Article:
Jerusalem’s largest soccer club announced Sunday that it has changed its name to “Beitar Trump Jerusalem,” in honor of the US president’s recognition of Israel’s capital and moving his country’s embassy from Tel Aviv.

 In an announcement on Facebook, the team praised the US president.

 “For 70 years has Jerusalem been awaiting international recognition, until President Donald Trump, in a courageous move, recognized Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Israel,” the club wrote. “President Trump has shown courage, and true love of the Israeli people and their capital, and these days other countries are following his lead in giving Jerusalem its rightful status.”

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 The announcement comes the day before the official opening of the new embassy in Jerusalem’s Arnona neighborhood, in a ceremony to be attended by US Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan, Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin, Senior Adviser Jared Kushner, Adviser Ivanka Trump, and Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt, as well as ambassadors and officials from all over the world.

 70 שנה המתינה ירושלים להכרה בינלאומית, עד שהנשיא דונלד טראמפ החליט לעשות מעשה והכיר בה כבירת הנצח של עם ישראל. הנשיא… Posted by מועדון הכדורגל בית"ר ירושלים – F.C. Beitar Jerusalem on Sunday, 13 May 2018

 The soccer club stated that it was permanently changing its name in honor of the occasion.

 “Beitar Jerusalem, one of the most prominent symbols of the city, are happy to honor the president for his love and support with a gesture of our own,” the Facebook post read. “The chairmen of the club, the owner Eli Tabib and the executive manager Eli Ohana have decided to add to the club’s title the name of the American President who made history, and from now on will be called Beitar Trump Jerusalem.”

 Beitar, one of Israel’s top soccer clubs, is currently in second place in the premier league.

 However, the club has a long history of anti-Arab and anti-Muslim sentiment, and is the only club in the Israeli league that has never had an Arab Muslim player. Officials on the team have indicated in the past that it is unofficial policy.

 Earlier this year, the club promised to crackdown on racist fans. It also said it would close down the eastern section of its ground which is infamous for housing the club’s most rabid fans, including the ultra-nationalist “La-Familia” faction. Last year, 19 members of the group were charged with attempted murder, including of rival supporters. ||||| Palestinian protesters burn tires during a protest on the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, Monday, May 14, 2018. Thousands of Palestinians are protesting near Gaza's border with Israel, as Israel prepared... (Associated Press)

 Palestinian protesters burn tires during a protest on the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, Monday, May 14, 2018. Thousands of Palestinians are protesting near Gaza's border with Israel, as Israel prepared for the festive inauguration of a new U.S. Embassy in contested Jerusalem. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) (Associated Press)

 GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Thousands of Palestinian protesters converged along the border with Israel on Monday, drawing Israeli fire that killed at least 16 people in the bloodiest day of weeks of demonstrations and casting a cloud over Israel's festive inauguration of the new U.S. Embassy in contested Jerusalem.

 With their anger fueled by the embassy opening, protesters set tires on fire, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the air at several spots along the border, while the Israeli military said protesters assaulted the border fence. By midafternoon, at least 16 Palestinians, including a 14-year-old boy, were killed while over 500 were wounded by Israeli fire, Palestinian health officials said.

 In the West Bank, several thousand people gathered in the center of Ramallah, while hundreds marched to the Qalandiya crossing on the outskirts of Jerusalem, where protesters threw stones at Israeli troops.

 The protest in Gaza was to be the biggest yet in a weekslong campaign against a decade-old blockade of the territory. The march was also directed at the inauguration of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem later Monday. The relocation of the embassy from Tel Aviv, a key campaign promise of President Donald Trump, has infuriated the Palestinians, who seek east Jerusalem as a future capital.

 "A great day for Israel," Trump tweeted early Monday.

 Monday marked the biggest showdown in recent weeks between Israel's military and Gaza's Hamas rulers along the volatile border.

 It is the culmination of a campaign, led by the Islamic militant Hamas and fueled by despair among Gaza's 2 million people, to break the decade-old border blockade of the territory by Israel and Egypt. Since weekly border marches began in late March, 58 Palestinian protesters have been killed and more than 2,300 wounded by Israeli army fire.

 Hamas leaders have suggested a border breach is possible Monday, while Israel has warned it would prevent protesters from breaking through the barrier at any cost.

 Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, an Israeli military spokesman, said the army had bolstered its front-line forces along the border, but also set up additional "layers" of security in and around neighboring communities to defend Israeli civilians in case of a mass breach. He said there already had been several "significant attempts" to break through the fence.

 "Even if the fence is breached, we will be able to protect Israeli civilians from attempts to massacre or kidnap or kill them," he said.

 The timing of Monday's events was deeply symbolic, both to Israel and the Palestinians.

 The U.S. said it chose the date to coincide with the 70th anniversary of Israel's establishment.

 But it also marks the anniversary of what Palestinians call their "nakba," or catastrophe, a reference to the uprooting of hundreds of thousands who fled or were expelled from what is now Israel during the 1948 war surrounding Israel's independence.

 A majority of Gaza's 2 million people are descendants of refugees, and the protests have been billed as the "Great March of Return" to long-lost homes in what is now Israel.

 In one of the border areas east of Gaza City, Mohammed Hamami, a 40-year-old civil servant, joined a crowd of hundreds of protesters, along with his mother and five children.

 "Today we are here to send a message to Israel and its allies that we will never give up on our land," he said.

 "We will cross the border and impose new realities like the reality Trump imposed in Jerusalem," he added, referring to President Donald Trump's decision in December to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and then move the U.S. Embassy there.

 Some protesters moved to within about 150 meters (yards) of the border fence. A reporter saw two men who tried to advance further being shot in the legs by Israeli troops.

 Clouds of black smoke from burning tires rose into the air. Earlier Monday, Israeli drones dropping incendiary material had pre-emptively set ablaze some of the tires collected in advance by activists.

 Protesters have used the thick smoke as cover against Israeli snipers perched on high sand berms on the other side of the border. The army accuses Hamas of using the protests as cover to plan or carry out attacks.

 Leaflets dropped over Gaza by army jets warned that those approaching the border "jeopardize" their lives. The warning said the army is "prepared to face all scenarios and will act against every attempt to damage the security fence or harm IDF soldiers or Israeli civilians."

 In Jerusalem, top Trump administration officials attended events linked to the inauguration of the embassy later Monday.

 Speaking at a celebration hosted by the Orthodox Union, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that it was a U.S. "national security priority" to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

 Trump's decision to go forward with a campaign promise to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was welcomed by Israel and condemned by the Palestinians. Previous presidents had signed a waiver postponing the move, citing national security.

 Israel captured east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it in a move not recognized by the international community. The Palestinians seek the city's eastern half as the capital of a future state.

 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas cut ties with the Trump administration and declared it unfit to remain in its role as the sole mediator in peace talks.

 Saeb Erekat, a senior Abbas aide, blasted the Trump administration Monday, saying Trump had violated a promise to hold off on moving the embassy to give peace talks a chance and that his administration is "based on lies."

 Erekat said the Trump administration has "become part of the problem, not part of the solution."

 Administration officials have dismissed Palestinian criticism, portraying the embassy opening as an essential step toward an eventual Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. However, they have not said how they will move forward without the Palestinians.

 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump's "bold decision" in upending decades of U.S. policy by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital. "It's the right thing to do," a smiling Netanyahu told the jubilant crowd at a reception in Jerusalem late Sunday.

 Although Trump has said his declaration does not set the final borders of the city, his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital has been perceived by both Israel and the Palestinians as taking Israel's side in the most sensitive issue in their conflict.

 Only two countries, Guatemala and Paraguay, have said they will follow suit. Most of the world maintains embassies in Tel Aviv, saying the Jerusalem issue must first be resolved.

 In a reflection of the deep sensitivities, dozens of countries — including Britain, France and Germany — skipped a celebration Sunday night at the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

 Monday's opening will be attended by Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who both serve as White House advisers. Kushner leads the Trump Mideast team.

 __

 Ben Zion reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, and Karin Laub in Amman, Jordan contributed to this report. ||||| Tweet with a location

 You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more ||||| Israeli forces killed 58 Palestinians at the boundary fence with Gaza on Monday, local health officials said, a level of bloodshed not seen since the most violent days of Israel’s 2014 war in the territory.

 The death toll more than doubled the number of Palestinians killed during six weeks of demonstrations, dubbed the “March of Return,” and came on the same day that a new U.S. Embassy opened in Jerusalem.

 Tens of thousands of Palestinians had gathered on the edges of the fenced-off and blockaded territory from midmorning. Many came to peacefully demonstrate, bringing their children and carrying flags. Food stalls sold snacks and music blared.

 But the protests appeared to have a more violent edge than in previous weeks. Some young men brought knives and fence cutters. At a gathering point east of Gaza City, organizers urged protesters over loudspeakers to burst through the fence, telling them Israeli soldiers were fleeing their positions, even as they were reinforcing them.

 Israeli snipers were determined not to allow a breach, and ambulances soon began screaming back and forth from the fence as gunshots rang out. No Israeli soldiers were injured, though, and Israel drew widespread condemnation for an excessive use of force.

 More than 2,700 people were injured, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza, including 1,359 from live ammunition. The dead included six children under the age of 18, among them a 15-year-old girl, and a medic, the ministry said.

