US Office of Special Counsel Recommends Kellyanne Conway Be Removed From Office For Hatch Act Violations

The US Office of Special Counsel said in a report given to President Trump on Thursday that his counselor Kellyanne Conway has repeatedly violated the Hatch Act and recommended her removal from federal service.

The Hatch Act bars federal employees from engaging in political activity.

“The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) calls on President Donald J. Trump to remove Ms. Conway from her federal position immediately,” the agency wrote in a letter to the White House. “[K]ellyanne Conway violated the Hatch Act on numerous occasions by disparaging Democratic presidential candidates while speaking in her official capacity during television interviews and on social media,” the letter stated.

The OSC cited two separate television interviews in which Kellyanne Conway advocated for and against candidates in the 2017 Alabama special election for US Senate.

In May 2019 during a media interview, when asked about the Hatch Act, Kellyanne Conway said, “If you’re trying to silence me through the Hatch Act, it’s not going to work,” and “Let me know when the jail sentence starts.”

Wow. The Office of Special Counsel finds that @KellyannePolls repeatedly violated the Hatch Act and is recommending her removal from federal service. pic.twitter.com/LMC258AF7g

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/06/breaking-us-office-of-special-counsel-recommends-kellyanne-conway-be-removed-from-office-for-hatch-act-violations/

Iran FM: "Suspicious Doesn't Begin To Describe" Attack On Japanese Tanker During Abe's State Visit

With the words "Gulf of Tonkin" trending on Twitter this morning at a moment that a senior American defense official told CBS News that "it's highly likely Iran caused these attacks," it appears the general public is not even close to buying the claim that Iran attacked two tankers near the strategic Straits of Hormuz this morning.

Iranian Foreign Minister Javid Zarif pointed out a crucial obvious factor not likely to make it across the US mainstream airwaves or headlines:

"Suspicious doesn't begin to describe what likely transpired this morning," he said.

This especially crucial — according to his comments — given that one of the vessels is a Japanese tanker supposedly "attacked" by Iran in the middle of a visit to Tehran by Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Japan's Trade Ministry later confirmed that one of the ships hit Thursday morning was carrying "Japan-related cargo."

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-06-13/iran-fm-suspicious-doesnt-begin-describe-attack-japanese-ship-during-visit-japanese

Saudis Suggest Iran-Backed Houthi Rebels Responsible For Tanker Attack

Update 5: A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen's government in the country's civil war has come out and blamed Iran for Thursday's attack, saying they believe they can connect it to a similar tanker bombing last year in the Red Sea committed by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The spokesman called the attack a "major escalation", and reiterated in what sounded to us like a thinly veiled threat that Saudi Arabia has the capacity to protect its vital institutions.

You may remember that the Houthis have over the last year repeatedly fired missiles (with mixed success) at Saudi oil fields and even came close to successfully bombing a royal palace.

Earlier, over in the UK, a spokesperson for the government called the attack on civilian oil tankers "completely unacceptable" and said the UK was ready to assist in the rescue effort and investigation.

Meanwhile, senior officials from the US and UAE have attributed the attack to a "state actor," though they neglected to explicitly name Iran.

All this is happening before the investigation into the attacks has even begun. And BBG's Javier Blas pointed out that should Iran be found responsible, it would be a strange turn of events since the Front Altair is owned by John Frederiksen, the owner of the Frontline Tanker company, who moved oil for Iran during the "tanker war" with Iraq.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-06-13/2-tankers-damaged-after-suspected-torpedo-attack-near-strait-hormuz-oil-soars

House Republicans move to permanently remove gun-free school zones from federal law

'The only thing gun-free zones do is disarm law-abiding citizens'

A conservative House Republican is continuing his fight to repeal the the federal laws banning guns from school zones.

Earlier this week, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) introduced the "Safe Students Act," which would repeal the "Gun-Free School Zones Act," thereby eliminating what the congressman's office calls a "one-size-fits-all federal ban on guns in school zones" and making it easier for local authorities to set their own gun policies.

