Franklin Graham: Atheist Ron Reagan Better Be Afraid of Burning in Hell – Friendly Atheist – Patheos

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Evangelist Franklin Graham is very disturbed by the Freedom From Religion Foundations ad featuring Ron Reagan, seen during the recent Democratic presidential debate. Thats the one in which the son of the former president said hes a lifelong atheist, not afraid of burning in hell.

In a Facebook post this morning, Graham lamented at the idea of President Reagans son saying such a horrible thing:

I was saddened to see the news that President Ronald Reagans son, Ron, Jr., is a self-proclaimed atheist, and proud of it. His father was certainly quite different President Reagan had a deep faith in God and in His Son, Jesus Christ. Ron, Jr., was in a television advertisement to raise money for the Freedom From Religion Foundation that aired during the Democratic debate this week and got a lot of attention. He boasted in the ad that he was a lifelong atheist, not afraid of burning in hell. Wow. It is, of course, his choice to believe or not to believe in God and His plan of salvation through Christ. But whether an individual believes in God, heaven, or hell doesnt change the reality. The Bible tells us that hell is a place of torment, fire, and separation from God and hell awaits those who do not repent of their sin and put their faith and trust in Christ. Lets pray that Ron will know the saving love of Jesus Christ and turn to Him before it is too late.

Its odd, but not surprising, that Graham is more disturbed by the idea of a proud atheist than he is by anything Donald Trump has done in the past several days (much less years). So dont get thrown off by his supposed concern. This is the same person who thinks transgender people using the proper bathroom is some national crisis. His sense of moral decency needs serious realignment.

Ron Reagans atheism is also not new. He mentioned it in a New York Times interview in 2004. He alluded to it during his mothers funeral. Even the ad that aired during the debate was filmed six years ago. As usual, Graham is just late to the party.

What Graham is saying in his post is far more offensive than anything Reagan said in that ad. Graham makes it clear that an eternity of torture awaits Jews, Hindus, Muslims, Satanists, and atheists anyone who doesnt subscribe to his personal brand of bullshit. The only hope everyone else has is accepting Christian mythology by the time theyre on their deathbeds.

Graham wants to threaten you with hellfire. Reagan just warned people about the intrusions of religion into our secular government and said, colorfully, that hes an atheist.

Only one of those guys deserves condemnation.

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Franklin Graham: Atheist Ron Reagan Better Be Afraid of Burning in Hell - Friendly Atheist - Patheos

Podcast Ep. 292: The Unabashed Atheist Who’s Not Afraid of Hell – Friendly Atheist – Patheos

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In our latest podcast, Jessica and I discussed the past week in politics and atheism.

We talked about:

Hemant has a new YouTube channel! Have you subscribed? You should.

Why is Attorney General Bill Barr using his platform to promote Christianity? (0:29)

The Freedom From Religion Foundation got a lot of mileage out of its controversial Ron Reagan ad during the Democratic debate. (7:22)

The Pew Research Center says Christianity is in rapid decline. (15:30)

Theres another Hobby Lobby-linked scandal at the Museum of the Bible. (21:25)

A church exploited the death of an atheist mothers baby. (26:20)

A Florida Democrat (!) wants to force public schools to offer Bible classes again. (37:48)

The Catholic Church is selling smart rosaries. For cold hard cash. (45:32)

A Dutch family has been hidden in the basement for years, apparently waiting for the end of the world. (48:52)

Former congresswoman Michele Bachmann says climate change isnt a problem since God said we wouldnt be flooded again. (54:12)

Wed love to hear your thoughts on the podcast. If you have any suggestions for people we should chat with, please leave them in the comments, too.

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Google Play, stream all the episodes on SoundCloud or Stitcher, or just listen to the whole thing below. Our RSS feed is here. And if you like what youre hearing, please consider supporting this site on Patreon and leaving us a positive rating!

(Screenshot via YouTube)

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Podcast Ep. 292: The Unabashed Atheist Who's Not Afraid of Hell - Friendly Atheist - Patheos

Religion holds answers to questions of humanity – Monroe Evening News

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FridayOct18,2019at1:00PM

The world is going through a major change right now and most people dont even realize that it is happening. The change that is occurring will have lasting effects on our society and the world as a whole.

According to CNN, there are the same amount of non-religious people in America as Catholics and Evangelical Christians, with each group making up 23 percent of Americas religious landscape. For 20 centuries, Christianity has been the guiding force of Western civilization. Even as recently as the childhood of our grandparents, Christianity provided answers to deep questions about ethics and morality. The loss of such a powerful philosophy has the potential to plunge America and the rest of the Western world into complete chaos.

Since the early 1990s, the number of atheists in America has been steadily rising and they are projected to be the largest group within four to six years. The rise of atheism is a relatively new phenomenon. Consider how 200 years ago, blasphemy was a punishable crime. During the 1920s, alcohol and gambling were illegal. When our grandparents were children, divorce almost never occurred (townhall.com). Today, atheism has never been more popular and many of the moral platitudes that guided America throughout its history are diminishing.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, a Russian soldier during the Soviet Union years, spent several years despairing in a concentration camp, trying desperately to think of a reason as to why he got in the awful situation he was in. Years of bloody revolution and murder had wrecked his homeland. Eventually, he came up with the reason for his predicament: Men have forgotten God, thats why all this happened, he wrote in his landmark novel Voices From the Gulag.

When people forget there is a power higher than them, what is going to stop them from tearing up the moral fabric of our country? Whats stopping a murder from being a sin? With no guiding philosophy like Christianity, how will we answer the moral questions that we have been asking all throughout our human experience? Every American needs to answer these questions as atheism continues to grow, or else we may find ourselves descending into the same murder and chaos that the Soviet Russians had to live through.

Chancey Boyce, age 16

Boy Scout Troop 579

Monroe

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Religion holds answers to questions of humanity - Monroe Evening News

HARROD: Professor Claims Islam Is Not The Root Of Islamic Terrorism – The Daily Wire

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If you want to identify people who are okay with suicide bombing, I can give you a list, including Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Michigan State University Professor Mohammad Hassan Khalil told me at a September Georgetown University lecture. Khalil theorized before an audience of some thirty people at the Saudi-founded Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (ACMCU) that Islams atheistic critics exaggerate the religions role in inciting violence.

While ACMCU Professor Jonathan Brown moderated, Khalils responses ironically reinforced the critique of Islam he sought to refute. For the record, Qaradawis primetime show on Qatars Al Jazeera network drew an estimated 60 million viewers. Even had he been the lone cleric promoting suicide bombing which he was not the size of his viewership reveals the scope of the problem.

At the Georgetown event, Khalil presented his previously recorded discussion of his new book, Jihad, Radicalism, and the New Atheism, in which he disputes claims of many New Atheists, particularly Sam Harris, that Muslim terrorism can be best explained by Islamic scriptures. Harris further labels benign interpretations of Islam as interpretive acrobatics.

Khalil explained his focus on the so-called New Atheists, saying that [m]any of [his] own colleagues and students have been and continue to be more profoundly impacted by the writings of New Atheists than, say, polemical works by far-right religiously-affiliated critics of Islam. Correspondingly, he cited Harriss statement to fellow atheist Bill Maher that we have to be able to criticize bad ideas, and Islam is the motherlode of bad ideas.

Although critics such as the ex-Muslim atheists behind the Awesome Without Allah campaign would affirm Harriss observations, Khalil accused Harris of cherry-picking. Reiterating his previous analysis of Islamic canons to argue that jihadists like Osama bin Laden use interpretative acrobatics to justify attacks on civilians,Khalil asserted that Harriss interpretation of Islam is so obdurate and so extreme that it cannot even be ascribed to the man behind 9/11.

Khalil claimed such jihadists are on the fringes of the jihad tradition in Islam, despite ample precedent of jihadists applying distinctly Islamic doctrines to fight non-Muslims. The attempts of al Qaeda and ISIS to justify terrorism on Islamic grounds typically require the abandonment of both strict literalism and the historically prevailing interpretations of Islamic thought, Khalil said. Before the early 1980s, there was no such thing as a Muslim suicide bomber, Khalil added.

