Thursday, August 30, 2018

Justice Ministry’s Legal Aid Unit Drops Assistance For Woman Refusing To Accept Ge

theyeshivaworld.news


A Haifa Rabbinate beis din has for some time been dealing with a case in which the wife has refused to accept a get, now for four years. This has resulted in the beis din placing sanctions on her, including a prohibition from leaving the country and barring her from maintaining a bank account, albeit to no avail.

No more shame: Abuse and infidelity in the Jewish home


Shifra" married the man who spoke so beautifully about building relationships through Torah. But the charismatic chessed-activist turned out to be an abuser -- and unfaithful.
A web of lies and secrets was carefully woven within her own home, where her children were being told that Shifra was crazy, and "Don't tell Mommy" was the mantra.
It was the wise advice of an elderly rabbi and his wife that set Shifra and her family free. "Lashon Harah (avoiding speaking negatively of others) was never meant to protect the guilty," he instructed her.
Despite the fear of the reaction of the community, despite the humiliation Shifra brought upon herself, and despite the mountains she needed to climb, she was finally free to share the secrets, free to seek a divorce, and free to believe in herself.
It took six years for Shifra to acquire a Get (Jewish writ of divorce), and many more years to heal herself and her family. She not only survived, but thrived, as did her children, as they rebuilt their lives together and individually.
Shifra tells her painful story, gives tips on how to recognize an abuser early on, and asks the readers for feedback on her pending book on the subject.

Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Trump warns of violence if GOP loses midterms

newsweek


It's not a question of like or dislike, it's a question that they will overturn everything that we've done and they will do it quickly and violently. And violently. There is violence. When you look at Antifa—these are violent people,” he continued.
“You have tremendous power,” the president told the pastors, who were gathered in the White House for a meal honoring evangelicals. “You were saying, in this room, you have people who preach to almost 200 million people. Depending on which Sunday we're talking about."
But the president’s comments were branded racist, with CNN’s Jeffrey Toobin commenting on Tuesday night that Trump’s decision to suggest Antifa would react violently smacked of discrimination.

“Let’s be clear also about what’s going on here,” Toobin said in a panel discussion with Wolf Blitzer. “The theme here is, ‘I’m Donald Trump and I’ll protect you from the scary black people.’ Antifa is widely perceived as an African-American organization, and this is just part of the same story of LeBron James and Don Lemon and Maxine Waters and the NFL players and the UCLA basketball players.


Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Bestselling US author: ‘Russian asset’ Trump doesn’t truly care for Israel, Jews

.times of Israel


In his new book, “House of Trump, House of Putin,” which was published last week, Unger sets out to show how, through the decades, first the Russian mafia, and then the Russian oligarchs, built a network of relationships with Trump and with Trump’s business empire, which centrally included buying hundreds upon hundreds of luxury apartments in Trump’s dozens of residential towers. That vast income for Trump — Russian money which, Unger claims, was essentially laundered via Trump companies using the loopholes of America’s “virtually unregulated” real estate industry — played a vital role in the resurgence of his ailing and failing businesses, helping Trump rise from the financial ashes to begin the journey that ultimately took him all the way to the White House.

En route, Unger charges with incendiary detail in the book, Trump became nothing less than “a Russian asset”: The Russians saved him from financial ruin; Russian mafia bosses made their homes in Trump Tower on 5th Avenue in Manhattan; and an international real estate firm called Bayrock, “staffed, owned and financed by émigrés from Russia and the former Soviet Union, operated out of the building.”
“I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH RUSSIA,” Trump tweeted in January 2017. “NO DEALS, NO LOANS, NO NOTHING.” In fact, Unger shows, Trump became entangled with dozens of individuals tied to the Russians — some of them notorious criminals, some of them alleged criminals, some of them neither.
But Unger’s revelations directly impact Israel as well. About half of those 59 named “Russia Connections” are Jewish, and about a dozen of the 59 are Israeli citizens and/or have deep connections to Israel. (Several of those he names, such as Lev Leviev, Alexander Mashkevich and Mikhail Chernoy, are very wealthy and prominent businessmen with direct access to the highest levels of Israel’s elected leadership.)
Those numbers necessarily raise questions about whether Israel too is being compromised by Putin’s Russia — about whether unsavory characters are exploiting Israel’s Law of Return to gain Israeli citizenship and by extension access to the West; about whether Israel, with its own lax financial regulations and inadequate law enforcement, is serving as a conduit for money laundering by Moscow-linked individuals and companies; and about whether Moscow is building strategic relationships with Israeli politicians — as Unger charges it has done to such phenomenal effect with the president of the United States — in order to influence and if necessary subvert Israeli policies in its interest.


