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Politics

House Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., was shot by James T. Hodgkinson, a leftwing Trump-hater who supported Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. (Photos: AP/Facebook)
House Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., was shot by James T. Hodgkinson, a leftwing Trump-hater who supported Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. (Photos: AP/Facebook)

James Hodgkinson, a leftwing supporter of Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton, has been identified as the man who shot Rep. Steve Scalise and 4 others. The shooter opened fire on Republican members of Congress Wednesday morning as they practiced for the Congressional Baseball Game in Virginia.

Hodgkinson, 66, from downstate Belleville, Illinois, had reportedly been living with his wife in Virginia for the past two weeks. His social media is riddled with Trump-hating posts showing he was duped by the Democrat- and media-fueled conspiracy theory that President Donald J. Trump “colluded” with Russian officials to influence the 2016 presidential election.

“Trump is a Traitor,” he wrote on Facebook pushing a Change.org petition for an independent investigation. “Trump Has Destroyed Our Democracy. It’s Time to Destroy Trump & Co.”

James Hodgkinson Facebook post pushing his Change.org petition.
James Hodgkinson Facebook post pushing his Change.org petition.

Sen. Sanders, I-Vt., confirmed he had worked on his campaign and sad he is “sickened” by the thought.

Hodgkinson, who owned a company, JTH Inspections, also called JTH Construction, was shot by U.S. Capitol Police, who arrived on the scene within minutes. He was apprehended and taken to the hospital, but died shortly after. The incident occurred at Eugene Simpson Stadium Park in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, Virginia, located roughly 10 miles from Washington D.C.

He studied at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.

Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., said he left just before the shooting. But as he walked to his car a man asked him if it was Republicans or Democrats practicing. The shooting began about three minutes later, at around 7:15 a.m. It reportedly last about 10 minutes.

James Hodgkinson Facebook profile. (Photo: Facebook Screenshot)
James Hodgkinson Facebook profile. (Photo: Facebook Screenshot)

“We were like sitting ducks,” Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said. “Without the Capitol Hill police it would have been a massacre.”

Sen. Paul, who along with others credited Rep. Scalise’s security detail as the reason mass casualties were avoided, described the scene as “sort of a killing field.”

Rep. Scalise R-La., 51, the House Majority Whip, was shot in the hip area and is in stable condition. He has represented Louisiana’s First Congressional District since 2008 and serves as the chairman of the House Republican Study Committee. He is married with two children.

The legislative schedule in Congress has been cancelled for the day. But the annual Congressional Baseball Game, which raises money for charity, will still be held on Thursday.

James Hodgkinson, a leftwing Bernie Sanders and

Politics

FBI Director James Comey testifies before a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S. on July 14, 2016. (Photo: Reuters)

FBI Director James Comey testifies before a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S. on July 14, 2016. (Photo: Reuters)

A federal lawsuit filed Monday alleges former FBI director James Comey buried evidence provided to him to cover up a massive domestic surveillance scandal. Dennis Montgomery, a former U.S. intelligence contractor, said he walked away with more than 600 million classified documents on 47 hard drives from the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Mr. Montgomery further alleged that he provided Mr. Comey and others named in the lawsuit with that evidence showing widespread spying on Americans that violated civil liberties protected by the Fourth Amendment.

“This domestic surveillance was all being done on computers supplied by the FBI,” he told Circa News in an interview. “So these supercomputers, which are FBI computers, the CIA is using them to do domestic surveillance.”

Montgomery’s breach could potentially be larger than than the one provided by now-infamous NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

DM DOJ July 2015 Agreement by Nick DiMarco on Scribd

Circa News obtained documents independent of the federal lawsuit that indeed show the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington in 2015 approved a grant of limited immunity for Montgomery. The reason: So he could explain how he managed to get out of his contract and walk out the buildings he worked in with the classified material. Government documents to confirm he had the hard drives in his possession.

DM Itemization [3] Copy by Nick DiMarco on Scribd

Mr. Montgomery said the evidence shows that more than 20 million American identities were illegally unmasked. The NSA and CIA collected and disseminated Americans’ credit reports, emails, phone conversations and Internet traffic. He gave that evidence to the FBI, where it was buried by Mr. Comey.

“They’re doing this domestic surveillance on Americans, running a project on U.S. soil,” Mr. Montgomery alleged. “Can you imagine what someone can do with the information they were collecting on Americans, can you imagine that kind of power?”

