Disinvited from RedState Gathering
Erickson, RedState’s Editor-in-Chief, disinvites Trump from its gathering of Republican leaders in Atlanta, where he was scheduled to deliver the keynote address:
I have tried to give a great deal of latitude to Donald Trump in his run for the Presidency. He is not a professional politician and is known for being a blunt talker. He connects with so much of the anger in the Republican base and is not afraid to be outspoken on a lot of issues. But there are even lines blunt talkers and unprofessional politicians should not cross. Decency is one of those lines…As much as I do personally like Donald Trump, his comment about Megyn Kelly on CNN is a bridge too far for me…His comment was inappropriate. It is unfortunate to have to disinvite him. But I just don’t want someone on stage who gets a hostile question from a lady and his first inclination is to imply it was hormonal. It just was wrong. I have invited Megyn Kelly to attend in Donald Trump’s place tomorrow night.
Trump:
.@redstate I miss you all, and thanks for all of your support. Political correctness is killing our country. "weakness."
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 8, 2015
Kelly ‘blood’ comment
During an interview with CNN’s Lemon, Trump continues to criticize Kelly
Well, I just don’t respect her as a journalist. I don’t think she’s very good. I think she’s highly overrated… She starts asking me all sorts of ridiculous questions, and you could see there was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her…wherever. She was, in my opinion, she was off-base.
Families protest at Malaysian embassy
Relatives of MH370 passengers scuffle with police along the sidewalk during a protest outside the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing. Relative:
I can’t trust them. This is not the first time they get the wrong news … Why? You tell me why?
Another protester:
These findings are fake. This is a conspiracy. Everything is fake.
Criticizes ‘Pledge’ question
In a call-in to Fox and Friends Trump criticizes the questioning at the debate:
That question was absolutely aimed at me…Number I’m the only one in that category so it was obviously named at me. It was a little bit of a surprize to justify everything, when your shoes haven’t even become warm.
.@realDonaldTrump: That [pledge] question was aimed at me, which I didn't think it was appropriatehttps://t.co/GWLg8BRcOc
— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) August 7, 2015
Tweets against Kelly, Luntz
Trump sends a series of late-night negative Tweets against Kelly and Luntz, who had hosted the post-debate panel:
Wow, @megynkelly really bombed tonight. People are going wild on twitter! Funny to watch.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2015
.@FrankLuntz, your so-called "focus groups" are a total joke. Don't come to my office looking for business again. You are a clown!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2015
Responds to Trump
O’Donnell tweets a response to Trump’s comments during the first GOP debate:
try explaining that 2 ur kids
— ROSIE (@Rosie) August 7, 2015
GOP debate: Political correctness
At the first GOP debate in Cleveland, OH, Trump is asked by Kelly about his comments about women:
KELLY: Mr. Trump, one of the things people love about you is you speak your mind and you don’t use a politician’s filter. However, that is not without its downsides, in particular, when it comes to women. You’ve called women you don’t like “fat pigs, dogs, slobs, and disgusting animals.” Your Twitter account…
TRUMP: Only Rosie O’Donnell.
KELLY: Your Twitter account has several disparaging comments about women’s looks. You once told a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice it would be a pretty picture to see her on her knees. Does that sound to you like the temperament of a man we should elect as president, and how will you answer the charge from Hillary Clinton, who was likely to be the Democratic nominee, that you are part of the war on women?
TRUMP: I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct. I’ve been challenged by so many people, and I don’t frankly have time for total political correctness. And to be honest with you, this country doesn’t have time either. This country is in big trouble. We don’t win anymore. We lose to China. We lose to Mexico both in trade and at the border. We lose to everybody…And frankly, what I say, and oftentimes it’s fun, it’s kidding. We have a good time. What I say is what I say. And honestly Megyn, if you don’t like it, I’m sorry. I’ve been very nice to you, although I could probably maybe not be, based on the way you have treated me. But I wouldn’t do that.
Elders call for genocide trial
Tribal elders in Borno State ask the federal government to establish a judicial commission to investigate the claims of former Chief of Defence Staff Badeh that he was made to lead an ill-equipped military in the war against Boko Haram insurgency. The elders are not happy that Badeh kept quiet about his claims and say that if the claims are confirmed, they will sue former president Jonathan for premeditated genocide against the people of the northeast Nigeria. The Elders also issue ten demands that must be carried out by the federal government as a way of seeking redress for the victimised people of the northeast Nigeria.
The Borno Elders Forum found Badeh’s comments very revealing, an eye opener, a precursor to judgement day and extremely disturbing. As Chief of Defence Staff under His Excellency, former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, Alex Badeh was not just the most senior serving military man and head of all serving military men in Nigeria, he was also in the best position to know the state of affairs regarding the provision of military supplies and motivation of troops.
GOP debate: Christie, Paul spar on NSA, hug
Paul and Christie spar over the NSA’s use of phone records to catch terrorists:
PAUL: I want to collect more records from terrorists, but less records from innocent Americans. The Fourth Amendment was what we fought the Revolution over. I will continue to stand for the Bill of Rights.
