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Pulse Shooter’s Wife: I Knew He Was Going To Attack Nightclub

Just hours after the deadly shooting massacre at the Pulse nightclub on June 12, 2016, Omar Mateen’s wife, Noor Salman was questioned by the FBI. According to reports, Salman hand-wrote a 12-page statement providing specific details of the attack.

Salman’s statement was quietly released in a batch of records from the case at the end of December 2017.

Via USA Today:

The 12-page statement, quietly released by federal authorities at the end of December in a batch of records in the case, was taken hours after the June 12, 2016 shooting. The attack left 49 dead and dozens of others injured.

Noor Salman was questioned for hours, without a lawyer, after authorities learned her husband was the gunman behind the attack.

She was arrested last year on federal charges of providing material support to a terrorist and tampering with evidence but has pleaded not guilty, claiming she was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. She said Mateen abused her and claims she did not know of his plot.

But her defense conflicts with the signed statement she gave to the FBI, which details her knowledge of Mateen’s planning and his path to carry out an attack on behalf of the Islamic State.

She told agents multiple times she knew his plans and that he was going to attack the Orlando club when he left their home.

On June 12, 2016, Salman’s husband killed 49 people at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida. He was eventually shot and killed by police after a three-hour standoff.

Salman faces charges of aiding a foreign terrorist organization and obstruction of justice.

In her written statement, Salman told investigators:

• Mateen bought a rifle just days before the attack. When she saw it in his car trunk he told her not to say “anything to anybody.”

• Driving by heavily populated areas like Disney World and Pulse Nightclub, he told her, “How upset are people going to be when it gets attacked?”

• Two days before the massacre Salman noticed Mateen looking at the Pulse Nightclub’s website. When she asked what he was doing, he replied, “This is my target.”

• The night before the shooting Mateen was “pumped up” wearing a handgun in a holster and a backpack full of ammunition. “I knew when he left the house he was going to Orlando to attack the Pulse nightclub,” she wrote.

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Trump Demands, And Gets, A Renewed Investigation Into The Clinton Foundation

To be clear, this is Attorney General Jeff Sessions looking to save his job.

From The New York Times:

F.B.I. agents have renewed questions about the dealings of the Clinton Foundation amid calls from President Trump and top Republicans for the Justice Department to take a fresh look at politically charged accusations of corruption, people familiar with the investigation said on Friday.

They said that agents have interviewed people connected to the foundation about whether any donations were made in exchange for political favors while Hillary Clinton was secretary of state from 2009 to 2013. Career prosecutors had shut down the investigation in 2016 for lack of evidence.

During the presidential campaign, Mr. Trump branded his rival “Crooked Hillary” and promised to send her to jail if he won. He briefly struck a more magnanimous tone after the election and said he had no interest in pushing for a prosecution.

But as his legal problems have mounted, Mr. Trump has returned to his attacks on his favorite target. With four former aides facing federal charges and the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, investigating him and his campaign, Mr. Trump has openly called for Mrs. Clinton to be investigated and one of her top aides to be imprisoned.

The Clinton Foundation issued this statement:

“Time after time, the Clinton Foundation has been subjected to politically motivated allegations, and time after time these allegations have been proven false. None of this has made us waver in our mission to help people.

“The Clinton Foundation has demonstrably improved the lives of millions of people across America and around the world, while earning top ratings from charity watchdog groups in the process. There are real issues in our society needing attention that the Clinton Foundation works hard to solve every day. So we’re going to stay focused on what really matters.”

Nick Merrill, a spokesman for Hillary Clinton, offered a more direct assessment:

“Let’s call this what it is: a sham. This is a philanthropy that does life-changing work, which Republicans have tried to turn into a political football. It began with a long-debunked project spearheaded by (former Trump adviser) Steve Bannon during the presidential campaign. It continues with Jeff Sessions doing Trump’s bidding by heeding his calls to meddle with a department that is supposed to function independently.

“The goal is to distract from the indictments, guilty pleas, and accusations of treason from Trump’s own people at the expense of our justice system’s integrity. It’s disgraceful, and should be concerning to all Americans.”

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Trump Demands $18 Billion For Mexico Wall In Exchange For Saving DACA Recipients

After a bipartisan panel of five U.S. Senators have spent months hashing out an immigration deal that would tighter national security while also giving DACA recipients protection from deportation, Donald Trump has upended the game board issuing a list of demands including $18 billion to begin building a wall on the U.S./Mexican border before he will grant young immigrants protection.

