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Indonesian embassy officials in Malaysia on Saturday met with the 25-year-old Indonesian woman in custody in connection with the Feb. 13 murder of the North Korean leader’s half-brother at Kuala Lumpur’s airport. The woman, Siti Aisyah, has reportedly stood by her earlier claim that she was tricked into carrying out the attack, believing it was part of a television prank. She said she was given the equivalent of $90 to smearKim Jong Nam’s face with a substance similar to baby oil, Indonesian officials said Saturday. Tests showed that Kim was killed by the highly toxic nerve agent VX, considered a weapon of mass destruction by the United Nations. Indonesian Deputy Ambassador Andreano Erwin said Aisyah did not exhibit any signs of exposure to the toxic substance during a meeting on Saturday, the BBC reported. He also said she was unable to identify who exactly it was that supposedly put her up to the killing. “She only said in general that somebody asked her to do this activity. She only said in general she met with some people who looked Japanese or Korean,” Erwin said. North Korea is widely believed to have carried out the attack, and Malaysian police have identified a North Korean diplomat among the suspects. So far, Aisya and two others are in custody, including a Vietnamese woman and a North Korean man. Vietnamese officials met with the woman, Doan Thi Huong, on Saturday but have not yet released any comments. Seven other suspects are still wanted in connection with the killing.

THINK FREELY (with leaders all over the world) – READ LBN:

An upcoming United Nations report seen by Reuters warns that North Korea is evading sanctions with a network of overseas companies that allow for continued access to the international banking system. The 100-page draft report was prompted by reports that North Korea was violating sanctions imposed over its nuclear program. “Designated entities and banks have continued to operate in the sanctioned environment by using agents who are highly experienced and well trained in moving money, people and goods, including arms and related materiel, across borders,” the report warns. Two trading companies are identified in the report and reported to be tied to North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau, the country’s intelligence agency. UN members are urged to “exercise heightened vigilance” regarding North Korean diplomats involved in commercial activities, because they may be involved in the illegal network. The country’s “evasion techniques” are also said to be “increasing in scale, scope and sophistication.” The news comes as North Korea is accused of killing Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of Kim Jong Un, in a brazen attack on Malaysian soil. The first planned official meeting between North Korean and U.S. authorities representing President Trump’s White House has been canceled amid the scandal, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.

WHO READS LBN? Donna Brazile, the interim chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee:

The Pentagon issued a memo on Friday establishing the use of the acronym “ISIS” as the U.S. government’s official lexicon to describe the terror group. The Obama administration, including President Obama himself, uniformly used ISIL, which stands for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. A spokesman said the department believes ISIS, ISIL and Da’esh can be used interchangeably, but ISIS is the preferred acronym because it is the most recognizable for Americans. Others around the world simply refer to the group as IS, or Islamic State.

LBN-MUSIC INSIDER:   ***Lionel Richie has postponed his spring tour with Mariah Carey, set to launch on March 15thin Baltimore, due to a recent knee surgery.

The Magic Castle shut down to the public Friday evening afterthe body of a magician was found in a closet … and it appears the man hanged himself. We’re told paramedics responded to the Hollywood landmark around 7:30 PM after a man with a bag over his head, and dressed only in his underwear, was found by an employee.  The magician, who we’re told is Daryl Easton was pronounced dead at the scene. The Magic Castle is a legendary private restaurant and performance nightclub … and has become a favorite for magicians while they’re in L.A. As of now, cops are investigating the death as a possible suicide.

LBN-NOTICED:   ***Barack Obama has kept a relatively low profile since leaving office last month, and he largely avoided the spotlight on Friday night — at least as much as a former president can when he is attending a Broadway show. Shortly after the lights went down at the American Airlines Theater on West 42nd Street in NYC, there was a blur, and the brief shining of a flashlight. Three people quickly took their seats several rows back from the stage: Mr. Obama; his eldest daughter, Malia; and Valerie Jarrett, who was a senior adviser to the president.   ****A son of boxing legend Muhammad Aliwas held for questioning for two hours at a Florida airport upon returning from Jamaica because of his Arabic-sounding name, US media reported. Muhammad Ali Jr., 44, who was born in Philadelphia and has a US passport, was traveling with his mother Khalilah Camacho-Ali, the late sports icon’s second wife, friend and lawyer Chris Mancini told the Louisville Courier-Journal.

LBN-HOLLYWOOD INSIDER:   ***Ground-breaking comedian Paul Rodriquez will be the next guest-of-honor at the prestigious “City Talk” conversation series on Monday March 6th in the private room of the elegant Baltaire restaurant.

