{"id":88580,"date":"2017-08-29T08:36:18","date_gmt":"2017-08-29T08:36:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/politicians-just-cant-stop-exploiting-disasters.html"},"modified":"2017-08-29T08:36:18","modified_gmt":"2017-08-29T08:36:18","slug":"politicians-just-cant-stop-exploiting-disasters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/political\/politicians-just-cant-stop-exploiting-disasters.html","title":{"rendered":"Politicians just can&#8217;t stop exploiting disasters"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"speakable\">**Want FOX News Halftime Report in your inbox every day? Sign up\u00a0<a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">here<\/a>.**<br \/><b><i><br \/> On the roster: Politicians just can\u2019t stop exploiting disasters &#8211; Top trump exec sought Kremiln help on 2016 deal &#8211; Trump:\u00a0\u2018I want tariffs. Bring me some tariffs!\u2019 &#8211;\u00a0Arpaio might challenge Flake -When he\u2019s right, he\u2019s right<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable\"><b>POLITICIANS JUST CAN\u2019T STOP EXPLOITING DISASTERS<br \/><\/b>One of the main biases of journalism is a preference for predictable events. Witness the ever-more dreadful spectacle of the State of the Union address.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It gets so much more coverage because it is a big event that news organizations can prepare for, build up to and, of course, hype.<\/p>\n<p> Hurricanes work in a similar fashion in that news organizations have lots of lead time to make coverage plans and deploy resources. But, invariably, when the storm hits and doesn\u2019t deliver instant death on a mass scale, there is a tendency in the press and public to act like the storm was a dud.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p> But, of course, hurricanes don\u2019t do their damage mostly through winds. Water is the real killer, and the waters don\u2019t rise for a day or so.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p> Then suddenly, you see reporters diving back in with intense coverage. It\u2019s a very familiar cycle: Hype, followed by missed expectations, followed by a storm surge of coverage.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p> We tell you all this because there is another unfortunate component to the way America deals with natural disasters these days: Dirty politics.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p> Ever since Democrats were successfully able to nail\u00a0<b>George W. Bush<\/b>\u00a0over Hurricane Katrina in 2005, every storm or massive forest fire or earthquake is treated as a political opportunity. Now, that\u2019s not to say that politicians from time immemorial have not tried to make the most out of natural disasters. It\u2019s just that it\u2019s so transparent now.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p> Last year, Republican presidential nominee\u00a0<b>Donald Trump<\/b>\u00a0stuck it to then-<b>President Obama\u00a0<\/b>and Democrats with a visit to flood-ravaged Louisiana. Trump remembered how Obama had taken advantage of Hurricane Sandy in 2012 to help win re-election. Days of favorable coverage about federal relief efforts and a bi-partisan bro moment with then-popular New Jersey Gov.\u00a0<b>Chris Christie\u00a0<\/b>added up to a nice run for Obama.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p> In August of 2016, however, Trump wanted to make sure that Obama and the Blue Team didn\u2019t have similar good results with floods that drenched Louisiana. The flooding, which killed 13, started on August 12<sup>th<\/sup>\u00a0while Obama and his family were on vacation in Martha\u2019s Vineyard.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p> As Obama came under criticism for not visiting the Pelican State to commiserate with flood victims, Trump seized the opportunity and went south with running mate\u00a0<b>Mike Pence<\/b>. Trump spent most of August on the ropes, and the storm offered him a much-needed opportunity to get back on offense.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p> You can tell now that Trump is very much attuned to the political dangers of Hurricane Harvey. The White House has followed very traditional protocols on preparedness and response, even including the obligatory candid shot of the president getting a briefing by phone.