DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Monday, July 27, 2015
What A Weekend For The Big Fish Classic With Heavy Catches Dominating Event
Produced by Huk Performance Fishing and hosted by M.R. Ducks and the Angler, the Big Fish Classic is a unique tournament that features boats and teams of anglers fishing in two different 32-hour windows with the goal of bringing the heaviest single fish to the scale during the two-day event. While there were billfish and dolphin weighed, and even a swordfish that held the top spot after the first day, it was the big-eye tuna that stole the show in the end.
In the end, it was the crew on the “Pumpin Hard” that took the tournament’s top prize, finishing first in several categories to collect a total of $95,550 in winnings. The “Pumpin Hard” weighed a 276.5-pound big-eye on day two to take the tournament’s top guaranteed prize of $15,000. Finishing in second in that category was the “Rum Runner,” with a 201.5-pound big-eye worth $3,500. The “Rebel” finished third with a 201.5-pound big-eye worth $1,500.
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Prelutsky: On Being Jewish and Conservative
It’s not as bad being a Jewish conservative as, I would assume, it is to be a black one. Mainly that’s because there are about 30% of Jews who will vote for a Republican, but a mere 5% of blacks who will dare risk antagonizing their friends and relatives.
Also, when a Jew votes for a Republican, other Jews will generally dismiss him as a harmless fool, but they usually won’t refer to him as inauthentic or call him whatever the Jewish equivalent of an Uncle Tom might be.
The thing that tends to confuse Gentiles is that, whereas blacks are thought to possess physical prowess and a sense of rhythm, Jews are stereotyped as being smart or at least, so far as anti-Semites are concerned, sharp and financially cunning.
Having been Jewish for 75 years, my take on it is that although Jews have a patriarchal God, most Jews are not particularly religious. Those who are orthodox in their observance of Judaism are generally the most conservative in their politics.
The homes in which most of us are raised tend to be governed by women. I assume that is why, when it comes to political matters, Jewish men are so often guided by their feelings, rather than by their brains. On the plus side, it helps explain why Jews are so charitable and so concerned with civil rights. On the other hand, it’s the reason that Jewish men find liberalism, which promises to coddle the individual from the cradle to the grave, so alluring.
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Also, when a Jew votes for a Republican, other Jews will generally dismiss him as a harmless fool, but they usually won’t refer to him as inauthentic or call him whatever the Jewish equivalent of an Uncle Tom might be.
The thing that tends to confuse Gentiles is that, whereas blacks are thought to possess physical prowess and a sense of rhythm, Jews are stereotyped as being smart or at least, so far as anti-Semites are concerned, sharp and financially cunning.
Having been Jewish for 75 years, my take on it is that although Jews have a patriarchal God, most Jews are not particularly religious. Those who are orthodox in their observance of Judaism are generally the most conservative in their politics.
The homes in which most of us are raised tend to be governed by women. I assume that is why, when it comes to political matters, Jewish men are so often guided by their feelings, rather than by their brains. On the plus side, it helps explain why Jews are so charitable and so concerned with civil rights. On the other hand, it’s the reason that Jewish men find liberalism, which promises to coddle the individual from the cradle to the grave, so alluring.
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Speed Enforcement Initiative
Black Lives Matter Protesters Block Cops Aiding 14-Year-Old, Get Pepper-Sprayed
The incident occurred just after 5 p.m. Sunday as the conference was ending in downtown Cleveland, Cleveland’s ABC affiliate News Net 5 reports. Police officers held a 14-year-old boy named Jonathan Walsh in custody after receiving reports the minor was heavily intoxicated on a public bus.
The crowd was exiting the conference when they saw the police detaining the young boy. The crowd began chanting and approached the squad car holding the boy, according to News Net 5.
