The U.S. government’s quest to build its border wall continues upon the announcement of a $167 million contract that has been awarded to add an additional eight miles to the wall in south Texas, according to a report from Business Insider.

The announcement came on Wednesday from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Construction of the eight-mile section will begin in February. Customs and Border Protection had previously announced a $145 million contract for six miles worth of border wall in the Rio Grande Valley in southern Texas.

The winner of both of those contracts was Galveston, Texas-based construction firm SLSCO.

Customs and Border Protection revealed some details of the new portion of the border wall, which includes the installation of fence posts north of the Rio Grande river, which divides the borders of the United States and Mexico in Texas. There are also plans to add lighting and patrol roads, as well as clearing vegetation.

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The Justice Department has responded to criticism over the removal of CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s press pass, defending the decision as the news network filed a First Amendment lawsuit against the Trump administration in an effort to secure the return of Acosta’s press credentials, according to a report by Business Insider.

CNN released a statement on Tuesday attacking the administration’s decision to revoke Acosta’s press pass, accusing the action of being an infringement of “Acosta’s First Amendment rights of freedom of the press, and their Fifth Amendment rights to due process.”

The statement went on to say, “If left unchallenged, the actions of the White House would create a dangerous chilling effect for any journalist who covers our elected officials.”

The Justice Department and its lawyers have responded with a 28-page filing that emphasizes their perspective that “no journalist has a First Amendment right to enter the White House.”

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Self-described white nationalist Jeffrey R. Clark Jr. was arrested on gun-related charges after describing the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting as a “dry run,” and claiming that the victims “deserved it.” The 30-year-old — who was a social media follower of the mass shooting suspect Robert D. Bowers — had become increasingly agitated over the past few days, forcing family members to reach out to law enforcement, according to the New York Times.

Clark was charged with illegally possessing a firearm and a high-capacity magazine for use with assault weapons on November 9, and made his first appearance in court on Tuesday. He was turned in to police by relatives after having violent outbursts, including one where he said that the shooting victims “deserved it.”

Clark’s behavior had become increasingly erratic after his brother, 23-year-old Edward Clark, shot himself on October 27. This self-afflicted shooting occurred within a few hours of the Pittsburgh Tree of Life synagogue shooting.

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A Tucson man says he was assaulted in the city’s downtown area for wearing a “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) hat, KVOA-TV (Tucson) is reporting.

Jonathan Sparks says he is a passionate supporter of Donald Trump and, as such, makes it a point to wear the white-on-red hat bearing the slogan, which has become symbolic of the Trump administration. And so it was that when Sparks was recently in downtown Tucson (it’s not clear, from reports, exactly when), a passerby took exception to Sparks’ hat and allegedly assaulted him.

“I felt a very strong grasp on my hat. It pulled me back and grabbed a lot of hair.”

Already having broken his ankle in four places from a previous accident, Sparks was, of course, at a disadvantage, and soon the two men were tussling on the ground, he says.

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A man from New Jersey was so upset after the New York Jets loss on Sunday that he blames the NFL team for making him drink. Unfortunately, he got behind the wheel of his car after consuming too many alcoholic beverages and caused an accident.

Christopher J. Greyshock was driving his automobile in the town of Wayne, New Jersey, on November 11 at around 5:15 p.m. He then rear-ended another vehicle that was stopped in traffic, reported the New Jersey Herald.

First responders from the Wayne Police Department arriving on the scene found the 57-year-old man from West Milford, New Jersey, lying in the grass. When he stood up, officers said that he was “staggering and swaying, unable to walk straight” and was “in danger of falling onto the highway,” noted NBC 4 New York.

Additionally, according to NJ.com, the police said that they could smell alcohol on his breath, and saw “stains of liquid” on his denim jeans.

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The Santa Ana Police Department is searching for a woman who was caught on videotape storming into a McDonald’s restaurant to assault the manager — after having an unsatisfactory experience at the drive-thru at 11 p.m.

KTLA is reporting that the assault happened on October 26, but the police are now doubling their efforts to find the woman who used the employee entrance to enter the McDonald’s after failing to get enough ketchup at the drive-thru.

Santa Ana Cpl. Anthony Bertagna says that on the video, the woman enters the fast food restaurant in a rage.

“The woman then entered the employee entrance of the McDonald’s restaurant in the 1500 block of North Bristol Street and asked for ketchup.”

On the video, when the manager tells the woman that she can’t come in the back of the restaurant she becomes “combative, pushing, punching, and choking the manager.”

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If it has been a while since you have sent a letter, you might be in for a little sticker shock – or perhaps in this case, stamp shock. That is because the price of stamps is about to get a 10 percent increase. Fox News reports on other increases that are on the way.

“In order to offset some losses, the Postal Service proposed a slew of price increases that were approved on Wednesday by the Postal Regulatory Commission – slated to take effect in 2019. Priority Mail Express prices will rise by 3.9 percent, while Priority Mail will increase 5.9 percent – those prices aren’t adjusted in line with inflation, but rather with perceived market conditions. First-class mail prices will rise by 10 percent.”

