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2017年6月30日星期五
BEIJING FLEXES MUSCLE Xi warns Hong Kong to avoid 'red line'
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday said any activities in Hong Kong seen as threatening China's sovereignty and stability would be "absolutely impermissible," employing some of his harshest language yet toward pro-democracy activities in the territory.
In a speech marking 20 years since the city became a semi-autonomous Chinese region after its handover from Britain, Xi pledged Beijing's support for the "one country, two systems" blueprint, under which Hong Kong controls many of its own affairs and retains civil liberties including free speech.
Any attempt to challenge China's sovereignty, security and government authority or use Hong Kong to "carry out infiltration and sabotage activities against the mainland is an act that crosses the red line, and is absolutely impermissible," Xi said.
Xi rode in an open-top jeep past rows of soldiers lined up on an airstrip on his visit to the People's Liberation Army garrison. He called out "Salute all the comrades" and "Salute to your dedication" as he passed 3,100 soldiers arranged in 20 formations.
It was a rare display of the Chinese military's might in Hong Kong, where it normally maintains a low-key presence. China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, is expected to make a port call next month.
Pro-democracy supporters fear Beijing is tightening its grip on Hong Kong and undermining guarantees of wide autonomy under "one country, two systems."
Nathan Law, a former student protest leader elected to Hong Kong's semi-democratic legislature last year, was among those arrested.
U.S. officials said they were concerned that China's Communist leaders weren't sticking to their promises.
"Looking ahead to the remaining 30 years of 'one country, two systems,' we cannot allow Hong Kong to go the way of Beijing's failed authoritarianism," Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., chairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, said in a statement.
Xi said Hong Kong had to do more to shore up security and boost patriotic education, in a veiled reference to legislation long-delayed by popular opposition.
And he appeared to put on notice a new wave of activists pushing for more autonomy or even independence, saying challenges to the power of China's central government and Hong Kong's leaders wouldn't be tolerated.
"Making everything political or deliberately creating differences and provoking confrontations will not resolve the problems," he said. Hong Kong "cannot afford to be torn apart by reckless moves or internal rifts."
While former colonial master Britain and other Western democracies have expressed concerns about Beijing's actions in Hong Kong, China has increasingly made clear it brooks no outside criticism or attempts at intervention.
Xi said China had made it "categorically clear" in talks with Britain in the 1980s that "sovereignty is not for negotiation."
"Now that Hong Kong has returned to China, it is all the more important for us to firmly uphold China's sovereignty, security and development interests," he said.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang sent a similar message in Beijing on Friday, saying Hong Kong was strictly China's domestic affair.
Earlier, Xi presided over a swearing-in ceremony for Carlie Lam, Hong Kong's fifth chief executive since 1997. The life-long bureaucrat and her Cabinet swore to serve China and Hong Kong and to uphold the Basic Law, the territory's mini-constitution.
In a speech that ran far shorter than Xi's 32-minute address, Lam reviewed the dynamic financial center's achievements and challenges, pledged to support central government initiatives and declared that "the future is bright."
Lam prevailed over a much more popular rival in an election decried by many as fundamentally undemocratic, with only a sliver of a percent of Hong Kong's more than 3 million registered voters taking part.
Xi was due to return to Beijing midday Saturday. His three-day visit aimed at stirring Chinese patriotism had prompted a massive police presence and also included a visit to the People's Liberation Army garrison, which usually maintains a low profile in the territory.
Ahead of a flag raising ceremony Sunday, a small group of activists linked to the pro-democracy opposition sought to march on the venue carrying a replica coffin symbolizing the death of the territory's civil liberties. They were swiftly stopped by police and Chinese flag-waving counter protesters, with the action ending about an hour later.
Xi's remarks will likely fuel fears among critics that Beijing's ruling Communist Party is tightening its grip over the city's political and civil affairs following a string of recent incidents.
Those include the abductions of five Hong Kong booksellers to the mainland starting in late 2015 for selling gossipy titles about elite Chinese politics to Chinese readers. One of the men, Gui Minhai, is still being held.
In a similar case, a Chinese-born tycoon with a Canadian passport went missing earlier this year from his hotel suite. News reports indicated mainland Chinese security agents operating in Hong Kong abducted him -- a step that would violate the Basic Law.
A plan to station Chinese immigration officers in a high-speed rail terminal under construction has also raised hackles, along with the establishment of a local branch of Beijing's Palace Museum without public consultation.
Concerns are also high over the two long-delayed policies Xi referenced in his speech: the so-called patriotic national education in schools that many parents fear is a cover for pro-Communist brainwashing, and the anti-subversion national security legislation.
Inflows of "red capital" from mainland property investors and businesses are also seen as leaving indigenous tycoons at a disadvantage, while further inflating housing prices that make Hong Kong one of the world's most unequal places.
Zhang graduated last year with a master's degree in environmental engineering from one of China's elite schools, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School. She had been doing research on crop photosynthesis, which included using drones to study fields, the university's communications office has said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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END NOW, ASK QUESTIONS LATER Trump calls on Republicans to repeal health law, then work on replacement
President Trump issued a blunt challenge to Republican senators on Friday to repeal ObamaCare now and replace it "at a later date" if they are unable to strike a deal on more comprehensive legislation – as rank-and-file lawmakers also voiced concern that time is running out to strike a deal.
"If Republican Senators are unable to pass what they are working on now, they should immediately REPEAL, and then REPLACE at a later date!" Trump tweeted.
The challenge came as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was working behind the scenes to hammer out a new health care bill draft after scrapping a previous version in the face of flagging GOP support.
McConnell initially had wanted to have some semblance of a deal by Friday so it could be evaluated by budget scorekeepers and ready for a vote when lawmakers return from July 4th recess. But with no 'deal' in hand as of late Friday, talks are expected to drag on.
Asked Friday afternoon about the president's challenge, White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump hasn't changed his thinking and is still committed to working with the Senate on legislation – while exploring all options.
Republican senators are doing the same.
Nebraska GOP Sen. Ben Sasse floated a 'plan B,' saying if McConnell cannot reach a deal by July 10, the Senate should consider repealing the "maximum amount of ObamaCare" now – while adding a one-year delay before it takes effect, giving senators time to work out the details of a replacement plan.
With Congress out until July 10, calendar pressure is building.
Ten Republican senators have signed a letter calling on McConnell to cancel the August recess if significant progress hasn't been made on fixing health care, funding the government, dealing with the debt ceiling and improving the tax code.
"Our current Senate calendar shows only 33 potential working days remaining before the end of the fiscal year. This does not appear to give us enough time to adequately address the issues that demand immediate attention," they wrote.
Despite Trump's tweet, repealing ObamaCare without a plan to replace it may be unlikely, considering the confusion it could cause in the insurance marketplace and for consumers.
But crafting a new Senate bill has proved challenging. Sources confirmed to Fox News that McConnell and Ohio Sen. Rob Portman got into a heated argument earlier this week over Medicaid. McConnell pushed for trying to slow the growth of Medicaid spending, while Portman expressed concerns about this, accusing leadership of overreaching on the bill. Portman would normally be an ally, and tensions with him could portend problems for winning over several other members thought to be on the fence or resistant to the current direction.
Leadership aides lately had downplayed the significance of the supposed Friday deadline for a deal. Talks are ongoing, and aides say they still are seeking a compromise that can garner 50 votes – the minimum needed to get some version of health care legislation passed, with Vice President Pence playing the role of tie-breaker.
Amid rising premiums and diminishing insurer options in many markets, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price on Friday stressed the importance of crafting a new plan.
"The status quo is unacceptable," he told "Fox & Friends."
Senate GOP sources said there is agreement between the White House and Senate lawmakers to add at least $45 billion to address the opioid problem, which could help win over wavering senators.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, meanwhile, essentially has called for Republicans to start over and work with his party on a new bipartisan bill. In a statement, Schumer cited an updated estimate regarding the coverage impact of the now-scrapped bill in declaring, "The Senate version of Trumpcare is even worse than we thought."
"Rather than pushing a partisan bill that cuts taxes for the rich and slashes Medicaid, Senate Republicans should start over on health care and work with Democrats on a bipartisan plan to improve our health care system," he said.
Fox News' Mike Emanuel contributed to this report.