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An Excuse For Crushing Kratom
The FDA’s ban on a painkiller prior to proper testing is unscientific
Last year, Americans spent an estimated $374 billion on prescription drugs, up 13 percent from the year before. These drugs include OxyContin, Vicodin, Percocet and others that the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for sale without regard to their potential for abuse.
Meanwhile, the “potential for abuse” was used for many years to block even a discussion of the possible medical benefits of cannabis. And now federal officials are using it again to attack another potential natural remedy, kratom.
Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa), which derives from a tree that grows in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, has been found to reduce pain, lessen dependence on opiates (like OxyContin), and work as a mild stimulant.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration considers kratom a “drug of concern.” The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) calls it “dangerous.”
Last year, U.S. marshals, at the request of the FDA, seized more than 25,000 pounds of raw kratom in Van Nuys, Calif. The action, explained Melinda Plaisier, FDA associate commissioner for regulatory affairs, “was taken to safeguard the public from this dangerous product.” Ms. Plaisier called kratom “a botanical substance that poses a risk to public health and has the potential for abuse.”
More here
Last year, Americans spent an estimated $374 billion on prescription drugs, up 13 percent from the year before. These drugs include OxyContin, Vicodin, Percocet and others that the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for sale without regard to their potential for abuse.
Meanwhile, the “potential for abuse” was used for many years to block even a discussion of the possible medical benefits of cannabis. And now federal officials are using it again to attack another potential natural remedy, kratom.
Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa), which derives from a tree that grows in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, has been found to reduce pain, lessen dependence on opiates (like OxyContin), and work as a mild stimulant.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration considers kratom a “drug of concern.” The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) calls it “dangerous.”
Last year, U.S. marshals, at the request of the FDA, seized more than 25,000 pounds of raw kratom in Van Nuys, Calif. The action, explained Melinda Plaisier, FDA associate commissioner for regulatory affairs, “was taken to safeguard the public from this dangerous product.” Ms. Plaisier called kratom “a botanical substance that poses a risk to public health and has the potential for abuse.”
More here
Downtown Baltimore hotel occupancy is way down this summer
Hotels in downtown’s central business district posted an average occupancy rate of 73.3 percent in June, down from 82.5 percent in the year-ago month, according to data from travel research firm STR Inc. The occupancy rate in May dropped 17.1 percent to 64.7 percent.
RevPar — the revenue per available room and a key industry metric — dropped 8.2 percent in June to $129.16, down from $140.63 a year ago. RevPar in May slipped 18 percent to $113.28.
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Jackie Mason: NYC Restaurants Subject to Tougher Inspections Than Iran
Jewish funnyman quips that "we’re more protected from bad tuna fish than a nuclear bomb."
Legendary Jewish comic Jackie Mason joined the list of critics of the nuclear deal signed between world powers and Iran Sunday, jesting that New York restaurants face a harsher inspections regime than Iran's nuclear facilities will under the terms of the agreement.
Speaking during an interview to air Sunday night on "Aaron Klein Investigative Radio" on New York's AM 970 The Answer and Philadelphia's NewsTalk 990 AM, Mason, an outspoken advocate of Israel, quipped that US Secretary of State John Kerry should pay the American people back for the cost of his airfare to and from the Iran talks.
"This secretary of state, Kerry, negotiated with them for a year-and-a-half and accomplished nothing. He ought to give us back for all the trips he made. He cost us millions of dollars in airplane fares and he came back with nothing except a bad foot."
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Legendary Jewish comic Jackie Mason joined the list of critics of the nuclear deal signed between world powers and Iran Sunday, jesting that New York restaurants face a harsher inspections regime than Iran's nuclear facilities will under the terms of the agreement.
Speaking during an interview to air Sunday night on "Aaron Klein Investigative Radio" on New York's AM 970 The Answer and Philadelphia's NewsTalk 990 AM, Mason, an outspoken advocate of Israel, quipped that US Secretary of State John Kerry should pay the American people back for the cost of his airfare to and from the Iran talks.