While he didn’t say in his media interview what the name of the classified surveillance project was, he said he did so during his interview with the FBI. The lawsuit said it was a ”pattern and practice of conducting illegal, unconstitutional surveillance against millions of Americans, including prominent Americans such as the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, other justices, 156 judges, prominent businessmen, and others such as Donald J. Trump, as well as Plaintiffs themselves.”

A federal lawsuit filed Monday alleges former

Politics

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, right, gestures during a news conference as his wife, Dorothy and Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, left, listen at the Capitol in Richmond, Va., Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017. (Photo: AP)

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, right, gestures during a news conference as his wife, Dorothy and Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, left, listen at the Capitol in Richmond, Va., Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017. (Photo: AP)

Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a known anti-gun zealot, used the shooting of Republicans practicing for the Congressional Baseball Game to push for gun control.

“This is not what today is about but there are too many guns on the street,” Gov. McAuliffe said. “We lose 93 million Americans a day to gun violence.”

The claim, which is of course false, was quickly challenged by reporters.

“Why are you bringing it up?” a reporter asked. “People are going to criticize that you are bringing up gun control at this time.”

Mr. McAuliffe’s claim is based on a fictitious statistic. He only corrected himself when challenged by a reporter who said that sounded like “a big number.” He amended his claim to 93 daily, which also doesn’t jive.

According to the latest violent crime statistics (2015) collected and released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the estimated number of murders in the nation was 15,696 for the year. That breaks down to roughly 43 murders each day, of which firearms were used in only 71.5%.

That breaks down to roughly 31 each day. While that’s not insignificant, it’s a far cry from the 93 per day Terry McAuliffe recklessly claimed.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a known anti-gun zealot,

Politics

US President Barack Obama greets members of the Republican team during the annual Congressional Baseball Game between the Democrats and Republicans in Congress at Nationals Park in Washington, DC, June 11, 2015. (Photo: AP)

US President Barack Obama greets members of the Republican team during the annual Congressional Baseball Game between the Democrats and Republicans in Congress at Nationals Park in Washington, DC, June 11, 2015. (Photo: AP)

The Congressional Baseball Game is an annual event takes place on Thursday between members of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. Rep. John Tener, R-Penn., a former professional baseball player, started the event in 1909.

Why baseball? It was America’s favorite past time.

The game was played every year expect for during the Great Depression and World War II. In 1914, House Speaker James Beauchamp ‘Champ’ Clark, D-Missouri, sought to put an end to the Congressional Baseball Game because he thought it was interfering with legislative business.

An Appropriations bill on Civil War cotton damage was supposed to be debated on the House Floor that day, but a quorum was not present. In response, Speaker Clark sent the Sergeant at Arms to American League Field to fetch members.

“When the Sergeant at Arms arrived, rain had already canceled the game,” the website says. “The House eventually achieved a quorum, but adjourned without making progress on the bill because Members remained preoccupied with their unfinished work on the baseball diamond.”

For a period, the game was held biennially until the Washington Evening Star newspaper sponsored it annually from 1946 to 1958.

In 1958, Speaker Sam Rayburn, D-Texas, the longest serving speaker in history, called for an end to the game because he believed it had become “too physical.” House Speaker John McCormack, D-Mass., officially re-established the game in 1962 with sponsorship from a new Capitol Hill newspaper, Roll Call.

The Roll Call Trophy goes to the team that wins three of the five games. Thus far, 10 of these coveted trophies have been awarded, with 8 to the Republicans and 2 to the Democrats.

On Wednesday morning, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., was shot by a man with a rifle along with at least four other people. The proceeds of the game were to go to charity.

The Congressional Baseball Game is an annual

US

UNITED STATES - JUNE 2: House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., speaks to the media following the House Republican Conference meeting in the Capitol on Tuesday, June 2, 2015. (Photo: AP)

UNITED STATES – JUNE 2: House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., speaks to the media following the House Republican Conference meeting in the Capitol on Tuesday, June 2, 2015. (Photo: AP)

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., was shot along with multiple congressional aides by a man with a rifle at a GOP baseball practice in Virginia Wednesday morning.

UPDATE: James Hodgkinson, a leftwing supporter of Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton, has been identified as the man who shot Rep. Steve Scalise and 4 others.

Rep. Scalise R-La., 51, was shot in the hip area and is in stable condition. He has represented Louisiana’s First Congressional District since 2008 and serves as the chairman of the House Republican Study Committee. He is married with two children.

