The Stage Is Set For The Democratic Debate

(Atlanta, Ga) – The stage is set for The 5th Democratic Debate tomorrow at Tyler Perry Studios. And even though several of the candidates have been holding court in Atlanta for days leading up to the debate; they’ll all come together face to face Wednesday night on the Oprah Winfrey Soundstage.

Tom Steyer met with members of the black clergy, while former Housing Secretary Julian Castro discussed some issues at Paschal’s restaurant and Andrew Yang hit the court with Dominique Wilkins for some 5 on 5.  Castro did not meet the requirements to appear in the debate at Tyler Perry Studios, but he’s making his rounds nonetheless.

Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar also held discussions in Atlanta and they along with VP Joe Biden, Cory Booker, Tulsi Gabbard, Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders,Tom Steyer, Elizabeth Warren and Andrew Yang will be front and center on the debate stage and it’s pretty insane.

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To qualify, The Democratic National Committee raised the criteria requiring candidates to either reach 3% in four national or early-state, DNC approved polls, or reach 5% in two early-state polls. They also had to demonstrate that they have 165,000 unique donors, including at least 600 each in at least 20 states, U.S. territories or the District of Columbia.

The Oprah Winfrey Soundstage is the largest stage at Tyler Perry Studios and will hold 1000 lucky guests, including The Morning Groove’s Toni Moore.

Moderators include Rachel Maddow, Andrea Mitchell, Kristen Welker and Ashley Parker.  The Washington Post and MSNBC will co-host the event.

It airs live at 9pm on MSNBC, msnbc.com and the washingtonpost.com

Schiff Accuses Trump Of Witness Intimidation “In Real Time”

(Washington, DC-AP) – The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee is accusing President Trump of “witness intimidation, in real time.”

During a break in testimony in the latest public House impeachment hearing, California Democrat Adam Schiff suggested that a tweet from Trump, during the hearing, was designed to have a chilling effect on witness testimony. Trump attacked testimony from former U.S.-Ukraine ambassador Marie Yovanovitch.

Trump tweeted, “Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad.” Asked to respond to the tweet, Yovanovitch defended her long service as a U.S. diplomat. She said — “I actually think that where I’ve served over the years, I and others have demonstrably made things better, for the U.S. as well as for the countries that I’ve served in.”

Yovanovitch also said it is important for Ukraine to “move out of Russia’s orbit.” The veteran diplomat said Russian influences have fueled considerable corruption in Ukraine. She alleged that “foreign and corrupt interests” have “hijacked” U.S.-Ukraine policy. She also argued that the State Department has been “hollowed out from within.”

Yovanovitch was recalled earlier this year after running afoul of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who was conducting unofficial diplomacy in Ukraine. Giuliani was pressuring Ukraine to launch an investigation of Democrats.

 

Roger Stone Guilty On All Counts

(Washington, DC-AP) – A federal jury says President Trump’s confidante Roger Stone is guilty on all seven counts. Stone was brought to trial as part of the Mueller investigation for his attempts to learn what information WikiLeaks had on hacked Democratic emails during the 2016 election.

Stone was charged with lying to Congress, obstruction of justice and witness intimidation. The jury deliberated for less than two days.

The 67-year-old Stone could face up to 50 years in prison. Stone’s attorneys had argued that he was not intentionally dishonest.

They also claimed the case against their client was politically motivated. Stone has been a longtime friend and adviser to Donald Trump since well before he decided to run for president in 2016.

Colin Kaepernick To Work Out For NFL Teams

(Atlanta, GA) – Almost three years ago, Colin Kaepernick sacrificed his career to take a stand on racial injustice and police brutality. He became known more for kneeling during the national anthem in protest than for his football prowess and it eventually came at the expense of his career.

As the protest picked up support with dozens of other athletes, not just football players, taking a knee with Kap, the NFL found itself in a gray area that left coaches and owners stuck between supporting their players’ rights or the Flag. Even though it was never about the flag or saluting the country, anti-kap supporters quickly turned it into that and Colin Kapernick was soon seemingly banned from the NFL.  So much so, that the former 49er’s QB filed a grievance/collusion suit against the league and won and undisclosed amount of money.

Through it all, Colin has always maintained that his heart was on the field and if ever given a chance to get back in the league, he would take it.  Well, that chance is finally here.

The NFL reached out to Kaepernick and told him that a private workout could be scheduled for him Saturday in Atlanta where all 32 teams in the professional football league would be invited. Most question the league’s sincerity because the workout is on a Saturday, a day where all head coaches and general managers will be traveling and preparing for games on Sunday.

Kap could take it or leave it and Saturday he’ll be in Flowery Branch at the Falcons’ practice facility where he will officially embark on a possible return to the NFL.

The workout includes on-field work and an interview. Kaepernick tweeted he’s stayed in shape and has been waiting for this opportunity for three years.

He arrived in Atlanta early this morning. Good Luck Kap!

Browns Star Garrett Facing NFL Discipline After Outburst

(CLEVELAND, OH (AP) Myles Garrett swung a helmet. The NFL will soon swing back. The Browns star could be facing an unprecedented league suspension for his violent outburst Thursday night, when he ripped off Pittsburgh quarterback Mason Rudolph’s helmet and clubbed him on the head during the final seconds of Cleveland’s 21-7 win.

Garrett’s startling actions on national TV will come with a price. It’s possible the league could come down hard on the former No. 1 overall pick, who made strides in cleaning up his game after picking up personal fouls earlier this season.

Following the game, Garrett was contrite, but the damage was already done.

”What I did was foolish, and I shouldn’t have allowed myself to slip like that,” Garrett said softly. ”It’s out of character.”