"This secretary of state, Kerry, negotiated with them for a year-and-a-half and accomplished nothing. He ought to give us back for all the trips he made. He cost us millions of dollars in airplane fares and he came back with nothing except a bad foot."
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Queen Anne's County Office of the Sheriff Press Release 7-27-15
DATE / TIME: 07/27/2015 @ 0430 Hours
LOCATION: 208 Island Plaza Court, Stevensville, MD
DETAILS: Queen Anne’s Deputies responded to an alarm at Island Plaza Court in Stevensville, MD. First units arrived within minutes and discovered the front glass shattered with signs of obvious entry into the Chesapeake Gun Shop.
Video footage confirmed that a suspect was able to make entry into the store where eight guns valued at $7800 were taken from a display counter, placed into a bag and handed out to an unknown accomplice.
All of the stolen firearms were handguns including Sig-Sauer 9mm, a Colt Government .45, four Smith & Wesson revolvers ranging from .38 Special to a .44 magnum, and two Ruger .357 revolvers.
Persons with information about this crime are urged to contact Detective Steve Matthews of the Sheriff’s Criminal Investigation Unit at (410) 758-0770 extension 1921. Tips can also be emailed to sheriff-info@qac.org or private messaged to the Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.
DEPUTY: Dfc. Andrew Neall / Det. Steve Matthews
Sheriff Gary Hofmann
Click 'READ MORE' below to see photos of the suspect
First in state medical marijuana clinic open in Annapolis
Greenway Consultation, located in the Conte Lubrano Office Building, has three consultants and three physicians, who are not yet registered to recommend the drug through the Maryland Medical Cannibis Commission. The commission develops and oversees all licensing, registration, inspection and testing.
The clinic's spokesman Nick Petrucci said opening in advance of the program has advantages, such as beginning to build the patient-doctor relationship to expedite a recommendation for marijuana when the program begins.
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Judge orders Obama administration to release illegal immigrants from 'deplorable' facilities
A federal judge in California has ruled that hundreds of illegal immigrant women and children in U.S. holding facilities should be released, another apparent setback for President Obama’s immigration policy, according to The Los Angeles Times.
U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee said Friday that the conditions in which the detainees are being held are “deplorable” and violate parts of an 18-year-old court settlement that put restrictions on the detention of migrant children.
The ruling also raises questions about what the administration will do with the estimated 1,700 parents and children at three detention facilities, two in Texas and one in Pennsylvania.
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U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee said Friday that the conditions in which the detainees are being held are “deplorable” and violate parts of an 18-year-old court settlement that put restrictions on the detention of migrant children.
The ruling also raises questions about what the administration will do with the estimated 1,700 parents and children at three detention facilities, two in Texas and one in Pennsylvania.
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Bush Calls on GOP to Embrace Latinos, African-Americans
Calling on his party to embrace diversity, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush declared Thursday that Republicans will never win the presidency if they don't campaign in "every nook and cranny" of the country — especially in Hispanic and African-American communities.
"I'm running to draw people toward our cause rather than push them away," Bush said during a town hall-style meeting in New Hampshire. "Our message has to be uplifting, positive, hopeful, rather than negative (and) divisive."
Speaking to a predominantly white audience in northern New Hampshire, Bush said Republicans must campaign in Latino communities. He delivered a brief line in Spanish, as he often does while campaigning. The party's outreach must also extend to black voters, he said.
"I want to be the candidate who goes into the African-American community and says, 'Join our team because our values are the ones that you share,'" he said.
More here
"I'm running to draw people toward our cause rather than push them away," Bush said during a town hall-style meeting in New Hampshire. "Our message has to be uplifting, positive, hopeful, rather than negative (and) divisive."
Speaking to a predominantly white audience in northern New Hampshire, Bush said Republicans must campaign in Latino communities. He delivered a brief line in Spanish, as he often does while campaigning. The party's outreach must also extend to black voters, he said.
