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Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Policing The Police?
The Justice Department and FBI pledge an independent review of FBI laboratory protocols and procedures. The move follows the discovery of flawed forensics testimony in hundreds of criminal cases before 2000. The investigation will look at how the scientific problem occurred and why it went on for so long. Law enforcement officials also said they would continue reviewing hundreds of additional cases in which scientifically invalid testimony concerning microscopic hair analysis may have been given. At issue are cases in which hair samples were used to convict defendants. Of 268 trials already reviewed, 95 percent contained flawed testimony.
‘Killing Jews is Worship’ posters will soon appear on NYC subways and buses
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“Killing Jews is Worship that draws us close to Allah,” reads one such ad next to the image of a young man in a checkered headscarf. “That’s His Jihad. What’s yours?”
The poster is at the center of heated legal debate over public safety and free speech. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge John Koeltl ruled that New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) cannot stop the controversial ad from running on scores of subway cars and buses.
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Court affirms dad’s rights in turkey baster conception
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Virginia Court of Appeals has affirmed the parental rights of a man whose son was conceived by using a turkey baster.
A three-judge panel unanimously upheld Roanoke Circuit Judge Charles N. Dorsey’s decision granting joint custody and visitation rights to Robert Preston Boardwine.
According to the court, Joyce Rosemary Bruce wanted to have a child she could raise on her own. Boardwine supplied the sperm in a plastic container. Bruce transferred it to a turkey baster, which she used to inseminate herself.
Bruce argued that Boardwine had no parental rights under the state’s assisted conception law. But the appeals court said Tuesday that the law applies only to pregnancies resulting from the use of medical technology, and the use of a common kitchen implement at home doesn’t qualify.
Source
A three-judge panel unanimously upheld Roanoke Circuit Judge Charles N. Dorsey’s decision granting joint custody and visitation rights to Robert Preston Boardwine.
According to the court, Joyce Rosemary Bruce wanted to have a child she could raise on her own. Boardwine supplied the sperm in a plastic container. Bruce transferred it to a turkey baster, which she used to inseminate herself.
Bruce argued that Boardwine had no parental rights under the state’s assisted conception law. But the appeals court said Tuesday that the law applies only to pregnancies resulting from the use of medical technology, and the use of a common kitchen implement at home doesn’t qualify.
Source
(Another) Unarmed Black Man Gunned Down In Oklahoma; Officer Says It Was A Mistake
While people are still mourning the brutal killing of Walter L. Scott, an unarmed black man who was murdered by a white police officer in North Charleston, South Carolina just last week, yet another video has emerged in which a white police officer bound an unarmed black man and shot him in the head in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The officer, identified as Robert Bates, said he used his gun instead of a taser and that it was a mistake that he committed the heinous crime. The victim has been identified as Eric Courtney Harris. The footage of the shooting was captured on another deputy’s body camera.
The footage was said to have been posted by the police department. In the video, the victim is seen running down a street away a pursuing police car. An officer then runs up to him, catches him, bounds him while on the ground and then shoots him in the heard.
Thereafter, the victim starts moaning in pain and crying while other police officers approach the scene and try to resuscitate him.
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The officer, identified as Robert Bates, said he used his gun instead of a taser and that it was a mistake that he committed the heinous crime. The victim has been identified as Eric Courtney Harris. The footage of the shooting was captured on another deputy’s body camera.
The footage was said to have been posted by the police department. In the video, the victim is seen running down a street away a pursuing police car. An officer then runs up to him, catches him, bounds him while on the ground and then shoots him in the heard.
Thereafter, the victim starts moaning in pain and crying while other police officers approach the scene and try to resuscitate him.
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“It is up to all motorists and motorcyclists to make our roads safer,” commented Chief Ross Buzzuro. “Motorists should perform visual checks for motorcyclists by checking mirrors and blind spots before they enter or exit a lane of traffic. Pedestrians should also get into the habit of scanning for motorcyclists who might be hidden by other traffic.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motorcyclists are much more vulnerable than a passenger vehicle occupant in the event of a crash. Motorcyclists should remain alert to other drivers, never ride impaired or distracted and always wear a helmet and other protective gear.
Senate Nearing Deal to Confirm Lynch
The Senate is nearing a deal that would clear the way for Loretta Lynch to be confirmed as the first African-American woman to serve as attorney general.
A senior Senate Republican aide said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) hopes this week to pass a long-delayed anti-human-trafficking bill, confirm Lynch and begin work on bipartisan legislation that would establish congressional review of a nuclear deal with Iran.
A vote on Lynch could happen Wednesday or Thursday, Senate aides said, pending a deal on and quick passage of the trafficking bill, which has been held up by a fight over abortion language.
But some Republicans are pushing for votes on amendments to the trafficking bill, including a proposal from Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) that would require background checks of workers with unsupervised access to children.
In addition, Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) wants a vote on an amendment curtailing birthright citizenship, according to Senate aides.
Pressure has steadily built on McConnell to schedule a vote on Lynch, with calls coming even from members of his own party, such as likely presidential candidate Jeb Bush and New York Rep. Peter King.
“As soon as we get the trafficking bill locked down, she’ll be next,” said a GOP aide of Lynch.
More here
A senior Senate Republican aide said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) hopes this week to pass a long-delayed anti-human-trafficking bill, confirm Lynch and begin work on bipartisan legislation that would establish congressional review of a nuclear deal with Iran.
A vote on Lynch could happen Wednesday or Thursday, Senate aides said, pending a deal on and quick passage of the trafficking bill, which has been held up by a fight over abortion language.
But some Republicans are pushing for votes on amendments to the trafficking bill, including a proposal from Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) that would require background checks of workers with unsupervised access to children.
In addition, Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) wants a vote on an amendment curtailing birthright citizenship, according to Senate aides.
Pressure has steadily built on McConnell to schedule a vote on Lynch, with calls coming even from members of his own party, such as likely presidential candidate Jeb Bush and New York Rep. Peter King.
“As soon as we get the trafficking bill locked down, she’ll be next,” said a GOP aide of Lynch.
More here
Watters' World Asks Earth Day Revelers How They Help the Planet
Watch the full segment above, and check out some of the highlights below.
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J.C. Watts: 'Justice Issue' Keeps Blacks From Voting GOP
African-Americans have a major disconnect with Republicans over the justice system — because the GOP too often sides with cops involved in controversial shootings, former Rep. J.C. Watts tells Newsmax TV.
"It's not the social issues that keep black people from voting with conservatives or with Republicans. It's the justice issue," Watts, an Oklahoma Republican, said Monday on "The Steve Malzberg Show."
"By no means do I mean to throw police officers under the bus because my dad was a police officer, I've got a son-in-law that's a police officer.
"But while I don't believe police officers are always wrong, I don't believe they're always right. We have to take a closer look at those things."
Watts, a former star quarterback for the University of Oklahoma, said a case in point is the death of Walter Scott, shot in the back by North Charleston Police Officer Michael Slager as he tried to flee. Along with Eric Garner in New York and Michael Brown in Missouri — all black men killed by white cops — Scott's case has sparked cries of racism and a need for reform in the justice system.
Without a video of the Scott tragedy, filmed by a bystander, "Republicans would put their stakes on the ground on the side of the police officer and Democrats would put their stakes in the ground on the side of the victim," Watts said.