From The New York Times:

The request, which totals $33 billion over a period of 10 years for border security measures including the wall, could jeopardize bipartisan talks aimed at getting an immigration deal. Among the items on Mr. Trump’s immigration wish-list: money to hire 10,000 additional immigration officers, tougher laws for those seeking asylum, and denial of federal grants to so-called “sanctuary cities.”

The list, delivered to Senator Richard J. Durbin, the Illinois Democrat who has been leading the talks related to young immigrants without documentation, is identical to one Democrats declared a non-starter when the White House issued it in October.

“President Trump has said he may need a good government shutdown to get his wall,” a furious Mr. Durbin said in an emailed statement Friday afternoon. “With this demand, he seems to be heading in that direction.’’

A poll in September (above) shows 62% of all Americans oppose building a wall along the U.S./Mexico border. Only 27% “strongly support” the idea of a wall.

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News Round-Up: January 5, 2018

Joss Mooney (via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• Shoutout/woof to total thirst trap Joss Mooney who recently joined MTV’s The Challenge. The former Ex on the Beach star and online trainer is giving you his best moody-muscle gaze via Instagram.    #Dang

• Twitter says they don’t want to block the tweets of world leaders (we’re looking at you, Donald Trump) because “people should be able to see and debate” important information those leaders may share.

• A transgender cab driver in the UK, who was snubbed by her kids when she came out, will not be sharing her $5.4 million lottery winnings with the hideous offspring.

• The groundbreaking Freeform (formerly ABC Family) series The Fosters will come to an end this Spring. The series, about a lesbian couple raising their adopted and biological children, will see the beginning of the end when the current season picks up January 9.

• Washington state has added a third gender option – “X” – to birth certificates. Additionally, the state has streamlined the process of updating gender identity on state-issued documents.

• Colorado prison guards “smiled” as a gay prisoner begged not to be housed with a rapist. Over the course of three days, the 21-year-old was repeatedly raped and beaten. He has filed suit against the federal government.

• Check out the new music video for “Mystery of Love” by Sufjan Stevens from the soundtrack for the acclaimed feature film, Call Me By Your Name, featuring footage from the film.

I’m thinking Oscar nomination for “Best Song” here.

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Performance Artist Alex Jones Goes Bat-Shit Crazy Over CNN’s Brian Stelter

OMG! This is totally scream-worthy.

This guy – Alex Jones – is a major player among conservative followers. THIS is what the far-right listens to.

And what’s sad is: this is just another day at the office for Alex Jones.

Here’s just a snack-size taste of his ramped-up crazy-town performance. This one rails at CNN contributor Brian Stelter.

“I pledge before my heavenly Father that I will resist them every way I can. These people are the literal demon spawn of the pit of hell – look at him. He runs your kids, he runs the schools, he runs the banks – this guy. This spirit. This smiling, leering devil that thinks you can’t see what he is. He is your enemy, period, all the narcissistic devil-worshiping filth. I see you, enemy. I see you, enemy. Enemy! Enemy!”

Grab the popcorn, kick back and laugh along…

(h/t JoeMyGod)

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New Music: MILCK “This Is Not The End”

New music today from MILCK, who became a viral sensation performing her song “Quiet” at the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. last year.

“Quiet” went on to hit number 1 on Billboard’s 20 Best Protest Songs of 2017.

Her latest single, “This Is Not The End,” is from her upcoming self-titled EP on Atlantic Records.

The soaring, powerful anthem follows “Quiet” in underscoring her message of resistance and self-empowerment.

I will hunt my hunters down
Take back my broken crown
I will look them in the eye
Will not be the beast that hides
I will hunt my hunters down
This is not the end
Trouble will not take me in

Speaking to Billboard on the release of an acoustic studio version of “Quiet,” she said, “Whoever relates to this song and can garner some type of joy or support and to think on it and feel less alone. This is what music did for me growing up and still does now.”

Look for MILCK on The Today Show January 19 where she will perform “Quiet.”

She will also headline the Women’s March on New York City on Saturday, January 20th.

Listen to “This Is Not The End” below.

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Skater Adam Rippon Could Be One Of The Few Openly Gay Skaters At 2018 Olympics After Strong Short Program

Adam Rippon

Twenty-eight-year-old figure skater Adam Rippon had an excellent night at the 2018 U.S. National championships last night coming in just a tad behind reigning national champ Nathan Chen.

