Steve Cohen: Impeaching ‘Reckless Gangster’ Trump Would Be Patriotic

Thursday on CNN’s “Newsroom,” Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) said it was “patriotic” to begin impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump.

Cohen said, “Well, she needs to do what’s right. She says that she’s doing this because of patriotism, not politics. It’s hard to see that. I mean, patriotism would say jump into hell for a heavenly cause. And the fact is when you have a Constitution, and you have a rule of law, and it’s being destroyed in a reckless gangster manner, you need to act. I think the—the only—the only reason not to act is because of politics.”

Harlow asked, “Wait, wait, wait. I mean, you’re saying, it sounds like you’re saying House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is not being patriotic. Is that right?”

Cohen replied, “No, not necessarily. I think, you know, you can be patriotic in different ways. But if-if you’re going to say whether going for impeachment is patriotic or not going for impeachment is patriotic, I think going for impeachment is when you see it laid out before you. And I see that.”

Harlow pressed, “You’re saying she’s putting politics above patriotism in this instance?”

Cohen said, “I hate to get into it with Nancy. Nancy and I have a great relationship, and I’m not going to spoil that.”

https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2019/05/23/steve-cohen-impeaching-reckless-gangster-trump-would-be-patriotic/

>>6575686

Those who scream the loudest, right! I wouldn't put anything past this scum.

>>6575754

He's too much of a chicken to say!

"I hate to get into it with Nancy"

Report: Arab States Press Palestinians to Attend U.S. Peace Summit in Bahrain

TEL AVIV – Arab nations are putting pressure on the Palestinians to walk back a rejection of a US-led peace conference in Bahrain next month, according to Palestinian officials cited by the Jerusalem Post. “Some Arab countries are unhappy that we immediately rejected the idea of the workshop,” a senior Palestinian Authority official told the Post, but declined to name which countries. “They are now asking us to stop attacking the workshop and not to oppose the participation of Palestinian businessmen.”

On Tuesday, the PA officially rejected the U.S.’s invitation to attend the conference, during which the Trump administration plans to unroll the economic phase of its long-awaited peace proposal. “This is an official announcement that Palestine will not attend the Manama meeting. This is a collective Palestinian position, from President Mahmoud Abbas and the PLO Executive Committee to all Palestinian political movements and factions, national figures, private sector and civil society,” senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat said in a statement, adding that no Palestinian representative would be present. “Those concerned and [who] want to serve the interest of the Palestinian people should respect this collective position,” he said.

The Post cited other Palestinian officials as saying that Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates expressed “concern” over the PA’s opposition to the workshop. “The Arabs say we should have consulted with them before publicly rejecting the workshop and calling for its boycott,” a second official said. “They are actually pressuring us to stop speaking out against the Bahrain conference and to allow businessmen to go there.” PA officials plan on convening in the coming days to discuss the latest developments on the peace deal, the report said.

On Sunday, the U.S. announced it would unroll the first phase of the long-anticipated proposal at the forum, saying it would outline the economic rewards if a peace deal were to be struck. Special Mideast envoy Jason Greenblatt said the proposal has the “potential to unlock a prosperous future for the Palestinians.” Erekat responded by saying, “Palestine’s full economic potential can only be achieved by ending the Israeli occupation, respecting international law and UN resolutions.” Last week, PA Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said the Palestinians would not attend the Bahrain workshop. “Any solution to the conflict in Palestine must be political … and based on ending the occupation,” he said. “The current financial crisis is a result of a financial war waged against us and we will not succumb to blackmailing and extortion and will not trade our national rights for money.”

Ahmed Majdalani, the social development minister and a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s executive committee, reiterated Shtayyeh’s comments, saying: “There will be no Palestinian participation in the Manama workshop.” The Palestinian leadership warned any Palestinian businessmen against taking part. “Any Palestinian who would take part would be nothing but a collaborator for the Americans and Israel,” Majdalani said.

The only Palestinian currently set to attend the workshop is Ashraf Jabari, a Hebron businessman with ties to settlers who received a personal invitation from the Trump administration. “Any Palestinian who participates in the [Bahrain] conference is a traitor, collaborator and coward,” said Osama Qawassmeh, spokesman for the Palestinian ruling Fatah faction in the West Bank. “We call on all our friends and the Arabs not to attend this conference.” Others who received invitations, including Bashar Masri and Adnan Majli, announced they would boycott the summit.

