President Donald Trump accused a former FBI agent that special counsel Robert Mueller ousted last summer of committing ‘treason’ when he exchanged several anti-Trump messages with his lover.

Mueller removed counterintelligence veteran Peter Strzok from the team investigating the Russia collusion, after Strzok criticized and mocked Trump in a series of text messages sent to one of the bureau’s attorneys Lisa Page.

After the controversial text messages surfaced, the President and his team accused Mueller’s team of being biased against them.

On Thursday, President Trump told the Wall Street Journal that Strzok is a traitor. The Commander in Chief quoted Strzok saying that if Hillary Clinton loses the presidential race, the FBI would “go to phase two” and remove Trump from office.

This is the FBI we’re talking about — that is treason. That is a treasonous act. What [Strzok] tweeted to his lover is a treasonous act,

Trump told the WSJ.

FBI Agent’s Controversial Texts

In December, the Washington Post reported that the disgraced FBI agent tweeted the anti-Trump messages while he was investigating Clinton’s mishandling of thousands of work e-mails via a private server in her home instead of a State Department’s server.

The Post also found that Strzok was cheating on his wife with Page, his FBI colleague. During those tweets, the former FBI agent was working under the FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.

Numerous media reports have shown that the pair exchanged anti-Trump texts throughout the entire presidential campaign. In August 2016, the ousted FBI operative expressed disbelief that Trump could win the election. He added that America couldn’t take the risk.

At the time, he compared a Trump victory with an “unlikely event” somebody dies before they hit the age of 40. He also mentioned an “insurance policy,” a coded term expressing the need for the FBI to continue investigating whether there had been a collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow.

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President Trump’s former White House Chief Strategist, Steve Bannon, is now also a former Breitbart executive chairman, as the controversial figure has stepped down from the publication. Sources report that the departure was sprung by a major Breitbart investor, Rebekah Mercer, who saw fit to remove Bannon amid his controversial remarks that were recently published in a book. In this book., Mr. Bannon accused President Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr. of “treasonous” behavior and questioned the president’s mental fitness.

Breitbart released a statement via its chief executive, Larry Solov, saying that Bannon and the company will work on a smooth transition. In addition, it seems that the radio channel, SiriusXM, which acted as a platform for Mr. Bannon’s radio show has also announced it was cutting ties with him.

“Steve is a valued part of our legacy, and we will always be grateful for his contributions, and what he has helped us to accomplish,” Solov’s statement reads.

Bannon accused President Trump’s family of many worrying things in Michael Wolff’s book “Fire and Fury”, which in turn prompted President Trump to denounce his former chief strategist. Trump even branded Bannon with the nickname, “Sloppy Steve”.

Bannon’s ambiguous departure from the White House prompted him to return to Breitbart, where he was hailed as a hero. However, the former executive’s recent remarks made the president shed light on his departure from the White House saying that Bannon was fired.

Breitbart News is a conservative website that mostly acted as a platform for promoting the Trump administration, or pushing national economic populism and attacking Republican representatives not loyal to Trump.

Even after being fired, it seemed that Bannon continued being a mouthpiece for the Trump administration. He even apologized recently for accusing Trump and his family in the book, however, it seems it may be too late.

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Autism is a common condition that manifests itself from an early age. The disorder is characterized by low social skills, repetitive behavior, and challenges to verbal and nonverbal communication. While autism rates are believed to have increased, a new study actually suggests the opposite.

According to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, between 2014 and 2016 the autism rates have not increased in any significant way.

“…it is encouraging that the most recent national data failed to find any increased during the most recent three-year period,” states Dr. Andrew Adesman, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York.

While Adesman believes the decline of autism cases is encouraging, he notes that researchers still don’t know why the condition’s prevalence was so apparent in recent previous years.

According to a new report from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), an estimated 2.41 percent of children in the United States have autism. The rate has since decreased to 1.47, researchers of the new study claim.