CHRISTIE: That’s a completely ridiculous answer. How are you supposed to know [the difference]?
PAUL: Get a warrant!
CHRISTIE: Senator, when you’re sitting in a subcommittee just blowing hot air about this, you can say things like that. When you’re responsible for protecting the lives of American people, then what you need to do is make sure..
PAUL: Here’s the problem, governor. You fundamentally misunderstand the Bill of Rights…I don’t trust President Obama with our [phone] records. I know you gave him a big hug, and if you want to give him a big hug again, go right ahead.
CHRISTIE: And you know — you know, Senator Paul? Senator Paul, you know, the hugs that I remember are the hugs that I gave to the families who lost their people on September 11th. Those are the hugs I remember, and those had nothing to do — and those had nothing to do with politics, unlike what you’re doing by cutting speeches on the floor of the Senate, then putting them on the Internet within half an hour to raise money for your campaign…
GOP debate: Pledge question
Trump participates in the GOP debate in Cleveland, OH. As the leader in the polls he takes the first question, asked by Baier:
Is there anyone on stage, and can I see hands, who is unwilling tonight to pledge your support to the eventual nominee of the Republican party and pledge to not run an independent campaign against that person…Again, we’re looking for you to raise your hand now — raise your hand now if you won’t make that pledge tonight.
Trump is the only candidate to raise his hand. Baier:
Mr. Trump to be clear, you’re standing on a Republican primary debate stage…You can’t say tonight that you can make that pledge?
Trump:
I cannot say. I have to respect the person that, if it’s not me, the person that wins, if I do win, and I’m leading by quite a bit, that’s what I want to do. I can totally make that pledge. If I’m the nominee, I will pledge I will not run as an independent. But — and I am discussing it with everybody, but I’m, you know, talking about a lot of leverage. We want to win, and we will win. But I want to win as the Republican. I want to run as the Republican nominee.
Trump is then challenged by Rand Paul, who accuses him of buying politicians.
Zuma says persuasion limited
In response to a question from the Inkatha Freedom Party, who cites Burundi as an example, Zuma says he tried to dissuade Nkurunziza from seeking a third term but hit a wall when his pleas were ignored.
Many of us interacted to say that might not help the country. We cannot say there was no effort to solve that African problem. I sent an envoy. He said it is not going to cause trouble, he has taken a decision and the constitution is on his side. Once you have reached that stage… when an African leader is not interested, that becomes difficult…No military men can take over as they please. There are a few exceptions. Burundi, where even its own regions could not persuade it … but even there the man is not saying he is going to stay forever… he has argued the point through the constitution and the court has supported him. We can’t force people, we have to talk to them, nudge them.
He says leaders have to respect the sovereignty of other African nations while they try to resolve problems.
It does not mean we will solve all matters at the right time…we are not going to ride roughshod over constitutions.
UN envoy meets over security situation
In a meeting with Rwandan President Kagame, Bathily, Special Representative and Head of the UN Regional Office for Central Africa, reiterates the UN Secretary-General’s condemnation of the current violence in Burundi. Bathily will continue to hold consultations with political parties, civil society and religious organizations, government officials and the diplomatic community, with the view to reconvene the political dialogue as soon as possible. Bathily:
[The situation in Burundi is accumulating] the well-known and visible marks of a society which previously suffered divisions leading to grave violence. Currently the humanitarian crisis caused by the escalating political tensions in Burundi has worsened, and uptick in the number of refugees seeking asylum and a deterioration in health conditions at refugee camps receiving them.
Envoy will support dialogue
Perriello, US Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa, Thomas Perriello says there is a need for both the government and its opponents to be committed to negotiations in a bid to resolve the crisis in Burundi.
We are deeply concerned about the political crisis and the humanitarian crisis. We still believe there is a path forward, but it has to be one in which all Burundian leaders agree to a political dialogue, and the important leadership that the region has shown, through the East African Community, resumes with some urgency to address a situation where you’ve seen approximately over 200,000 [refugees] already and ongoing sporadic violence…Burundians need to continue to hear those calls for calm and the path forward. The United States and the international community are ready to support the regional leadership to force this political dialogue forward that is so important. The point of the dialogue is to address these extremely difficult questions that continue to remain under the surface of the political crisis. But, people need to come to the table. We’ve seen very constructive steps forward when the East African Community and South Africa and others have been a constructive part of this. So, we are eager to resume that and stand ready to support it.
Bans subbreddits
Reddit bans several offensive communities that focus on racist content, such as Coontown, WatchNiggersDie and CoonTownMeta. Subreddits that feature animated” child pornography are also banned. The company also introduces an updated Content Policy that prohibits any posts that are illegal, incites violence, harasses or threatens users or includes sexually explicit content taken without the person’s permission. Offensive communities that don’t necessarily break these rules but are nonetheless considered profane or “upsetting” may now be “quarantined,” meaning users have to opt in to see the content. Some may also have NSFW tag. CEO Huffman’s official statement:
Our most important policy over the last ten years has been to allow just about anything so long as it does not prevent others from enjoying Reddit for what it is: the best place online to have truly authentic conversations. I believe these policies strike the right balance.