Sunday, August 26, 2018

White farmers: how a far-right idea was planted in Donald Trump's mind

During the insert of more than six minutes, Carlson lambasted the State Department, panning their official reaction to a query from his show and asked why his country's government said nothing about South Africa's amendment to its Constitution (there has been no amendment to the Constitution).
Carlson also interviewed Marian Tupy, an analyst at the Cato Institute, a think tank in Washington.
Earlier this year, AfriForum's Kallie Kriel and Ernst Roets both visited the Cato Institute, while Roets was interviewed on Carlson's show. During the interview, Roets said a motion was carried in Parliament to change the Constitution, while in actual fact, that did not happen.
He backpedalled later in the interview and said there was an ongoing parliamentary process but did not correct Carlson's false statements.
During Wednesday's broadcast, Carlson started by declaring that Ramaphosa "started seizing land from his own citizens without compensation because they are the wrong skin colour".
However, no farms have been seized and no expropriation without compensation has taken place since the start of the national debate about land reform.

OVERVIEW: 'There's a black genocide in SA and US' - EFF hits back at Trump following Twitter storm
news24.
cnn
vox

On Wednesday night, the Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson once again talked about the alleged plight of white South African farmers on his Fox News program.
On Twitter, Donald Trump indicated that he had been watching. The president’s tweet called for further study, but treated the “large scale killing of farmers” as a settled fact, when reporting indicates that against the background of a generally high murder rate in South Africa, there is no evidence of white farmers being specifically targeted.
But Trump’s tweet came at the end of a long process whereby the far-right idea of “white genocide” in South Africa had been mainstreamed, working its way from far-right websites and forums, into the rightward edge of mainstream media, and then into policy proposals. News Corp outlets have played an outsized role in that process.


The conspiracy theory of “white genocide” has been a staple of the racist far right for decades. It has taken many forms, but all of them imagine that there is a plot to either replace, remove or simply liquidate white populations.
South Africa and Zimbabwe in particular have exerted a fascination on the racist far right because in the mind of white nationalists, they show what happens to a white minority after they lose control of countries they once ruled.
The Charleston shooter Dylann Roof was obsessed, like many other white supremacists, with “Rhodesia”, as Zimbabwe was known under white minority rule. As the Christian Science Monitor reported in the wake of his massacre, the fates of the two countries are “held up as proof of the racial inferiority of blacks; and the diminished stature of whites is presented as an ongoing genocide that must be fought”.

JOHN MCCAIN, ISRAEL ADVOCATE AND FOREIGN POLICY HAWK, DIES AT 81


McCain was a powerful political figure and a strong advocate of Israel. The vacancy created by his death narrowed the Republican majority in the U.S. Senate to 50 seats in the 100-member upper chamber, with Democrats controlling 49 seats. 

Alternatively affable and cantankerous, McCain had been in the public eye since the 1960s, when as a naval aviator he was shot down during the Vietnam War and tortured by his North Vietnamese communist captors during 5-1/2 years as a prisoner.

He supported Israel's military action in Gaza against Hamas in 2014, aggressively opposed the nuclear deal brokered between six world powers and Iran in 2015 and passionately criticized the Obama administration's decision not to veto a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlement activity in 2016.

It Really Is Our Trial By Rabbi Yakov Horowitz

The slander lawsuit brought against me in Israel by convicted sex offender Yona Weinberg is well into its third year and the next hearing in this case will be October 25, 2018 in Jerusalem.

I will be honored to be there defending the right of Israeli children whose parents desperately need to be warned when sex offenders like Weinberg, (who iscurrently living freely in Israel and no one seems to know where he is), move near them.

What is most remarkable on a personal level is how so many thousands of Jews worldwide feel a personal connection to this saga. Everywhere I go, people inquire about it and express genuine solidarity with this effort.

To all of you, thank you for your interest and caring, and we will use this email list and social media to keep you updated.

Saturday, August 25, 2018

QUESTION wife neglects husband claiming the children need her more than her husband can he demand attention from his wife at the expense of the children??

1.IS THIS A VALID EXCUSE IF SHE INDEED IS A DEVOTED MOTHER
2. does the wife in fact have any obligations to the children?
3. IS this legitimate grounds for divorce?

4. What if one or more of the children are sick or handicapped can the husband demand full attention from the wife at the expense of the children


Parents will raise happier children 'if they put them second to their marriage'

US therapist David Code argues that an over-focus on kids creates demanding offspring and anxious, exhausted parents

Want better-adjusted, more successful children? The answer is not to cram their free hours with Kumon maths, Mandarin lessons and violin classes. Nor is it to be a "helicopter parent", forever hovering.
Devoted parents do not produce happy children, says a new book that has become a bestseller in America and is about to be published in the UK. Adults who want the best for their children should spend less time trying to be the perfect parent and more time striving to be the perfect spouse, according to David Code, author of To Raise Happy Kids, Put Your Marriage First.