Xi draws 'red line' for handling mainland-HK ties
President Xi Jinping warns against attempts to undermine national sovereignty or challenge the central government's power.
HK celebrates 20th year since returning to motherland
HK celebrates 20th year since returning to motherland
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Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, also president of China and chairman of the Central Military Commission, arrived in Hong Kong on June 29 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, attend the inauguration ceremony of the fifth-term government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and inspect the SAR.
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MORE TIME TO ADJUST Pentagon delays enlistment of transgender recruits
The Pentagon has delayed enlistment of transgender people into the armed services for another six months.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is giving military leaders the additional time to insure the change won't affect the readiness and lethality of the force. That's according to a memo Mattis wrote that was obtained by The Associated Press.
PENTAGON BAN ON TRANSGENDER TROOPS 'LIKELY' TO BE LIFTED NEXT MONTH
Mattis' decision endorses an agreement created last week by military service leaders. That new deal rejects Air Force and Army requests for a two-year wait and reflected the broader worry that a longer delay would trigger criticism on Capitol Hill.
Under former Defense Secretary Ash Carter, the military branches had six months -- with July 1 as the deadline -- to come up with a new policy for new transgender recruits.
The new deadline is January 1, 2018.
Transgender service members have been able to serve openly in the military since 2016, but have not been allowed to enlist as new recruits.
Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Confidence vital for bright future
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Party rides on dynamism to realize Chinese Dream
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Xi urges HK leaders to support new executive
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Hong Kong's celebration shared worldwide
As Saturday's 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland approaches, Chinese embassies overseas have been busy celebrating the event.
Firms to link SAR to Belt and Road
Chinese enterprises will further contribute to Hong Kong's economic growth under the Belt and Road Initiative and will serve as a bridge connecting the mainland and the special administrative region to promote cooperation.
Visiting ship shows nation's maritime strength
The Yukun, China's first self-designed modern training vessel, will visit Hong Kong as part of the celebration marking the 20th anniversary of the region's return to the motherland, officials announced.
'One country, two systems' key to economic well-being
With the full support of the central government in Beijing, the principle of "one country, two systems" has enabled Hong Kong to capture economic opportunities from the Chinese mainland's development, while retaining a system that provides autonomy over trade and economic policies, said Clement Leung, Hong Kong commissioner to the United States.
Project keeps clean water flowing to region
The Guangdong government will continue to secure the water supply for Hong Kong, making the Pearl River Delta project a top priority, according to the head of the provincial department of water resources.
China calls for trade drive
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Li promotes Sino-Philippine ties
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Premier Li extends congratulations to May's second term
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Shanxi lauded for anti-graft fight
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KEEPING HISTORY ALIVE Vets try to save WW II-era sub berthed in NJ river
It may be off the beaten path, beyond a parking lot of a roadside diner, in fact, but this is where the USS Ling submarine has been a beloved attraction of the New Jersey Naval Museum in Hackensack, New Jersey since 1973.
Now, it's turned into a 25-hundred ton problem.
The nearly 312-foot long World War II-era vessel remains berthed along the shore of the Hackensack River, and has served as a floating museum operated by a group of loyal veterans from the Submarine Memorial Association, a nonprofit organization, who have worked for decades to keep the sub's history alive. A small museum on shore has also helped to tell the tales of submarines and ships used in the U.S. Navy, which has drawn thousands of visitors through the years.
VETERANS SEARCH FOR HOME FOR WWII SUBMARINE
But new owners of the property have plans to redevelop the area and have served the museum curators an eviction notice, creating a troubling challenge for the museum and the sub.
Les Altschuler, vice president of the Submarine Memorial Association spoke with Fox News about the dilemma, saying, "physically yes, we can move, we don't have a place right now to move to. As far as the Ling, unless someone comes up with something we haven't heard already, as to how you can move it, out of the river here, to some other place, it's going to stay in the river."
When the USS Ling was first commissioned in 1945, it was capable of being on war patrol for 60 to 90 days. Today, the vessel, which weighs 25,000 tons when submerged, is rusting and rotting in a river that is now filled with thick silt and only 3-feet deep at low tide. There's no way to float it, and it can't fit under the bridges nearby anymore because they don't open.
Then there was the problem of getting onto the sub itself. When Hurricane Sandy hit it 2012, the museum on land flooded and the sub floated. It took months for both to reopen. Visitors returned after the massive cleanup, but at the sub location, the piling support to the pier which held the gangway began to deteriorate, eventually causing the pier to break away in 2015. That led the museum and sub to shut down.
RUSSIAN NAVY TEST-FIRES SUBMARINE-LAUNCHED MISSILE
While this massive submarine doesn't technically have to go under the eviction notice because it's not on the land that developers own, environmentalists say it should, and the only way to get it out is to dismantle it, piece by piece.
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The vessel, which weighs 25,000 tons when submerged, is rusting and rotting in a river that is now filled with thick silt and only 3-feet deep at low tide. (Fox News)
Capt. Bill Sheehan, the executive director of the Hackensack Riverkeeper organization, told Fox News: "unfortunately, the only thing I think we can do is bring in equipment and cut it up and take it away."
He said when the boat arrived at the river, it was 30 feet deep. Now, at high tide, it's 10 to 12 feet deep.
"As much as I feel for the people who want to keep it operational and keep the boat on exhibit, it is just not fit for it anymore," he said.
The Hackensack Riverkeeper group is recommending that the submarine be carefully dismantled and taken away in pieces, after trying to save some of the main parts of the sub that could be memorialized.
Members of the Submarine Memorial Association disagree that the sub should be destroyed, and say if they can get the developer to take a look at some of their designs and help pay for the project, there is a way the sub can be saved – and even incorporated into the landscape that is expected to be filled with condominiums.
When asked how he would respond to those who want the USS Ling to be carved up and hauled away, Altschuler said: "What I say to those people, is that the Navy has made it quite clear that as long as the boat is in the river, it cannot be cut up. The DEP (Department of Environmental Protection), the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and every other agency will not let a submarine be cut up sitting in a river. It's not a problem to the environment because it's contained, and the boat is not being cut up from what I know and that's the last thing that any submariner wants to see."
For now, the eviction notice does not appear urgent, there are no bulldozers or construction crews on site, which means the USS Ling will stay in the silt for now, until a plan, or a project to keep the submarine afloat comes along.
To learn more or donate to the efforts to keep the USS Ling as a working museum, go to the USS Ling's Go Fund Me page: http://ift.tt/2tvcE0e
Laura Ingle currently serves as a New York-based correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC) and also frequently anchors FOXNews.com/LIVE. She joined FNC as a Dallas-based correspondent in 2005.
'LIKE INDIANA JONES' Time capsule recovered in Confederate monument
A time capsule was recovered Thursday from the controversial Confederate Memorial in Missouri.
The monument in St. Louis has since been removed and sits in storage at undisclosed location. Thursday was the final phase of deconstruction, which included the search for the time capsule, sealed in the monument more than a century ago.
And after more than 102 years, it was out of the darkness and back in the light of day.
TEMPLE OF DOOM: GRISLY 'SKULL CULT' DISCOVERY AT ANCIENT SITE
"As we were jackhammering around, we vibrated it. It popped loose," said Mark Trout, director of the Missouri Civil War Museum.
Trout said they found a concrete tablet covering a small underground pit in the monument's foundation. The pit contained the time capsule.
"It was like Indiana Jones. Lifted it up and there was the box," he said.
It was waterlogged but still sealed, Trout said.
The museum took the City of St. Louis to court to stop its demolition of the monument. The two sides then struck a deal calling for its removal and reconstruction at a battlefield, cemetery, or civil war museum outside of St. Louis city and county.
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A crane removes a sculpture from a Confederate monument in Forest Park on Monday, June 26, 2017, in St. Louis. Crews on Monday began dismantling the divisive monument after the city and the Missouri Civil War Museum reached an agreement to have it moved. (Robert Cohen /St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)
The memorial had been the target of vandalism in recent years. Critics saw its placement in a public place like Forest Park as an acceptance of racism. Debate aside there will be great interest in what's in the box.
Archives show it contains documents from the Daughters of the Confederacy, which turned over ownership of the monument to the museum. Archives also show it contains at least one other item.
