The problem of foreign fighters taking up arms alongside the ISIS terror army is growing, according to a senior member of Congress, and more than 150 Americans are now among them.
ISIS operates a 'virtual caliphate' online, California Republican Rep. Ed Royce said Thursday, recruiting foreigners at an 'unprecedented rate.'
'Some 20,000 foreign fighters from more than 90 countries now make up its ranks' including at least 3,400 from the West and more than 150 Americans,' Royce said during a hearing in the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which he chairs.
ISIS 'occupies territory the size of Great Britain, holds an estimated $2 billion in assets, and is believed to be the most well-funded terror group in history.' he warned.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Friday, February 13, 2015
Karl Rove: Obama's View of World Is 'Startling and Disturbing'
The president is starting to let his "inner progressive" come out when it comes to foreign policy, veteran Republican strategist Karl Rove says in a Wednesday column for The Wall Street Journal, and his inner convictions are "startling and disturbing."
"This is a president who refuses to let the words 'radical Islam' (or a variation of that phrase) pass his lips," Rove said of President Barack Obama's strategies and statements as he enters the final two years of his presidency.
For example, said Rove, Obama on Feb. 1 told CNN's Fareed Zakaria that leaders must avoid the suggestion that terrorist networks like the Islamic State militants or al-Qaida are "are an existential threat to the United States or the world order."
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"This is a president who refuses to let the words 'radical Islam' (or a variation of that phrase) pass his lips," Rove said of President Barack Obama's strategies and statements as he enters the final two years of his presidency.
For example, said Rove, Obama on Feb. 1 told CNN's Fareed Zakaria that leaders must avoid the suggestion that terrorist networks like the Islamic State militants or al-Qaida are "are an existential threat to the United States or the world order."
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LOOK OUT! Dems want to regulate Drudge and other polical blogs
Dems on FEC move to regulate Internet campaigns, blogs, Drudge
| OCTOBER 24, 2014 | 8:26 PM
Democrats on the FEC want to regulate free Internet political activities.
In a surprise move late Friday, a key Democrat on the Federal Election Commission called for burdensome new rules on Internet-based campaigning, prompting the Republican chairman to warn that Democrats want to regulate online political sites and even news media like the Drudge Report.
Democratic FEC Vice Chair Ann M. Ravel announced plans to begin the process to win regulations on Internet-based campaigns and videos, currently free from most of the FEC’s rules. “A reexamination of the commission’s approach to the internet and other emerging technologies is long over due,” she said.
The power play followed a deadlocked 3-3 vote on whether an Ohio anti-President Obama Internet campaign featuring two videos violated FEC rules when it did not report its finances or offer a disclosure on the ads. The ads were placed for free on YouTube and were not paid advertising.
Under a 2006 FEC rule, free political videos and advocacy sites have been free of regulation in a bid to boost voter participation in politics. Only Internet videos that are placed for a fee on websites, such as the Washington Examiner, are regulated just like normal TV ads.
Ravel’s statement suggests that she would regulate right-leaning groups like America Rising that posts anti-Democrat YouTube videos on its website.
FEC Chairman Lee E. Goodman, a Republican, said if regulation extends that far, then anybody who writes a political blog, runs a politically active news site or even chat room could be regulated. He added that funny internet campaigns like “Obama Girl,” and “Jib Jab” would also face regulations.
“I told you this was coming,” he told Secrets. Earlier this year he warned that Democrats on the panel were gunning for conservative Internet sites like the Drudge Report.
Ravel plans to hold meetings next year to discuss regulating the internet. She charged that groups placing paid TV ads use the FEC exemption to disseminate similar messages on the internet, regulation free. But Goodman says that Ravel misconceives the exemption. If the same message that is run on TV also is posted online, it is regulated, he said. The Internet exemption applies only to videos posted for free, solely on the Internet.
Blasting the exemption, she said, “Since its inception this effort to protect individual bloggers and online commentators has been stretched to cover slickly-produced ads aired solely on the Internet but paid for by the same organizations and the same large contributors as the actual ads aired on TV,” Ravel argued.
Goodman and the two other Republicans on the evenly split agency argued in a statement thatregulations would chill politics on the Internet.
The trio noted that the goal of setting aside regulations to let the Internet blossom is working and shouldn’t be tampered with.
“This freedom has gained wide acceptance, as evidenced by the hundreds of thousands of political videos, websites, blogs and other social media posted on the Internet without so much as an inquiry by the Commission,” they wrote.
“Regrettably, the 3-to-3 vote in this matter suggests a desire to retreat from these important protections for online political speech — a shift in course that could threaten the continued development of the Internet's virtual free marketplace of political ideas and democratic debate,” they concluded.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner's "Washington Secrets" columnist, can be contacted at pbedard@washingtonexaminer.com
Judge rules you cannot sue the NSA for secretly spying on you unless you can prove they are secretly spying on you
A California district judge ruled on Tuesday U.S. citizens cannot sue the National Security Agency for invading their privacy covertly unless the citizen can prove, without a doubt, the NSA was spying secretly on the citizen.
District Judge Jeffrey White ruled in Jewel v. NSA, the plaintiff could not sue the NSA because they did not obtain and provide for the courts any evidence showing their personal information was collected by the agency. Because of Jewel’s failure to provide such information, White wrote, according to Mother Jones, “even if Plaintiffs could establish standing, a potential Fourth Amendment Claim would have to be dismissed on the basis that any possible defenses would require impermissible disclosure of state secret information.”
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District Judge Jeffrey White ruled in Jewel v. NSA, the plaintiff could not sue the NSA because they did not obtain and provide for the courts any evidence showing their personal information was collected by the agency. Because of Jewel’s failure to provide such information, White wrote, according to Mother Jones, “even if Plaintiffs could establish standing, a potential Fourth Amendment Claim would have to be dismissed on the basis that any possible defenses would require impermissible disclosure of state secret information.”
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8th Grade Class Receives Immigration Assignment that Leaves One Dad Shaking His Head
At Shattuck Middle School in Wisconsin, one 8th grade class was assigned homework on the topic of immigration policy in the United States.
The homework, assigned by 8th grade Social Studies teacher Grace Davis, featured a political cartoon with a clearly labeled Democrat laying bricks to convey the building of a “pathway to citizenship,” while the Republican-labeled character is removing the bricks, effectively dismantling any immigration process. The cartoon is originally from the Chattanooga Times Free Press, not the teacher’s own creation.
Empire Of Lies
We are living in an era where a single statement of truth will drive a pin into the global bubble of phantom assets and debts, and the lies spewed to justify those bubbles.
How many nations are blessed with political and financial leaders who routinely state the unvarnished truth in public?
Only two come immediately to mind: Greece and Bhutan: Greece, where the new leadership repeatedly states the nation is bankrupt and extend-and-pretend policies are finished, and Bhutan, which explicitly rejects worshipping the false god of growth as measured by GDP (gross domestic product).