 1 of 30 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × Gaza protests turn deadly as U.S. Embassy opens in Jerusalem View Photos Israeli soldiers killed dozens of Palestinians demonstrating along the border fence and wounded more than 1,600 in the bloodiest day in Gaza since the 2014 war with Israel. Caption Israeli soldiers killed dozens of Palestinians demonstrating along the border fence and wounded more than 1,600 in the bloodiest day in Gaza since the 2014 war with Israel. Ibraheem Abu Mustafa Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue.

 The United Nations said that “those responsible for outrageous human rights violations must be held to account,” and Human Rights Watch described the killings as a “bloodbath.” Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned a continuing “massacre” of the Palestinian people. Turkey and South Africa announced they were recalling their ambassadors from Israel.

 The Trump administration, however, blamed Hamas for the loss of life. “The responsibility for these tragic deaths rests squarely with Hamas,” deputy White House press secretary Raj Shah told reporters at a briefing. “Israel has the right to defend itself.”

 The violence was a jarring contrast with the opening ceremony for the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, which drew first daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, Trump adviser Jared Kushner.

 In Gaza, Hamas has given its backing to the demonstrations, which have galvanized people around a call to protest the loss of Palestinian homes and villages when Israel was formed in 1948.

 Palestinians will mark the anniversary of that day — known as the “Nakba,” or “Catastrophe” — on Tuesday, when more demonstrations are planned. More than two-thirds of Gaza’s population is descended from refugees who were displaced at the time of Israel’s creation.

 At Gaza City’s main al-Shifaa hospital, medics said they were overwhelmed.

 “I don't know how we will manage,” Ayman al-Sahbani, the head of the emergency department, said as families jostled to get in to see injured relatives. “How long can this go on? How long?”

 The hospital had set up an additional 30-bed triage area outside, and earlier in the day said it had the capacity to treat 200 or 300 serious gunshot wounds. It had received around 400 injured by about 6 p.m., most of whom had been shot, he said.

 “We’ve reached the critical point now,” he said. “A lot of people need operations soon, but the operation room is full.”

 Palestinian women suffering from tear-gas inhalation sit in a medical aid tent during a protest near Beit Lahiya in the Gaza Strip. (Dusan Vranic/AP)

 Increasing economic hardship has fueled frustrations in Gaza, along with wider despair across Palestinian territories amid moves by a U.S. administration seen as wholeheartedly on Israel’s side in the decades-old conflict.

 At least 110 Gazans have been killed over the past six weeks, according to Gaza Health Ministry figures.

 At the demonstrations east of Gaza City, some said the force used by Israel would only bring further unrest.

 Standing a few hundred meters from the fence, Nirma Attalah, 29, said her 22-year-old brother had been killed two weeks ago. “My brother was shot in the head in this place,” she said. She had come on Monday with her whole extended family. “We are here for Jerusalem, for Palestinian land,” she said.

 A truck rolled past carrying young men chanting: “To Jerusalem we go with millions of martyrs” and “Death rather than humiliation.”

 Drones dropped canisters of tear gas, sending crowds fleeing. Other drones dropped leaflets that urged demonstrators to say back from the fence.

 “People have come out of the rubble to say we will not forget our rights,” said Yousef Abu Saleh, 25. “The American administration is adopting the Israeli story and stealing our right of return.”

 While some said they would abide by official calls to keep the demonstrations peaceful, others talked about their enthusiasm to break into Israel and wreak havoc.

 “We are excited to storm and get inside,” said 23-year-old Mohammed Mansoura. When asked what he would do inside Israel, he said, “Whatever is possible, to kill, throw stones.”

 Two other young men carried large knives and said they wanted to kill Jews on the other side of the fence.

 The Israeli military brought two extra brigades to the Gaza border in preparation for the demonstrations and added additional “defense lines” in an effort to prevent any mass invasion into Israeli communities near the border.

 The military said at least 40,000 people protested in 13 places along the fence — more than twice as many locations as in past weeks of protest.

 “Especially violent riots” took place near the southern Gazan city of Rafah, where three people were killed after trying to plant an explosive, the military added. The military also said it would “act forcefully against any terrorist activity,” and it carried out an airstrike on Hamas military posts in northern Gaza after Israeli troops came under fire.

 At demonstrations near the Bureij Camp in central Gaza, Ahmed Loulou, 22, released a cluster of balloons carrying a Palestinian flag. He had written in marker: “We are returning. This is our land.”

 The load was briefly caught in a power line before bobbing unsteadily toward the border.

 Loulou said that it was his first time at the demonstrations and that he had been persuaded to come by friends.

 Meanwhile, young men fired stones from slingshots as they sheltered behind earthen berms. Shortly afterward, the sound of live ammunition zinged through the air over the sound of the afternoon call to prayer.

 “Sniper! Sniper!” shouted a young boy.

 A Palestinian man throws leaflets dropped Monday by the Israeli military during Monday’s protests along the Israel-Gaza border. (Mohammed Salem/Reuters)

 The vast majority of demonstrators were unarmed, but near a parking area, a man pulled out an AK-47 and took aim at an Israeli drone dropping leaflets. He let off a stream of bullets into the air and brought it down. Later, more gunfire was heard as Palestinian factions argued over who would keep the downed drown, onlookers said.

 As the death toll neared 50, loudspeakers called for protesters to leave the border area. Hamas leader Ismail Haniya was called to Cairo on Sunday night in an apparent attempt to persuade the militant group to quell the demonstrations. No agreement was made, Hamas spokesman Taher al-Nounou said as he attended the protests. “They understood our points. Our people are showing their solidarity with Jerusalem today, and showing their anger with the U.S. administration.”

 Hamas’s Interior Ministry said seven of its members were killed, including a medic from the civil defense, two internal security staff and a military intelligence official. At least 12 journalists were injured, according to the Health Ministry.

 The demonstrations have proved to be a welcome distraction for Hamas, refocusing anger against Israel as frustration built against the group in Gaza.

 At a news conference as evening fell, senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayaa said the protests would continue.

 “This blood will keep boiling until the occupation leaves forever,” he said.

 At a morgue, the blood was washed off the bodies of those killed before they were taken away by waiting relatives. Dressed in a blue Chelsea soccer shirt, Ahmed Jundiya, 20, was waiting for the body of his 20-year-old cousin.

 Jundiya himself hadn’t been at the demonstrations.

 “I wanted to go, but my parents said no,” he said. “You can see the result of participating,” he added, motioning toward the room where his relative lay.

 Anne Gearan in Washington and Sufian Taha in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

 Read more

 Trump’s embassy move has triggered deadly protests. These maps explain why.

 New U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem: A stone plaque and $400,000 in renovations

 Trump’s ‘buy now, pay later’ foreign policy ||||| FILE - In this July 1, 2017, file photo, pastor Robert Jeffress, of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, speaks as he introduces President Donald Trump during the Celebrate Freedom event at the Kennedy... (Associated Press)

 FILE - In this July 1, 2017, file photo, pastor Robert Jeffress, of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, speaks as he introduces President Donald Trump during the Celebrate Freedom event at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. In a tweet Sunday, May 13, 2018, Senate candidate Mitt... (Associated Press)

 FILE - In this July 1, 2017, file photo, pastor Robert Jeffress, of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, speaks as he introduces President Donald Trump during the Celebrate Freedom event at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. In a tweet Sunday, May 13, 2018, Senate candidate Mitt... (Associated Press) FILE - In this July 1, 2017, file photo, pastor Robert Jeffress, of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, speaks as he introduces President Donald Trump during the Celebrate Freedom event at the Kennedy... (Associated Press)

 WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate candidate Mitt Romney of Utah says a prominent Baptist minister shouldn't be giving the prayer that opens the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem because he's a "religious bigot."

 In a tweet Sunday night, the former Massachusetts governor and 2012 Republican presidential nominee criticized Dallas minister Robert Jeffress for his remarks about Jews, Mormons and Islam.

 Romney said, "Robert Jeffress says 'you can't be saved by being a Jew,' and 'Mormonism is a heresy from the pit of hell.' He's said the same about Islam."

 The liberal group Media Matters reports on its website that Jeffress made the remarks cited by Romney in a 2011 speech at the conservative Values Voter Summit.

 Jeffress responded in a tweet of his own by defending his view that "salvation is through faith in Christ alone."

 "Historic Christianity has taught for 2,000 years that salvation is through faith in Christ alone. The fact that I, along with tens of millions of evangelical Christians around the world, continue to espouse that belief, is neither bigoted nor newsworthy,: Jeffress said in the tweet,

 The role of Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, a Southern Baptist megachurch, underlines the significance of the Jerusalem event as an appeal to Christian conservatives, part of President Donald Trump's base of supporters. |||||Summary:

– One of Israel's biggest sports teams has given itself a new name in honor of the opening of the new US Embassy in Jerusalem—and the man who made it possible. Soccer club Beitar Jerusalem says it is now called Beitar Trump Jerusalem and the change will be permanent. "President Trump has shown courage, and true love of the Israeli people and their capital," the team said in a statement. The team, which is in second place in Israel's top soccer league, is notorious for anti-Arab and anti-Muslim sentiment, according to the Times of Israel. In other developments: Deadly violence: Israeli soldiers killed 16 protesters near the Gaza border and injured hundreds more ahead of the opening, say Palestinian health authorities, per the AP. That makes Monday the deadliest day of protests since they began six weeks ago, reports the Washington Post. Mitt Romney speaks out. Romney said Sunday night that a Dallas minister shouldn't deliver the embassy's opening prayer because he is a "religious bigot," the AP reports. "Robert Jeffress says 'you can't be saved by being a Jew,' and 'Mormonism is a heresy from the pit of hell.' He's said the same about Islam," Romney tweeted. In response, Jeffress said it isn't bigoted to teach that "salvation is through faith in Christ alone."