SWORD FOUND IN BOG MAY TELL OF MEDIEVAL KNIGHT'S DEMISE
"We know the last thing put in the box was a magazine place in there by one of the soldiers of General Pickett's (Confederate) division at Gettysburg; the famous 'Pickett's Charge'," Trout said. "He held it up at the ceremony saying, 'Hey look, we're in the magazine. Put this in the box.' When we open that box the first thing laying on top should be the 'Star' magazine that the soldier placed there."
There may also be war medals and perhaps something to mark the controversy that has shadowed the monument from its construction and dedication in 1914. Opponents then didn't want it Forest Park either, but took the high ground.
"Their exact words were, 'Let them build them as wide as they want, as deep as they want, and as tall as they want. They will stand as milestones to see how great the Republic has come from the dark days of civil war,'" Trout said. "Those were the men who fought these men and they had that take on it."
The time capsule will be unsealed privately in the coming days, Trout said, with the contents being revealed at a fundraiser for the Missouri Civil War Museum preservation fund.
This story first appeared on Fox 2 St. Louis.
US urged to stop Taiwan arms sales
China lashed out at the United States over the Trump administration's approval of a Taiwan arms deal, with the authorities demanding the US stop the sales.
'Authoritative' history of CPC proves popular
A series of books on the history of the Communist Party of China has been well-received among readers, and more works will be published on the Party's major events, Party history researchers said.
PLA garrison key to HK prosperity, Xi says
President Xi Jinping has said the People's Liberation Army garrison stationed in Hong Kong should resolutely champion state sovereignty, security and interests regarding the country's development, and ensure Hong Kong's prosperity and stability.
June 30 2017
Our commitment to 'one country, two systems' remains unchanged, and our resolve remains firm and strong."
Auspicious future seen for Hong Kong
President Xi Jinping called on Friday for Hong Kong people to have confidence in themselves, the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the country, ahead of the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China.
TABLOID WAR Source denies Morning Joe's Enquirer claim
A top White House aide never suggested a quid pro quo during a call with Joe Scarborough regarding an upcoming National Enquirer Story, a source told Fox News – despite Scarborough's claim Friday morning that a Trump adviser recently tried to blackmail him into giving positive coverage of the president.
Scarborough made the allegation during Friday's "Morning Joe," as he and Mika Brzezinski provided a fierce response to a pair of tweets President Trump directed at the MSNBC hosts a day earlier.
But a White House source familiar with the matter said Scarborough called senior adviser Jared Kushner, with whom Scarborough has a friendly relationship, to ask about a National Enquirer article slated to run in early June regarding the relationship between Scarborough and Brzezinski, who have since announced their engagement.
Scarborough asked Kushner if there was anything that could be done about the article, the source said, given Trump's friendship with David Pecker, the chief executive of The Enquirer's parent company, American Media. Kushner allegedly told Scarborough that the former Republican congressman needed to talk to the president himself about the issue, to which Scarborough replied that Trump was angry at him. The source said Kushner answered: "Well, then maybe you should apologize."
Though Scarborough and Brzezinski were initially criticized for being too cozy with Trump during the Republican presidential primaries, the relationship eventually soured and the pair became frequent and ferocious critics of the president – even going so far as to question his mental health.
Scarborough portrayed the conversation far differently on "Morning Joe," saying a top presidential aide threatened him with a negative story unless he stopped being so negative about Trump, implying Trump's team was blackmailing him. He never identified the aide to which he spoke.
But the source who spoke to Fox News said there was nothing in the conversation between Kushner and Scarborough to suggest a quid pro quo or blackmail – merely presenting the idea that if Scarborough wanted to get back on speaking terms with the president, perhaps an apology was in order.
After "Morning Joe" concluded, Trump tweeted to deny Scarborough's charge.
"Watched low rated @Morning_Joe for first time in long time. FAKE NEWS. He called me to stop a National Enquirer article. I said no! Bad show," Trump wrote.
The Enquirer did end up running an article on Scarborough and Brzezinski's "sleazy cheating scandal," claiming their relationship began while both were married. Brzezinski divorced her husband of 23 years this year and Scarborough divorced his second wife in 2013.
In a statement from Dylan Howard, the vice president of America Media, The Enquirer defended its reporting and denied it took part in any form of blackmail.
"At the beginning of June we accurately reported a story that recounted the relationship between Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, the truth of which is not in dispute," Howard wrote on the Enquirer website. "At no time did we threaten either Joe or Mika or their children in connection with our reporting on the story. We have no knowledge of any discussions between the White House and Joe and Mika about our story, and absolutely no involvement in those discussions."
Fox News' John Roberts contributed to this report.
BREAKING NEWS: Gunman opens fire inside Bronx hospital, 1 doctor reportedly dead, others wounded
At least one person was killed inside a Bronx hospital on Friday afternoon after a gunman pulled a rifle from under his white lab coat and started opening fire.
Multiple people were wounded before the gunman killed himself, police said.
The gunfire broke out shortly before 3:00 p.m. inside the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital.
Officers searched the building floor by floor before discovering the gunman dead inside the building. There was no immediate word on a motive but a law enforcement official said the shooter may have been a former employee.
The shooter was identified as Dr. Henry Bello, according to FOX 5.
Police are still trying to identify how many people were injured. At least three doctors were shot, according to The New York Times.
The FBI currently has "a couple" of agents on scene, but the NYPD is still the lead.
NYC Mayor Bill DeBlasio has been briefed on the situation according to DeBlasio's office.
President Trump has been made aware of the incident.
Fox News' Jake Gibson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
'LACK OF OVERSIGHT' 'Obamaphone' hit by Dem over fraudulent findings
A new government audit finds more than a third of enrollees of the "Obamaphone" program may not be qualified -- among other fraudulent findings -- prompting a Senate Democrat to roundly criticize the program's "complete lack of oversight."
A report released Thursday by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) claims the program, which gives cell phones to poor people, stashed $9 billion in private bank accounts, the Washington Times reported.
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President Barack Obama (Reuters)
The 90-page report was requested by Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat who serves as ranking Democrat on the Senate's chief oversight committee and who is a former state auditor in Missouri.
"A complete lack of oversight is causing this program to fail the American taxpayer — everything that could go wrong is going wrong," McCaskill said in a statement, according to the newspaper.
"We're currently letting phone companies cash a government check every month with little more than the honor system to hold them accountable, and that simply can't continue," she said.
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Sen. Claire McCaskill (AP)
The program -- officially known as the Lifeline Program and run by the Federal Communications Commission -- predates President Obama but received attention during his time in office when recipients began to associate the free phone with other benefits given to the poor, the paper reported.
The GAO report found that about 10.6 million people have an Obamaphone, but 36 percent of them may not qualify, according to the Washington Times. The audit also concluded that more than 5,500 people were found to be enrolled for two phones, while the program was paying for about 6,400 phones for persons the government has listed as dead, the paper reported.
SLAY THE WHALES Gruesome pics show mass Faroe Islands slaughter
Faroe Islanders have turned the sea red after slaughtering hundreds of whales as part of a centuries-old hunt, which has been harshly criticized by animal rights groups.
The hunts, or "drives" date back to the late 16th century. Authorities on the Islands allow islanders to drive herds of pilot whales into shallow waters, where they are killed using a 'spinal lance' that is inserted through the animal's neck to break its spinal cord.
The grisly image shows a hunt on June 16.
'UNPRECEDENTED' ORCA HUNTING FRENZY CAPTURED ON FILM
The first hunt of this year was on May 21, according to ocean conservation group Sea Shepherd, which claims that 84 pilot whales were killed in the hunt. Hundreds more whales have died in subsequent hunts according to Sea Shepherd, which describes the drives as "incredibly cruel."
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File photo - a Faroe Islands whale hunt on July 2015. (Photo: Sea Shepherd/Mayk Wendt)
The Faroe Islands are located in the Atlantic Ocean between Iceland and Noway.
According to the Faroese Government, approximately 450 pilot whales have been killed in the Faroe Islands so far this year. Some 295 pilot whales were killed during hunts, which are known as "Grindadrap" in the local language, last year, according to official statistics. Some 501 were killed in 2015, according to official statistics.
A spokesman for the Faroe Islands government told Fox News that whaling in the islands is sustainable and conducted in accordance with international law. "There is no doubt that whale hunts in the Faroe Islands are dramatic and result in a lot of blood in the water," he explained, via email. "They are, nevertheless, well organised and fully regulated."