"There needs to be a deeper discussion … about how we do law enforcement or what needs to be tweaked in terms of the law enforcement community.
"And I don't just say that in terms of the black community. There's obviously white victims and red and yellow and brown victims out there as well."
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"It's not the social issues that keep black people from voting with conservatives or with Republicans. It's the justice issue," Watts, an Oklahoma Republican, said Monday on "The Steve Malzberg Show."
"By no means do I mean to throw police officers under the bus because my dad was a police officer, I've got a son-in-law that's a police officer.
"But while I don't believe police officers are always wrong, I don't believe they're always right. We have to take a closer look at those things."
Watts, a former star quarterback for the University of Oklahoma, said a case in point is the death of Walter Scott, shot in the back by North Charleston Police Officer Michael Slager as he tried to flee. Along with Eric Garner in New York and Michael Brown in Missouri — all black men killed by white cops — Scott's case has sparked cries of racism and a need for reform in the justice system.
Without a video of the Scott tragedy, filmed by a bystander, "Republicans would put their stakes on the ground on the side of the police officer and Democrats would put their stakes in the ground on the side of the victim," Watts said.
"There needs to be a deeper discussion … about how we do law enforcement or what needs to be tweaked in terms of the law enforcement community.
"And I don't just say that in terms of the black community. There's obviously white victims and red and yellow and brown victims out there as well."
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He Allegedly Put Knife to Texas Grandma’s Neck — Then His ‘Eyes Got Big’ at Her Next Nine Words
While Jewell Turner sat in her minivan outside her doctor’s office, she said a man approached her and tapped on the driver’s side window. The grandma said she offered the man directions when he inquired — but she had no idea what he really had planned.
“Never thought that when I turned my head that that young man would stick a knife to my throat,” she told NBC DFW.
The suspect then reportedly threatened, “I don’t want to hurt you, but I want your money. And I will hurt you if I have to.”
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David Koch Says GOP Nominee 'Should Be Scott Walker'
"We will support whoever the candidate is, but it should be Scott Walker," David Koch reportedly told a fundraising event for the state GOP in Manhattan on Monday.
Koch made the statement at the Union League Club before dozens of New York state's top political donors just after Walker had addressed the group, the Times reported.
Koch reportedly implied that their Americans for Prosperity and Freedom Partners groups would not back a particular candidate in the primaries, though they may do so personally.
Still, the endorsement is seen as the possible end of one of the so-called "invisible primaries," in which GOP candidates have courted the backing of the Kochs, the Times noted.
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Lawmakers And Educators Butt Heads With Gov. Hogan
Political reporter Pat Warren has the latest on this developing feud.
This may be the biggest policy disagreement between the governor and the General Assembly this year.
It’s the $68 million question… Who’s in charge here?
“The money is there, the governor just has to have the political will to appropriate it,” said House Speaker Mike Busch.
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Pro-reform Group: Drug Prices Rising For No Reason
High-cost specialty drugs continue to rise, far outpacing inflation and wage growth and increasing healthcare costs, according to a new report.
These high prices can make these life-saving treatments inaccessible to those that can't afford them, according to a white paper released Monday form the Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing, a part of the pro-health care reform group called the National Coalition on Health Care.
The coalition is comprised of many high-profile lobbying groups such as the AARP and the American Heart Association — as well as an odd collection of special interests ranging from the Organization of Chinese Americans to the Motion Picture Association of America.
Specialty drugs are those that either treat or cure a very serious, hard-to-treat disease. The often-tiny markets for these medicines create a strong disincentive for pharmaceutical companies to spend the enormous amounts of time and effort necessary to invent and make them. While demand for specialty products to treat serious illnesses can be high, it is intensively concentrated. As a result, specialty drugs tend to be very expensive.
More here
These high prices can make these life-saving treatments inaccessible to those that can't afford them, according to a white paper released Monday form the Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing, a part of the pro-health care reform group called the National Coalition on Health Care.
The coalition is comprised of many high-profile lobbying groups such as the AARP and the American Heart Association — as well as an odd collection of special interests ranging from the Organization of Chinese Americans to the Motion Picture Association of America.
Specialty drugs are those that either treat or cure a very serious, hard-to-treat disease. The often-tiny markets for these medicines create a strong disincentive for pharmaceutical companies to spend the enormous amounts of time and effort necessary to invent and make them. While demand for specialty products to treat serious illnesses can be high, it is intensively concentrated. As a result, specialty drugs tend to be very expensive.
More here
Md. Survivor Of Boston Marathon Bombing Faces Her Attacker
Tuesday, one of two Maryland sisters injured in the blasts took the stand.
Meghan McCorkell has more on her testimony.
Nicole Gross was standing right next to her sister, Erika Brannock, when the bombs exploded. Tuesday, she testified in the first day of the penalty phase of the trial.
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Netanyahu Snubs Jimmy Carter
Former President Jimmy Carter won't be welcomed with open arms when he visits Israel in the coming weeks.
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a request from the former president to meet with them when he visits Israel in the coming weeks, a senior official told Haaretz.
The Foreign Ministry and the National Security Council of the Prime Minister's Office made the decision after inner consultations over the past few days. According to the senior official, the decision was made for Rivlin and Netanyahu not to meet with Carter because of what they viewed as his "anti-Israeli" stance over the last few years.
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Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a request from the former president to meet with them when he visits Israel in the coming weeks, a senior official told Haaretz.
The Foreign Ministry and the National Security Council of the Prime Minister's Office made the decision after inner consultations over the past few days. According to the senior official, the decision was made for Rivlin and Netanyahu not to meet with Carter because of what they viewed as his "anti-Israeli" stance over the last few years.
More here
No Significant Damage Reported After Boat Strikes Route 50 Bridge
Around 10:30 p.m. on Monday, Coast Guard Station Ocean City was notified a 57-foot trawler-style recreational yacht and struck the Harry Kelley Bridge on the south side. According to Coast Guard Petty Officer Kyle Wood, the vessel was not based in the area, but rather was a transient recreational boat passing through the area on Monday on its way north. The vessel dropped anchor in the Inlet area south of the bridge near the channel on Monday night but its anchor did not hold and it drifted toward the bridge.
“The anchor kept dragging and the current was coming through there pretty fast,” said Wood on Monday. “They kept drifting north on the current and attempted to pull up the anchor, but the current kept pushing them north and eventually they struck the bridge.”
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Veteran Returns Flagpole To Front Yard
An East Tennessee veteran who was forced by her homeowners association to take down her flag is once again flying the stars and stripes.
"It felt like there was an empty place," said Delia Foster, "Not only in my yard, but in my heart."
Nine weeks ago, Foster took down the American flag and pole in her yard.
"It just seemed empty," said Foster, "Like I was going to pass by my house accidentally because I was so used to seeing it there lit up."
Her neighborhood home owner's associated asked her to take it down because of a rule that says structures require permission, including flagpoles.
It was a tough goodbye, but the 24-year Air Force veteran wasn't defeated. Saturday, the flag and pole were back in place.
"I am also a person who fight for what I think is right, I will do research, get to the bottom of things," said Foster
Foster found out the HOA follows county codes, and through confirmation at the Mayor's office she discovered the county does not define the flagpole as a structure. Further investigation of her HOA's current covenant, and she learned they never voted to specifically ban flagpoles. The discoveries meant the return of her flag.
