Presidential candidates opine on cell phone radiation crisis

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New study renews concern about cell phones and cancer

CDC and NIH issue advisories

In a study certain to reignite questions about cell phone safety, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences released findings indicating that prolonged exposure to the type of radiation emitted by cell phones increased the incidence of cancer in rats.

While cell phone radiation studies have been conducted for over 20 years, this is the first in many years to get the attention of government and health officials.

Curiously, the cancer incidence among male rats in the study was almost two times higher than among female rats.

Showing extreme caution, and in an unprecedented joint announcement, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes for Health (NIH) called for the immediate cessation of cell phone use by male rats and limited cell phone use by female rats. In both cases, cell phone use was deemed acceptable if ear buds, but not Bluetooth devices, are used by the rats.

Given the ubiquitous use of cell phones in the U.S., the study and the resulting advisories by two of the nation’s most prestigious health organizations has become a topic of conversation in the U.S. presidential race.

Presumptive Republican nominee Donald J. Trump was nonplussed by the news saying in a statement, “This is really not a huge issue for me as I only use my cell phone for tweeting, never for calling, and I understand that the radiation problem is not a concern for people who tweet and have small hands.”

Leading Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton’s campaign issued the following statement on the issue: “Not only does Secretary Clinton not know how to use email (as noted in the recent State Department IG report) she does not know how to use a cell phone. She is, however, concerned about the rats and will do whatever she can as president, to protect them from radiation disease.”

For his part, Senator Bernie Sanders, appearing on CBS’ Face the Nation, said, “Cell phone, schmell phone. I never use a cell phone as I do all my calling on my black bakelite desk phone,” going on to say, “It never runs out of batteries and you never hear me say ‘Can you hear me now.’”

Men warned to take care in Thailand following python toilet attack. Woman are spared.

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Thai man bloodied but unbowed after snake attacks him in toilet

U.S. State Dept. issues travel advisory

The Associated Press reported today that a Thai man is recovering from a bloody encounter with a 3-meter (10-foot) python that slithered through plumbing and latched its jaws onto his (you know what) as he was using the toilet.

The 38-year-old told Thai TV Channel 7 that he struggled to remove the snake for 30 minutes Wednesday before he managed to free himself with help from his wife and a neighbor. 

The U.S. State Department immediately issued a travel advisory warning male U.S. citizens traveling to Thailand to exercise extreme caution when using either Western-style sit-down or Asian-style squat toilets. 

The advisory did not apply to woman traveling to the country.

In response to the State Department advisory, the Thailand Tourist Board urged calm, while issuing a statement saying that the incidence of pythons slithering through plumbing is very rare, occurring perhaps only five to ten times a year, and suggested that for added protection men should only use toilet facilities located above the second floor of a building as pythons never pipe slither above the first floor.

It is not clear whether the first floor limit on python plumbing slithering is due to their well known fear of heights or because of their preference for “low hanging fruit.”

Trump doesn't know enough to discuss Foster case but believes Clinton aide death was "very fishy"

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Trump questions Clinton involvement in Vince Foster “suicide”

Suggests “some people” believe other instances of Clintons foul play

Despite denials that he didn’t “know enough to discuss it,” presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump resurrected a conspiracy theory from Bill Clinton’s presidency that his wife, Democrat Hillary Clinton, was involved in the death of Vince Foster, deputy White House counsel in the Clinton administration.

“He had intimate knowledge of what was going on,” Trump said, talking about Foster’s relationship with the Clintons before his death. “He knew everything that was going on, and then all of a sudden he committed suicide.”

Foster was diagnosed with depression and multiple investigations have ruled his 1993 death a suicide, but Trump called the circumstances surrounding his death “very fishy” and the lasting allegations of foul play in some circles “very serious.”

After saying, “I will say there are people who continue to bring it up because they think it was absolutely a murder. I don’t do that because I don’t think it’s fair.” 

Trump went on to say however, “I do think it’s fair to bring up other mysterious deaths that some people say the Clinton’s had some involvement in.”

In that regard, the Trump campaign referenced the 2013 New York Magazine article entitled Bill Clinton Killed 50 People/Not directly, of course (http://nymag.com/news/features/conspiracy-theories/clinton-body-count/).

But in an exclusive, Around the Block has learned the Trump campaign will also soon reveal an additional partial list of famous mysterious deaths that might have involved the Clintons, according to “some people.”

Natalie Wood – The actress drowned in 1981 while on a boat with husband Robert Wagner and actor Christopher Walken with whom she was allegedly flirting. Some people say it wasn’t Walken Wood was flirting with on the boat but Bill Clinton, then the young (and randy) governor of Arkansas.

