Treat yourself to a tiny taste of Sarah Palin’s new media empire.

Sarah Palin's new $100-a-year internet television channel has produced its first Daily Show-ready clip. Behold as the one-time vice presidential candidate tries to nail progressive activists who hate junk food but want a living wage for fast-food workers:

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sarahpalinchannel.com / Via mediaite.com

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“I’ve been doing this job for more than 10 years; I have never seen a situation as desperate as this.”

CNN

CNN foreign correspondent Ivan Watson captured these dramatic images during a Iraqi military helicopter mission delivering supplies to Iraqi Yazidis who are on the run from ISIS fighters:

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Via edition.cnn.com

Channel 4's Jonathan Rugman filed a similar report:

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The drumbeat by activists for the president to “go big” administratively is getting louder and louder. But what does it really mean and what do they want?

President Obama is expected to soon announce a series of executive actions that would change U.S. immigration policy — after months of anticipation from activists, and increasingly heated questions from the GOP about whether he has the authority to do so.

The activists have been clear: They want the president to “go big.”

Larry Downing / Reuters

Activist organizations have begun a concerted campaign using the #GoBigObama hashtag on social media as the president mulls administrative action, posting a lot of branded images like this:

Dream Action Coalition

And these:

Dream Action Coalition

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“[T]here’s been an obsession by some within the administration — and that goes for the president himself — to promote the abortion agenda and the LGBT agenda in our foreign policy”

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Republican Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey says Obama is obsessed with promoting abortion and gay rights.

"I do think that unfortunately there's been an obsession by some within the administration — and that goes for the president himself — to promote the abortion agenda and the LGBT agenda in our foreign policy," Smith said appearing on Family Research Council president Tony Perkins' Washington Watch radio program last week.

Smith spoke last week at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington about the importance of including faith-based groups in the aid and development process in Africa which he was discussing with Perkins.

Smith said abortion "is everywhere" in the Obama administration's domestic policy as well, including Obamacare.

Smith contends the Obama administration insists making abortion and gay rights as prerequisites to get foreign aid from the United States, saying most African leaders oppose such restrictions.

"These issues are what drives this administration in much of our foreign policy in Africa. Many of these countries deeply resent it because they are profoundly pro-marriage and profoundly pro-life. But when your foreign aid is being limited or conditioned on those two issues, there are some, but thankfully not many, in these governments who begin to weaken."

The United States cut aid to Uganda after the passage of anti-gay laws in the country carrying harsh penalties for homosexual behavior.

A ruling by Uganda's Constitutional Court on Friday invalidated the law but a group of Ugandan MPs announced last week they were collecting signatures for a vote to be held to restore the Anti-Homosexuality Act.

“There is no American military solution to the larger crisis in Iraq.”

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President Obama urged the quick formation of a new Iraqi government in a speech from Martha's Vineyard on Monday.

"There is no American military solution to the larger crisis in Iraq," Obama said. "The only lasting solution is for Iraqis to come together and form an inclusive government. One that represents the legitimate interests of all Iraqis and one that can unify the country's fight against ISIL."

The president repeatedly spoke about a unifying government that takes into account the needs of all Iraq's various sectarian divisions.

"Today Iraq took a promising step forward in this critical effort. Last month the Iraqi people named a new president. Today, President Masum named a new prime minister-designate, Dr. Haider Al-Abadi. Under the Iraqi Constitution, it is an important step towards forming a new government that can unite Iraq's different communities."

The president said both he and Vice President Joe Biden called Al-Abadi on Monday to urge him to form a cabinet that is "inclusive" of all Iraq's communities "as quickly as possible."

The president reiterated his support for Al-Abadi and President Masum while "urging all Iraqi political leaders to work peacefully through the political process in the days ahead."

One person Obama didn't mention by name was embattled Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, whose attempts to cling onto power have put Iraq on the brink of a political crisis. His political future remains uncertain.

And why doesn’t it have access to the 20th Century Fox film archive?

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Fox News / Via mediaite.com

Monday night's On the Record With Greta Van Susteren had Larry King on to remember the late Robin Williams. As Van Susteren interviewed King over the phone, Fox News producers played B-roll clips from Williams' movies and television shows. Unfortunately, the Mrs. Doubtfire clip that Fox News aired, attributed to 20th Century Fox, was actually a YouTube clip from Robert Christie called "Mrs. Doubtfire Dance."

And it didn’t get better from there.

An official with the Republican Party of Minnesota found himself in hot water Tuesday for using the death of movie star Robin Williams to boost the candidacy of a Republican candidate for governor in Minnesota.

