Shortly after arriving at Lunken Airport in Cincinnati on Wednesday, President Donald Trump delivered some remarks about health care, accompanied by two Ohio families whose lives were "completely upended" by ObamaCare.
"Health care is about so much more than dollars and cents," Trump said. "It's about real people."
He said that premiums are skyrocketing across the country, and the American people are paying much more for "horrendous" coverage.
"ObamaCare is dead," Trump declared, placing the blame for America's health care "nightmare" on congressional Democrats.
He noted that an ObamaCare repeal and replacement plan is currently being worked on by Senate Republicans, but they're getting no help from their Democratic colleagues.
"It's only obstruction from the Democrats," Trump said. "The Democrats are destroying health care in this country."
He said that even if they presented Democrats with the "greatest plan in the history of the world," they still would not get a single vote from them.
"It's all going to be Republicans or bust," Trump said. "And the Republicans are working very, very hard on getting a great health care plan."
Thursday, June 8, 2017
Covfefe and Comey: 2 DC bars to broadcast former FBI Director's testimony with Russian vodka, FBI-themed eats
Talk about an early-bird special.
When former FBI Director James Comey appears before the Senate Intelligence Committee for this Thursday's 10 a.m. hearing, two Washington, D.C. watering-holes will be marking the occasion with FBI-themed eats, Russian vodka to wash it down and even free drinks for Presidential tweets.
According to a public event posting on Facebook, the folks at Shaw's Tavern will be opening early (9:30 a.m.) for Comey's much-anticipated testimony-- and serving up some tongue-in-cheek food and drink specials for the occasion.
TRUMP ORGANIZATION TO LAUNCH BUDGET FRIENDLY HOTEL BRAND WITH PATRIOTIC THEME
Stoli Vodka, which is distilled in Russia and blended in Latvia, will be offered for $5. And for $10, you can grab one of two FBI-themed food specials: the FBI sandwich (fried chicken breast, bacon and iceburg lettuce) or the FBI breakfast (French toast, bacon and ice cream).
"[Y]ou know you want to watch the drama unfold this Thursday," the post reads. "Grab your friends, grab a drink and let's COVFEFE!"
Online, more than 500 people have suggested they would be there for the Comey klatch, with another 3,500 Facebook users responding that they are interested in attending the event.
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS
With reports suggesting that President Trump may be reacting to Comey's hearing on Twitter in real time, D.C.’s Union Pub has announced they will be “buying a round of drinks for the house every time Trump Tweets about Comey during his testimony!”
According to a public event posting on Facebook, the folks at Shaw's Tavern will be opening early (9:30 a.m.) for Comey's much-anticipated testimony-- and serving up some tongue-in-cheek food and drink specials for the occasion.
TRUMP ORGANIZATION TO LAUNCH BUDGET FRIENDLY HOTEL BRAND WITH PATRIOTIC THEME
Stoli Vodka, which is distilled in Russia and blended in Latvia, will be offered for $5. And for $10, you can grab one of two FBI-themed food specials: the FBI sandwich (fried chicken breast, bacon and iceburg lettuce) or the FBI breakfast (French toast, bacon and ice cream).
"[Y]ou know you want to watch the drama unfold this Thursday," the post reads. "Grab your friends, grab a drink and let's COVFEFE!"
Online, more than 500 people have suggested they would be there for the Comey klatch, with another 3,500 Facebook users responding that they are interested in attending the event.
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS
With reports suggesting that President Trump may be reacting to Comey's hearing on Twitter in real time, D.C.’s Union Pub has announced they will be “buying a round of drinks for the house every time Trump Tweets about Comey during his testimony!”
Invisible Election: Social media bots proving low-key in 2017
Automated social media accounts are proving more subtle during the 2017 General Election compared to other campaigns.
"Bots" are Twitter accounts set up to tweet automatically according to algorithms, while "botnets" are large, linked networks of bots which tweet similar messages simultaneously.
Research between Sky News and the Centre for Analysis of Social Media (CASM) uncovered previously unknown botnets tweeting during the 2017 General Election.