Greenblatt shot back, saying that it is “difficult to understand why the Palestinian Authority would reject a workshop designed to discuss a vision with the potential to radically transform lives and put people on a path toward a brighter future.” “History will judge the Palestinian Authority harshly for passing up any opportunity that could give the Palestinians something so very different, and something so very positive, compared to what they have today,” Greenblatt said.

https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2019/05/23/report-arab-states-pressure-palestinians-to-attend-u-s-peace-summit-in-bahrain/

DoJ Launches Anti-Trust Probe Into Real Estate Brokerage Industry

As homes in the US become increasingly unaffordable, those who can afford to buy probably chafe at the insanely high commissions paid to agents and brokers, which can amount to 6% of the sales price. And as more buyers balk at these fees, turning instead to 'iBuyers' like Open Door and Zillow (which will buy a home with the intention of flipping it), it appears the DoJ has finally taken an interest in the phenomenon. According to Bloomberg, anti-trust authorities are looking into allegations that members of the Realtors Association conspired with brokerage companies like Realogy Holdings Corp and Re/Max Holdings to stop home sellers from negotiating their commissions. Bloomberg learned about the investigation from sources at CoreLogic, a data provider that offers real-estate data to government agencies, lenders and brokers.

CoreLogic spokeswoman Alyson Austin confirmed the company received a civil investigative demand "relating to an investigation of practices of residential real estate brokerages." CoreLogic is not the focus of the investigation, she said. If anything, the investigation is long overdue. The DoJ has been trying to lower real-estate commissions for the past 10 years.

The U.S. residential real estate industry has long faced criticism that it stifles competition among brokerages, protecting agent commissions that are higher than those paid by sellers in many other countries. In 2008, the Justice Department reached a settlement with the National Association of Realtors, a trade group, that was designed to lower commissions paid by consumers by opening the industry to internet-based brokers

While CoreLogic couldn't provide any specifics beyond disclosing that the investigative demand sought information about the ability to search real estate listings on multiple platforms, the DoJ declined to comment, and BBG noted that a lawsuit filed against real-estate broker franchisors and the Realtors association might hold a few more clues.

The investigative demand to CoreLogic, dated last month, follows a lawsuit filed against the Realtors association and real estate broker franchisors, including Realogy Holdings Corp., claiming they conspired to prevent home sellers from negotiating commissions they pay to buyers’ agents. The Realtors association filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that it misunderstands the role of brokers. The trade group didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit or the Department of Justice investigation. We believe this case has no merit and have moved jointly with the other corporate defendants to dismiss the case," Realogy spokesman Trey Sarten said in an email. "Additionally, we have joined in NAR’s motion to dismiss."

The Internet has made it easy for anybody to look up listings, so why have commissions for real-estate agents remained so high? Though, while lower commissions could lead to lower prices, for most millennials, a mere 6% differential likely won't be enough to revive the lost dream of homeownership.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-05-23/doj-launches-anti-trust-probe-real-estate-brokerage-industry

Mississippi Floodway May Be Opened, Unleashing 17 Million Liters Of Water Per Second

One of the major barriers that keeps the Mississippi River on its course could be opened for only the third time in its history. The opening would be the result of rising river levels and could also flood parts of Louisiana, which would affect businesses in the region, according to Bloomberg. The Army Corps of Engineers may be forced to open the Morganza Floodway, a lengthy dam-like barrier that redirects 600,000 cubic feet, or 17 million liters of water, per second to take pressure off the Mississippi. The river has been at high levels since last October as a result of massive rainfalls that have also had a negative effect on crops in the region.

The floodway is about 45 miles northwest of Baton Rouge and, when opened, sends water into the "rural area between the Atchafalaya and Mississippi Rivers in central Louisiana." The area along the river between New Orleans and Baton Rogue is littered with refineries, chemical plants and grain elevators. High water on the river has already caused delays for shipments of raw materials in and out of these businesses and, due to the high levels, traffic through Vicksburg was shut down earlier this year already. Exacerbating things further is the fact that meteorologists are calling for a new deluge into the river as a result of thunderstorms across the Great Plains and the Midwest this week. A large amount of this water will flow into the Mississippi, coupled with water from the Arkansas river.

