George Soros Pulls Out of San Diego’s District Attorney Race

Soros cancels all media in support of far-left candidate Geneviéve Jones-Wright

A political action committee launched and bankrolled by liberal billionaire George Soros is pulling out of San Diego's district attorney race.

The California Justice & Public Safety PAC, which was established by Soros to support Geneviéve Jones-Wright, a far-left public defender, recently pulled an advertisement depicting District Attorney Summer Stephan as having a backlog of rape kits that needed to be tested. The ad came under fire for being false and misleading.

Now, the PAC is leaving the race entirely. Soros's PAC has cancelled all future advertisements in support of Jones-Wright, according to television station managers in the region.

Soros has spent hundreds of thousands on television advertisements, digital advertisements, and campaign literature and mailings in support of Jones-Wright after initially depositing $1.5 million into the California Justice & Public Safety PAC, the Washington Free Beacon previously reported.

Jones-Wright appeared at a secretive gathering held by the Democracy Alliance, a dark money donor network that was co-founded by Soros, last November to sit on a panel discussion on ramping up funding in district attorney races during the 2018 election cycle.

Jones-Wright, who told the Free Beacon in early May that she was "thrilled" to have the support of Soros, now has been dealt a major blow with the withdrawal of all upcoming media spots.

Other progressive groups such as the Real Justice PAC, which was cofounded by Black Lives Matter activist Shaun King and former staffers to Bernie Sanders's 2016 presidential campaign, have also thrown support behind Jones-Wright.

Jones-Wright's campaign did not return a request for comment by press time.

Soros, who has been quietly funding district attorney races across the country in recent years, normally sees his preferred candidate win the race. He has previously funded progressive district attorney candidates in Florida, Illinois, Mississippi, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Texas, and New Mexico, among other states.

The San Diego County district attorney election will take place on June 5.

http:// freebeacon.com/politics/george-soros-pulls-san-diegos-district-attorney-race/

U.S. airstrikes targeting Islamic State surge 300 percent

American warplanes are working overtime against Islamic State targets in Syria, with the number of combat sorties in May against the terror group surging over 300 percent compared to recent months, says new airstrike figures released by command officials Friday.

U.S. and coalition combat aircraft flew 225 airstrikes last month, hitting 280 known Islamic State or ISIS redoubts in Syria, located mostly in the volatile Euphrates River Valley, said American commanders with the U.S.-led counterterrorism mission Operation Inherent Resolve. During a single six-day period in May, American and allied fighter jets executed 41 airstrikes against ISIS targets in Syria and Iraq, resulting in 49 enemy targets hit, coalition officials said in a statement.

“This demonstrates a 304 percent increase over the 74 strikes conducted in March and a 123 percent increase over the 183 strikes recorded in April,” according to Friday’s statement.

The majority of the airstrikes were carried out in support of Operation Roundup, the ground campaign led by the Syrian Democratic Forces or SDF — the American-backed coalition of Kurdish and Arab paramilitaries — to eliminate remaining pockets of ISIS resistance in the Euphrates River Valley.

“Operation Roundup will continue to build momentum against Daesh remnants remaining in the Iraq-Syria border region and the [Euphrates River Valley],” command officials said in the statement, using the derogatory Arabic term for ISIS.

“The Coalition remains committed to the lasting defeat of Daesh here, increasing peace and stability in the region and protecting all our homelands from the Daesh threat,” coalition officials added.

Kicking off in early May, the operation is the first major anti-ISIS operation by the SDF and the American-led coalition since the fall of Raqqa — the terror group’s de facto Syrian capital and the heart of its so-called caliphate — in 2017.

Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters aboard the U.S.S Harry S. Truman carrier strike group began bombarding Islamic State positions in May, linking up with the Navy’s Sixth Fleet — which is responsible for U.S. maritime operations in Europe and North Africa — late last April, as part of the Pentagon’s seemingly final push to eradicate ISIS from its Syrian enclaves.

On Thursday, Joint Staff Director Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie said American advisers on the ground in Syria and their higher ups at the Pentagon were seeing good progress from the SDF.

“We’re making progress, and, in concert with our SDF partners, I think that we’re beginning to clear out the final pockets of ISIS,” he told reporters during a Defense Department briefing.

“We want to leave behind security elements that are going to be able to maintain [security] at the local level,” the three-star general said. “That’s sort of a long-term aim we have, as we push down the Euphrates River Valley, and that progress is continuing.”

https:// www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jun/1/us-airstrikes-syria-targeting-islamic-state-iraq-s/

>>1606900

No doubt, although he should be in jail.

Anti-Trump fervor backfires on Democrats

For months, Democrats have been warned by informed observers that they can’t build a winning election strategy for the 2018 midterms or the 2020 presidential election on anti-Trump fervor.

“You cannot just run against Donald Trump. It is the job of we Democrats to put together a strong, cohesive economic group of proposals aimed at the middle class and those struggling to get there,” Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer warned his party.