To which Chris Fields, Deputy Chairman of the Republican Party of Minnesota, responded with the following:

The tweet appears to have since been deleted.

But the tweets didn't stop there for Fields, who previously ran for Congress against Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison.

Responding to people who took offense at his tweet, he accused some of having "pretend grief."

"The Dr who contracted Ebola while trying to help poor children suffered a tragedy. This ain't that," he added.

The rest of his tweets follow the same line. BuzzFeed reached out to Fields for comment.

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Failure to provide the transgender inmate with medical treatment “violates her well-established constitutional right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment.”

Chelsea Manning

The Associated Press

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel

Jason Reed / Reuters

WASHINGTON — Lawyers for Chelsea Manning have given the military until Sept. 4 to put in place appropriate medical treatment for the transgender woman, who is an inmate at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas.

If the military does not act by that time, the lawyers say they will sue to ensure that Manning receives the treatment.

"Our constitution requires that the government provide medically necessary care to the individuals it holds in its custody," Chase Strangio, staff attorney with the ACLU's Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Project, said in a statement. "It is cruel and unusual punishment to withhold from Ms. Manning the care that the military's own doctors have deemed medically necessary. The Army is withholding her care for political reasons, which is simply not permitted by our Constitution."

In a letter dated Aug. 11, Manning's lawyers note "[t]he Army's continued indifference to Ms. Manning's serious medical need for treatment, despite the recommendations of the Army's own medical providers."

Manning was convicted of violations of the Espionage Act and other offenses in July 2013 after leaking thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks. She announced in a statement through her lawyers the next month that she is transgender and wished to begin transitioning. Although Pentagon sources told the Associated Press in July that "rudimentary" gender treatments have been authorized for Manning, one of her lawyers told BuzzFeed at the time that Manning's legal team had not yet been informed of any changes in treatment.

In the Aug. 11 letter, the lawyers — two from the ACLU, Strangio, and Doug Bonney from the ACLU of Kansas, and Manning's trial counsel, David Coombs — state that the disciplinary barracks is "withholding medically necessary care from Ms. Manning in violation of the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution." The letter is addressed to the commandant of the disciplinary barracks at Fort Leavenworth, where Manning is serving her sentence, along with several others, up to and including Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.

The letter lays out Manning's efforts to get treatment for gender dysphoria, including hormone therapy, since she was transferred to the disciplinary barracks at Fort Leavenworth on Aug. 22, 2013. Despite evaluation, diagnosis, and a proposed treatment plan for Manning that all were conducted by Army officials, the letter states that no treatment plan has been implemented and that Manning's attempts to get the military to address that have been denied.

The letter then goes on to describe this inaction as a constitutional violation:

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“Let’s be honest, like there’s no french fries happening.”

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A male Fox News contributor on the network's Outnumbered said Tuesday the first lady needs to lose some weight.

Dr. Keith Ablow, a Fox News contributor, was playing the role of the lone male host on the show, with Tuesday's segment on healthy eating and Michelle Obama. Specifically, the show's hosts were discussing a group known as Mission: Readiness, comprised of nearly 500 former military leaders planning to lobby Congress to keep new school nutrition standards pushed by Michelle Obama.

The standards, which call for healthy food choices in schools was relaxed by House Republicans with a provision added to the agriculture spending bill, allowing some schools losing money under the new standards to opt out of all them for a year.

During the discussion, Ablow interjected, "and how well can she be eating...she needs to drop a few."

The other panelists were shocked. "Oh no, you didn't not say that," one said.

"No, listen," Ablow said. "We're taking nutrition advice from who? Well, no let's be honest, like there's no french fries happening. Like that's all kale and carrots I don't buy it. Well, I'm just saying, her husband. I want some nutritional advice from Barack."

Another of the Fox panelists then added of Michelle Obama, "I like her booty."

Here's the full segment:

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LINK: h/t Media Matters

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Or is it just trying to harvest your email address?

An ad from Stop Hamas Now's YouTube page

WASHINGTON — A new ad has begun airing on cable news, telling viewers, "Israel is now fighting for its survival against an enemy who thinks nothing of sacrificing their own people using women and children as human shields."

The ad, paid for by a group called Stop Hamas Now, is typical in the genre of non-candidate political issue ads: A narrator's voice intones over images of Hamas militants and rockets.

At the end of the ad, the voice offers a solution to the danger of Hamas: "Stand up to this outrage. Make your voice heard. Visit stophamasnow.com and sign our petition." The ad is marked as "Paid For By Stop Hamas Now."