Rippon, a two-time world junior champ, scored a personal-best of 96.52 points which leaves him within striking distance of Chen who notched a 104.45 in the short program.

Rippon, who came out in 2015, missed out on the 2014 Olympic team due to a flu that kept him from posting his best at the nationals that year.

More bad luck followed as he missed nationals last year due to a broken foot.

But Rippon isn’t dwelling on past disappointments.

From The L.A. Times:

“Every disappointment I’ve ever had has made me so much stronger and so much better. I wouldn’t be the person I am now, I wouldn’t appreciate what I’m doing right now as much as I do if I didn’t have those ups and downs of not making the team, of breaking my foot, of feeling like I’ve come up short.”

He was shaky during the six-minute warmup but coaxed himself to relax. “I said, ‘Girl, you tight,’” he recalled. It worked, putting him in position to become one of the few openly gay figure skaters to compete at the Olympics.

He joked that being a gay athlete is “exactly like being a straight athlete, only with better eyebrows,” but he’s serious about being a role model to kids because he never had one.

“I think sharing my story has made me a better competitor because I don’t really care what other people think of me. I’m able to go out there and I’m really able to be unabashedly myself. And I love myself,” he said. “When I’m able to go out there and just really be me, I’m able to put my hard work forward and I want somebody who’s young, who’s struggling, who’s not sure if it’s OK if they are themselves, to know that it’s OK that there are so many people out there who have the same worries. …If you set your mind to something, you can truly do anything.”

The men’s free skate competition is on Saturday.

Watch Rippin’s short program below.

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David Letterman Returns To Talk Show TV With Barack Obama As First Guest

Beginning January 12, David Letterman will return to talk show TV with his new Netflix series, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman.

The monthly series, consisting of one-hour chats, has announced six episodes thus far.

And Letterman’s first guest is quite the get – former President Barack Obama in his first talk show appearance since leaving the White House.

Future guests include George Clooney, Malala Yousafzai, Jay-Z, Tina Fey and Howard Stern.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, each episode will focus on just one guest with Letterman engaging in in-depth chat. Additionally, the show will have field segments also related to that installment’s guest.

The launch of the new show marks Letterman’s first return to regular appearances since he left CBS in 2015.

Watch the trailer below.

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Jobs Report: 2017 Had Weakest Jobs Growth In 7 Years

The new jobs report from the Department of Labor is out today showing employers added 148,000 jobs in December missing the estimated 190,000 figure.

Additionally, the October and November numbers were down showing 9,000 less new jobs than previously reported.

Unemployment remains at 4.1%.

Interestingly, back in 2012, Trump told his followers we needed at least 300K new jobs a month for growth. December’s number are less than half that.

Plus, it’s worth noting that Trump’s big claim to being president is his business acumen and job-creating ability. And yet, in his first year in office, he oversaw 2.06 million new jobs added to the U.S. economy while President Obama’s last year showed 2.24 million new jobs.

The year 2017 represents the weakest year in job growth since 2010.

Even Fox News delivered the bad news.

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Author Michael Wolff: Trump Has “Less Credibility Than Perhaps Any Man Who Has Ever Walked On Earth”

Speaking with The Today Show‘s Savannah Guthrie, author Michael Wolff defended his new book Fire and Fury: Inside The Trump White House saying he stands by “absolutely everything” he wrote in the explosive expose.

“I absolutely spoke to the president. Whether he realized it was an interview or not, I don’t know, but it certainly was not off the record,” said Wolff, author of “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,” which was published Friday, four days ahead of the original release date after headlines about the book generated massive interest.

Wolff said he spent about three hours with Trump, both during the campaign and after his inauguration, for his book. But he also spoke to his key aides, “people who spoke to the president on a daily, sometimes minute by minute basis.”

“My creditably is being questioned by a man who has less credibility than perhaps anyone who has ever walked on Earth at this point,” he said.

“I have recordings, I have notes, I am certainly and absolutely in every way comfortable with everything I have reported,” he said, noting that after writing “millions” of words in media columns and other books, “I don’t think there has ever been one correction.”

Watch Wolff’s full interview below.

By the way, Trump says he never authorized Wolff’s access to the White house or spoke to the author. And yet, Wolff visited and interviewed White House staff for months.

How can Trump keep America secure if he can’t keep his own White House secure?