Article:
Richardson police say the parents of a 3-year-old girl who went missing after being left outside Saturday have hired attorneys and are no longer cooperating with investigators. (Published Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017)

 An attorney representing the mother of a missing 3-year-old girl in Richardson said Wednesday that the woman is "distraught" over the disappearance of her daughter.

 Attorney Kent Starr met with Sini Mathews at the family's home and then briefly addressed reporters outside. Starr said the parents have two attorneys to avoid any potential conflict of interest.

 Starr said Mathews has spoken with Richardson police and has cooperated with police. He said all she wants is for her daughter back and is "very hopeful that her daughter will be returned."

 But Richardson police told NBC 5 that both parents stopped co-operating over the weekend.

 Attorney Says Mother of Missing Richardson Girl 'Distraught'

 An FBI Evidence Response team worked through the night Tuesday to process the Richardson home of a missing 3-year-old girl. (Published Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017)

 The child, Sherin Mathews, was reportedly last seen at 3 a.m. Saturday by her father, Wesley Mathews.

 Mathews told investigators that he told the child to stand by a tree, 100 feet from their home, after not drinking her milk, according to police. He reported the child missing five hours later, police said.

 Wesley Mathews was arrested Saturday on a child endangerment charge, and he was released Sunday night on $250,000 bond.

 Police have said the girl's mother was asleep and is not facing charges.

 Speaking as to why Sini Mathews has hired an attorney, Starr said everybody has a right to legal council and the fact the Wesley Mathews may be accused of a crime is not indicative that his wife is involved.

 "There has been no accusations of wrongdoing against Mrs. Mathews," Starr said.

 Attorney Says Mother of Missing Richardson Girl 'Distraught'

 An FBI Evidence Response team worked through the night Tuesday to process the Richardson home of a missing 3-year-old girl. (Published Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017)

 FBI Evidence Team Processes Home

 An FBI Evidence Response team worked through the night Tuesday to process the family's Richardson home.

 The search for the adopted girl has also expanded beyond the immediate neighborhood.

 The FBI Evidence Response team arrived at about 7 p.m., shortly after Richardson police knocked on the door with a search warrant. The team could be seen combing for clues in the front and back yards.

 Richardson police would not elaborate on what prompted the search, only saying it is where the "natural progression of the investigation" led them.

 One of three vehicles taken from the home of a missing 3-year-old to be examined for possible clues in the child’s disappearance has been released, according to Richardson Police.

 Raw Video: Attorney for Mother of Missing Richardson Girl Speaks

 An attorney representing the mother of a missing 3-year-old girl in Richardson speaks to reporters after meeting with the woman at the family's home. (Published Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017)

 A Lexus, driven by Sini, was returned to her late Wednesday. Two other vehicles, an Audi and a minivan, remain in police custody.

 Police confirmed the girl is still considered missing and said no arrests have been made in her disappearance.

 An Amber Alert was discontinued Monday afternoon because there had been no new information in the case, but authorities said the alert could be re-activated in the future.

 A criminal defense attorney spent about an hour at the home late Tuesday afternoon, but left without answering questions from the media.

 Meanwhile, Richardson police provided Tuesday a more detailed timeline of the disappearance of the girl and the time that elapsed before she was reported missing by her father, 37-year-old Wesley Mathews.

 According to police, the girl's father told detectives he directed the girl to stand next to a tree behind the fence at their home after she wouldn't drink her milk at about 3 a.m. Saturday. The tree is across an alley and about 100 feet away from the home.

 FBI Evidence Team Processes Home of Missing Girl, 3

 The FBI Evidence Response Team investigates a Richardson home Wednesday morning where a three-year-old girl went missing early Saturday. (Published Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017)

 A police affidavit said Mathews returned to get his daughter about 15 minutes later, but he discovered that she was gone. He set out to try to find her, but was unable to.

 Mathews then went inside his home, hoping she would return on her own, according to police Sgt. Kevin Perlich. Mathews then did a load of laundry and wanted to wait for daylight to search for her again.

 The father didn't notify police that his daughter was missing for about five hours, Perlich said, adding that the delay in reporting the matter "is certainly concerning to us."

 "That does not seem like a normal response that one would do if you have a missing child," Perlich said.

 The girl's father was arrested Saturday on a charge of abandoning or endangering a child. He was released from jail Sunday night on a $250,000 bond.

 Police said the girl’s mother was reportedly asleep during the entire incident. She does not face charges at this time.

 Missing for 4 Days, Search for Child Intensifies

 The search for 3-year-old Sherin Mathews intensified Wednesday, four days after she was first reported missing. (Published Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017)

 Officials with Texas Child Protective Services removed the toddler's 4-year-old sister from the family Monday and placed her in protective custody as police continue to search for the missing child.

 CPS would only say they have had "contact" with the Mathews family before, but "details are confidential."

 Police said Wesley Mathews told detectives he knew coyotes were seen in the area where he left his daughter, but investigators say there's no indication one may have dragged the girl away.

 Ongoing Search

 The search for the girl has expanded beyond the neighborhood and include making contact with sex offenders in the area and businesses that could potentially have useful surveillance video.

 "We don't have any other indication or evidence that she was forcibly abducted from that area," Perlich said.

 FBI Evidence Team Now at Home of Missing 3-Year-Old

 Richardson police are providing a more detailed timeline of the disappearance of 3-year-old Sherin Mathews and the time that elapsed before she was reported missing by her father. (Published Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017)

 Sherin Mathews is described as 3 feet tall and 22 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a pink top, black pajama bottoms and pink flip-flops.

 Police said the toddler has "developmental issues and has limited verbal communication skills." The Mathews family adopted the girl two years ago at an orphanage in India.

 Sherin was malnourished when the couple took her in, and Mathews told investigators it wasn't unusual for the girl to wake up late at night to eat so that her weight would increase, Perlich said.

 Investigators have seized three vehicles, cellphones and laptops from the family in an effort to find out what became of Sherin, Perlich said. Footage from surveillance cameras in the area also is being reviewed.

 Community Reacts

 “I don’t know what happened,” said Philip Mathew, Sherin Mathews's great-uncle.

 3-Year-Old Richardson Girl Missing Since Saturday

 Richardson police are providing a more detailed timeline of the disappearance of 3-year-old Sherin Mathews and the time that elapsed before she was reported missing by her father. (Published Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017)

 Mathew and others arrived at the family’s home on Monday evening, but no one answered the door.

 Mathew insists the girl's parents are good people.

 “They’re nice people. The parents are believers in Christ,” he said.

 Meanwhile, members of Emmanuel Bible Chapel in Irving, where Sherin and her parents are members, printed fliers with the girl's description and posted them in and around the Richland Meadows neighborhood over the weekend. Joanna Cherian walked around to any post she could find and taped fliers.

 “I can’t believe I have to do this right now,” she said in disbelief. “I never thought this day would come that the cutest baby in our church has gone missing.”

 Church elder Jose Cherian was asked about the allegations surrounding the girl's father.

 3-Year-Old Richardson Girl Missing Since Saturday

 An Amber Alert for 3-year-old Sherin Mathews, of Richardson, has been discontinued Monday afternoon, but the child remains missing. (Published Monday, Oct. 9, 2017)

 “I can’t say anything about that,” he responded.

 Cherian did speak about the girl’s mother, who police say is not facing any charges at this time.

 “She’s very much worried and depressed,” he said. “If anyone have in possession baby Sherin, please bring back and report to police, to Richardson police. Those who, any of you who brings the baby God will bless you. God will reward you,” he said.

 Anyone with information about Sherin Mathews or her location was asked to contact the Richardson Police Department at 972-744-4800.

 NBC 5's Diana Zoga contributed to this report.

 Copyright Associated Press / NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth ||||| RICHARDSON (CBSDFW.COM) – The disappearance of a three-year-old girl in Richardson could have started as punishment for not drinking her milk.

 The new information is emerging as police release a report following yesterday’s arrest of the little girl’s father. Meanwhile, little Sherin Mathews is still missing. An Amber Alert was issued Saturday afternoon.

 The report released by Richardson police is Wesley Mathew’s version of events from early Saturday morning. Mathews told police he took his daughter outside their backyard at 3 a.m.

 “Wesley Mathews said he directed his daughter to stand near a large tree… because she wouldn’t drink her milk,” says the report. “At approximately 3:15 a.m., he went back to the spot where he directed his daughter to stay and she was gone.”

 The report says Mathews showed police where he left the three-year-old, about 100 feet outside the family’s backyard fence.

 “Wesley Mathews later told [the detective] he knew coyotes had been seen in the alley where he left his daughter,” says the report.

 A neighbor who asked to not use his name says Wesley and his wife, who was interviewed by police but is home now, struggled to conceive. They finally gave birth to a little girl, who is a year older than Sherin. About a year and a half ago, the couple announced they adopted a little girl from India.

 “They felt since God gave them that baby as a miracle baby, they could help another little one without a family out,” said the neighbor.

 With Sherin still missing, Richardson police flooded the neighborhood Sunday, asking neighbors for surveillance video. Yesterday, the family’s van and two SUVs were towed by police.

 The Mathews’ church friends are doing their best to help, passing out fliers in the neighborhood. They wouldn’t say how they are reconciling information put out by police and the man they went to church with.

