The Clinton Foundation Shuts Down Clinton Global Initiative

Observer  "The Clinton Foundation’s long list of wealthy donors and foreign government contributors during the 2016 elections provoked critics to allege conflicts of interests. Clinton partisans defended the organization’s charitable work, and dismissed claims that it served as a means for the Clintons to sell off access, market themselves on the paid speech circuit, and elevate their brand as Hillary Clinton campaigned for the presidency.

"But as soon as Clinton lost the election, many of the criticisms directed toward the Clinton Foundation were reaffirmed. Foreign governments began pulling out of annual donations, signaling the organization’s clout was predicated on donor access to the Clintons, rather than its philanthropic work. In November, the Australian government confirmed it “has not renewed any of its partnerships with the scandal-plagued Clinton Foundation, effectively ending 10 years of taxpayer-funded contributions worth more than $88 million.” The government of Norway also drastically reduced their annual donations, which reached $20 million a year in 2015.

"On January 12, the Clinton Foundation received more bad news: a WARN notice was filed with the New York Department of Labor. The main office of the Clinton Global Initiative in New York City would be closing, laying off 22 employees. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) “offers protection to workers, their families and communities by requiring employers to provide notice 60 days in advance of covered plant closings and covered mass layoffs." . . .

That statue behind President Trump at his Warsaw speech

"U.S. President Donald Trump made his emotional address to the Poles speaking at the foot of the metal-and-stone Monument to the Warsaw Uprising, a heroic but failed 1944 uprising by Poland’s clandestine Home Army against the occupying Nazi Germans.

"The monument stands near the still-existing entry into the city’s sewer system that the insurgents and civilians used to flee the area as it was being overtaken by the Nazis. At least 150,000 Poles — both fighters and civilians — died in the fierce street fighting in the uprising.

It was unveiled on Aug. 1, 1989, on the 45th anniversary of the start of the uprising. It shows some fighters entering the sewer opening, while others are fleeing a wall that is collapsing after an explosion. It is a site of great emotions and pride for Poles.

"In 1994, during the 50th anniversary observances, German President Roman Herzog apologized at the site for Germany’s World War II crimes.

"As Trump’s tight schedule during the brief visit Thursday to Warsaw did not include another key memorial of a dramatic struggle, the Monument to the Warsaw Ghetto Heroes, Ivanka Trump was there and laid flowers in homage to the fighters.

"Unveiled on April 19, 1948, on the fifth anniversary of the start of the uprising, the massive granite-and-metal memorial honors hundreds of Jewish fighters who on April 19, 1943, began their struggle as the Nazis were liquidating the ghetto and transporting thousands of its remaining residents to the Treblinka death camp. The monument’s metal figures show the determination of the fighters.". . . 

The 1944 Warsaw uprising  The Russian Army held up east of Warsaw, doing nothing to help the Poles in their fight with the Nazis. Stalin's goal was to let Hitler slaughter the Poles who were violently anti-communist, leaving a more compliant Poland for the Communists to rule. Stalin actually did less than nothing, refusing to allow British and American planes flying over with supplies and bombing runs to land on Russian airfields.

The 1943 uprising was another one, pitting the Jews in the ghetto against their Nazi executioners.

1944: The betrayal of Poland  . . . "The third betrayal occurred in the summer of ’44. The Polish Home Army in German-occupied Warsaw, heeding appeals from Radio Moscow, rose up against the Nazis. As the Home Army was loyal to the free Polish government in London, which was demanding an investigation of Stalin’s murder of Polish officers at Katyn, Stalin halted his own Red Army outside Warsaw to give the Nazis a free hand in crushing the Polish uprising.

"British and Americans sought to aid the Poles with air drops of food and munitions. But Stalin refused to let the allies use air fields behind his lines to refuel for the return flight to England. Churchill drafted a strong letter to Stalin, asking that the allies be allowed to use the air fields assigned them, but to appease Stalin, FDR cravenly refused to sign the letter. The Home Army was butchered." . . .