Huffman’s later comment:
We didn’t ban them because we disagree with them. We banned them because this exist solely to annoy other redditors, prevent us from improving Reddit, and generally make Reddit worse for everyone else.
Window debris found
A Malaysian team combing the beach on La Reunion finds a plane window and other debris. Malaysia’s Transport Minister cannot confirm it is from MH370:
I can only ascertain that it’s plane debris.
Lawmaker urges Boko Haram negotiation
A member of the House of Representatives urges Buhari to negotiate with Boko Haram for the release of the abducted Chibok girls.
However, if it is about the Chibok girls, I support negotiating with Boko Haram. Life is precious. Anything that will bring the girls back is in order. Outside that, we should not negotiate with them. By the way who are we negotiating with? They have no agenda; nothing! They say they are anti book, yet they kill uneducated farmers. They say they are muslims, yet they kill Rasheeds and Ibrahims innocently selling goods at markets in the North East. Meanwhile, with Buhari who has deep background in military and security, I believe we will soon end them (Boko Haram). We also have to block corruption in the military.
Report: Some members want dialogue
The Centre for Crisis Communication says some elements of Boko Haram have reached out to the centre to facilitate dialogue with the federal government to end the insurgency in the country. The Center says that while the option of dialogue with the group is a hard sell, the window opened recently by President Buhari on the possibility of dialogue with genuine members of the terrorist group rekindled the hope for dialogue.
However the founder of Future Prowess Islamic Foundation, which takes care of hundreds of children, including those that lost their parents as a result of the Boko Haram crisis says several mistakes were made in the past and urged the government to trade softly.
We had phantom offers of dialogue in the past that did not yield any positive result and we must not complicate the issue any further. Government and our security forces must not give room for scammers. The real Boko Haram terrorists are in the hinterland; the way they operate is different. Yes, some members or foot soldiers of the Boko Haram may offer themselves available for dialogue but do they have the capacity to make any impact? Do they have the outreach to stop the mayhem we are experiencing? Do they have the ware withal to tell their members to lay down their arms? The answer is no. Our security agents must use their knowledge of intelligence to verify the identity of those that make the recent offer so that resources would not be wasted for a fruitless exercise.
Maxim cover
Elba is the first man to appear on the cover of Maxim. He wears a black leopard-print funnel coat. Editor-in-chief Lanphear:
We’ve never in U.S. Maxim history had a man on the cover solo. This is the very first time, and there was no one else in the world more bad-ass than Idris…I couldn’t be more happy with [the cover]. He’s so sophisticated and complex. There’s so much that he is amazing at.
Esquire interview
In an interview with Esquire, Richards talks about touring:
It’s probably the only drug left to us, the one that draws us back as much as anything—although there is something about playing with this bunch of guys. Is it habit? Is it just the length of time we’ve been doing it? But when we start rehearsing, I always find this incredible enthusiasm among them all—especially this tour. It’s been a great feeling from show one…I can handle the show. In the ’60s, it was 20 minutes, in and out. Now it’s two hours. I don’t come off as exhausted as I used to ten years ago, because I’ve learned more about how to pace a show. I don’t think about the physical aspects—I just expect it all to work. I’m blessed physically with stamina.
On The Beatles’ Sergeant Pepper:
The Beatles sounded great when they were the Beatles. But there’s not a lot of roots in that music. I think they got carried away. Why not? If you’re the Beatles in the ’60s, you just get carried away—you forget what it is you wanted to do. You’re starting to do Sgt. Pepper. Some people think it’s a genius album, but I think it’s a mishmash of rubbish, kind of like Satanic Majesties—”Oh, if you can make a load of shit, so can we.
On his life:
Yeah, it’s been worth the price. To become a musician, that was the dream—just to get into a band. You didn’t care if you were stuck in the back strumming away. You know, I would have gladly done that. I wouldn’t have minded being a sideman, but things turned out another way. Maybe it was the haircut or something.
Police sabotage demonstration
Police sabotage a demonstration organised by lobby group, the Democracy Advocate Initiative Trust, against President Mugabe’s ‘misrule’ which has caused the ‘suffering of citizens’. The organisation had planned to march from the capital’s Market Square bus terminus to Parliament where they intended to hand over a petition. Group founder:
We approached the police, their Police Internal Security intelligence (PISI) last week and handed over our application for the march as required by the law. Today in the morning we went there (Harare Central Police station) and they said they were going to come back to us. We obeyed their order and went back. We then called them after realizing that the time we had planned to march was lapsing but they never called us back.
Organisers say the Police are using old laws which require organisers of public gatherings to give them at least one week notice before holding their meetings to prevent opposition political parties and pro-democracy movements from holding meetings with ordinary citizens.
We are not going to be stopped by the police from handing over the petition which has many issues which we want to be urgently addressed. People are being sacked from employment but the President is not acting. Vendors are being harassed for trying to earn a living. Government promised jobs but what we are seeing is the reverse of their promises. So we are saying President Robert Mugabe should go, and that is the aim of the march and the petition.