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p> Democrats are looking for opportunities to criticize Trump and the all-Republican government in Texas, but so far they\u2019re only dancing around the subject.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p> You can expect that to change as the magnitude of the damage caused by what may end up being the worst disaster in state history has is revealed. There will be attacks on Trump for abandoning anti-global warming regulations, even if his critics can\u2019t find a specific botch in Trump\u2019s response to the storm.<\/p>\n<p>That effort will be well underway even before Trump touches down in Texas tomorrow.<\/p>\n<p> It will probably be unfair, just as it was probably unfair for Trump to have used human misery to try to win the 2016 election just as it was unfair for Democrats to use the victims of Katrina to try to win back Congress in 2006.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p> We are old enough to know that this is not a trend that will change, and will probably get worse as time goes on. The politicization of disasters is going to be with us for the foreseeable future.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p> That\u2019s too bad because there\u2019s nothing particularly political about disaster relief. It\u2019s not an ideological issue. Yes, there\u2019s a fight over how much money the government should spend on rebuilding but for the preparation, evacuations and emergency response, that\u2019s part of the bipartisan agreement on the proper role of government.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p> This is sort of like how both parties fall into the trap complaining about presidential vacations and travel. They just can\u2019t resist. All of the Republicans\u2019 complaints about lavish spending of the Obamas on travel as well as the former president\u2019s bi-annual extended vacations sound pretty silly now.\u00a0 And don\u2019t even get us started about the golf\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n<p> Yes, it is reasonable to point out deficiencies in leadership or organizations with any administration, and a natural disaster, of course, is a time of testing. But when you find yourself digging deeper to try to score political points on a storm or other catastrophe you are not only being finical and crass, you are making it worse for members of your team when they find themselves back in power.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p> <b>THE RULEBOOK: CAUSE  EFFECT<br \/><\/b>\u201cThere are two methods of curing the mischiefs of faction: the one, by removing its causes; the other, by controlling its effects.\u201d \u2013\u00a0<b><i>James Madison<\/i><\/b><i>,\u00a0<a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">Federalist No. 10<\/a><br \/><\/i><br \/><b>TIME OUT: EWWWWWW\u2026<br \/><\/b><a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">Space.com:<\/a>\u00a0\u201cFuture astronauts could turn their pee into nutrients and raw materials for\u00a03D printers\u00a0with the aid of some industrious microbes, new research suggests. Harnessing the talents of the tiny beasts in this way could help humanity extend its footprint out into the\u00a0solar system, study team members said. \u2018If astronauts are going to make journeys that span several years, we\u2019ll need to find a way to reuse and recycle everything they bring with them,\u2019 study leader\u00a0<b>Mark Blenner<\/b>, of Clemson University in South Carolina, said in a statement. \u2018Atom economy will become really important.\u2019 Blenner and his team have been investigating the recycling talents of the yeast\u00a0<i>Yarrowia lipolytica<\/i>. The researchers found that\u00a0<i>Y. lipolytica<\/i>\u00a0can get the nitrogen it needs from the urea in untreated urine. \u2026 If all this talk of human waste and reuse seems a little gross to you, keep in mind that NASA astronauts aboard the ISS already drink their (recycled) urine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>Flag on the play? &#8211;<\/b>\u00a0Email us at<br \/><a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">HALFTIMEREPORT@FOXNEWS.COM<\/a>\u00a0with<br \/> your tips, comments or questions.<\/p>\n<p><b>SCOREBOARD<br \/><\/b>Trump net job-approval rating:\u00a0<b>-18.4<\/b>\u00a0<b>points<br \/><\/b>Change from one week ago:\u00a0<b>down 1.5 points<\/b><\/p>\n<p> [<i>President Trump\u2019s score is determined by subtracting his average job disapproval rating in<\/i>\u00a0<i>the five most recent, methodologically sound public polls from his average approval rating, calculated in the same fashion.