HUGE SEAL BATTLES OCTOPUS IN INCREDIBLE FIGHT TO THE DEATH
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The Little Mermaid statue is seen painted in red in what local authorities say is an act of vandalism, in Copenhagen, Denmark May 30, 2017. (Ida Marie Odgaard/Scanpix Denmark/via REUTERS)
The 'spinal lance' used to kill the whales was designed by a Faroese veterinarian and ensures that the mammals lose consciousness and die within a few seconds. "Normally, the entire pod of whales is killed in less than fifteen minutes," the spokesman said. "A rounded blowhole hook is used to haul the whales further up onto the shore."
The government says that the pilot whale population in the eastern North Atlantic is approximately 778,000, of which around 100,000 are around the Faroes. The Faroese catch around 800 whales a year on average, it says. The long-term annual average catch of pilot whales in the Faroe Islands represents less than 1 percent of the total eastern North Atlantic whale population, according to the spokesman for the Faroe Islands government. "It has long since been internationally recognised that pilot whale catches in the Faroe Islands are fully sustainable," he said.
The hunts can happen at any time of the year and are noncommercial - meat and blubber from each drive is shared among the local community. The whales are not an endangered species.
KILLER WHALES ARE TORMENTING ALASKAN FISHERMEN
The islands are a self-governing group of islands that is part of Denmark, but are not part of the European Union, where whaling is banned.
Last month officials in the Danish capital Copenhagen had to hose down the city's famous Little Mermaid statue after it was found doused with red paint in an apparent protest at the Faroe Islands whale hunts. On the ground in front of the statue was written in red, in English, "Denmark defend the whales of the Faroe Islands."
Activists recently urged the European Union to take action against Denmark over the Faroe Islands' whale hunt.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers
BLUE STATE BACKLASH Dem state officials won’t cooperate with Trump voter fraud probe
Democratic state officials already are refusing to cooperate with the voter fraud investigation ordered by President Trump, saying they will not hand over the extensive "voter roll data" the commission is seeking.
The response comes after Kris Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state serving as vice chair of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, wrote to all 50 states this week asking for their input as well as voter registration data.
"I have no intention of honoring this request. Virginia conducts fair, honest, and democratic elections, and there is no evidence of significant voter fraud in Virginia," Virginia Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe countered in a statement Thursday, claiming the commission is based on the "specious and false notion that there was widespread voter fraud last November."
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In this Oct. 19, 2013, file photo, Hillary Clinton applauds Terry McAuliffe during a campaign rally in the Virginia gubernatorial race. (AP)
Trump created the panel via executive order in May to review alleged voter fraud, after making the explosive claim that 3 million to 5 million people illegally voted in the 2016 presidential election.
TRUMP LAUNCHES VOTER FRAUD PROBE
In his letter, Kobach had asked for recommendations on how to improve election integrity and for guidance on which laws "hinder" that goal. But what rankled Democratic officials was his request for voter information including names, dates of birth, political party, the last four digits of Social Security numbers, voter history ("elections voted in"), felony convictions, military status and more.
Kobach specified in the letter he would only request "publicly-available voter roll data" under each state's laws.
Connecticut Secretary of the State Denise Merrill said in a statement that her office would provide such information "in the spirit of transparency." But, suggesting some of the requested data would not be sharable under state law, she said she would ensure "the privacy of voters is honored by withholding protected data." Merrill also voiced concern that state officials "have not been told precisely what the Commission is looking for."
Virginia and California were more brazen in their response.
ACLU SEEKS EVIDENCE FOR TRUMP VOTER FRAUD CLAIMS
McAuliffe, a former Democratic National Committee chairman and longtime Clinton family ally, said, "At best this commission was set up as a pretext to validate Donald Trump's alternative election facts, and at worst is a tool to commit large-scale voter suppression."
The governor declared he would not "divert resources" to this.
California Secretary of State Alex Padilla struck a similar chord, saying in a statement he would "not provide sensitive voter information to a commission that has already inaccurately passed judgment that millions of Californians voted illegally."
He added, "California's participation would only serve to legitimize the false and already debunked claims of massive voter fraud made by the President, the Vice President, and Mr. Kobach."
Kobach told The Kansas City Star he's just looking for the "best data possible."
He rejected as "nonsense" any claims that the data could be used to suppress the vote, saying, "The purpose of the commission is to quantify different forms of voter fraud and registration fraud and offer solutions. And so you have to have this data in order to do any meaningful research."
Trump's voter fraud claims and commission have been controversial from the start.
He originally called for a major investigation into voter fraud back in January, after telling congressional leaders that 3 million to 5 million people illegally voted in the November election.
Trump said the probe would focus on those registered to vote in two states, "those who are illegal" and registered voters who are actually dead.
The commission was not created until months later and was panned by critics as a vehicle to pursue his claim about millions voting illegally. Trump won the Electoral College vote, and with it the presidency, but lost the popular vote to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton by about 3 million votes.
House Speaker Paul Ryan said back in January he had seen "no evidence" to back up Trump's claim of millions of illegal votes. Trump has since said the issue mostly revolves around voter registration problems.
A 2012 Pew study indeed found evidence of outdated voter registration forms, though the author of that study tweeted earlier this year there is "zero evidence" of fraud.
There have been some documented cases of voter fraud, however, including cases Kobach has pursued in Kansas.
Kobach told Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures" in May that the commission, chaired by Vice President Pence, would look beyond the 2016 election to cover voting irregularities and fraud and registration problems.
"We'll be gathering data from all 50 states and we'll be using the federal government's databases which can been very valuable," he said at the time.
McCABE ON ROPES? Acting FBI boss may not stick around under Wray
Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe is under mounting scrutiny and increasing calls for him to step aside amid allegations of politicized leadership, conflicts of interest and significant investigative missteps at the nation's top law enforcement agency.
McCabe's close alliance with Trump nemesis and former director James Comey, the well-chronicled fact his wife took a huge campaign donation from Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and a general suspicion of the Obama intelligence community brass are all leading to pressure on FBI Director-Nominee Christopher Wray to not keep him around, according to former FBI insiders.
The latest challenge is coming from a former FBI agent who told Fox News that McCabe has created an overly politicized environment at the bureau, and her career suffered because of it.
"There is no way McCabe can survive. I'd be shocked."
"McCabe is vicious to anyone who either stands up to him or is a threat to his 'power' and [he] is a screamer," said former Supervisory Special Agent Robyn Gritz, who lost her job after 16 years with the FBI investigating some of the most high profile terrorist incidents in recent history, after getting tangled up with her superiors, who pushed her out and pulled her security clearance.
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Kallstrom believes McCabe won't last at the FBI.
One of those superiors was McCabe.
"He saw me as a real threat to his climb because I knew my stuff and had been close to John Pistole, the prior deputy director. Andy resented that big time," Gritz told Fox News.
According to Circa News, Gritz's sexual discrimination and retaliation complaint is one of three such administrative inquiries faced by McCabe.
Perhaps more damning, former FBI Assistant Director James Kallstrom said McCabe, who President Trump interviewed for the top job after firing Comey, may not have the bureau's rank and file behind him.
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McAuliff was a big donor to McCabe's wife's failed Virginia legislative campaign. (Associated Press)
"McCabe is where he's at because he's very good at relating up the chain of command, but not down the chain of command, and that's very typical of bureaucracies," Kallstrom said. "McCabe told Congress FBI morale is high. I have not heard one person from the bureau tell me the FBI is happy because the investigative unit was thrown in front of the bus."
Kallstrom was referring to McCabe's reported role in several controversial probes during the 2016 election. According to the Wall Street Journal, it was McCabe who told lower-level FBI investigators to "stand down" in their inquiry into whether illegal influence-peddling or financial crimes were being committed at the Clinton Foundation. Meanwhile, McCabe did not recuse himself from the investigation into presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's emails, despite an apparent conflict of interest involving his wife.
Jill McCabe's losing campaign for a Virginia state Senate seat reportedly received $700,000 from Clinton allies at the same time that McCabe was second-in-command at the FBI during the investigation into her use of a personal email server for State Department business and alleged mishandling of classified information.
Comey declined to bring charges after determining that Clinton "lacked criminal intent." Comey's handling of the case was sharply criticized by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in the memo outlining the rationale for firing Comey earlier this year. Kallstrom believes McCabe should have recused himself from any decisions involving the Clinton probe.