But the work also found very few Twitter accounts had tweeted at "super-human speeds".
High-volume tweeters - whether human or bot - also tended to espouse more left-wing messages, according to the research.
Image:Bots have had a low-key impact on the 2017 vote
Josh Smith, a researcher at CASM, told Sky News: "The botnets we picked up were tweeting the same thing at the same time - that's very stupid.
"Bots which tweet hundreds of thousands of times a day are very easy to pick up. They can be very effective at shutting down debate… but we have not seen that kind of activity in this election.
"What we're interested in is botnets that have the ability to be extremely clever in the way they behave.
"If you're trying to be a real person… you need to employ quite sophisticated tactics to convince you are indeed just concerned about [Labour leader] Jeremy Corbyn or politics in Britain."
Pinpointing who controls bots is tricky.
Philip Howard, professor of internet studies at the Oxford Internet Institute, said: "It's tough to say where the bots come from.
"We know, depending on the country, between 10 to 20% of all the social media traffic over Twitter is driven by these highly automated accounts.
"We know some of them originate in Russia, we know others originate in the US, and there's plenty of home-grown bots here in the UK."
Image:Coordinated human accounts and small-scale bots boosted Marine Le Pen
The low-key impact of bots during the 2017 General Election contrasts with a less subtle, more sledge-hammer approach seen in other countries.
In 2014, the Mexican government used around 75,000 automatic accounts to tweet spam material and drown hashtags used to organise protests with a huge volume of useless posts.
And when Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov was assassinated in 2015, fake stories began circulating that his killers were Ukrainian.
Those messages were supercharged by 2,900 bots all tweeting the same messages.
Mr Howard said: "We call it computational propaganda.
"It's the combination for a computer programme which gets a message out to thousands and thousands of users with some junk news or some fake facts that have been made up that try to poison conversations."
But less obvious bots may be more effective. During the recent French presidential elections, coordinated human accounts - combined with small-scale bots - helped boost the National Front's social media impact.
Mr Smith told Sky News: "One of our worries is what is being called automated activity is quite often just people who are excited about a cause.
"And this has especially been true for [Donald] Trump and [Marine] Le Pen - it's the side of people who think they have something to gain in an election, on the cusp of historic victory."
"Bots" are Twitter accounts set up to tweet automatically according to algorithms, while "botnets" are large, linked networks of bots which tweet similar messages simultaneously.
Research between Sky News and the Centre for Analysis of Social Media (CASM) uncovered previously unknown botnets tweeting during the 2017 General Election.
But the work also found very few Twitter accounts had tweeted at "super-human speeds".
High-volume tweeters - whether human or bot - also tended to espouse more left-wing messages, according to the research.
Image:Bots have had a low-key impact on the 2017 voteJosh Smith, a researcher at CASM, told Sky News: "The botnets we picked up were tweeting the same thing at the same time - that's very stupid.
"Bots which tweet hundreds of thousands of times a day are very easy to pick up. They can be very effective at shutting down debate… but we have not seen that kind of activity in this election.
"What we're interested in is botnets that have the ability to be extremely clever in the way they behave.
"If you're trying to be a real person… you need to employ quite sophisticated tactics to convince you are indeed just concerned about [Labour leader] Jeremy Corbyn or politics in Britain."
Pinpointing who controls bots is tricky.
Philip Howard, professor of internet studies at the Oxford Internet Institute, said: "It's tough to say where the bots come from.
"We know, depending on the country, between 10 to 20% of all the social media traffic over Twitter is driven by these highly automated accounts.
"We know some of them originate in Russia, we know others originate in the US, and there's plenty of home-grown bots here in the UK."
Image:Coordinated human accounts and small-scale bots boosted Marine Le PenThe low-key impact of bots during the 2017 General Election contrasts with a less subtle, more sledge-hammer approach seen in other countries.
In 2014, the Mexican government used around 75,000 automatic accounts to tweet spam material and drown hashtags used to organise protests with a huge volume of useless posts.
And when Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov was assassinated in 2015, fake stories began circulating that his killers were Ukrainian.