<\/i>]<\/p>\n<p> <b>TOP TRUMP EXEC SOUGHT KREMILN HELP ON 2016 DEAL<\/b><br \/><a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">WaPo:<\/a>\u00a0\u201cA top executive from <b>Donald Trump<\/b>\u2019s real estate company emailed\u00a0<b>Vladi\u00admir Putin<\/b>\u2019s personal spokesman during the U.S. presidential campaign last year to ask for help advancing\u00a0a stalled Trump Tower development project in Moscow, according to documents submitted to Congress Monday.\u00a0<b>Michael Cohen<\/b>, a Trump attorney and executive vice president for the Trump Organization, sent the email in January 2016 to <b>Dmitry Peskov<\/b>, the Kremlin\u2019s top press aide. \u2018Over the past few months I have been working with a company based in Russia regarding the development of a Trump Tower &#8211; Moscow project in Moscow City,\u2019 Cohen wrote Peskov, according to a person familiar with the email. \u2026 In a statement Cohen submitted to Congressional investigators, he said he wrote the email at the recommendation of\u00a0<b>Felix Sater<\/b>, a Russian-American businessman who was serving as a broker on the deal. In the statement, obtained by the Washington Post, Cohen said Sater suggested the outreach because a massive Trump development in Moscow would require Russian government approval.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <b>TRUMP:\u00a0\u2018I WANT TARIFFS. BRING ME SOME TARIFFS!\u2019<br \/><\/b><a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">Axios:<\/a>\u00a0\u201cThe following is a rare account of President Trump in a small Oval Office meeting, venting at senior staff for sometimes resisting his hawkish trade agenda. \u2026 The scene:\u00a0\u2026Chief of Staff. [<b>John Kelly<\/b>] convened a meeting to discuss the administration\u2019s plans to investigate China for stealing American intellectual property and technology. Kelly stood beside Trump, behind the Resolute desk. In front of the desk were U.S. Trade Representative\u00a0<b>Robert Lighthizer<\/b>, senior trade adviser\u00a0<b>Peter Navarro<\/b>, top economic adviser\u00a0<b>Gary Cohn<\/b>, and Trump\u2019s former chief strategist <b>Steve Bannon<\/b>. Trump, addressing Kelly, said \u2026 \u2018For the last six months, this same group of geniuses comes in here all the time and I tell them, \u2018Tariffs. I want tariffs.\u2019 And what do they do? They bring me IP. I can\u2019t put a tariff on IP.\u2019 \u2026 \u2018China is laughing at us,\u2019 Trump added. \u2026 Kelly responded: \u2018Yes sir, I understand, you want tariffs.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>Trump frustrated with Canada, Mexico on NAFTA negotiations &#8211;<\/b>\u00a0<a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">AP<\/a>: \u201cPresident Donald Trump is accusing Canada and Mexico of being \u2018very difficult\u2019 at the negotiating table over the North American Free Trade Agreement, and threatening anew to terminate the deal. Trump tweeted on Sunday morning that NAFTA is the \u2018worst trade deal ever made.\u2019 Trump said at a rally last week in Phoenix that he would \u2018end up probably terminating\u2019 NAFTA \u2018at some point.\u2019 The U.S., Mexico and Canada began formal negotiations earlier this month to rework the 23-year-old trade pact that Trump blames for hundreds of thousands of lost U.S. factory jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <b>Tillerson begins to distance himself from Trump &#8211;\u00a0<\/b><a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">Fox News:<\/a>\u00a0\u201cSecretary of State\u00a0<b>Rex Tillerson<\/b>\u00a0raised eyebrows Sunday with his curt reply that President Trump \u2018speaks for himself,\u2019 when asked about his boss\u2019s values. \u2026 The response from Tillerson reflects how the president\u2019s handling of the violence in Charlottesville continues to reverberate weeks later.\u00a0America\u2019s top diplomat was asked on \u2018Fox News Sunday\u2019 whether he has a tougher time pushing American values when some foreign leaders question Trump\u2019s values. When he said nobody doubts the American people\u2019s values, host\u00a0<b>Chris Wallace<\/b>\u00a0pointedly asked about the president\u2019s.\u00a0\u2019The president speaks for himself, Chris,\u2019 Tillerson said.