The Gun-Free School Zones Act was passed in 1990 and makes it "unlawful for any individual knowingly to possess a firearm at a place that the individual knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, is a school zone." The original law was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1995 on interstate commerce grounds and later amended by Congress.

"Gun-free zones are ineffective and make our schools less safe. 98 percent of mass public shootings since 1950 have occurred in places where citizens are banned from having guns," Rep. Massie said in a press release. "Banks, churches, sports stadiums, and many of my colleagues in Congress are protected with firearms. Yet children inside the classroom are too frequently left vulnerable."

Research from the Crime Prevention Research Center in 2018 found that 97.8 percent of mass shootings between the years 1950 and 2018 happened in gun-free zones.

The effort to repeal the 1990 GFSZA is not a new one. Massie introduced a bill to repeal it in the previous two Congresses. Before that, the policy was championed by other Republican congressmen such as Ron Paul and Steve Stockman.

Cosponsors of the bill included in Massie's press release currently include GOP Reps. Justin Amash (Mich.), Jody Hice (Ga.), Jeff Duncan (S.C.), Matt Gaetz (Fla.), Louie Gohmert (Texas), James Comer (Ky.), and Brian Babin (Texas).

"The only thing gun-free zones do is disarm law-abiding citizens and take away their ability to protect themselves and others." Rep. Duncan said in a statement alongside Massie. "We shouldn't leave our most vulnerable — our children — in an unsafe environment like gun-free zones where acts of violence cannot be stopped."

https://www.theblaze.com/news/house-republicans-gun-free-school-zones

YouTube removes Project Veritas video on Pinterest’s ‘censorship of conservative views’

YouTube has removed a video which details how Pinterest actively suppressed conservative viewpoints on its website, sparking accusations that the Silicon Valley tech giants are working in concert to silence speech they don’t like.

Created by Project Veritas, the offending video cites internal documents showing that Pinterest designated phrases such as “Bible verses” and “Christian Easter” as “sensitive terms” and placed an influential pro-life website on a pornography blacklist. The group, Live Action, was permanently banned from Pinterest for spreading “conspiracy theories” on the same day that the Project Veritas investigation went public.

The report, which featured an interview with a Pinterest employee who blew the whistle on the troubling thought-policing, was swiftly removed by YouTube, apparently due to a privacy claim by a “third party.”

Project Veritas founder James O’Keefe denounced YouTube’s decision in a statement posted on Twitter.

“The established media and technology are so afraid of investigative journalism they need to censor it. YouTube calls REPORTING on someone by showing their face and name, and how they added a pro-life group to a porn blacklist, a ‘privacy complaint.’ Would they do this to NYT?” he wrote.

https://www.rt.com/news/461786-youtube-censors-pintrest-abortion-veritas/

Environmental NGO finds Monsanto chemical in Cheerios and other foods marketed to children

The Environmental Working Group has released findings of research showing “troubling levels of glyphosate, the cancer-causing ingredient in the herbicide Roundup” in food products including children’s breakfast cereals.

The Washington, DC-based advocacy group said in a statement released June 12 that the chemical, was detected “in all 21 oat-based cereal and snack products sampled in a new round of testing.”

Furthermore, all of the products but four were found to contain levels higher than EWG’s safety threshold for child consumption, which is 160 parts per billion (ppb). The products “Cheerios” and “Honey Nut Cheerios Medley Crunch” were found with the highest glyphosate levels with 729 ppb and 833 ppb respectively. The findings follow two previous research studies conducted with independent labs conducted last year.

https://www.rt.com/usa/461719-monsanto-chemical-cereal-roundup/

DHS: Illegal Aliens Released into U.S. Without Undergoing Disease Tests

Border crossers and illegal aliens are being released into the interior of the United States without going through basic medical examinations and disease tests, Acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kevin McAleenan admits.

In written testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee this week, McAleenan admitted the thousands of border crossers and illegal aliens DHS is releasing every week are not undergoing disease tests.