 “We, at this moment, we are not saying anything about that,” said church member Jose Cherian. “We are not sure about anything. I don’t want to say anything if we are not sure about it.”

 The Amber Alert that was issued for Sherin yesterday is still active. Her father is being held at the Richardson jail, charged with child endangerment. ||||| Kent Starr, who is representing Sini Mathews, said that "all she wants is for her daughter to be returned."

 Sherin Mathews was last seen about 3 a.m. outside her family's Richardson backyard. Her father, Wesley Mathews, reportedly was punishing her for not drinking her milk.

 Asked why his client had retained a lawyer, Starr said that Sini Mathews has cooperated with police and that "everybody has a right to legal counsel."

 Starr — who spent nearly two hours inside the home in the 900 block of Sunningdale before speaking briefly to reporters — stressed that there were no charges against the girl's mother.

 "They adopted Sherin; they love Sherin," he said of the family. When asked why Sini Mathews hasn't spoken publicly, he said "some individuals mourn differently." |||||Summary:

– A 3-year-old girl who was sent outside in the wee hours of Saturday morning as punishment for not drinking her milk has not been seen since. Police say Wesley Mathews, 37, told them he sent his toddler daughter Sherin out of the family's Richardson, Texas, home around 3am and told her to stand outside near a tree about 100 feet from the house. He told police he returned for her 15 minutes later but she was gone; the family reported Sherin missing around 8am. An Amber Alert was issued for her, but has since timed out and was discontinued Monday afternoon due to a lack of new information in the case, NBC DFW reports. Wesley Mathews was arrested Saturday on a charge of abandoning or endangering a child. Texas Child Protective Services removed Sherin's 4-year-old sister from the home Monday and placed her in protective custody. CPS says it has had past "contact" with the family but would not divulge details. Sherin has "developmental issues and ... limited verbal communication skills," per police. She was adopted from an orphanage in India two years ago. One member of the family's church calls the little girl "the cutest baby in our church," and a church elder says the girl's mother, who is not currently facing charges, is "very much worried and depressed." The tree where Wesley Mathews allegedly sent his daughter is behind a fence and across an alley from the family's home, the Dallas News reports. Per a police report cited by CBS DFW, "Wesley Mathews ... told [the detective] he knew coyotes had been seen in the alley where he left his daughter."


Article:

Roger Stone, a former Trump campaign advisor and personal friend of the president, says if Congress votes to impeach President Donald Trump, there will be all-out Civil War in the U.S.

 "The people who are calling for impeachment are the people who didn't vote for him. They need to get over it," Stone said to TMZ in an airport baggage claim on Wednesday this week.

 "They lost. Their candidate had every advantage: They spent two billion dollars, we spent $275 million. Sorry, we whipped their ass. It is over. You lost," he said.

 He added, warning: "Try to impeach him. Just try it. You will have a spasm of violence --an insurrection-- in this country like you have never seen before... Both sides are heavily armed, my friend."

 "This is not 1974," Stone, who worked in the White House during Nixon's resignation, added. "People will not stand for [the impeachment of President Trump]. Any politician who votes for it would be endangering their own life."

 He explained: "There will be violence on both sides. Let me make this clear: "I'm not advocating violence, I am predicting [violence]."

 Asked if he is saying that Trump's removal from office would lead to a Civil War, Stone said: "Yes, that is what I think will happen." ||||| President Trump's former campaign adviser Roger Stone told TMZ that any politician who votes to impeach Trump “would be endangering their own life.”

 “Try to impeach him. Just try it,” Stone said. “You will have a spasm of violence, an insurrection in this country like you have never seen before. Both sides are heavily armed, my friend.”

 Stone said members of Congress who are advocating for Trump’s impeachment need to “get over it.”

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 “The people who are calling for impeachment are the people who didn’t vote for him,” Stone said. “They lose. Their candidate had every advantage.”

 “Sorry, we whipped their ass,” he continued. “It’s over. You lost.”

 A small coalition of House Democrats has led the charge in pushing to impeach Trump. In July, Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) formally introduced articles of impeachment against Trump over his firing of former FBI Director James Comey, arguing the move amounted to obstruction of justice.

 Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) announced last week that he would introduce articles of impeachment against Trump over his comments following the violence at a white supremacist rally in Virginia.

 Democratic leadership have pushed back on the impeachment efforts. House Minority leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a statement that Congress should set up an independent commission to investigate Trump’s potential ties to Russia.

 “Leader Pelosi has repeatedly called for an outside, independent commission to get to the bottom of Trump’s connection to Russia’s interference in our election and to examine ways to protect the integrity of our democracy from foreign meddling in the future,” Ashley Etienne, a spokeswoman for Pelosi, said in a statement. |||||
What is a summary?

– Roger Stone did little to calm America's overheated political climate with remarks to TMZ this week: The veteran GOP strategist said any attempt to impeach President Trump would cause violence like America has never seen before—and any politician who voted for it would "endanger their own life. "The people who are calling for impeachment are the people who didn't vote for him. They need to get over it," said Stone, a personal friend of Trump who advised his campaign in its early days. "They lost. Their candidate had every advantage: They spent two billion dollars, we spent $275 million. Sorry, we whipped their a--. It is over. You lost." "This is not 1974," warned Stone, who served in the Nixon administration, RealClearPolitics reports. "Try to impeach him. Just try it," he said. "You will have a spasm of violence—an insurrection—in this country like you have never seen before... Both sides are heavily armed, my friend." Stone said he wasn't advocating violence, only predicting it. Some House Democrats have been pushing for impeachment, though Democrat leaders have been more cautious, calling for an independent commission to investigate Trump's Russia ties instead, the Hill reports. (Stone has denied accusations that he colluded with Russian agents to help Trump.)


News article:

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 Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. ||||| Emergency responders work at Table Rock Lake after a deadly boat accident in Branson, Mo., Thursday, July 19, 2018. A sheriff in Missouri said a tourist boat has apparently capsized on the lake, leaving... (Associated Press)

 BRANSON, Mo. (AP) — At least 13 people, including children, died after a boat carrying tourists capsized and sank on a lake during a thunderstorm in a country music mecca in southwest Missouri, authorities said Friday.

 Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Jason Pace said four people remain missing Friday after the Ride the Ducks boat sank on Table Rock Lake in Branson Thursday evening. He said 14 people survived, and that seven of them were injured.

 Patrol divers found two more bodies early Friday, raising the death toll from 11 to 13, Pace said.

 A spokeswoman for the Cox Medical Center Branson said four adults and three children arrived at the hospital shortly after the incident. Two adults are in critical condition and the others were treated for minor injuries, Brandei Clifton said.

 Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader said Thursday that stormy weather likely made the boat capsize. Another duck boat on the lake made it safely back to shore.

 Steve Lindenberg, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Springfield, Missouri, said the agency issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the Branson area Thursday evening. Lindenberg said winds reached speeds of more than 60 mph (100 kph).

 "It's a warning telling people to take shelter," he said.

 Rader said an off-duty sheriff's deputy working security for the boat company helped rescue people after the boat capsized. Dive teams from several law enforcement agencies assisted in the effort.

 The National Transportation Safety Board said investigators will arrive on the scene Friday morning.

 Suzanne Smagala with Ripley Entertainment, which owns Ride the Ducks in Branson, said the company was assisting authorities with the rescue effort. Smagala added this was the Branson tour's only accident in more than 40 years of operation.

 Branson is about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of Kansas City and is a popular vacation spot for families and other tourists looking for entertainment ranging from theme parks to live music. An EF2 tornado that bounced through downtown Branson in 2012 destroyed dozens of buildings and injured about three dozen people, but killed no one.

 Duck boats, which can travel on land and in water, have been involved in other deadly incidents in the past. Five college students were killed in 2015 in Seattle when a duck boat collided with a bus, and 13 people died in 1999 when a duck boat sank near Hot Springs, Arkansas.

 Safety advocates have sought improvements since the Arkansas deaths. Critics argued that part of the problem is that too many agencies regulate the boats with varying safety requirements.

 Duck boats were originally used by the U.S. military in World War II to transport troops and supplies, and later were modified for use as sightseeing vehicles. ||||| Emergency responders work at Table Rock Lake after a deadly boat accident in Branson, Mo., Thursday, July 19, 2018. A sheriff in Missouri said a tourist boat has apparently capsized on the lake, leaving... (Associated Press)

 Emergency responders work at Table Rock Lake after a deadly boat accident in Branson, Mo., Thursday, July 19, 2018. A sheriff in Missouri said a tourist boat has apparently capsized on the lake, leaving several people dead and several others hospitalized. (Nathan Papes/The Springfield News-Leader via... (Associated Press)

 BRANSON, Mo. (AP) — At least 11 people, including children, died after a boat carrying tourists on a Missouri lake capsized and sank Thursday night, the local sheriff said.

 Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader said five people remain missing and seven others were hospitalized after a Ride the Ducks boat sank on Table Rock Lake in Branson.

 A spokeswoman for the Cox Medical Center Branson said four adults and three children arrived at the hospital shortly after the incident. Two adults were in critical condition and the others were treated for minor injuries, Brandei Clifton said.

 Rader said the stormy weather was believed to be the cause of the capsizing. Another duck boat on the lake was able to safely make it back to shore.

 Steve Lindenberg, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Springfield, Missouri, said the agency issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the Branson area Thursday evening. Lindenberg said winds reached speeds of more than 60 mph.

