Putin says Russia has identified the men accused of Novichok poisoning

Claims they are civilians and there’s “nothing criminal” about them No Images? Click here   By Paul Vale     Wednesday, September 12  PUTIN: THEY’RE NOT SPIES President Vladimir Putin said the Kremlin has identified the two men that Britain named as suspects in the poisoning of a former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and they are “civilians” — not attached to the GRU intelligence service. “We know who these people are, we have found them,” Putin said. “There is nothing special or criminal about it, I can assure you.” [AP] [Tweet | Share on Facebook] CLIMATE BILL HAUNTS N.C. OFFICIALS In 2012, North Carolina legislators passed a bill that barred policymakers and developers from using up-to-date climate science to plan for rising sea levels on the coast. Now, Hurricane Florence threatens to cause a devastating storm surge that could put thousands of lives in danger. [HuffPost] SENATOR QUESTIONS KAVANAUGH ON ADDICTION Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) wants to know if Judge Brett Kavanaugh has ever had a gambling problem. In 2016, President Donald Trump’s pick for the Supreme Court reported credit card and personal loan debts of between $60,000 and $200,000. [HuffPost] TRUMP USED FEMA CASH FOR IMMIGRANT DETENTION The Trump administration transferred nearly $10 million from FEMA earlier this year to fund immigrant detention and deportation efforts, according to a document released by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore). [HuffPost] TRUMP PRAISES MARIA RESPONSE DESPITE HUGE DEATH TOLL Trump praised his administration for its controversial response to Hurricane Maria, calling it “an incredible unsung success.” Puerto Rican authorities recently increased the death toll linked to the storm from 64 to 2,975. [HuffPost] MANAFORT LOOKS AT PLEA DEAL Ahead of his second trial, Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort is reportedly in talks with the special counsel’s office about a possible plea deal. [The Washington Post]         NEWSPAPER SPLASHES SERENA CARICATURE The Australian newspaper that sparked a controversy by publishing a racist and sexist caricature of Serena Williams has doubled down on its support for the cartoonist by reprinting the cartoon on its front page. [HuffPost] WOODWARD: TRUMP BOOK IS CORRECT Reporter Bob Woodward said a top Trump administration official called him and told him that his book on Trump is “1,000-percent correct.” The president has claimed that Fear: Trump in the White House is full of “lies and phony sources.” [HuffPost] BRAZIL GENERAL EYES COUP An army general and far-right vice presidential candidate in Brazil has suggested that a military coup could be justified during a period of “anarchy.” [HuffPost] HELL’S HEALER Colin Garland led young female students on trips abroad. Then, he introduced sex “ceremonies.” [HuffPost] WHY IS COLLEGE SO EXPENSIVE? The outrageous price of a U.S. degree is unique in the world. The Atlantic looks at why college in America is so expensive. [The Atlantic] SANDERS’ SON FALLS IN PRIMARY Levi Sanders, the son of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), lost his bid for one of New Hampshire’s two U.S. House seats. Chris Pappas, a former state legislator, won the Democratic race. [HuffPost]       Ellen DeGeneres gave this gay valedictorian a heartwarming surprise after he was rejected by his parents for coming out. Here’s how to convince your family to evacuate during Hurricane Florence. About 1 million people have taken to the streets of Barcelona to mark Catalonia's National Day. Kit Harington has called out Marvel for not casting gay actors as superheroes in its ever expanding universe. The author of How To Murder Your Husband has been arrested for allegedly killing her husband. Tucker Carlson just got schooled by Brit Hume on his own show. Stephen Miller’s hometown rabbi just berated him in a scorching holiday sermon. CNN looks at how the British Empire spread homophobia around the world. The biracial identity of U.S. Open tennis champion Naomi Osaka is inconvenient in a racist narrative that turns Serena Williams into a stereotype. Oscar-winning actress Sally Field opens up about being sexually abused in her upcoming memoir. This Southern California woman invented a firefighter husband to scam people out of $11,000 worth of gifts. Oscar nominee Rosamund Pike will star in the international thriller “The Banker’s Wife,” based on Cristina Alger’s book. Lucy Lou, the border collie who served as the mayor of a small Kentucky community for eight years, has died. These six photos show just how ridiculous plastic packaging has become. And Norm Macdonald’s appearance on “The Tonight Show” was canceled after the comedian’s controversial remarks about the Me Too movement. 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