More here
RELATED:Community supports veteran forced to take down flag pole
"It felt like there was an empty place," said Delia Foster, "Not only in my yard, but in my heart."
Nine weeks ago, Foster took down the American flag and pole in her yard.
"It just seemed empty," said Foster, "Like I was going to pass by my house accidentally because I was so used to seeing it there lit up."
Her neighborhood home owner's associated asked her to take it down because of a rule that says structures require permission, including flagpoles.
It was a tough goodbye, but the 24-year Air Force veteran wasn't defeated. Saturday, the flag and pole were back in place.
"I am also a person who fight for what I think is right, I will do research, get to the bottom of things," said Foster
Foster found out the HOA follows county codes, and through confirmation at the Mayor's office she discovered the county does not define the flagpole as a structure. Further investigation of her HOA's current covenant, and she learned they never voted to specifically ban flagpoles. The discoveries meant the return of her flag.
More here
RELATED:Community supports veteran forced to take down flag pole
Boardwalkin’ For Pets, Other Events Planned For Shelter; Adolfo’s Hosting Dinner Fundraiser
The weekend kicks off on Friday, April 24 at Adolfo’s on the ocean from 5-9 p.m. Advance tickets are being sold online at www.worcestercountyhumanesociety.org/boardwalkin-for-pets or at Adolfo’s for $15 and includes spaghetti and meatballs, side salad, fresh baked rolls, dessert and nonalcoholic beverage. Tickets will also be available at the door for $20. Adolfo’s will donate a percentage from every ticket purchased to the Worcester County Humane Society. There will also be some fantastic items available for a silent auction.
On Saturday, April 25 from 9 a.m.-noon, grab your best friend and head to the Inlet for the 16th Annual Boardwalkin’ for Pets. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. with the walk starting at 9 a.m. Raise money for the walk and receive prizes. This is the perfect opportunity to create a team. After the long winter, what better way to gather some family, friends, classmates, coworkers or neighbors and raise money, walk and have fun. There is a $25 minimum for individuals and for teams a $25 per team per member minimum. Prizes will be awarded to the highest pledge earners, top individual and team. Enter contests and win prizes for largest dog, smallest dog, best dressed dog and best dog trick. There will be refreshments provided by Harrison’s Harbor Watch Restaurant and Layton’s Family Restaurant on 16th Street.
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MSP PrincessAnne -State Police-Press Release
On 4/22/2015 at approximately 0835hrs Troopers from the Princess Anne Barrack were working traffic enforcement at U.S. Rt 13 and Dukes Lane Somerset County. Sr Tpr Zimmerman stopped a 2004 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck for exceeding the posted speed limit of 55 doing 81MPH. Sr Tpr Zimmerman made contact with the driver a lone occupant of the vehicle identified by his Colorado license as Adam Thomas Jordan a white male 31 years of age. Jordan appeared highly anxious during the stop. Investigation revealed Jordan was in possession of a black Springfield armory XDM .40 Cal semi-auto handgun loaded with 13 rounds of .40 cal ammunition. Also located in the vehicle was an AK 47 Rifle loaded with a 40 rounds of 7.62X39 hollow point ammunition. Both Weapons were not registered. Jordan was placed under arrest and after processing was transported to the Somerset County Commissioner reference for the charge of transporting a loaded handgun in vehicle. All above events occurred in Somerset county MD.
Congress Joint Budget Deal Could Pave Path to Obamacare Repeal
House and Senate lawmakers Monday sat down to work on a compromise budget blueprint that could pave the way to repeal of the Affordable Care Act.
"Repealing the president's health care law would pave the way to starting over on patient-centered health care reform where patients and families and doctors are making medical decisions, not Washington, D.C.," House Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price, R-Ga., said.
The Senate-House Budget Conference Committee held its first meeting aimed at reconciling the differences between the two budgets, authored by Republican majorities in both chambers.
A key element of both plans is a provision that would allow the Senate to repeal Obamacare with just 51 votes, rather than the usual 60 votes.
"After weeks of hard work, the House and the Senate approved our respective budgets last month, both of which were balanced-budget proposals," Price said. "And now, we're here to continue that work and find an agreement on a unified budget resolution."
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"Repealing the president's health care law would pave the way to starting over on patient-centered health care reform where patients and families and doctors are making medical decisions, not Washington, D.C.," House Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price, R-Ga., said.
The Senate-House Budget Conference Committee held its first meeting aimed at reconciling the differences between the two budgets, authored by Republican majorities in both chambers.
A key element of both plans is a provision that would allow the Senate to repeal Obamacare with just 51 votes, rather than the usual 60 votes.
"After weeks of hard work, the House and the Senate approved our respective budgets last month, both of which were balanced-budget proposals," Price said. "And now, we're here to continue that work and find an agreement on a unified budget resolution."
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AUTOMAKERS WANT TO OUTLAW GEARHEADS FROM WORKING ON THEIR OWN CARS
Claiming that modern vehicles are “too complex” for home mechanics to fix, automakers are seeking copyright restrictions to prevent gearheads from working on their own cars.
The Association of Global Automakers, a lobbying firm for 12 manufacturers, is asking the U.S. Copyright Office to prevent car owners from accessing “computer programs that control the functioning of a motorized land vehicle, including personal automobiles, commercial motor vehicles, and agricultural machinery, for purposes of lawful diagnosis and repair, or aftermarket personalization, modification, or other improvement.”
“In order to modify automotive software for the purpose of ‘diagnosis and repair, or aftermarket personalization, modification, or other improvement,’ the modifier must use a substantial amount of the copyrighted software – copying the software is at issue after all, not wholly replacing it,” the AGA claimed. “Because the ‘heart,’ if not the entirety, of the copyrighted work will remain in the modified copy, the amount and substantiality of the portion copied strongly indicates that the proposed uses are not fair.”
Auto Alliance, which also represents 12 automobile manufacturers, is also asking the agency to scrap exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that allow car enthusiasts to modify and tune their rides.
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Pearson’s wrong answer — and why it matters in the high-stakes testing era
Sarah Blaine is a mother, former teacher and full-time practicing attorney in New Jersey who writes at her own parentingthecore blog. Early this year, I published a post of hers under the headline, “You think you know what teachers do. Right? Wrong,” that was extremely popular with readers. Here’s a new post by Blaine from her blog about what happened when her fourth-grade child came home with some school work — and why it affects far more than her family.
By Sarah Blaine
Last Friday morning, my fourth grader handed me her “Thursday folder” shortly before we needed to head to the bus stop. I was glad to see a perfect spelling test, and a bunch of excellent math assignments and math tests. Time was short, however, so I flipped to the wrong answers. And sprinkled among the math tests, I came across two wrong answers that caused me concern.
The first problem was this:
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By Sarah Blaine
Last Friday morning, my fourth grader handed me her “Thursday folder” shortly before we needed to head to the bus stop. I was glad to see a perfect spelling test, and a bunch of excellent math assignments and math tests. Time was short, however, so I flipped to the wrong answers. And sprinkled among the math tests, I came across two wrong answers that caused me concern.
The first problem was this:
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19 Statistics About Abortion That Every American Should Know
Every single day a tragedy greater than 9/11 takes place, but hardly anyone is talking about it anymore.
On September 11th, 2001 more than 3,000 Americans lost their lives when three giant steel frame skyscrapers were brought down in New York City.
