohen.

It is not clear how long the wiretap has been authorized, but NBC News has learned it was in place in the weeks leading up to the raids on Cohen's offices, hotel room, and home in early April, according to one person with direct knowledge.

At least one phone call between a phone line associated with Cohen and the White House was intercepted, the person said.

Previously, federal prosecutors in New York have said in court filings that they have conducted covert searches on multiple e-mail accounts maintained by Cohen.

After the raid on Cohen's office, members of Trump's legal team reportedly advised him to speak with Cohen. But later, when Rudy Giuliani learned about the call, he advised Trump not to speak with Cohen on the phone again for fear prosecutors might be listening. Giuliani has also reportedly advised Trump that Cohen is likely to flip on him.

It is unclear what incriminating information Cohen could give prosecutors on Trump, if he chose to cooperate. He represented Trump and the Trump Organization in its business dealings for nearly two decades before Trump became president. Special counsel Robert Mueller is interested in any information that federal investigators in New York may pick up that would be relevant to his investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Cohen has previously said publicly that he would invoke his Fifth Amendment rights if subpoenaed to avoid incriminating himself before a grand jury and there is no indication from public filings that Cohen is cooperating in the probe.

Given the volume of Trump legal drama scoops that have dropped this week, we expect to see more reports fleshing out what exactly the FBI learned from eavesdropping on conversations between Cohen and - presumably - his No. 1 client. Then again, none of this should come as a surprise: after all, thanks to the FISA warrant obtained as a result of the Hillary Clinton-funded dossier, both the FBI and the NSA already knew everything that Trump was saying long before he became president.

https:// www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-05-03/fbi-wiretapped-michael-cohen-intercepted-conversations-white-house

Trump expected to propose about $11B in spending cuts next week

President Trump is expected to propose spending cuts early next week, according to an administration official, via the rarely used impoundment power.

A Republican aide said Congress expected a package of about $11 billion in cuts from the administration, less than conservatives had previously sought.

An administration official said the final numbers were still under discussion and that the package to be sent to Congress next week would be the first in a series.

Via the 1974 Impoundment Act, Trump can propose spending cuts for special consideration in Congress. The spending reductions, or rescissions, would not be subject to the filibuster in the Senate, limiting Democrats' ability to stop them.

Conservatives pushed for Trump to rescind spending after he signed the $1.3 trillion appropriations bill for fiscal 2018. That spending bill, which was subject to the filibuster, was negotiated between Republicans and Democrats. In those talks, Republicans agreed to raise domestic spending to get Democrats to sign off on higher defense spending. Now, conservatives are hoping to undo some spending without having to bargain with Democrats.

Last month, however, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., downplayed the possibility of rescinding the spending, noting that Trump and Republican leaders had made an agreement with Democrats.

Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush didn't use the impoundment power, but in previous decades presidents often proposed spending cuts.

https:// www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/economy/trump-expected-to-propose-about-11-billion-in-spending-cuts-next-week

Mueller focusing on interactions between Roger Stone and Rick Gates: Report

Special counsel Robert Mueller is focusing his investigation on ties between Trump campaign official Rick Gates and political consultant Roger Stone, according to a report Thursday.

Stone has reportedly been a top priority in the investigation into Russian involvement in the presidential election and potential collusion with the Trump campaign. But now, Mueller is shifting his focus to the relationship between Gates and Stone, according to CNBC.

Stone's attorney, Robert Buschel, told CNBC that Stone and Gates had no "meaningful" interactions.

"Roger Stone did not have any substantive or meaningful interaction with Rick Gates during or leading up to the 2016 campaign," Buschel said.

Former Trump campaign adviser, Sam Nunberg, said he was questioned about Stone's involvement with WikiLeaks during his interview with Mueller's team in March

"Roger is certainly a subject," Nunberg said. "The fact that Roger hasn't been called in and the special counsel continues to ask questions about Roger's possible activities during the election shows that at the very least he's a subject."

Stone reportedly met with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in 2016.

In an email unearthed by the Wall Street Journal, Stone said: "I dined with my new pal Julian Assange last nite."

Stone has denied having contracts or communications with Russian operatives.

Gates pleaded guilty in February to financial fraud and lying to investigators during the Russia probe.

https:// www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/mueller-focusing-on-interactions-between-roger-stone-and-rick-gates-report

Obama spokesman Josh Earnest takes top communications job for United Airlines

by Anna Giaritelli

| May 03, 2018

United Airlines has hired Josh Earnest, President Barack Obama's former press secretary, as its chief communications officer and senior vice president, the airline announced Thursday morning.