He next criticized the portrayal of a failed suicide bomber in Harriss book The End of Faith. Instead of accepting Harris description of terrorists motives as religiously informed, Khalil cited common, debunked tropes of socioeconomic disadvantage driving men to violent jihad. Khalil concluded, erroneously, that in blaming Islams foundational texts for contemporary terrorism, while downplaying other factors, arguments of the New Atheists are just as facile as those of the apologists they criticize.

This continues a common trend of denying the Islamist roots of jihadi attacks, even as survey data show that a deeply disturbing minority of Muslim believers support terrorism. As Israeli analyst Shmuel Bar wrote in 2004, in leading Islamic clerical circles, radical ideology does not represent a marginal and extremist perversion of Islam, but rather a[n] increasingly mainstream interpretation.

During the audience question and answer session at Georgetown, moderator Jonathan Brown failed to assuage concerns about the religious nature of jihad, even as he assailed New Atheists as the most intense representatives of this sort of white, patriarchal West is best idea. He referenced his 2007 Yemen trip, during which he saw cigarette lighters for sale with themes of Bin Laden and Hassan Nasrallah, the terrorist Hezbollah leader. Brown strained believability to dismiss these images as indicating not support for terrorism, but for individuals who really stuck it to the man of Western imperialism as if mass atrocities were mere protest.

Khalil stated that he is obsessed with 9/11 in a dark way. Yet his obsession hardly obviates valid concerns about radical Islamic jihad. In dismissing historically accurate criticisms of radical Islam and Islamism, Muslims like Khalil undermine their credibility and, by hosting such apologists, ACMCU reaffirms its place as Americas leading center of Islamist propaganda.

Andrew E. Harrod is a Campus Watch Fellow, freelance researcher, and writer who holds a Ph.D. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and a J.D. from George Washington University Law School. He is a fellow with the Lawfare Project. Follow him on Twitter at @AEHarrod.

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Nick Cave says hes repelled by woke cultures self-righteous belief and lack of humility – NME Live

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"I am left feeling bored and cornered by the hubris of their own sureness."

Nick Cave has posted his latest edition of The Red Hand Files, in which he writes about his distaste for a number of ideologies including woke culture, atheism and organised religion.

On the service, where Cave answers questions from fans, he was asked about his political views, how woke he thinks he is, and his reasons for writing.

Living in a state of enquiry, neutrality and uncertainty, beyond dogma and grand conviction, is good for the business of songwriting, and for my life in general, he said. This is the reason I tend to become uncomfortable around all ideologies that brand themselves as the truth or the way.

This not only includes most religions, but also atheism, radical bi-partisan politics or any system of thought, including woke culture, that finds its energy in self-righteous belief and the suppression of contrary systems of thought.

Expanding on his criticism of woke culture, Cave said: Regardless of the virtuous intentions of many woke issues, it is its lack of humility and the paternalistic and doctrinal sureness of its claims that repel me.

Nick Cave

Antifa and the Far Right, for example, with their routine street fights, role-playing and dress-ups are participants in a weirdly erotic, violent and mutually self-sustaining marriage, propped up entirely by the blind, inflexible convictions of each others belief systems. It is good for nothing, except inflaming their own self-righteousness. The New Atheists and their devout opponents are engaged in the same dynamic.

Cave also said: This is not to suggest we should not have our convictions or, indeed, that we should not be angry with the state of the world, or that we should not fight in order to correct the injustices committed against it. Conviction and anger can be the most powerful expressions of universal love.

Cave discussed similar issues when asked about Morrisseys recent declarations of far-right support on The Red Hand Files.

While stating that he didnt agree with Morrisseys views, Cave emphasised that he felt it would be dangerous if the former Smiths man wasnt allowed to voice his opinions.

The musician, who released his acclaimed new album Ghosteen earlier this month, has also used the website to offer moving advice on body positivity to a 16 year-old fan, reveal that a third Grinderman album is planned, and to discuss being dumped by PJ Harvey.

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Nick Cave says hes repelled by woke cultures self-righteous belief and lack of humility - NME Live

CipherTrace adds support for over 700 crypto assets, including bitcoin cash, ether and tether – Yahoo Finance

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Blockchain analytics firm CipherTrace has added support for over 700 digital assets, including bitcoin cash (BCH), ether (ETH), litecoin (LTC) and stablecoin tether (USDT), to its platform.

The move means CipherTraces clients, such as cryptocurrency exchanges and financial institutions, will now be able to trace these coins for potential money laundering risks.

CipherTrace has already been supporting bitcoin (BTC) on its platform, and now with these additions, it claims to be covering over 87% of the top 100 cryptocurrencies by trading volume, including hundreds of ERC-20 tokens.

Bitcoin takes center stage in financial crime investigations[...] Still, billions of dollars move through alt-coins daily, said Pamela Clegg, head of financial investigations at CipherTrace, adding: To close cryptocurrency money laundering gaps, we must expose more of the true number of illicit transactions that occur across the entire ecosystem. This platform expansion does just that by providing regulators, exchanges, and investors visibility into more than 87 percent of the virtual asset market trading volume.

CipherTrace CTO Shannon Holland said that adding support for hundreds of altcoins was not an easy task. It has taken intense work and technological breakthroughs over the last four years, as well as collaboration with regulators and financial investigators.

Holland added that the firm will continue to add more tokens, stablecoins, and blockchains in the coming months, without disclosing specific details.

Notably, the support for XRP is not included in CipherTraces platform, a spokesperson of the firm told The Block, adding that there is no rationale for the decision, but "the process just takes time." The spokesperson further said that CipherTrace "isn't limited to 700 tokens at a time - it more depends on which tokens are ERC-20 compliant."

This story has been updated to include a reply from a CipherTrace spokesperson.

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CipherTrace adds support for over 700 crypto assets, including bitcoin cash, ether and tether - Yahoo Finance

The Crypto Daily Movers and Shakers -16/10/19 – Yahoo Finance

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Bitcoin slid by 2.14% on Tuesday. Reversing a 0.78% gain from Monday, Bitcoin ended the day at $8,191.1.

A bullish start to the day saw Bitcoin rally to an early morning intraday high $8,439.7 before hitting reverse.

Falling short of the first major resistance level at $8,456.37, Bitcoin fell to a late afternoon intraday low $8,100.

The sell-off saw Bitcoin fall through the first major support level at $8,255.47 and second major support level at $8,140.93.

Finding support late in the day, Bitcoin broke back through the second major support level to $8,200 levels.

Negative sentiment across the broader market ultimately weighed, however, with Bitcoin easing back to sub-$8,200 levels.

It was Bitcoins lowest closeout since 6th Octobers $7,883.

For the bulls, the extended bullish trend remained intact in spite of hovering at sub-$9,000 levels. While falling back through the 38.2% FIB, Bitcoin continued to hold above the 62% FIB of 7,245.

Across the rest of the top 10 cryptos, it was a mixed bag across the crypto board on Tuesday.

Binance Coin and Bitcoin Cash SV bucked the trend on the day, rising by 0.49% and by 2.30% respectively.

It was deep red for the rest of the majors, however.

EOS led the way down, with a 6.34% loss

Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash ABC, and Ethereum also saw heavy losses on the day. Litecoin slid by 4.08%, with Ethereum and Bitcoin Cash ABC falling by 3.36% and 3.21% respectively.

Ripples XRP (-3.14%) and Stellars Lumen (-2.04%) saw more modest losses on the day.

Through the early part of the week, the total crypto market cap rose from a Monday low $223.92bn to a high $228.17bn before hitting reverse. The Tuesday sell-off saw the total market cap fall to a current week low $221.83bn before support kicked in. At the time of writing, the total market cap stood at $222.65bn.