LBN-SPOTLIGHT: “The first method of estimating the intelligence of a leader is to look at the men or women he has around him.” —– 

LBN-COMMENTARY by Charles Krauthammer: At the heart of President Trump’s foreign policy team lies a glaring contradiction. On the one hand, it is composed of men of experience, judgment and traditionalism. Meaning, they are all very much within the parameters of mainstream American internationalism as practiced since 1945. Practically every member of the team — the heads of State, Homeland Security, the CIA, and most especially Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and national security adviser H.R. McMaster — could fit in a Cabinet put together by, say, Hillary Clinton.  The commander in chief, on the other hand, is quite the opposite — inexperienced, untraditional, unbounded. His pronouncements on everything from the one-China policy to the two-state (Arab-Israeli) solution, from NATO obsolescence to the ravages of free trade, continue to confound and, as we say today, disrupt. The obvious question is: Can this arrangement possibly work? The answer thus far, surprisingly, is: perhaps.

LBN-COMMENTARY by Vickie Casas (Small business owner):Mayor Bill de Blasio is playing a very dangerous political game. When he was sworn in, he swore he would uphold all laws of New York and our Nation-HE LIED-and now the people of New York know it. When this hardcore gang member kills an innocent bystander that blood will be on his hands and his hands only! God help the people of New York.

LBN-COMMENTARY by K. Pearson Brown: According to LBN “breaking news,” Starbucks’ took a “massive hit” and went into a “downward spiral” after CEO Howard Schultz announced he would hire 10,0000 refuges. Then the story reveals “perception is still positive overall” and this “significantly lower” percentage in positive perception is only 6%, when consumers were asked if they’d consider buying from Starbucks the next time they were craving coffee. So far there’s no proof that this slight change, if its accurate, is related to Schultz’s announcement or that it’s impacted the company’s bottom line. This non-story is certainly not breaking news. LBN prides itself in being fiercely independent, but that clearly does not mean objective, as this “news items” is obviously meant to scare others into silence about Trump’s xenophobic policies.

LBN-SPOTLIGHT: With more than 30 years of experience in the financial world, Dr. W. Neil Gallagher knows the prescription to get you on track for a safe, early and happy retirement. Dr. W. Neil Gallagher has worked with people from companies both large and small and can work with you to reach your investment goals without compromising your future .

LBN-A DIFFERENT VIEW:….

LBN-OVERHEARD:   ***The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills fan-favorite Erika Girardi aka Erika Jayne (her stage name) is set to join the cast for  the upcoming season of Dancing With the Stars. While ABC does not comment on casting rumors, our source says that fans can expect to see the RHOBH star appear when the full season 24 line-up of celebrity contestants and their professional dance partners are announced on Good Morning America on March 1. Since making her debut in the sixth season of the Bravo reality it, Erika, who is married to famous attorney Thomas Girardi, quickly became popular, thanks to her alter ego, pop star Erika Jayne, producing hits such as “Rollercoaster,” “How Many F–ks” and “Xxpensive.”   ***US Rep. Charlie Crist has filed for divorce from his wife of nearly nine years, Carole. Carole, who was a glamorous fixture on the New York and Hamptons scene when she met Crist in 2007, was previously married to Blue Star Jets’ former owner Todd Rome, with whom she has two daughters. “I think the world of Carole. She’s an amazing person. It just didn’t work out for us,” former Florida governor Crist told the Tampa Bay Times. “I wish all the best for her.”

About a month ago, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz decided to ‘take a stand’ in defiance of Trump‘s immigration executive order and penned a message to the world vowing, among other things, to hire 10,000 refugees over the next 5 years and “build bridges, not walls, with Mexico”.  Here are some excerpts from the politically charged message drafted by Schultz with “deep concern and a heavy heart”:

I write to you today with deep concern, a heavy heart and a resolute promise. Let me begin with the news that is immediately in front of us: we have all been witness to the confusion, surprise and opposition to the Executive Order that President Trump issued on Friday, effectively banning people from several predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States, including refugees fleeing wars. I can assure you that our Partner Resources team has been in direct contact with the partners who are impacted by this immigration ban, and we are doing everything possible to support and help them to navigate through this confusing period.

Well, Schultz quickly found out the hard way that while most adult-aged Americans can agree that they like coffee,roughly 50% disagree with his left-leaning political opinions.  Which, according to Yahoo Finance, has sent the company’s “brand perception” into a downward spiral since January 29th.