"Josh is a proven leader and world-class communications strategist who has thrived when the stakes are the highest — and the margin for error is the smallest. He'll play a crucial role on our leadership team as we position our brand and this company for success," United CEO Oscar Munoz said in a press release.

Earnest and his wife, Natalie, and the couple's two children, will move to Chicago at some point this summer, United said. The airline's headquarters are based in the Illinois city, and Earnest will start on May 21.

Read More: https:// www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/obama-spokesman-josh-earnest-takes-top-communications-job-for-united-airlines

Mitch McConnell pledges to keep confirming conservative judges through the year

by Al Weaver

| May 03, 2018 10:36 AM

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he intends to continue to confirm judicial nominees throughout the 2018 calendar year until the conclusion of the 115th Congress.

Thus far, the Senate has confirmed 15 appeals court judges and 17 district court judges and McConnell intends to keep that up when Congress returns to town next week. He also noted the Senate will bring up six more circuit court nominations next week after having filed cloture on them before the weeklong recess

“We’re going to continue to confirm judges all year,” McConnell told host Hugh Hewitt. “The Congress doesn’t stop with the elections. It goes until the end of the year. We’re going to do six more [circuit nominations] next week, which will bring us to 21. I’m processing them as quickly as they come out of the Judiciary Committee, and the administration is sending them up rapidly.”

Read More: https:// www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/congress/mitch-mcconnell-pledges-to-keep-confirming-conservative-judges-through-the-year

Trump signs executive order creating White House faith-based initiative

by Gabby Morrongiello

| May 03, 2018 02:03 PM

President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to launch a new faith-based initiative at the White House, and announced the program during a gathering with religious leaders for the National Day of Prayer.

"Today, we are launching another historic action to promote religious freedom," Trump told the crowd, following remarks by religious leaders of different faiths.

The president said the initiative will aim to "design new policies that help recognize the vital role of faith in our families and in our country" and to ensure that religious organizations have "equal access to government funding."

"Faith has shaped our families, and it's shaped our communities," Trump said. "We are proud of our religious heritage, and as president, I will always protect religious liberty."

The executive order comes one year after Trump signed a separate order directing executive agencies to limit their enforcement of the Johnson Amendment, which prohibits 501(c)(3) organizations from engaging in political activities. Churches and religious group in particular have long complained about the restrictions.

Read More: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/trump-signs-executive-order-creating-white-house-faith-based-initiative

White House can't confirm reports of detained US citizens released in North Korea

Melissa Quinn

15 minutes ago

The White House cannot confirm the validity of reports that three U.S. citizens detained in North Korea were released, press secretary Sarah Sanders said.

Some news outlets reported Wednesday that the three Americans, Kim Dong-cheol, Kim Sang-deok, and Kim Hak-seong, were freed from detention centers ahead of President Trump’s historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

“We can’t confirm the validity of any of the reports currently out about their release,” Sanders told reporters at Thursday’s White House press briefing. “We certainly would see this as a sign of goodwill if North Korea were to release the three Americans ahead of discussions between President Trump and Kim Jong Un.”

Read More: https:// www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house-cant-confirm-reports-of-detained-us-citizens-released-in-north-korea

Deep Fakes Versus Deep State: What to Do When You Can’t Tell What’s Real

by Joe Jarvis Via The Daily Bell

The arms race has started: deep fakes versus tech that exposes them. The only problem is that the technology that will supposedly tell us what is real and what is not… was created by DARPA.

DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) is the government agency responsible for the developing things like killer robots, artificial intelligence, swarms of tiny drones, and even experiments with mind reading technology. And those are just the projects we know about.

“Deep fakes” usually refer to videos that have been altered to make it look like someone said or did something they did not. For instance, celebrities heads have been realistically attached to porn star bodies, so that it looks like the celebrity is starring in a porn film. Videos have also been created of politicians saying ridiculous things.

But don’t worry! The U.S. government is here to save the day:

The U.S. Department of Defense is fighting back. After testing projects like driverless cars and early iterations of Siri, Apple’s virtual assistant, years ahead of their release to the public, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is now taking on fake news…

“We have a mission within DARPA to invest in breakthrough technologies that prevent strategic surprise,” said David Doermann, program manager of DARPA’s new media forensics project called MediFor, “and essentially guarantee national security.”