Bitcoins dominance continued to sit at sub-67% levels in spite of Tuesdays sell-off.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin was down by 0.11% to $8,181.7. A bearish start to the day saw Bitcoin fall from an early morning high $8,191.1 to a low $8,156.8.

Bitcoin left the major support and resistance levels untested early on.

Elsewhere, Bitcoin Cash SV and Bitcoin Cash ABC found early support, rallying by 2.87% and 1.72% respectively.

EOS (+0.33%), Litecoin (+0.62%), and Ripples XRP (+0.65%) were also in the green at the time of writing.

Ethereum and Binance Coin struggled at the start of the day, however, with losses of 0.43% and 0.42% respectively.

For the day ahead, Bitcoin would need to move through to $8,240 levels to support a run at the first major resistance level at $8,387.2.

Support from the broader market would be needed, however, for Bitcoin to break out from $8,200 levels.

Barring a broad-based crypto rebound, the first major resistance level would likely pin Bitcoin back from $8,400 levels.

Failure to move through to $8,240 levels could see Bitcoin spend another day in the red.

A fall back through Tuesdays low $8,100 would bring the first major support level at $8,047.5 into play.

Barring a crypto meltdown, Bitcoin should steer clear of sub-$8,000 support levels on the day.

This article was originally posted on FX Empire

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The Crypto Daily Movers and Shakers -16/10/19 - Yahoo Finance

Coinbase, Cash App, Remain Top Rated Places To Easily Buy Bitcoin – newsBTC

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Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum are new, emerging financial technologies and assets. The unfamiliarity with the new technology can make getting started in crypto seem like a daunting process.

A handful of companies, however, provide easy access to buy Bitcoin and gain exposure to the crypto market. Of those, the two most popular of those easy-to-use fiat on-ramps remain relatively unchallenged, and according to a new poll, are unlikely to lose their leadership positions.

Buying Bitcoin is a very easy process, and anyone can do so in just a few steps. Simply sign up to Coinbase or Cash App, add your personal details and bank, debit, or credit card information, potentially upload some documents depending on how much you are looking to buy, and in just a few clicks and no time at all anyone can load up on the first-ever cryptocurrency.

Related Reading | Square Cash App Absorbing 10% of Bitcoin Supply Daily, 200% Projected By 2020

The two brands provide quick and painless access to the crypto market, so it is no surprise that they received the most votes as the crypto communitys favorite places to buy Bitcoin.

The votes were tallied as part of a Twitter poll created by cryptocurrency-focused YouTube personality, Hashoshi. The poll revealed San Francisco crypto exchange Coinbase as the clear leader, followed by the Cash App, and Other. Crypto.com was also mentioned but received the smallest amount of votes.

Anyone voting with Other was asked to reveal which platforms they use to buy Bitcoin. Common responses included the Voyager app, Level, LocalBitcoins, and the Winklevoss-owned Gemini.

Its certainly not shocking to see Coinbase top the list. Its easily among the most popular platforms in the United States, where the largest portion of crypto investors reside. At the height of the crypto bubble, Coinbase topped the Apple App Store list of popularly downloaded apps making it a household name alongside Bitcoin.

Cash App, nearly missed out on the crypto bubble entirely, only first debuting Bitcoin buying to a small subset of users just as the bubble began to pop, and rolled it out to the masses later in 2018.

Related Reading | Steep Fee Hike as Crypto Clamoring for a Coinbase Killer

But the late start didnt hurt Cash App, which is said to be absorbing as much as 10% of the freshly mined Bitcoin supply each and every day. This number is expected to increase to 200% by next year if the companys growth projections stay on target.

Its not all roses for the market leaders, though. Earlier this month, Coinbase raised its fees on its Coinbase Pro platform, causing upset across the industry. However, regardless of the fees, it seems that Coinbase will likely remain the market leader in the days ahead until either Cash App can entirely unseat them from the throne, or until a new leader emerges.

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Coinbase, Cash App, Remain Top Rated Places To Easily Buy Bitcoin - newsBTC

Talking Money: The rise and fall and rise again of cryptocurrencies – The Scotsman

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From its Nanny State low-alcohol beer to its Lone Wolf micro-distillery, innovation has always been at the heart of BrewDogs business plan.

Perhaps its no surprise then that the Aberdeenshire-based brewery is also among the first to accept cryptocurrencies as a form of payment.

When the companys bar at Canary Wharf in London opened last year, it accepted Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash as forms of payment for beer, pizza and other delicacies. Then, in July this year, the firm revealed that investors would be able to buy shares in the business in cryptocurrency when it extended the latest round of its Equity for Punks scheme until April next year.

The brewer even produced a beer to mark the occasion which has been named Cryptonite West Coast India Pale Ale with each shareholder who pays with a cryptocurrency receiving six cans.

Currencies accepted as payment in the Equity for Punks programme range from the well-known Bitcoin and its Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin SV incarnations through to the rather more exotic-sounding Ethereum, Litecoin, OmiseGO, Qtum, Augur, XRP and 0x.

Its all a long way from the firms original brewery in a workshop in Fraserburgh.

For the utterly uninitiated, cryptocurrencies are digital forms of payment that are not linked to any kind of physical coin or note. Pull up a bar stool to find out more

Cryptocurrencies are kept in digital wallets online, computers, smartphones or on other devices and are used to pay for products and services on the internet or, as BrewDog illustrates, a growing array of options in the physical world. They can also be transferred directly between users instead of passing through a central bank or other authority.

The advantage is that they dont necessarily attract transaction fees. The downside is that theyre not regulated, controlled or backed-up by a central bank or government body, so if theyre stolen there is no safety net for recovering the money thats been lost.

As the name suggests, cryptocurrencies use very secure forms of cryptography to record who owns bitcoins and for making payments between users. Transactions are recorded on a public log or distributed ledger like a giant online spreadsheet.

The ledger is known as a blockchain because transactions are grouped together into blocks and then linked to each other in long chains, with each block containing a reference to the previous block. Its very hard to tamper with a distributed ledger like this it makes such a system secure, but also expensive because of the computing power involved.

There are thousands of cryptocurrencies available on the internet, but the first and still the best known is Bitcoin. Bitcoins are created using a technique known as mining, in which participants or miners are paid using bitcoins for validating the transactions by solving complicated mathematical puzzles using powerful computers.

BrewDog isnt the only real-world entity to start taking cryptocurrencies seriously. Earlier this year,

global accountancy firm PwC launched software for auditing such technology.

It is important as companies continue to digitise that we, as auditors, keep up with technology changes in the market, continue to develop audit tools that meet the needs of emerging technologies and serve the changing and developing demands of our stakeholders, says James Chalmers, global assurance leader at PwC.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has also issued guidance over how cryptocurrencies need to be treated for income tax, capital gains tax and inheritance tax.

While HMRC does not view them as money, it pointed out that the tax treatment of all types of tokens is dependent on the nature and use of the token and not the definition of the token.

The taxman and accountancy firms have turned their attention to online currencies because many people are using them as investments. Yet cryptocurrencies have proved to be unpredictable.

The Bank of England has likened the movements of Bitcoin to a rollercoaster. The value of one bitcoin hit a record high of 16,639.47 in December 2017, but now sits at around half that value.

Its price can be hit by anything from media hype through to proposed government regulations of cryptocurrencies.

In January this year, South Koreas justice minister warned his administration might ban cryptocurrency trading on its domestic exchanges, which sent Bitcoins price falling by almost $2,000 in a single day.

The Bank of England illustrated Bitcoins volatility by comparing its 65 per cent one-day rise and 25 per cent single-day fall to the pound, which fell by 7 per cent on the day after the Brexit referendum, and to the price of oil, which hasnt fluctuated by more than 10 per cent in a single day.

Nevertheless, Stephen Ingledew, chief executive of FinTech Scotland, thinks that cryptocurrencies are here to stay. A lot of the heat and the frothiness has gone and we are going back to the real debate about whether there is a better way to have that exchange of value, he says. Its about designing a different future, and cryptocurrency has a part to play but its not clear exactly what that is yet.