Five people were “transported medically” from the scene, Alexandria Police Chief Michael Brown said; however, it was unclear how many people had been shot.

The gunman was shot by U.S. Capitol Police, who arrived on the scene within minutes. He was apprehended and taken to the hospital. He has died of his wounds, but PPD has not confirmed that as of yet. The incident occurred at Simpson Field in Alexandria, about 10 miles from Washington D.C.

“I do believe without the Capitol Hill Police it would have been a massacre,” Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kty., said.

Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., said he left just before the shooting. But as he walked to his car a man asked him if it was Republicans or Democrats practicing. The shooting began about three minutes later, at around 7:15 a.m. It reportedly last about 10 minutes.

“The Vice President and I are aware of the shooting incident in Virginia and are monitoring developments closely,” President Trump said in a statement. “We are deeply saddened by this tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with the members of Congress, their staffs, Capitol Police, first responders, and all others affected.”

President Trump followed up his statement with a tweet: “Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, a true friend and patriot, was badly injured but will fully recover. Our thoughts and prayers are with him.”

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., also sent out a tweet.

“There was a white male near a white van, very lethargically meandering around,” said Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio. “He looked like he was preparing to start his work day. He had a pouch. A small burlap bag within in his hand. At least that’s what it looked like.”

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., was

Politics

This May 19, 2014 photo shows a a sign in front of the Veterans Affairs building in Washington, DC. (Photo: Reuters)

This May 19, 2014 photo shows a a sign in front of the Veterans Affairs building in Washington, DC. (Photo: Reuters)

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted to approve the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act, sending the bill to President Donald J. Trump. The vote was 368 to 55 (Nay votes are listed below).

The bill, which President Trump will sign, gives leadership at the VA the ability to fire bad employees for misconduct and offers more whistleblower protection to those who report wrongdoing.

“With this legislation, Secretary Shulkin will have the tools that he needs to deliver the kind of change that our veterans have been demanding. And most fundamentally, it will assure veterans that when we say that we are a grateful nation, we mean it,” House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., told reporters at his press conference on Tuesday.

Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, was the only Republican to vote “no” on the bill. Meanwhile, 54 Democrats voted against the measure. The Senate passed the bill earlier last week.

“A great day to be a U.S. Senator,” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who sponsored the bill in the U.S. Senate said. “With today’s passage, we are now one step closer to a new era at the Department of Veterans Affairs.”

The passage of the bill under the Trump Administration and Republican control of Congress followed several scandals that included veterans dying while waiting to get appointments at VA hospitals, most notably in Phoenix, Arizona.

At a facility in Tomah, Wisconsin, patients called the chief of staff the “Candy Man” because he widely distributed narcotics for a $4,000 bonus, even after a patient named Jason Simcakoski died of an overdose. Incredibly, this was after an investigation uncovered that he was overprescribing.

“By the way, the pharmacist at Tomah? He got a bonus also that year,” Speaker Ryan also pointed out.

The previous administration repeatedly claimed to have learned of the conditions at these VA facilities only after news reports exposed them, including allegations from a doctor at the Huntington VA Medical Center in Charleston, West Virginia. Dr. Margaret Moxness, a psychiatrist, said in 2014 she was ordered to delay the treatment of veterans for months and that at least two of them had committed suicide.

At his first full Cabinet meeting on Monday, President Trump said the bill will “ensure employees of the VA can be held accountable if they fail our great veterans.”