Is this the pro-Israel version of tea party email list-building operations?

Once visited, the site gives no indication of who or what is behind this effort to stop Hamas in his tracks. "Support Israel's fight to disarm Hamas now. And in the future," it says. It includes a form where visitors can sign the petition (and sign up to "receive follow up news and information"). In other words, Stop Hamas Now exists solely to harvest emails and build a list — something that is not unusual among modern 501©(4)s and political action committees, which can use the lists for various other purposes or sell them to other entities.

What is unusual is that none of the already-known pro-Israel groups are taking credit for the ads or for the site. All of the prominent Washington neoconservatives BuzzFeed asked about Stop Hamas Now said they had nothing to do with the project, though other groups proudly stand behind similar efforts. Stop Hamas Now's site is far from the only one of its kind; The Israel Project, for example, uses sites like peacenothate.com and NoBombForIran.com to build lists. And Stop Hamas Now's ads are similar in tone and style, though of seemingly lower quality, than those produced by the Emergency Committee for Israel.

Even a domain lookup for the website returns no results, as whoever owns the site has registered it using proxies and a dummy address in Panama. And a Facebook page called "Stop Hamas Now" doesn't appear to be connected: "We are not the same group, however we share the same ideology," the page's owner told BuzzFeed in a Facebook message.

A spokesperson for Fox News, where the ad has been primarily running, did not return a request for comment about the buy. A search of Comcast ad buy information for the D.C. area turned up no results, indicating that the buy is national.

"I am aware of the ad you are referring to and we were are not airing it locally," said Jeff Gray, Comcast's regional account executive and political specialist for the Washington area. "From what I know the ads are being purchased through Fox News nationally, so it is being seen in D.C., but it is also being aired throughout the country."

Meanwhile, Stop Hamas Now has racked up 86,267 signatures for its petition, according to its site. Hamas still exists.

The president weighs in on the death of the Missouri teenager, as violence between protesters and police continues.

Police officers in Ferguson, Mo., on Aug. 11

Mario Anzuoni / Reuters

President Obama urged "reflection and understanding" Tuesday after the shooting of a Missouri teenager by a police officer, calling Michael Brown's death "heartbreaking."

The full statement:

The death of Michael Brown is heartbreaking, and Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to his family and his community at this very difficult time. As Attorney General Holder has indicated, the Department of Justice is investigating the situation along with local officials, and they will continue to direct resources to the case as needed. I know the events of the past few days have prompted strong passions, but as details unfold, I urge everyone in Ferguson, Missouri, and across the country, to remember this young man through reflection and understanding. We should comfort each other and talk with one another in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds. Along with our prayers, that's what Michael and his family, and our broader American community, deserve.

LINK: Police Won’t Release Name Of Officer Who Shot Unarmed Missouri Teen, Decision Slammed By Family’s Lawyer

LINK: Another Night Of Unrest In St. Louis Suburb After Unarmed Black Teen Killed

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The Association of Artists United For A Smile New York had its first meeting this morning.

Eduardo Munoz / Reuters

As the NYPD steps up pressure on workers who dress up as fictional characters and pose for pictures in Times Square, the costumed people behind the masks have decided to organize.

Following a two-hour meeting of around 100 of these "artists" set up in part by the immigration-advocacy group La Fuente Tuesday morning, the early stages of the the Association of Artists United For A Smile New York was formed.

The group, according to La Fuente Communications Director Alex Gomez, aims to foster a relationship with the New York Police Department in order to avoid circumstances where the NYPD feels the need to round-up the workers as part of "quality-of-life" initiatives.

They also want the police to stop telling tourists not to give them money. The NYPD recently started a campaign to inform tourists they are not required to tip the workers after taking a photograph with them.

The meeting, which was first reported on by the Daily News, was the first step to figure out a way to allow the costume wearers to work with the police and "be a partner... not antagonistic," as Gomez put it.

The Times Square workers and the police historically have a rocky relationship, amplified by several recent incidents where the characters had to be put in handcuffs.

Last month, one Spider-man punched a cop. Last spring, a Cookie Monster pushed a toddler. In June of last year a man dressed as Elmo attempted to extort the Girl Scouts out of $2 million.

"Obviously, one bad apple doesn't ruin the bunch," Gomez said. "The NYPD can obviously testify to that."

According to Gomez, the workers at the meeting were willing to compromise on a number of issues, including wearing name tags with photo ID on their costumes so tourists and police can identify who they are dealing with. Further, Gomez said those who are in the union would be willing to police themselves, ensuring none of their members act out as the wayward Spider-man did.