The coffee giant’s consumer perception levels have fallen by two-thirds since late January, according to YouGov BrandIndex.

The perception tracker measures if respondents have “heard anything about the brand in the last two weeks, through advertising, news or word of mouth, was it positive or negative.” In Starbucks’ case, perception is still overall positive, but significantly lower than it was prior to CEO Howard Schultz published a public letter outlining the company’s plans to give refugees jobs.

YouGov says that there’s reason to believe backlash will impact the chain’s bottom line. Two days before Starbucks’ announcement, 30% of consumers said they’d consider buying from Starbucks the next time they were craving coffee, the highest proportion in nearly a year. Now, the percentage is down to 24%.

LBN E-Lert Edited By Addison Beaulieu

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LBN-INVESTIGATES: The following restaurant chains received F grades in antibiotic practices: ***KFC   ***Dunkin’ Donuts   ***Sonic   ***Olive Garden   ***Denny’s   ***Starbucks   ***Jack In The Box   ***Burger King   ***Applebees   ***Domino’s Pizza   ***Chilli’s   ***Little Caesars   ***Buffalo Wild Wings   ***Dairy Queen   ***Arby’s   ***IHOP

One in four drug overdoses in the U.S. in 2015 were related to heroin, according to new numbers released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Not only was 2015the first year that the number of overdose deaths in the U.S. exceeded 50,000, but deaths from opiods increased from 57 percent to 73 percent in only five years. “Starting in 2011, overdoses involving heroin has really skyrocketed,” Andrew Kolodny, of Brandeis University’s Opioid Policy Research Center, said, “There’s a really good chance the increase involving heroin has to be involved with fentanyl.” The CDC study also found a significant increase in the number of deaths related to synthetic opiods, such as fetanyl, the drug linked to Prince’s death this past year. Researchers contend that prescription drug use is being replaced by heroin use because of the cost and crackdown on illegal use of prescription opiods.

According to Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, Iraq’s air force on Friday carried out its first airstrikes on Islamic Statetargets inside Syria. The move comes just one day after Iraqi troops seized the Mosul airport from ISIS. Meanwhile in Syria, an alleged Islamic State car bomb was detonated in the village of Sousian, which had already been recaptured from militants. The explosion killed dozens of people—including many civilians—when it was detonated at a security checkpoint controlled by Turkey-backed rebels. A leading Syrian opposition fighter in the area, Mohammed al-Tawil, said a suicide attacker blew a small pickup truck outside of a security office. At least 35 civilians are dead, Reuters reports. The attack, in the village of Sousian, may have killed up to 42 people, according to the Britian-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday defended the Trump administration’s plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act, telling conservatives in Washington that “America’s Obamacarenightmare is about to end.” “Despite the best efforts of liberal activists around the country, the American people know better. Obamacare has failed, and Obamacare must go,” he told an audience at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Despite protests against the repeal at town halls across the country—and concerns about the lack of a replacement even within the GOP—Pence promised “an orderly transition to a better health-care system that finally puts the American people first.” He did not provide any specifics on what the replacement plan would entail. An estimated 20 million people are currently insured under former President Obama’s health-care law, and many fear a repeal would leave most of them without coverage.

President Trump on Thursday told Reuters reporters that he wants to make sure the U.S. nuclear arsenal is at the “top of the pack” but that he’s concerned the nation has “fallen behind on nuclear weapon capacity.” He added, “I am the first one that would like to see … nobody have nukes, but we’re never going to fall behind any country even if it’s a friendly country, we’re never going to fall behind on nuclear power.” According to anti-nuclear group the Ploughshares Fund, the U.S. has 6,800 warheads, and Russia has 7,000 warheads. Trump added, “It would be wonderful, a dream would be that no country would have nukes, but if countries are going to have nukes, we’re going to be at the top of the pack.”

WHO READS LBN? Jeremy Liew of Lightspeed Venture Partners

LBN-INVESTIGATES: “Current research on young adults suggests that parents and children are maintaining high levels of involvement,” she said. “Although parents and adult children have always maintained some level of involvement, we do see an increase in what is often termed ‘helicopter parenting’ and ‘landing pad’ children.”

LBN-HEALTH WATCH:   ***It’s so common it’s been given an unofficial name: Post-Election Stress Disorder. Mental health professionals around the country, especially those working in Democratic strongholds, report a stream of patients coming in with anxiety and depression related to — or worsened by — the blast of daily news on the new administration. In the past, therapists say it’s been fairly uncommon for patients to bring up politics on the couch. “It is big money to talk about politics with me—that is not what we do!” said Maria Lymberis, a psychiatrist in Santa Monica, Calif.