Vote Party Representative District
Nay   D   Barragán, Nanette CA 44th
Nay   D   Bass, Karen CA 37th
Nay   D   Beyer, Donald VA 8th
Nay   D   Brown, Anthony MD 4th
Nay   D   Carson, André IN 7th
Nay   D   Clarke, Yvette NY 9th
Nay   D   Clyburn, Jim SC 6th
Nay   D   Cohen, Steve TN 9th
Nay   D   Crowley, Joe NY 14th
Nay   D   DeSaulnier, Mark CA 11th
Nay   D   Ellison, Keith MN 5th
Nay   D   Engel, Eliot NY 16th
Nay   D   Espaillat, Adriano NY 13th
Nay   D   Evans, Dwight PA 2nd
Nay   D   Fudge, Marcia OH 11th
Nay   D   Green, Al TX 9th
Nay   D   Grijalva, Raúl AZ 3rd
Nay   D   Gutiérrez, Luis IL 4th
Nay   D   Hanabusa, Colleen HI 1st
Nay   D   Hastings, Alcee FL 20th
Nay   D   Hoyer, Steny MD 5th
Nay   D   Jackson Lee, Sheila TX 18th
Nay   D   Jayapal, Pramila WA 7th
Nay   D   Jeffries, Hakeem NY 8th
Nay   D   Johnson, Eddie TX 30th
Nay   D   Johnson, Hank GA 4th
Nay   D   Kelly, Robin IL 2nd
Nay   D   Lee, Barbara CA 13th
Nay   D   Levin, Sander MI 9th
Nay   D   Lewis, John GA 5th
Nay   D   Lynch, Stephen MA 8th
Nay   D   McEachin, Donald VA 4th
Nay   D   Nadler, Jerrold NY 10th
Nay   D   Norcross, Donald NJ 1st
Nay   D   Pallone, Frank NJ 6th
Nay   D   Payne, Donald NJ 10th
Nay   D   Pelosi, Nancy CA 12th
Nay   D   Pocan, Mark WI 2nd
Nay   D   Raskin, Jamie MD 8th
Nay   D   Rice, Kathleen NY 4th
Nay   D   Richmond, Cedric LA 2nd
Nay   D   Schakowsky, Jan IL 9th
Nay   D   Scott, Bobby VA 3rd
Nay   D   Serrano, José NY 15th
Nay   D   Smith, Adam WA 9th
Nay   D   Suozzi, Thomas NY 3rd
Nay   D   Sánchez, Linda CA 38th
Nay   D   Thompson, Bennie MS 2nd
Nay   D   Vargas, Juan CA 51st
Nay   D   Velázquez, Nydia NY 7th
Nay   D   Wasserman Schultz, Debbie FL 23rd
Nay   D   Waters, Maxine CA 43rd
Nay   D   Watson Coleman, Bonnie NJ 12th
Nay   D   Wilson, Frederica FL 24th
Nay   R   Young, Don AK

The House of Representatives voted to approve

Politics

Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala. is sworn in on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017, prior to testifying at his confirmation hearing for attorney general before the Senate Judiciary Committee. (Photo: Reuters)

Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala. is sworn in on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017, prior to testifying at his confirmation hearing for attorney general before the Senate Judiciary Committee. (Photo: Reuters)

Attorney General Jeff Sessions came out swinging at a hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee Tuesday, defending himself against several Democratic attacks and allegations he says “will not intimidate” him.

“Let me state this clearly: I have never met with or had any conversations with any Russians or any foreign officials concerning any type of interference with any campaign or election. Further, I have no knowledge of any such conversations by anyone connected to the Trump campaign,” Attorney General Sessions said. “I was your colleague in this body for 20 years, and the suggestion that I participated in any collusion or that I was aware of any collusion with the Russian government to hurt this country, which I have served with honor for over 35 years, is an appalling and detestable lie.”

He added that these attacks have only emboldened him to continue his work at the Department of Justice (DOJ).

“In fact, these events have only strengthened my resolve.”

He refuted several accusations leveled by Democrats, including that he did not disclose alleged “meetings” with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak at the Mayflower Hotel during his confirmation hearing. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., used a now-thoroughly debunked brief that originated as political opposition research and morphed into an intelligence brief.

“He [Sen. Franken] asked me a rambling question after 6 hours of testimony that included dramatic, new allegations,” he said. “I was taken aback by these explosive allegations… If any brief interaction occurred in passing at that reception, I did not recall that. But whether I ever attended a reception where the Russian ambassador was present is entirely irrelevant to this investigation into Russian interference.”

On the issue of his role in the firing of former FBI director James Comey after recusing himself from the Russian investigation, he cited 28 CFR 45.2 — Disqualification arising from personal or political relationship. Mr. Sessions said he did not recuse himself after consulting with the Justice Department and not “out of any asserted wrongdoing on my part during the campaign.”

However, as Attorney General Sessions noted, it does not require he remove himself from making decisions over the leadership of the Bureau or DOJ.

“It is absurd, frankly, to suggest that a recusal from a single specific investigation would render an Attorney General unable to manage the leadership of the various Department of Justice law enforcement components that conduct thousands of investigations,” Attorney General Sessions said. “I recused myself from an investigation, but I did not recuse myself from defending my honor against false and scurrilous accusations.”

Worth noting, the law governing the special counsel (28 CFR 600.7) specifically prohibits Robert Mueller (or anyone else for that matter) from serving if they have a “conflict of interest.” Even the appearance of a conflict is prohibited.