Cryptocurrencies continue to be in governments sights; last month, French finance minister Bruno Le Maire revealed plans to ban Facebooks Libra currency over concerns that it poses a threat to the sovereignty of national currencies. Politicians worry that the social network which has some two billion users worldwide has too much influence to control an online currency.

Its important to remember that this isnt the first time Facebook has tried to enter the financial space; in fact, theyve had numerous failed attempts before, says Danny Scott, chief executive at CoinCorner, which provides digital wallets for cryptocurrencies.

Unfortunately, it just so happens that this time theyve launched into an emerging industry that receives global attention and the result is that theyve managed to gain momentum with this project.

We understand that it can be confusing to the public as to why a cryptocurrency concept such as Libra can be banned, whereas it would be much harder to ban an actual cryptocurrency, like Bitcoin. Its important to remember the difference between the two; Libra is completely controlled by a single entity Facebook and Bitcoin is not, as the control lies with the everyday people using it.

This is called decentralisation and is one of the fundamental features of Bitcoin that make it unique. We expect to see this ban having somewhat of a domino effect, with more countries following suit to ban Libra over the coming months.

This article first appeared in The Scotsmans Talking Money 2019 supplement.

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Talking Money: The rise and fall and rise again of cryptocurrencies - The Scotsman

10 of the Best Telegram Crypto Channels – Bitcoin News

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Telegrams token might have received short shrift from the SEC, but its messaging app has been embraced everywhere by everyone. 300 million users attest to the success of Pavel Durovs end-to-end encrypted platform, which has become a mainstay of the crypto community. On the rare occasions when Telegram experiences an outage, there is a discernible dip in cryptosphere chatter. The rest of the time, crypto Telegram is a hive of activity. Heres a selection of what it has to offer.

Also read: Tax Guide: What Crypto Owners Should Know

In 2018, following a short-lived flirtation with Slack and Discord, the cryptosphere set up camp on Telegram, where its been embedded ever since. If crypto Twitter is for serious discourse, thought leadership and occasional mud-slinging, crypto Telegram is for more ephemeral but no less vital discourse: trading, accessing market data, catching up on industry news and sharing dank memes by the sticker set.

And then theres the token sales of course, for it wouldnt do to forget them. Even in the post-ICO era, the rules of IEO engagement mandate a healthy Telegram following for crypto projects. Their Telegram channels serve as a focal point for updating the community on projects, token sale dates and bounty campaign opportunities.

Token sale monitoring service ICOspeaks has assembled a shortlist of the most popular Telegram crypto channels. It includes a selection of leading cryptocurrency news and exchange feeds, in English and Russian. To that list can be added the following channels which provide a snapshot of what crypto Telegram has to offer.

A lot of the prominent Telegram channels have ICO in their name as a hangover from 2018, despite their content being far broader these days. ICO Drops is a case in point. It still covers token sales, but its most valuable content touches upon general industry news: Bakkt; custodial solutions; SEC enforcement. Its accompanying infographics provide a tl;dr for those who dont have the time to read full articles.

ICO Analytics falls into the same boat as ICO Drops, but its not just another clone: the quality of this channels research speaks for itself. If youre looking for figures on token sale ROIs, exchange token performance and other metrics, youll find it here, neatly packaged into bar graphs and charts.

One for the swing traders, Cointrendz provides a steady stream of updates on which cryptocurrencies are breaking out. Or pumping, as its better known. If your strategy involves following the volume and skimming what you can off the top, Cointrendz has got you covered. Cryptonomia does a similar job.

Its a given that youve got to shill your own channel in a round-up of this nature, so heres ours. A stream of all the articles that get published on news.Bitcoin.com. Click em if you like the look of the preview snippet. If you dont, dont. For pure Bitcoin Cash news, meanwhile, the unaffiliated and aptly named Bitcoin Cash News will hit the spot, while Spanish speakers should check out Crypto Noticias.

All of the channels up until now have been read only, which is fine for absorbing information, but when you want to interact you need to hit up a discussion channel thats open to anyone. Theres a plethora of candidates to choose from, but for focus and flow (some channels are so popular they move too fast), The Crypto Room gets it about right.

Its not just the people that make crypto Telegram so essential: its also the bots the benevolent ones at least. Telegram bots can perform a host of useful functions, from displaying wallet balances to providing price alerts and facilitating crypto swaps directly within the app. Always perform due diligence on the team behind a Telegram bot before admitting it to your channel, though, just in case its doing more than passively responding to your commands. Popular bots and automated services include Tokenstats, @Cryptowhalebot, @tracktxbot, @Cryptocurrencyalertingbot, and @buttonwalletbot.

Everyones got their favorite crypto chart reader, a guru who appears to have the ability to sift through the tea leaves on Tradingview and predict where the markets headed. Yours probably isnt Botje11, but hes a good example of what Telegram chart diviners do: provide solid analysis, couched in just enough disclaimers to retain their credibility whatever way the needle moves next.

The research arm of the worlds largest cryptocurrency exchange is arguably one of its strongest divisions. Binance Research is right up there with Bitmex Research and Coinmetrics for the quality of its original reporting, and its Telegram channel is filled with deep dives and fun factoids.

The anti-trading channel, Rekt Plebs will teach you what not to do. In short, dont buy shitcoins.

What are your favorite crypto Telegram channels? Let us know in the comments section below.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.

Images courtesy of Shutterstock.

Did you know you can verify any unconfirmed Bitcoin transaction with our Bitcoin Block Explorer tool? Simply complete a Bitcoin address search to view it on the blockchain. Plus, visit our Bitcoin Charts to see whats happening in the industry.

Kai's been manipulating words for a living since 2009 and bought his first bitcoin at $12. It's long gone. He's previously written whitepapers for blockchain startups and is especially interested in P2P exchanges and DNMs.

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Ex-CEO of Google Africa: Bitcoin a Gift That Will Change Humanity – Cointelegraph

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Computer scientist and general manager of WeWork South Africa, Stafford Masie, has said that Bitcoin (BTC) will change the future of humanity more than any other technological innovation.

In a keynote delivered at the SingularityU South Africa Summit on Oct. 16, Masie formerly the CEO of Google Africa said that Bitcoins provision of an exchange of value without intermediaries is the greatest gift mankind has ever receivedtechnologically.

Masie argued that while the crypto wallet is misunderstood, misused, misrepresented and viewed as complicated, it will revolutionize global trade. Its main potential, he continued, is not for developed and already highly digitized economies, nor for cash-dominated informal economies, but for what he dubbed third economies in which barter systems still prevail:

The third economy is an economy where people dont have access to electronic forms of distributing value or cash [...] Think of the people who live two hours outside Shanghai, Chinas central coast. They will use Bitcoin to trade and unlock international transactions outside of the existing frameworks in a manner that you and I cannot imagine.

Masie also took pains to address fundamental misconceptions about Bitcoin, such as its alleged hackability stressing that its the exchanges that can be hacked, not the Bitcoin.

In parallel to his advocacy of decentralization, Masie took stock of the rise of tech corporations as a watershed for global markets:

When combined, Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Facebook and Microsofts net asset value represents the same value as S&P 500 companies combined and this is extraordinary because we have never seen the concentration of wealth like this in history. Combined, these companies have value that equates to the gross domestic product rates of some countries.

WeWork which notoriously saw breakneck growth pulled its planned $47 billion initial public offering earlier this year amid a spate of controversies over its business model and corporate governance.

Earlier this week, reports surfaced that the firm was poised to sack 2,000 of its employees imminently roughly 13% of its workforce.

This September, Cointelegraph published an analysis of the prospects for crypto adoption in South Africa, the second-largest economy on the continent, which some recent surveys suggest has the highest ratio of crypto owners among internet users, at 10.7%, in the world.

See more here:

Ex-CEO of Google Africa: Bitcoin a Gift That Will Change Humanity - Cointelegraph

Trump says Energy Secretary Rick Perry will step down at the end of the year – CNBC

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Perry "couldn't have done a better job," Trump said at a campaign rally in Dallas on Thursday night, "and he's going to be leaving at the end of the year, and probably coming back here."