Bhutan has opted to measure well-being not by bogus "growth" (digging holes and filling them, and other Keynesian Cargo Cult nonsense), but by Gross Domestic Happiness: It's Time to Retire Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as a Measure of Prosperity (April 18, 2014)
In other words, with remarkably few exceptions, the global Status Quo is a vast Empire of Lies.
I have used the phrase empire of lies since 2007:
Empire of Lies, Kingdom of Magical Thinking(October 30, 2007)
Empire of Debt, Empire of Lies (August 6, 2008)
Ron Paul used the phrase in his book The Revolution: A Manifesto which was first issued in January, 2008, which means he probably drafted it many months or even years before.
Only two come immediately to mind: Greece and Bhutan: Greece, where the new leadership repeatedly states the nation is bankrupt and extend-and-pretend policies are finished, and Bhutan, which explicitly rejects worshipping the false god of growth as measured by GDP (gross domestic product).
Bhutan has opted to measure well-being not by bogus "growth" (digging holes and filling them, and other Keynesian Cargo Cult nonsense), but by Gross Domestic Happiness: It's Time to Retire Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as a Measure of Prosperity (April 18, 2014)
In other words, with remarkably few exceptions, the global Status Quo is a vast Empire of Lies.
I have used the phrase empire of lies since 2007:
Empire of Lies, Kingdom of Magical Thinking(October 30, 2007)
Empire of Debt, Empire of Lies (August 6, 2008)
Ron Paul used the phrase in his book The Revolution: A Manifesto which was first issued in January, 2008, which means he probably drafted it many months or even years before.
Common Core School Assignment Forces Students to Make Islamic Prayer Rug, Recite Muslim Prayers
A father in Seminole County, Florida, is stunned after discovering a indoctrination “lesson” on Islam in his son’s 10th-grade history textbook, a book that is also used as part of the Common Core standards across the state.
Ron Wagner, who said he admittedly doesn’t normally pay as much attention to his son’s school assignments as he should, just happened to read from his son’s world history book a statement which read, “There is no god, but God. Muhammad is the messenger of God.”
Wagner found out that his son is being indoctrinated in the religion of Islam in his 10th grade class from a history book used in school districts across the State of Florida.
“Students were instructed to recite this prayer as the first Pillar of Islam, off of the board at the teacher’s instruction,” Mr. Wagner, who says he himself is not religious, told WFTV.
Wagner, with a little further investigation, found out that his son was given an “Islam packet” and was even required to make an Islamic prayer rug for the world history class.
Complete insanity, courtesy of your tax dollars.
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Ron Wagner, who said he admittedly doesn’t normally pay as much attention to his son’s school assignments as he should, just happened to read from his son’s world history book a statement which read, “There is no god, but God. Muhammad is the messenger of God.”
Wagner found out that his son is being indoctrinated in the religion of Islam in his 10th grade class from a history book used in school districts across the State of Florida.
“Students were instructed to recite this prayer as the first Pillar of Islam, off of the board at the teacher’s instruction,” Mr. Wagner, who says he himself is not religious, told WFTV.
Wagner, with a little further investigation, found out that his son was given an “Islam packet” and was even required to make an Islamic prayer rug for the world history class.
Complete insanity, courtesy of your tax dollars.
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Retail Sales Plunge Twice As Much As Expected. Worst Back-To-Back Drop Since Oct 2009
Following last month's narrative-crushing drop in retail sales, despite all that low interest rate low gas price stimulus, January was more of the same as hopeful expectations for a modest rebound were denied. Falling 0.8% (against a 0.9% drop in Dec), missing expectations of -0.4%, this is the worst back-to-back drop in retail sales since Oct 2009. Retail sales declined in 6 of the 13 categories.
Clearly it has been a very cold winter, with both December and now January big disappointments.
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Clearly it has been a very cold winter, with both December and now January big disappointments.
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TSA Agent Charged With Sexual Assault Of Teen
Charging documents obtained by WBAL-TV allege 40-year-old Samuel Bryant fondled the teen while she was staying at his house in Anne Arundel County last month.
He was arrested and charged, and is now free on bond.
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Obama Stymied on Gay Marriage by 'A Whole Bunch of Religious Sensitivities Out There'
(CNSNews.com) - President Obama says his former adviser David Axelrod didn't get it quite right in his new book, when Axelrod wrote that Obama pretended to oppose same-sex marriage before 2012 because he didn't want to alienate voters.
Obama told BuzzFeed News on Tuesday, "I always felt that same-sex couples should be able to enjoy the same rights, legally, as anybody else and so it was frustrating to me not to, I think, be able to square that with what were a whole bunch of religious sensitivities out there."
Instead of backing gay marriage, Obama publicly supported civil unions, a position he found uncomfortable, Axelrod wrote:
"Having prided himself on forthrightness, though, Obama never felt comfortable with his compromise and, no doubt, compromised position," Axelrod wrote in the memoir "Believer: My Forty Years in Politics," released Tuesday.
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Obama told BuzzFeed News on Tuesday, "I always felt that same-sex couples should be able to enjoy the same rights, legally, as anybody else and so it was frustrating to me not to, I think, be able to square that with what were a whole bunch of religious sensitivities out there."
Instead of backing gay marriage, Obama publicly supported civil unions, a position he found uncomfortable, Axelrod wrote:
"Having prided himself on forthrightness, though, Obama never felt comfortable with his compromise and, no doubt, compromised position," Axelrod wrote in the memoir "Believer: My Forty Years in Politics," released Tuesday.
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Giant removes dog food after recall
The decision to remove the dog food comes after Tuffy’s Pet Foods voluntarily recalled the food.
Giant removed 4-pound packages of Nutrisca Chicken & Chick Pea Dog Food, with the UPC 88424412495.
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Mark Levin: Obama Is ‘Trying to Protect’ Islam and ‘Is Seeking to Destroy Israel’
President Barack Obama’s failure to honestly address the threat of the Islamic State and radical Islam, along with his actions towards Israel, show that he is “trying to protect the Muslim faith” and is “seeking to destroy Israel,” said nationally syndicated talk-radio host Mark Levin on Tuesday, Feb. 10.
Levin, who is Jewish and a conservative, made his comments after playing an audio clip of Obama in a recent Vox interview describing the radical Muslim attack on a kosher deli in Paris as being just “a bunch of violent, vicious zealots who behead people or randomly shoot a bunch of folks in a deli in Paris.”
The people in the kosher deli – killed the same day and in relation to the Islamist attack on the Charlie Hebdo office -- were targeted by a radical Muslim.
“There you go – ‘randomly shoot a bunch of folks in a deli in Paris,’” said Levin, whose program is broadcast on more than 300 stations. “Do you know why he says that? He’s trying to protect the Muslim faith.”
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Levin, who is Jewish and a conservative, made his comments after playing an audio clip of Obama in a recent Vox interview describing the radical Muslim attack on a kosher deli in Paris as being just “a bunch of violent, vicious zealots who behead people or randomly shoot a bunch of folks in a deli in Paris.”