Senior author of the study and epidemiologist with the University of Iowa College of Public Health, Dr. Wei Bao, stresses that the results are to be taken with a grain of salt, mainly because the results were limited to three years. According to Bao, it is difficult to observe a noticeable increase or decrease over that span of time.

The study’s results were based on an annual poll called the National Health Interview Survey, which is conducted by the NIH.

Bao notes that the NIH data had different results than previous attempts, which might stem from underreported autism rates.

The study also revealed that boys are three times more likely to develop autism than girls. Bao and his colleagues couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason behind this, however, they theorize it might have something to do with the genetic difference between the two sexes.  More so, they discovered that white and black children have a higher risk of developing autism than Hispanic children.

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Luis Elizondo is a former Pentagon official who was tasked with leading a recently revealed government program that investigated and researched potential UFOs. On Monday, the man acknowledged the possibility that Earth has been visited by extraterrestrials for quite some time.

Elizondo oversaw a government program called the Advanced Aviation Threat Identification Program, which took shape under the orders of Harry Reid, a former Senate Majority leader who ensured the program received proper funding.

“My personal belief is that there is very compelling evidence that we may not be alone,” said Elizondo, who was in charge of the secretive government project from 2007 to 2012.

The ex-Pentagon official states that he resigned from the Department of Defense in October due to the excessive secrecy surrounding his program. Another reason, according to Elizondo, was the rising internal disputes that prevented the program from being funded which subsequently led to its termination in 2012.

But when it comes to UFOs, Elizondo remains just as convinced now as he was when he lead the programme. He said that the main focus of the programme focused on eyewitness reports or using the available tools to identify potential UFOs. During his time as the head of the project, Elizondo said that his team found a lot of aircrafts that displayed “characteristics that are not currently within the US inventory nor in any foreign country”.

Ryan Alexander of Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonpartisan federal budget watchdog organization, thinks the program was a waste of money. The reasoning behind this was mainly because pilots are poised to see plenty of things that they can’t identify not all of which are UFOs.

The program benefitted from a $22 million budget, something that Alexander called “crazy”.

Reid, on the other hand, has defended the program on Monday, saying that it raised “serious scientific questions” about unidentified aircrafts.

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Vermont Senator and former 2016 presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders, suggested on Sunday that President Donald Trump should resign over his sexual misconduct allegations. Sanders talked about Al Franken, who stepped down from the position of the senator of Minnesota after several women accused him of sexual harassment and noted that the President should do the same.

We have a president who acknowledged on tape that he assaulted women. I would hope that he pays attention to what’s going on and think about resigning.

— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) December 7, 2017

Bernie Sanders urged Trump to step down earlier this month due to the President acknowledging on tape that he assaulted women. However, the Vermont Senator does not think this is the right time for an impeachment campaign, as there isn’t enough evidence supporting Trump’s other nefarious activities. Sanders said that the majority of people want Trump to be impeached only if the president colluded with Russia to win the 2016 presidential election.

Even if Sanders told Democrats to abstain, that didn’t stop 58 of them to vote to impeach Trump this week. The campaign was short-lived, however, as it eventually was overturned by the majority (364 to 58).

The Vermont Senator commended Special Counsel, Robert Mueller, who is conducting the Russia investigation, and believes that solid evidence on that front is the only way for a potential impeachment.

“If Mueller brings forth the clear evidence that there was collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians, I think you have grounds for impeachment,” Sanders told NBC.

Sanders had upped his anti-Trump stance following Franken’s resignation over sexual misconduct allegations from several women. His voice wasn’t the only one prevalent in the Democratic circle, however. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey also urged the president to follow Franken and resign from the presidency. Senator, Jeff Merkley, of Oregon called on Alabama GOP candidate, Roy Moore, and President Trump to step down, emphasizing on sexual allegations against both men.

Trump has no plans on resigning, however, as he is already running an aggressive campaign for his reelection in 2020.

