EW YORK (FOX 5 NY) – West 42nd St. has reopened between 7th and 8th Avenues in Manhattan after police descended on the area following reports of a suspicious package.The object in question turned out to be a small rolling suitcase.  Police had roped off the area in front of a McDonald’s at about 8:45 a.m. while they investigated.It is not clear what was inside the suitcase, if anyone had claimed it or if it had been left behind.All-clear given after suitcase prompts street closureThe scare occurred during the height of the morning rush hour at the ‘crossroads of the world.’Police were not allowing passengers to enter or exit the Times Square subway station on 42nd St. throughout the investigation.  The station is a major transportation hub in Midtown Manhattan.People who work in businesses and office buildings in the area were also being kept away by the NYPD.The city remains on high alert after a home-made bomb detonated over the weekend on 23rd St. and another un-detonated bomb was found on 27th St.

Source: All-clear given after suitcase prompts street closure – Story | WNYW

Former President George H.W. Bush is bucking his party’s presidential nominee and plans to vote for Hillary Clinton in November, according to a member of another famous political family, the Kennedys.Bush, 92, had intended to stay silent on the White House race between Clinton and Donald Trump, a sign in and of itself of his distaste for the GOP nominee. But his preference for the wife of his own successor, President Bill Clinton, nonetheless became known to a wider audience thanks to Kathleen Hartington Kennedy Townsend, the former Maryland lieutenant governor and daughter of the late Robert F. Kennedy.On Monday, Townsend posted a picture on her Facebook page shaking hands next to the former president and this caption: “The President told me he’s voting for Hillary!!”In a telephone interview, Townsend said she met with the former president in Maine earlier today, where she said he made his preference known that he was voting for a Democrat. “That’s what he said,” she told POLITICO.

Source: George H.W. Bush to vote for Hillary Clinton – POLITICO

Supporters of the Islamic State rushed to celebrate Saturday night’s powerful explosion in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood that injured at least 29 people, even as no group or individual has been arrested or claimed responsibility.

“The lions of the Caliphate roar in New York, we cause you pain inside your house, the carrier of the Cross,” wrote one Twitter user who went by the name “I am ISIS, come and block me.” The account was soon suspended. 

Another, called “The Lone Wolves,” tweeted with the Arabic hashtag #ExplosionManhattanNewYork “Oh God burn America, take revenge in the name of your oppressed slaves and believers’ blood.

”Others tweeted about “good tidings that keep coming” from New York, and one user affiliated with al-Qaeda in Syria tweeted: “Oh God go against America, the head of infidels. Oh God, count them and kill them one by one, and do not spare anyone of them.

”The hashtag #ExplosionManhattanNewYork was popular among other Arab users, mostly from Saudi Arabia, who don’t seem to be affiliated with terror groups but still criticized America, Vocativ found.

One user said “ISIS is an American product, their goods come back to them.” Another wrote: “This is all your doing Mister Obama, you are the reason for the spread of ISIS in the region.

I wish you would listen to the words of King Abdallah and his warning for the Arabs from ISIS.”Others raised concerns, tweeted that the explosion was “another pretext for America to intervene in another country” and that ‘the dog Trump will blame the Muslims in order to win the elections, an expected scenario”.