'Chaining grandpa' fined for blocking daughter-in-law's divorce

arutz 7

The Rabbinical Court in Tel Aviv issued a fine against an American haredi businessman of NIS 5,000 ($1,370) for every day his daughter-in-law remains an Agunah (chained wife) and does not receive a Get (religious divorce). In addition, the court ordered the father-in-law to pay NIS 50,000 ($13,700) in court expenses, and his attorneys were charged NIS 10,000 ($2,740) each.
The fine was issued after the father-in-law petitioned the court against an order prohibiting his departure from Israel. The restrictions remained in place.
The businessman's daughter-in-law suffered a stroke several years after she married his son. As a result of her poor health, her husband abandoned her and fled to the US, leaving her alone with her two small children.
The son has worked in his father's business since fleeing Israel, and his father is believed to be responsible for the decision not to give his wife a divorce last 13 years.
Last year, the High Court of Justice rejected the father-in-law's petition to cancel the order prohibiting him from leaving Israel and the 30-day prison sentence imposed by the Rabbinical Court when he and his wife arrived in Israel for a visit.

Trump is latching on to a popular right-wing talking point about Michael Cohen that experts say is 'nonsense'

businessinsider

  • President Donald Trump has echoed a popular right-wing talking point in recent days.
  • He says the campaign-finance crimes to which his former longtime lawyer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty aren't crimes.
  • The argument was first made by right-wing radio host Mark Levin.
  • Campaign-finance experts said this argument was "nonsense."


President Donald Trump has echoed a popular right-wing talking point in recent days as his latest defense from the plea deal to which his former longtime lawyer Michael Cohen agreed earlier this week.
The campaign-finance crimes Cohen pleaded guilty to? Well, they aren't actually crimes, Trump and others say. It's an argument that campaign-finance experts say is "nonsense."
In cutting a deal with federal prosecutors, Cohen pleaded guilty on Tuesday to five counts of tax evasion, one count of making a false statement to a financial institution, and two counts related to campaign-finance violations. Cohen said under oath that Trump directed him to violate campaign-finance laws just before the 2016 presidential election to boost his candidacy.
The latter two charges were in connection to payments to the former Playboy model Karen McDougal and the porn actress Stormy Daniels to silence their allegations of affairs with Trump. Cohen said that at Trump's direction, he moved to keep both former Playboy model Karen McDougal and porn star Stormy Daniels from publicly disclosing damaging information that would hurt Trump's campaign. He said under oath that the payments were for the purpose of benefiting Trump's candidacy.
"Directing" Cohen to commit such a crime would make Trump a co-conspirator, legal experts say.
Prosecutors wrote that they could back up Cohen's admissions through evidence obtained from the FBI's April raids on Cohen's home, office, and hotel room. The evidence, they wrote, included documents, electronic devices, audio recordings made by Cohen, text messages, messages sent on encrypted apps, phone records, and emails.
Later this week, it was revealed that American Media Inc. CEO David Pecker, who purchased McDougal's story, and Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg were both given immunity to provide testimony in the Cohen investigation.
Focusing on the payments to women, Trump first tweeted that they weren't actually a crime on Wednesday morning.
"Michael Cohen plead guilty to two counts of campaign finance violations that are not a crime," he wrote.

Thursday, August 23, 2018

Trump: Impeach me and the market crashes

bbc

US President Donald Trump has responded to speculation that he might be impeached by warning that any such move would damage the economy.
In an interview with Fox & Friends, he said the market would crash and "everybody would be very poor".
He was speaking after Michael Cohen, his ex-lawyer, pleaded guilty to violating election laws and said he had been directed to do so by Mr Trump.