It’s now out of his hands, and it’s possible the league could end Garrett’s season by docking him the final six games.

In 2006, Tennessee’s Albert Haynesworth was suspended five games after he stomped on Dallas Cowboys center Andre Gurode’s head. Haynesworth’s punishment is the longest for on-field behavior in league history.

The NFL could act swiftly to punish Garrett, whose actions brought reaction from players across the league.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes posted ”Bro I can’t believe that just happened” on Twitter following the game and Houston defensive end J.J. Watt wrote: ”That. Is. Insanity. Wow.”

After pulling Rudolph down with eight seconds to go following a short pass, Garrett wrestled with Pittsburgh’s QB on the ground with both players grabbing each other’s heads. When they got to their feet, Garrett ripped off Rudolph’s helmet and swung wildly, hitting the second-year player on top of the head.

Another School Shooting Leaves Several Injured, Two Dead, Suspect Survived Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound

(Santa Clarita, CA) – Two students are dead after a school shooting at Saugus High School in Southern California. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s officials said deputies found six victims on the quad when they arrived at the Santa Clarita school. They transported the six to local hospitals and later determined that one of them was the suspect. Detective Kent Wegener said the school’s surveillance video system showed the suspect shoot himself in the head. The victims killed are a 16-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy. It was the suspect’s birthday today. He turned 16.

The calls of a shooting came in at 7:38 this morning. Officers were on the scene two minutes later. A search began immediately for the suspect and continued for hours and extended to a home on the other side of a hill across from the school. They searched the suspect’s home to ensure there were no other victims.

Detective Kent Wegener said they reviewed video that shows the suspect shooting himself in the head in the quad area of Saugus High School and is in grave condition.  Wegner said they identified the shooter from witness testimony as well as video at the school.

Previous reports indicated he was dead, but police say he’s now being treated a nearby hospital. He is reportedly in grave condition. The teen allegedly used a handgun to shoot his classmates. The other victims are described as two girls, ages 15 and 14, and a second 14-year-old boy. There was a seventh person injured, but it was not a shooting injury.

The shooting took place this morning and officers arrived at the scene two minutes after the first call came in. The suspect turned 16 today. He’s described as an Asian male who was dressed in all black.

Clark Atlanta University Student Alexis Crawford Found Dead, Arrests Made

(Atlanta, GA) – 21-year old Alexis Crawford has been found dead. It appears she was murdered by her roommate Jordyn Jones and Jones’ boyfriend Barron Brantley. Alexis’ mother reported her missing on Nov. 1st after she hadn’t heard from her in a few days. They have some form of communication daily.

11 ALIVE reports days before Crawford’s disappearance, she went to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta to file a police report that alleged that Brantley sexually assaulted her days before she was reported missing.

Get the full story, start @1:22

The complaint listed Jones as a witness and Brantley as the suspect. That report was filed on Oct. 27. Alexis was last seen on Oct. 30 on surveillance video from a liquor store.  Her roommate says she took Alexis to the store.  They came back. She went to bed and Alexis was gone the next morning.

Barron Brantley has been charged with murder. Jordyn Jones turned herself in and is now facing a malice murder charge.

Brantley also has past charges for hindering a person from making an emergency telephone call and probation violations for previous charges of theft by taking, battery – family violence and cruelty to children in the third degree.

His preliminary hearing before a Fulton Superior Court judge has been scheduled for Nov. 22.

Alexis’ body was found in Dekalb County off of Columbia Drive. One of the suspects led authorities to the body. Reportedly, the cause of death is asphyxiation.

Alexis’ funeral has been set for Nov. 16th at Hill Chapel Baptist Church in Athens. The family is asking that all memorials be sent to Gregory B. Levett and Sons funeral Home.

Record Cold Predicted Next Week in Central and Eastern U.S.

(AP) – An Arctic cold snap heading to the U.S. is expected to break records across two-thirds of the country. Temperatures are expected to nosedive next week, as a cold front rolls across the central and eastern U.S.

The Arctic blast will begin Sunday in the northern Plains and upper Midwest, and then spread into the southern Plains and Ohio Valley on Monday, reaching the East Coast and Deep South by Tuesday.

Forecasters say Monday could be the coldest Labor Day on record in cities such as Chicago and Minneapolis, and that record cold will stretch into the Ohio Valley and Northeast by Tuesday.

High temperatures in the 30s are predicted as far south as Alabama by Tuesday. Forecasters say 170 record-cold temperatures are possible across the country by Wednesday.

Germany Marks 30th Anniversary Of Fall Of The Berlin Wall

(Berlin -AP) – Germany is marking the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in Berlin where he said the German people are celebrating a “monumental victory” for freedom.

Pompeo met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and praised the strong relationship between the two nations.

Along with speeches and a candle lighting ceremony at the Wall Memorial today, the celebration wraps up with a party at the Brandenburg Gate featuring the Berlin symphony orchestra.

O.J. Simpson Taking The Cosmopolitan To Court

(Las Vegas, NV (AP) – O.J. Simpson is suing a Las Vegas hotel-casino, alleging unnamed employees defamed him by telling celebrity news site TMZ he was ordered off the property in 2017 for being drunk, disruptive and unruly.

The former football star denies in the lawsuit filed Thursday against the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas that he was belligerent, broke glass or damaged property.

The Cosmopolitan declined to comment. TMZ is not a defendant in the case.

The complaint acknowledges Simpson got a notice banning him from the property after he spent several hours at a steakhouse and a lounge.

The 72-year-old Simpson is on parole from prison and living in Las Vegas.

He served nine years for armed robbery and assault after a bid to retrieve personal memorabilia at a Las Vegas hotel in 2007.