Source: ISIS Supporters Rush To Celebrate NYC Explosion – Vocativ

Hillary Clinton’s top campaign aide, and the woman who might be the future White House chief of staff to the first female US president, for a decade edited a radical Muslim publication that opposed women’s rights and blamed the US for 9/11.One of Clinton’s biggest accomplishments listed on her campaign Web site is her support for the UN women’s conference in Bejing in 1995, when she famously declared, “Women’s rights are human rights.” Her speech has emerged as a focal point of her campaign, featured prominently in last month’s Morgan Freeman-narrated convention video introducing her as the Democratic nominee.However, soon after that “historic and transformational” 1995 event, as Clinton recently described it, her top aide Huma Abedin published articles in a Saudi journal taking Clinton’s feminist platform apart, piece by piece. At the time, Abedin was assistant editor of the Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs working under her mother, who remains editor-in-chief. She was also working in the White House as an intern for then-First Lady Clinton.Headlined “Women’s Rights are Islamic Rights,” a 1996 article argues that single moms, working moms and gay couples with children should not be recognized as families. It also states that more revealing dress ushered in by women’s liberation “directly translates into unwanted results of sexual promiscuity and irresponsibility and indirectly promote violence against women.” In other words, sexually liberated women are just asking to be raped“A conjugal family established through a marriage contract between a man and a woman, and extended through procreation is the only definition of family a Muslim can accept,” the author, a Saudi official with the Muslim World League, asserted, while warning of “the dangers of alternative lifestyles.” (Abedin’s journal was founded and funded by the former head of the Muslim World League.)“Pushing [mothers] out into the open labor market is a clear demonstration of a lack of respect of womanhood and motherhood,” it added.

Source: Huma Abedin worked at a radical Muslim journal for 10 years | New York Post

Well, we know what’s not yuuuge!Life-size statues of Donald Trump, in all his naked glory, have been erected across the country — and they’re far from flattering.One of the nude effigies was first spotted in Union Square on Thursday morning, sparking a slew of tweets poking fun at the microscopic representation of the Republican presidential candidate’s manhood and unsightly, cottage-cheese like physique.“A nude statue of Donald Trump appeared in Union Square today. I’m not attaching a photo out of courtesy to everyone,” tweeted Anica Padilla.“Judging by hands he put it there. Judging by penis maybe not,” added user @th3j35t3r.The city apparently wasn’t laughing, though — sending a pair of workers from the Parks Department to remove the sculpture just after 1 p.m., as onlookers booed and cursed.At first, all that was left behind was the feet and base, which included an engraved plaque that read, “The Emperor Has No Balls.” But the workers eventually came back and took that, too.“Oh dear, what a shame! I wish I would have caught that! A statue of Trump with a very teene-tiny wiener!” exclaimed one woman, who arrived late to the party.Throughout the morning, the statue drew hordes of onlookers to the south side of Union Square, who stopped and cringed while snapping as many pictures as possible.“I’ve heard rumors about some things being ‘sub par,’ so I’m not sure if this is life imitating art or art imitating life,” joked Marcos Araujo, a 22-year-old Bronxite. “I think this is a pretty impressive likeness. If there was a look-like-Trump contest I think this would beat the real person.”Chaira Palazzo, a 14-year-old from Brooklyn, agreed — saying she loved the portrayal of Trump.“It was amazing – the fact that it had no balls. And the yellow pubic hair! It looked like a jellyfish mutant in one of the X-man movies,” she said. “One lady said it was mean, but I feel like that’s justice. I think they should have left it.”

Source: Unflattering statues of naked Donald Trump pop up around US | New York Post

A leaked memo from left-wing financier George Soros’s Open Society Foundations argues that Europe’s refugee crisis should be accepted as a “new normal,” and that the refugee crisis means “new opportunities” for Soros’ organization to influence immigration policies on a global scale.OSF program officer Anna Crowley and program specialist Katin Rosin co-authored the May 12 memo, titled “Migration Governance and Enforcement Portfolio Review.” The memo focuses on an OSF program called the International Migration Initiative, which aims to influence immigration policy.The nine-page review makes three key points: OSF — which doles out millions to left-wing causes — has been successful at influencing global immigration policy; Europe’s refugee crisis presents “new opportunities” for the organization to influence global immigration policy; and the refugee crisis is the “new normal.”

Source: Leaked Soros Memo: Refugee Crisis ‘New Normal’ | The Daily Caller

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Hillary Clinton spoke to a crowd in Kissimmee, just south of Orlando.  She was supposed to be talking jobs, but started the speech off paying tribute to those affected by the Pulse Nightclub shooting.”I know how many people, families, loved ones, and friends are still grieving, and we will be with you as you rebuild your lives.”RELATED: Get the free WPTV app for breaking news, alerts WPTV happened to notice the man, who has a mustache and was wearing a red hat, behind Clinton. It was Seddique Mateen, the father of Orlando mass shooter Omar Mateen.