MAHARAL PRAY FOR WELFARE OF GOVERNMENT

דרך חיים על אבות פרק ג
משנה ב
רבי חנינא סגן הכהנים אמר הוי מתפלל בשלומה של מלכות וכו'. יש לשאול בזה מה ענין מאמר רבי חנינא סגן הכהנים אל מאמר עקביא בן מהללאל, ועוד אף כי דבר הגון וראוי להתפלל בשלומה של מלכות, אבל מה שאמר שאלמלא מורא מלכות איש את רעהו חיים בלעו, ולא היה די לומר שאלמלא מורא מלכות אין הבריות יכולים לעמוד:
כאשר תתבונן בענין הבריאה, תמצא האדם שיש לו שנוי בבריאתו מה שלא נמצא בשאר הנבראים, שכל שאר נבראים נבראו הרבה ביחד והאדם נברא ביחידי, ויותר מזה שאף הנקיבה שלו שהיה ראוי שתהיה נבראת בפני עצמה עם האדם ולא היה זה רק נברא האדם יחידי. ובפרק אחד דיני ממונות (סנהדרין ל"ז, א') ת"ר לפיכך נברא האדם יחידי ללמדך שכל המאבד נפש אחת מישראל מעלה עליו הכתוב כאלו אבד את כל העולם וכל המקיים נפש אחת מישראל כאלו קיים כל העולם כולה ומפני הבריות שלא יאמר אבא גדול מאביך ושלא יהיו המינים אומרים הרבה רשויות בשמים להגיד גדולתו של הקדוש ברוך הוא שאדם טובע כמה מטבעות בחותם אחד כולם דומים זה לזה ומלך מלכי המלכים טובע כל אחד בחותמו של אדם הראשון ואחד מהם אינו דומה לאחר ולפיכך כל אחד ואחד חייב לומר בשבילי נברא העולם ע"כ. ולפי הנראה כי הטעם הוא, כיון שמאדם אחד יצא כל העולם א"כ המאבד נפש אחת מישראל כאלו מאבד כל העולם כולו, ואם הטעם כך קשיא כי אין זה הוכחה כלל, שהרי משמע אם לא היה נברא האדם יחידי לא היה נראה שהאדם הוא כל העולם, שהרי גם מן השני יצאו וא"כ עכשיו שאין האדם נמצא בלבד רק אחרים ג"כ למה נחשב המאבד נפש אחת מישראל כאלו אבד כל העולם, ועוד סריס וזקן למה נחשב כל העולם. אבל פירוש הדבר הזה, כי לפי מציאות העולם וציור החכמה לא היה צריך שיהיה רק אדם אחד ולא יותר, וכשם שראוי לפי ציור החכמה שיהיו שאר המינים הרבה כך ראוי שיהיה נברא האדם יחידי. כי האדם הוא מלך בתחתונים, ודבר זה ידוע כי ראוי שיהיה המלך אחד כי אין ראוי שיהיו שני מלכים. ודבר זה נתבאר בדברי חכמים שאמרו (חולין ס', א') אין שני מלכים משמשים בכתר אחד. ומפני שהוא מלך בתחתונים הנה מצד צורת העולם שכך מסודר מן הש"י ראוי שיהיה האדם יחידי, ולפיכך המקיים אדם אחד כאלו קיים כל העולם. וכן המאבד אחד כאלו אבד כל העולם. ועוד כי האדם הוא צורת העולם ומשלים אותו ובשביל האדם נבראו כל התחתונים, ובבריאת העולם ובסדר שלו האדם נברא יחידי, כי כך ראוי מצד ציור העולם כי הצורה היא אחת בלתי מחולקת ולפיכך נברא האדם יחידי, ולפיכך אדם אחד נחשב כל העולם כולו, והמקיים אחד מישראל כאלו קיים כל העולם כולו והמאבדו כאלו אבד כל העולם כולו, וכל זה מפני חשיבת האדם שהאדם יחידי הוא כל העולם:
וקאמר מפני הבריות וכו', ואף כי בלאו הכי ג"כ קצת כהנים וקצת לוים וקצת ישראלים, וא"כ מה היה יותר אם היה התחלת האדם יותר מאחד. כי אין דבר זה קשיא, כי מפני שיש התחלה אחת אף על גב שהם מחולקים בצד מה, ההתחלה שהיא אחת מאחד אותם ומקשר אותם עד שהם אחד ולא יפול ביניהם גרוי, אבל אם היה להם שתי התחלות היה נופל החלוק והגרוי ביניהם. וקאמר עוד מפני המינים שלא יאמרו שתי רשויות. וזה כי על ידי שכל התחתונים הם נתונים תחת רשותו והאדם משלים את כולם בשביל זה העולם הוא אחד כמו שבארנו למעלה ג"כ, לפיכך אף אם הרבה נבראים בעולם כיון שהאדם משלים כל הנבראים ובאדם אחד נחשב העולם כולו שהוא אחד, ואם היו שנים אם כן היה העולם מחולק ולא אחד, והיו אומרים כי מן הפועל שהוא אחד לא יצא רק פעל אחד, ולפיכך היו אומרים כי ההתחלות הם יותר מאחד שלא יצא עולם מחולק מפועל אחד, לפיכך נברא האדם יחידי שעתה מורה העולם שהוא עולם אחד על פועל אחד. ואמר עוד להגיד גדולתו של מלך מלכי המלכים וכו', ואין הפירוש שבשביל כך נברא יחידי כדי להגיד לך גדולתו של הקדוש ברוך הוא, כי אפשר שהיה נראה גדולתו של הקדוש ברוך הוא מצד אחר. אבל פירוש הדבר הזה כי אם לא היה נברא האדם יחיד לא היו הבריות השלמים דומים, עד שכולם יש להם צורת אדם הראשון ועם זה מתחלפים שאין האחד דומה לאחר, כי כך ראוי שיהיו בני אדם דומים בצורה אחת ויהיו עם זה מתחלפים בצורתם שאם לא כן לא היה מכיר עם מי היה מדבר בראשונה אם היה רוצה לחזור ולדבר עמו, ולפיכך ראוי שיהיו מתחלפים בצורתם. ומפני שנברא אדם הראשון יחיד והתולדות הם מתרבים לכך אינם דומים בצורתם לאדם הראשון, כי אדם יחיד היה ובתולדותיו יש רבוי, ומפני התרבות שלהם מיוחד כל אחד ואחד בצורה מיוחדת שכל אחד רבוי בפני עצמו, כי על זה יקרא ראשון ועל זה שני ועל זה שלישי וכן לעולם, והרי בכל אחד מה שלא היה קודם בריאתו. מה שלא היה כך אם לא היה נברא האדם יחידי שלא היה כאן התרבות, אבל כאשר נברא האדם יחידי ויש כאן תוספות על היחיד והתוספות הוא מה שלא היה קודם, כי יש התחלפות בין אחד ובין שנים וכן עד לעולם ודבר זה גורם התחלפות הצורה ויש כאן שנוי. ועוד כי כאשר נברא האדם יחיד, יש סגולה זאת לכל התולדות שיצא ממנו שיהיה יחיד כל אחד גם כן בצורתו, והנה מצד שכולם נכללים בשם אדם, הקדוש ברוך הוא טובע כל הבריות בחותמו של אדם הראשון, רק מפני שהיה אדם הראשון יחיד היה כל אדם דוגמתו בזה שהיה יחיד בצורתו ובודאי דבר זה שלא כמדת בשר ודם: 