 "It's a warning telling people to take shelter," he said.

 Rader said an off-duty sheriff's deputy working security for the boat company helped rescue people after the accident.

 Dive teams from a number of law enforcement agencies were assisting in the effort, but the sheriff said the divers ended their search for the night.

 The National Transportation Safety Board said on Twitter that investigators will arrive on the scene Friday morning.

 Suzanne Smagala with Ripley Entertainment, which owns Ride the Ducks in Branson, said the company was assisting authorities with the rescue effort. Smagala added this was the Branson tour's first accident in more than 40 years of operation.

 Branson is about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of Kansas City and is a popular vacation spot for families and other tourists looking for entertainment ranging from theme parks to live music.

 Duck boats, known for their ability to travel on land and in water, have been involved in other deadly incidents in the past. They include one in 2015 in Seattle in which five college students were killed when a boat collided with a bus, and one in 1999 that left 13 people dead after the boat sank near Hot Springs, Arkansas.

 Safety advocates have sought improvements to the boats since the Arkansas incident. Critics argued that part of the problem is numerous agencies regulate the boats with varying safety requirements.

 Duck boats were originally used by the U.S. military in World War II to transport troops and supplies, and later were modified for use as sightseeing vehicles. ||||| BRANSON, M0. — It had been a nice summer day here in the Ozarks, and the duck boat filled with sightseers was coasting through a calm Table Rock Lake. Then the wind began to pick up and the water started to churn as a powerful thunderstorm crashed through.

 Rain pummeled the amphibious boat, waves tossed it like a toy, 65 mph gusts of wind hit it with spray, and water crashed over its bow. As the boat struggled toward the dock and safety for its 29 passengers and two-member crew, it was overwhelmed. Gripping video footage from the lake showed the boat seesawing and lurching in unrelenting waves. Before long, the small, flat-bottomed, half-boat half-bus capsized and sank, plunging to the bottom of the lake and killing more than half of the people aboard.

 By the end of the day Friday, authorities had recovered the bodies of 17, a list of victims that crossed generations, ranging from 1 to 76 years old, many of them out-of-state visitors — including nine members of one family. Authorities said the captain survived, while the boat’s driver was killed. Branson Mayor Karen Best identified the driver as local resident Robert “Bob” Williams, 73.

 Late Friday night, authorities released the names of the passengers who died. Four, including Williams, were from Missouri: William Asher, 69; Rosemarie Hamann, 68; Janice Bright, 63; and William Bright, 65. Two — Steve Smith, 53; and Lance Smith, 15 — were from Arkansas. One, Leslie Dennison, 64, was from Illinois.

 The remaining nine were from Indiana, all from the Coleman family: Angela, 45; Belinda, 69; Ervin 76; Glenn, 40; Horace, 70; Reece, 9; Evan, 7; Maxwell, 2; and Arya, 1. Only two members of the family survived.

 Duck boats are a popular tourist attraction in cities across the country, allowing passengers to sightsee by land and water in the same vehicle. The boat here, near this resort town in southwest Missouri, had been on a regular tour around Table Rock. Though Table Rock Lake is normally placid, some authorities and experts said Friday that it is unclear why operators did not heed forecasts and warnings that the potentially violent storm was approaching.

 [The violent storm behind the duck boat tragedy was well-predicted, not ‘out of nowhere’]

 Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader told reporters that he believed the boat — which he said was one of two duck boats still on the lake during the storm — sank because of the weather. When asked Friday whether he thought operator or design error played a role in the tragedy, Rader declined to answer. The second boat made it back to the dock safely.

 Jim Pattison Jr., president of Ripley Entertainment, which bought the duck boat operation in 2017, said in an interview Friday that it appeared the storm came on suddenly on a lake that normally is “very, very flat,” taking the crew by surprise. He said the boat captain has 16 years’ experience.

 “We’re absolutely devastated,” Pattison said. “Our hearts just really go out to everybody, and it’s just something that is very sad.”

 Suzanne Smagala, a spokeswoman for Ripley Entertainment, said that the company later became aware of the severe weather alert that had been issued before the storm and that boat captains receive weather alerts by email or text message. “However, we don’t know if the captain received it” on Thursday night, she said.

 “When the weather picked up, the captain turned it around,” she added. The boat was heading toward the shore when it capsized.

 Though tourists might have known generally that thunderstorms were expected sometime Thursday, meteorologists had been tracking the storm for hours, and their forecasts offered considerable lead time. The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm watch at 11:20 a.m., nearly eight hours before the storm struck, and at that time, it predicted “widespread damaging winds likely with isolated significant gusts to 75 mph possible.”

 The Weather Service then issued a severe thunderstorm warning — indicating a violent storm was imminent — at 6:32 p.m., about 30 minutes before police were called about the boat capsizing.

 Marshall Shepherd, a past president of the American Meteorological Society and a professor at the University of Georgia, tweeted that the “tragedy was completely preventable.”

 “This is not 1901,” he wrote. “We have satellites, advanced radars, good weather models, all short-term weather information showed that storms approaching well before the boat was on the water.”

 Authorities said they expected to recover the sunken boat late Friday from its resting place in 80 feet of water. Rader said the boat went down in about 40 feet of water but rolled to a deeper point and ended up on its wheels.

 “It’s going to take time to know the details of everything that occurred,” Gov. Mike Parson (R) said at a news briefing Friday, noting that the sprawling investigation had just begun. “Until that investigation is completed, I don’t think it’s my place or anyone’s place to speculate all the things that could have happened or why they happened.”

 The duck boat that sank Thursday was owned by Ride the Ducks Branson, a tourism company that takes people on tours of the Ozarks by land and water using the amphibious vehicles. Ride the Ducks is a national duck tour operator with locations across the United States, and Ripley’s purchase of the Branson company last year added to its collection of more than 100 entertainment venues. Those include the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! franchise and the Guinness World Records Attractions, as well as mazes, haunted houses, traveling shows and other attractions across the United States and 10 other countries worldwide.

 Pattison told The Post on Friday that the company bought Ride the Ducks Branson — to date, Ripley’s only duck boat outfit — in part because Ripley already had a Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium in Branson.

 A press release announcing the purchase described the tour as a 70-minute, guided amphibious tour that takes passengers through the Ozarks. At the time of the announcement, the company operated 22 duck vehicles from March to November. The announcement has since been removed from Ripley’s website.

 Duck boats were originally developed as amphibious military vehicles used in beach landings. The duck boat tours in Branson include a trip up a nearby mountain to look at decades-old military equipment.

 While some tourism duck boats were converted from the Army’s World War II-era “DUKW” boats, those used by Ride the Ducks Branson were replicas, the company said, updated with modern safety equipment.

 Smagala said the boat tragedy was the first accident involving the duck boats in Branson. The company has been operating in the city for 40 years and is “a staple of Branson,” Smagala said.

 Federal investigators also headed to the scene to join state and local officials, with the National Transportation Safety Board dispatching a “Go Team” to the lake to help probe the latest disaster involving duck boats, which have been involved in several fatal accidents in water and on land. Thirteen people died in 1999 when a duck boat took on water and sank while touring Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Ark. The NTSB found that when the boat was converted for tourism, it was not given enough built-in buoyancy to stay afloat if flooded. Just seven minutes after that boat entered the lake, it sank in 60 feet of water.

 In 2015, a Ride the Ducks boat crashed into a charter bus on the Aurora Bridge in Seattle; five college students were killed and dozens of other people injured. Ride the Ducks International agreed the following year to pay $1 million for violating federal safety regulations, according to the Seattle Times.

 Flowers and a note rest on a car believed to belong to a victim of the duck boat accident in Branson, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

 Two passengers on a duck boat were killed in 2010 near Philadelphia when a barge collided with the smaller vessel. The NTSB determined that the accident — which caused the duck boat to sink — occurred because the person guiding the barge was focused on his cellphone, although federal investigators also criticized the duck boat’s operator, Ride the Ducks, for actions they said contributed to the accident.

 Some of the deadly accidents show dangers that come with some versions of the hybrid vessels. Often the boats are covered by thick canopies that shield riders from the sun and rain, but can create an obstacle to safety in emergencies, trapping passengers inside as the vessels sink.

 Four of the passengers who died on the Miss Majestic in 1999 in Arkansas were pinned against the underside of the canopy.

 “Contributing to the high loss of life was a continuous canopy roof that entrapped passengers within the sinking vehicle,” an NTSB report on the incident said.

 The Coast Guard issued nationwide standards for inspections of the vehicles in December 2000, which still cover the industry. The NTSB recommended in 2002 that built-in flotation devices or other means be added to the retrofitted military boats to make sure the vessels “remain afloat and upright.”

 The duck boats in Branson are popular with tourists and locals alike, said Best, the mayor. She said she could not recall previous problems with the two companies that have operated the boats in the 16 years she has lived in Branson.

 “The duck boats are such a great asset to our community,” she said. “As a local, I’ve ridden in them I can’t tell you how many times.”

 1 of 26 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × The scene after a duck boat sinks, killing 17 during a storm near Branson, Mo. View Photos The boat was touring Table Rock Lake when a thunderstorm swept in. Authorities said 31 people were on board. Caption The boat was touring Table Rock Lake when a thunderstorm swept in. Authorities said 31 people were on board. Trent Behr Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue.

 Many tourists riding similar boats in the District on Friday were undeterred by news of the fatal event in Missouri, viewing it as an isolated occurrence.