The people in the kosher deli – killed the same day and in relation to the Islamist attack on the Charlie Hebdo office -- were targeted by a radical Muslim.
“There you go – ‘randomly shoot a bunch of folks in a deli in Paris,’” said Levin, whose program is broadcast on more than 300 stations. “Do you know why he says that? He’s trying to protect the Muslim faith.”
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Attorney General Frosh Announces Maryland Joining Multistate Task Force to Combat Northeast Heroin Crisis
Prosecutors in the Maryland Office of the Attorney General will join counterparts in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Maine as part of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Heroin Task Force to tackle a mounting public safety and health threat.
"The flow of heroin is not confined to one state, and the fight against this scourge must not be limited to one state," said Attorney General Frosh. "Sharing information and pooling our resources will produce real results. We are facing a public health and safety crisis that demands our best work and our most creative solutions."
Court Rules Details of DHS Cellphone Service Kill Switch Can Remain Secret
Concern grows that federal agency is preparing to shut down communications during protests
The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington DC has ruled that the Department of Homeland Security’s procedure for shutting down cell phone service during a declared emergency can remain secret.
The lawsuit was brought by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) after the DHS failed to release its criteria for network shutdowns following an incident in 2011 when government officials in San Francisco disabled cell phone service during a peaceful protest. The demonstration was against the police killing of Charles Hill, a homeless man shot dead by a Bay Area Rapid Transit (“BART”) officer.
A federal judge initially ruled in EPIC’s favor but the DHS won the case on appeal. However, the federal agency may still have to disclose some portions of the protocol.
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The lawsuit was brought by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) after the DHS failed to release its criteria for network shutdowns following an incident in 2011 when government officials in San Francisco disabled cell phone service during a peaceful protest. The demonstration was against the police killing of Charles Hill, a homeless man shot dead by a Bay Area Rapid Transit (“BART”) officer.
A federal judge initially ruled in EPIC’s favor but the DHS won the case on appeal. However, the federal agency may still have to disclose some portions of the protocol.
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Texas ‘Mama Bear’ Who Ripped Police Chase Suspect From Car Hit With Shock News: ‘I Can’t Believe It’
The Texas “mama bear” who made headlines after ripping a car chase suspect from his vehicle Wednesday was left stunned Thursday afternoon by the generosity of a local Kia dealership.
Jessica Liesmann was previously commended by authorities for helping Dallas police put an end to a high-speed car chase. The drama, which unfolded on live television and stunned newscasters, showed her slam the man on the pavement and detain him until police arrived on the scene.
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Editors note: We posted the first part of this story at 3:30pm
How much education spending does your state use on teachers?
Arizona spends the lowest portion of education funding on teachers, with just 55 percent of funding going to instruction.
Idaho spends the least on instruction per pupil, with $3,996 going toward instruction. But 60 percent of Idaho’s education funding goes to instruction, 20th highest in the nation.
Nationwide, states spend about $6,500 on instruction, almost 61 percent of total education spending.
In California, $5,606 per pupil is spent on instruction, 60 percent of total education spending.
Every state in the Northeast is in the highest half of states when it comes to using education funding on instruction. States on the lower end of the spectrum were fairly scattered across the country.
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Unexpected End to Texas Car Chase Stuns Newscasters: ‘Something I Don’t Think I’ve Ever Seen Before’
A high-speed police chase in Texas came to a dramatic end when two citizens ripped the driver from his car and slammed him on the pavement after the man crashed into their vehicle while attempting to evade authorities.
The individual, driving a Dodge Challenger, was being pursued by Dallas police for his alleged role in a robbery when he rammed his car into a van.
The driver of the van then quickly exited the vehicle and, with the help of the passenger, ripped the suspect from his vehicle, throwing him on the pavement. The man was detained until police showed up moments later.
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Editors Note: We will have an update to this story at 4:30pm.
Major Obamacare selling point could get wiped out
In a final push to get Americans to sign up for Obamacare coverage, the Obama administration is dangling a carrot: government subsidies many people can use to help purchase plans.
But those subsidies could be erased this summer.
In three weeks, the Supreme Court will hear the case King v. Burwell, challenging the legality of awarding the subsidies to those buying coverage via healthcare.gov. The justices’ decision — expected in June — could result in the subsidies being blocked from residents in the 37 states using the federal-run marketplace.
That possibility isn’t stopping officials from touting the government assistance as a major selling point of the law before enrollment ends on Sunday.
Officials released estimates earlier this week that nearly 6.5 million enrollees are qualifying for enough subsidies that the average cost for a plan dropped to $105 — although that average varies widely by state, ranging from $47 in Mississippi to $172 in New Jersey.
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But those subsidies could be erased this summer.
In three weeks, the Supreme Court will hear the case King v. Burwell, challenging the legality of awarding the subsidies to those buying coverage via healthcare.gov. The justices’ decision — expected in June — could result in the subsidies being blocked from residents in the 37 states using the federal-run marketplace.
That possibility isn’t stopping officials from touting the government assistance as a major selling point of the law before enrollment ends on Sunday.
Officials released estimates earlier this week that nearly 6.5 million enrollees are qualifying for enough subsidies that the average cost for a plan dropped to $105 — although that average varies widely by state, ranging from $47 in Mississippi to $172 in New Jersey.
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GOP senator: Obama’s ISIS plan 'utterly stupid'
A Republican senator on Wednesday ripped President Obama for seeking to limit the use of military force against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), calling the proposal “utterly stupid."
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), in a radio interview, noted the recent death of Kayla Mueller, who died while held captive by the terrorist group, to argue the president needs to threaten ISIS with "all the force he can get."
"And here we have the president coming up with this — I think it's utterly stupid — proposal," Hatch told KSL News Radio. "And he's binding the next president also with really stupid language."
"Any president worth his or her salt is going to ask for as much authority as they can get, so at least the ISIS people know that he has the authority to come in on them anyway he wants to.”
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Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), in a radio interview, noted the recent death of Kayla Mueller, who died while held captive by the terrorist group, to argue the president needs to threaten ISIS with "all the force he can get."
"And here we have the president coming up with this — I think it's utterly stupid — proposal," Hatch told KSL News Radio. "And he's binding the next president also with really stupid language."
"Any president worth his or her salt is going to ask for as much authority as they can get, so at least the ISIS people know that he has the authority to come in on them anyway he wants to.”
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Florida Dad Protests Islam Lessons in Son's H.S. History Class
The father of a Florida high schooler says students were required to recite an Islamic prayer in a 10th grade history class.
"Students were instructed to recite this prayer as the first Pillar of Islam, off of the board at the teacher's instruction," Ron Wagner said.
He said that his son's world history book at Lyman High School has a chapter dedicated to the "Rise of Islam," which includes prayers and scriptures from the Koran.