Those messages were supercharged by 2,900 bots all tweeting the same messages.
Mr Howard said: "We call it computational propaganda.
"It's the combination for a computer programme which gets a message out to thousands and thousands of users with some junk news or some fake facts that have been made up that try to poison conversations."
But less obvious bots may be more effective. During the recent French presidential elections, coordinated human accounts - combined with small-scale bots - helped boost the National Front's social media impact.
Mr Smith told Sky News: "One of our worries is what is being called automated activity is quite often just people who are excited about a cause.
"And this has especially been true for [Donald] Trump and [Marine] Le Pen - it's the side of people who think they have something to gain in an election, on the cusp of historic victory."
They were detained while investigating brand Ivanka. Now China claims they stole commercial secrets.
Two days after the State Department called for the release of three activists detained while investigating working conditions at factories that make shoes for Ivanka Trump, Chinese authorities appear not to be backing off the case.
Reports published Wednesday morning by the Communist Party-controlled press claimed the three men, Su Heng, Li Zhao and Hua Haifeng, are being investigated for selling commercial secrets to unnamed foreign organizations.
[Activists investigating Ivanka Trump brands in China arrested, missing]
A detailed report in the Paper, a website controlled by the Shanghai city government, claimed the men took jobs at factories and then used “hidden camera watches” and other devices to gather information and send it abroad.
The account included a picture of evidence reportedly seized by police: two watches, some thumb drives, a battery and a cellphone. It also said the men had confessed. The men are in detention and have yet to be formally charged.
The use of the party-controlled press to build a public case against activists will renew concern about how China treats human rights campaigners and uses its courts. The back and forth between Beijing and Washington could also complicate U.S.-China ties under President Trump.
Reports published Wednesday morning by the Communist Party-controlled press claimed the three men, Su Heng, Li Zhao and Hua Haifeng, are being investigated for selling commercial secrets to unnamed foreign organizations.
[Activists investigating Ivanka Trump brands in China arrested, missing]
A detailed report in the Paper, a website controlled by the Shanghai city government, claimed the men took jobs at factories and then used “hidden camera watches” and other devices to gather information and send it abroad.
The account included a picture of evidence reportedly seized by police: two watches, some thumb drives, a battery and a cellphone. It also said the men had confessed. The men are in detention and have yet to be formally charged.
The use of the party-controlled press to build a public case against activists will renew concern about how China treats human rights campaigners and uses its courts. The back and forth between Beijing and Washington could also complicate U.S.-China ties under President Trump.
James Comey: World will be watching as ex-FBI boss faces Senate
James Comey's appearance before the Senate Intelligence Committee later will be among the most dramatic congressional testimonies in America's history.
Mr Comey, who was fired as FBI director last month, could cause real problems for President Trump.
For a few hours, the nation will be watching on. In Washington DC, bars are gearing up for a blockbuster moment.
Shaw's Tavern is serving up a shot of Russian vodka with people's morning "covfefe".
It's hosting "Comey hearing Covfefe", with FBI sandwiches - fried chicken, bacon and iceberg lettuce - available as people watch events unfold on their screens.
:: What is covfefe?
Sky News will be broadcasting the coverage in full, which is set to begin at 10am. (3pm UK time)
Mr Comey has said it is the only public testimony he will give on recent events.
During Tuesday's White House press briefing, press secretary Sean Spicer wouldn't be drawn on whether Mr Trump will be watching, simply telling reporters he "has a full day on Thursday".
Mr Trump, meanwhile, said "I wish him luck" when asked about the man he fired.
He is expected to give a speech towards the end of Mr Comey's hearing. Many in Washington are speculating about the prospect that the social media driven leader might live tweet reaction.
A key question hanging over the hearing is whether Mr Comey will outline whether Mr Trump's conduct amounts to obstruction of justice.
On Tuesday, ABC News reported that he wouldn't make that allegation at the stand.
The source said: "He's there to share his concerns."
Two encounters between Mr Comey and Mr Trump have been at the centre of those concerns.