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North Korea has successfully incorporated nuclear power into its military, according to its state television. Pyongyang claims the new intercontinental missile, Hwason-15, can reach the „whole” US mainland.

The launch was announced in a special broadcast at midday, as well as in a report released by state news agency KCNA. Hwasong-15, an upgrade of the Hwason-14 intercontinental missile, was reportedly launched at 3 a.m local times from a mobile launcher in Pyongsong, in the South Pyongan Province.

Pyongyang states that the missile reached an altitude of 4,475 km (2,780 miles) and flew 950 km in just under an hour. The missile surpassed previous expectations including that of the South Korean military who responded with a „precision missile strike drill” matching the flight distance. According to Japanese officials, the Hwasong-15 did not fly over Japan as previous tests, and landed 250 km of Japan’s northern coast, within the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un personally signed off on the launch, according to KCNA. According to them, this marks the completion of North Korea’s foray into becoming a nuclear power.

„…now we have finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force, the cause of building a rocket power”. Said KCNA.

While previous North Korean missiles were said to reach portions of the US mainland, the Hwasong-15 is considered by the US-based Union of Concerned Scientists as being capable of reaching „any part of the continental United States”. The group concluded that the missile could have traveled more than 13 thousand km on a standard trajectory. The distance between North Korea and the US is just over 10 thousand km.

The KCNA report states that the Hwason-15 intercontinental missile was built as a defense measure against „the US imperialists’ nuclear blackmail policy,” and that it would not be fired upon any country unless North Korea was provoked.

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The mounting threat of a nuclear North Korea has prompted the state of Hawaii to resume monthly statewide testing of its Cold-War-era nuclear attack warning sirens. This if the first time in thirty years, that Hawaii is considering firing up the old alarm system.  A state official has told residents to create a plan of keeping track of their families in the event of a North Korean nuclear attack.

As part of the decades-old drill, air-raid sirens will be sounded for a minute in more than 400 locations across the central Pacific Islands. According to state officials, the test will begin at 11:45 on Friday and will be repeated on the first business day of each month. The monthly tests will be accompanied by public service announcements telling Hawaii residents to “get inside, stay inside and stay tuned” if they should hear the siren.

“Emergency preparedness is knowing what to expect and what to do for all hazards,” said Hawaii Emergency Management Agency chief, Vern Miyagi.

Hawaii’s decision to increase nuclear attack awareness comes on the heels of increased escalation between North Korea and the US. President, Donald Trump has repeatedly taunted the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, by calling him “rocket man” and threatening to unleash “ fire and fury” on his country. North Korean Foreign Minister, Ri Yong Ho called Trump’s insult an “irreversible mistake” saying that an attack on the U.S. mainland was “inevitable”.

White House chief of staff, John Kelly, has said in October that the US needs to be concerned about a potential nuclear attack considering that Pyongyang “is developing a pretty good nuclear re-entry vehicle”.

Nuclear attack sirens were discontinued in the 80s as soon as the Cold War showed signs of coming to an end. However, in light of the recent threats, Hawaii is reintroducing the alarm system as North Korea is reportedly capable of reaching both the state and the US mainland.

Agency spokesman, Richard Rapoza, said that single 150-kiloton weapon detonated over Pearl Harbor on the main island of Oahu would be enough to kill just under twenty thousand people and leave fifty thousand to 120 thousand people injured. Hawaii is 4.600 miles away from North Korea.

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Fans of Pokemon Go really enjoy playing the game when they’re driving their cars as economists, Mara Faccio and John McConnell of Purdue University point out.

Niantic’s popular augmented reality app for iOS and Android is responsible for multiple car accidents which occurred in the first 148 days after the game was released in July 2016. The two economists sifted through accident reports from Tippecanoe County, Indiana and found that most crashes and injuries occurred around Pokestops and gyms; the former is where players get virtual supplies while the latter is where they pit their Pokemon against others.