The piece also notes a 10 percent increase in the price of stamps.

“The price of a ‘Forever’ stamp is set to rise by 5 cents to 55 cents, a 10 percent and record nominal price adjustment.”

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Parkland school shooting suspect Nicolas Cruz allegedly fought with a jailer at the Broward County Jail, allegedly stealing the deputy’s stun gun in the process and causing him minor injuries.

As WTVJ-TV (Miami) reports, Cruz, who has been behind bars since hours after the February 14, 2018, school shooting that left 17 people dead, allegedly got into a physical altercation with a Broward County Sheriff’s Deputy on Tuesday evening at the Broward County Jail.

According to an incident report, as Cruz was walking from one place to another within the jail, a deputy told the 20-year-old to stop dragging his sandals on the floor. Cruz allegedly responded with a rude gesture and then verbally assaulted the guard. Then, according to both the incident report and surveillance camera footage, Cruz allegedly physically assaulted the deputy, punching him several times.

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A monkey has killed a 12-day-old baby in India, the second severe monkey-on-human injury to have taken place in the country within the space of less than a day, Reuters is reporting.

Sikandra police spokesperson Ajay Kaushal says the infant’s mother was breastfeeding him when a pack of monkeys set upon mother and child and snatched the baby, trying to run off with it. One of the monkeys bit the baby on the head; he or she was chased off when family members began hitting it with sticks and throwing rocks at it.

The baby’s father, who asked to be identified only as “Yogesh,” says via The Independent that it happened so fast, he and the neighbors had little time to react.

“The main door of the house was open and my wife was breastfeeding our son. Suddenly a monkey barged inside our house and grabbed the child by the neck. Before [we] could understand anything, the monkey took away our son.”

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Jacob Wohl, the 20-year-old Donald Trump mega-fan and conspiracy theorist who on November 2 reportedly attempted to stage a hoax accusing Russia Investigation Special Counsel Robert Mueller of sexual assault, as NBC News reported, appeared on Wednesday to claim credit for the arrest of Michael Avenatti.

Avenatti, who skyrocketed to fame earlier this year as the media-friendly lawyer for adult video star Stormy Daniels in her lawsuit against Donald Trump, was arrested by Los Angeles detectives on Wednesday on suspicion of domestic violence, the LAPD confirmed on its Twitter account.

The news of Avenatti’s arrest, as the Inquisitr reported, first appeared on the celebrity gossip site TMZ— which initially said that the alleged victim was Avenatti’s estranged wife, Lisa Storie.

But after Storie issued a statement through her lawyer, posted on Twitter by CNN correspondent MJ Lee, denying that she was involved in any such incident, TMZ updated its own story.

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In April of 2018, a Southwest Airline flight carrying 144 passengers and five crew members was continuing en route as usual when there was a loud bang and smoke suddenly began filling the cabin. Flight attendants ran through the aisles ensuring passengers were able to get to their oxygen masks.

It wasn’t until flight attendant Rachel Fernheimer reached row 14 that she realized that a woman was hanging out of the window. Although the passenger’s waist was restrained by her safety belt, her head, torso, and arm were being sucked out of the plane. “We got (unintelligible words) a window open and somebody – is out the window,” Mallory said. According to a transcript, she adds a little later, “Yeah everyone still in their seats, we have people have been helpin’ her get in I don’t know what her condition is, but the window is completely out.”

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Previously, Carrie Underwood had said she wouldn’t be announcing the sex of her unborn baby. However, she then went ahead and surprised fans at the CMA Awards anyway.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Carrie Underwood had been hesitant to tell her CMA Awards co-host, Brad Paisley, the sex of her baby since he had previously “accidentally” leaked that information. In 2014, Carrie had told her longtime friend the sex of her first baby. He then went on to reveal this information during the broadcast of that year’s CMA Awards.

“I think she’s taking great pains to not tell me!” Brad Paisley said about Carrie not revealing the sex of her child to him this time around.

However, while Carrie Underwood was hesitant to tell Brad off-air what the sex of her unborn child was, she returned the favor and let the gender slip on-air during the CMA Awards.

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When a couple undergoes a tragedy such as a miscarriage or stillbirth, the father does not always receive the same support as the mother. Not everyone realizes that the father is also likely in great pain and needs time to process the loss and grieve. After one father experienced the crippling loss of losing not one but two children to miscarriages, he is aiming to help other dads find a way through their grief.

According to Today, Kelly Farley lost his daughter Katie to a miscarriage in 2004. He was absolutely devastated by the loss and unsure of how to deal with his grief. Despite his pain, he didn’t know what else to do but return to work and go on with life as normal. Two years later, his wife became pregnant with a second child, a son named Noah. Unfortunately, Noah entered the world stillborn. Once again, Farley returned to work not knowing what else to do.