\u00a0Asked whether he was \u2018separating himself\u2019 from the president\u2019s comments, he answered, \u2018I have spoken.\u2019 Tillerson\u00a0pointed to post-Charlottesville comments he made earlier this month\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <b>Will he be the next to leave?\u00a0<\/b>&#8211;\u00a0<a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">Axios<\/a>: \u201cThere\u2019s a ticking problem with Rex Tillerson, and it\u2019s growing louder by the day, according to officials inside and close to the White House. President Trump has been growing increasingly frustrated with his Secretary of State. One time recently, after Trump had returned from a meeting on Afghanistan, a source recalled Trump saying, \u2018Rex just doesn\u2019t get it, he\u2019s totally establishment in his thinking.\u2019 Tillerson\u2019s\u00a0jaw-dropping comments\u00a0on TV [Sunday] will likely only worsen their relationship. \u2026 We\u2019ve been hearing for weeks, from sources who\u2019ve spoken to the president, that Trump is getting more and more fed up with Tillerson, who has still yet to staff his agency.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>ARPAIO MIGHT CHALLENGE FLAKE<br \/><\/b><a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">WashEx:<\/a>\u00a0\u201cAfter receiving President Trump\u2019s first pardon,\u00a0<b>Joe Arpaio<\/b>\u2019s plans have gone from possible prison to book-writing, speeches and potentially another run for office in Arizona, with Sen.\u00a0<b>Jeff Flake<\/b>\u2019s seat one opportunity he is eyeing. The former Maricopa County sheriff told the\u00a0<i>Washington Examiner<\/i>\u00a0he\u2019s upset at negative reaction to the Friday pardon&#8230; \u2018I could run for mayor, I could run for legislator, I could run for Senate,\u2019 Arpaio said Monday. One particular race, however, is likely to gain significant attention: the GOP primary next year facing Flake, R-Ariz., a forceful Trump critic. \u2018I\u2019m sure getting a lot of people around the state asking me\u2019 to challenge Flake, said Arpaio, who served 24 years as sheriff before losing reelection in 2016. \u2018All I\u2019m saying is the door is open and we\u2019ll see what happens. I\u2019ve got support. I know what support I have.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>Jonathan Turley: Arpaio pardon<\/b>\u00a0<b>\u201cdregs left at the bottom of a now depleted and despoiled process\u201d<\/b>\u00a0<b>&#8211;<\/b>\u00a0<a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">USA Today<\/a>:\u00a0\u201cArpaio was not even sentenced and was looking at either\u00a0no jail time or less than six months. \u2026 The biggest problem with the pardon is the crime itself. The greatest cause for concern is the impact of this pardon on our principles underlying the rule of law. Our legal system depends on compliance with court orders ranging from search warrants to injunctions, particularly for law enforcement officials. Arpaio put himself above the law while claiming to enforce \u2026. Trump&#8217;s pardon of Arpaio looks almost papal in comparison to some of [his predecessors\u2019] pardons. None of that alters the fact that the Arpaio pardon was unwarranted and unwise. \u2026 If so, the Arpaio pardon is the dregs left at the bottom of a now depleted and despoiled process.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>DELAYS ON MEETINGS CREATING DELAY ON TAX REFORM<\/b><br \/><a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">Axios<\/a>: \u201cFreedom Caucus members say it\u2019s way harder than it should be to get a meeting with the two Trump officials steering tax reform:\u00a0Gary Cohn<b>\u00a0<\/b>and Treasury Secretary <b>Steven Mnuchin<\/b>. Sources with direct knowledge tell [<b>Jonathan Swan<\/b>] that in front of a meeting of the Freedom Caucus in mid-July, the group\u2019s leader\u00a0<b>Mark Meadows<\/b>\u00a0asked White House legislative affairs representative\u00a0<b>Paul Teller<\/b>\u00a0to arrange a meeting with Cohn and Mnuchin, so they could share some of the details of the closely-held tax reform discussions. The White House told the Freedom Caucus that scheduling issues were preventing the meeting from happening \u2026 These tensions could easily blow out into bigger problems for the White House and Republican leadership, as many conservatives feel cut out of the process. Meadows asked for this meeting because some conservative members are frustrated they have no visibility into what the Big Six have been