"For it to be mandatory and part of the curriculum and in the textbooks, didn't seem right," Wagner said, adding that the book doesn't contain similar sections about Judaism and Christianity.
Wagner said he became concerned when he noticed a text message reminder from the teacher to his son about completing a prayer rug assignment and studying an Islam packet.
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"Students were instructed to recite this prayer as the first Pillar of Islam, off of the board at the teacher's instruction," Ron Wagner said.
He said that his son's world history book at Lyman High School has a chapter dedicated to the "Rise of Islam," which includes prayers and scriptures from the Koran.
"For it to be mandatory and part of the curriculum and in the textbooks, didn't seem right," Wagner said, adding that the book doesn't contain similar sections about Judaism and Christianity.
Wagner said he became concerned when he noticed a text message reminder from the teacher to his son about completing a prayer rug assignment and studying an Islam packet.
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Republican senator pushes bill to require warrants for emails
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) is preparing to reintroduce a bill to increase email privacy protections and set limits on the government’s access to content stored overseas.
Hatch will introduce the Law Enforcement Access to Data Stored Abroad Act on Thursday. He previously introduced the bill last September, along with Sens. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.).
“As Congress works to reform our domestic privacy laws, we must also clarify and modernize the legal framework for government access to digital data stored around the world,” Hatch will say in prepared remarks at the Reboot Congress conference on Thursday. “These two issues are inextricably linked.”
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Hatch will introduce the Law Enforcement Access to Data Stored Abroad Act on Thursday. He previously introduced the bill last September, along with Sens. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.).
“As Congress works to reform our domestic privacy laws, we must also clarify and modernize the legal framework for government access to digital data stored around the world,” Hatch will say in prepared remarks at the Reboot Congress conference on Thursday. “These two issues are inextricably linked.”
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Liberal SPLC Removes Ben Carson From 'Extremist Files'
The Southern Poverty Law Center has removed Dr. Ben Carson from its "Extremist Files," citing "intense criticism" in recent days.
A statement on the group's website now replaces Carson's "Extremist File" page, where quotes he made opposing same-sex marriage were cited as the reason for including him with Ku Klux Klan members, skinheads and other white supremacists.
"In October 2014, we posted an 'Extremist File' of Dr. Ben Carson. This week, as we've come under intense criticism for doing so, we've reviewed our profile and have concluded that it did not meet our standards, so we have taken it down and apologize to Dr. Carson for having posted it," the statement on the group's website reads.
But the group didn't completely back down, noting "We've also come to the conclusion that the question of whether a better-researched profile of Dr. Carson should or should not be included in our 'Extremist Files' is taking attention from the fact that Dr. Carson has, in fact, made a number of statements that express views that we believe most people would conclude are extreme."
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A statement on the group's website now replaces Carson's "Extremist File" page, where quotes he made opposing same-sex marriage were cited as the reason for including him with Ku Klux Klan members, skinheads and other white supremacists.
"In October 2014, we posted an 'Extremist File' of Dr. Ben Carson. This week, as we've come under intense criticism for doing so, we've reviewed our profile and have concluded that it did not meet our standards, so we have taken it down and apologize to Dr. Carson for having posted it," the statement on the group's website reads.
But the group didn't completely back down, noting "We've also come to the conclusion that the question of whether a better-researched profile of Dr. Carson should or should not be included in our 'Extremist Files' is taking attention from the fact that Dr. Carson has, in fact, made a number of statements that express views that we believe most people would conclude are extreme."
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Virginia Passes Bill To Rein In Restraints Of School Kids
Virginia lawmakers have passed a bill requiring state leaders to set limits on how public schools can restrain or isolate students.
Last summer, ProPublica and NPR reported that new federal data showed the practices – which can include pinning down or tying up students or locking them alone in dark rooms – were used more than 267,000 times nationwide in the 2012 school year. Hundreds of children are injured each year and at least 20 have died as a result.
Our story featured an autistic boy, Carson Luke, who had his hand and foot broken while being forced into a seclusion room at a Virginia public school for students with disabilities. His mother, Heather, testified at a recent state hearing on the bill. She said she's "tickled" about the legislation "because I can tell Carson that the people of Virginia listened to him and they're trying to take care of the kids."
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Last summer, ProPublica and NPR reported that new federal data showed the practices – which can include pinning down or tying up students or locking them alone in dark rooms – were used more than 267,000 times nationwide in the 2012 school year. Hundreds of children are injured each year and at least 20 have died as a result.
Our story featured an autistic boy, Carson Luke, who had his hand and foot broken while being forced into a seclusion room at a Virginia public school for students with disabilities. His mother, Heather, testified at a recent state hearing on the bill. She said she's "tickled" about the legislation "because I can tell Carson that the people of Virginia listened to him and they're trying to take care of the kids."
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IRS: Illegal Immigrants Who Didn't Pay Taxes Could Get Refunds
Commissioner John Koskinen said that no one bothered to ask what the tax implications of Obama’s sweeping action on illegal immigration could be.
About 7,000 undocumented workers pay taxes using a current taxpayer ID. Now, 7 million illegal immigrants can apply for work permits and Social Security numbers, making them automatically eligible for earned income tax credit.
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Senator Brooks: Use 'Nuclear Option' to Move House DHS Bill
With Senate Democrats effectively blocking the House bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and deny money for immigration action, Alabama Sen. Mo Brooks has suggested that the GOP take a page out of the Democrat’s own playbook and eliminate filibusters for spending bills, The Hill reports.
Brooks wants Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to invoke the "nuclear option," which would change Senate rules so that instead of the required two-thirds supermajority vote, spending bills would need only a simple majority to advance.
In 2013, then Majority Leader Harry Reid invoked the nuclear option to eliminate Senate filibusters for most executive nominees.
"(Reid) said, I’m not going to let the filibuster stop me from achieving my political goals, and he exercised the nuclear option, and now under Harry Reid, you did not need 60 votes for appointments of Barack Obama-submitted appointees," Brooks said. "Rather, a mere majority would work.
"Well, if Harry Reid and the Democrats can do that, if they can stand up for those beliefs, however wrong those beliefs may be, then where is our Republican Senate leadership? And why aren’t they doing the same thing?
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Brooks wants Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to invoke the "nuclear option," which would change Senate rules so that instead of the required two-thirds supermajority vote, spending bills would need only a simple majority to advance.
In 2013, then Majority Leader Harry Reid invoked the nuclear option to eliminate Senate filibusters for most executive nominees.
"(Reid) said, I’m not going to let the filibuster stop me from achieving my political goals, and he exercised the nuclear option, and now under Harry Reid, you did not need 60 votes for appointments of Barack Obama-submitted appointees," Brooks said. "Rather, a mere majority would work.
"Well, if Harry Reid and the Democrats can do that, if they can stand up for those beliefs, however wrong those beliefs may be, then where is our Republican Senate leadership? And why aren’t they doing the same thing?