Sonny Bono – the singer and Congressman died in a skiing accident in 1998. Upon Bono’s death, his wife Mary took over his congressional seat and supported Bill Clinton during his impeachment hearings.

Phil Hartman – The Saturday Night Live cast member was murdered by his wife, Brynn, in a 1998 murder/suicide. It is believed by some people that Hillary Clinton hated Hartman’s Bill Clinton impressions on SNL.

George Reeves – Reeves, the original Superman, was found dead in 1959 from a single gunshot wound. While officially ruled a suicide, many people think he was murdered, pointing out that the then 13-year old Bill Clinton was a diehard Batman fan who was resentful of Superman's special powers. 

Trump not only wants NRA consent for appointees but other special interest approval as well

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Trump supports McConnell call for NRA approval of SCOTUS nominee

 “Special Interests must have a say”

Following up on his recent endorsement by the National Rifle Association, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump said he would support Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's demand that any new nominee for the Supreme Court have the approval of the National Rifle Association (NRA).

McConnell, who made his views public on Fox News in March, said at the time that while he recognized the Constitution states "[The President] shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint ... Judges of the supreme Court," he now feels that it is high time that the consent part of the wording be amended to include the “consent of those who know best.”

At the time, McConnell said, “The unprecedented politicizing of the appointment of a Supreme Court justice, and the fact that both the president and the makeup of the Senate can change after every election cycle, makes it impossible for us to get the appointments we want. So, it is clear to me that we need to include the will of the people, but more specifically, the people who know best because of their special interests, to provide consent for these nominations.”

McConnell went on to say that he intends to introduce legislation that will ensure that this consent is institutionalized.

A spokesman for Mr. Trump, Todd Toady, said that as president, Mr. Trump would request that McConnell's bill specify which groups should be chosen for this new consent role and that the new rule should not be limited to the Supreme Court, but also to other key appointments as well, including Cabinet appointees.

According to Toady, “President Trump will not only be enlisting the NRA for this critically important function but also, depending on the appointment, groups including the Pro-Life Action League, the American Petroleum Institute, the Charles Koch Foundation, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE), the No ID No Vote Society (NIDNVS) and the Climate Change is a Hoax Committee (CCHC), among others.”

Trump to reveal second SCOTUS list, more in keeping with his sensibilities, after securing nomination

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Trump announces potential Supreme Court appointees

Signals conservatives that he will choose a “Scalia” type

The New York Times today reported that Donald J. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, released a list of potential Supreme Court nominees on Wednesday as part of an effort to quell concerns that he would not select conservative jurists.

Top picks include conservative federal and state judges like Steven Colloton of Iowa, Allison Eid of Colorado and Raymond Gruender of Missouri as well as Thomas Hardiman of Pennsylvania, Raymond Kethledge of Michigan, Joan Larsen of Michigan, Thomas Lee of Utah, William Pryor of Alabama, David Stras of Minnesota, Diane Sykes of Wisconsin and Don Willett of Texas.

While in the past, Trump has “joked” that as president he would appoint his sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, a federal appeals court judge in Philadelphia, to the Supreme Court, his announcement today is meant to be a signal to conservatives that he would choose a justice in the mold of the late conservative icon, Antonin Scalia.

Signal or not, it is well known that Mr. Trump is prone to changing his mind and, while the judges on the list are all conservative favorites, none are actually known to Trump or are part out of his world.

In an exclusive, Around the Block has learned that there is actually a second potential list of judges, all of whom are more in keeping with Trump’s sensibilities and background.

This second list includes:

• Judge Judy Sheindlin of the Judge Judy Show;

• Judge Joe Brown of the Judge Joe Brown Show;

• Judge Greg Mathis of the Judge Mathis Show;

• Judge Lynn Toler of Divorce Court;

• Judge Alex Ferrer of the Judge Alex Show;

• Judge Marian Milian of The Peoples’s Court; 

• and, in a surprise move, 96-year old Judge Joseph Wapner, Judge Emeritus of The People’s Court.

It is believed that once Trump secures the nomination, and no longer needs to accede to the demands of mainstream Republican party leaders, this second list will be revealed publicly and the potential appointees will be thoroughly vetted by Trump’s Supreme Court selection committee headed by reality show gurus Mark Burnett, Simon Cowell and Kim Kardashian.

Trump takes O'Reilly advice to name cabinet to solidify mainstream support

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Trump begins filling cabinet positions

List includes allies and former rivals

In a recent phone interview with Fox News host Bill O’Reilly, Donald Trump was asked about potential cabinet members in a Trump administration.