doing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <b>What could happen to ACA taxes &#8211;\u00a0<\/b><a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">Axios<\/a>: \u201cAlthough the GOP\u2019s plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act industry taxes died with the party\u2019s health care bill, its conventional wisdom that some of the taxes will still be delayed. But there\u2019s no plan to do so yet. Lobbying campaigns to repeal or delay the health insurance tax and the medical device tax are ramping up, yet there\u2019s no clear vehicle for Congress to take action. \u2026 But the health insurance tax, while much more expensive to address, directly impacts premiums in all markets. \u2026 However, insurers participating in ACA exchanges might have to pick their battles: While repealing the health insurance tax could lower premiums by 2-3%, ensuring that cost-sharing subsidies are paid keeps premiums 20% lower.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <b>TEAM TRUMP TO BORROW ROVE PLAY FOR 2018 EFFORTS<\/b><br \/><a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">Politico:<\/a>\u00a0\u201cDonald Trump\u2019s White House may take a page from the\u00a0<b>Karl Rove<\/b>\u00a0playbook. The administration has been in talks to put conservative initiatives on the ballot in 2018 midterm battleground states in hopes of energizing base voters dispirited by the performance of Republican-controlled Washington. The strategy is similar to the one Rove used in 2004. The\u00a0<b>George W. Bush<\/b>\u00a0political guru helped engineer a slate of anti-gay marriage amendments that year to boost GOP turnout in swing states such as Ohio, an approach that many are convinced helped pave the way for Bush\u2019s reelection. \u2026 White House aides are less interested in a ballot initiative campaign focused on social issues, fearful it would serve to only further stoke an already-motivated liberal base. Instead \u2026 they\u2019re considering initiatives involving tax reform and other economic issues seen as more likely to invigorate conservatives. Tax reform also goes to the heart of Trump\u2019s agenda\u2026\u201d<br \/><b><br \/> LEFT-WING MOB TURNS VIOLENT AT BERKELEY\u00a0\u00a0<br \/><\/b><a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">WaPo<\/a>: \u201cBerkeley Police\u2019s Lt.\u00a0<b>Joe Okies<\/b>\u00a0told\u00a0The Washington Post the rally resulted in \u201813 arrests on a range of charges including assault with a deadly weapon, obstructing a police officer, and various Berkeley municipal code violations.\u2019 And although the anti-hate and left-wing protesters largely drowned out the smaller clutch of far-right marchers attending a planned\u00a0\u2018No to Marxism in America\u2019 rally, Sunday\u2019s confrontation marked another street brawl between opposing ends of the political spectrum\u00a0\u2014 violence that has become a regular feature of the Trump years and gives signs of spiraling upward, particularly in the wake of the violence in Charlottesville. \u2018I applaud the more than 7,000 people who came out today to peacefully oppose bigotry, hatred and racism that we saw on display in Charlottesville,\u2019 Berkeley Mayor\u00a0<b>Jesse Arregu\u00edn<\/b>\u00a0said in a statement. \u201d \u2026 However, the violence that small group of protesters engaged in against residents and the police, including throwing smoke bombs, is unacceptable.\u2019\u201d<br \/><i><br \/><\/i><b>PLAY-BY-PLAY<\/b>\u00a0<br \/><i>Trump to lift restrictions on military supplies for local law enforcement<\/i>\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0<a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">Fox News<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <i>Kasich shuts down suggestion of 2020 run with Hickenlooper<\/i>\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0<a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">NBC News<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <i>Crowd of Dems in Wisconsin governor race against Walker<\/i>\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0<a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">AP<\/a><br \/><b><br \/> AUDIBLE: YOU CAN\u2019T SIT WITH US<\/b><br \/> \u201cWhat is off-putting about them is they do not grasp their essential irrelevance. They think they are special.