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  • Nancy Reagan: Former U.S. First Lady Passes Away At 94, Politicians Send Condolences

    Former First Lady Nancy Reagan has died at the age of 94.

    According to her rep and spokeswoman with the Reagan library, Joanne Drake, Reagan died of congestive heart failure. She will be buried at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, next to her husband, according to an official statement.

    Before the funeral service, members of the public will be given a chance to pay their respects at the Library, Drake wrote.

    Her stepson Michael Reagan also confirmed the news on his Facebook account: “She is once again with the man she loved. God Bless.”

    Prominent political figures have also expressed their love and support for the family of the former first lady on social media.

    President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama also offered their condolences to the Reagan family, “We remain grateful for Nancy Reagan’s life, thankful for her guidance, and prayerful that she and her beloved husband are together again.”

    Former president Bill Clinton and his wife, now a Democratic Presidential candidate, remembered Nancy Reagan as an “extraordinary woman, a gracious first lady, proud mother, and devoted wife to President Reagan.”

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also paid tribute to the former first lady, describing her as a “great friend of the state of Israel.”

    Nancy Reagan, formerly Nancy Davis, was an actress during the ‘40s and ‘50s, and married Ronald Reagan, also an actor, in 1952. Her marriage to the President lasted 52 years until his death in 2004, and many admired their relationship.

    She braved criticism for an expensive renovation of the White House. She was best known for her “Just Say No” program, which aimed to help youth fight drug abuse.

    Mrs. Reagan requested that instead of flowers, supporters donate to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Foundation.

  • John Kerry Assures Iraqis Of U.S. Support In Fighting ISIS

    Secretary of State John Kerry visited Baghdad on Monday to meet with Iraqi leaders while Islamist militants were in the middle of seizing sections of Iraq.

    Kerry said that the future of Iraq is dependent on the decisions that will be made within the coming weeks.

    Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki agreed to start building a new Iraq government by July 1. If the Prime Minister keeps his word, the U.S. will provide support to Iraqis in fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). “Our support will be intense, sustained,” Kerry said.

    Kerry had a closed-door meeting with al-Maliki for a little over 90 minutes. The meeting was held in the same location where an Iraqi journalist flung a shoe at ex-President George W. Bush in order to insult him in 1998.

    Kerry was in Egypt on Sunday and said that ISIS continues to be a “threat to all the countries in the region.” The militants have already taken over the cities of Tikrit and Mosul, and they also promised to seize Baghdad.

    In addition, Kerry dismissed allegations that the U.S. is to blame for all the unrest in Iraq. “What’s happening in Iraq is not happening because of the United States, in terms of this current crisis,” he said. Kerry said that the unrest is caused by ISIS’ terrorism.

    On Monday, Kerry also mentioned that President Barack Obama already has a set of options for Iraq. Some of them are a steady supply of munitions, military advisers, joint operations centers, and enhanced intelligence.

    The U.S. believes that Iraqi military divisions that are situated outside Baghdad have dissolved because of problems with equipment, training, leadership, and morale. The U.S. said that around 10,000 people in Baghdad are members of ISIS or affiliated with the group and they are steadily gaining control of the area.

    Image via YouTube

  • Eric Cantor Shocked By Defeat To David Brat; Polls Were Wrong

    On Tuesday, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor shockingly lost the 7th District Republican primary to a college professor named David Brat, who is backed by the Tea Party.

    In an interview with ABC’s Jonathan Karl on Sunday, Cantor said, “I don’t think anybody in the country thought that the outcome would be what it was and I think we’re going to be able to look back at this, and what seemed really bad at the time may turn out to be really good.” In the interview, Karl suggested that Laura Ingraham’s attack on Cantor may have contributed to his defeat.

    Cantor announced his resignation as the House Majority Leader on Wednesday. He will step down from his post on July 31.

    Although Cantor was defeated, he remains optimistic and is still focused on his mission. The 51-year-old said that he will remain committed to the Republican party, even after leaving his post.

    According to Ezra Klein of Vox, Cantor lost because voters supporting him did not show up to the polls. However, reports indicate otherwise, as the turnout of voters is actually higher than any recent congressional primary. It turns out that people turned up to vote, but they didn’t vote in favor of Cantor.

    National Journal magazine interviewed John McLaughlin, Cantor’s pollster. McLaughlin said that they estimated that about 45,000 people would turn up to vote, but 65,000 were present. The incorrect estimate is the reason Cantor appeared to have a wide lead against his opponents at the end of May. Because of the far-off estimate, they also got the number of supporters they had wrong.

