In a taped interview that aired today the security guard, Jesus Campos, and maintenance worker, Stephen Schuck, from the Mandalay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, speak to Ellenn Degeneres about the October 1st massacre at Mandalay Bay.
Worth noting, according to the well-prepared and rolled out script, Mr. Campos and Mr. Schuck will not be giving any additional interviews with the media.  As such, it can be intellectually assumed the content of this interview was thoroughly vetted and prepared after consideration from all stakeholders.

.
The emphasis on the “hero angle” is inauthentic, too heavy, and appears structured as a preferred narrative. However, given the position of all local and national stakeholders in the event, and against the backdrop of potentially devastating legal liability against Mandalay Bay and Las Vegas, the need for a strongly structured narrative is transparent and understandable. Any alternative is financially problematic.
(more…)

The stock market (Dow Jones Industrial Average) closed today at 23,157.  The highest ever in the history of the Stock Market.
On September 6th 2016 the Stock Market was at 18,510 when anti-Trump billionaire Mark Cuban appeared on television to announce that if Donald Trump won the election, the stock market would tank. WATCH (prompted, just hit play)

2016 – [05:40] MARK CUBAN: “I have my Trump-hedge on. In the event Donald wins I have no doubt in my mind the market tanks. And so I literally have put on a more than 100% hedge that I’ll put on stronger if it looks like there’s a better chance in the polling”
CAVUTO: “What does that mean? If Donald Trump wins in November, what is Mark Cuban doing?”
CUBAN: “If the polls look like there’s a decent chance Donald could win I’ll put a huge hedge on that’s over 100% of my equity position, and my bond position as well, that protects me just in case he wins.”

(more…)

When a business entity forms the largest and most important decision they make is who will lead the organization.  That decision, beyond all other decisions, has the potential to destroy the business and long-term brand image of the entity.
The National Football League has destroyed itself.  In a free-market system customers have the ability to turn away from any product or service against their interests.

Announced during a post-meeting press conference today, the N.F.L has decided not to enforce it’s own rules on player conduct.  Instead the league will continue to let players kneel or sit during the national anthem without a penalty, capitulating to demands by the athletes for free expression but potentially further alienating fans who object to the protests and feel those expressions are disrespectful to the flag and the military.
Conversely, after the meeting with union representatives and players, the social justice league promised to support causes targeted by the protesting players, including reform of the criminal justice system and continued disparagement toward law enforcement officers.
(more…)

  UPDATE: 7:40pm EST “Suspect Apprehended“

BREAKING: Police say the suspect in a Maryland office park shooting where 3 people were killed has been apprehended.

— The Associated Press (@AP) October 18, 2017

•Police in Maryland are looking for a man named Radee Labeeb Prince (37). •He shot 6 people. •Three are dead, three critical. •According to Heavy.Com: in February 2017, a peace order, equivalent to a restraining order, was requested against him in Harford County court. It was denied. According to the Baltimore Sun, a co-worker sought the peace order after “Prince had punched an employee in the face and returned and threatened employees.” •Prince has an extensive criminal record including weapons charges.

MARYLAND – A manhunt is underway for a gunman who shot five people Wednesday morning inside his workplace in Edgewood, Maryland, killing three people. He now is believed to have shot a sixth person more than 50 miles away in Wilmington, Delaware.

Radee Labeeb Prince, 37, shot five of his co-workers at a granite company about 25 miles northeast of Baltimore just before 9 a.m., the Harford County Sheriff’s Office said.

(more…)

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders delivers the White House press briefing for Wednesday October 18th. Anticipated start time 2:00pm EST:
UPDATE: Video Added

(more…)

Earlier today President Trump met with members of the Senate Finance Committee to discuss the latest tax reform proposal.  (transcript below)

[Transcript] – 11:34 A.M. EDT – THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. I’m honored to welcome Republican and Democratic members of the Senate Finance Committee to the White House. And especially, I’d like to thank Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch — thank you, Orrin — and Ranking Member Ron Wyden for joining us today. Thank you very much. Thank you, Ron.
We’re here to discuss our plan to deliver historic tax cuts for American families, businesses, workers. It will be the largest tax cut in the history of our country.
(more…)

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

President Trump Twitter @POTUS / Vice President Pence Twitter @VP

Sarah H Sanders Twitter @SHSanders45

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

Fox News host Sean Hannity reveals the stunningly explosive scandal he has been hinting toward for weeks and weeks. Joined once again by fellow explosive story seller Sara Carter, Hannity outlines the most incredible, scandalous, explosive, controversy, in history.

.
The thing is… It really is a scandal; and it really is a big deal; but when pitched by the same team that claim every scandal is the biggest deal in the history of big deals, well, the ‘chicken little factor’ comes into play.  Thus we accept the historic modus operandi behind controlled opposition leaks, stories and narratives from inside the swamp.
When everything is sold as a big deal, then nothing is a big deal.  As such the UniParty swamp shrugs with a subtle sneer and says:… yeah, so? …And your point?
(more…)

Hmmm… obtuse swampy defense surfaces. CTH smells the strong residue of UniParty Flak and Countermeasures. Unfortunately, not necessarily surprising.
During an interview with Fox News Brett Baier, the Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, Trey Gowdy, claims former Ambassador Samantha Power did not initiate all the unmasking incidents attributed to her.  [Video Prompted – just hit play]
https://youtu.be/ULwCDLnbuIs?t=4m35s
[04:35 Video] Brett Baier: “You are also looking, and have talked to the former Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power. We reported that she requested or her officer requested 260 plus efforts to unmask, in other words, get who was talking about picked up in surveillance. How did she answer that question? Why so many?”
Trey Gowdy: “Well, I’ll tell you broadly, uh Brett, I think if she was on your show, she would say those attempt to unmask may have been attributed to her. But they greatly exceed, by an exponential factor, the requests that she actually made.  So that’s her testimony, uh, and, and she was pretty emphatic.  The surveillance community, the intelligence community, has assigned this number of requests to her – her perspective, her testimony is: ‘they may be under my name, but I did not make those requests‘.”
(more…)