McAleenan wrote:

The public health risk — family units are released into our communities with unknown vaccination status and without a standard medical examination for communicable diseases of public health concern, as well as a public health risk of disease outbreak at processing facilities. [Emphasis added]

Since December 2018, DHS has released nearly 205,000 border crossers and illegal aliens into the interior of the U.S. — the overwhelming majority of which will never be deported. More than 1,000 border crossers and illegal aliens every day have been released into the country by DHS over the last half year.

Namely, border crossers and illegal aliens are being dropped off primarily in four American communities: San Diego, California, Phoenix, Arizona, El Paso, Texas, and San Antonio, Texas.

Mass illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border poses a public health risk to Americans. Breitbart News’ Penny Star reported in March of the nearly 2,300 border crossers with diseases, like the mumps, in federal custody who had been quarantined.

In March, federal immigration officials said they were referring, on average, about 55 border crossers and illegal aliens per day to hospitals in the U.S. At this rate, a total of 31,000 border crossers this year could be referred to American hospitals — a nearly 160 percent increase in hospital refers compared to 2018 totals.

Every year, American taxpayers are forced to subsidize the medical and hospital costs of border crossers and illegal aliens in federal custody to the sum of about a quarter of a billion dollars, as Breitbart News reported. This cost does not include the cost of illegal aliens and their U.S.-born children living throughout the U.S. Separately, these illegal aliens and their children cost the American taxpayer more than $17 billion a year in medical expenses, according to research by the Federation for American Immigration Reform.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/06/13/dhs-released-disease-screenings/

Nunes Says He Has Finally Seen Mueller ‘Scope Memo’

California Rep. Devin Nunes said Wednesday that he has finally seen the Justice Department memo that laid out the parameters of the special counsel’s probe.

Nunes, a Republican, indicated in an interview on Fox News’s “Hannity” that the Aug. 2, 2017 memo shows the infamous and unverified Steele dossier was relevant to the special counsel’s probe.

“Ultimately, that Steele dossier permeated all the way through, ultimately to the special counsel,” said Nunes, the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee.

“I was finally able to see the scope memo,” he continued. “And remember, I had these concerns that it was based upon the Steele dossier.”

Nunes said he was unable to talk about what else is in the memo, seemingly because it contains classified information.

Democrats have tried to downplay the significance of the Steele dossier to the Trump-Russia probe. They’ve pointed out that the dossier, which former British spy Christopher Steele wrote and Democrats funded, was not the catalyst for the FBI’s investigation into the Trump campaign, which started on July 31, 2016.

The FBI did rely heavily on the dossier for some parts of its investigation. The bureau used the salacious document to obtain Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants against Carter Page, a Trump campaign aide.

Nunes has pressed the Justice Department for an unredacted version of the memo. Former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Robert Mueller to serve as special counsel on May 17, 2017, wrote the memo to clarify the scope of the investigation.

https://dailycaller.com/2019/06/13/devin-nunes-mueller-memo-dossier/

AG joins Supreme Court president in harsh criticism of new justice minister

After Amir Ohana suggests not all court verdicts should be honored, Avichai Mandelblit says accepting decisions is ‘axiomatic’

Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit on Thursday joined the criticism of newly installed Justice Minister Amir Ohana, stressing that obeying court decisions is not a matter of choice.

Mandelblit was following Supreme Court Chief Justice Esther Hayut in taking Ohana to task for suggesting during a television interview that not all of the court’s rulings should be honored.

“In Israel, as a Jewish and democratic state founded on the principle of the rule of law, the duty to obey court rulings is axiomatic, serving as a guarantee for the protection of the rights of every citizen in the state,” Mandelblit said in a statement. “It is not a matter of choice. This is a duty incumbent upon every citizen and every governmental authority, whatever it may be.”

The attorney general also rejected Ohana’s claim during the interview that state prosecutors could try to bring false criminal accusation against him for political reasons.