דרך חיים על אבות פרק ג
ואמר לפיכך כל אחד ואחד חייב לומר בשבילי נברא העולם, וזה שמצד ציור העולם ראוי שיהיה האדם נברא יחידי א"כ אדם אחד הוא כל העולם, ולא כמו שאר הנבראים שאין בכל אחד הכל כמו שהוא אצל האדם. ועל זה אמר בכאן כיון שכל אדם הוא כל העולם עד שמצד העולם היה די לעולם באדם יחידי ואין צריך לזולתו, ולפיכך אם לא היה מורא מלכות, כי המלך הוא מקשר ומאחד הכלל כי זהו ענין המלך שהוא מקשר ומאחד הכלל, כי מפני שגוזר טבע העולם שיהיה האדם יחידי בעולם, אם אין מוראו של מלכות איש את רעהו חיים בלעו עד שיהיה האדם כפי ציור העולם שכך היא הבריאה, שהרי כל אדם אומר בשבילי נברא העולם והוא בלבד ראוי בעולם, ולכך היה בולע את רעהו חיים עד שהוא נשאר לבדו, ולכך אמר הוי מתפלל בשלומה של מלכות שאלמלא מורא מלכות שהוא מקשר האנשים הפרטים עד שהם מתחברים, ואם לא היה זה כל אחד בולע את רעהו חיים, כי כל אחד כל העולם ולכך היה האדם נמשך אחר זה והיה בולע רעהו חיים שלא יהיה נמצא רק הוא. וקבע דבר זה כאן, כי אמר שיסתכל האדם מאין בא ולאן הולך לא יבא לידי חטא, ורצה לומר כי צריך האדם מאוד מאוד שיסתכל באלו ג' דברים, כי לפי טבע הבריאה האדם יש לו גבהות עד שמפני גבהות שלו איש את רעהו חיים בלעו, ולפיכך סדר אחריו דברי רבי חנינא סגן הכהנים שאמר הוי מתפלל בשלומה של מלכות וכו' כלומר לב האדם תמיד נוטה אל הגבהות, ואלמלא מוראה של מלכות וכו' היה כ"כ לב האדם נוטה אל הגבהות עד שכל אחד רוצה שיהיה הוא הכל ולא יהיה נמצא בריה בעולם עד שהוא יהיה יחידי, וכל זה מפני גבהות לב האדם שלא ירצה להיות אחר עמו בעולם. ודבר זה בשביל טבע הבריאה כמו שאמרנו שהסדר נותן כך שאדם יחיד הוא כל העולם, ולכך בא המאמר הזה אחריו לומר לך שצריך לאדם הסתכלות גדול, ואם לא יסתכל בשביל גבהות לב האדם בעצמו שהוא נברא יחיד בשביל שיש בו סימן מלכות שהמלך הוא יחיד, יש לחוש שלא יבא לידי רום לב מאחר שהוא מלך יחידי. א"נ מפני שאמר עקביא הסתכל בג' דברים וכו' שמפני גבהות לבו של אדם הזהיר את האדם שלא יבא אל החטא, וקבע דברי רבי חנינא אחריו שגם הוא אמר הוי מתפלל בשלומה וכו' שמפני גבהות לב האדם איש את רעהו חיים בלעו אלמלא מורא מלכות. וכל זה פירוש אחד הוא שנסמך המאמר הזה להודיע גבהות האדם, עד שאיש את רעהו חיים בלעו. אבל הפירוש שנראה ברור כי נסמכו יחד מפני כי עקביא בן מהללאל ורבי חנינא סגן הכהנים היו בזמן אחד ולכך הוקבעו ביחד, וכן נראה שקבע אחר זה דברי רבי חנניא בן תרדיון שנים שיושבים וכו' מפני שאלו היו בזמן אחד או קרוב לזמן ומסדר דבריהם ביחד כמו שסדר דורות הקבלה זה אחר זה, וזה עיקר הטעם כאשר תמצא דברים בלתי מקושרים ביחד הוא בשביל סבה זאת שהיו בזמן אחד או קרוב לזמן אחד ומסדר דבריהם ביחד:


Crime is eliminated only if community desires to be just - G-d doesn't cause corruption




Malbim (Job 31:38 Summary): Why doesn’t G-d destroy all the wicked people in order to remove their wickedness and sustain mankind - especially since they live like the wild beasts of the forest separate from others and thus it would be possible to obligate them without harming others. … The answer lies in understanding the nature of reward and punishment. Reward and punishment is not something distinct from the commandment but is in fact inherent in the action of the commandment. For example a person who controls his lusts and desires will be healthy while one who runs after his desire for meat with become sick and be crushed by suffering. Therefore a community which strives to do good and kindness and to administer proper justice and uproot crime will live in tranquility and security without any crime and disorder. In contrast if there is perversion of justice there will be an increase in murder and robbery… G﷓d prepared the nature of man that he should gather together in communities and that people should help each other and should work to destroy criminals and murderers who destroy civilization and that they should administer proper justice in the land. By this means man will survive since the good people are always greater in number than the bad… Consequently the administering of justice to the wicked who destroy civilization has been given over to mankind who by their nature will uproot evil. If evil overcomes the good and if there is no justice then man will be no different than the fish of the sea. Thus man himself determines whether he will live under anarchy and crime. Therefore why be upset with G﷓d when society is corrupt?

Manafort juror says one holdout prevented conviction on all 18 counts


Eleven of the 12 jurors in the Virginia trial of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort were ready to convict on all 18 counts, but one holdout had reasonable doubt and could not be swayed, a juror said in a televised interview Wednesday night.
"There was one holdout," juror Paula Duncan said in an interview on Fox News.
"We all tried to convince her to look at the paper trail, we laid it out in front of her again and again, and she still said that she had a reasonable doubt," Duncan added. "... We didn't want it to be hung, so we tried for an extended period of time to convince her. But in the end she held out, and that's why we have 10 counts that did not get a verdict."

Todd Starnes: California Dems prepare for crackdown on churches

foxnews.com/opinion


Christians across the nation are expressing grave concerns over a proposed California law that would outlaw speech dealing with certain issues – including homosexuality and gender identity – by clergy members, licensed counselors and others.
Assembly Bill 2943, authored by Democratic Assemblyman Evan Low, would utilize the state’s existing consumer fraud statute to classify gay conversion therapy as a fraudulent practice.
State senators passed the legislation last Thursday and the Assembly is poised to take up a final vote before the bill is sent to Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown’s office.
“The faith community, like anyone else, needs to evolve with the times,” Democratic Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi said during debate on the legislation. “The science is clear. The claim that the First Amendment can be used as a defense for promoting fraudulent conduct is a fallacious argument.”
Dr. Paul Chappell, the pastor of Lancaster Baptist Church and the president of West Coast Baptist College, said there is a groundswell of opposition rising up among Christians and conservatives to the Assembly bill.
“This is an encroachment by the state,” Chappell said on the Todd Starnes Radio Show.“It’s time for Christians all across America to recognize it’s an attack on our faith.”

Trump-hating Democrats who pursue impeachment will be punished by the American voter





President Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen’s guilty pleas Tuesday are unlikely to result in criminal charges against the president. But the pleas admitting to campaign finance violations could be used by Democrats to try to impeach the president, should they win control of the U.S. House in November.
And what if everything Cohen stated in his guilty plea is true?
Remember former North Carolina Democratic U.S. Sen. John Edwards? Donors paid $1 million to Edwards’ mistress to keep quiet just before the 2008 Democrat presidential primaries when Edwards was a candidate.
Federal prosecutors charged Edwards with campaign finance violations but he was acquitted, largely because the contributions didn’t go directly to his campaign, though Edwards also argued that the payment was meant to hide his extramarital affair from his dying wife. There’s even a name for this sad business – the “mistress loophole.”
There are other problems with the Cohen case that are less concrete but should still be mentioned. Cohen is smarmy, but smarmy or not, he has an incentive to cooperate with prosecutors to get the lightest punishment possible for his crimes.
If Cohen doesn’t cooperate, or maybe even “compose,” he faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison. The fact that Cohen’s lawyer is Clinton-confidant Lanny Davis, and that the judge in the case is Kimba Wood – who was almost Bill Clinton’s attorney general – might raise a few eyebrows as well.
To many Americans, it seems that men like Cohen, former Trump presidential campaign chairman Paul Manafort (who was convicted of tax evasion and bank fraud charges Tuesday), and former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn (who has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI on highly suspect grounds) have been targeted for prosecution simply because of their association with Donald Trump.
We now live in a country where pundits on the left explicitly hope that people working for President Trump will be prosecuted. In other words, they argue that the selective use of justice is a good thing if it is directed against conservatives or supporters of the president.
That is chilling. Without a concerted effort from the American people to condemn such political prosecutions, things will only get worse.