"I've talked to numerous agents that have some knowledge of what's going on inside the FBI," said Kallstrom. "The appearance of conflict of interest is substantial, and you can't have a high position in the bureau and have even the apparent conflict of interest."
Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, believes McCabe also has a conflict of interest in the ongoing probe into alleged Trump collusion with Russia in the 2016 election. The probe already cost retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn his job as Trump's national security adviser.
But even before the FBI eyed Flynn, he and McCabe had a history together, at the center of which was Gritz.
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Grassley has questions for the Department of Justice, and they involve McCabe's role in the Russia probe. (Reuters)
"McCabe wrote false and nasty comments on numerous documents about me when he had not one bit of proof of any lack of performance," Gritz told Fox News, "I was always rated in the top two ratings."
Flynn spoke out in her defense at the time, since the two had worked together when he led the Defense Intelligence Agency.
"I thought she was a real pro," Flynn told NPR. Flynn was one of several top generals, including Stanley McChrystal and Keith Alexander, who wrote commendations for her counter-terrorism work, said Gritz.
In a June 29 letter addressed to Rosenstein, Grassley, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, asked why McCabe did not recuse himself from the probe into Flynn's connections to Russia. Justice Department protocol advises employees to recuse themselves from investigations if their involvement creates even the appearance of a conflict of interest.
With Flynn a potential witness for Gritz, Grassley wondered in his letter if McCabe "had any retaliatory motive against Flynn for being an adverse witness to him in a pending proceeding."
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Flynn came to the defense of Gritz, and was later targeted by an FBI probe that involved McCabe. (Associated Press)
The FBI, DOJ and the government's Office of Special Counsel would not comment for this report.
With all of the various controversies swirling and President Trump under pressure to "drain the swamp" and fight back against the so-called "deep state," Kallstrom is not betting on McCabe lasting much longer at the bureau. Wray, who was formally advanced by the White House this week, is expected to be confirmed when the Senate takes up his nomination.
"There is no way McCabe can survive," Kallstrom said. "I'd be shocked."
BERNED OUT? Group: Sanders' wife tried to evict disabled residents
Sen. Bernie Sanders's wife has been accused of heartlessly trying to boot disabled group home residents when she was president of a Vermont college and closed on a real estate deal now under FBI scrutiny.
The home with 16 residents was on property Jane O'Meara Sanders purchased for Burlington College in 2010 as part of an expansion project, the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch claimed Thursday.
Reports this week say Sanders is under FBI investigation in connection with her role in securing financing for the project which didn't pan out and led to the college's closure.
Sanders and Sen. Sanders have reportedly hired defense attorneys in connection with the probe. Sen. Sanders called the accusations against his wife "pretty pathetic" and politically motivated.
Judicial Watch says Mrs. Sanders sent a letter to an attorney representing the HowardCenter group home in January 2011, saying she was having trouble evicting the 16 residents.
"It is simply not fair to expect the College to continue to carry the burden of the expenses associated with housing both you population and ours until February 2012," she said in the letter Judicial Watch obtained under a public records request.
"The home for the disabled was being leased from the diocese and Jane was supposed to help relocate the residents, not evict them," Judicial Watch reported. The group contended the comments showed Mrs. Sanders' heartlessness.
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Sen. Bernie Sanders and his wife Jane walk through downtown in Philadelphia during the final day of the Democratic National Convention. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
The office of Sen. Sanders, I-Vt., did not return a request for comment.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Vermont initiated eviction proceedings against HowardCenter after selling the 32-acre property to Burlington College, Vermont's alternative weekly Seven Days reported in March, 2011.
The eviction notice gave HowardCenter until November 2010 to leave.
But the diocese extended the notice after HowardCenter said it needed more time to find another home, the paper reported.
Mrs. Sanders was chagrined to be caught up in what amounted to an eviction of mentally disabled tenants, according to the paper.
"We are not trying to be the bad guys here," she was quoted as saying. "We have always said that we'd be helpful and we'd try to help them as they found a new home — and we have. At first, we agreed to delay for one semester, and even that was pushing it for us. Six months beyond that is not realistic."
Sanders told the weekly that Burlington and the diocese had made financial sacrifices to allow HowardCenter to stay past the eviction date.
"We thought a year's time was appropriate, and it's worrisome that they haven't found a place yet, but there is really no choice any longer," she was quoted as saying.
TODD STARNES Anti-religion bullies target cross, symbols on campus
East Central University said they will remove crosses, Bibles and other religious symbols from a campus chapel to appease a bunch of out-of-town agitators.
It's unclear when the Oklahoma school will commence with the Christian cleansing of the Kathryn P. Boswell Memorial Chapel. The chapel opened in 1957.
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"We will continue to use the building as we always have, for all faiths," ECU President Katricia Pierson said in a statement to the Ada News. "We do not want to presume to embrace one faith over another. We support all cultures and attempt to make them comfortable when they are here."
The university's president went on to say they are "looking at the feasibility of removing the cross on the steeple, but need to respond to the request for removal of religious icons from the chapel."
"We are exploring options for preserving the items," she said.
So on the bright side, it appears East Central University will not burn the Bibles or toss the crosses into a wood chipper.
Americans United for the Separation of Church and State is responsible for the Christian cleansing at ECU. They fired off a terse letter accusing the school of displaying "religious iconography." That letter was obtained by the Ada News.
"These displays include Latin crosses on the top of and inside the building, Bibles and a Christian altar," the letter stated. "While it is legal for a public university to have a space that can be used by students for religious worship so long as that space is not dedicated solely to that purpose, it is a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to display religious iconography on government property."
That's a great big load of legal malarkey.
Hiram Sasser, director of litigation for First Liberty Institute, said there is federal precedent to maintain chapels in taxpayer-funded facilities.
"We have a Congressional Prayer Room in the Capitol, we have chapels in government owned airports and many other government owned chapels," Sasser told me.
Sasser suspects Americans United is just testing Oklahoma's new attorney general – Mike Hunter.
"They want to see if he backs down or stands up to their ridiculous claims and I predict Mike Hunter will fight hard to preserve this historic chapel," Sasser said.
Meanwhile, many Oklahomans are furious over the university's decision to capitulate to those who want to eradicate Christianity from the public marketplace.
"I feel betrayed by our own country, upset that this could take place in America," alum Jill Tucker Brown told me. "We are a nation founded on Christianity."
Ms. Brown believes the university should stand up to the atheist and secularist bullies.
"I think it is absurd that anyone would go to this length (to remove the cross)," she told me. "If this university does not stand up for their rights, this will not be their only fight."
Anita Thomas is also a graduate of East Central University and she is heartbroken over the news.
"I am heartbroken because our country has become a place where things like this can happen," she told me. "
Much like the Islamic radicals, the atheists and secularists want to erase Christianity from the public marketplace. And they are waging their cultural jihad not with bombs – but with lawsuits.
As I wrote in "The Deplorables' Guide to Making America Great Again," it is time for patriots to mobilize and fight back. Appeasement is not the answer.
First, contact the university's president and politely voice your opinion. Second, contact Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter and urge him to fight back against this godless scourge. And finally, the university's alumni should immediately halt all funding.
If they remove the cross from the chapel – we should remove "In God we Trust" from their bank account.
Todd Starnes is host of Fox News & Commentary. His latest book is "The Deplorables' Guide to Making America Great Again." Follow him on Twitter @ToddStarnes and find him on Facebook.
PRO-HILLARY HEEL 'Progressive' wrestler draws cheers, crowds on red state ring circuit
She may have been KO'd in her prize fight against The Donald, but Hillary Clinton is still in the ring.
Sort of.
Thanks to a professional wrestler known as "Progressive Liberal" who wears a T-shirt with photos of Hillary's face on it, the former secretary of state, senator and first lady -- or at least her image -- is drawing big-time attention in some of the nation's reddest of red states.
Meet Daniel Harnsberger, a Virginia real estate agent by day, who represents Appalachian Mountain Wrestling and goes by the stage name of Daniel Richards. "The Progressive Liberal," a moniker printed on the back of his trunks, routinely taunts audiences in conservative states by denouncing country music and telling the crowd that they are uneducated and backward.
"I understand now why you all identify with country music," he says to a crowd at an Appalachian event. "It's slow and simple and it's boring, just like each and every one of you."