Perry, formerly the governor of Texas, had largely avoided headlines since joining the Trump administration in 2017. But in recent weeks he became entangled in the Democratic-led impeachment probe into Trump's actions involving Ukraine.

Trump has criticized some of the people caught up in the inquiry including a whistleblower whose complaint spurred many Democrats to support starting impeachment proceedings. "Who's the whistleblower? We have to know! Is he a spy?" Trump asked the crowd at the rally.

But the president offered only compliments for Perry at the event, calling him "a friend of mine" who was "so tough" during the 2016 campaign but "gracious" following Trump's victory.

"He's done a phenomenal job. And Rick Perry couldn't have done a better job, and he's going to be leaving at the end of the year, and probably coming back here. Whatever he does, it's gonna be successful. But he spent three years with us, and I want to thank you, Rick. What a job you've done."

"He was also a great governor of Texas," Trump added.

Perry was one of three political appointees overseeing the U.S. relationship with the country after acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney transferred that portfolio away from career staff, George Kent, a senior State Department official, told House investigators this week behind closed doors. Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., described Kent's account to reporters.

Trump also told House Republicans that Perry urged Trump to take the July call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that has become the focus of the impeachment inquiry, according to Axios, a news website. Perry's office has said that he wanted the president to take the call to discuss energy-related matters.

House Democrats, investigating whether Trump conditioned military assistance for the country on an investigation of his political rival, hit Perry with a subpoena for documents earlier this month. The subpoena included a demand for a variety of Ukraine-related materials by Friday.

Perry recently denied reports that he was planning to leave his post.

Dear Mr. President,

The opportunity to serve in your Cabinet as the Secretary of Energy of the United States has been an extreme honor. The citizens of this country will continue to benefit greatly from the policies and accomplishments of your Administration for years to come. Your leadership has positively changed the course of this country, and there is much to be proud of, especially in the energy sector.

Mr. President, for decades, American Presidents have talked about the importance of energy independence. Under your watch, it has finally been achieved. We no longer depend on other nations for our energy supply-nor are we beholden to the geopolitics of other world leaders for our energy security. Instead, we arrive in their capitals espousing the benefits of American energy resources, technology and services. I can attest first hand that the demand for our product is stronger than it has ever been, and under your leadership that will only multiply.

Across the world, we are competing like we never have before. Not long ago, America was an importer of energy. Now, the U.S. private sector is leading the world in energy production, exploration and exports. This historic success speaks to your leadership and willingness to go places where other leaders never thought possible. Today, when the world looks for energy, they can now think of America first.

The work being done across the Department of Energy and throughout our national labs to develop more abundant, less expensive and cleaner energy is world-class. From reviving our commercial nuclear energy industry to producing historic levels of domestic oil and gas and renewable energy, America has seen a remarkable turnaround in our energy industry.

The Department of Energy has also embraced, with success, the national security mission of modernizing our nuclear enterprise to make sure our weapons are safe and work as designed. We have also achieved unprecedented success in the clean-up of our nuclear facilities.

Mr. President, the American energy story is being written every day by millions of men and women in the workforce who are innovating and dedicating themselves to achieving greatness.

A perfect example of this are the men and women who are part of the DOE mission. They will be the ones who are at the forefront of innovation, such as with artificial intelligence and cyber security.

I am proud to have established the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response and the Office of Artificial Intelligence and Technology. These new offices will help to provide the underlying research and building blocks for government and the private sector to work together in tackling challenges and pursuing opportunities.

An important part of the American energy story is what we are doing with science and technology to make our air cleaner. Greenhouse gas emissions have fallen dramatically, with remissions from the electric power sector at their lowest levels since 1987. During the same time, energy-related carbon emissions fell at an even greater pace. This was achieved through American innovation

Now more than ever, I believe strongly in the mission of the Department of Energy. The people across the enterprise have a sincere commitment to this country. I feel comfortable that the Department is well prepared to continue this mission with new leadership at the helm.

It has been a tremendous honor to serve our country in your administration in such a meaningful way. Anita and I will be forever grateful for this opportunity and I look forward to further supporting you and advancing American leadership in significant ways as a private citizen.

Please accept this letter as my official notification that I plan to resign at a date later this year.

Most respectfully,

Rick Perry

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Trump says Energy Secretary Rick Perry will step down at the end of the year - CNBC

Donald Trumps sanity is not the question. The real issue is how he got into office – The Guardian

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While writing a New Yorker profile on Donald Trump in the late 1990s, Mark Singer attempted to discover something about the businessmans private thoughts, as opposed to his outsized, public persona. When Singer asked him what he thought about when shaving in front of the mirror, Trump did not really understand the question.

OK, I guess Im asking, do you consider yourself ideal company? Singer said. You really want to know what I consider ideal company? replied Trump. A total piece of ass.

Divining, assessing and adjudicating the mental health of this US president has become more than just a parlour game

Divining, assessing and adjudicating the mental health of this US president has become more than just a parlour game. Following a 2017 conference, 27 psychiatrists, psychologists and other mental health experts wrote a book, The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, arguing it was their moral and civic duty to warn America that for psychological reasons, Trump was more dangerous than any president in history. They diagnosed him with everything from severe character pathology to delusional disorder, which can be added to the more common verdicts of narcissistic personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder which are regularly offered.

His behaviour and comments over the past fortnight would appear to not only confirm these conclusions, but to suggest his condition is deteriorating. There has been the appalling treatment of Harry Dunns parents, and his reference to his own great and unmatched wisdom. He sent a letter to the Turkish president, Recep Erdoan, warning him: Dont be a tough guy. Dont be a fool. I will call you later. On Wednesday, in a single press conference with the Italian president, Sergio Mattarella, he attacked Google, Amazon, Germany, France, Spain, his guest and the European Union, as well as several US intelligence and law enforcement officials.

Later that day, Democratic leaders walked out of a White House meeting with him after he continually insulted them. But not before he told House speaker Nancy Pelosi: I hate Isis more than you do, and claimed I captured Isis in one month.

As the threat of impeachment leaves him more isolated, and an election he may lose makes him more vulnerable, we can expect more bizarre behaviour and, consequently, more attempts to frame his actions as those of an unstable and unhinged despot. Such depictions are tempting. They should also be resisted.

Trumps state of mind is, of course, relevant. He is the commander-in-chief of the most powerful military forces in the world. He has the nuclear codes. He is impulsive and capricious. He lies constantly, unashamedly and apparently compulsively. It is deeply worrying that the executive powers of the presidency lie in the hands of a man who is at one and the same time so brittle, aggressive, vindictive, ridiculous and self-obsessed. His decision to abandon a longstanding ally in Kurdistan and pull US troops out of Syria, against all military advice, is a case in point.

But to reduce his presidency to this one man and his frail mind is to ignore how he got there, all he has said and done since he has been there, and how he remains there. (It also risks reducing mental health to a lazy slur.) Just because he believes he will go down in history as a great man doesnt mean we have to subscribe to the great man theory of history the theory which claims events are moulded not by ordinary people, social movements and economic processes, but by key individuals who stamp their will on the world through force of personality.

For along with Trumps personal frailties is a series of political characteristics that underpins his anomie. He is a misogynist, a racist, a xenophobe and a nationalist. Those are not psychological descriptors but political ones, fortified by systems and ideology.

As such, his behaviour has been irascible but hardly erratic. The rhetorical objects of his disdain are not random. He has not lashed out at the National Rifle Association, the religious right or white people. Politically, his tantrums invariably find their mark in the weak, the poor, the dark, the female, the Muslim, the marginalised and the foreigner. (He will attack powerful people, but not simply for existing. They must cross him first.)

These inclinations were clear when he stood for the presidency. He has been every bit as bigoted, undisciplined, indiscreet, thin-skinned and braggadocious as his campaign promised. And he won.