    Cantor said that he has not ruled out the possibility of running in the future. “I believe after almost 23 years in public service that I can play a role and not just in elected office obviously but in the private sector,” he said.

    House Republicans will  vote on Thursday for their new majority leader. “I want a Republican to hold this seat, of course,” Cantor said.

    Image via ABC News

  • Illinois Primary 2014: Bruce Rauner Wins Republican Gubernatorial Nomination

    Bruce Rauner won the GOP primary in his bid for governor in the state of Illinois. The other Republican Party challengers were Sen. Kirk Dillard, State Sen. Bill Brady, and state Treasurer Dan Rutherford. It is Rauner’s first time bidding for the nomination.

    The unofficial vote count shows Rauner collected 40 percent of votes, while Dillard, Brady, and Rutherford got 38, 15, and 7.5 percent respectively.

    The Democrats have already given their nod to incumbent governor Pat Quinn, who received 72 percent of the votes. Tio Hardiman got the remaining 28 percent.

    The Democratic Party has been holding the gubernatorial fort since 2003, and they have also controlled the Legislature and most offices in the state. The arrival of Rauner into the picture is sure to be a cause of concern, especially since some voters have expressed their desire to break an alliance between the Democrats and organized labor.

    Bruce Rauner Votes In Primary

    Rauner also has a massive campaign fund. He was able to raise more than $14 million, which includes more than $6 million of his own wealth. His financial status was used against him by Quinn, however, who aired television commercials attacking him over the issue of minimum wage.

    Governor Pat Quinn On Minimum Wage

    In the south, the voters’ desire for change stemmed from marginalization. They feel neglected, with most, if not all, of the political favor going to the Democrats and the area of Chicago. One Godfrey resident laments, “All of our money goes up there while southern Illinois gets the crumbs.”

    On the other hand, organized labor groups are skeptical of Rauner, who they think may weaken unions in the same way other Republican governors have. Rauner had stated that his leadership would be modeled after those by former Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. Daniels and Walker rolled back union influence to attract business and reduce labor costs.

    The Illinois gubernatorial election will be held on November 4, 2014.

    Image via YouTube

  • Rick Perry’s CPAC Speech Urges Rebellion

    On the second day of the CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) held last Friday, Texas Governor Rick Perry’s speech was well received by the crowd with lots of applause and whistles.

    In his speech, the Governor praised his fellow Republicans, Governors Rick Scott of Florida, Scott Walker of Wisconsin, and Nikki Haley of South Carolina.

    He opened his speech by quoting Thomas Jefferson who once said, “A little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing.” He then went on and enumerated the things that the government should focus on, such as providing a forceful foreign policy, and defending the country. He continued to say, “And what the heck, deliver the mail, preferably on time and on Saturdays,” which roused the crowed into a frenzy.

    Perry also reiterated his rally against blue states, which is what he has been doing in his jobs tour in other states. The Governor proposed a simple solution to all the problems stating, “It’s time for a little rebellion on the battlefield of ideas.”

    Others say that Perry’s speech is a showing of what can be expected in his presidential bid in 2016. In his speech, he also told his supporters that they don’t have to accept recent history and the presidency just needs to be changed, an obvious stab against President Obama.

    At the peak of his speech, the Governor’s voice soared as he said that the future of the nation lies in the hands of his fellow conservatives. He ended his speech by saying that his supporters are the ones who represent the renewed hope that the country can be great once again.

    Perry has stated the big contrast between the blue-state and the red-state governors and the crowds agreed, showing their support for the governor with loud applause that got louder as the speech ended.

    Watch Rick Perry Soundbites. Hilarious!

    Image via YouTube 

  • Edward Snowden Elected Rector At University Of Glasgow

    Edward Snowden, who made headlines last year for revealing details about U.S. phone and Internet surveillance, is now the student rector at UK’s Glasgow University. The post is a symbolic one, and is decided by a student election. As rector, Snowden represents the student populace and is expected to work with the student representative council, bring student concerns to the attention of university management, and attend the university court.

    Snowden was nominated by a group of students who had received his prior approval through his legal representative. The group stated that Glasgow University has a tradition of making noteworthy and relevant statements through their rectors. Electing Snowden to the post was their way of showing him and other whistleblowers that they stand in solidarity with them and their cause—in this case, the opposition to surveillance, the immoral and pervasive intrusion by the state into the private lives of its people.