“For law enforcement authorities and the state prosecution — headed by the attorney general and the state attorney — there are only practical and professional considerations,” he declared. “The decisions are made only on the basis of evidence and the provisions of the law, and not, God forbid, any extraneous considerations.”

“Law enforcement officials are devoted public servants who work day and night to protect the citizens of the state, their security, their property, and their welfare,” wrote Mandelblit, whose office in the Justice Ministry lies just meters from Ohana’s.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/ag-joins-supreme-court-president-in-harsh-criticism-of-new-justice-minister/

UK Police Investigate BBC Comedian Jo Brand Over Acid Attack Joke

The Metropolitan Police have confirmed they are investigating a joke made by a British comedian about right-wing politicians having battery acid thrown at them after a complaint was made about incitement to violence.

The comments, that throwing milkshakes at politicians was “pathetic” and that battery acid might be better by comedian Jo Brand were made on Tuesday on a broadcast of the Heresy programme on BBC Radio 4 and caused severe controversy.

Delingpole: Milkshake Remainers Have Completely Lost Their Moral Compass https://t.co/VzAdbCcyLF

— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) May 20, 2019

Brand said:

Certain unpleasant characters are being thrown to the fore, and they’re very, very easy to hate, and I’m kind of thinking, why bother with a milkshake when you could get some battery acid?

That’s just me, sorry, I’m not gonna do it, it’s purely a fantasy, but I think milk shakes are pathetic, I honestly do. Sorry.

The police are now investigating the comments on as a possible incitement to violence, reports British newspaper The Sun. The British Prime Minister Theresa May has also weighed in on the growing controversy over the BBC programme, and said through a spokesman Thursday:

The prime minister has been repeatedly clear that politicians should be able to go about their work and campaign without harassment, intimidation or abuse.

It is for the BBC to explain why it considers this to have been appropriate content for broadcast.

I am sick to death of overpaid, left wing, so-called comedians on the BBC who think their view is morally superior. Can you imagine the reaction if I had said the same thing as Jo Brand? pic.twitter.com/hCEFSCqMGI

— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) June 13, 2019

Brexit leader Nigel Farage is one of a series of figures on the right of British politics who had milkshake thrown at him during the European Union parliament election campaign this year, and demanded a response, remarking: “This is incitement of violence and the police need to act.”

Mr Farage had a milkshake thrown in his face while campaigning, and the man who launched the attack was subsequently arrested and charged with assault. It is reported Mr Farage is one of the “unpleasant” people towards whom Brand was directing her remarks.

A UK charity director was removed from post last month after calling for an acid attack against Mr Farage in a separate incident.

The Brexit Party leader pointed out a perceived double standard in British justice on his radio show when he said:

I’m tired of over-paid, left-wing so-called comedians… I think we know fairly clearly who Jo Brand was aiming that comment at.

…[Comedy] is subjective, but what do you think? is that comedy? Is that reasonable? Or in the current climate, is that inciting hate? because a lot of people like Jo Brand think the referendum was a terrible mistake, and they have a view that is morally superior to everybody else’s, and so anything can be used in defence of their arguments.

I think this sort of behaviour is completely and utterly disgusting. And can you imagine, if I was to tell a story like that about Anna Soubry or someone like that? The police would knock on my door in ten minutes…

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/06/13/uk-police-investigate-bbc-comedian-jo-brand-over-acid-attack-joke/

Major Firearms Company That Banked On Hillary Winning Files For Bankruptcy

On Monday, a major American firearms dealer which staked its future on the election of Hillary Clinton in 2016 declared bankruptcy and its intention to liquidate.

United Sporting Companies Chief Executive Officer Bradley Johnson admitted in a court filing that USC, which was founded in 1933 as Ellett Brothers before merging with Jerry’s Sports, Inc. in 2009 and formally changing its name to United Sporting Companies, Inc. in 2010, hiked its inventory before the election of Donald Trump. They figured that once a Democrat was elected, gun sales would soar because of the Democrats’ typical hostility for guns and avowed determination to restrict gun sales.