This was not because people didnt see those things, but because they either didnt care, cared about other things more, preferred him to the alternative, or simply didnt show up. As such, his victory marked a high point for the naked appeal of white supremacy in particular and rightwing populism in general, and a low point for the centre-left, neoliberal agenda.

True, he did not win the popular vote, but nonetheless close to 63 million people voted for him. True, his party lost the House of Representatives in the 2018 mid-term elections. But they also gained two seats in the Senate the first time the party holding the presidency has achieved that since 2002 in the wake of a synagogue shooting and mail-bomb attacks inspired by his rhetoric. True, more than half of the country wants to impeach him; but about 40% still approve of the job hes doing. The one thing that stands between him and impeachment is the party behind him in both houses.

Even his thuggish America first foreign policy stands as part of a tradition. In 1964, when the Greek ambassador tried to point out the shortcomings of the US plan to partition Cyprus, President Lyndon Johnson replied: Fuck your parliament and your constitution We pay a lot of good American dollars to the Greeks, Mr Ambassador. If your prime minister gives me talk about democracy, parliament and constitution he, his parliament and his constitution may not last long. He would never have put that in a letter. But three years later, Greece was under a brutal military junta backed by the US from which it did not emerge for seven years.

In other words, this particular form of insanity if that is what it is enjoys mass, if not majority, support, institutional defence and historical precedent. It is the mindset of more than just an individual. Trumps presence serves a purpose and interests. If he is a lone wolf, how do we explain the likes of Boris Johnson or Silvio Berlusconi, who share so many of his idiosyncratic traits, from accusations of sexual harassment to a cavalier attitude towards democratic norms and casual racism.

The great man of the age, wrote Friedrich Hegel using great to mean powerful rather than wonderful is the one who can put into words the will of his age, tell his age what its will is, and accomplish it. What he does is the heart and essence of his age; he actualises his age.

As such, in his desire to blame everyone but himself, in his lies, bullying, despotism, insecurity, ineptitude, cheating, scapegoating, preening self-regard, vanity and ignorance, Trump is an emblem of the free-market, white supremacist nationalism that is ascendant in this moment.

Ultimately there may be a medical or therapeutic intervention that can help him; but only a political intervention can help us get rid of him.

Gary Younge is a Guardian columnist

This article was amended on 18 October 2019 to correct an indiscrete/indiscreet homophone

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Donald Trumps sanity is not the question. The real issue is how he got into office - The Guardian

The Life-Changing Magic of Impeaching Donald Trump – The New Yorker

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Over the past five years, millions of Americans have ascended to a higher plane of fulfillment by tidying up their homes. By talking to our possessions, one by one, and asking if they spark joy, we have achieved a kind of contentment we never dreamed possible.

Now its time to tidy up a residence that belongs to all of us: the White House.

At first, this seems like a daunting task. After all, the White House has a hundred and thirty-two rooms. There is much culling to be done.

But theres no reason to despair. Many useless things have already been hauled away. Reince Priebus, John Kelly, Steve Bannon, Kirstjen Nielsen, Michael Flynn, John Bolton, Sean Spicer, Hope Hicks, Sarah Huckabee Sandersnone of them sparked joy. And now they are all gone. And Anthony Scaramucci, who sparked joy as briefly as those paisley pants you immediately regretted buying at H&Mhe is gone, too.

Clearly, though, more culling remains to be done.

We must look at Donald Trump and ask ourselves, Does this spark joy? And, although the answer to that question might be somewhat different in Russia, North Korea, and Turkey, the answer here is a resounding no.

Remember how, once you tidied up your dwelling, you discovered hidden treasures buried under all of those needless possessions? Well, once that garish orange thing that sparks no joy has been removed from the Oval Office, youll be amazed what youll find underneath. Things you forgot you even had, like democracy.

In the video above, from last weekends New Yorker Festival, I speak about the happiness we can attain by decluttering the country of Trump. Much like Marie Kondo, the authors of the United States Constitution gave us a unique tool for improving our surroundings: impeachment. And the Twenty-fifth Amendment is pretty good, too.

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The Life-Changing Magic of Impeaching Donald Trump - The New Yorker

Donald Trump’s Campaign Is Cashing In On Impeachment – BuzzFeed News

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President Donald Trumps reelection campaign has capitalized on the investigations into the presidents conduct, new campaign finance reports show.

Seven of the reelection campaign committees 10 days with the most unique donors this year came at the end of September, on the days immediately following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announcing a formal impeachment inquiry into the president. One of the other top days came in April, when news broke that former special counsel Robert Mueller objected to Attorney General Bill Barrs characterization of his report on Russian interference in the 2016 election, according to FEC data.

In the hours after Pelosis Sept. 24 press conference, the Trump campaign had emailed supporters and posted ads on Facebook asking for donations to the Impeachment Defense Task Force. The emails reviewed by BuzzFeed News sent supporters to a fundraising page for a joint fundraising committee between the Republican National Committee and the Trump campaign while Facebook ads BuzzFeed News reviewed prompted supporters to directly support the Trump campaign.

As a member of the Official Impeachment Defense Task Force, you will be a leader in defending me, the President, against these baseless and disgusting attacks, one of the ads reads. You will be responsible for defending American Greatness.

In other Facebook ads, the campaign revived Trumps total witch hunt slogan to characterize the impeachment inquiry. Don't let Democrats and the Fake News Media silence YOU! the ad reads, encouraging supporters to donate to the impeachment defense fund.

The Democrats know they have no chance of winning in 2020, so now they are crying, Impeachment!, one fundraising email from Trumps campaign said on the day Pelosi announced the inquiry. The Democrats thrive on silencing and intimidating his supporters, like YOU, Friend. They want to take YOUR VOTE away.

The email told supporters that the campaign was launching an Official Impeachment Defense Task Force that would be made up of President Trumps most LOYAL supporters, the ones committed to fighting for him, re-electing him, and taking back the House.

Pelosi and House Democrats reached a consensus on launching the impeachment inquiry amid reports that Trump had pressured the president of Ukraine to open an investigation into former vice president Joe Biden and his son and withheld aid from the country.

Campaigns often have bursts of donations at the end of September its the final days of the quarter, and campaigns typically try to end strong with a concerted fundraising push.

But the campaigns ads in the days after Pelosis announcements focused closely on impeachment. The initial ads centered on downplaying the significance of the presidents call with the Ukrainian president, after the White House released a non-verbatim transcript showing Trump asking for a favor. Another ad posted to Facebook features Trump saying my conversation with the new president of Ukraine was perfect, there was no quid-pro-quo; there was nothing. It was a perfect conversation.

The Trump campaign raised over $14.2 million in the third quarter from individual donors, not including money raised from affiliated committees or the Republican National Committee. Altogether, those groups raised $125 million, Trumps campaign manager said.

The top Democratic fundraisers are well behind that overall total: Sen. Elizabeth Warren raised $24.6 million and Sen. Bernie Sanders raised $25.2 million. Trumps campaign alone still has over $83 million in cash on hand.

The donors factored in by the FEC include only donors who gave more than $200, as reporting requirements do not mandate campaigns disclose donors who give smaller amounts.

Some Democrats have worried that pushing to impeach Trump could just solidify and energize his base. Sanders, one of the leading candidates in the Democratic primary who does support impeachment, told reporters last month that he feared that if Trump is impeached in the House but not convicted in the Republican-controlled Senate, I know and you know what [Trump] will do: I am vindicated! I am vindicated!

Their goal has always been to silence YOU, they want to steal YOUR voice and YOUR vote, another Trump fundraising email, sent with a Call Transcript subject line, read. This is only the beginning of yet ANOTHER nasty Witch Hunt against me, and we need to fight back BIGGER and STRONGER than ever before.

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Donald Trump's Campaign Is Cashing In On Impeachment - BuzzFeed News

Rand Paul just blocked a vote to condemn President Donald Trumps withdrawal of troops in Syria – Vox.com

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Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), a longtime opponent of endless wars, just blocked a resolution condemning President Donald Trumps decision to withdraw American troops from northern Syria.