Pictured: Polish resistance fighters.

An Updated Idiot’s Guide to the Trump/Russia Controversy

There are legitimate questions here, but they’re not the ones the media are obsessed with.

 

National Review  "Like many who follow politics full-time, I am exhausted with the Trump/Russia narrative, in no small part because it forces me to defend the president from mostly baseless charges rather than challenge his progress on repealing Obamacare, balancing the budget, and filling his own staff positions. 

"Months of theatrics from cable-news hosts and hysterical print journalists alike have crafted a false dichotomy in the minds of the public: Either Russia never even attempted to interfere with the election, or Trump colluded directly with the Kremlin to “hack” the results. The reality of the Trump-Russia question lies in between these two ridiculous strawmen. 

"David French scrupulously detailed the existing evidence and falsehoods back in March in “A Beginner’s Guide to the Trump/Russia Controversy.” Today I will try to get to those who are still falling for false narratives, and to cut through the bogus arguments perpetuated through the 24-hour news cycle. Here are the key facts you should know." . . .  Read more

Trump and de Blasio in Europe: A study in contrasts

De Blasio went to support these people

De Blasio called 'A horrible little man-child'

Avrohom Gordimer  "President Trump and New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio were both overseas this week, within a few miles of each other. In fact, the President and the mayor were in Hamburg, Germany for the same exact event. Yet the contrast could not be starker.

"After a very successful trip to Poland, President Trump is tending to state business of the highest order at the G-20 summit in Hamburg. Despite the countless violent, rogue and lawless protesters, the President is moving our country’s agenda forward at the summit, as he temporarily leaves behind an America that is in far better shape than it was half a year ago. New employment and economic data were just released, confirming the great progress. ISIS is on its knees; things are good.

"In contrast, Mayor De Blasio is in Hamburg to join the protesters. The mayor, whose background includes support for the Sandinista regime and who announced last month that he would happily march in New York’s Puerto Rican Day Parade despite the parade’s plans to honor a just-released terrorist -- his leftist tendencies should hence come as no surprise -- leaves behind a city which this week lost a police officer to a violent murder, which last week saw another violent murderer gun down people in a hospital, and which has a plunging quality of life problem, increasing homelessness and subway crime, a corrupt child welfare system and a crumbling infrastructure. The media loves De Blasio, yet his accomplishments are few and the problems that arose under his leadership are quite many." . . . 

Avrohom Gordimer is a senior rabbinic fellow at the Coalition for Jewish Values, a public policy institute reflecting traditional Jewish thought.  He serves on the editorial board of Jewish Action magazine, is a staff writer for the Cross-Currents website, and is a frequent contributor to Israel National News and a host of other publications. . .

First Trump Inauguration Protester Sentenced to 4 Months in Prison

Weasel Zippers

Roll Call  . . . "Powell, who faced 14 charges, pleaded guilty to charges of felony rioting and felony assault on a police officer.

"He told prosecutors he broke windows and threw “a brick, large rock, or piece of concrete at uniformed law enforcement,” WTOP reported. The U.S. attorney’s office for D.C. said in a statement that Powell “admitted being part of a group of rioters who moved approximately 16 blocks over a period of more than 30 minutes.”

“ 'The group formed a ‘black bloc’ in which individual defendants wore black or dark colored clothing, gloves, scarves, sunglasses, ski masks, gas masks, goggles, helmets, hoodies, and other face-concealing and face-protecting items to conceal their identities in an effort to prevent law enforcement from being able to identify the individual perpetrators of violence or property damage. Some of the members of the black bloc were armed with hammers, crowbars, wooden sticks, and other weapons.”

"Powell was sentenced to 36 months in prison, with all but four months suspended. Protesters face up to 75 or 80 years in prison for the charges, with some facing up to eight felony counts, including inciting or urging to riot, engaging in rioting, conspiracy to riot, and destruction of property.

"Activists and other fellow arrestees gathered at D.C. Superior Court Friday to show their support for Powell and expressed their anger at the result." . . .