That was a great evil, but so is the fact that we purposely kill more than 3,000 of our own babies every single day in this country. The fact that society has generally accepted the practice of abortion does not lessen the evil that we have done one bit.
Today, the United States has the highest abortion ratein the entire western world, and hardly anyone makes a fuss about it anymore. In fact, a lot of Americans laugh about it, and some even do comedy skits about it.
We are so casual about abortion these days that one university is actually recruiting teen girls to have abortions for a “scientific study” that is being conducted. But someday we will be judged for what we have done.
We have killed more than 56 million of our own babies, and their blood is crying out for justice. In the end, we will reap what we have sown. The following are 19 statistics about abortion that every American show know. Please share these numbers with everyone that you can…
#1 In a massacre that is almost unspeakable, more than 56 million American babies have been murdered in the United States since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973.
More
On September 11th, 2001 more than 3,000 Americans lost their lives when three giant steel frame skyscrapers were brought down in New York City.
That was a great evil, but so is the fact that we purposely kill more than 3,000 of our own babies every single day in this country. The fact that society has generally accepted the practice of abortion does not lessen the evil that we have done one bit.
Today, the United States has the highest abortion ratein the entire western world, and hardly anyone makes a fuss about it anymore. In fact, a lot of Americans laugh about it, and some even do comedy skits about it.
We are so casual about abortion these days that one university is actually recruiting teen girls to have abortions for a “scientific study” that is being conducted. But someday we will be judged for what we have done.
We have killed more than 56 million of our own babies, and their blood is crying out for justice. In the end, we will reap what we have sown. The following are 19 statistics about abortion that every American show know. Please share these numbers with everyone that you can…
#1 In a massacre that is almost unspeakable, more than 56 million American babies have been murdered in the United States since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973.
More
Maryland's Larry Hogan: Unsung Republican Hero
Where New Jersey Governor Chris Christie failed, where Charlie Baker of Massachusetts may stumble, Republican Governor of Maryland Larry Hogan is winning, taking the conservative message of fiscal prudence, limited government, and individual liberty and prosperity to a poverty-stricken, tax-weary Commonwealth overwhelmed by public sector union greed and progressive political pandering.
The last governor, Democratic two-termer Martin O’Malley, checked off every left-wing policy talking point: driver’s licenses for illegal, gay marriage, and even took a shot at gun control. Like Obama, O’Malley shot himself in the foot tangling with the Second Amendment, and widespread advocates stormed Annapolis. So frustrated were law-abiding, taxpaying citizens, Western Maryland petitioned to secede from the state and set up their own Commonwealth. Who could blame them? Thee state government became so onerous, that allowing kids to play by themselves is now a crime, as well as chewing a pop tart to look like a pistol!
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District Attorney Says Encrypted Phones May Make You a Terrorist Because They “Cannot Be Accessed by Law Enforcement”
The attack on personal privacy continues
From every angle big government politicians and officials are doing everything they can to take away your ability to be secure in your person or possessions. Under terrorism laws like the Patriot Act the government has given itself the right to wire tap your home or enter your personal premises without so much as a warrant so long as police or federal law enforcement officials can show that your activities may be related to terrorism. And as we know, being associated with a terrorist nowadays requires absolutely no concrete factsaccording to President Obama’s latest initiative. Simply being suspected of being suspected of terrorism (whatever that means) can now qualify you for a terror watchlist or further investigation.
As we reported last week, even the Third Amendment can now be violated so that law enforcement officials can forcibly occupy your home to gain a tactical advantage against criminal or terror suspects.
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From every angle big government politicians and officials are doing everything they can to take away your ability to be secure in your person or possessions. Under terrorism laws like the Patriot Act the government has given itself the right to wire tap your home or enter your personal premises without so much as a warrant so long as police or federal law enforcement officials can show that your activities may be related to terrorism. And as we know, being associated with a terrorist nowadays requires absolutely no concrete factsaccording to President Obama’s latest initiative. Simply being suspected of being suspected of terrorism (whatever that means) can now qualify you for a terror watchlist or further investigation.
As we reported last week, even the Third Amendment can now be violated so that law enforcement officials can forcibly occupy your home to gain a tactical advantage against criminal or terror suspects.
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Helicopter Parents? Helicopter Government Is More Like It
Apparently, the brownshirts who masquerade as government officials in Maryland believe doing something utterly outrageous once is worth doing it twice. For the second time in five months, two children, ages 10 and 6, were picked up by police for the “crime” of walking home unsupervised within a mile of their home.
The first incident occurred Dec. 20, when the children attempted to make the trek home from Silver Spring park. Police picked them up and brought them home to parents Danielle and Alexander Meitiv, from whom they demanded identification and warned about the dangers of the world. Montgomery County Child Protective Services (CPS) showed up two hours later and demanded that Alexander sign a safety plan promising he would not leave his children unsupervised until the following Monday, when CPS would follow up. He initially refused, saying he wanted to talk to a lawyer, but ultimately complied — because CPS threatened to remove his children from the home.
After the holidays, CPS called and said they needed to come to the home and make further inquiries. Danielle resisted, but a worker showed up anyway. She refused to let him in. Later she was stunned when told by her children’s principal that CPS had interviewed her children at school.
Ultimately, the Meitivs were found responsible for “unsubstantiated child neglect,” meaning CPS would maintain a file on the family for at least five years, leaving open the question of what would occur if the children were allowed to walk home alone again. “We don’t feel it was appropriate for an investigation to start, much less conclude that we are responsible for some form of child neglect,” said Danielle Meitiv after the first incident, even as she wondered if her family would get caught in a “Kafkaesque loop” if her children were stopped walking by themselves again.
Flash forward to Sunday, April 12. Once again, the kids were on their way home from Ellsworth Park at 5 p.m. when they were stopped by officers — in three separate squad cars — three blocks from their house.
Read more here
The first incident occurred Dec. 20, when the children attempted to make the trek home from Silver Spring park. Police picked them up and brought them home to parents Danielle and Alexander Meitiv, from whom they demanded identification and warned about the dangers of the world. Montgomery County Child Protective Services (CPS) showed up two hours later and demanded that Alexander sign a safety plan promising he would not leave his children unsupervised until the following Monday, when CPS would follow up. He initially refused, saying he wanted to talk to a lawyer, but ultimately complied — because CPS threatened to remove his children from the home.
After the holidays, CPS called and said they needed to come to the home and make further inquiries. Danielle resisted, but a worker showed up anyway. She refused to let him in. Later she was stunned when told by her children’s principal that CPS had interviewed her children at school.
Ultimately, the Meitivs were found responsible for “unsubstantiated child neglect,” meaning CPS would maintain a file on the family for at least five years, leaving open the question of what would occur if the children were allowed to walk home alone again. “We don’t feel it was appropriate for an investigation to start, much less conclude that we are responsible for some form of child neglect,” said Danielle Meitiv after the first incident, even as she wondered if her family would get caught in a “Kafkaesque loop” if her children were stopped walking by themselves again.
Flash forward to Sunday, April 12. Once again, the kids were on their way home from Ellsworth Park at 5 p.m. when they were stopped by officers — in three separate squad cars — three blocks from their house.
Read more here
Maine school under fire for reading transgender children's book to students
During a lesson on tolerance and acceptance, children at Horace Mitchell Primary School in Kittery Point were read I Am Jazz, a book about a child 'with a boy's body and a girl's brain' who eventually finds a doctor that tells the family the boy is a transgender.