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Smoking's Death Toll May Be Higher Than Anyone Knew
The U.S. Surgeon General lists 21 deadly diseases that are caused by smoking. Now, a study in this week's New England Journal of Medicine points to more than a dozen other diseases that apparently add to the tobacco death toll.
To arrive at this conclusion, scientists from the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute and several universities tracked nearly a million people for a decade and recorded their causes of death.
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To arrive at this conclusion, scientists from the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute and several universities tracked nearly a million people for a decade and recorded their causes of death.
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Science Explains Why Meth Addicts Look The Way They Do
Physical Effects
Users say meth creates a feeling of euphoria along with increased energy and reduced appetite. A psychostimulant, meth is highly addictive despite, or perhaps, because of the fact that it causes profound and long-lasting damage to the brain. Post-mortem studies link the drug to diseases of aging, including coronary atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and pulmonary fibrosis (scar tissue in the lungs). Something is happening at the cellular level to cause these strange physical effects, but what is it?
For the current study, experiments on rats and mice allowed the researchers, in their own words, “to investigate the molecular mechanisms of systemic inflammation and cellular aging related to methamphetamine abuse.” Specifically, they focused on the ways meth induces abnormalities of lipid metabolism in select regions of the brain and peripheral organs and tissues. Through experimentation, the scientists observed how meth accelerated "cellular senescence" — arrested cell growth — and influenced inflammation and other processes of cell regulation.
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RadioShack Proposes Up to $3 Million in Employee Bonuses To Bankruptcy Court
RadioShack isn’t going out of business forever (yet), but instead may live on as a brand in co-branded stores with mobile provider Sprint. the electronics chain is holding liquidation sales in many of the stores they’re working to close. Yet at the same time that the company is preparing to shut about half of their stores, they’ve sought permission from the bankruptcy court to pay out about $3 million in bonuses.
Illegals Denied Role in Defending Obama Amnesty
Judge Hanen said he is rushing to reach a judgment on the request by Texas and more than two dozen other states for an injunction to stop Mr. Obama’s amnesty before it begins taking applications on Feb. 18, and allowing the three “Jane Doe” illegal immigrants to join in defending Mr. Obama’s actions “will cause undue delay” in his ability to reach a decision.
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From The Facebook Page Of Daniel Bongino
With President Obama's illegal Executive Action on immigration, people who choose to come here illegally are now entitled to tax refunds for taxes they NEVER paid, through the EITC. Clearly, at this point, anger and frustration with this administration are getting us nowhere, so I have an idea.
Since the DC cocktail-party crowd seems to revel in giving away our money, I propose that every candidate up for election in the next cycle should have a number next to his or her name. That number should be the cost to each American of the legislation this person's name has appeared on. Watch how quickly the DC big-spenders rethink their out-of-touch approach to unloading your money on their grandiose plans when they have to answer for them. #Sarcasm
Militant Atheism Behind Killing of 3 Muslims?
The man accused of killing three young members of a young Muslim family in an apartment complex near the University of North Carolina campus in Chapel Hill had hate in his heart and targeted the students because of their ethnicity, according to the devastated father of two of the victims.
Police say the triple murder of Deah Barakat, 23, his 21-year-old wife Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha and her sister, Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19, Tuesday afternoon was the climax of a long-simmering parking dispute with 46-year-old neighbor Craig Stephen Hicks.
Hicks, an avowed and vehement atheist according to his Facebook posts, appeared shackled and dressed in an orange jumpsuit during arraignment Wednesday when a judge ordered him held without bond until a court appearance March 4.
“It was execution style, a bullet in every head,” the father of the women, Dr. Mohammad Abu-Salha, told the Charlotte News and Observer Wednesday morning.
The accused killer used his Facebook page to promote his atheistic views and demean those who embrace religion.
“I give your religion as much respect as your religion gives me,” he wrote in a long rant under the Religion section of his page, where he identifies as atheist.
“There’s nothing complicated about it, and I have every right to insult a religion that goes out of its way to insult, to judge, and to condemn me as an inadequate human being — which your religion does with self-righteous gusto..."
Hicks frequently posted quotes of prominent atheists, including the prominent British professor and author Richard Dawkins.
More here
Police say the triple murder of Deah Barakat, 23, his 21-year-old wife Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha and her sister, Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19, Tuesday afternoon was the climax of a long-simmering parking dispute with 46-year-old neighbor Craig Stephen Hicks.
Hicks, an avowed and vehement atheist according to his Facebook posts, appeared shackled and dressed in an orange jumpsuit during arraignment Wednesday when a judge ordered him held without bond until a court appearance March 4.
“It was execution style, a bullet in every head,” the father of the women, Dr. Mohammad Abu-Salha, told the Charlotte News and Observer Wednesday morning.
The accused killer used his Facebook page to promote his atheistic views and demean those who embrace religion.
“I give your religion as much respect as your religion gives me,” he wrote in a long rant under the Religion section of his page, where he identifies as atheist.
“There’s nothing complicated about it, and I have every right to insult a religion that goes out of its way to insult, to judge, and to condemn me as an inadequate human being — which your religion does with self-righteous gusto..."
Hicks frequently posted quotes of prominent atheists, including the prominent British professor and author Richard Dawkins.
More here
Ohio Residents May Need To Take “Quiz” Before Getting State Tax Refunds
If you’re an Ohio resident and you’re expecting a refund on your state taxes this spring, you might have to go online and take a personalized “quiz” in order to prove you are who you claim to be before you can get your money.
The Dayton Daily News reports [via Credit.com] that, after a year in which Ohio’s tax folks intercepted nearly a quarter billion dollars worth of fraudulent refunds, the state is implementing a program that requires some taxpayers to answer some questions that only they should know the answers to.
People hit with this “quiz” will have to go online and answer four questions within five minutes. They must get three correct in order for their refunds to be released.
More
The Dayton Daily News reports [via Credit.com] that, after a year in which Ohio’s tax folks intercepted nearly a quarter billion dollars worth of fraudulent refunds, the state is implementing a program that requires some taxpayers to answer some questions that only they should know the answers to.
People hit with this “quiz” will have to go online and answer four questions within five minutes. They must get three correct in order for their refunds to be released.
More
Malcolm X’s Daughter OK with Whites Using N-word
A white person using the N-word is not a problem for Malcolm X’s daughter, Ilyasah Shabazz.
In her eyes, if black people can go around using it. so can people of other races. Shabazz weighed in on the N-word while speaking to TMZ about hip-hop music, which she admitted listening to.
“I think it’s just ridiculous sometimes. I think it is. I think it’s a bit ridiculous, yeah,” Shabazz said about the N-word’s repeated use in rap before giving her take on the use of the word by white people.
“I mean, you know, I think if we’re going to…if you’re gonna use it, then everybody should be able use it.
So if you don’t like other people using it, then we shouldn’t use it.”
More
In her eyes, if black people can go around using it. so can people of other races. Shabazz weighed in on the N-word while speaking to TMZ about hip-hop music, which she admitted listening to.