Jeff Graschel, service coordination hydrologist with the Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center said: "We are really close to the trigger levels." Speaking to Bloomberg, he added that while the Mississippi could dip lower in the next few days, forecasters are expecting a new deluge caused by a week’s worth of thunderstorms across the Great Plains and Midwest to send the river rising again by the end of next week.

John Bel Edwards, the state's governor will be holding a press conference to explain the action he will take. The floods occurring now are not as severe as they were in 2011, which was the last time the floodway was forced open. River levels are about 2 feet lower than they were during 2011. The Bonnet Carre Spillway, about 28 miles downstream, was opened in February to help prevent flood risk in New Orleans.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-05-23/close-trigger-levels-mississippi-floodway-may-be-opened-unleashing-17-million

>>6576092

I understand what you are saying here. However this goes deeper than that. The place to start is with the mortgage companies. They are the ones whom qualify people for a price range. Real Estate Agents can get a bad wrap in this mess, and what a mess it is. Such a mess it's difficult to know where to begin. This article references the National Association of Realtors also..basically this is an organization wrapped up like an association but truly nothing more than a Washington lobbing firm.

For example. A real estate agent is required to join their organization whether they want to or not in order to have access to the very tools that allow them to see what the housing inventory is.

This is much like buying a brand new car, and after you have purchased it you find out that you have to pay for the keys if you want to leave the lot, in other words one doesn't work with out the other.

In addition to that, for most agents there is a very large financial out put before they even sell one home. Education, licensing, Testing, brokerage fees, Insurance, MLS fees, National Association fees. All of this before you have earned one penny.

So in effect you are paying out like you are purchasing a business, but, you don't own one, you don't call the shots, you don't make the rules and the paychecks don't go to you, they go to the broker, another agent, and then you get a percentage. Agents don't come close to walking away with that whole paycheck, which is a common misconception among most people.

Trash Wars: Duterte Orders Tons Of Garbage Shipped Back To Canada Or Dumped In Territorial Waters

Outspoken Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered that containers carrying trash from Canada should be shipped back to the country. It is the latest chapter in a disagreement over more than 100 containers of trash that were shipped to the Philippines between 2013 and 2014, illegally, by a Canadian company. Canada had previously agreed to take the trash back, but has been slow in making arrangements for its return. Duterte threatened to leave the trash in Canadian waters if Ottawa refuses to take it back, according to Salvador Panelo, spokesman for the President. Quoted by RT, Panelo said Duterte was “upset” by Ottawa’s “inordinate delay” in shipping the garbage back after they missed a May 15 deadline to do so. Officials in the Philippines are now looking to hire a private shipping company to move the waste back to Canada, with Manilla bearing the expenses.

Panelo continued: “Obviously, Canada is not taking this issue nor our country seriously.” He continued, saying that the trash would be dumped in Canada's territorial waters, or 12 miles from the country's shore. “The Philippines is an independent sovereign nation [and] must not be treated as trash by other foreign nations. We hope this message resonates well with other countries of the world,” Panelo concluded.

The containers had previously been listed as containing plastics intended for recycling, however, upon delivery, the shipment was found to contain newspapers, water bottles, diapers and other trash. Back in April, Duterte had said of the argument: "They have been sending their trash to us. Well, not this time. We will quarrel with each other. So what if we quarrel with Canada? We’ll declare war against them, we can beat them.

Duterte warned Canada to "prepare a grand reception" for the trash and said he didn't care what Canada did with it. He even suggested that Canadians could "eat it" if they wanted to.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-05-23/trash-wars-duterte-orders-tons-garbage-shipped-back-canada-or-dumped-territorial

>>6576237

You are fortunate you can do that for yourself. Most people don't know the first thing about doing that for themselves. I will say this as well Lawyer miss things too.. I to have bought and sold many homes, and have also had many a closing held up because of faulty or non existant paperwork. The ability to do so for yourself also depends on your state rules and regs, most individuals don't know what they are nor do they care to make it their job to know. What they are concerned about is finding the right home in the right neighborhood at the right price.

>>6576279

Who always should know the states laws?

>>6576285

Not where I come from………Seller pays the fees..different states different rules.

>>6576276

He said he was dumping it back in Canada…so I'm thinking it's going to Owatta