The crowds appear to relish Richards' bravado and effrontery because it lets them give as good as they get from him.
"I'm having a great time, I'm enjoying it," says the wrestler-political activist-provocateur to Fox News. "There's an entertainment aspect to me" about weaving political statements taking shots at conservatives into his wrestling performances.
Richards is quick to note that his schtick is no show – he really believes what he says about Donald Trump, about Republicans favoring the rich, and about people in red states being backward.
"I believe what I believe and no one is going to tell me any different," Richards says. "The right-wing do not pay attention to details they're not interested, or to listening to opinions different from their own."
But it's not just the right, it's also the left that turns a deaf ear to ideas and views that contradict theirs, he notes.
"That's the biggest problem in today in the country," he said of the polarization.
It all started a few years ago, when the coordinator of a wrestling event encouraged him to play the bad guy, and he decided to taunt the audience politically.
"After Trump's candidacy in 2015, I had the opportunity to incorporate it. My message is this, Republican policies are not working for you guys, and yet they continue to vote red. Kentucky is a poor state."
Richards, who voted for Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont lawmaker, in the Democratic primaries, and for Hillary Clinton in the general election, says he's up for his crowds' push-back.
"You have to be unapologetic about who you are and what you believe in --don't be wishy washy," he said.
Republicans stick firmly to their beliefs, and he wishes Democrats would do the same.
"I'm venting people's frustrations, I'm an outlet for them," he said. "People who lean left can relate to me, I'm speaking the things they'd like to say."
Elizabeth Llorente is Senior Reporter for FoxNews.com, and can be reached at Elizabeth.Llorente@Foxnews.com. Follow her on Twitter @Liz_Llorente.
STUDENT SEDUCTION Female teacher affairs spur double-standard debate
It was the star-crossed scandal that launched a thousand segments of "Entertainment Tonight."
In 1996 a 34-year-old married mother of four and Seattle elementary school teacher, Mary Kay Letourneau, was caught romping with one of her 12-year-old male students. She spent a few months behind bars, was caught with him in her car again. And for violating her parole she got seven years in the slammer and had to register as a sex offender.
It was pure catnip for reporters and irresistible to millions around the world.
The media's obsession with the unlikely couple reached even greater intensity when the pair got married. The nuptial was held in Washington state at the tony Columbia Winery, and the happy couple had all the expenses paid for. "Entertainment Tonight," which got exclusive access to the event, got a massive ratings bump.
The pair co-hosted episodes of "Hot for Teacher Night" at a Seattle club. In 2000 Letourneau's story was made into a film, "All-American Girl: The Mary Kay Letourneau Story."
Letourneau gave birth to one child while out on bail the first time; their second child was born while Letourneau was incarcerated. Both girls grew up under the glare of the public's eye. There was a Lifetime movie and a resurgence of attention following a Barbara Walters interview in 2015. Then, late last month, her husband filed for separation after 12 years of marriage, citing business rather than personal reasons – juicy details again snatched up by both the entertainment and mainstream media who fed the public's obsession with older women who seduce teenage boys.
It was that same obsession that made the 2004 case of Florida newlywed and middle school teacher Debra LaFave, 23, a media blockbuster. One year after her marriage, she was arrested for "lewd alliances" with a 14-year-old pupil. Ditto for the former Cincinnati Bengals – Ben-Gals -- cheerleader and high school teacher Sarah Jones. In 2012 she pled guilty to bedding a 17-year-old student – igniting yet another firestorm of infamy – and further fueled when she got out of prison the following year and the pair got engaged.
The reason for the heightened awareness has as much to do with the apparently increasing frequency of female teachers having sex with their young male students as it does with the drama that incidents like those of Letourneau spark.
The stories are relentlessly covered by tabloid media – inevitably with a mugshot of the teacher paired with "sexy" photos from her Facebook or Instagram accounts – and the stories are often predictably similar. Perhaps the teacher is found out when the boys boast about it to their friends, or when a parent finds out – and she can't evade guilt because of sexts or flesh-flashing photos she sent. Details are drawn out like a soap opera: Sex in the teacher's car; indiscrete emails and text messages, with photos; and then the discovery as the boy tells a buddy or a nosy mom finds evidence of the malfeasance. It's a virtual syndrome.
Part of the syndrome is the social acceptance. Barstool sports even "grades" each accused female teacher based on "looks," "moral compass" and "intangibles," and the likes of Saturday Night Live feature skits about hot female teachers bedding the boys from school.
Examples seem to be proliferating like rabbits. Consider the following examples, the tip of the proverbial iceberg.
Married Kentucky teacher Lindsey Jarvis, 27, ignited a media maelstrom this month after being charged with rape, sodomy and unlawful transaction with a student. Also this month, 31-year-old Connecticut teacher, Laura Ramos, was removed from her job at Central High School over allegations of sexually assaulting a special education student. Loryn Barclay, 24, was arrested Sunday and faces charges as a result of an alleged relationship with a boy while she worked as a substitute teacher.
The apparent increase in these incidents has piqued more than just popular curiosity. Scholars have begun to research and analyze the scope and nature of the syndrome.
CALIFORNIA LAWMAKERS APPROVE PROPOSAL TO END LIFETIME REGISTRY FOR SOME CHILD SEX OFFENDERS
AUSTRALIA PLANS TO BAN PEDOPHILES FROM TRAVELING OVERSEAS
Myriam S. Denov, an associate professor in the School of Social Work at Montreal's McGill University, says cultural stereotypes about women have obscured the awareness of the frequency of female sexual offending.
"While the prevalence rates of female sex offending are small when compared to rates of male sex offending, there is evidence to suggest that sexual abuse by females may be under-recognized," she says in one of her books, "Perspectives on Female Sex Offending: A Culture of Denial."
There is a great deal of data that points to "a widespread denial of women as potential sexual aggressors that could work to obscure the true dimensions of the problem," she writes in the book.
According to the Center for Sex Offender Management, a project operated by the U.S. Department of Justice, females account for around 10 percent of all sex crimes reported to authorities. However, a much higher percentage – over 30 percent – of all teacher-student sexual offenses are estimated to have been perpetrated by females. In the latest available statistics, in 2014, just under 800 school employees were prosecuted for student sex crimes – around one-third female.
Other experts are beginning to focus on why some women initiate sex with boys. Dr. Domenick Sportelli, a board-certified psychiatrist, told Fox News that the while the psychology behind sexual activity between female adult teachers and student minors is an incredibly complex one, it has its foundations in exploiting the vulnerability of the student and is "predatory" behavior by every definition.
"Its roots are based on the 'power' that the female teacher has, a position of dominance and control," Sportelli explained. "Perhaps the teacher is experiencing personal loneliness, dissatisfaction with her current relationship, feels the need for revenge, is experiencing lust or perhaps believes it is 'true love.' In many cases, there is a history of sexual and or psychological abuse toward the perpetrator. Many psychiatric pathologies can lead to this type of behavior including mood disorders, personality disorders and prior sexual trauma."
Legal experts, meanwhile, are beginning to speak out about a double standard regarding how courts treat male versus female statutory rapists.
"Men fall into the usual stereotype of somehow believing a teenage male student probably enjoyed a sexual relationship with his adult teacher. Male teachers are always labeled as predators by the public," Steve Albrecht, a Colorado-based threat assessment and school violence expert, told Fox News. "Female teachers are often mischaracterized as immature, confused or even vulnerable – even though they are just as predatory in their selection and grooming behavior to seduce that child."
The road to equality between the sexes when it comes to criminal justice remains a long one.
"Unfortunately, it is still socially acceptable for the male student to become victimized," said California-based criminal defense attorney, Leo Terrell. "Therefore the sex crime was welcomed by the male victim because he had the physically strength to prevent said crime. Such a pre-historic perspective misses the mark."
While there are no national statistics specific to teachers available, an investigation by the New Jersey Star-Ledger newspaper, which studied cases between 2003 and 2013, concluded that male teachers receive more stringent legal punishments than females.