“I think it’s just ridiculous sometimes. I think it is. I think it’s a bit ridiculous, yeah,” Shabazz said about the N-word’s repeated use in rap before giving her take on the use of the word by white people.
“I mean, you know, I think if we’re going to…if you’re gonna use it, then everybody should be able use it.
So if you don’t like other people using it, then we shouldn’t use it.”
More
Republican lawmaker: Childbirth resulting from rape is "beautiful"
A Republican state legislator from West Virginia said Thursday that women should not be allowed to abort pregnancies resulting from rape because the child that could result from it is "beautiful."
"For somebody to take advantage of somebody else in such a horrible and terrifying and brutal way is absolutely disgusting," said West Virginia Del. Brian Kurcaba during a hearing on proposed new abortion restrictions, CBS Charleston affiliate WOWK-TV reports. "But what is beautiful is the child that could come as a production of this."
Kurcaba later said in a statement that his comments didn't fully represent his views, WOWK-TV reports.
"I apologize to anyone who took my comments about the sanctity of human life to mean anything other than that all children are precious regardless of circumstances," he said in the statement.
More
"For somebody to take advantage of somebody else in such a horrible and terrifying and brutal way is absolutely disgusting," said West Virginia Del. Brian Kurcaba during a hearing on proposed new abortion restrictions, CBS Charleston affiliate WOWK-TV reports. "But what is beautiful is the child that could come as a production of this."
Kurcaba later said in a statement that his comments didn't fully represent his views, WOWK-TV reports.
"I apologize to anyone who took my comments about the sanctity of human life to mean anything other than that all children are precious regardless of circumstances," he said in the statement.
More
Publishers Notes: OH BOY!
Hilarious moment Family Feud contestant gives the most awkward answer EVER when asked to name something a doctor pulls out of a person - and says 'gerbil'
Steve Harvey asked contestants Darci and Manny; 'What does a doctor pull out of a person?'
Darci buzzed in almost immediately, and then shouted out; 'A gerbil.'
More
Inspections ordered after concrete falls from bridge
Pete Rahn said Thursday the directive for 27 bridges will help the state immediately identify any bridges in need of repair.
The inspections will start immediately and take several days.
Each inspection will involve teams of specially-trained bridge inspectors to identify and repair any loose concrete. The bridges that are being inspected were all built before 1969 and have traffic underneath.
More
Chinese Immigrant: Common Core Reminds Me Of Communist China
"I'm here to tell you, Common Core really scares me."
Chinese-American Lily Tang Williams says she is scared of America’s Common Core education system because it reminds her of the Communist education she received as a young girl growing up under Mao Tse-tung’s regime in China.
In a video posted to YouTube, Williams points out the many similarities between her education and the one her 15-year-old daughter is currently receiving in a Colorado public school. Similarities like the national standards and guidelines Chinese teachers were expected to implement, lest they lose their jobs. Or the Chinese parents who have no choice, or rights, in what their children learn, and no privacy whatsoever. Williams described even having to hand over her private diaries for teacher review.
“In our diary,” Willaims says, “we’re supposed to do self-criticism and we’re supposed to report on others who have politically incorrect speeches…including friends, sometimes your family. It is a very sick system.”
More
Chinese-American Lily Tang Williams says she is scared of America’s Common Core education system because it reminds her of the Communist education she received as a young girl growing up under Mao Tse-tung’s regime in China.
In a video posted to YouTube, Williams points out the many similarities between her education and the one her 15-year-old daughter is currently receiving in a Colorado public school. Similarities like the national standards and guidelines Chinese teachers were expected to implement, lest they lose their jobs. Or the Chinese parents who have no choice, or rights, in what their children learn, and no privacy whatsoever. Williams described even having to hand over her private diaries for teacher review.
“In our diary,” Willaims says, “we’re supposed to do self-criticism and we’re supposed to report on others who have politically incorrect speeches…including friends, sometimes your family. It is a very sick system.”
More
One dead, one hurt in shooting at New Orleans Mardi Gras parade
One man was killed and another was critically injured when shots rang out along a Mardi Gras parade route, according to police in New Orleans.
Multiple shots were heard about 10 p.m. on Thursday as Krewe of Muses parade was in session, authorities said. Despite the violence, the parade continued as police officers set up barriers around the crime scene, NBC station WDSU reported.
More
Multiple shots were heard about 10 p.m. on Thursday as Krewe of Muses parade was in session, authorities said. Despite the violence, the parade continued as police officers set up barriers around the crime scene, NBC station WDSU reported.
More
Feds Hold Hearing On Whether They Should ‘Regulate’ Sites Like Drudge, Infowars And The Economic Collapse Blog
The control freaks that run our government always seem to want to “regulate” things that they do not like
The control freaks that run our government always seem to want to “regulate” things that they do not like. And so it should be no surprise that there is a renewed push to regulate independent news websites. Sites like the Drudge Report, Infowars.com and The Economic Collapse Blog have been a thorn in the side of the establishment for years. You see, the truth is that approximately 90 percent of all news and entertainment in this country is controlled by just six giant media corporations. That is why the news seems to be so similar no matter where you turn. But in recent years the alternative media has exploded in popularity. People are hungry for the truth, and an increasing number of Americans are waking up to the fact that they are not getting the truth from the corporate-controlled media. But as the alternative media has grown, it was only going to be a matter of time before the establishment started cracking down on it. At the moment it is just the FEC and the FCC, but surely this is just the beginning. Our “Big Brother” government ultimately wants to control every area of our lives – and this especially applies to our ability to communicate freely with one another.
The Federal Election Commission is an example of a federal rule making body that has gotten wildly out of control. Since just about anything that anyone says or does could potentially “influence an election”, it is not difficult for them to come up with excuses to regulate things that they do not like.
And on Wednesday, the FEC held a hearing on whether or not they should regulate political speech on blogs, websites and YouTube videos…
More
The control freaks that run our government always seem to want to “regulate” things that they do not like. And so it should be no surprise that there is a renewed push to regulate independent news websites. Sites like the Drudge Report, Infowars.com and The Economic Collapse Blog have been a thorn in the side of the establishment for years. You see, the truth is that approximately 90 percent of all news and entertainment in this country is controlled by just six giant media corporations. That is why the news seems to be so similar no matter where you turn. But in recent years the alternative media has exploded in popularity. People are hungry for the truth, and an increasing number of Americans are waking up to the fact that they are not getting the truth from the corporate-controlled media. But as the alternative media has grown, it was only going to be a matter of time before the establishment started cracking down on it. At the moment it is just the FEC and the FCC, but surely this is just the beginning. Our “Big Brother” government ultimately wants to control every area of our lives – and this especially applies to our ability to communicate freely with one another.
The Federal Election Commission is an example of a federal rule making body that has gotten wildly out of control. Since just about anything that anyone says or does could potentially “influence an election”, it is not difficult for them to come up with excuses to regulate things that they do not like.