I object to this resolution because it does nothing to fix this problem, Paul said, while pushing his own bill to stop arms sales to Turkey. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer had called for the Senate to consider a vote on this resolution, which passed the House with a bipartisan 354-60 majority on Wednesday, with the goal of sending Trump a message about Congresss disapproval of his recent actions.

Because of the presidents precipitous action ... ISIS prisoners are escaping, Schumer said in a floor speech on Thursday. The presidents incompetence has put American lives in danger.

Schumer is far from the only one whos criticized Trumps decision, which many Republicans also view as a betrayal of the United Statess Kurdish allies in the region, whove been forced to confront a Turkish military offensive. Despite their outcry on the subject, its still not clear just how much Republicans are willing to clash with the president explicitly on this issue. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is unlikely to allow the non-binding resolution condemning Trump to come to the floor, and he has previously said it has some serious weaknesses.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a prominent Trump ally, has questioned the presidents efforts in Syria and is also pushing his own legislation alongside Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), which would impose stricter sanctions on Turkey that target military transactions and energy resources. Paul, meanwhile, is taking specific aim at arms sales.

The congressional backlash to Trumps decision began last week when he announced that hed be withdrawing American troops from the region, prompting concerns that the US was abandoning its Kurdish allies and offering an opening for the Islamic State. Since the decision, ISIS members have begun to break out of prisons in the region.

The disagreement between Trump and Congress on this subject culminated in an explosive meeting between lawmakers on Wednesday when Speaker Nancy Pelosi stormed out in concern. We will come back to this issue; it will not go away, Schumer said Thursday.

Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan on Thursday and announced a temporary ceasefire of the attacks in Ankara, Turkey. But there are a number of unanswered questions about what it means for the Kurds long-term security and broader stability of the region. In the meantime, many members of Congress are focused on keeping the pressure on Trump, even if the Senate wont vote on a non-binding resolution.

Originally posted here:

Rand Paul just blocked a vote to condemn President Donald Trumps withdrawal of troops in Syria - Vox.com

Has Trump Spent ‘278.5 Years’ of Salary on Taxpayer-Funded Golf Outings? – Snopes.com

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On Aug. 16, 2019, Huffington Post White House correspondent S. V. Dte tweeted that U.S. President Donald Trump had, at that point in time, spent 278.5 years of annual presidential salary in taxpayer money to play golf. This statistic served as a headline to a viral Politicus USA article posted the next day.

Assessing the validity of this statistic requires knowledge of two numbers: the presidents annual salary and the amount of money Trump has cost taxpayers via trips to golf clubs. The first number is easy: Its $400,000, as stipulated by Congress. The second number is a bit more challenging to derive with precision. The number would necessarily include costs like transportation, security, and other logistical support, but how these items are calculated involves estimates or assumptions.

Huffposts methodology was what they described as a conservative approach based on a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report of Trumps first four outings to Mar-a-lago as president. One example of the kind of choices people estimating these costs have to make, they noted, concerns how much of the per-hour Air Force One cost to add to the golf outing calculation:

The HuffPost analysis took a conservative approach to determining costs. For example, it used a per-hour rate of $15,994 for Trumps use of the smaller Air Force One that he takes to Bedminster, New Jersey, even though that figure accounts only for fuel and maintenance, not the additional factors that GAO used when it determined the $273,000-per-hour cost of operating the larger plane.

The 278.5 years of presidential salary would equate to $111,400,000 in total costs up to August 2019, when Dte tweeted the statistic. This number, to give a sense of the range of estimates, was a bit higher than a figure promoted within the body of the Politicus USA article, which cited the Trump Golf Count website as calculating, at the time of their reporting, 207 golf trips at a cost to taxpayers of $108 million and counting. Trump Golf Count is run by self-described data junkie Sophie Germain and dedicated to tracking the presidents golf time.

At the time of our reporting here, October 2019, that website reports that Trump has spent $109,505,631 of taxpayer money on visits to golf properties broken down in this way:

Trump Golf Count Cost Breakdown:

Total Cost: $109,505,631

Divided by $400,000, this total represents 273.8 annual presidential salaries still below the headline claim of 278.5 years. These differences are negligible if you take into account how precise the above numbers actually are, however. As Washington Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler put it, such figures are a great example of false precision. We do not know exactly how many days Trump has golfed, and we do not know how much has been paid by taxpayers for his golf outings. That being said, Kessler noted that Germains estimates were in the ballpark of figures released by the Government Accountability Office. Still, he argues that one cannot fairly attribute all of these costs to golf, given the round-the-clock security required for a president.

The bottom line is that multiple analyses have calculated figures that are in rough agreement with either Germains or Dtes claims that the cost is presently in the $109 million area, but numbers as precise as those stated in tweets mislead a reader into thinking a level of accuracy not reflective of reality has been achieved. The numbers vary, additionally, based on how one approaches the problem: Do you include all the maintenance costs for Air Force One? Do you include security costs that would be present regardless of golf outings? There is no one right answer, and as such there is no single number that can be verified as the number.

For these reasons, we rank the claim that Trump spent 278.5 years of presidential salary on taxpayer-funded golf outings as a Mixture.

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Has Trump Spent '278.5 Years' of Salary on Taxpayer-Funded Golf Outings? - Snopes.com

Public Servants Are Starting to Respond to Donald Trumps False Attacks – The New Yorker

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On Friday afternoon, James Baker, the former general counsel of the F.B.I., felt a tinge of optimism. Almost two years ago, he was ousted from his position as the Bureaus top legal official, after President Trump fired the F.B.I.s director, James Comey. Baker, a career Justice Department official and a longtime Comey ally, had approved the F.B.I.s Trump-Russia investigation and the monitoring of a former Trump campaign advisers communications. Trump welcomed the news of Bakers removal in a tweet: Wow, FBIlawyer James Baker reassigned. In subsequent tweets and retweets, the President accused Baker of lying to Congress and being part of an Unconstitutional Hoax and an attempted coup.

Baker considered Trumps claims about him to be completely false, but he said nothing publicly at the time. (The Republican-controlled Senate Intelligence Committee investigated the origins of the F.B.I.s Trump-Russia investigation and found no wrongdoing.) I believed that, once I was out of the F.B.I., I could resume a normal life and avoid the spotlight, he told me last week, in his office at the R Street Institute, a conservative and libertarian think tank, where he directs the national-security program. But that was inaccurate, because the damage had already been done by the Presidents tweets and stories about me on Fox News and other outlets. Baker, once considered one of the governments most trusted national-security officials, found that Trumps attacks impacted his ability to find a job. Certain corporations and law firms thought that I was too controversial and didnt want to hire me, Baker recalled. It surprised me and was dispiriting. Over time, he became convinced that Trump was improperly using his powers as President to maintain his hold on power. Baker decided to push back. At a certain point, I became unafraid of Donald Trump, he said. I felt, O.K., I can speak out. And also, I have an obligation to speak out. In May, Baker began publicly attacking what he called Trumps false narrative that there was a coup, and a conspiracy, and treason.

On Friday, Baker lauded Marie Yovanovitch, a career foreign-service officer and the former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, who also decided to push back against Trump. During nearly nine hours of closed-door testimony before the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs, and Oversight committees, Yovanovitch responded to months of attacks from Trump and his allies. In a blistering opening statement that was released to the press, she said that Trump had pressured State Department officials to remove her from her ambassadorship based on made-up allegations. Although I understand that I served at the pleasure of the president, her statement read,I was nevertheless incredulous that the U.S. government chose to remove an ambassador based, as best as I can tell, on unfounded and false claims by people with clearly questionable motives.Sean Maloney, a Democratic congressman from New York, said that, during the hearings, Yovanovitch grew visibly upset as she gave a gripping and emotional account of abuse of power by the President.