Further, according to Section II(c) of the DOJ Government Ethics Outline, no prosecutor “may participate in a criminal investigation or prosecution if he has a personal or political relationship with any person or organization substantially involved in the conduct that is the subject of the investigation or prosecution, or who would be directly affected by the outcome.”

As People’s Pundit Daily previously reported, it is well-established that James Comey and Mr. Mueller have a close professional and personal relationship. While it specifically did not come up during the hearing, Attorney General Sessions was asked if he had confidence in Mr. Mueller to act as a special counsel.

He refused to comment based on his recusal and knowing nothing about the investigation.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions came out swinging

Economy

U.S. President Donald J. Trump (C), flanked by Gary Masino (L) of the Sheet Metal Workers Union, Telma Mata (2nd R) of the Heat and Frost Insulators Allied Workers Local 24 and United Brotherhood of Carpenters General President Doug McCarron (R), holds a roundtable meeting at the White House on Jan. 27. 2017. (Photo: Reuters)

U.S. President Donald J. Trump (C), flanked by Gary Masino (L) of the Sheet Metal Workers Union, Telma Mata (2nd R) of the Heat and Frost Insulators Allied Workers Local 24 and United Brotherhood of Carpenters General President Doug McCarron (R), holds a roundtable meeting at the White House on Jan. 27. 2017. (Photo: Reuters)

NFIB Small Business Optimism Index showed confidence is still holding at record high levels it reached following the election of President Donald Trump. The latest survey by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) in May matched the April reading of 104.5, leaving the index at the historically high level for six straight months.

“The remarkable surge in optimism that began last year right after the election shows no signs of slowing down” said NFIB President and CEO Juanita Duggan. “Small business owners are highly encouraged by the President’s regulatory reform agenda, and they remain optimistic there will be tax reform and health-care reform. This is a policy-driven phenomenon.”

Five of the Index components posted a gain, four declined, and one remained unchanged. Hiring activity in May was near the highest levels in the 43-year history of the Index with average employment change per firm at 0.34. Fifteen percent (15%) of owners reported hiring 3 workers per firm, while just 9% reported cutting 2.3 workers per firm.

A solid majority of owners, 59%, said they were either hiring or trying to hire in the month of May, though 51% said they found few or no qualified workers. Labor Secretary Jim Acosta gave a press conference on Monday to discuss the skills gap and the Trump Administration’s promotion and expansion of workers’ apprenticeship programs.

Still, 86% of owners who said they tried to hire reported that to be an obstacle. Further, 19% of all owners in the survey said finding qualified workers was their top concern, making it the second-biggest problem for small business.

“The tight labor market has been a persistent problem for small business owners for the past several months, and the problem appears to be getting worse,” said NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. “It’s forcing small business owners to increase compensation, which we’re seeing in this data, to attract new workers and keep the ones they have. But it also means a lot of small business owners are short-handed. They can’t keep up with customer demand because the labor pool isn’t producing enough qualified workers. It’s a significant structural problem in the economy that policymakers will have to watch.”

Twenty-eight percent (28%) reported plans to make capital outlays, which reflects a 1-point gain from April. It’s still well below historical levels for periods of growth.

“Typically, in a strong economy, we see a lot more spending on capital,” said Mr. Dunkelberg. “We’re seeing increased hiring activity and some other positive signs, but the capital-outlays component is the missing ingredient for robust economic growth.”

That “missing ingredient,” according to Ms. Duggan and most other analysts, is tax reform. It’s also President Trump’s top legislative priority.

President Trump hosted congressional leaders at the White House last Tuesday to discuss that agenda for the remainder of the year. The President put an emphasis on his desire to sign tax reform before the end of the year, and to repeal ObamaCare.

“We will have zero backing from the Democrats,” President Trump said at his first full Cabinet meeting on Monday. “If we had the greatest bill in the history of the world, we wouldn’t get one vote from the Democrats. That’s their game. They’re obstructionist, and that’s sad.”

Senate Republicans are weighing the option to combine health care reform and tax cuts into one bill, congressional sources told People’s Pundit Daily. The plan is an effort by a slow-to-act Congress to expedite the passage of President Trump’s legislative agenda.

“If Congress wants small businesses to invest in the economy, then they must cut taxes and simplify the code,” Ms. Duggan said. “The President’s tax plan would slash taxes for small businesses and level the playing field for businesses of every size and structure. Congress also has other good ideas for tax reform, but they need to stop talking and pass a bill.”