Watch the story below: NewsChannel 5 asked Mateen what he was thinking about when Clinton spoke about the Orlando incident. “We’ve been cooperating with the federal government, and that’s about it,” he said. “Thank you.”  Mateen didn’t want to answer any other questions, but just hours later, we ran into him by chance at a rest stop on the way back to West Palm Beach.  He wanted to do an interview and show us a sign he made for Clinton.”Hillary Clinton is good for United States versus Donald Trump, who has no solutions,” he said.We asked what went into his decision to go to the event right near Orlando, where the Pulse Nightclub shooting happened.”I spoke a lot about that and wish that my son joined the Army and fought ISIS. That would be much better,” he said.When questioned whether Clinton’s campaign knew he was going to the event and sitting directly behind the presidential candidate, Mateen said, ” It’s a Democratic party, so everyone can join.”Finally we asked if he thought some people would be surprised to see him there, especially given the proximity to Orlando. “Why should they be surprised?  I love the United States, and I’ve been living here a long time,” Mateen said.An official with the Clinton campaign said, “The rally was a 3,000-person, open-door event for the public. This individual wasn’t invited as a guest and the campaign was unaware of his attendance until after the event.”

Source: Orlando shooter’s father attends Hillary Clinton rally in Kissimmee – wptv.com

The British man who allegedly set out to write a new and bloody chapter in American history by assassinating Donald Trump during a campaign rally has been described by friends and neighbours as a nice guy who had never before shown violent tendencies. His father said he has Asperger’s syndrome. Michael Sandford, 20, allegedly approached a police officer at the event in Las Vegas to say he wanted Trump’s autograph, but then tried to grab his holstered gun. He was tackled and frogmarched from the venue. Whe

Source: British man held in Trump assassination attempt was ‘nice guy’, neighbours say | US news | The Guardian

SALEM, Mass. —It’s a hot summer night, and leaders of the Satanic Temple have gathered in the crimson­-walled living room of a Victorian manse in this city renowned for its witch trials in the 17th century. They’re watching a sepia-toned video, in which children dance around a maypole, a spider crawls across a clown’s face and eerie, ambient chanting gives way to a backward, demonic voice-over. The group chuckles with approval.

They’re here plotting to bring their wisdom to the nation’s public elementary school children. They point out that Christian evangelical groups already have infiltrated the lives of America’s children through after-school religious programming in public schools, and they appear determined to give young students a choice: Jesus or Satan.

“It’s critical that children understand that there are multiple perspectives on all issues, and that they have a choice in how they think,” said Doug Mesner, the Satanic Temple’s co-founder.

On Monday, the group plans to introduce its After School Satan Club to public elementary schools, including one in Prince George’s County, petitioning school officials to allow them to open immediately as the academic year starts. Chapter heads from New York, Boston, Utah and Arizona were in Salem on July 10 talking strategy, with others from Minneapolis, Detroit, San Jose, New Orleans, Pittsburgh and Florida participating online. The promotional video, which feels like a mash-up of a horror movie trailer and a “Saturday Night Live” sketch, will serve to promote the new club along with its website — Afterschoolsatan.com.

The Satanic Temple — which has been offering tongue-in-cheek support for the fallen angel in public arenas that have embraced prayer and parochial ceremonies — is bringing its fight over constitutional separation of church and state to the nation’s schools.

But the group’s plan for public schoolchildren isn’t actually about promoting worship of the devil. The Satanic Temple doesn’t espouse a belief in the existence of a supernatural being that other religions identify solemnly as Satan, or Lucifer, or Beelzebub. The Temple rejects all forms of supernaturalism and is committed to the view that scientific rationality provides the best measure of reality.