Still in its early stages, neither La Fuente nor the union have yet reached out to the NYPD. Gomez added the NYPD hasn't reached out to them yet, either.

The NYPD did not immediately return a request for comment.

Absent further action, same-sex couples will be able to marry in Virginia starting next week.

Spencer Geiger, center, stands with Roger Roman, both of Virginia Beach, Va., with those in support of gay marriage as a hearing in Norfolk Federal Court on the constitutionality of the Virginia law goes on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2014.

Adrin Snider/Newport News Daily Press / MCT

WASHINGTON — Same-sex couples will be able to marry next week in Virginia, if a Wednesday federal appeals court ruling is allowed to stand.

The federal appeals court that ruled Virginia's ban on same-sex couples' marriages is unconstitutional had been asked to stay its decision pending the appeal of the case. A stay would keep the ban in effect during any appeal.

On a 2-1 vote, the panel refused to do so on Wednesday.

Although Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring has fought the ban, his office supported the request of a county clerk who is defending the ban that the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals stay its ruling pending Supreme Court review.

Any party could now seek a stay from the Supreme Court itself, an application that would be made first to Chief Justice John Roberts, who considers such applications from within the 4th Circuit. Roberts could decide the matter himself or refer it to the whole court. The clerk — Michèle McQuigg, who is the clerk of the circuit court in Prince William County — has suggested that she will do so; Herring's communications director told BuzzFeed Wednesday that the office is reviewing the ruling and has not made a decision about its next steps.

In recent months, when a state or local party defendant has been appealing a marriage decision, the Supreme Court — or lower courts — have issued a stay of the decision pending appeal.

Absent further action, though, the 4th Circuit, under its rules, is due to issue its mandate in the case seven days from the Wednesday's stay denial, which would allow same-sex couples to marry on August 20.

As to the case itself, Herring filed a certiorari petition at the Supreme Court on Friday, asking the court to review the case so that a national resolution can be reached on the issue. McQuigg also has said that she will be filing a certiorari petition.

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“And we wonder why we’re in decline. No, seriously.”

MSNBC

Morning Joe co-hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborogh were left speechless on Wednesday morning after watching a Today show clip of reality TV celebrity Kim Kardashian explaining the concept behind her book of unpublished selfies, titled "Selfish."

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MSNBC / Via msnbc.com

Rep. Mick Mulvaney says Democrats and Obama want to fundraise big time off impeachment. “Let’s not fall into a trap.”

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A Republican congressman says President Obama wants nothing more than for the Republican House to start impeachment proceedings against him.

"Believe me, let's make one thing perfectly clear," said Rep. Mick Mulvaney of South Carolina in a radio interview with WQSC 1340 last week. "The only people who want impeachment more than the right wing of the Republican Party is the entire Democrat Party."

"Oh, they're desperate for impeachment. They would love to be able to talk about impeachment and immigration between now and the November elections. Instead of talking about jobs, and the economy, and health care. They are desperate to change the dialogue, which is exactly why you heard the president starting to talk about his amnesty cause he's begging to be impeached."

Mulvaney added Republicans should "follow the Constitution" and only impeach the president if he takes an action that meets the high standard of high crimes and misdemeanors.

"Let's not fall into a trap when the guy absolutely wants to be impeached," the congressman said, citing money raised by Democrats exploiting the supposed threat of impeachment.

Reshad Chakari allegedly touched a female passenger who was asleep in the back seat of his car.

Getty Images

The Uber driver accused of sexually assaulting a passenger in the back of his car will plead not guilty at an upcoming court hearing scheduled for Friday morning.

Police charged Reshad Chakari last month with second-degree sexual abuse after one of his passengers accused him of touching her while she was asleep in his car after celebrating her birthday at a nightclub in Northwest Washington, D.C.

"My client absolutely denies ever sexually assaulting anyone," Chakari's lawyer Jason Kalafat said. "And right now this appears to be a bald accusation by this Uber rider from that night."

Kalafat said that because Chakari faces felony charges, the prosecution is not required to turn over any evidence before a judge clears the case for trial. And so far, Kalafat said, prosecutors haven't provided him with any evidence, so he's unsure how strong of a case they will actually put together.

When asked about the events surrounding the ride, Kalafat added that he was unaware of any reason the accuser would lie about the alleged assault, and said he was unable to provide any details about Chakari's interaction with her prior to the incident.

"We just don't know why this accusation was made," he said. "It seems clear there was alcohol involved on her part. Beyond that we just don't know because the government hasn't shared with us the details."

Uber drivers have had some success fighting off similar charges.