White House legislative affairs director Marc Short said the administration was working together with House and Senate leaders to put together a single tax reform package that lawmakers would take up after Labor Day. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kty., previously put a “budget neutral” standard on tax reform, which the White House places secondary to achieving economic growth.

“We know, based on our data, that small business owners are watching very closely what is happening in Washington,” she continued. “The optimism is based on the expectation of policy changes, and that means tax reform.”

NFIB Small Business Optimism Index showed confidence

World

Otto Warmbier, 22, a U.S. student who was sentence to 15 years hard labor in North Korea. (Photo: AP)

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said “at the direction of the president” his department secured the release of U.S. student Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old imprisoned in North Korea. The secretary’s statement insinuates the White House was directly involved in the release, which comes as Dennis Rodman visits Pyongyang.

“At the direction of the President, the Department of State has secured the release of Otto Warmbier from North Korea,” Tillerson said in a statement. “Mr. Warmbier is en route to the U.S. where he will be reunited with his family.”

The statement declined to give further details and made no mention of the visit by Rodman, adding only that the State Department is continuing “to have discussions” with North Korea about the release of other American citizens who are still imprisoned by the rogue regimes. Warmbier’s health is reportedly in very poor condition.

Rodman had previously said he did not plan to raise the fate of the Americans while he was in North Korea, but as he landed said he was there to further “mutual” interests he and the President shared.

Warmbier was serving as 15-year hard labor prison term after he was accused and confessed to “a crime “pursuant to the U.S. government’s hostile policy toward (the North), in a bid to impair the unity of its people after entering it as a tourist.”

In a statement made before his trial, Warmbier told [willingly or not] reporters in Pyongyang he was offered a used car worth $10,000 if he could get a propaganda banner. He said he was also told that if he was detained and didn’t return, $200,000 would be paid to his mother in the form of a charitable donation.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said "at

Politics

ObamaCare Sign in Florida

ObamaCare sign in Florida.

A new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) study projects 1,200 counties, nearly half (40%) of the nation will have just one insurer in 2018. CMS released a county-level map (see below) of 2018 projected Health Insurance Exchanges, which was based on known issuer participation and public announcements through June 9, 2017.

The CMS found plan options are down from last year and, in some areas, Americans will have no coverage options on the Exchanges, based on the current data.

“This is yet another failing report card for the [ObamaCare] Exchanges,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. “The American people have fewer insurance choices and in some counties no choice at all.”

In an effort to project urgency, President Donald Trump lasts week visited with two families—one from Dayton, Ohio, and another from Louisville, Kentucky—who have suffered as a result of regulations, cost increases and penalties due to ObamaCare.

“Thank you for being here and sharing your stories today and giving voice to millions and millions and millions of Americans who are going through turmoil right now. Absolute turmoil,” he said. “Health care is about so much more than dollars and cents. It’s about real people.”

But with Democrats unwilling to participate in healthcare reform, a divided Republican-controlled Senate struggles to pass the American Health Care Act (AHCA), which the House approved on May 4.

Meanwhile, individual insurance markets in Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Iowa, Nebraska and other states have either collapsed or on the verge of collapsing under the weight of insolvency created by ObamaCare, otherwise known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Anthem Inc (NYSE:ANTM) announced last Tuesday that it will not participate in Ohio’s ObamaCare exchange, leaving roughly 20 of the state’s counties without any insurers.

Administrator Verma noted that the data plotted on the map is meant to show a snap shot in time and it will shift as issuers continue to make announcements on exiting or entering specific states and counties.

As of now, 47 counties nationwide are projected to have no insurers this year, leaving those Americans without coverage for 2018. In 2018, CMS projects that as many as 1,200 counties–nearly 40% of counties nationwide–will have only one issuer in 2018.

“CMS is working with state departments of insurance and issuers to find ways to provide relief and help restore access to healthcare plans, but our actions are by no means a long-term solution to the problems we’re seeing with the Insurance Exchanges,” said CMS Administrator Verma added.

Currently, for 2018 at least 35,000 active Exchange participants live in the counties projected to be without coverage in 2018, and roughly 2.4 million Exchange participants are projected to have one issuer. But CMS anticipates that “no choice” number to rise considerably.

[pdfviewer width=”740px” height=”849px” beta=”true/false”]https://www.peoplespunditdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/R-Graphics-Output-cciio-exchange-carriers-by-county.pdf[/pdfviewer]

A new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid

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