According to Mesner, who goes by the professional name of Lucien Greaves, “Satan” is just a “metaphorical construct” intended to represent the rejection of all forms of tyranny over the human mind.

The curriculum for the proposed after-school clubs emphasizes the development of reasoning and social skills. The group says meetings will include a healthful snack, literature lesson, creative learning activities, a science lesson, puzzle solving and an art project. Every child will receive a membership card and must have a signed parental­ permission slip to attend.

“We think it’s important for kids to be able to see multiple points of view, to reason things through, to have empathy and feelings of benevolence for their fellow human beings,” said the Satanic Temple’s Utah chapter head, who goes by the name Chalice Blythe.

Lucien Greaves stands outside a courthouse in Salem, Mass. (Josh Reynolds/For The Washington Post)
The emphasis on multiple perspectives is a hint pointing to the Temple’s true foe. The group at first intends to roll out the clubs in a limited number of schools in districts that also host an evangelical Christian after-school program known as the Good News Club.

Good News Clubs, which are sponsored by an organization founded in 1937 called the Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), aim to reach children as young as 5 with a fundamentalist form of evangelical Christianity. For most of their history, Good News Clubs were largely excluded from public schools out of concern that their presence would violate the Constitution.

In 2001, in a case that commanded the resources of powerful legal advocacy groups on the religious right, including the Alliance Defending Freedom and the Liberty Counsel, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that to exclude an after-school program on account of the religious views of its sponsors amounted to a violation of free-speech rights. The CEF then went on a tear, and by 2011, it reported 3,560 Good News Clubs, putting them in more than 5 percent of the nation’s public elementary schools.

The Satanic Temple makes no secret of its desire to use that same approach.
“We would like to thank the Liberty Counsel specifically for opening the doors to the After School Satan Clubs through their dedication to religious liberty,” Greaves explained to the gathering of chapter heads in Salem. “So, ‘the Satanic Temple leverages religious freedom laws that put after-school clubs in elementary schools nationwide.’ That’s going to be the message.” Sign up

Source: An After School Satan Club could be coming to your kid’s elementary school – The Washington Post

Erotic members-only club Snctm — LA’s exclusive “theater of sexuality” — is bringing its “Eyes Wide Shut” parties to New York City and the Hamptons.The private club, which holds monthly erotic parties in the Holmby Hills neighborhood, will start a quarterly party in Manhattan during Fashion Week on Sept. 10.Snctm club owner Damon Lawner is now scouting for locations in New York, and tells us he is looking for a private townhouse or a loft for his members, who he says include A-list actors, models, top lawyers and CEOs of public companies. Lawner also plans to throw a party in a discreet mansion in the Hamptons on Sept. 16. Snctm ClubLawner told Page Six of his parties — which have been profiled on Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop and are the subject of an upcoming HBO doc — “Guests have to be masked when they enter the party; men wear tuxes and women wear elegant gowns or lingerie; but after midnight, masks and other items of clothing fall off. The first few hours are about mystique and intrigue. This is not a sex party — it is erotic theater. We have performances. Some just watch while others want to indulge.”

He continued, “I have never been to a swingers party or a sex party. What interests me is the conversation about sexuality and the artistry of erotica. It’s all consensual.”Lawner, who refuses to name any of his clients, said memberships start at $10,000 and go up to $50,000 for “Dominus members.” He explained, “There are true A-list actors and businesspeople who attend, some who have a hard time leaving the house without being chased by the paparazzi. They prefer to remove their masks in the Dominus chambers. It is a safer place for them.”Lawner personally screens each member application. He said, “The last party, we had over 1,000 applicants on our Web site for 100 places. People send photos and describe their fantasies. I don’t want a room full of bankers, actors or models. I curate each party carefully.” But when asked if a Page Six reporter could ever be permitted inside, he answered, “Definitely not.”

Source: A-list Hollywood sex club is coming to New York | Page Six