LBN-R.I.P.:   ***Harold R. Denton, the unflappable federal bureaucrat who comforted Americans worried that the nation’s worst commercial nuclear power accident, at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania in 1979, would escalate into a doomsday catastrophe, died on Feb. 13 at his home in Knoxville, Tenn. He was 80.The cause was complications of pulmonary disease and Alzheimer’s disease, his daughter, Elizabeth Baird, said.

DON’T BE WEIRD – READ LBN:

LBN-NOTICED:   ***Beyoncé waiting in her SUV while her bodyguard grabbed her lunch from Lemonade in West Hollywood, Calif.   ***Catherine Deneuve taking selfies with billionaire art collector Jean Pigozzi at his “Pool Party in the Snow” exhibit in St. Moritz, Switzerland.   ***Rashad Jennings,Leighton Meester and LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy at Saks Downtown Men’s opening party with GQ.

LBN – THIS DAY IN HISTORY:
Nazi Party Founded in Germany (1920)
The term National Socialist—or Nazi, for short—was added to the name of the German Workers’ Party the year after it was founded. On the day it was renamed, swiftly-rising new member Adolf Hitler outlined the party’s official platform before 2,000 people, its largest audience yet. During the Great Depression, millions of jobless voters joined the party, and in 1932 it became the largest bloc in the Reichstag.

LBN-SPOTLIGHT: Expansive shop specializing in both formal & casual clothing for shorter men plus on-site tailoring. 

LBN-COMMENTARY by David Brooks: A few weeks ago, Tom Cotton and David Perdue, Republican senators from Arkansas and Georgia, introduced an immigration bill that would cut the number of legal immigrants to this country each year in half, from about a million to about 500,000. In a press conference, Cotton offered a rationale for his bill. “There’s no denying this generation-long surge in low-skilled immigration has hurt blue-collar wages,” he said. If we can reduce the number of low-skill immigrants coming into the country, that will reduce the pool of labor, put upward pressure on wages and bring more Americans back into the labor force. It seems like a plausible argument. That is, until you actually get out in the real world. Cotton and Perdue’s position, which is now the mainstream Republican position, is based on the unconscious supposition that American society is like a lake, with a relatively fixed boundary. If you cut the supply of fish coming from outside, there will be more food for the ones born here.

LBN-COMMENTARY by Peggy Noonan: If Democrats have a brain in their head, they’ll let Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch sail through the Senate. He’s too attractive. He has been frank and respectful in his meetings with them. He’s been candid about the man who nominated him, Donald Trump, to the reported irritation of the president. He is a thinker of clear conservative leanings who cannot be painted as radical because he’s radical as warm milk. His decisions tend to be plain, direct yet highly literate; in one he diagramed a sentence. He’s a friendly persuader with a serious intellectual background (Marshall Scholar at Oxford) and personal dignity.  Sharp and uniform opposition to him would look radical.

LBN-SPOTLIGHT: A 2 Minute Survey –  SURVEY LINK:  

LBN-A DIFFERENT VIEW:….

LBN-OVERHEARD:   ***The infamous “Access Hollywood” tape — in which President Donald Trump bragged about grabbing women by the hoo-ha — was an inside job, leaked by an NBC News staffer on Billy Bush’s own “Today” show, multiple sources tell Page Six. “The tape was leaked by the NBC News division, by somebody at the ‘Today’ show,” says one source. “NBC News knew for a while about the existence of the tape. Billy himself had told them about it. People in the news division became frustrated that ‘Access Hollywood’ was taking too long to air it and decided it had to come out.”   ***Trouble is brewing over Grace Hightower’s coffee company. We’re told that her husband, Robert De Niro — who is a major investor in the firm — is steamed because the 5-year-old Grace Hightower & Coffees of Rwanda brand is turning into a money pit. We’re told that Hightower has frustrated business associates — as well as the legendary actor — by dithering over simple decisions, and “changing her mind about how to run the business depending on who she spoke to last.” A source tells us that, in a moment of frustration, De Niro boiled over while bickering with Hightower in public at a Manhattan bar, telling her, “I wouldn’t have to keep making s - - tty movies if you didn’t spend all my money!”   ***Amber Rose has gone from stripper to strip club owner. Speaking at All Def Movie Awards on Wednesday night, the model announced that she had bought the famed Los Angeles gentlemen’s club Ace of Diamonds.