Doermann’s team of researchers is working to create an automated tool to detect manipulations and then provide detailed information about how a photo, video or audio file was altered.

“If our adversaries are able to generate material that can spread quickly, they can generate all of this in a disinformation campaign,” Doermann warned, emphasizing that people should always be skeptical that anything they are exposed to online could be challenged in one way or another for reality.

Problem: Deep Fakes. What can we believe? Which videos are real?

Proposed Solution: DARPA tells us what is real and what is fake.

Now the question: What if DARPA tells us real stuff is fake? Or fake stuff is real? Will we ever know?

All this does is put more power in the hands of government to shape the way we see the world. The deep state would love to monopolize the technology that can analyze these videos and images and inform the public. DARPA can create their own disinformation campaigns.

The University of Maryland’s team of researchers working with DARPA developed this indication tool to flag problem spots in the video. The tool detects light levels and the direction from which the light is coming, using arrows to point out the differences and prove that the original videos where shot at different times. The indicator turns red, marking a literal red flag when the content is suspicious.

Automated tools like these have been in development for about 20 months, and will continue to be finessed through 2020, said Doermann. DARPA then hopes to work directly with Silicon Valley tech companies to implement the analytics on their platforms, identifying questionable online content in a matter of seconds.

“Really, today, nothing [online] is authentic,” said Doermann, noting that further uses for the automation could include the FBI and military, as well as court evidence, and insurance and fraud companies.

What do you think? Can you trust the technology they create, or could they manipulate the technology itself to output information that supports their own propaganda goals?

Maybe it’s a good thing to shake people’s trust in everything they see online. Seriously, what if it is better to know that nothing you see online, in videos, or in pictures is necessarily true?

The sex tape, the hot mic, the leaked photo, the admission of guilt caught on film. Maybe these things were never representing an accurate picture of other people anyway. And maybe the fact that these things can all be faked so easily is freeing.

The best case scenario is that I put in the effort to become ultra-informed. Then I get lucky enough to have the choice to vote between two candidates in a swing district who will react radically different to international crises.

READ MORE: https:// www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-05-03/deep-fakes-versus-deep-state-what-do-when-you-cant-tell-whats-real

North Korea's Economic Crisis – What Crisis?

Authored by Steve H. Hanke of the Johns Hopkins University. Follow him on Twitter @Steve_Hanke.

Much ink has been spilled recently about how economic sanctions have crushed the North Korean economy and brought its leader Kim Jong-un to the bargaining table. Not so fast. For starters, there wasn’t much to crush. Never mind. And, contrary to repeated conjectures by experts in international affairs, whatever there is of a North Korean economy appears to be quite stable.

While it is difficult to obtain dependable economic data about the Hermit Kingdom, there are reliable data on key prices that, when properly interpreted, provide insights into the performance of the economy. The most important price in any economy is the free-market exchange rate between its domestic currency and the U.S. dollar—the world’s reserve currency. But, is there a free market for currency in North Korea? Well, yes, there is. North Korea has an active currency black-market where reliable North Korean won-U.S. dollar (KPW/USD) rates are regularly reported. And that’s not all. There is also a black market for rice—the most important staple in North Korea. Black-market rice prices are regularly reported, too. Armed with these two prices, we can lift the shroud of secrecy that covers the North Korean economy.

Before Kim Jong-un assumed power in 2011, North Korea experienced severe economic problems. These included hyperinflation and famine.

In 2009, the North Korean government attempted to address runaway inflation by implementing a phony currency “reform” program, which it promptly bungled. The so-called reform was actually just a currency redenomination program, which arbitrarily lopped two zeros off of every won note. North Koreans were given less than two weeks to exchange all of their won for new notes. And, the government set limits on the quantity of won a family could exchange for new won. For those North Koreans who had saved a few too many won, the redenomination program was effectively a wealth tax program.

It should come as little surprise that Pyongyang’s bungled currency reform sparked a panic in North Korea’s won black-market and its underground markets for goods and services. Indeed, the value of the won against the greenback collapsed, and the price of rice skyrocketed.

With the plunge of the won, inflation surged. My studies show that a hyperinflation episode began in December 2009. It was then that the monthly inflation rate first exceeded the hyperinflation threshold of 50% per month. North Korea’s hyperinflation peaked in early March 2010, when the monthly inflation rate reached 926%.

https:// www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-05-03/north-koreas-economic-crisis-what-crisis

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