And on Wednesday, the FEC held a hearing on whether or not they should regulate political speech on blogs, websites and YouTube videos…
More
Shady Hertrich Strikes Again
The vehicle continued to have issues and I still hadn't received the inspection report. I called the salesmen multiple times with no success, which led me to call the sales manager. I told him my issues and everything that happened since 6/28/14 and he said to not deal with my salesman, I would deal directly with him. I requested the inspection report from the sales manager and he had told me at that time, due to the July 4th holiday "it was hectic and I was just a victim of circumstance". He told me he would have to contact the service manager to get the inspection report. After a couple days, I received no phone calls. I contacted him again and he told me the service manager was out due to family illness and I would have to wait to receive the report.
MORE CITIES FOLLOWING D.C.-AREA LEAD, DEBATING NON-CITIZEN VOTING RIGHTS
More cities are trying to follow in the footsteps of D.C.-area jurisdictions to give non-citizens the right to vote in municipal elections.
Though many of these proposals have failed, the Washington Post notes that activists in Amherst, Massachusetts, Madison, Wisconsin, and Burlington, Vermont are also clamoring to give voting rights to non-citizens. In New York, as Breitbart News has noted, Mayor Bill de Blasio has said he would like to “continue the conversation” this year on giving voting rights to non-citizens.
Six Maryland jurisdictions and Chicago allow non-citizens to vote in some local elections.
More
Though many of these proposals have failed, the Washington Post notes that activists in Amherst, Massachusetts, Madison, Wisconsin, and Burlington, Vermont are also clamoring to give voting rights to non-citizens. In New York, as Breitbart News has noted, Mayor Bill de Blasio has said he would like to “continue the conversation” this year on giving voting rights to non-citizens.
Six Maryland jurisdictions and Chicago allow non-citizens to vote in some local elections.
More
Feds Hold Hearing On Whether They Should 'Regulate' Sites Like Drudge, Infowars And The Economic Collapse Blog
The control freaks that run our government always seem to want to “regulate” things that they do not like. And so it should be no surprise that there is a renewed push to regulate independent news websites. Sites like the Drudge Report, Infowars.com and The Economic Collapse Blog have been a thorn in the side of the establishment for years. You see, the truth is that approximately 90 percent of all news and entertainment in this country is controlled by just six giant media corporations. That is why the news seems to be so similar no matter where you turn. But in recent years the alternative media has exploded in popularity. People are hungry for the truth, and an increasing number of Americans are waking up to the fact that they are not getting the truth from the corporate-controlled media. But as the alternative media has grown, it was only going to be a matter of time before the establishment started cracking down on it. At the moment it is just the FEC and the FCC, but surely this is just the beginning. Our “Big Brother” government ultimately wants to control every area of our lives – and this especially applies to our ability to communicate freely with one another.
The Federal Election Commission is an example of a federal rule making body that has gotten wildly out of control. Since just about anything that anyone says or does could potentially “influence an election”, it is not difficult for them to come up with excuses to regulate things that they do not like.
And on Wednesday, the FEC held a hearing on whether or not they should regulate political speech on blogs, websites and YouTube videos…
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is holding a hearing today to receive public feedback on whether it should create new rules regulating political speech, including political speech on the Internet that one commissioner warned could affect blogs, YouTube videos and even websites like the Drudge Report.
If you do not think that this could ever happen, you should consider what almost happened at the FEC last October…
More
The Federal Election Commission is an example of a federal rule making body that has gotten wildly out of control. Since just about anything that anyone says or does could potentially “influence an election”, it is not difficult for them to come up with excuses to regulate things that they do not like.
And on Wednesday, the FEC held a hearing on whether or not they should regulate political speech on blogs, websites and YouTube videos…
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is holding a hearing today to receive public feedback on whether it should create new rules regulating political speech, including political speech on the Internet that one commissioner warned could affect blogs, YouTube videos and even websites like the Drudge Report.
If you do not think that this could ever happen, you should consider what almost happened at the FEC last October…
More
The Daily Times, Liberal Reporting At Its Best, Not!
‘Maryland has not nearly reached its potential,’ business report says
On Thursday, the senior Democrats in Annapolis presented him with a blueprint on how to do it.
A report by the Maryland Economic Development and Business Climate Commission identified 10 challenges holding the state back economically, including a scattered and ineffective economic development strategy, too much reliance on federal jobs and a culture where government officials often seem more interested in enforcing rules than fostering growth.
The commission provided 32 suggestions for how the state can change.
More
Judge Orders Civil Contempt Hearing for Sheriff Joe
Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his top lieutenants will face a civil contempt-of-court hearing in April for repeatedly ignoring judicial orders arising from a 2007 racial-profiling case, a federal judge ruled on Thursday.
U.S. District Court Judge Murray Snow ordered the evidentiary hearing to be conducted after determining there was sufficient evidence to move ahead with the proceeding that could result in penalties against Arpaio, four other individuals, and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.
"After an appropriate hearing, the Court will determine whether these individuals have committed contempt of court and the sanctions for any such violations," Snow's order read.
Arpaio, 82, who bills himself as "America's Toughest Sheriff," could face fines or jail time along with other current and former officials cited in the ruling.
Snow, who had become increasingly frustrated with the sheriff and his office, set the hearing to take place April 21-24 in a federal courtroom in Phoenix.
A lawyer for Arpaio and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office could not be immediately reached for comment.
The judge found in 2013 that Arpaio and his deputies racially profiled Latino drivers during traffic stops and unreasonably detained them, violating their constitutional rights, in a ruling that was a major blow to the six-term sheriff.
More here
U.S. District Court Judge Murray Snow ordered the evidentiary hearing to be conducted after determining there was sufficient evidence to move ahead with the proceeding that could result in penalties against Arpaio, four other individuals, and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.
"After an appropriate hearing, the Court will determine whether these individuals have committed contempt of court and the sanctions for any such violations," Snow's order read.
Arpaio, 82, who bills himself as "America's Toughest Sheriff," could face fines or jail time along with other current and former officials cited in the ruling.
Snow, who had become increasingly frustrated with the sheriff and his office, set the hearing to take place April 21-24 in a federal courtroom in Phoenix.
A lawyer for Arpaio and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office could not be immediately reached for comment.
The judge found in 2013 that Arpaio and his deputies racially profiled Latino drivers during traffic stops and unreasonably detained them, violating their constitutional rights, in a ruling that was a major blow to the six-term sheriff.
More here
Coach to Players: Shame on Little League Adult Cheaters
The coach whose inspirational speech to his team went viral after they lost in the Little League World Series says they got beat by cheaters and the adults who orchestrated the scheme should be ashamed.
Dave Belisle was manager of the Cumberland American Little League team from Rhode Island that was eliminated from the tournament by Chicago's Jackie Robinson West, 8-7, in August.