 As a fleet of boats operated by DC Ducks filed into Union Station on Friday afternoon, the Valdonedo family disembarked with wide smiles. The vacationers from Panama planned to stay in the nation’s capital for a week, and they said they had no intention of changing their plans to ride the duck boat.

 “One random accident doesn’t mean they’re a bad company,” said Gabby Valdonedo, 25. “It’s a good way to see the city.”

 Her sister, Monique Valdonedo, 19, added that duck boats are “way more fun than going down the Metro.”

 But other tourists expressed some concern about the amphibious tours. Tiffany Li, 19, was visiting Washington with a friend on Friday and considered taking a DC Duck tour to pass time before their train back to New York.

 “Clearly it’s a safety issue,” said Kume. “The boats don’t seem that stable, but tourists don’t know any better. They just pay to have fun.”

 Li compared the danger to riding a roller coaster at an amusement park. “You don’t want to question things when you’re having a good time, so you just don’t think about it,” she said.

 Ultimately, they decided against taking the tour, though Li said the decision was based more on money than safety.

 Branson, near the Arkansas border, is a destination for country and live-music fans, with many acts covering Elvis, Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton standards. Its main boulevard includes Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede Dinner Attraction, and Silver Dollar City, an 1800s-themed amusement park. Best, who is in her second term in office, said the city has about 10,000 residents and welcomes more than 8 million visitors yearly; July is one of its busiest months.

 Best and her staff prepared Branson City Hall as a refuge for those waiting for news of their loved ones, and the city brought in certified grief counselors. Best said she saw one of the grief counselors take wet socks from a young man and dry them with the bathroom hand drier. “That was such a small thing, but for that young man, having dry socks was such an improvement from being cold and wet,” she said. “Little things like that meant a lot to the families.”

 Seven passengers were injured, and two of those were in serious condition.

 Williams, the driver of the boat, lived in Branson with his wife of 30 years. He was described as having loved his role promoting Branson.

 “Every time you saw him he was smiling,” Best said. “He was a great guy. He loved Branson.”

 Victor Richardson, a grandson of Williams’s, said in a telephone interview that “he was the calmest spirit you could ever meet.”

 Police were called about the duck boat sinking shortly after 7 p.m. Thursday, officials said. While dive teams headed to the scene, people already there began to help, Rader said. Among those helping were one of his deputies, who was off-duty and providing security on the Branson Belle, a showboat used for lake tours.

 The weather had been nice until shortly before the disaster, Allison Lester, who saw what happened from a nearby boat, said in a television interview.

 “The wind really picked up bad, and debris was flying everywhere, and just the waves were really rough,” Lester told “Good Morning America” on Friday. “It was just suddenly and out of nowhere.”

 In video captured by onlookers from the lake, two duck boats can be seen plunging up and down in choppy waves and high spray. One boat lags behind the other, nose-diving into the water.

 “Oh my gosh, oh no,” a woman is heard saying in the background of the video. “Somebody needs to help them.”

 Crazy storm... 17 fatalities on Table Rock Lake. Lakesideresort.com #tablerock #lovetablerock #tablerocklake #branson Posted by Lakeside Resort & Restaurant on Table Rock Lake on Thursday, July 19, 2018

 Berman, Chiu and Wax reported from Washington. Abigail Hauslohner, Michael Laris, Luz Lazo, Deanna Paul, Julie Tate, Jason Samenow, Samantha Schmidt and Rachel Siegel in Washington contributed to this report. Ristau is a freelance journalist based in Tulsa. |||||
What is a shorter version of the above article?

– Severe weather is being blamed for what could be America's deadliest "duck boat" disaster. Authorities in Branson, Missouri, have confirmed that at least 13 people, including children, died Thursday night when an amphibious boat carrying tourists capsized and sank in Table Rock Lake. Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Jason Pace said Friday that four people remain missing, reports the AP. He added that 14 people survived, and that seven of them were injured. Stone County Sheriff Douglas Rader said the boat apparently sank due to intense winds and thunderstorms in the area, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Rader said some of the 31 people on the boat were rescued by an off-duty deputy who was in the area. National Weather Service meteorologist Steve Lindenberg says a severe thunderstorm warning was issued for the area Thursday evening, the AP reports. Eyewitness video shows the boat being struck by huge waves. "Duck boats," originally used by the military in World War II, have been involved in several other deadly accidents nationwide, including a sinking in Arkansas that killed 13 people in 1999, though a Ride the Ducks spokeswoman says this is the first accident in more than 40 years of operation in Branson. "I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the captain did his best," Roger Braillier, captain of another duck boat, tells the Washington Post. "All of our hearts are completely broken right now."


Summarize this article:

Life-long presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich launched his latest candidacy with the slogan: “Win the Future.” If that sounds familiar, you probably watched Obama’s State of the Union address, where he debuted it to the world–or you saw the recent White House Correspondents Association dinner where Obama relegated it to joke status (start at 2:54 of Obama’s own parody video).

 What most folks don’t realize–and the Atlantic deftly discovered today–is that Newt Gingrich, whose campaign only launched this week, actually registered “American Solutions for Winning the Future” with the IRS under section 527 of the tax code on October 6, 2006. The group has handled his political ops ever since.

 The catchphrase failed to catch on with pushes from both politicians. And both Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert had a field day with it; senior economic advisor to the President, Austan Goolsbee, strained to contain his laughter after Jon Stewart indulged himself with the question, “Is that how we win the future?”

 Stephen Colbert devoted a small segment to the doomed slogan back in January, “Yes! We’ll win the future. If we just keep pumping quarters into it, this thing’s gotta pay off.” ||||| By Chris Good

 The former House speaker was into "winning the future" years before the president adopted the slogan. But it's cool, his campaign says.

 Little-known fact: When President Obama unveiled his new slogan, "Winning the Future," he ripped off Newt Gingrich.

 In October of 2006, Gingrich registered a new political group with the IRS under section 527 of the U.S. tax code: American Solutions for Winning the Future. Since then, the group has operated as Gingrich's main political arm.

 Then in his 2011 State of the Union speech, Obama unveiled "Winning the Future" as his new slogan. The White House uses the slogan frequently, and seems likely to keep using it as the 2012 reelection campaign heats up.

 Gingrich still uses the catch-phrase, too, despite the president having co-opted it. In fact, he's using it to campaign against Obama. Here's the front page of Gingrich's presidential campaign website, Newt.org:

 I asked Gingrich's 2012 campaign how the former speaker feels about Obama ripping him off so egregiously. Apparently he doesn't mind.

 "We think it's great," spokesman Rick Tyler wrote in an email. "We intend to have a head on debate of whose policies will actually win the future and whose policies will lose the future." |||||

– Newt Gingrich’s website proudly displays a 2012 catchphrase: “Win the Future.” That's right, the same phrase President Obama has been using since his 2011 State of the Union address. Did Gingrich steal it? Nope, discovers the Atlantic: The ex-speaker registered the political organization "American Solutions for Winning the Future" with the IRS in 2006, many moons before Obama uttered those three words. Now Gingrich is stealing the phrase back, though it has hardly been a sweeping success for the Obama administration, notes Fast Company. Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert relentlessly made fun of it, even prompting stifled laughter from an Obama advisor. But Gingrich’s team thinks it's “great” that both campaigns have employed the slogan: “We intend to have a head on debate of whose policies will actually win the future and whose policies will lose the future,” said a rep. (In other Gingrich news, he grumbled about Obama last night.)


Here is a news article: Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue.

 The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website:

 We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking “I agree” below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. ||||| Washington (CNN) President Donald Trump sent a $25,000 personal check to the family of a fallen soldier the same day that The Washington Post reported that he had promised the soldier's father a personal donation during a June condolence call but never followed through.

 A White House official confirms to CNN that the President sent a personal check Wednesday to the family of Army Cpl. Dillon Baldridge Wednesday. Baldridge, 22, was killed in June by an Afghan police officer

 "The check has been sent," Lindsay Walters, White House spokeswoman, told CNN on Wednesday. "It's disgusting that the media is taking something that should be recognized as a generous and sincere gesture, made privately by the President, and using it to advance the media's biased agenda."

 White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told CNN that it was a personal check from Trump.

 The timing of Trump's donation raised questions because the Post reported Wednesday that White House official initially declined to discuss the events in detail but later told them the check had been sent.

 "'I'm going to write you a check out of my personal account for $25,000,' and I was just floored," Baldridge told the Post of his conversation with Trump. "I could not believe he was saying that, and I wish I had it recorded because the man did say this. He said, 'No other president has ever done something like this,' but he said, 'I'm going to do it. "

 A White House spokesperson, speaking on background, said the check has been "in the pipeline" since the President's conversation with the father.

 "The President has personally followed up several times to ensure that the check was being sent. As stated earlier the check has been sent," the spokesperson said.

 When asked why it took so long for the funds to be sent, the spokesperson added: "There is a substantial process that can involve multiple agencies anytime the President interacts with the public, especially when transmitting personal funds. In this situation there were other agencies involved."

 The spokesperson did not say which agencies were involved or elaborate on the process.

 Knowledge of Trump's pledge to Baldridge comes amid the ongoing flap about how presidents handle condolence calls to families of those killed in action and Trump's feud with a Democratic congresswoman over his call with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, who was killed earlier this month in Niger.

 Trump called Myeshia Johnson on Tuesday and, according to Democratic Rep. Frederica Wilson, the President said that the serviceman killed "knew what he signed up for, but I guess it still hurt."