The court filing stated:

In the lead up to the 2016 presidential election, the Debtors anticipated an uptick in firearms sales historically attributable to the election of a Democratic presidential nominee. The Debtors increased their inventory to account for anticipated sales increases. In the aftermath of the unexpected Republican victory, the Debtors realized lower than expected sales figures for the 2017 and 2018 fiscal years, with higher than expected carrying costs due to the Debtors’ increased inventory. These factors contributed to the Debtors tightening liquidity and an industry-wide glut of inventory.

An over-supply of firearms following the 2016 presidential election and the financial distress of certain market participants led to industry-wide sales discounts. The Debtors were forced to lower prices to remain competitive and maintain sales figures, which further eroded the Debtors’ slim margins and contributed to the Debtors’ tightening liquidity.

The Daily Mail reported of Johnson, “ … he said the Republican Trump's unexpected win over Democrat Hillary Clinton was a factor in net sales falling to $557 million in 2018 from an average $885.3 million from 2012 to 2016, with an accompanying glut of inventory.”

Other reasons cited by the company for its bankruptcy filing included Bass Pro Shops' merger with Cabela's, Gander Mountain's bankruptcy, and Dick’s Sporting Goods’ losses, all of which meant that USC had a harder time because vendors and manufacturers were less willing to extend credit to them.

The company stated it had between $100 million and $500 million of liabilities. USC’s stock included Remington, Ruger, Browning, Winchester, Smith & Wesson, Glock, Bushnell, Sig Sauer, Springfield Armory, Hornaday, Henry, Magpul, Armscor, MotorGuide, Minn Kota, Lowrance, Federal, CCI, Taurus, and Leupold. USC has 20,000 independent retailers covering all 50 states.

http://www.hideoutnow.com/2019/06/major-firearms-company-that-banked-on.html

Tanker Attack

Is it possible:

Trump goes to Japan.

Present them with an offer to take to Iran.

Abe:

Japanese leader seeks to cool US-Iran tensions

https://www.apnews.com/018cdf509baa42da91c5cc42e02e3240

Cabal get wind and can't let it happen.

FF time

Saudi's US DS blame Iran and the Houthi's immediately convenient.

Israel stays quiet.

Problem reaction solution

Satanism 101

>>6742585

>>6742578

They think it's "highly likely" Iran did it.

http://www.cuzzblue.com/2019/06/us-official-says-its-highly-likely-iran.html

YouTube CEO Apologizes To LGBTQ Community After #VoxAdpocalypse

On Monday, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki apologized to the LGBT community for not taking "more definitive action against conservative pundit Steven Crowder’s channel," according to The Verge, which is a publication of Vox Media.

Speaking at the Code conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, Wojcicki said, “I know that the decisions we made was very hurtful to the LGBTQ community and that wasn’t our intention at all. That was not our intention, and we were really sorry about that, and I do want to explain why we made the decision we did.”

Vox journalist Carlos Maza, who is gay, had pressured YouTube to punish Crowder for his remarks regarding Maza; ultimately YouTube decided not only to demonetize Crowder but also punish other creators in an incident dubbed the #VoxAdpocalypse.

When demonetizing Crowder, YouTube stated:

Even if a creator's content doesn't violate our community guidelines, we will take a look at the broader context and impact, and if their behavior is egregious and harms the broader community, we may take action. In the case of Crowder's channel, a thorough review over the weekend found that individually, the flagged videos did not violate our Community Guidelines. However, in the subsequent days, we saw the widespread harm to the YouTube community resulting from the ongoing pattern of egregious behavior, took a deeper look, and made the decision to suspend monetization. In order to be considered for reinstatement, all relevant issues with the channel need to be addressed, including any videos that violate our policies, as well as things like offensive merchandise."