Male defendants in the Garden State were sent to prison in 54 percent of cases compared to 44 percent of cases involving female defendants, men averaged 2.4 years behind bars while women averaged 1.6 years in lock-up for the same offense. Furthermore, out of the 97 cases followed over the decade, the longest sentence given to a female was seven years while the longest handed to a In 2011 the Denver Post found that females convicted for sexually abusing a minor in their care in the state of Colorado are also far less likely to be jailed for their crimes. Of the 2,128 men convicted of sexual assault on a child in their responsibility from 2006 to 2010, more than half were sent to prison. By comparison, 79 women were convicted of the same crime during that time, but only 38 percent imprisoned.
But whether or not the victim is male or female, the long-term consequences can be equally as detrimental.
"These victimizing relationships create huge trust issues later on when these students become adults," Albrecht added. "When their sexual boundaries are violated by adults, the consequences are long-lasting."
Hollie McKay has been a FoxNews.com staff reporter since 2007. She has reported extensively from the Middle East on the rise and fall of terrorist groups such as ISIS in Iraq. Follow her on twitter at @holliesmckay
VENUS AT FAULT? Tennis star Williams blamed for fatal wreck
Venus Williams caused a car crash that led to the death of a passenger in another vehicle earlier this month, according to a police report released Thursday.
Palm Beach Gardens police say witnesses told investigators that Williams ran a red light in her 2010 Toyota Sequoia SUV, causing a June 9 crash that injured 78-year-old Jerome Barson, who died two weeks later.
The report says a 2016 Hyundai Accent driven by Barson's wife, Linda, crashed into the side of Williams' SUV. Linda Barson told investigators that she was approaching the intersection when her light turned green and that she was unable to stop in time. Linda Barson suffered unspecified moderate injuries. Williams, who turned 37 on June 17, was not hurt.
The tennis star told investigators she had entered the six-lane intersection on a green light but had been forced to stop midpoint by traffic ahead of her. She said she did not see the Barsons' car when she crossed into their lanes.
Palm Beach Gardens Maj. Paul Rogers says the crash remains under investigation. Williams, who has a residence in Palm Beach Gardens, has not been cited or charged. The report says she was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Williams' attorney Malcolm Cunningham said in a statement that Williams expressed "her deepest condolences to the family who lost a loved one."
Michael Steinger, the attorney for Linda Barson, had no immediate comment.
Venus Williams, the older sister of tennis star Serena Williams, has won seven Grand Slam titles, including five at her favorite tournament, Wimbledon.
She revealed in 2011 that she'd been diagnosed with Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease.
Her ranking fell outside the top 100 as she coped with her illness and injuries, and from 2011 to 2014, she only advanced past the third round at a major once.
Early round losses continued to mount for Williams and questions about retirement came up time and again. Those questions are still asked, but she had a career renaissance, and in January reached the finals of the Australian Open, where she lost to her sister.
The crash was first reported by TMZ.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
FEDS MOVE IN Chicago crime wave prompts Team Trump to send reinforcements
Months after taking to Twitter to say he would send in "the Feds" to help reduce Chicago's murder rate, President Trump's administration has sent in agents to combat the ongoing violence.
Authorities confirmed Thursday to The Chicago Sun-Times about 20 additional agents with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have been sent to the city.
Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions appeared to confirm Friday that the federal government is sending help, while decrying the crime epidemic on the city's streets.
"Crime and killings in Chicago have reached such epidemic proportions that I am sending in Federal help. 1714 shootings in Chicago this year!" Trump tweeted.
Sessions also told "Fox & Friends" that his department is assisting.
"We'll have an impact in reducing shootings in Chicago," he said, while saying police there are "demoralized" and city policies are not working.
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Chicago police work at the scene of a shooting that killed multiple people on the Chicago Skyway early Wednesday, June 21, 2017, in Chicago. The shooting prompted an early-morning closure of part of the expressway that connects the city with Indiana. (Alyssa Pointer/Chicago Tribune via AP)
"Murders are way, way too high," he said.
Shortly after his inauguration, Trump tweeted "If Chicago doesn't fix the horrible "carnage" going on, 228 shootings in 2017 with 42 killings (up 24% from 2016), I will send in the Feds!"
HOW COULD TRUMP 'SEND IN THE FEDS' TO CHICAGO?
The new set of agents will work with counterparts from the Chicago Police Department and Illinois State Police on a strike force to solve shootings and arrest gun traffickers, according to the Sun-Times.
Included in the strike force are prosecutors from the U.S. attorney's office and Cook County state's attorney's office, the Sun-Times reports, who will decided whether suspects in gun crime should be charged in state of federal court
"The goal is the prosecute as many of these guys as possible federally where they will serve longer prison terms," Anthony Riccio, head of the Chicago Police Department's organized crime unit, told the newspaper.
Trump has previously voiced concern about violence in Chicago. Earlier in January, he posted, "If Mayor can't do it he must ask for Federal help!"
Vice-premier urges globalization of traditional Chinese medicine
Chinese Vice-Premier Liu Yandong Friday called for more efforts to promote traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) overseas.
President Xi meets HK dignitaries
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met here with a group of dignitaries from all walks of life of Hong Kong, urging them to take the lead in promoting exchanges and cooperation between Hong Kong and the mainland.
Xi meets central gov't officials in Hong Kong
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met with a group of central government officials based in Hong Kong and senior executives of Hong Kong branches of mainland enterprises and institutions.
Xi calls on HK youths to serve HK, country
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday called on Hong Kong youths to choose the right path and serve Hong Kong and the country, a day before the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China.
Anniversary marking HK's return to motherland celebrated in Brussels
A group of 150 European officials, diplomats and overseas Chinese celebrated the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland in Brussels on Thursday, with members discussing the great progress the special administrative region has achieved in the past two decades.
20 years on: 'One country, two systems' boosts HK development
20 years on: 'One country, two systems' boosts HK development
CPC has nearly 89.5 mln members
The Communist Party of China (CPC) had a total of 89.447 million members at the end of 2016, the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee announced Friday.
China resolutely opposes US arms sales to Taiwan: spokesperson
China resolutely opposes the United States' plan to sell arms to Taiwan, Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office said Friday.
Beijing's new international airport takes shape, eyeing 2019 launch
Beijing's new international airport is taking shape as the steel structure of its terminal buildings was completed Friday.
Newly renovated conference site opens
The new conference site of the Second National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Shanghai was officially opened to the public on Friday.
Researchers pledge enhanced study, promotion of CPC history
Communist Party of China (CPC) historians have pledged to unearth more information on the counter-Japanese war and the reform and opening-up.
'BEYOND PERSONAL' 'Morning Joe' co-hosts respond to Trump tweets
"Morning Joe" cohosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski responded Friday morning to President Trump's controversial Thursday morning tweets by questioning Trump's mental state -- and another MSNBC contributor defended his colleagues by calling Trump "physically disgusting."
Scarborough, a former Republican congressman, and Brzezinski, an author and former network corresponent, wrote a Washington Post opinion article Friday morning that went live just before "Morning Joe" went on air at 6 a.m. Scarborough and Brzezinski, who are engaged, were scheduled to be on vacation Friday, co-host Willie Geist said; however, the pair decided to appear later in the morning to again address Trump's remarks.
"President Trump launched personal attacks against us Thursday, but our concerns about his unmoored behavior go far beyond the personal," Scarborough and Brzezinski began their Washington Post piece. "America's leaders and allies are asking themselves yet again whether this man is fit to be president. We have our doubts, but we are both certain that the man is not mentally equipped to continue watching our show, 'Morning Joe.'"
Later in the column, the pair again questioned Trump's "mental health" -- as they have numerous times on air -- and said Trump had an "unhealthy obsession" with their show. They also claimed "top White House staff members warned that the National Enquirer was planning to publish a negative article about us unless we begged the president to have the story spiked."
The controversy began Thursday morning when Trump took to Twitter to criticize Scarborough and Brzezinski in a pair of messages posted near the end of their show.
"I heard poorly rated @Morning_Joe speaks badly of me (don't watch anymore). Then how come low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe, came to mar-a-Lago 3 nights in a row around New Year's Eve, and insisted on joining me. She was bleeding badly from a face-lift. I said no!" Trump wrote.
MSNBC contributor Donny Deutsch viciously attacked Trump near the top of Friday's show, declaring that when Trump "goes low" Deutsch would go just as low, turning the tables on a phrase made famous by former First Lady Michelle Obama.
"He's physically disgusting to look at," Deutsch said, adding: "He's not mentally okay."
Later, an incredulous Deutsch said: "To talk about women that way -- and the irony is you physically look like you do?"