Some parents are unhappy with the school after they say their children came home with questions about gender and wondering if they too might be trans.
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PayPal’s Future: Injectable and Ingestible Password Technology
Jonathan LeBlanc, PayPal’s global head of developer evangelism, has seen such pioneering technology reach a point where “true integration with the human body” is possible.
Mr. LeBlanc told The Wall Street Journal April 17 that current methods of security involving a person’s fingerprint are “antiquated” and that newer methods will “put users in charge of their own security.”
The devices that PayPal is working on would open the door to brain implants, capsules that can detect changes in glucose levels, chips that embed into the skin and sensors that monitor changes in stomach acid.
More here
More Details About Proposed Worcester Sports Arena Discussed; County Undecided On Funds For Feasibility Study
Representatives from Hat Trick Consulting, the company that has presented plans for a minor league hockey arena, met with the Worcester County Commissioners Tuesday to talk about the concept they have come up with for the shore. While in the area, they will be visiting potential arena locations in Berlin and West Ocean City.
“We’re in the early part of the process,” said Bill Badger, Worcester County’s director of economic development. “This is really just a courtesy by Hat Trick so the commissioners are aware of the multiple issues involved in making this a reality.”
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CALIFORNIA BILL PROPOSES NEW ON-THE-SPOT DRUG TEST DEVICES FOR COPS
State moves to clamp down on driving under the influence of marijuana
A bill moving through the California legislature would equip police with devices enabling them to conduct instant drug tests on motorists to determine whether they’re driving under the influence of marijuana.
Assembly Bill 1356 would allow local law enforcement to take oral swabs, in addition to or in place of blood or breath tests, if a person is arrested for driving under the influence of drugs.
The bill’s sponsor, Assemblyman Tom Lackey (R – Palmdale), showed off the Alere DDS®2 at a press conference yesterday, a portable device he hopes to soon have in the hands of officers across the state.
More
A bill moving through the California legislature would equip police with devices enabling them to conduct instant drug tests on motorists to determine whether they’re driving under the influence of marijuana.
Assembly Bill 1356 would allow local law enforcement to take oral swabs, in addition to or in place of blood or breath tests, if a person is arrested for driving under the influence of drugs.
The bill’s sponsor, Assemblyman Tom Lackey (R – Palmdale), showed off the Alere DDS®2 at a press conference yesterday, a portable device he hopes to soon have in the hands of officers across the state.
More
Gun Rights Top Gun Control in Major Public Opinion Shift
Exactly two years after President Obama's bid for gun control following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting died in Congress, a new poll has discovered a huge shift in public opinion to backing Second Amendment gun rights and away from controlling gun ownership.
The reason: Americans now believe having a gun is the best way to protect against crime, 63 percent to 30 percent.
Pew Research Center found that while support for gun control once reached 66 percent, it has dropped to 46 percent while support for gun rights has jumped 52 percent, the highest ever in the past 25 years.
"We are at a moment when most Americans believe crime rates are rising and when most believe gun ownership – not gun control – makes people safer," said the survey.
More results here
The reason: Americans now believe having a gun is the best way to protect against crime, 63 percent to 30 percent.
Pew Research Center found that while support for gun control once reached 66 percent, it has dropped to 46 percent while support for gun rights has jumped 52 percent, the highest ever in the past 25 years.
"We are at a moment when most Americans believe crime rates are rising and when most believe gun ownership – not gun control – makes people safer," said the survey.
More results here
Supreme Court Says Police Can’t Extend Stop for Dog Sniff
Police officers violate the Constitution when they extend an otherwise completed traffic stop to allow time for a trained dog to sniff for drugs, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled.
The justices, voting 6-3, said that officers must let the driver leave unless they have specific reasons to suspect the car is carrying contraband.
Police authority “ends when tasks tied to the traffic infraction are -- or reasonably should have been -- completed,” Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote for the majority.
The ruling is a victory for Dennys Rodriguez, who was facing a five-year prison sentence for carrying a bag of methamphetamine in his car in 2012.
Rodriguez was stopped on a Nebraska highway for driving out of his lane and made to wait an additional seven or eight minutes for a drug-sniffing dog after he had received a warning ticket for the traffic violation.
The high court said a decade ago that police can conduct a dog sniff during a traffic stop without running afoul of the constitutional ban on unreasonable searches and seizures. The latest case tested whether officers could continue detaining a car while waiting for a trained dog to arrive.
Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Anthony Kennedy dissented. Writing for the group, Thomas said Ginsburg’s reasoning would link the constitutionality of a drug sniff to the officer’s efficiency in completing the traffic stop.
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The justices, voting 6-3, said that officers must let the driver leave unless they have specific reasons to suspect the car is carrying contraband.
Police authority “ends when tasks tied to the traffic infraction are -- or reasonably should have been -- completed,” Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote for the majority.
The ruling is a victory for Dennys Rodriguez, who was facing a five-year prison sentence for carrying a bag of methamphetamine in his car in 2012.
Rodriguez was stopped on a Nebraska highway for driving out of his lane and made to wait an additional seven or eight minutes for a drug-sniffing dog after he had received a warning ticket for the traffic violation.
The high court said a decade ago that police can conduct a dog sniff during a traffic stop without running afoul of the constitutional ban on unreasonable searches and seizures. The latest case tested whether officers could continue detaining a car while waiting for a trained dog to arrive.
Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Anthony Kennedy dissented. Writing for the group, Thomas said Ginsburg’s reasoning would link the constitutionality of a drug sniff to the officer’s efficiency in completing the traffic stop.
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Rapper Waka Flocka Flame Is Running For President
“I’m very pleased to announce today, on 4/20, the best day of the year, I will be running for President,” the Atlanta native said.
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Troopers Will Conduct Multi-Agency Training
The Delaware State Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit will be training with multiple agencies from April 22, 2015 to April 24 2015 during the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Old Dover High School located at 1 Patrick Lynn Drive, Dover, DE.
Troopers will be spearheading a Joint First Responder High Energy Entry Training with the Wilmington Police Department, New Castle County Police Department, New Jersey State Police, Maryland State Police, and Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms. The School District was very instrumental allowing all of these agencies to get vital training for first responders.
The real life training allows law enforcement members an invaluable opportunity to obtain real data from actual training scenarios prior to the demolition of the Old Dover High School set for May 2, 2015. Area residents should note the training will take place inside the building and there will be NO live ammunition used.
Troopers will be spearheading a Joint First Responder High Energy Entry Training with the Wilmington Police Department, New Castle County Police Department, New Jersey State Police, Maryland State Police, and Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms. The School District was very instrumental allowing all of these agencies to get vital training for first responders.
The real life training allows law enforcement members an invaluable opportunity to obtain real data from actual training scenarios prior to the demolition of the Old Dover High School set for May 2, 2015. Area residents should note the training will take place inside the building and there will be NO live ammunition used.
VA Sends Veterans’ Medical Info To FBI To Get Their Guns Taken Away
The Department of Veterans Affairs is disarming America’s veterans
Documents obtained by The Daily Caller and interviews with American veterans reveal a shocking government program: The Department of Veterans Affairs is disarming America’s veterans by getting them placed on the FBI’s criminal background-check list.