O’Reilly’s reason for opening up the question of cabinet appointees was based on his belief that one way Trump could solidify mainstream Republican support would be to line up the cabinet before the convention to demonstrate his administration’s seriousness.

In the interview, only three positions were discussed: former New York mayor and 9/11 devotee, Rudolph Giuliani, for Secretary of Homeland Security, New Jersey governor and former (self-described greatest) federal prosecutor, Chris Christie, for Attorney General, and retired neurosurgeon and former somnolent presidential candidate, Ben Carson, for Secretary of Health and Human Services.

While Mr. Trump agreed that each of these men would be “very good choices in very good positions,” he said that he wasn’t quite prepared yet to be choosing cabinet members.

In the days following the talk with O’Reilly however, Around the Block has learned exclusively that Trump took the conversation to heart and has drawn up a list of potential major cabinet appointees for the other departments.

According the Trump campaign, the following is a virtually certain list of a Trump appointees.

Secretary of State – Sheldon Adelson
The casino mogul, who has promised to “spend whatever it takes” to get Trump elected is the choice for the State Department due to his unfettered support of Israel and his agreement with Trump's ban on foreign Muslims entering the U.S. As Secretary of State, Adelson would have total control over entry into the U.S. and would be in the best position to enforce Trump’s “no-Muslim” rule. In addition, Adelson would use his influence as secretary and his relationships with the Jewish mob in Israel to assist Trump in building the huge Trump Casino - Dead Sea.

Secretary of Defense – Ted Cruz
Despite the animosity for each other Trump and Cruz developed during the primary campaign, Trump is said to be intrigued by the senator’s hawkish views, particularly his statement regarding “carpet bombing” ISIS” until we can “find out if sand can glow in the dark.”

Secretary of the Treasury – Herman Cain
Cain, now nearly forgotten, but who was a one-time front-runner when he ran for the Republican nomination for president in 2012, is most famous for his “9-9-9” tax plan. The plan has always been a favorite of Trump’s because with it, audits, and the IRS, would be eliminated so there would be one-less thing for him to worry about when he is president.

Secretary of Energy – Sarah Palin
Without question, the former Alaska governor and vice-presidential nominee is the best choice for the Energy Department given her recent comments on the job. 

"I think a lot about the Department of Energy, because energy is my baby ... And if I were head of that, I would get rid of it. And I would let the states start having more control over the lands that are within their boundaries and the people who are affected by the developments within their space. So, you know, if I were in charge of that, it would be a short-term job. But it would be — it would be really great to have someone who knows energy and is pro-responsible development to be in charge.”

Secretary of the Interior – Sarah Palin
Since Ms. Palin, as Energy Secretary, would quickly disband the Department of Energy, Trump believes he can also nominate her to be Interior Secretary as well, particularly given that her views on Interior’s role on managing natural resources are in line with conventional Republican thinking as reflected in her statement:

 "...oil and gas and minerals, those things that God has dumped on this part of the Earth for mankind's use, instead of relying on unfriendly foreign nations for us to import their resources."

Beyond this list certain, final decisions on other cabinet level appointees have not been finalized. But, Around the Block has learned that several people are under consideration for a number of different positions:

Carly Fiorina for either Commerce Secretary for her record as CEO of HP, or Education Secretary for her successful educational use of discredited videos;

Any available former Wal-Mart CEO for Secretary of Labor for the ability to keep both full employment in Asia and company labor costs under control by ensuring that employee wages, benefits and bathroom breaks are as limited as possible;

For Housing and Urban Development, given their learning at the feet of the greatest urban developer in the history of the world, and in an unprecedented move, HUD will be led by three people simultaneously, Trump’s oldest children, Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric;

Florida governor Rick Scott for Transportation Secretary, based on his work in killing public high-speed rail in Florida with the backing of the Koch brothers;

Michigan governor Rick Snyder whose work polluting the drinking water in Flint makes him a shoo-in for EPA Administrator, if he is not indicted for criminal negligence. In that event Oklahoma senator and climate change denier James Inhoffe will get the EPA nod;

If he’s not chosen as the vice-presidential candidate, former Texas governor Rick Perry for Secretary of Agriculture for his spirited defense of the meat product called "pink slime" the food item, he contends, that has been an important part of the American diet for 20 years.

Finally, we have also learned that Trump will not consider naming either a UN Ambassador or a U.S. Trade Representative as he intends to pull the U.S. out of the UN and eliminate all trade deals going forward.