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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Jun 18, 2014
June 18, 2014
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Married:
Congrats to ZACHARY LEVI and MISSY PEREGRYM, who were married secretly on Maui Monday.
E! News reports he's 33; she's 32, and had only very close friends and family members at the ceremony, although they each tweeted the news immediately afterward.
He's the star of "Chuck" and also has been in "Less Than Perfect," "Tangled" and "Thor: The Dark World." She starred in "Rookie Blue," "Dark Angel," "Heroes" and was the gymnast heroine in "Stick It."Engaged:
LORDE's parents are finally ready to commit. Us Weekly reports VIC O'CONNOR popped the question to longtime love SONJA YELICH during a trip to Niagara Falls last Monday and their chart-topping daughter couldn't be happier. The "Royals" singer revealed on Twitter that they've been together almost 30 years, then followed the comment with lots of hearts, smiley faces, a diamond ring and rose emojis.
Editor's note /Phone starter: Don't look for the 17-year-old to start twerking married men or flashing her goodies --Lorde admitted to Interview magazine that her parents "know what young people need" and her mom even takes her iPhone at night! Do you put limits on your kids' access to social media --even if they're young adults? (Lee)Benghazi:
The White House and the Pentagon announced yesterday that U.S. Special Operations forces finally nabbed one suspect connected to the 2012 terrorist attacks on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that resulted in the deaths of four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador CHRISTOPHER STEVENS. AHMED ABU KHATTALA was taken in a secret raid in Libya, captured Sunday near Benghazi by American troops, working alongside the FBI. He's said to be in U.S. custody "in a secure location outside Libya."
At an appearance in Pittsburgh, PRESIDENT OBAMA praised U.S. forces, for "showing incredible courage and precision... He is now being transported back to the United States."
The president added, "We continue to think about and pray for the families of those who were killed during that terrible attack. But more importantly, it's important for us to send a message to the world that when Americans are attacked, no matter how long it takes, we will find those responsible, and we will bring them to justice. And that's a message I sent the day after it happened, and regardless of how long it takes, we will find you."
But as with the recent release of Army Sgt. BOWE BERGDAHL from Taliban captivity, the news of Khattala's capture was met with an immediate set of questions that'll likely be hashed over in the coming months:
--What took so long? CNN interviewed Khattala about one year ago, and didn't seem to have a problem finding him. He reportedly didn't seem all that worried about being captured or seen.
--Should he be tried in a civilian court, versus at a military tribunal? Many members of Congress are already complaining about bringing him to the mainland U.S., and some think he should be locked up at Guantanamo Bay.
--Was this timed to coincide with HILLARY CLINTON's book tour? Does the entire Benghazi issue now get neutered as a potential problem, if she runs for the White House in 2016? (Pacelli)Sen. JOHN McCAIN (R-Arizona) thinks ABU KHATALLAH should be held at Guantanamo. Senate Judiciary Chairman PATRICK LEAHY (D-Vermont) openly scoffed at the idea when reporters asked him about it on his way into a policy luncheon.
"Oh, for God's sake," he huffed. "We go to Guantanamo, the rest of the world says, 'How can you lecture us about secret prisons?'"
Leahy added, "We go to our federal courts, we show the rest of the world we're brave, we can do it. We don't have to run and hide. I like our justice system."
But Sen. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-South Carolina) wants the criminal prosecution put on hold so Abu Khatallah could be interrogated first.
"We should have some quality time with this guy. Weeks and months. Don't torture him, but have some quality time with him," Graham said. "I'm glad they caught the gentleman and at the end of the day I hope we gather intelligence through the law of war and interrogation. If they bring him to the United States, they're going to Mirandize this guy and it would be a mistake for the ages to read this guy his Miranda rights."Sucking Up:
So how about a little "Duck Dynasty" in D.C.? NOLA.com reports that pharmaceutical representative ZACH DASHER --who's related to the ROBERTSON family of "Duck Dynasty" fame-- has jumped into Louisiana's 5th District congressional race.
Does Dasher have a shot? Could be, now that it's unclear whether incumbent GOP Congressman VANCE McALLISTER will run for the seat again next fall.
McAllister --who's married-- had announced that he wouldn't seek re-election after he was caught on tape kissing one of his staff members. But he's made some recent statements indicating he could seek re-election.
Dasher has already tossed some red meat to religious conservatives. He tells NOLA.com, "If they have kicked the Almighty out of Washington, then who determines our rights? ...I'm concerned when we remove God as the anchor of our society."
The Robertsons' family business, "Duck Commander," is located in the 5th District, and their popular reality show is also filmed there. (Pacelli)Health and Medical Briefs:
Dr. MEHMET OZ got raked over the coals at a Congressional hearing on Tuesday. Several Senators accused Dr. Oz of using his popularity as a TV host to contribute to the problem of fake weight loss products. The celebrity doctor frequently features weight loss product on his syndicated "Dr. Oz" program.
NBC news' website says Missouri's Democratic Senator CLAIRE McCASKILL was particularly harsh, "I don't get why you need to say this stuff because you know it's not true... why, when you have this amazing megaphone...why would you cheapen your show by saying things like that?" McCaskill chairs a Senate subcommittee on consumer protection. She also chided him for creating the "Dr. Oz Effect" --dramatically boosting sales of scam diet products over night after featuring products on his show.
In response, Oz acknowledged that he's part of the problem, but said he needs to be "passionate" when engaging his audience. Dr. Oz said, "I concede to my colleagues at the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) that I am making their job more difficult," he said. "When we write a script, we need to generate enthusiasm and engage the viewer... I actually do personally believe in the items I talk about on the show. I recognize that oftentimes they don't have the scientific muster to pass as fact. I have given my family these products." (Bartha) -
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