Maza wasn’t satisfied with YouTube demonetizing Crowder. He stated, "Conservatives have spent years arguing that even basic content moderation is a form of 'censorship.' Their goal is to scare platforms like [YouTube] away from enforcing their hate speech policies. And it’s working, because YouTube doesn’t have the guts to protect its creators. You can’t give these people an inch. They won’t stop crying ‘liberal bias!’ until they’re allowed to use hate speech with impunity. And that’s exactly what [YouTube] is allowing them to do.”

http://www.stationgossip.com/2019/06/youtube-ceo-apologizes-to-lgbtq.html

Illinois Governor Signs Most Permissive Abortion Law In The Nation, Legalizes Abortion 'Until Birth'

Illinois governor JB Pritzker signed the nation's most permissive abortion bill into law Wednesday, as part of an effort to make abortion a "fundamental right" in the state.

The legislature passed the sweeping abortion bill last month in a whirlwind session that saw massive tax hikes and huge expansions in government in addition to this most recent abortion bill.

As The Daily Wire reported then, Pritzker's landmark abortion bill repeals the state's ban on "partial birth abortions," legalizing the procedure all the way through pregnancy and up until the moment of birth. The bill utterly ignores the concept of viability, a particularly shocking development given that most states currently passing abortion-related regulations are greatly restricting the practice, not expanding it.

The bill also removes licensing requirements for medical professionals conducting abortions, mandates that all insurance providers within the state pay for abortions in full — even Christian health-share insurance options — and permanently repeals protections for doctors and other medical professionals who refuse to take part in performing abortions. It also strips away any remaining licensing and inspection requirements for abortion clinics in the state — even though several have been targeted for unsafe practices — and repeals penalties for providing abortion services without a license.

Worse, the bill changes the legal language of the state's bevy of laws on "reproductive rights" in an effort to ensure that abortion is treated as a "fundamental right" by the Illinois constitution and legal code. Without any specifications on what constitutes a "fundamental right," it is likely only a matter of time before the new law is used to challenge existing parental notification laws and mandatory reporting laws.

The ACLU has already indicated that it will use the new bill to challenge any remaining abortion restrictions in Illinois.

Pritzker accepted accolades for his progressive bill at a signing ceremony Thursday morning.

"Today we proudly proclaim that in this state, we trust women," Pritzker said, according to CNN. "And in Illinois we guarantee as a fundamental right a woman's right to choose."

The law “ensures that women’s rights in Illinois do not hinge on the fate of Roe v. Wade or the whims of an increasingly conservative Supreme Court in Washington,” Pritzker added.

“The governor and the Democratic supermajorities who fast-tracked this legislation have created a new ‘death penalty’ in Illinois, with no possibility of appeal, for viable unborn preemies,” Peter Breen, Vice President and Senior Counsel of Illinois' Thomas More Society, which fought the bill, told reporters in a statement Thursday. “This act is barbarous. Its definition of ‘viability’ expressly excludes many babies who today live and thrive when born premature - these babies now have zero legal rights or protections, under this law."

“Governor Pritzker showed Illinois residents today that his gubernatorial record will be no different than Governor Rauner's," Mary Kate Knorr, spokeswoman for Illinois Right to Life Action, said at a press conference held in conjunction with Pritzker's signing ceremony. "It's a tale as old as time. Illinois politicians are more concerned with pandering to cash-wielding progressives and Chicago media outlets than they are with representing the people of our state. Pritzker doesn't care what the people of Illinois want, nor does he care that abortion takes a human life.”

The law's provisions go into effect immediately.

http://www.madnesshub.com/2019/06/illinois-governor-signs-most-permissive.html

State approved MURDER

White House counters yet another Barr contempt vote by claiming executive privilege over subpoenaed documents

The White House headed off a threat from House Democrats to move forward with contempt proceedings against two of its key cabinet members by asserting executive privilege over subpoenaed documents.

A message from Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd sent to House Oversight Committee chair Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) informs the panel that the White House had asserted privilege over documents related to the decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census.

"This letter is to advise you that the President has asserted executive privilege over certain subpoenaed documents identified by the Committee in its June 3, 2019 letters to the Attorney General and the Secretary," the letter reads. "These documents are protected from disclosure by the deliberative process, attorney—client communications, or attorney work product components of executive privilege. In addition, the President has made a protective assertion of executive privilege over the remainder of the subpoenaed documents."