 Trump denied that he ever said that.

 "I didn't say what that congresswoman said. Didn't say it at all," Trump told reporters during a Wednesday meeting on tax reform in the Cabinet Room. "She knows it. And she now is not saying it. I did not say what she said."

 At the same time, the White House is dealing with Trump stating that President Barack Obama didn't call all the families those killed during his presidency and suggesting that reporters ask his chief of staff, retired Gen. John Kelly, whether Obama called him after his son died in Afghanistan.

 Kelly's son Robert died when he stepped on a landmine in Afghanistan in 2010. Kelly, a retired four-star Marine general, was a lieutenant general at the time. |||||
A summary of this is?

– The father of a soldier killed in Afghanistan in June says he was "floored" when President Trump promised to write him a check for $25,000—but it never arrived. Chris Baldridge tells the Washington Post that when Trump called a few weeks after his son, Army Sgt. Dillon Baldridge was killed, he told the president that he and his wife were struggling to deal with the fact that their son and two others were killed by a rogue Afghan police officer instead of in battle. Baldridge, a construction worker in North Carolina, says Trump offered him $25,000 after he complained that his son's $100,000 death benefit would go to his ex-wife instead of his parents, even though he can "barely rub two nickels" together. "He said, 'I'm going to write you a check out of my personal account for $25,000,' and I was just floored," Baldridge says. "He said, 'No other president has ever done something like this.'" But no check arrived in the following months, and Baldridge says Trump also failed to follow through on a promise to have his staff set up an online fundraiser. CNN reports that when asked about Baldridge's case Wednesday, White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said the check "has been sent." "It's disgusting that the media is taking something that should be recognized as a generous and sincere gesture, made privately by the president, and using it to advance the media's biased agenda," she said. (Trump is feuding with another Gold Star family.)


Here is a news article: Oakleigh Ryan Nance has been a true blessing ever since the moment she entered this world at 3 pounds. She was small and premature, but she was and is a fighter. Oakleigh started off on 4 liters of oxygen and within 3 days she was breathing nothing but air and saturating between 98 and 100%. In the NICU, they used to call her Miss Sassy because of her ability to express her displeasure with her circumstances.Oakleigh had grown normally and her health was excellent up until a couple of months ago when she came down with a sudden fever. Out of nowhere, her fever spiked to 104. It just so happened that Oakleigh had a severe UTI that probably had invaded her kidneys.After going on antibiotics, the fever went away but returned a week later. She has battled with reoocurring infections over the latest months and was then hospitalized for further testing.The tests revealed that Oakleigh has stage 3 kidney reflux.This is rather common with this condition, but the bacteria associated with her infection was a dangerous, antibiotic resistant strain of Pseudomonas.While she was in the hospital, tests were done on her heart which revealed moderate ASD and pulmonary stenosis.This is especially concerning when you consider the infection and the involvement of the kidneys.Oakleigh is currently scheduled for surgery at the end of this month.They will be operating to fix the reflux in her left kidney, which now has 22% functionality, in hopes to eliminate future infections.This will be about a 4 ½ hour procedure.Her left kidney is actually 2 kidneys, with 2 different ureters which will have to be cut back to a length that will prevent reflux.She will also have to have a pocket on the outside of the kidney removed.The next step after healing from the surgery is to meet with the cardiologist to discuss additional testing for her heart condition.Oakleigh has a long road ahead of her, but God has her hand every step of the way and for that we are extreemly thankful.Oakleigh is surrounded by a loving and supportive family and on their behalf, we thank you for your support.God Bless! ||||| What is a pseudomonas infection?

 A pseudomonas infection is caused by a very common type of bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa (say "soo-duh-MOH-nuss ay-roo-jee-NOH-suh").

 Healthy people often carry these bacteria around without knowing it and without having any problems. Sometimes these germs cause minor problems like swimmer's ear and hot tub rash. But for people who are weak or ill, these germs can cause very serious-even deadly-infections in any part of the body.

 Recommended Related to Health A-Z Aspergillosis Important It is possible that the main title of the report Aspergillosis is not the name you expected. Please check the synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and disorder subdivision(s) covered by this report. Read the Aspergillosis article > >

 The infections are hard to treat because the bacteria can resist many types of antibiotics, the medicines normally used to kill bacteria.

 Who gets this infection?

 People in the hospital may get this infection. In hospitals, the bacteria can spread through medical equipment, cleaning solutions, and other equipment. They can even spread through food. When they spread to patients who are weak because of illness, surgery, or treatment, they can cause very serious infections. For example, pseudomonas is one of the main causes of pneumonia in patients who are on breathing machines.

 Burn victims and people with puncture wounds may get dangerous pseudomonas infections of the blood, bone, or urinary tract. The bacteria can also get into the body through IV needles or catheters.

 These bacteria like moist environments, such as hot tubs and swimming pools, where they can cause a skin rash or swimmer's ear.

 People who wear contact lenses can get serious eye infections if the bacteria get into their contact lens solutions. This can happen if you aren't careful about keeping your contact lenses and equipment sterile.

 What are the symptoms?

 Symptoms depend on where the infection is. If it's in a wound, there may be green-blue pus in or around the area. If you have swimmer's ear, your ear aches. If the infection causes pneumonia, you may get a cough. When the infections are elsewhere in the body, you may have a fever and feel tired. But all pseudomonas infections can make you very sick if they spread through the bloodstream (septicemia). A serious infection can cause symptoms of high fever, chills, confusion, and shock. ||||| OKLAHOMA CITY - An Oklahoma infant is fighting for her life inside a metro hospital.

 She isn’t even a year old yet, but doctors say she’s contracted a “super strain” of E. coli.

 Her family doesn’t know how she contracted the serious bacterial infection, and investigators with the CDC are looking into the case.

 Oakleigh Nance has been in and out of the hospital for months after she was born with a kidney issue.

 Now, her family is hoping she can fight off this disease before an upcoming kidney surgery that could save her life.

 Oakleigh is just 11-months-old.

 “She has such a great personality. When she’s feeling good, she’s rambunctious, just like any other normal kid,” said Chris Curtis, Oakleigh's grandfather.

 Oakleigh was born premature, weighing only three pounds.

 She spent a lot of time in the NICU, but she went home and seemed to be in perfect health for six months.

 Then, the trouble began.

 Oakleigh came down with a bacterial infection.

 She went back to the hospital, and on Monday, her family got the awful news.

 She was diagnosed with a critical case of E. coli.

 “With this strain of E. coli, it can get in her brain, it can get in her spinal cord, basically cause her to go into cardiac arrest. And we heard that it was a very, very scary situation,” Curtis said.

 What’s also concerning, Curtis says, is that because Oakleigh has already had so many antibiotics for those previous health issues, the family is running out of options.

 "The real problem that Oakleigh faces is the fact that at such a young age, she’s been exposed to so many antibiotics. The E. coli she has is resistant to a lot of antibiotics that are out there,” Curtis said.

 While doctors race against the clock, Oakleigh’s family says their faith is what’s keeping them going.

 “I know that God is in control of all else, and when I think about what’s going on in her life, I think about my faith in God. That’s what sustains me and gets me through it,” Curtis said.

 Oakleigh’s kidney surgery is scheduled for the second week in August.

 Now, her family is trying to raise money through a GoFundMe account to cover those medical expenses.

 See a mistake? Report a typo here. |||||
A summary of this is?

– An Oklahoma girl diagnosed with "super" E. coli is facing a life-or-death battle—and worse, she's only 11 months old. "With this strain of E. coli, it can get in her brain, it can get in her spinal cord, basically cause her to go into cardiac arrest," her grandfather, Chris Curtis, tells KFOR. "And we heard that it was a very, very scary situation." Her family says it's not clear how Oakleigh Nance got the infection, which appears resistant to antibiotics, but the CDC is investigating. It all started when Oakleigh was born premature at only 3 pounds and "started off on 4 liters of oxygen," according to a GoFundMe page to help pay her medical bills. "In the NICU, they used to call her Miss Sassy because of her ability to express her displeasure with her circumstances," the page says. Then she went home and was fine for months until a 104-degree temperature and severe urinary tract infection sent her back to the hospital. Since then, she's been diagnosed with moderate ASD and pulmonary stenosis of the heart, stage 3 kidney reflux, and "a dangerous, antibiotic resistant strain of Pseudomonas," says the GoFundMe page. Now doctors are planning a 4 1/2-hour procedure on her kidney, which is functioning at 22%, to possibly prevent other infections. "I know that God is in control of all else, and when I think about what’s going on in her life, I think about my faith in God," says Curtis. "That’s what sustains me and gets me through it." (Read about a brain-eating bacteria that has returned to Louisiana.)


In a resignation letter, Sebastian Gorka cited "forces" that do not support President Trump's "MAGA promise" as being ascendant in the White House. White House aide Sebastian Gorka ousted from post

 Sebastian Gorka, a deputy assistant to the president who was closely aligned with former chief strategist Steve Bannon, was ousted from the White House, officials said Friday.

 In a resignation letter, published Friday night by The Federalist and confirmed by POLITICO, Gorka cited “forces” that do not support President Donald Trump’s “MAGA promise” as those that drove him out of the White House.

 Story Continued Below

 But a White House official indicated in a statement that Gorka had been forced out: "Sebastian Gorka did not resign, but I can confirm he no longer works at the White House," the official said.