More potentially damaging testimony is expected this week, as House Democrats continue the impeachment inquiry that they launched after a U.S. intelligence official filed a whistle-blowers complaint regarding Trumps dealings with Ukraine. On Monday, Fiona Hill, who served as the top Russia expert in Trumps National Security Council, is expected to testify that Trumps personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, circumvented the normal White House process to pursue a shadow foreign policy in Ukraine. On Thursday, Gordon Sondland, a donor to Trumps Inauguration committee who was named U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, is expected to testify that he does not know if Trump was telling the truth when he denied withholding U.S. military aid to pressure Ukraines President to investigate Joe Biden.

Baker told me that Trumps failure so far to discredit the whistle-blower had weakened his power to silence current and former officials. He tried to smash the whistle-blower, and it didnt work, Baker said. One of the things that Donald Trump has trafficked in is fear. And, once people are no longer afraid of him, I think more people will come forward.

According to Chuck Rosenberga career federal prosecutor who served as a senior adviser to Comey and Robert Mueller at the F.B.Ithe Presidents public attacks are a calculated effort to pressure government officials. Rosenberg, who served as the acting director of the D.E.A. in the Trump Administration but resigned, in 2017, told me that the Presidents repeated denunciations of Mueller and his team were designed to hamper the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Rosenberg said that Trumps smears did not impact the probes findings, but didincrease the pressure on Mueller. Trump may lack a sophisticated understanding of the federal government, Rosenberg warned, but the effectiveness of his public diatribes should not be underestimated. I think its very intentional, he said. You can be not well read in a classic sense but very cunning and successful as a street fighter.

Trump seems likely to continue to declare any current and former officials who criticize him part of a secret cabal trying to remove him from office. After the Times reported that Giuliani was under criminal investigation for possibly breaking lobbying laws in his dealings with Ukraine, Trump tweeted, Such a one sided Witch Hunt going on in USA. Deep State. Shameful! A former National Security Council aide, who asked not to be named, scoffed at Trumps claim of a plot. The aide described the vast majority of State Department officials as loathe to publicly criticize a President and as risk-averse. It has to be really bad for people to speak out, the former aide said. Its a mentalitydont break anything.

The likelihood that the testimony of Yovanovitch or other government officials will significantly undermine Trumps messaging is low. The Presidents willingness to traffic in conspiracy theories, and to play on Americans long-running suspicions of government, together with his vast social-media following give him far more power to sway public opinion. Baker, though, believes that it is worth trying to counter Trumps narrative. As part of his personal effort, he published an essay, in May, on the Lawfare Web site: Why I Do Not Hate Donald Trump. In it, he argues that deriding the President and his supporters is the wrong tactic. Instead, citing Martin Luther King, Jr.,s Letter from a Birmingham Jail, Baker suggests responding with grace, decency, and fact. He concedes that this approach may strike many as foolish or nave. All I know is that I have a small grain of sand that I can contribute to the effort, and I want to put it on the right side of the scale, he told me. If many people do that, then it can make a difference. He commended Yovanovitch, saying, Shes taking a risk and putting her grain of sand on the scale. It sounds like she is pursuing the truth with the goal of helping protect the American people and upholding the Constitution.

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Public Servants Are Starting to Respond to Donald Trumps False Attacks - The New Yorker

Is This Real?: Trump Sends Third-Grade Reading-Level Letter to Erdoan – Vanity Fair

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Donald Trump has said or done something certifiably insane nearly every day of his presidency. And not like, This guys a little kooky-level insane, but full-on Mr. President, put down the stapler and unhand the president of Finland-level insane. But last week, apparently seeking to prove to the world that we aint seen nothing yet re: the depths of his mental instability, he wrote and reportedly proudly distributed the following letter to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan, for all the world to see:

Each line of the letter contains an obvious Trumpismtalk of deals, reference to tough guysbut packaged together, in all its batshit glory, in an official letter to another world leader, it seemed unbelievable even for a guy who most people agree shouldve been placed under conservatorship some time ago. The immediate reaction from the media was HOW IS THIS THING REAL, and yet, according to the White House, it totally is! That means that the president of the United States sat down and either pennedor more likely dictateda letter in which he told the president of Turkey, Dont be a tough guy, Dont be a fool, history will look upon you forever as the devil if good things dont happen, and then, in what might be the absolute craziest way to end a piece of correspondence that references slaughtering thousands of people, signed off with: I will call you later.

Its the kind of thing that even Donald Trump Jr. will have to admit is a sign someone needs to place an emergency phone call to Dr. Bornstein, and that we assume has caused Ivanka to tell aides that Daddy is resting and isnt to be disturbed.

Incredibly, the Erdoan letter wasnt the only example of Trumps mental decline on Wednesday afternoon, which also saw the president lash out at Democrats like a machete-wielding madman on the subway and claim that he personally defeated ISIS:

He was insulting, particularly to [Nancy Pelosi]. She kept her cool completely. But he called her a third-rate politician.... It was sort of a diatribea nasty diatribe not focused on the facts, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) told reporters after the meeting, which focused on Syria and during which impeachment was not discussed.

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Is This Real?: Trump Sends Third-Grade Reading-Level Letter to Erdoan - Vanity Fair

WATCH: Donald Trump and The Snake | Zero Tolerance | FRONTLINE – FRONTLINE

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When he took the stage at campaign rallies across the country, presidential hopeful Donald Trump often had a piece of paper in his pocket, ready to go if the moment seemed right.

On it was printed something unlikely: the lyrics to a song written in the 1960s by civil rights activist Oscar Brown Jr. Based on a fable, The Snake tells the story of a kind woman who takes an injured snake into her home to nurse him back to health only to be shocked when she is fatally bitten.

In Trumps hands, however, Browns words were imbued with a new and specific meaning.

As the opening scene from the upcoming FRONTLINE documentary Zero Tolerance explores, Trump recast the lyrics as an anti-immigration allegory equating people seeking to enter America with killer snakes who would inevitably cause harm to those who welcomed them. Trump built to a crescendo around the songs last lines, an exchange between the dying woman and the snake:

I saved you, I saved you, I saved you, cried that woman.And youve bit me, heavens why?You know your bite is poisonous and now Im going to die.Oh shut up, silly woman, said the reptile with a grin.You knew damn well I was a snake before you took me in.

Trumps embrace of that comparison kicks off Zero Tolerance, a FRONTLINE documentary premiering Tuesday, Oct. 22, that investigates how the president turned anti-immigration fervor into a powerful political weapon. The films opening moments depict Trumps use of The Snake in such a way that its never before been seen juxtaposing the then-candidates reading with stark images of men, women and children struggling to reach the U.S.-Mexico border.

As the documentary explores, Trumps comparison of immigrants to killer snakes was just the beginning. He would go on to make opposition to immigration the signature policy of his presidency, using virulent anti-immigration sentiment to animate his supporters and fuel a political movement. He continued to recite the lyrics to The Snake at several public events as president.

He tapped into something in a very profound way that began to redefine the debate in the political year of 2016 and continues to redefine the politics of the country today, Dan Balz of The Washington Post tells FRONTLINE in the above clip.

Trump didnt do it alone. The documentary, from veteran FRONTLINE filmmaker Michael Kirk and his team, tells the inside story of how an improbable group of outsiders Stephen Miller, Jeff Sessions and Steve Bannon became the driving force behind Trumps most controversial initiatives, as part of a grand anti-immigration strategy they would call Zero Tolerance.

Miller is the only one still left in the Trump administration, but the film shows how the trios years of planning around immigration are still shaping decisions. Zero Tolerance is a must-watch look at how Americas immigration policies and the rhetoric surrounding them reached this moment.

Zero Tolerancepremieres Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 10 p.m. EST/9 p.m. CST. Tune in or stream onPBS (check local listings), at PBS.org/frontline and on thePBS Video App. More than 30 interviews from the making of the documentary will go live on FRONTLINEs website in tandem with the premiere, in the newest installment of The FRONTLINE Transparency Project.

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WATCH: Donald Trump and The Snake | Zero Tolerance | FRONTLINE - FRONTLINE