    “Whistleblowers should be honored and they’re heroes rather than traitors,” Lubna Nowak said in an interview. She is part of the student group who nominated Snowden to the post.

    The other nominees to the post were author Alan Bissett, local clergyman Kelvin Holdsworth, and champion cyclist Graeme Obree. Snowden succeeds former Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy. Previous Glasgow University student rectors include Mordechai Vanunu and Winnie Mandela.

    Snowden will hold the post for three years, after which there will be another round of nominations for the next rector. This year’s election was done using a single transferable vote system. During the first round, he received 3,124 votes, and got 3,347 in the second round of voting.

    Snowden, a former analyst for the United States National Security Agency, became known for disclosing classified documents to the media. The documents revealed that the NSA had been running surveillance on Internet use and telecommunications on a global scale. He has been granted temporary asylum in Russia after fleeing the US in May 2013.

    Edward Snowden is elected as rector

    Image via YouTube

  • Mitt Romney: Hillary Should Be Judged On Her Own Record

    Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney had this to say about Hillary Clinton: “If ever she takes the road to presidential candidacy, her own record as the United States Secretary of State should be judged, and not her husband’s history.” This was his response to Kentucky Senator Rand Paul’s statement that if Hillary Clinton seeks to be the Democratic Party’s nominee for president, her husband ex-President Bill Clinton’s scandalous affair with Monica Lewinsky must be re-examined.

    Romney believes that in her case, the voting population will look at her record, and examine what matters: whether the U.S. relations with other nations elevated America and its interests or not. Whatever her husband did to embarrass the nation should not pull down her own merits, and it should also not be her responsibility to explain. After all, he says, Hillary Clinton has her own plans for America.

    Bill Clinton admits to affair with Monica Lewinsky

    Where is Monica Lewinsky now?

    Sen. Rand Paul has been pressing the issue, suggesting that if ever Hillary wins, the former president would be placed in the White House again. Romney was firm when he said that Bill Clinton is not relevant in Hillary’s record.

    When asked whether he would consider seeking a presidential nomination again, he said no, but he will surely give his support to the candidate he thinks will have the best chance of defeating the Democrat nominee.

    Mitt Romney served as the Governor of Massachusetts from 2002-2006. One of his major projects as governor was to develop and enact into law the state’s health care reform legislation. The legislation served to provide constituents with access to an almost universal health insurance by tapping into state-level subsidies, as well as individual mandates, to purchase insurance.

    After his term, he campaigned for a Republican Party nomination in the presidential election, but lost to Arizona Senator John McCain. He tried again in 2012 and won the nomination, but was defeated by current Democratic President Barack Obama in the election held in November.

    Hillary Clinton’s 2016 plans

    Image via YouTube

  • John Kerry: North Korea’s Leader Is Reckless And Ruthless

    U.S. Secretary of  State John Kerry has described North Korean dictator, Kim Jong Un, 30, as reckless and insecure following the arrest and execution of the North Korean leader’s powerful uncle, Jang Song Thaek.

    Kerry said Kim’s actions were “ominous” to the country’s stability. In an exclusive interview with Martha Raddatz of ABC, Kerry said Kim’s “ruthless, horrendous dictatorship” can only be compared to Saddam Hussein.

    “It really reminded me of a video that we saw of Saddam Hussein doing the same thing, having people plucked out of an audience, and people sitting there sweating, and nobody daring to move or do anything,” Kerry told ABC,  “It tells us a lot about, first of all, how ruthless and reckless he is. And it also tells us a lot about how insecure he is, to a certain degree.”

    North Korea reported the execution of Jang Song Thaek on Friday. Earlier, the state had said it had stripped Thaek of his position and powers after accusing him of a number of criminal acts including financial crimes, alcohol abuse and womanizing. The Communist nation is known for its secretive politics and Thaek could have been executed because of a fall-out with the Korean leader as well as other personal reasons.

    Following the execution, Kerry lamented that it was not the first time this had happened under Kim’s administration. He called for urgent attention on North Korean nuclear plans. Kerry believes that this act demonstrates that North Korea is not ready to embrace stability.

    North Korea has already carried out two long-range missile tests and tested its nuclear weapons despite U.N. sanctions. The U.S. is already working with China and the U.K. to tame North Korean nuclear ambitions. Other countries that support U.N. sanctions include Russia, South Korea and Japan.

    Kerry, in the interview, said having someone like Kim with “a nuclear weapon potentiality” is out-rightly dangerous and unacceptable.

    (image via YouTube)