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Former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway reportedly criticized former President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in her new book, calling him “shrewd and calculating” and saying he had an unchecked sense of power. In her book “Here’s the Deal,” Conway referred to Kushner as “a man of knowing nods, quizzical looks, and sidebar inquiries” and said he knew that “no matter how disastrous a personnel change or legislative attempt may be, he was unlikely to be held accountable for it,” according to The Washington Post.

The Inner Ring of the AcademyIn his 1944 lecture “The Inner Ring,” C. S. Lewis made a profound observation about social exclusivity, one applicable to today’s institutions of higher learning. Exclusion, Lewis explained, is not an evil in and of itself; it can be “accidental” to groups dedicated to substantive activity. But a problem arises when an exclusive dynamic exists for its own sake, when elitism develops in the absence of substance. “Your genuine inner ring,” Lewis stated, “exists for exclusion. There’d be no fun if there were no outsiders. The invisible line would have no meaning unless most people...

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has indicted Paul Manafort for mortgage fraud and more than a dozen other state felonies. This is a nakedly political prosecution. Democrats, who run the Empire State, are apoplectic that President Trump could pardon his former campaign manager, who has been sentenced to 90 months in prison in the Mueller probe. Well, as the New York Times notes, the New York state charges filed Wednesday are based on bank loans that were part of the fraud charges brought by Robert Mueller in the Virginia case. The Times says that “the Manhattan prosecutors deferred their inquiry...

Lawyers on behalf of President Donald Trump sent a letter Wednesday night to former White House Chief Strategist Stephen Bannon demanding he refrain from making disparaging comments against the president and his family. Interested in Donald Trump? Add Donald Trump as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Donald Trump news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Donald Trump Add Interest The letter comes after excerpts from a forthcoming book by journalist Michael Wolff were made public Wednesday, causing a stir. Trump attorney Charles J. Harder of the firm Harder Mirell & Abrams LLP, said in a...

A Thursday report in Circa cites three officials claiming that FBI General Counsel James A. Baker is the “top suspect” in an investigation into leaks of classified Department of Justice information to the media. The report claims the investigation is “criminal” in nature. It is unclear exactly what information Baker is suspected of leaking and to which new outlets he did so. Baker is reportedly a “close ally” of ousted FBI Director James Comey, who, in 2014, appointed him to his current post as the top attorney representing the bureau. According to a June report in Vox, Baker was...

A top aide to President Donald Trump is leaving his administration. Two senior White House officials said Thursday that Deputy Chief of Staff Katie Walsh is leaving her job. The officials were not authorized to speak before a formal announcement is made and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Gov. Rick Perry’s inner circle has evolved significantly since he was first elected to the Texas House in 1984. He changed parties, for one thing, becoming a Republican and shucking one political infrastructure for another. And he changed offices, moving from the House to the Texas Department of Agriculture, from there to the lieutenant governorship and from there, with the election of George W. Bush to the presidency in 2000, into the office he holds today. His closest advisers are a mix of family, longtime friends and close aides. They know his politics, his history, his strengths and weaknesses, what...

With Republicans controlling the House and with his 2012 re-election bid around the corner, President Obama has been on a quest for reinvention since last year's midterm elections. His most public step has been to shake up the West Wing, including by hiring a new chief of staff and, soon, a new press secretary. But privately, Obama has tried to overcome the criticism that his White House has been too insular by soliciting advice from those outside his tight-knit inner circle. Among those who have visited Obama in recent weeks, according to New York Magazine's John Heilemann: former Reagan chief...

Valerie Jarrett Addresses the Islamic Society of North America Posted by Hammad Hammad Continuing President Obama’s outreach to Muslims, Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett spoke at the Islamic Society of North America's 46th Annual Convention. The Convention, themed "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness," brought together thousands of Muslim Americans to our nation’s capital over the July 4th weekend. The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) maintains that it is the largest Muslim American organization in the United States. It was founded more than forty years ago and aims to serve as a meeting place for people...

Palm Beach people are defined as much by the company they keep as by the companies they own. To really be somebody, it's not enough simply to have a fat wallet. You have to donate to the right charities, belong to the right club, and, then, to the exclusive club within the club. Just so, to be one of Madoff's marks, you first had to be one of his investors—which wasn't easy. Many of the fraudster's biggest investors—European industrialists, South American socialites, well-connected American businesspeople—believed that getting Madoff to manage their money was like gaining admittance to a hoity-toity club....

Syria offers to expel 8 members of Saddam's inner circle in a message reaching Washington through 'Russian intelligence channels.'They are: Former Vice President Izzat Ibrahim Al-Douri, Saddams' bureau chief Abd Hamoud, Baath Party Boss Aziz Salah, Special Security Service Chief Hanni Tefalah, Republican Guard Secretary Kemal Mustafa, Republican Guard Commander Seif A-Din Suleih, Iraqi Intelligence Commander Taher Jaloul and Special Republican Guard Commander, General Barzan Suleiman Tikriti.This is Damascus's first admission to harboring Saddam Hussein's top aides.

SADDAM'S BODYGUARD WARNS OF SECRET ARSENAL02feb03SADDAM Hussein's senior bodyguard has fled with details of Iraq's secret arsenal.His revelations have supported US President George W. Bush's claim there is enough evidence from UN inspectors to justify going to war. Abu Hamdi Mahmoud has provided Israeli intelligence with a list of sites that the inspectors have not visited. They include: AN underground chemical weapons facility at the southern end of the Jadray Peninsula in Baghdad; A SCUD assembly area near Ramadi. The missiles come from North Korea; TWO underground bunkers in Iraq's Western Desert. These contain biological weapons. William Tierney, a former...