He said that in February.

Over time, other Democratic lawmakers and strategists have echoed the plea, even as their dreams of a “blue wave” waver as the public detects President Trump’s authentic economic and diplomatic victories — which typically get minimal media coverage. The poll numbers are beginning to waver as well. Upward.

“A recent Harvard University/Harris Poll provides some insights as to why President Trump’s support is actually increasing among voters and offers data to explain why he may be re-elected in 2020. I realize that many people don’t want to hear that, but hiding from a noxious reality is neither healthy nor helpful,” veteran pollster John Zogby writes in an analysis for Forbes, citing the influence of “a growing feeling of optimism” and rising approval of Mr. Trump across multiple demographics.

“The President can bolster his creds with both his voter base and beyond. It will also makes it much harder for Democrats to run on a slogan that argues that they can do anything ‘better,’ as their current consultant-driven message suggests,” Mr. Zogby advises.

A conservative radio kingpin also notices that persistent anti-Trump tactics are wearing thin, and that the Democrats’ previous 15-percentage-point advantage on a generic ballot has eroded to nothing.

“They don’t have an agenda. All they’ve got is this hate, this hate for Trump, this semi-hate for America, this literal hate for you for electing Trump,” Rush Limbaugh told his 14 million listeners. “You can’t sustain this kind of hate, and you certainly cannot build and grow.”

Democrats are still driven by emotion and rage over Hillary Clinton’s loss, he said.

“They want to somehow change the outcome of the 2016 election. And as time goes on, the realization hits them each and every day that they are failing. And so they’re ratcheting up the radical extremism. And I think it’s hurting them. I think they have maybe — if not jumped the shark, they’ve crossed a line here, where who they are and what they are is beginning to repulse a lot of people,” Mr. Limbaugh said.

https:// www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/may/31/inside-the-beltway-anti-trump-fervor-backfires-on-/

US senator meets Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in show of support for island

David Perdue and Tsai exchanged views on regional peace, cross-strait issues and bilateral trade in second visit by a US heavyweight this week.

US Senator David Perdue, one of President Donald Trump’s closest supporters in the Senate, added a Taiwan stop to his Asia trip in a show of support for the island after it lost two more diplomatic allies to Beijing last month.

The Dominican Republic terminated official ties with Taiwan in early May, followed by Burkina Faso last week – leaving the self-ruled island with just 18 allies left as Beijing uses economic lures to gain diplomatic support and put the squeeze on Taipei.

Beijing sees Taiwan as a breakaway province subject to eventual unification, by force if necessary. Cross-strait tensions have been rising since President Tsai Ing-wen from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party came to power two years ago and refused to accept the one-China principle, prompting Beijing to suspend official exchanges with the island.

Perdue, a Republican senator who sits on the Armed Services Committee, met Tsai in Taipei on Friday, Taiwan’s presidential office said in a statement.

He reiterated Washington’s commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act and expressed its appreciation for the island’s long-standing support of the US and its contribution to the region, the statement said.

Perdue and Tsai also exchanged views on regional peace, cross-strait issues and bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

The US senator is a long-time supporter of Taiwan, including its participation in international bodies such as the World Health Assembly and Interpol. He recently voted in favour of the US National Defence Authorisation Act for fiscal 2019 that calls for high-level military exchanges between the US and Taiwan and the supply of defensive weapons for the island.

He was the second heavyweight US congressman to visit the island this week after fellow Republican Cory Gardner, head of the Senate’s Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific and International Cybersecurity Policy, also changed his travel plans to add Taiwan to his Asia trip.

Gardner also met Tsai and reportedly emphasised the importance of Taiwan’s security in the face of Beijing’s military expansion in the South China Sea and elsewhere.

Observers say Taiwan is looking to the United States and Japan for backing as it comes under mounting pressure from Beijing. Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu told lawmakers this week that the island should step up efforts to build relations with nations it does not have official diplomatic ties with, especially “like-minded countries”. He also said Taiwan must boost its profile in the Indo-Pacific, echoing the US regional strategy of including India as one of its security partners in countering the mainland in the region.

http:// www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2148916/us-senator-meets-taiwanese-president-tsai-ing-wen-show

>>1607158

So we have been told, I hope, it is correct on the point that he can do no more damage, however it only means there is another to step in and take his place….(Alex)…I am sure he was taught well.

Michael Avenatti asked Democrats to help fund his legal battle against Trump: Report

Michael Avenatti reportedly asked Democratic operatives to help fund the two lawsuits he's pursuing against President Trump on behalf of his client, porn star Stormy Daniels.

Sources told the New York Times that Avenatti approached someone who works for the group of liberal organizations led by David Brock. Another person tied to Avenatti’s law firm contacted two people close to top Democratic donors.

Avenatti called Bradley Beychok, the president of American Bridge, which was founded by Brock, just before launching a crowdfunding website raising money to assist Daniels in her lawsuit against Trump.