Image:Washington bars including Shaw's Tavern are showing the event on TV - this is their poster
At a dinner on 27 January, the President allegedly pressed Mr Comey at least twice to pledge his "loyalty" to him.
Mr Comey allegedly only promised to be honest. The White House rejects this account.
Mr Comey, an avid note taker, is believed to have kept a memo detailing a later meeting with Mr Trump on Valentine's Day, the day after Michael Flynn had been fired for giving misleading accounts of his conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
It's claimed the memo asked Mr Trump to drop the FBI investigation into Mr Flynn's links with Russia.
:: Comey - Trump urged me to let go of Flynn case
The President allegedly told Mr Comey "I hope you can let this go" and described Mr Flynn as a "good guy".
Mr Trump denies leaning on him in any way.
The President claims Mr Comey told him on three occasions that he was not the subject of an FBI investigation.
He is expected to heavily push back against that suggestion.
The impact of the hearing could be negligible, or it could be a catalyst for steps towards impeachment.
:: Could Donald Trump be impeached?
However, Mr Comey, who has been criticised for his interventions, is expected to walk a careful line.
He has met the special prosecutor in the Russian probe, Robert Mueller, ahead the hearing and has reportedly discussed clear parameters for what he can and cannot discuss in the course of an active investigation.
Democrat Al Green was the first congressman to call for Mr Trump's impeachment, claiming the President has obstructed justice.
He told me he plans to draft articles of impeachment against President Trump despite what he says have been multiple death threats.
"The facts are simple and indisputable," he claimed.
But Ron Hosko, former FBI assistant director, told me he believes calls for impeachment are "premature".
But he went on to say: "If Mueller and Comey think he may be witness (to obstruction of justice) then I think he's going to have pre-scripted very closely defined comments on what those conversations look like and contained if his testimony is needed later."
Mr Comey, who was fired as FBI director last month, could cause real problems for President Trump.
For a few hours, the nation will be watching on. In Washington DC, bars are gearing up for a blockbuster moment.
Shaw's Tavern is serving up a shot of Russian vodka with people's morning "covfefe".
It's hosting "Comey hearing Covfefe", with FBI sandwiches - fried chicken, bacon and iceberg lettuce - available as people watch events unfold on their screens.
:: What is covfefe?
Sky News will be broadcasting the coverage in full, which is set to begin at 10am. (3pm UK time)
Mr Comey has said it is the only public testimony he will give on recent events.
During Tuesday's White House press briefing, press secretary Sean Spicer wouldn't be drawn on whether Mr Trump will be watching, simply telling reporters he "has a full day on Thursday".
Mr Trump, meanwhile, said "I wish him luck" when asked about the man he fired.
He is expected to give a speech towards the end of Mr Comey's hearing. Many in Washington are speculating about the prospect that the social media driven leader might live tweet reaction.
A key question hanging over the hearing is whether Mr Comey will outline whether Mr Trump's conduct amounts to obstruction of justice.
On Tuesday, ABC News reported that he wouldn't make that allegation at the stand.
The source said: "He's there to share his concerns."
Two encounters between Mr Comey and Mr Trump have been at the centre of those concerns.
Image:Washington bars including Shaw's Tavern are showing the event on TV - this is their posterAt a dinner on 27 January, the President allegedly pressed Mr Comey at least twice to pledge his "loyalty" to him.
Mr Comey allegedly only promised to be honest. The White House rejects this account.
Mr Comey, an avid note taker, is believed to have kept a memo detailing a later meeting with Mr Trump on Valentine's Day, the day after Michael Flynn had been fired for giving misleading accounts of his conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
It's claimed the memo asked Mr Trump to drop the FBI investigation into Mr Flynn's links with Russia.
:: Comey - Trump urged me to let go of Flynn case
The President allegedly told Mr Comey "I hope you can let this go" and described Mr Flynn as a "good guy".
Mr Trump denies leaning on him in any way.
The President claims Mr Comey told him on three occasions that he was not the subject of an FBI investigation.
He is expected to heavily push back against that suggestion.
