Russia delivers new missile defense system to Syria, despite US warnings

Source: The Hill

BY MEGAN KELLER - 10/02/18 04:54 PM EDT

Russia announced Tuesday that it completed a delivery of a new missile defense system to Syria, despite U.S. warnings against the arrangement.

"The work was finished a day ago," Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told President Vladimir Putin in a meeting broadcasted by Rossiya 24 TV, according to Reuters.

National security adviser John Bolton warned last week that the U.S. would view the delivery as "a significant escalation" in Syria's ongoing civil war and expressed America's hope that "they would reconsider" the decision.

"We would regard introducing the S-300 a major mistake," he added.

Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/defense/409541-russia-delivers-new-missile-system-to-syria-despite-uss-warnings

Amid travel criticism, Pruitt canceled trips for which he already had tickets

Source: The Hill

BY TIMOTHY CAMA - 10/02/18 04:02 PM EDT

Facing bipartisan criticism over his travel expenses, former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chief Scott Pruitt in April canceled a pair of official trips for which he had already bought tickets, new records show.

Records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) show that Pruitt had spent $909.97 for flights for an April 9 to 11 trip to Mexico City and San Diego, which was later canceled.

He also spent $1,314.44 for flights to and from northwestern Arkansas between April 16 and 18, the records show, although though the agency was able to get $450.60 of that refunded.

Pruitt resigned in July under pressure after months of ethics and spending scandals. A main source of his problems was his use of taxpayer money, including frequent first-class travel and a trip to Italy last year that cost more than $100,000, when the costs of aides’ travel and hotels are included.

Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/409528-amid-travel-criticism-pruitt-canceled-trips-for-which-he-already

Ads push Manchin and Heitkamp to vote for Kavanaugh

Source: Politico

By BURGESS EVERETT 10/02/2018 05:05 AM EDT

The conservative Judicial Crisis Network is pressuring at-risk Democrats Joe Manchin and Heidi Heitkamp to confirm Brett kavanaugh in a new ad buy, making one final push on behalf of the Supreme Court nominee.

The group will spend $400,000 this week on pushing Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Heitkamp (D-N.D.) to support President Donald Trump's high court pick, following his hearing on an alleged sexual assault. The two moderate senators are the only undecided Democrats, and both are up for reelection next month. Kavanaugh remains short of 50 votes.

The new ads use footage of Kavanaugh calling the confirmation process "search and destroy" at his confirmation hearing. A narrator says voters will "never forget" how Heitkamp and Manchin vote and accuses liberals of trying to "ruin a good man with smears."

Though the ACLU announced a $1 million buy pressuring Manchin and five GOP senators to oppose Kavanaugh on Monday, JCN has been the biggest spender in the Supreme Court ad wars. The group has spent about $12 million thus far to confirm Kavanaugh, and also spent millions on Justice Neil Gorsuch. Heitkamp and Manchin both supported Gorsuch.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/10/02/kavanaugh-confirmation-ads-manchin-heitkamp-857849

Kellyanne Conway Says "I'm a Victim of Sexual Assault"

Study: Limiting kids' screen time improves brain function

Source: USA Today

Brett Molina, USA TODAY Published 6:33 a.m. ET Oct. 1, 2018

Cutting back on screen time, along with the right amount of sleep and physical activity, is linked to improvements in coginition among children, a study suggests.

The observational study analyzed data from a broader study funded by the National Institutes of Health, focusing on 4,500 children between the ages of 8 and 11.

Researchers then compared time spent on screens, sleeping, and engaged in physical activity from that study against the Canadian 24-hour Movement Guidelines, created by the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology to advise how kids should spend their time in a given day.

The study associates kids who met the guidelines — which include 9 to 11 hours of sleep, at least one hour of physical activity, and less than two hours on screens — with improvements in cognition.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/10/01/screen-time-study-less-than-2-hours-day-kids-boosts-brains/1484765002/

Flake on Calling for Kavanaugh Probe if He Was Seeking Re-Election: 'Not a Chance'

Source: Mediaite

by Tamar Auber | Sep 30th, 2018, 8:24 pm

Sen. Jeff Flake joined Sen. Chris Coons for a joint interview on 60 Minutes on Sunday to talk about the dramatic events that led to the Kavanaugh FBI probe.

During his sit-down with CBS’s Scott Pelley, the outgoing Senator admitted that he would have never have been able to push for a probe into the Brett Kavanaugh allegations if he had planned to run for re-election.

“No, not a chance,” Flake said when asked if he would have asked for the probe if he wanted to keep his seat.

Read more: https://www.mediaite.com/tv/flake-says-theres-not-a-chance-he-would-have-called-for-kavanaugh-probe-if-he-was-seeking-re-election/

Browns Get Screwed by Review Booth

The call on the field was a first down. Game over. The announcers even said the refs shorted Cleveland on the spot. Then some dickwad upstairs reverses the call. You know, for a team that's always bitching about how the league is out to get them, the Raiders sure have had a lot of iffy calls go their way over the years!