The VA sends veterans’ personal medical and financial information directly to the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, which can seize their guns in home raids.
Veterans deemed mentally incompetent or financially incapable are finally speaking out about the errors in the system and the fearful harassment they and their families face from the federal government. And it all starts when vets go to the VA to get medical help.
Here’s what we know:
VA medical information is used to block veterans from possessing firearms:
The Daily Caller obtained a “MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION REGARDING THE NATIONAL INSTANT CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK SYSTEM.”
The document, dated Feb. 27, 2012, makes clear the VA must send health information to the FBI for its gun background-check database.
Full article here
Documents obtained by The Daily Caller and interviews with American veterans reveal a shocking government program: The Department of Veterans Affairs is disarming America’s veterans by getting them placed on the FBI’s criminal background-check list.
The VA sends veterans’ personal medical and financial information directly to the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, which can seize their guns in home raids.
Veterans deemed mentally incompetent or financially incapable are finally speaking out about the errors in the system and the fearful harassment they and their families face from the federal government. And it all starts when vets go to the VA to get medical help.
Here’s what we know:
VA medical information is used to block veterans from possessing firearms:
The Daily Caller obtained a “MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION REGARDING THE NATIONAL INSTANT CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK SYSTEM.”
The document, dated Feb. 27, 2012, makes clear the VA must send health information to the FBI for its gun background-check database.
Full article here
Release Prisoners Or No Nuke Deal
The Obama administration is facing mounting pressure to use its leverage in the Iranian nuclear talks to demand the release of Americans imprisoned there -- as Tehran proceeds with charges critics say are unfair and unjust.
The latest case involves Washington Post Tehran bureau chief Jason Rezaian, whom the newspaper revealed Monday is being charged by Iran with espionage and other alleged crimes.
He had been arrested, along with his wife, in 2014. His wife was later released, but he has been detained at the notorious Evin Prison. The charges reported on Monday marked the first time they have been publicly described -- and the information only came from his lawyers, not from the court itself. A State Department official, asked Monday about the report, could not confirm the charges but said, if true, they are "patently absurd."
"He should immediately be freed so he can return to his family. The charges should immediately be dismissed," spokeswoman Marie Harf said.
The development comes after new details surfaced about the prison conditions endured by a former U.S. Marine held in Iran. It was the case of that ex-Marine -- Amir Hekmati, who was arrested in August 2011 on allegations of spying for the CIA while visiting his grandmother and other relatives in Iran -- that prompted the latest high-profile plea to the administration.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars on Friday called for Hekmati's release to be a part of the nuclear talks.
More
The latest case involves Washington Post Tehran bureau chief Jason Rezaian, whom the newspaper revealed Monday is being charged by Iran with espionage and other alleged crimes.
He had been arrested, along with his wife, in 2014. His wife was later released, but he has been detained at the notorious Evin Prison. The charges reported on Monday marked the first time they have been publicly described -- and the information only came from his lawyers, not from the court itself. A State Department official, asked Monday about the report, could not confirm the charges but said, if true, they are "patently absurd."
"He should immediately be freed so he can return to his family. The charges should immediately be dismissed," spokeswoman Marie Harf said.
The development comes after new details surfaced about the prison conditions endured by a former U.S. Marine held in Iran. It was the case of that ex-Marine -- Amir Hekmati, who was arrested in August 2011 on allegations of spying for the CIA while visiting his grandmother and other relatives in Iran -- that prompted the latest high-profile plea to the administration.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars on Friday called for Hekmati's release to be a part of the nuclear talks.
More
Obama Sneaking in ‘Unrestricted Immigration’ in TPA Trade Deal
Monday on Newmax TV’s “America’s Forum,” political commentator Dick Morris said the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPA) fast track being supported by many Republicans has a provision that allows for the “free flow of workers” between countries, essentially creating a backdoor to “unrestricted immigration.”
Morris said, “This is huge. I hope everybody listening takes action call your senator about it. If he is a Republican he is voting wrong. “I don't think that people understand that in this deal which is a trade agreement among Australia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, Canada, the United States, Mexico, Peru, and Chile, there’s a provision for free flow of workers, just like in the European Union.
What It means is unrestricted immigration. It means literally that congress would not have the authority to restrict immigration because a treaty supersedes a statute under our constitution.”
(Source)
Morris said, “This is huge. I hope everybody listening takes action call your senator about it. If he is a Republican he is voting wrong. “I don't think that people understand that in this deal which is a trade agreement among Australia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, Canada, the United States, Mexico, Peru, and Chile, there’s a provision for free flow of workers, just like in the European Union.
What It means is unrestricted immigration. It means literally that congress would not have the authority to restrict immigration because a treaty supersedes a statute under our constitution.”
(Source)
Woman Raised By Gay Father Is Against Same-Sex Marriage
The Canadian is not the first to express this point of view in recent weeks.
A Canadian woman who was raised by a gay father who had multiple partners is speaking against same-sex marriage.
In a commentary piece for The Daily Signal last week, Dawn Stefanowicz, based out of London, Ontario, said it took her “decades” to formulate her views on same-sex marriage – up until her 30s.
She said her dad, an executive recruiter, gave her a “strong business ethic.” Still, he had multiple partners and died of AIDS in 1991. None of his partners, she writes, are alive today.
I was exposed to a lot of expressed sexuality in the home and subcultures. I experienced uncountable losses. Gender was supposed to be boundless; yet, I did not see my father and his partners valuing, loving and affirming women.
My father’s preference for one gender (male) created an inner sense of inequality for me.
More
A Canadian woman who was raised by a gay father who had multiple partners is speaking against same-sex marriage.
In a commentary piece for The Daily Signal last week, Dawn Stefanowicz, based out of London, Ontario, said it took her “decades” to formulate her views on same-sex marriage – up until her 30s.
She said her dad, an executive recruiter, gave her a “strong business ethic.” Still, he had multiple partners and died of AIDS in 1991. None of his partners, she writes, are alive today.
I was exposed to a lot of expressed sexuality in the home and subcultures. I experienced uncountable losses. Gender was supposed to be boundless; yet, I did not see my father and his partners valuing, loving and affirming women.
My father’s preference for one gender (male) created an inner sense of inequality for me.
More
A Foolish Bet On The Old Clinton Magic
If you want to know why Democrats should be worried after Hillary Clinton’s first week on the campaign trail, ask yourself this question: Can you imagine Marco Rubio, Scott Walker or Jeb Bush walking into a Chipotle wearing big, dark sunglasses, trying not to be recognized?
Can you imagine Barack Obama doing it?
Maybe Clinton’s future’s so bright she has to wear shades, but the grainy security camera pictures of the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination hiding from voters presents a troubling contrast with the growing Republican field.
Clinton planned to launch her presidential campaign with an intimate “listening tour” where she could meet and interact with everyday Americans. But when she had the chance to meet and interact with some actual everyday Americans eating their burritos, she avoided them. Then her campaign staged a visit to an Iowa coffee shop, recruiting “fake” everyday Americans for her to meet and talk with.
Who stages a visit to a coffee shop?
More
Can you imagine Barack Obama doing it?
Maybe Clinton’s future’s so bright she has to wear shades, but the grainy security camera pictures of the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination hiding from voters presents a troubling contrast with the growing Republican field.