The impact of the hearing could be negligible, or it could be a catalyst for steps towards impeachment.
:: Could Donald Trump be impeached?
However, Mr Comey, who has been criticised for his interventions, is expected to walk a careful line.
He has met the special prosecutor in the Russian probe, Robert Mueller, ahead the hearing and has reportedly discussed clear parameters for what he can and cannot discuss in the course of an active investigation.
Democrat Al Green was the first congressman to call for Mr Trump's impeachment, claiming the President has obstructed justice.
He told me he plans to draft articles of impeachment against President Trump despite what he says have been multiple death threats.
"The facts are simple and indisputable," he claimed.
But Ron Hosko, former FBI assistant director, told me he believes calls for impeachment are "premature".
But he went on to say: "If Mueller and Comey think he may be witness (to obstruction of justice) then I think he's going to have pre-scripted very closely defined comments on what those conversations look like and contained if his testimony is needed later."
Trump's reaction to deadly attacks is 'repugnant'
The attacks on Tehran's parliament complex and the shrine of Ayatollah Khomeini killed 16 people and wounded more than 40 [AFP]Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said that US President Donald Trump's reaction to deadly attacks in Tehran was "repugnant".
At least 16 people were killed on Wednesday in attacks claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group, as suicide bombers and gunmen targeted the Iranian parliament and the mauoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini - leader of the 1979 revolution.
"Repugnant [White House] statement & Senate sanctions as Iranians counter terror backed by US clients.Iranian people reject such US claims of friendship," Zarif tweeted on Thursday.
He was responding to a statement released by Trump's press secretary's office, which took the opportunity of an attack to make a point that "states that sponsor terrorism risk falling victim to the evil they promote".
The White House statement, which mentioned how Iranian people were "going through such challenging times", came as the US Senate advanced legislation that would impose new sanctions on the Islamic Republic, partly for what the bill described as Iran's "support for acts of international terrorism".
What kind of "terrorism" these statements refer to remains vague.
Kicking Iranians 'while they're down'
Trump's comments also brought criticism from Iranians on social media, who recalled their government's offers of support and candlelight vigils held in Iran after the attacks of September 11, 2001 in New York.
"Iranians lit candles for you on 9/11. You kick them while they're down. Classy," tweeted Ali Ghezelbash, an Iranian business analyst.
More than 40 people were also wounded in Wednesday's attacks in Tehran, the capital.
The assault marks the first attacks claimed by ISIL, in Iran.
Trump has long accused Iran of backing "terrorism" and has threatened to tear up a 2015 nuclear deal between the Iranian government and major western powers.
North Korea test fires more land-to-ship missiles
North Korea has fired what appears to have been several land-to-ship missiles off its east coast, according to South Korea's military.
The missiles were launched on Thursday morning from the coastal city of Wonsan and they travelled a distance of about 124 miles, said the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff in a statement.
The missiles flew at an altitude of 1.2 miles before falling into the Sea of Japan.
Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said: "We can never tolerate these kind of provocative actions."
Mr Kishida said that the missiles did not land in Japanese territory and did not have any immediate impact on security.
The test comes despite the extension of UN sanctions less than a week ago and continued diplomatic pressure on the North Koreans to end their nuclear and missile programmes.
North Korea has said the programmes are to protect itself from US aggression but they are also reported to be trying to develop a ballistic missile that is capable of reaching the US mainland.
The missiles were launched on Thursday morning from the coastal city of Wonsan and they travelled a distance of about 124 miles, said the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff in a statement.
The missiles flew at an altitude of 1.2 miles before falling into the Sea of Japan.
Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said: "We can never tolerate these kind of provocative actions."
Mr Kishida said that the missiles did not land in Japanese territory and did not have any immediate impact on security.
The test comes despite the extension of UN sanctions less than a week ago and continued diplomatic pressure on the North Koreans to end their nuclear and missile programmes.
North Korea has said the programmes are to protect itself from US aggression but they are also reported to be trying to develop a ballistic missile that is capable of reaching the US mainland.
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