Pokemon Go Go proved to be such a lethal habit for drivers that it eventually resulted in the deaths of two people. According to the ongoing study, the total value from injuries, damage, and the two death cost the county between $5.2 million and $25.5 million. If the damage would transition to the wider US area, this would equal to $2 billion to $7.3 billion in damages.

In 148 there have been 286 additional crashes occurred in the county as opposed to the year before. 134 of these accidents occurred near pokéstops. The paper assumes the increase in crashes was caused by Pokemon Go directly.

Pokemon Go essentially forces people to leave the confines of their homes and search for digital monsters where the game tells them to. While many walk to the designated location, some choose to cheat and drive their way there. Niantic took measures to prevent people from taking advantage of these loopholes by making the game unplayable at certain speeds.

The researchers compared the numbers of crashes between pokéstops and gyms and found that accidents were more frequent near pokéstops, which points to people getting out of their cars while playing Pokemon Go.

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White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders asked reporters on Monday to say what they were thankful for prior to their regular press briefing. The request was made mainly because it would have been the last briefing before the Thanksgiving holiday.

At the beginning of the press briefing, Sanders said she was thankful for her family, her faith and members of the military.

“Obviously, you probably know, and it’s not a secret, that I’m clearly very thankful for all of you here in the room, and I think that goes without saying,” the press secretary said.

She was also thankful for the police and first responders as well as for the opportunity to serve President Donald Trump. Sanders then urged reporters to say what they were thankful for before the press briefing would commence.

While a number of reporters launched into their questions straight away, there were a few journalists who gave in. They listed several things for which they were grateful for, including their families and members of the military.

There were a few notable reporters who took advantage of the situation such as April Ryan, the bureau chief for the American Urban Radio Networks. She told Sanders she was thankful “to be able to talk to you and question you every single day.”Huckabee Sanders stated she felt the gratefulness in Ryan’s statement.

Another subtle jab was from ABC News’, Cecilia Vega who said she was thankful for the First Amendment. The comment was met with “oohs” throughout the room of reporters to which Sanders responded: “I think we all are”.

.@PressSec asks media to say what they’re thankful for prior to asking question. @CeciliaVega: “I am thankful for the First Amendment.” pic.twitter.com/vMeWTjx2mt

— CSPAN (@cspan) November 20, 2017

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Russia’s attempts to spark controversy and conflicts in the United States are well-known, but it seems they used more weapons than we would have expected. Also, some of these weapons sound extremely unlikely. Apparently, they made use of Pokemon Go to create some racial tension.

Pokemon Go, the most unlikely tool for Russian hackers

A recent report has just revealed how Russia used Pokemon Go to create controversy in the United States, and to give rise to some racial issues. In July 2016, a Tumblr page, which is now known to belong to Russia’s Internet Research Agency, sent a message to all Pokemon Go players who supported the Black Lives Matter cause.

The page told these people to go play the game in areas where police brutality instances have occurred. Also, the players were encouraged to change their current usernames and, instead, use the names of popular black people who fell victims to abusive policemen. However, Russia’s interventions didn’t stop here.

The group sparked racial controversies by using the popular game

The same Tumblr page also promoted a movement, which closely mimicked the activities of Black Lives Matter groups. This movement was called Do Not Shoot Us, had a website, and many pages across all social media platforms. They also used the slogan “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot”. Facebook managed to find out the movement’s page was related to Russia, and it was taken down the platform shortly after that.

On the Tumblr page, there was a post regarding a player who named his character Eric Garner. This man died after a New York Police officer put him in a chokehold. The same post proposed a contest to Pokemon Go players, and the prize consisted of gift cards on Amazon.

It’s not clear if someone actually entered or won this contest, but this Tumblr page is still active. However, it changed its focus on different posts, mostly about Palestine. The Russia YouTube account is, also, still active, but all the other social media pages have been taken down.
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