Sean Hannity Melts Down About Hillary Clinton On Day Manafort, Cohen Become Felons




huffingtonpost


Sean Hannity mourned the death of “equal justice under the law” on Tuesday,
riled up that President Donald Trump’s former associates were deemed
guilty of crimes when his Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton had not been. 


“Equal justice under the law ... is dead,” Hannity said during his opening monologue.
The Fox News host was responding to reports that Trump’s former campaign
manager Paul Manafort was convicted of eight of 18 charges, including five counts
of tax fraud, in the first trial of special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe. Manafort
faces a maximum of 80 years in prison. The judge declared a mistrial after the
jurors failed to reach a decision on the remaining 10 charges. 
Cohen, Trump’s former personal lawyer, entered into a plea deal with
prosecutors on Tuesday, pleading guilty to eight charges including bank fraud,
tax fraud and campaign finance violations due to his payments of “hush money”
in 2016 to women who said they had affairs with Trump several years earlier.
Cohen said he paid the women at the direction of Trump.
“Cohen and Manafort ― literally prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law
for bank and tax frauds, etc.,” Hannity said. “In today’s two-tiered
justice system, as a Democrat, clearly you can commit financial fraud and
get away with it. By the way, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.”
The host then launched into an attack on Clinton and her use of a private email server while she was secretary of state, saying she “destroyed classified information, which violates the espionage act.” 
“And then you can delete subpoenaed emails ... 33,000 of them and acid-wash your hard drive ... and eliminate the evidence, and have your aide smash up your devices with hammers, and get away with it,” he added.
An FBI investigation into Clinton’s email use concluded in 2016
that there was no evidence that prosecution was warranted.
Then-FBI Director James Comey said there was evidence
of potential mishandling of classified information and referred
the matter to the Justice Department, which closed the investigation
without bringing charges. A State Department inspector general
report concluded that Clinton had violated the government’s policy
on email use but that such violations were not criminal.
Hannity, who was also a client of Cohen’s, told viewers that he
suspected prosecutors “forced” the attorney to say Trump knew about
the hush money payments. He also told his viewers that there were
lessons to learn from Tuesday’s news, including not lying to the FBI
and paying taxes. 

Minister: Trump's statement 'a cause for concern' //



Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel responded Wednesday to US President Donald Trump's statement Tuesday night that Israel will have to pay a "higher price" in negotiations with the Palestinian Authority "because they won a very big thing," referring to American recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and the transfer of the US embassy.
"The President stressed: 'If there ever will be peace,' I suggest that we examine this 'ever'," said Minister Ariel in an interview with Army Radio.
At the same time, he emphasized Israel must examine the President's remarks carefully. "This isn't a terrible morning, but there is cause for concern regarding Trump," the minister added.
He noted if there is an issue that should be of concern to the government it is the construction of a bridge on the Ayalon Highway on weekends. "There are other times to do the work, and construction on Shabbat is severe, unnecessary, and inappropriate, and the struggle will be shared with the haredim - the Torah is one," concluded Minister Ariel.

Bolton: No 'quid pro quo' in Jerusalem embassy move // Arutz Sheva News

arutz 7

In his opening comments Wednesday, Bolton cited the recent arrest of Iranian agents in the US who were conducting surveillance of Israeli and American Jewish targets, as well as the planned attack by Iranian agents against a gathering in Paris, saying the two cases highlighted “the threat that Iran poses in Europe and the United States.”
Responding to a question from a reporter at the press conference regarding President Trump’s comments Tuesday night that Israel would have to pay a “higher price” in talks with the Palestinian Authority because of the US decision to relocate the embassy to Jerusalem, Bolton played down the statement, saying it did not indicate a change in US policy.
“I don’t think there’s any change in policy. I think the president looked at the recognition of Jerusalem as being Israel’s capital and the inevitable consequence of that – that the US embassy ought to be in the capital city of the country which its accredited as the right and natural thing to do, and it’s not an issue of quid pro quo.
“He’s made the point, I think, several times that this issue has been a hang up in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. And as he said last night as well, he’s taken that issue off the table. As a deal-maker... he would expect that the Palestinians would say, ‘Okay, great – we didn’t get that one, now we want something else.’ We’ll see how it goes.
“But the fundamental point is that this is something that the parties are going to have to agree on.”
Citing former Secretary of State James Baker, Bolton said the US “can’t want peace more than the parties themselves.”
“The real point is, the president did the right thing in moving the embassy to Israel’s capital. And that in and of itself brings reality to the negotiations.”
“It was a very positive step forward not just for Israel, but for the Palestinians as well.”
The NSA later added that a peace deal was not something “the US is prepared to force on anybody.”