During the discussion, Avenatti reportedly said he wanted to raise up to $2 million, and wanted some of that money to come from Democratic donors or groups, the New York Times reported. The conversations, though, did not yield any financial assistance.

Two Democratic operatives told the Times that Brock’s organizations chose not to contribute money because they believed there was little value in doing so. Mike Berkowitz, a political adviser who works with Hyatt Hotel heiress Rachel Pritzker, referred Avenatti to Brock’s organizations, the Times reported.

A person connected to Avenatti’s law firm contacted Berkowitz asking for help with Daniels’ legal battle against Trump. But Berkowitz did not tell Pritzker of the request, sources said.

Avenatti told the Times he and his associates may have reached out to the Democratic operatives, but said he didn’t recognize Beychok, Berkowitz, or Brock’s names.

“We’ve contacted people on the right and the left relating to a variety of issues,” he said. “We have not sought any money from anyone on the right or the left.”

Avenatti said he turned down “big money” from Republican and Democratic donors “because we’re not going to have this politicized.” He also said he and Daniels have “not taken any political-associated dollars.”

The crowdfunding website set up by Avenatti and Daniels has raised more than $527,000. Daniels paid her lawyer a small amount for legal fees, but Avenatti told the Times he is currently being paid through the donations to the fundraising site.

Daniels and Avenatti have filed two lawsuits against Trump. The first seeks to invalidate a confidentiality agreement Daniels signed to remain quiet about an alleged sexual encounter she had with Trump. The second claims Trump defamed her.

Daniels received $130,000 from Michael Cohen, Trump’s lawyer, just before the 2016 election in exchange for her silence about the affair.

https:// www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/michael-avenatti-asked-democrats-to-help-fund-his-legal-battle-against-trump-report

Koreas agree to reunite families separated by the Korean War

North and South Korea agreed on Friday to reunite families separated by the 1950-1953 by the Korean War, a major step as relations between the two former foes continues to warm.

The countries agreed to hold military and Red Cross talks later in June to work toward reducing tensions, and they also agreed to a meeting between senior officials to establish a liaison office at the border, the Associated Press reported.

In another attempt at reconciliations between the two nations, the talks in June will also include a discussion on combining teams for some sports at the Asian Games in August.

As the U.S. continues its push to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, the South works on building a stronger, more trusting relationship.

“If we continue to engage with each other like we did today, there will be no problem that can’t be solved between the South and North,” South Korean Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon said after Friday’s meeting.

https:// www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/foreign/koreas-agree-to-reunite-families-separated-by-the-korean-war

Blowout jobs report boosts odds of a June rate hike

The odds that the Federal Reserve will raise short-term interest rates in June, the second increase this year, climbed Friday as U.S. payroll expansion boosted confidence in stable economic growth.

Employers added 223,000 jobs in May, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, faster growth than the previous month and higher than economists' average forecast of 190,000 jobs. The jobless rate, meanwhile, dipped to 3.8 percent, the lowest since the last year of Bill Clinton's presidency.

The numbers are "consistent with the Fed's optimistic view on the U.S. economy" and support a 25 basis-point increase this month, said Michael Gapen, an economist with British lender Barclays. Members of the Fed's monetary policy committee, which sets rates, have signaled three to four increases this year – which would move interest as high as 2.25 to 2.5 percent.

"Borrowers and investors, among others, should prepare for the possibility of a total of at least three," said Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst for Bankrate.com. "That means paying down debt and being aware that the stock market will likely remain volatile."

Indeed, U.S. stocks reached record highs earlier this year before retreating amid concern about rising interest rates and trade conflicts ignited by President Trump's protectionist policies.

The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial average sank on Thursday as the White House imposed tariffs on metals imports from America's closest allies, spurring prompt retaliation, then rose with Friday's upbeat employment report.

Both lawmakers and economists have warned that the president's actions are imperiling gains from a GOP-led tax cut last year, and Hamrick said they may ultimately hurt the labor market as well.

"Remember the commonly-cited complaint from the business lobby about then-President Obama’s approach: 'Adds to uncertainty,'" he said. "This president has taken that risk to a much higher level. Along with further alienating our strongest allies, the moves risk lifting inflation which will disproportionately affect the very individuals, among others, who voted to send Mr. Trump to the White House."

Those concerns remain peripheral, for now, to the short-term economic outlook and shouldn't materially affect the central bank's immediate plans, said Joseph Song, an economist with Bank of America.

"The latest round of U.S. data should keep the Fed on track for a rate hike in June," he said. Trading in interest-rate futures on Friday, tracked by the CME Group, showed an 89 percent chance of a 25 basis-point hike later this month, up slightly from the day before.

That's good news for lenders such as Citigroup and Wells Fargo, which typically boost profitability by passing increases along to their borrowers more quickly than depositors.

https:// www.washingtonexaminer.com/business/blowout-jobs-report-boosts-odds-of-a-june-rate-hike

>>1607455

Agreed