After horrible week of media coverage, Trump’s approval rating goes up

photo via Instagram

President Donald Trump has been almost universally criticized by the Washington political and punditry elites, on both the left and right, for his press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin.  Yet his approval rating went up, in a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released last night.

The four day nationwide survey of 900 registered started a day before the Trump/Putin summit. The pollsters reported that there was little difference in the results before and after the heads of state.

The 45% approval rating is the highest of Trump’s presidency.  It is up 1% from a June WSJ/NBC survey.

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Russian Zoo Names Black Goat After Barack Obama

A Russian zoo, made famous by the unlikely bromance between a tiger and a goat, has now named a newcomer to the attraction after U.S. President Barack Obama. The Primorsky Safari Park has adopted a goat named “Obama” from a farmer in the city of Sochi, the location of the last Winter Olympics in 2014, NBC… Read the rest of this entry »

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Report: Ukrainian Jews Forced To “Register”

By Matt Rooney, SaveJersey.com

If you want to know why I could never vote for a Ron Paul-type libertarian, Save Jerseyans, then read this exceedingly disturbing report out of a Russian militant-occupied town in Eastern Ukraine (via USA Today):

Emanuel Shechter, in Israel, told Ynet his friends in Donetsk sent him a copy of the leaflet through social media.

“They told me that masked men were waiting for Jewish people after the Passover eve prayer, handed them the flyer and told them to obey its instructions,” he said.

The leaflet begins, “Dear Ukraine citizens of Jewish nationality,” and states that all people of Jewish descent over 16 years old must report to the Commissioner for Nationalities in the Donetsk Regional Administration building and “register.”

It says the reason is because the leaders of the Jewish community of Ukraine supported Bendery Junta, a reference to Stepan Bandera, the leader of the Ukrainian nationalist movement that fought for Ukrainian independence at the end of World War II, “and oppose the pro-Slavic People’s Republic of Donetsk,” a name adopted by the militant leadership.

The leaflet then described which documents Jews should provide: “ID and passport are required to register your Jewish religion, religious documents of family members, as well as documents establishing the rights to all real estate property that belongs to you, including vehicles.”

Consequences for non-compliance will result in citizenship being revoked “and you will be forced outside the country with a confiscation of property.” A registration fee of $50 would be required, it said.

The incident has been confirmed by reliable authorities but the extent of the anti-Semitic action – and who sanctioned it – isn’t quite clear other than the fact that it came from pro-Russian forces.

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Bob Menendez is banned from Russia

Bob Menendez is banned from Russia (via NJ.com)

Hopefully, U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez had no plans to summer in Moscow this year as he’s been banned from Russia. Menendez was one of six federal lawmakers who along with a number of advisors to President Obama, were banned from Russia in retaliation for…

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Romney was right on Russia

Recorded March 26, 2012

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Ukraine mobilises army as West warns Russia

Ukraine mobilises army as West warns Russia (via AFP)

Ukraine warned Sunday it was on the brink of disaster and called up military reservists after Russia’s threat to invade its Western-leaning neighbour risked sparking the worst crisis since the Cold War. US President Barack Obama and his Western allies…

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US accepts UN will not back force against Syria

US accepts UN will not back force against Syria (via AFP)

The United States concedes that Russia will not allow the UN Security Council to authorize military strikes against the Syrian regime, senior White House officials said Friday. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the officials said a UN report due on…

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Here’s what the main players want in the standoff over Syria

Here’s what the main players want in the standoff over Syria (via GlobalPost)

Enlarge As diplomatic crises go, this one has had more twists and turns than a Wild Mouse. First there was the endless hand wringing over red lines turning pink and America losing its credibility in the world. When it seemed inevitable that US bombs…

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