Last month, an Uber driver in Seattle was cleared of accusations that instead of driving to a woman's fiance's home like she asked, he took her to a park and raped her. In March of last year prosecutors elected not to charge another D.C. Uber driver accused of rape.

"Rider safety is Uber's #1 priority," Uber spokesperson Taylor Bennett said in an email. "The driver has been deactivated and we continue to stand ready to assist authorities."

Kalafat wouldn't comment on whether Chakari has found another job while suspended from Uber.

Democratic operatives were turned away from Brown town halls the campaign and the candidate have boasted are open to all.

Rick Wilking / Reuters

New Hampshire Democratic Party operatives were refused entry to two Scott Brown town halls this month, despite boasts by the Republican Senate candidate and his campaign manager that the events are open to all.

On Tuesday, Aug. 5 in Salem, New Hampshire and yesterday in Nashua, Democratic operatives recorded the scene as Brown staffers told them the widely-touted town halls were "private events" where attendance was screened and the Brown campaign reserved the right to deny entry.

The town halls have become a major focus of Brown's campaign of late, with the former Massachusetts senator using the events to draw a contrast with Democratic incumbent Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who Brown supporters say is ducking the public by declining to host her own town hall meetings. Brown himself has expressed a similar sentiment, and New Hampshire Republicans have put a staffer in a chicken suit to draw attention to Shaheen's lack of town hall events.

A Brown campaign release Aug. 4 announcing the Salem town hall made no mention that the events were exclusive. In a radio interview Tuesday ahead of the Nashua town hall, Brown was asked if the event "was open to the public."

"Oh yeah, these are all open and unfettered as you know we had one last week, we've done veterans prior to this, but this is what people expect when elected officials come home in August on the breaks they expect these types of things and that's what we're doing," Brown responded.

A New Hampshire Democratic Party operative RSVP'd for the Nashua town hall but never got a response. When he showed up for the event, video he captured showed Brown staffers denying him entry, saying it was "a private event."

On Wednesday, the Daily Caller reported that a group of Shaheen supporters organizing an effort to attend Brown's town hall in Nashua and pepper the candidate with politically uncomfortable questions. Responding to the plan, Brown campaign manager Colin Reed told the Caller the events were open to all.

"We welcome people of all political stripes at our town hall meetings," he said.

Reed did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Democratic tracker footage from the Brown town hall in Salem:

Democratic tracker footage from the town hall in Nashua:

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Gone, but not forgotten.

The state of Montana has disappeared from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee's "races" webpage. A sign that national Democrats could be throwing in the towel on a Senate seat they once thought they could hold.

Current Democratic Sen. John Walsh, who was tapped to replace Ambassador Max Baucus' empty, seat dropped out of the race in recent weeks following reports by the New York Times that he plagiarized a quarter of his master's thesis.

The last archive from July 4th shows Walsh listed on the races page:

web.archive.org

The space it occupied between Mississippi and New Hampshire is now blank.

dscc.org

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Violence continued Wednesday night in Missouri.

President Obama attended a birthday party Wednesday night on Martha's Vineyard, and was joined by the Clintons.

The White House put out the following release in a pool report from the evening:

From Principal Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz:

Tonight, the President and First Lady attended the birthday celebration for Mrs. Ann Jordan at an event at the Farm Neck Golf Club. There were approximately 150 guests in attendance.

Among the attendees seated with the Jordans and the President and First Lady were former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Valerie Jarrett and her mother Mrs. Barbara Bowman, Ursula Burns, Kenneth Chenault and his wife Kathy, along with other friends and family of Mrs. Jordan. President Obama honored Mrs. Jordan with a toast before dinner, as did Mr. Jordan and Secretary Clinton and others. The President and First Lady have known the Jordans for over twenty years, and were grateful to have been able to share this special evening with them.

The President and First Lady also were happy to have the chance to spend time with Secretary Clinton and former President Clinton.

A little color: in his toast for Mrs. Jordan, President quipped that he met Vernon and first, but liked Ann more. The menu consisted of surf and turf and pasta. The Obamas danced nearly every song. A good time was had by all.

Sent from my iPhone

After attending a birthday party in Martha’s Vineyard Thursday night, President Obama was briefed on the unfolding situation in Missouri.

WASHINGTON — The White House said President Obama was been briefed on the situation after attending a birthday party with top Democrats while on vacation in Martha's Vineyard.

On a different front, following the arrest of Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowery and Huffington Post reporter Ryan Reilly Thursday, the top spokesperson for the Justice Department expressed support for the arrested reporters:

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