Clinton planned to launch her presidential campaign with an intimate “listening tour” where she could meet and interact with everyday Americans. But when she had the chance to meet and interact with some actual everyday Americans eating their burritos, she avoided them. Then her campaign staged a visit to an Iowa coffee shop, recruiting “fake” everyday Americans for her to meet and talk with.
Who stages a visit to a coffee shop?
More
Here’s Something Every Conservative Activist Can Do (Which They Mostly Don’t And So Liberals Win By Default)
Run for precinct committeeman (below). Take over the party apparatus of their choice and get to know how to build winning coalitions. Liberals do this in both parties, which is why they rule despite being outnumbered by conservatives 2 to 1. And yes, you can publish this under your own name for all I care! Funny how all the “big names” in the conservative media never want to tell anyone how to become really effectivein politics (and there by lose their clout to deliver for the political Insiders!) Grant Noble
The Most Powerful Office in the World is Not the Presidency of the United States!!
“I was a Precinct Committeeman for 16 years and I eagerly encourage others to do likewise.” Phyllis Schlafly, President, Eagle Forum
“I hope this (essay) gets wide distribution.” Hon. U.S. Rep. Phillip M. Crane
I admit it. The title of this essay is a little misleading. Barack Obama is the most powerful man in the world, so technically, the U.S. Presidency is the “Most Powerful Office in the World.” But what if I told you there is another public office that (ultimately) chooses who will be President plus virtually every other elected official in the U. S.? If that were true, wouldn’t that office (ultimately) be the “Most Powerful Office in the World”?
Conservatives take pride in their knowledge of the Constitution and the outward forms of American Government. Many can quote the Found Fathers “The least governed are the best governed” (Jefferson), “Government is like fire, a useful servant but a deadly master” (George Washington), etc. We work hard electing a few tokens (like Reagan). But the bottom line is, we know next to nothing about the real system of American government, which isn’t the fairy tale we’re taught in school.
That’s why, years after the “Reagan Revolution”, taxes (and tax funded abortions) are up, the real Federal debt (with Social Security and other Federal pension liabilities) continues to skyrocket, government regulations and mandates multiply like rabbits. Public schools, the Second Amendment, “Gay Rights”—it’s hard to find one public policy issue that isn’t worse from a conservative perspective!
If you are tired of seeing things continue to go down the drain, you must understand how liberals dominate our government. You must understand the seven laws of American government:
1. If you want to change things, change the laws.
Remember all the nonsense we learned in school about “Coequal Branches of Government”? Actually the Found Fathers made Congress far and away the most powerful branch because it was “closest to the people.” The President can’t spend a dime unless Congress authorizes it. Congress can reject treaties and Presidential appointments, mandate programs the President doesn’t want (by overriding vetoes) and even determine if the Supreme Court can rule on a case (Article III, section 2, “…the Supreme Court shall have original jurisdiction…with such exceptions and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make.”)! Because our state constitutions are modeled after the Federal Constitution, it’s the same story at the local level. Governors and State Supreme Court Justices have some influence, but ultimate power lies in the same legislature that passes the laws and determines what happen in our society. Unfortunately, most legislatures are dominated by liberals
More
The Most Powerful Office in the World is Not the Presidency of the United States!!
“I was a Precinct Committeeman for 16 years and I eagerly encourage others to do likewise.” Phyllis Schlafly, President, Eagle Forum
“I hope this (essay) gets wide distribution.” Hon. U.S. Rep. Phillip M. Crane
I admit it. The title of this essay is a little misleading. Barack Obama is the most powerful man in the world, so technically, the U.S. Presidency is the “Most Powerful Office in the World.” But what if I told you there is another public office that (ultimately) chooses who will be President plus virtually every other elected official in the U. S.? If that were true, wouldn’t that office (ultimately) be the “Most Powerful Office in the World”?
Conservatives take pride in their knowledge of the Constitution and the outward forms of American Government. Many can quote the Found Fathers “The least governed are the best governed” (Jefferson), “Government is like fire, a useful servant but a deadly master” (George Washington), etc. We work hard electing a few tokens (like Reagan). But the bottom line is, we know next to nothing about the real system of American government, which isn’t the fairy tale we’re taught in school.
That’s why, years after the “Reagan Revolution”, taxes (and tax funded abortions) are up, the real Federal debt (with Social Security and other Federal pension liabilities) continues to skyrocket, government regulations and mandates multiply like rabbits. Public schools, the Second Amendment, “Gay Rights”—it’s hard to find one public policy issue that isn’t worse from a conservative perspective!
If you are tired of seeing things continue to go down the drain, you must understand how liberals dominate our government. You must understand the seven laws of American government:
1. If you want to change things, change the laws.
Remember all the nonsense we learned in school about “Coequal Branches of Government”? Actually the Found Fathers made Congress far and away the most powerful branch because it was “closest to the people.” The President can’t spend a dime unless Congress authorizes it. Congress can reject treaties and Presidential appointments, mandate programs the President doesn’t want (by overriding vetoes) and even determine if the Supreme Court can rule on a case (Article III, section 2, “…the Supreme Court shall have original jurisdiction…with such exceptions and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make.”)! Because our state constitutions are modeled after the Federal Constitution, it’s the same story at the local level. Governors and State Supreme Court Justices have some influence, but ultimate power lies in the same legislature that passes the laws and determines what happen in our society. Unfortunately, most legislatures are dominated by liberals
More
The New Liberal 'Gotcha' Question for 2016
It’s the new gotcha question of the 2016 campaign: Would you attend the “gay wedding” of a friend or family member?
Republicans would rather talk about the economy or foreign policy, but wherever they go, many of the GOP presidential contenders find themselves asked whether they would go to such a ceremony. And Paul Kengor, a historian and author, says Republicans are setting themselves up for failure by falling for such a trap.
In an exclusive interview with WND, Kengor advised Republicans “to firmly respond that things like this have nothing whatsoever to do with being president, with cutting taxes and the deficit, with restoring economic growth, and with fighting ISIS. They have everything to do with liberal ‘journalists’ trying to corner and take down Republicans. I would tell the Republican to look the ‘journalist’ in the eye and say, ‘What you’re doing here is totally transparent. Your political bias is glowingly apparent. Stop it.’”
Kengor, author of the upcoming “Takedown: From Communists to Progressives, How the Left Has Sabotaged Family and Marriage,” acidly remarked, “Well, congratulations to the liberal media! They’ve got their new liberal-gotcha question for 2016.”
He added, “My favorite liberal-gotcha question always directed at Republicans is this one: Do Jews go to heaven? I warn Republicans to be ready for that one, too.”
More
Republicans would rather talk about the economy or foreign policy, but wherever they go, many of the GOP presidential contenders find themselves asked whether they would go to such a ceremony. And Paul Kengor, a historian and author, says Republicans are setting themselves up for failure by falling for such a trap.
In an exclusive interview with WND, Kengor advised Republicans “to firmly respond that things like this have nothing whatsoever to do with being president, with cutting taxes and the deficit, with restoring economic growth, and with fighting ISIS. They have everything to do with liberal ‘journalists’ trying to corner and take down Republicans. I would tell the Republican to look the ‘journalist’ in the eye and say, ‘What you’re doing here is totally transparent. Your political bias is glowingly apparent. Stop it.’”