Trump is powerless as his legal fate spins out of his control

cnn

President Donald Trump may no longer control his fate, a plight that helps explain his increasingly volcanic Twitter eruptions.
Trump's persona -- in politics, business and life -- relies on his self-image as the guy who calls the shots, closes deals and forces others to react to the shock moves of a master narrative weaver.
But as a legal web closes around the President, he's in a far weaker position than he would like, a situation especially underlined by the bombshell revelations that White House counsel Donald McGahn has spent 30 hours in interviews with special counsel Robert Mueller.

Monday, August 20, 2018

FORMER FOX NEWS ANALYST SAYS NETWORK 'PROSTITUTES' FOR TRUMP'S AGENDA






A retired U.S. Army Lietenant Colonel and former Fox News analyst said employees at the cable news network have become "prostitutes" for President Donald Trump's Washington agenda. 
Update: Fox News issued a statement regarding Peters' comments. "Ralph Peters is entitled to his opinion despite the fact that he’s choosing to use it as a weapon in order to gain attention."
Speaking with CNN's Brian Stelter Sunday, Ralph Peters said Trump "does not respect our system of government" and cherry-picks parts of the Constitution "from which he can choose the most electable items." The retired U.S. Army Lt. Colonel repeatedly criticized Trump as "distinctly un-American" and beholden to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Earlier this year, Peters left Fox News for "assaulting the Constitution." 

How the Catholic Church Keeps Surviving Abuse Scandals


The news of sex scandal in Pennsylvania is truly sickening. Thousands of victims, hundreds of predatory priests, and what can only be described as a systematic conspiracy to conceal the crimes of those accused. All of which raises the question: How can the Catholic Church survive such a scandal? In fact, in light of previous revelations about sex abuse, how has the church survived so far?

Indian-American Doctor Convicted For Raping Patient Won't Serve Jail Time

Indian-American Doctor Convicted For Raping Patient Won't Serve Jail Time
Jurors convicted Shafeeq Sheikh of second-degree sexual assault after a trial that ended this past week.

HOUSTON: An Indian-American doctor from Texas, who was convicted of raping a sedated patient in a hospital, will not serve prison time and, instead, will spend 10 years of probation.
Jurors convicted Shafeeq Sheikh, 46, a former physician at the Baylor College of Medicine, of second-degree sexual assault after a trial that ended this past week.

The crime is punishable by up 20 years in prison, but the Texas jury sentenced Sheikh to 10 years of probation on Friday.

Sheikh will have to register as a sex offender. Unlike most states and the federal government, Texas grants juries the power to set criminal punishments.

The punishment has surprised defense attorneys, disappointed law enforcement and raised concerns from a victims advocacy group, according to media reports.

The jurors had recommended the sentencing, to which visiting Senior District Judge Terry L Flenniken was required to follow by law, according to local media report.

Sheikh was working in night shift at Houston's Ben Taub Hospital in 2013 when a woman was admitted for shortness of breath and wheezing. She was in the hospital overnight and sedated when Sheikh came to her room several times during the night and sexually assaulted her.

The woman said she attempted to get help from a nurse, but the call button would not work.

DNA evidence collected from a rape kit matched the DNA sample of the guilty doctor's cheek swab. But it took two years for charges to be filed against Sheikh.

Architect of bin Laden raid issues stunning rebuke of Trump



cnn

Retired Adm. William McRaven, the man who oversaw the 2011 Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden, issued a stunning rebuke of President Donald Trump's decision to revoke the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan on Thursday, defending the former spy chief as "one of the finest public servants I have ever known."
In an op-ed published by the Washington Post, McRaven, a former Navy SEAL who led US Joint Special Operations Command from 2011 to 2014, not only called Brennan "a man of unparalleled integrity," but volunteered to have his own security clearance revoked in an act of solidarity.
"Few Americans have done more to protect this country than John. He is a man of unparalleled integrity, whose honesty and character have never been in question, except by those who don't know him," McRaven wrote.
"Therefore, I would consider it an honor if you would revoke my security clearance as well, so I can add my name to the list of men and women who have spoken up against your presidency," he added.
His comments come just one day after Trump announced his decision to revoke Brennan's security clearance, marking an unprecedented use of a president's authority over the classification system to strike back at one of his prominent critics.
"This action is part of a broader effort by Mr. Trump to suppress freedom of speech & punish critics. It should gravely worry all Americans, including intelligence professionals, about the cost of speaking out. My principles are worth far more than clearances. I will not relent," Brennan tweeted after the announcement.
McRaven, who resigned as chancellor of the University of Texas in Austin earlier this year, is widely respected among the tens of thousands of active and retired special operators and his message will likely resonate within that community.
"Through your actions, you have embarrassed us in the eyes of our children, humiliated us on the world stage and, worst of all, divided us as a nation," McRaven said of Trump.