After the loss, Belisle gave an emotional speech to team members that went viral. He told them to hold their heads high and to not be disappointed in their effort. Unbeknownst to Belisle, ESPN was recording the speech, and his words consoling the boys — and rallying them — caused a sensation.
"The only reason why I'll probably end up shedding a tear is because this is the last time I'm going to end up coaching you guys," Belisle told them, adding, "It's OK to cry because we're not going to play baseball together anymore. But we're going to be friends forever. Friends forever."
This week, after learning Jackie Robinson West used players from outside league boundaries and was stripped of its national title, Belisle told local news outlets that he feels for the kids in Chicago.
But he had stern words for the adults.
"Shame on the people involved in something like that," he told The Providence Journal.
He said it's clear several people were involved in organizing the scheme. He said they undermined the integrity of Little League baseball and did it for the wrong reason: winning at any cost.
More here
Dave Belisle was manager of the Cumberland American Little League team from Rhode Island that was eliminated from the tournament by Chicago's Jackie Robinson West, 8-7, in August.
After the loss, Belisle gave an emotional speech to team members that went viral. He told them to hold their heads high and to not be disappointed in their effort. Unbeknownst to Belisle, ESPN was recording the speech, and his words consoling the boys — and rallying them — caused a sensation.
"The only reason why I'll probably end up shedding a tear is because this is the last time I'm going to end up coaching you guys," Belisle told them, adding, "It's OK to cry because we're not going to play baseball together anymore. But we're going to be friends forever. Friends forever."
This week, after learning Jackie Robinson West used players from outside league boundaries and was stripped of its national title, Belisle told local news outlets that he feels for the kids in Chicago.
But he had stern words for the adults.
"Shame on the people involved in something like that," he told The Providence Journal.
He said it's clear several people were involved in organizing the scheme. He said they undermined the integrity of Little League baseball and did it for the wrong reason: winning at any cost.
More here
Obama says: “Better than Visa, MasterCard or American Express.”
I use it proudly and I use it often!
"I love my Race Card. It comes in handy whenever I find myself in some mess I've made. I just bring it out and the mess is overlooked. In fact, there's no limit on how many times I can use it. I highly recommend the Race Card. Don't leave home without it."
(Also endorsed by Al $harpton, Jessie Jackson and Eric Holder)
SoBo's Valentine's Special
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410.219.1117
Governor Larry Hogan Announces Additional Members Of Administration
Selects Nominations For Department Of Disabilities, Information Technology, And Maryland Higher Education Commission
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan announced three additional members of the Hogan-Rutherford administration. Pending Senate confirmation, the governor’s nominations are:
Carol Beatty, Secretary of Department of Disabilities
David Garcia, Secretary of Department of Information Technology
Jennie Hunter-Cevera, Secretary of Maryland Higher Education Commission
“These three individuals bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the talented and diverse team we have assembled,” said Governor Hogan. "I want to thank them for their commitment to public service and to Maryland and for their willingness to help move our state forward.”
Carol Beatty has served as the executive director of The Arc of Howard, a private, non-profit organization that provides advocacy and support services for more than 750 children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. In this capacity, she managed a $13 million budget and 300 employees and was responsible for advocacy efforts on behalf of individuals and their families on a county, state, and national level. Previously, she served in an executive-level capacity at Alternate Living, Inc., and Bello Machre, Inc., both dedicated to providing quality services to individuals with disabilities. Beatty has a physical disability as a result of contracting polio as a baby.
David Garcia is the president and chief executive at NMR Consulting, which he founded in 1996. For more than 20 years, Garcia has worked in both technical and management roles in the high-tech arena. Following active duty in the U.S. Army and later serving as the chief of telecommunications with the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine, now the U.S. Army Public Health Command, Garcia recognized a need in the contracting industry for better customer service. As part of his consulting services, Garcia provided a variety of services including risk management, information technology, program management, infrastructure services, and logistics support. NMR Consulting has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies and by Hispanic Business Magazine as one of the country’s 500 largest Hispanic-owned firms by revenue, and 100 fastest-growing by revenue growth over five years.
Jennie Hunter - Cevera is currently the acting secretary of the Maryland Higher Education Commission. Hunter-Cevera has more than 20 years of professional experience in research and development, as well as public policy leadership in the life sciences and pharmaceutical, and biotechnology industries. She is the founder and CEO of Hunter-Cevera and Associates, a consulting company whose clients included major universities, government agencies, and biotechnology companies. Her background includes executive vice president of Discovery Sciences, Government, Public and Corporate Relations at RTI International, one of the world’s leading research institutes. She is the former president of the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute. Hunter-Cevera was one of three individuals put forward by the Maryland Higher Education Commission and was ultimately chosen by Governor Hogan.
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan announced three additional members of the Hogan-Rutherford administration. Pending Senate confirmation, the governor’s nominations are:
Carol Beatty, Secretary of Department of Disabilities
David Garcia, Secretary of Department of Information Technology
Jennie Hunter-Cevera, Secretary of Maryland Higher Education Commission
“These three individuals bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the talented and diverse team we have assembled,” said Governor Hogan. "I want to thank them for their commitment to public service and to Maryland and for their willingness to help move our state forward.”
Carol Beatty has served as the executive director of The Arc of Howard, a private, non-profit organization that provides advocacy and support services for more than 750 children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. In this capacity, she managed a $13 million budget and 300 employees and was responsible for advocacy efforts on behalf of individuals and their families on a county, state, and national level. Previously, she served in an executive-level capacity at Alternate Living, Inc., and Bello Machre, Inc., both dedicated to providing quality services to individuals with disabilities. Beatty has a physical disability as a result of contracting polio as a baby.
David Garcia is the president and chief executive at NMR Consulting, which he founded in 1996. For more than 20 years, Garcia has worked in both technical and management roles in the high-tech arena. Following active duty in the U.S. Army and later serving as the chief of telecommunications with the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine, now the U.S. Army Public Health Command, Garcia recognized a need in the contracting industry for better customer service. As part of his consulting services, Garcia provided a variety of services including risk management, information technology, program management, infrastructure services, and logistics support. NMR Consulting has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies and by Hispanic Business Magazine as one of the country’s 500 largest Hispanic-owned firms by revenue, and 100 fastest-growing by revenue growth over five years.
Jennie Hunter - Cevera is currently the acting secretary of the Maryland Higher Education Commission. Hunter-Cevera has more than 20 years of professional experience in research and development, as well as public policy leadership in the life sciences and pharmaceutical, and biotechnology industries. She is the founder and CEO of Hunter-Cevera and Associates, a consulting company whose clients included major universities, government agencies, and biotechnology companies. Her background includes executive vice president of Discovery Sciences, Government, Public and Corporate Relations at RTI International, one of the world’s leading research institutes. She is the former president of the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute. Hunter-Cevera was one of three individuals put forward by the Maryland Higher Education Commission and was ultimately chosen by Governor Hogan.