Kengor, author of the upcoming “Takedown: From Communists to Progressives, How the Left Has Sabotaged Family and Marriage,” acidly remarked, “Well, congratulations to the liberal media! They’ve got their new liberal-gotcha question for 2016.”
He added, “My favorite liberal-gotcha question always directed at Republicans is this one: Do Jews go to heaven? I warn Republicans to be ready for that one, too.”
More
“College and Career Readiness” means students can pass tests but can’t balance their checkbooks
I teach 80 undergraduate students in the College of Education every Monday night. All of them are what we call “college and career ready”.
Last week I gave these “college and career ready” students an assignment: prepare a group presentation on important topics in education and present those topics to the class. Because they are recent high school graduates, their idea of important education topics and my idea of important education topics were drastically different. For example, I would have picked teacher evaluations, education reform, or theconsequences of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top on the learning environment.
When they chose topics like dress code, shaming in school, music education programs, testing, and sex ED, I didn’t protest. I sat in the back row of my giant classroom, and listened to these future educators, standing side by side, nervously presenting in an auditorium to their peers.
Each presentation was 5-10 min.
As the third group of the night set up in the front of the room, their PowerPoint came into view onto the giant screen. In giant letters read College Readiness? with this image underneath:
More
Last week I gave these “college and career ready” students an assignment: prepare a group presentation on important topics in education and present those topics to the class. Because they are recent high school graduates, their idea of important education topics and my idea of important education topics were drastically different. For example, I would have picked teacher evaluations, education reform, or theconsequences of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top on the learning environment.
When they chose topics like dress code, shaming in school, music education programs, testing, and sex ED, I didn’t protest. I sat in the back row of my giant classroom, and listened to these future educators, standing side by side, nervously presenting in an auditorium to their peers.
Each presentation was 5-10 min.
As the third group of the night set up in the front of the room, their PowerPoint came into view onto the giant screen. In giant letters read College Readiness? with this image underneath:
More
Worcester County Officials Propose 20% Increase in Real Property
This little 'brush fire' is soon to erupt into a massive inferno.
.159 cents per $100.00 of assessed value equates to a 21% real property tax rate increase. The current Worcester County tax rate is $.77 per $100 of assessed value.
Similar tax increases first happened to Talbot residents, then Wicomico residents, and now it is about to happen to Worcester residents.
It should prove to be very interesting as things start to unfold - as Worcester officials seek an infusion of $22 million dollars - right from the 'hip pockets' of Worcester County residents.
THE LITTLE CAN THAT COULD
Hitler knew this. He perceived early on that the weakest link in his plans for blitzkrieg using his panzer divisions was fuel supply. He ordered his staff to design a fuel container that would minimize gasoline losses under combat conditions. As a result the German army had thousands of jerrycans, as they came to be called, stored and ready when hostilities began in 1939.
The jerrycan had been developed under the strictest secrecy, and its unique features were many. It was flat-sided and rectangular in shape, consisting of two halves welded together as in a typical automobile gasoline tank. It had three handles, enabling one man to carry two cans and pass one to another man in bucket-brigade fashion. Its capacity was approximately five U.S. gallons; its weight filled, forty-five pounds. Thanks to an air chamber at the top, it would float on water if dropped overboard or from a plane. Its short spout was secured with a snap closure that could be propped open for pouring, making unnecessary any funnel or opener. A gasket made the mouth leakproof. An air-breathing tube from the spout to the air space kept the pouring smooth. And most important, the can’s inside was lined with an impervious plastic material developed for the insides of steel beer barrels. This enabled the jerrycan to be used alternately for gasoline and water.
Early in the summer of 1939, this secret weapon began a roundabout odyssey into American hands. An American engineer named Paul Pleiss, finishing up a manufacturing job in Berlin, persuaded a German colleague to join him on a vacation trip overland to India. The two bought an automobile chassis and built a body for it. As they prepared to leave on their journey, they realized that they had no provision for emergency water. The German engineer knew of and had access to thousands of jerrycans stored at Tempelhof Airport. He simply took three and mounted them on the underside of the car.
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Hillary Clinton's vans get ready for second campaign trip as she spends time with Bill
Meanwhile, her two 'Scooby' campaign vans got some TLC of their own at a local body shop, where they were also hand washed.
The aspiring leader of the free world and her husband were spotted wearing blue ball caps - Hillary's bearing the Clinton Foundation logo- and matching dark blue shirts as they soaked in the sun and walked hand-in-hand through a nearby park.
Mrs Clinton will hit the campaign trail again today in New Hampshire, where she'll hold a round table at a family-owned business this afternoon.
She'll participate in another tomorrow morning at a community college during her two-day swing through the Granite State.
More
IMPAIRED DRIVING ENFORCEMENT REMAINS A PRIORITY FOR TROOPERS
(PIKESVILLE, MD) – This past weekend was a clear reminder for Maryland state troopers that impaired drivers continue to be a threat on our roads, as troopers arrested more than six dozen drivers and dealt with more than one dozen crashes involving impaired drivers, including three in which State Police and State Highway Administration vehicles were struck by drivers believed to be impaired.
From Friday, April 17, through Sunday, April 19, Maryland state troopers arrested 77 suspected impaired drivers across the state. This was during regular patrol duties and not part of a statewide increased enforcement effort.
At about 11:15 p.m. yesterday, a State Highway Administration CHART truck was stopped on the inner loop of I-695 at I-83 to assist a disabled vehicle and had all of its emergency lights activated. A driver drifted off the roadway and struck the rear of the CHART truck, driving it into the disabled vehicle and causing a fire. The SHA worker was struck by the vehicle he had been assisting, but he refused any medical treatment at the scene. The driver of the striking vehicle was taken to an area hospital for treatment of injuries. Alcohol is believed to be a factor and charges are pending.
Shortly after midnight on Saturday morning, members of the State Police Impaired Driving Effort, or SPIDRE Team, were working DUI enforcement in Montgomery County. A member of the team had an impaired driver stopped on Piney Branch Road, south of University Blvd., and was making an arrest. The team’s sergeant, who had stopped to assist, was parked not far away, when his vehicle was struck in the rear by an impaired driver. The sergeant and the impaired driver who struck him did not report injuries.
Other incidents involving impaired drivers across the state include the following:
From Friday, April 17, through Sunday, April 19, Maryland state troopers arrested 77 suspected impaired drivers across the state. This was during regular patrol duties and not part of a statewide increased enforcement effort.
At about 11:15 p.m. yesterday, a State Highway Administration CHART truck was stopped on the inner loop of I-695 at I-83 to assist a disabled vehicle and had all of its emergency lights activated. A driver drifted off the roadway and struck the rear of the CHART truck, driving it into the disabled vehicle and causing a fire. The SHA worker was struck by the vehicle he had been assisting, but he refused any medical treatment at the scene. The driver of the striking vehicle was taken to an area hospital for treatment of injuries. Alcohol is believed to be a factor and charges are pending.
Shortly after midnight on Saturday morning, members of the State Police Impaired Driving Effort, or SPIDRE Team, were working DUI enforcement in Montgomery County. A member of the team had an impaired driver stopped on Piney Branch Road, south of University Blvd., and was making an arrest. The team’s sergeant, who had stopped to assist, was parked not far away, when his vehicle was struck in the rear by an impaired driver. The sergeant and the impaired driver who struck him did not report injuries.
Other incidents involving impaired drivers across the state include the following:
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