The scheduled contempt vote was against Attorney General William Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in regard to their agencies' response to subpoenas issued in April.

"We gave Attorney General Barr and Secretary Ross every opportunity to produce the documents the Committee needs for our investigation, but rather than cooperate, they have decided that they would rather be held in contempt of Congress," Cummings said last week. "They produced none of the documents we asked for, they made no counter-offers regarding these documents, and they seem determined to continue the Trump Administration's cover-up."

The DOJ, however, insists that they've been working with Congress in "good faith," but aren't being given enough time to produce the protected documents.

"By proceeding with today's vote, you have abandoned the accommodation process with respect to your requests and subpoenas for documents concerning the Secretary's decision to include a citizenship question on the 2020 Census," the new DOJ letter warns. "The Executive Branch has engaged in good-faith efforts to satisfy the legislative needs of the Committee … Unfortunately, rather than allowing the Department to complete its document production, you have chosen to go forward with an unnecessary and premature contempt vote."

In response to the Wednesday morning letter, the Committee delayed its scheduled vote until that afternoon to give its members a few hours to digest the new information before making a decision. Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), however, requested that the vote be delayed by "at least two weeks" instead.

The Department of Commerce announced last March that the U.S. census would reinstate a question on citizenship status for the 2020 population survey. California sued to block the move. A federal judge blocked it. The Supreme Court is expected to take the question up.

"In its zeal to influence the Supreme Court's decision, the committee is poised to hold Secretary Ross in contempt," a Commerce Department spokesperson said last week. "Holding the secretary in contempt is an empty stunt, and it shows that the committee is simply interested in playing politics."

On Monday, a similar effort to hold Barr in contempt over the Mueller report was put on hold as DOJ and the House Judiciary Committee announced a deal on subpoena compliance.

http://www.madnesshub.com/2019/06/white-house-counters-yet-another-barr.html

Michigan AG Drops Criminal Charges in Flint Water Crisis, Renews Investigation

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has dropped all charges against eight officials over the water crisis in Flint, and announced the investigation will be started over again.

Among those whose charges were dropped is Nick Lyon, the former head of Michigan's health department, who was accused of failing to provide the public with timely information about the outbreak of Legionnaire's disease in 2014 and 2015, when Flint's water was not being properly treated. Legionnaire's is a type of pneumonia infection spread through water mist.

Others previously charged include Dr. Eden Wells, Michigan's former chief medical executive; Gerald Ambrose and Darnell Early, two state-appointed emergency managers; Patrick Cook, a Department of Environmental Quality official; and two Michigan Department of Health and Human Services officials, Nancy Peeler and Robert Scott.

The outbreak occurred the same time the city was already reeling from a toxic lead contamination crisis. Twelve deaths have been linked to the Legionnaire's outbreak.

Nessel announced Thursday afternoon that all charges brought by the former Office of Special Counsel would be dismissed without prejudice, meaning those charged could still be charged again in the future.

https://sputniknews.com/news/201906131075850802-Michigan-AG-Drops-Criminal-Charges-Flint-Water-Crisis/

Pompeo blames Iran for attack on oil tankers

The Trump administration is blaming Iran for attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo leveled the accusation from the State Department briefing room on Thursday.

The Norwegian-owned MT Front Altair and the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous were reported attacked Thursday morning in the Gulf of Oman about 25 miles off the southern coast of Iran.

U.S. Central Command said the U.S. Navy received two distress calls, one at 6:12 a.m. local time and a second 7 a.m.

The USS Bainbridge guided missile destroyer was operating in the area and responded, Central Command said. Twenty-one mariners from the Kokuka Courageous are now on the Bainbridge, it added.

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/448421-pompeo-blames-iran-for-attack-on-oil-tankers

Fastest investigation in history! Show us the proof?

>>6742848 Fixed

>>6742433, >>6742750 Mich. prosecutors say they're dropping charges against 8 people in Flint water scandal