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Queen Elizabeth is a woman of curious character and boasts a host of eccentricities, but one of her most unusual habits is the way she chows down on a banana.

Naturally, when most of us eat a banana it’s like feeding time at the trough. There’s no graceful way to eat this peculiar shaped and yellow fruit, but according to former royal chef Darren McGrady, the Queen does her regal best when eating a banana not to make it look like too much of a mouthful.

The Express reports that the former Buckingham Palace cook has revealed that the Queen enjoys chopping the banana into tiny small pieces before attacking them with gusto, albeit with a knife and fork.

It’s an eating quirk that not many of the Queen’s fans will be familiar with, but apparently, Her Royal Highness eats bananas in this way to avoid “munching like a monkey.”

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Michael Avenatti was released from police custody on Wednesday after being arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, and the media-friendly attorney said that his arrest is an attempt to intimidate him into silence.

As NBC Los Angeles reported, Avenatti was released on $50,000 bail after a police report claimed he struck an unnamed and unidentified woman. Police booked him on felony domestic violence charges.

After his release, Avenatti released a public statement saying there was no truth to the charges.

“I wish to thank the hard working men and woman of the LAPD for their professionalism they were only doing their jobs in light of the completely bogus allegations against me. I have never been physically abusive in my life nor was I last night. Any accusations to the contrary are fabricated and meant to do harm to my reputation. I look forward to being fully exonerated,” he said in a statement released by his Newport Beach law firm.

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A New Jersey couple who had been accused of stealing GoFundMe donations meant for a homeless man who selflessly gave $20 to a woman in need of gas money is now facing new accusations — that they were working together with the homeless man all along.

As NBC Philadelphia reported, Mark D’Amico and Kate McClure gained national fame when they told the story about the Good Samaritan giving his only cash to a stranded Kate, and started a GoFundMe page on his behalf that raised $400,000. But over the summer, the couple faced allegations that they were pilfering the funds for themselves and that the remainder of the money was gone.

Now, sources told NBC Philadelphia that the homeless man, Johnny Bobbitt, is being accused of working together with the couple to provide the fake story and defrauding donors.

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Jim Acosta of CNN may have his White House press pass back as early as today.

According to Business Insider, Judge Timothy J. Kelly, who is presiding over CNN’s lawsuit against the Trump administration, will decide at 3 p.m. ET today on whether to “impose a temporary restraining order” that will result in the return of the reporter’s press pass.

Acosta lost his pass on November 7 after a heated battle with the president during a press conference over Trump’s word choice when discussing the caravan of Central American migrants heading towards the U.S.-Mexico border, during which the president labeled Acosta as “a rude, terrible person.” Acosta was barred from re-entering the White House later that night and hasn’t been allowed back ever since.

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Facebook reportedly hired a Republican opposition research firm as part of a campaign to link the site’s dissenters with Jewish billionaire and philanthropist George Soros.

The New York Times reported that the social media site hired a Republican opposition research firm called Definers Public Affairs in the wake of allegations that Facebook was a host for widespread political propaganda during the 2016 presidential campaign. The firm launched a campaign against Facebook protesters that had Soros at the forefront.

“Definers also reportedly targeted Soros after anti-Facebook activists promoted what appeared to be anti-Semitic imagery during a congressional hearing,” noted the Huffington Post. “They sent a research document to reporters over the summer alleging that Soros was behind an anti-Facebook movement; his Open Society Foundations, for example, supported a group that his son founded as well as Color of Change, a group that belongs to an anti-Facebook advocacy group called Freedom From Facebook.”

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On Tuesday morning U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted up a storm, this time with his vitriol aimed at French President Emmanuel Macron and the politics in the European nation. Among his messages, he criticized France’s World War II record, Macron’s approval rating, the unemployment rate in the country, and even took a stab at the wine industry, accusing France of “unfair trade practices” when it comes to the product.

According to Business Insider, the French government has hit back with a much more subtle rebuke of the U.S. president.

Aside from taking the president two days to come up with a response to what he clearly internalized as personal insults, Trump also managed to fire off his tweets on November 13, the three-year anniversary of the Paris attacks that claimed the lives of 130 people.

Benjamin Griveaux, a spokesman for the French government, offered sharp criticism of the U.S. president on Wednesday.

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Remember that little public spat in the media between Mark Zuckerberg and Tim Cook regarding the Cambridge Analytica scandal? Well, it didn’t end there. Mr. Zuckerberg did not appreciate being called out like a school kid being scolded by the administrator. So he went and did what any rational adult CEO would do. According to AppleInsider, “Zuckerberg told Facebook execs to stop using iPhones after Tim Cook privacy comments.”

“Cambridge Analytica was a hot topic at the time, with the now defunct analytics firm’s data harvesting operation having been disclosed to Facebook users just weeks prior. As expected, Cook, a stanch proponent of data privacy, was asked to chime in on the subject.

“We’re not going to traffic in your personal life. Privacy to us is a human right,” Cook said, adding, “It’s a civil liberty.”

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