 In the resignation letter, Gorka wrote: “Regrettably, outside of yourself, the individuals who most embodied and represented the policies that will ‘Make America Great Again,’ have been internally countered, systematically removed, or undermined in recent months,” Gorka wrote.

 A second White House aide said Gorka's departure was a continuation of new White House chief of staff John Kelly's effort to shape president's staff. "Questions remain," the aide said, about whether Sebastian Gorka's wife, Katie Gorka, an official at the Department of Homeland Security, would stay on after her husband's White House departure.

 Gorka's departure came one week to the day after Bannon was fired from his White House position.

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 The latest high-profile resignation from the populist faction of Trump’s ideologically divided West Wing erupted over a major policy disagreement about Afghanistan. Gorka, a White House official said, disagreed with Trump’s decision to dispatch more American troops to Afghanistan, a tortured decision the president outlined in his first national security address, on Tuesday night.

 In his resignation letter, Gorka wrote that “the fact that those who drafted and approved the speech removed any mention of Radical Islam or radical Islamic terrorism proves that a crucial element of your presidential campaign has been lost.”

 The news of Gorka’s departure was greeted with resignation by Trump loyalists, who believe the president has handed over too much power to military officers and former generals — including his new chief of staff, John Kelly, and national security adviser H.R. McMaster — and is losing any connection to the base that elected him.

 “I guess that means the seven-day-in-May crowd is making steady progress and trying to convert the Trump administration to George Soros-style globalism,” said political operative Roger Stone, a longtime Trump adviser and confidant. “The decision over Afghanistan was very disappointing. I’m sorry that Gorka is leaving. He’s one of the few people who actually voted for Trump and understands Trump’s worldview.”

 Stone, who helped Trump think through his presidential bid, warned that while he is not yet throwing in the towel on the Trump presidency, “I can find another candidate for 2020 who can win the primary, believe me.”

 Gorka was closely aligned with Bannon, and often attended meetings as Bannon’s surrogate and worked with his former Breitbart colleague in his West Wing office.

 Internally, Bannon was his biggest defender against skeptics who accused him of holding anti-Semitic views and playing up his intellectual status by insisting on going by “Dr. Sebastian Gorka.” But he was not seen as a power player in the administration other than as an effective television surrogate. That role endeared him to Trump but made him thin-skinned about the media that covered him: He often blocked mainstream-media journalists from following him on Twitter.

 It was not clear whether Gorka, like Bannon, would return to Breitbart News, where he previously served as national security editor.

 Eliana Johnson and Tim Starks contributed to this report. ||||| A pair of House Democrats unveiled proposals on Friday to cut off the salaries of controversial White House aides Stephen Miller and Sebastian Gorka.

 California Democratic Reps. Jared Huffman and Barbara Lee submitted amendments to a government spending package expected on the House floor after Labor Day.

 The language of their amendments prohibit the use of federal funds to pay the salaries of Miller and Gorka, specifically naming both aides in the legislative text.

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 Miller makes $179,700 annually as an assistant to the president and senior adviser for policy, while Gorka earns $155,000 as a deputy assistant to the president and strategist, according to an official list of White House salaries.

 The lawmakers submitted their amendments a week after Stephen Bannon resigned as President Trump’s chief strategist and returned to his post leading Breitbart News, which he once described as “the platform for the alt-right.”

 Miller previously worked as communications director for Attorney General Jeff Sessions Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsWarren: Trump should have fired Pruitt ‘28 scandals ago’ Judge rejects Trump administration's request to block California sanctuary laws Texas nonprofit helping to reunite migrant families calls Trump an 'incompetent loser' MORE while he was serving in the Senate. Gorka, meanwhile, was a former national security editor at Breitbart.

 Huffman and Lee accused Miller and Gorka of encouraging white supremacists, citing Miller’s involvement in Trump’s travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries and Gorka's work at Breitbart.

 "The removal of Steve Bannon is an important first step in rooting racism from the White House. But, Sebastian Gorka and Stephen Miller's continued presence in the West Wing ensure that Steve Bannon's sick ideology will persist in this Administration. Now is the time for Congress to take a clear stand against hate and refuse to authorize salaries of White House officials who embrace the views of white supremacists, white nationalists and Neo-Nazis,” Lee said in a statement.

 Richard Spencer, a prominent white nationalist, told Vanity Fair that he mentored Miller while they were both at Duke University. But Miller has disputed that account and told Mother Jones in 2016 that “I completely repudiate his views, and his claims are 100 percent false.”

 Gorka drew controversy for wearing a medal from a Hungarian order, Vitezi Rend, that was founded by an ally of Adolf Hitler. But he has said he wore the medal to honor his late father, who was awarded it for fighting communism.

 The House Rules Committee, which is controlled by the majority party leadership, will meet when Congress returns to Washington after Labor Day to decide if the amendments submitted by Huffman and Lee will get floor votes.

 Given GOP leaders’ desire to publicly stay out of Trump’s personnel controversies or stage uncomfortable votes relating to the president, the amendments are unlikely to be granted time on the House floor. ||||| Sebastian Gorka is resigning his post as Deputy Assistant to President Trump, multiple sources familiar with the situation have told The Federalist.

 In a blunt resignation letter, the national security and counterterrorism expert expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of the Trump administration. “[G]iven recent events, it is clear to me that forces that do not support the MAGA promise are – for now – ascendant within the White House,” Gorka wrote. “As a result, the best and most effective way I can support you, Mr. President, is from outside the People’s House.”

 Gorka’s letter expressed unhappiness with the direction the Trump administration’s foreign policy has taken, as signaled by the president’s recent speech on Afghanistan:

 “Regrettably, outside of yourself, the individuals who most embodied and represented the policies that will ‘Make America Great Again,’ have been internally countered, systematically removed, or undermined in recent months. This was made patently obvious as I read the text of your speech on Afghanistan this week…

 “The fact that those who drafted and approved the speech removed any mention of Radical Islam or radical Islamic terrorism proves that a crucial element of your presidential campaign has been lost…

 “Just as worrying, when discussing our future actions in the region, the speech listed operational objectives without ever defining the strategic victory conditions we are fighting for. This omission should seriously disturb any national security professional, and any American who is unsatisfied with the last 16 years of disastrous policy decisions which have led to thousands of Americans killed and trillions of taxpayer dollars spent in ways that have not brought security or victory.”

 During his time in the Trump administration, Gorka focused on issues such as countering the Muslim Brotherhood, the crisis in Qatar, supporting efforts to draft a new long-term national security strategy, and combatting China’s economic warfare. Before coming to the White House, Gorka was the Major General Matthew C. Horner Chair at Marine Corps University and also contributed to Breitbart News.

 Gorka’s tenure at the White House was marked by unusually vociferous attacks against him and his family by left-leaning media organizations and the Democratic Party. This includes personal attacks against his wife, mother, and son.

 A source close to the White House said of his decision, “This was more or less going to be a done deal when Bannon submitted his resignation. Not because he didn’t have a protector, but because there is no point in having your life ruined every day if you’re not going to get much accomplished.” The same source said that what did change after Bannon left was that anti-Bannon factions began erecting bureaucratic road blocks to undermine Gorka internally.

 The Forward has written dozens of attack pieces against Gorka, including several attempting to align him with Nazism. Most recently that publication retracted a story about his son’s schoolwork. Gorka strenuously objected to allegations he had ties to Nazi groups in his family’s home country of Hungary, where he had previously been involved in national politics. Even detractors eventually acknowledged the Nazi accusations were unfair smears.

 In his letter, Gorka made clear that he believes in the promise of the Trump presidency despite being concerned about its present direction.

 “Your presidency will prove to be one of the most significant events in modern American politics. November the 8th was the result of decades during which the political and media elites felt that they knew better than the people who elect them into office. They do not, and the MAGA platform allowed their voices to be heard,” he wrote, adding, “Millions of people believe in, and have chosen, you and your vision of Making America Great Again. They will help eventually rebalance this temporary reality.”

 UPDATE: In response to this story, an anonymous White House official reportedly said, “Sebastian Gorka did not resign, but I can confirm he no longer works at the White House.” |||||

Write a summary.

– Will Steven Miller be next? Controversial Trump aide Sebastian Gorka, an ally of Steve Bannon, is out of the White House. He appears to have been ousted as part of chief of staff John Kelly's push to clean house, reports the New York Times. "Sebastian Gorka did not resign, but I can confirm he no longer works at the White House," a White House official tells Politico. Even if the 46-year-old Gorka didn't officially resign, he was clearly preparing to do so—the conservative Federalist ran portions of his resignation letter in which he expressed disappointment over what he sees as the White House's new direction. "It is clear to me that forces that do not support the MAGA promise are—for now—ascendant within the White House,” Gorka wrote. “As a result, the best and most effective way I can support you, Mr. President, is from outside the People’s House.” In the letter, Gorka took particular exception to the new Afghanistan strategy unveiled by the president. Like Bannon, Gorka opposes sending new troops. And “the fact that those who drafted and approved the speech removed any mention of Radical Islam or radical Islamic terrorism proves that a crucial element of your presidential campaign has been lost." Gorka had focused on national security issues in his role as deputy assistant to the president and had plenty of critics. In fact, two House Democrats recently unveiled legislation seeking to bar Gorka and Miller from collecting White House salaries, reports the Hill. The lawmakers accused the pair of encouraging white supremacy. Gorka had been a contributor to Breitbart News before joining the White House, and it wasn't clear whether he would rejoin Bannon there now that he's out.