\u201d \u2013\u00a0<i>An unnamed political veteran told\u00a0<a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">Vanity Fair<\/a>\u00a0about Washington\u2019s newest outsiders,\u00a0<b>Jared Kushner\u00a0<\/b>and\u00a0<b>Ivanka<\/b>\u00a0<b>Trump<\/b>.<\/i>\u00a0<b><i><br \/><\/i><br \/> FROM THE BLEACHERS<br \/><\/b>\u201cYou may well be the most interesting and insightful political commentator in America today. Your analysis of the current steep decline of American culture was as much poetry &#8211; in the best sense of the word &#8211; as prose. That said, I am disappointed that you would not venture even the broadest outline of a solution. There are a number of \u2018modest proposals\u2019 floating around, perhaps you could summon the courage to discuss them. Looking forward to your equally entertaining showcase of alternative solutions.\u201d \u2013\u00a0<b><i>Eric Hutchins<\/i><\/b>,<i>Santa Barbara, Calif.<br \/><\/i><b><br \/><\/b>[<i>Ed. note: Mr. Hutchins, you are far too kind! This may sound like a cop out, but I really don\u2019t think that it is my job or even proper place to be in the solutions business. I\u2019m an analyst, something like a color commentator for the game of politics. If I start putting forward policy ideas, invariably that will lead down the path of political opinion. In order to be fair to all sides in our ongoing political brouhaha I need to not just preserve the appearance of impartiality but strive to actually be impartial in my thinking. But you make a good point about the proposals out there. I will do better of making a point to include more of the big ideas that are circulating about how to reclaim our corroded public life.<\/i>]<i><br \/><\/i><br \/> \u201cI absolutely agree with you on the downward spiral ethics seem to be on in this country. Although, thinking back to previous eras (like the eighties), perhaps it\u2019s not so much a downward trend but rather a steady state of ignorance or willful disregard.\u00a0 In any case, we could really use a better understanding and application of ethics in this country.\u00a0 On free expression: We used to have one main culture and then various counter culture and niche cultural groups. What the Internet and changing demographics have done is fragmented us until there is no single dominant culture any more &#8211; now everyone knows what it feels like to be in a niche culture. One final point, people and companies need to remember there is a difference between words and actions. That angry mob is something to be learned from but not something to fear unless they start taking action. Businesses need to factor that into their plans and act accordingly. A person can take legal action if necessary.\u201d \u2013\u00a0<b><i>Barbara Hamby<\/i><\/b><i>, Springfield, Mo.<\/i><\/p>\n<p> [<i>Ed. note: Very well put, Ms. Hamby. Never before in human history have people been so connected to each other, but rarely have they ever been so far apart emotionally.<\/i>]<i><\/i><\/p>\n<p> \u201cI was thinking about the comments you made about the superficial, nasty tone of American society and culture. Certainly true concerning the internet. But first, we should balance the benefit to people living in repressive societies (Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and China come to mind at once) who have internet access and use it to resist oppression.\u00a0 These people have much less opportunity to express opinions or act in accordance with their own desires.\u00a0 The web makes a profound difference for them.\u00a0 The world might be a more peaceful place because the internet helps change come at an individual level rather than through larger conflicts. As to America, is our society developing internet antibodies?\u00a0 For example, the [Google] \u2018worker bee\u2019 who lost his job for questioning his employer\u2019s Human Resources process, has become something of a celebrity.\u00a0 In the days of pen and paper, he might never have had the chance to get his questions argued.\u00a0 Is our society compartmentalizing its internet foolishness?\u00a0 I suspect more Americans everyday are more skeptical of trash and nonsense on the web.\u00a0 We may be adjusting.\u201d \u2013\u00a0<b><i>Jim Haynes<\/i><\/b><i>, Towson, Md.