Trump tweeted about health care on Friday morning but didn't address the "Morning Joe" firestorm.
'I DO': Trump administration adds fiancés to travel ban exemptions
The Trump administration has apparently altered its definition of a "bona fide" relationship, adding fiancés of people in the U.S. to its list of people who are exempt from its travel ban from six mainly Muslim nations.
The administration had set criteria for visa applicants from the six nations and all refugees that require a "close" family or business tie to the United States.
The guidelines sent to U.S. embassies and consulates on Wednesday said applicants from the six countries must prove a relationship with a parent, spouse, child, adult son or daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law or sibling in the U.S.
The travel ban temporarily barring some citizens of six majority-Muslim countries from coming into the United States went into effect Thursday. The new rules stop people from Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, Iran and Libya from getting a visa to the U.S. unless they have a "bona fide" relationship with a close relative, school or business in the U.S.
The new version is considered a scaled-down version of Trump's initial plan.
Hawaii Attorney General Doug Chin says he's concerned the Trump administration may be violating the U.S. Supreme Court's travel ban ruling. Chin says many of the people that the federal government decided to exclude are considered "close family" in Hawaii.
Hawaii has filed a court challenge to the Trump administration's limitations on the family relationships
Guidance released Thursday by the State Department and the Homeland Security Department adds "fiancé" to that definition of "close familial relationship."
The Associated Press contributed to this report
Huawei denies rumors that it plans to build a factory in Japan
"We plan to set up a technology research laboratory in Japan, not a factory," Huawei, a Chinese telecommunications equipment manufacturer, clarified on Thursday in response to rumors. ...
More than just high-speed trains: Chinese railcar maker expands business into electric buses
"The sales volume of our all-electric buses will climb to 7,000 this year," said Wang Jun, the vice president of the China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC), at the Forum on Intelligent Manufacturing at the First World Intelligent Congress on Thursday. ...
China to do 'CT scans' on earth: innovative project for seismologic studies launched
An innovative project for seismologic studies has been launched in China, covering four specific research plans. As a result, the country's research level and ability to forecast earthquakes and mitigate their effects will be improved in the next 10 years. ...
3D zebra crossings painted on Beijing roads to reduce accidents
Recently, 3D zebra crossings have been painted on some of Beijing's busiest crossroads. These zebra crossings have a three-dimensional effect in both day and night, reminding drivers to slow down when approaching them. ...
Customized ringing tones shame debtors into paying up
Courts in Central China's Henan province have been getting debtors to pay up by using a customized ringing tone service, Zhengzhou Evening News reported on Friday.
'TUCKER TONIGHT' Radio host: NRA ad condemns violence
Radio host Dana Loesch defended a video ad she fronted on behalf of the National Rifle Association Thursday, saying that liberal critics' reaction to it was "insane."
Loesch told Fox News' "Tucker Carlson Tonight" that the ad, titled "The Violence of Lies" was recorded in April. It features images of violent protests against conservative speakers at the University of California at Berkeley and attacks on supporters of President Trump.
"I'm talking over video clips that show actual leftist violence," Loesch told host Tucker Carlson. "Rioting, property damage, arson, physical assault, and apparently me condemning violence is what's inciting and dividing America."
The video drew condemnation from several liberal commentators and lawmakers, including Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.
Loesch called Murphy's tweet "incredibly reckless and irresponsible."
"There was nowhere in this video ... where I called for anyone to move toward violence, to silence anyone, or where I called for anyone to even pick up a firearm and enact violence," she said. "We just had a couple weeks ago, due to some of this rhetoric like we see from Sen. Murphy, had a crazy leftist lunatic go out and open fire on a bunch of Republican [congressmen] after he double-checked to make sure they were Republican.
"This has to stop, and I'm not going to stop condemning violence, and it's a shame that other people on the left, Tucker, won't do the same."
MIDDLE EAST 'ATROCITY' Watchdog: Sarin used in April attack on Syrian town
An investigation by the international chemical weapons watchdog has confirmed Friday that sarin nerve gas was used in a deadly April 4 attack on a Syrian town.
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said the attack on the town Khan Sheikhoun, in Syria's Idlib province, left more than 90 people dead, including women and children.
OPCW Director-General Ahmet Uzumcu has condemned the attack as an "atrocity" and says the "perpetrators of this horrific attack must be held accountable for their crimes."
The investigation did not apportion blame. Its findings will be used by a joint United Nations-OPCW investigation team to assess who was responsible.
President Trump cited the images when he launched a punitive strike days later, firing cruise missiles on a Syrian government-controlled air base from where U.S. officials said the Syrian military had launched the chemical attack.
It was the first direct American assault on the Syrian government and Trump's most dramatic military order since becoming president months before.
Syrian President Bashar Assad denied responsibility for the attack. Syrian ally Russia argued after the incident that the victims had died of exposure to toxic agents released when Syrian warplanes hit a rebels' chemical weapons depot.
The conclusion that sarin was used had been expected. The OPCW Director-General, Ahmet Uzumcu, said two weeks after the attack that tests carried out on samples taken from victims and survivors indicated they had been exposed to sarin or a sarin-like substance.
U.S. envoy to the United Nations Nikki Haley issued a written statement expressing confidence in the report, "which confirms what we already knew: chemical weapons were used against the Syrian people."
"Now that we know the undeniable truth, we look forward to an independent investigation to confirm exactly who was responsible for these brutal attacks so we can find justice for the victims," Haley added.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
Grateful Chinese bid farewell to flood-fighting soldiers
Over 1,000 residents took to the streets on Thursday to bid farewell to soldiers who were about to leave after 100 straight hours of fighting floods in Lanxi City, south China's Zhejiang province. Rain-triggered floods have affected many places in the province. ...
Armed police in Xinjiang conduct “Devil” training
Armed police in Altay, northwestern China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, recently received seven-day "Devil" training. ...
Odd translation of Chinese dishes’ names likely to disappear, thanks to national translation guidance
The odd translation of Chinese dishes' names into English will disappear soon, as a policy released by Chinese authorities on June 20 will take effect on December 1st. The policy will guide English translations for food and other services. ...
‘A History of the World in 100 Objects’ makes waves in Shanghai
The exhibition "A History of the World in 100 Objects" opened at the Shanghai Museum on Thursday. A hundred of the most representative objects, handpicked by the British Museum, are on display to reflect the history of the world. It is the exhibition's second stop in China after Beijing. The objects will be on display from June 29 to October 8. ...
Renowned teacher in Hangzhou refuses high-paying job, devotes energy to rural education
Sheng Zhijun, a renowned teacher at Yudafu Middle School in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, decided to devote himself to rural education, refusing high-paying jobs in training institutions. ...
China's Mobike launches service in Greater Manchester, Britain
Cyclists try out the new Mobike in Manchester, Britain on June 29, 2017. Mobike, one of China's largest bike-sharing companies, launched its service in the Greater Manchester, Britain, on Thursday. ...
HK plans to offer complete experience to tourists
Hong Kong aims to highlight its advantage as a popular destination for visitors in Asia by showcasing its image and focusing on its unique culture element, according to Aaron Liu, Hong Kong's deputy commissioner for tourism.
China unearths millennia-old Silk Road mummy, still in "good shape"
The mummified remains of a middle-aged man, believed to have walked the earth about 1,700 years ago, has been unearthed on a less frequented section of the ancient Silk Road on the edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
China, Brazil need to boost cooperation on clean, renewable energy: Chinese ambassador
China and Brazil have a solid foundation of cooperation in the energy sector ...
China's manufacturing expands for 11 consecutive months
China's manufacturing industry is continuing to accelerate in June, maintaining the sector's expansion ...
Relics discovered from ruins displayed in E China's Shandong
A relic discovered from Sanxingdui Ruins is displayed at Shan Dong Museum in Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province, June 30, 2017. About 140 pieces of relics discovered from Sanxingdui Ruins and Jinsha Ruins in southwestern Sichuan Province, typical cultural symbols of the ancient Shu Kingdom, are displayed here till Sept. 15. ...
Readers welcome series on CPC’s history
A series of publications about the Communist Party of China's history has been well-received by readers, a Party history researcher said.
West China city promotes freight train service to Europe
The number of China-Europe freight trains off from southwest China's Chengdu City will hit 1,000 this year, more than double last year.
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