<\/i><\/p>\n<p> [<i>Ed. note: I absolutely agree, Mr. Haynes. I believe that in the long run, connectedness will be a threshold achievement for our species. I am quite optimistic about the future. But how we conduct ourselves in the present will determine how bright that future is. The anonymity of the internet has been a useful tool to fight oppression. But it is also often abused by would-be oppressors. There are serious debates taking place now about how to balance freedom and order online. The more misconduct that takes place now means when eventual regulations are imposed, they will be harsher. The underlying problem isn\u2019t really about the medium, it is the way in which the medium is exacerbating preexisting human frailties.<\/i>]<i><br \/><\/i><br \/> \u201cAmen, Brother is all I can say about the Big Stupid. What if all of us repaired in groups no larger than our families or no more than a dozen close friends to the mountains of West Virginia or other remotes, left our phones, pads and other devices at home and spent a week reading and talking with each other? Let the kids moan. Let us remember what it was like to discuss and laugh and share time one another.\u201d \u2013\u00a0<b><i>Clark Acton<\/i><\/b>,\u00a0<i>Anderson, Ind.<\/i><\/p>\n<p> [<i>Ed. note: You\u2019re on, Mr. Acton! See you at the campfire.<\/i>]<b><i><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p> Share your color commentary:\u00a0Email us at<br \/><a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">HALFTIMEREPORT@FOXNEWS.COM<\/a>\u00a0and please make<br \/> sure to include your name and hometown.<\/p>\n<p> <b>WHEN HE\u2019S RIGHT, HE\u2019S RIGHT<\/b><br \/><a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">UPI:<\/a>\u00a0\u201cA Virginia man won $160,000 in a lottery drawing with a $5,000 top prize by purchasing 32 tickets with the same number combination.\u00a0<b>Wayne Roles<\/b>\u00a0of Spotsylvania\u00a0told Virginia Lottery\u00a0officials he had a simple reason for dropping $32 to purchase 32 Pick 4 drawing tickets with the same four-digit combination: \u2018When I win I want to win big.\u2019\u00a0Roles said he bought his tickets at two Fredericksburg stores, Courthouse Gulf and Fas Mart. The small business owner said he checked his numbers when he got up in the middle of the night for a glass of water Aug. 11 and was unable to get back to sleep after discovering he had won 32 $5,000 top prizes for a total $160,000. Roles said he will put his winnings toward supporting his business.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <b><i>Chris Stirewalt\u00a0<\/i><\/b><i>is the politics editor for Fox News.<b>\u00a0Brianna McClelland<\/b>\u00a0contributed to this report. Want FOX News Halftime Report in your inbox every day? Sign up\u00a0<\/i><a href=\"javascript:void(0)\"><i>here<\/i><\/a><i>.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><\/i><\/p>\n<p>\t<i><\/i><\/p>\n<p>Chris Stirewalt joined Fox News Channel (FNC) in July of 2010 and serves as politics editor based in Washington, D.C. Additionally, he authors the daily Fox News Halftime Report political news note and co-hosts the hit podcast, Perino  Stirewalt: I&#8217;ll Tell You What. He also is the host of Power Play, a feature video series on FoxNews.com. Stirewalt makes frequent appearances on network programs, including America\u2019s Newsroom, Special Report with Bret Baier and Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. He also provides expert political analysis for FNC\u2019s coverage of state, congressional and presidential elections.<\/p>\n<p>Article source: http:\/\/feeds.foxnews.com\/~r\/foxnews\/politics\/~3\/twO3gj7zAHk\/politicians-just-cant-stop-exploiting-disasters.html<\/a>\r\n<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>**Want FOX News Halftime Report in your inbox every day? Sign up\u00a0here.** On the roster: Politicians just can\u2019t stop exploiting disasters &#8211; Top trump exec sought Kremiln help on 2016 deal &#8211; Trump:\u00a0\u2018I want tariffs. Bring me some tariffs!\u2019 &#8211;\u00a0Arpaio might challenge Flake -When he\u2019s right, he\u2019s right POLITICIANS JUST CAN\u2019T STOP EXPLOITING DISASTERSOne of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[84],"class_list":["post-88580","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-political","tag-political"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88580","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88580"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88580\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88580"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88580"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88580"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}