"I want to be the candidate who goes into the African-American community and says, 'Join our team because our values are the ones that you share,'" he said.
More here
OC: Street Performers Hold Mild Protest At City Hall
Street Performers Hold Mild Protest At City Hall On First Day Of New Law "Expression Not Suppression" and "Free Speech...
Posted by The Dispatch on Monday, July 27, 2015
Analyst: Sexual abuse by teachers isn’t examined enough
While there seems to be a spike in these occurrences, there’s no data to confirm that.
“My sense is that we see more reporting,” says Carol Shakeshaft, an educational leadership professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. “As people have become more aware of it and it’s in the papers more, people are willing to step up and report.”
In a 2004 report for the U.S. Department of Education, Shakeshaft wrote that teachers who abuse students are often highly regarded and professionally accomplished. That’s still true, she says: “People don’t question what you’re doing or why you’re meeting alone with kids, because they might think you’re a really good teacher, you’re probably just helping that child.”
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Elder: Under Obama, Blacks Are Worse Off — Far Worse
Ninety-five percent of black voters in 2008 voted for then-Sen. Barack Obama. Surely a “progressive” black president would care about, empathize with and understand black America in a way no other president ever has or could, right? Exit polls from Pew Research show that 63 percent of all voters – and 65 percent of Obama voters – cited the economy as the number one reason they voted for him. Iraq was a distant second at 10 percent. Even for black Obama voters, “It’s the economy, stupid.”
After six years, the report card is in. The grades are not pretty. By every key economic measurement, blacks are worse off under Obama. In some cases, far worse off.
What about poverty? In 2009, when Obama took office, the black poverty rate was 25.8 percent. As of 2014, according to Pew Research Center, the black poverty rate was 27.2 percent.
What about income? CNNMoney says, “Minority households' median income fell 9 percent between 2010 and 2013, compared to a drop of only 1 percent for whites.”
What about net worth and the black-white “wealth gap”? The Financial Times said: “The median non-white family today has a net worth of just $18,100 – almost a fifth lower than it was when Mr. Obama took office.
What about unemployment?
After six years, the report card is in. The grades are not pretty. By every key economic measurement, blacks are worse off under Obama. In some cases, far worse off.
What about poverty? In 2009, when Obama took office, the black poverty rate was 25.8 percent. As of 2014, according to Pew Research Center, the black poverty rate was 27.2 percent.
What about income? CNNMoney says, “Minority households' median income fell 9 percent between 2010 and 2013, compared to a drop of only 1 percent for whites.”
What about net worth and the black-white “wealth gap”? The Financial Times said: “The median non-white family today has a net worth of just $18,100 – almost a fifth lower than it was when Mr. Obama took office.
What about unemployment?
Three Sea Turtles Released Today In Ocean City
Ocean City Police Department
Earlier today, Animal Control Officer Wisniewski assisted the National Aquarium in the release of three sea turtles into the ocean at 40th Street. These turtles had been in rehabilitation at the aquarium since November of 2014 after suffering from a "cold stun" along Cape Cod. Now they are healthy and loving life in the ocean again!
Troopers Investigate Fatal Motor Vehicle Crash
Georgetown, DE – The Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit is investigating a single vehicle crash that killed one person.
The preliminary investigation has determined the incident occurred around 11:32 a.m. this morning, Monday, July, 27 2015, as Troy J. Bradford, 32 of Millsboro, was operating a 2000 Dodge Neon northbound on Savannah Road (CR 246), .2 miles south of Rudd Road (CR 245) north of Georgetown. Bradford was traveling at an unsafe rate of speed for the existing wet and curvy roadway conditions. While negotiating a sharp left curve, the rear of his vehicle began to rotate counterclockwise. Bradford overcorrected right, which then caused his vehicle to rotate in the opposite direction off of the roadway into a densely wooded area. The driver’s side door subsequently struck a large standing tree which penetrated substantially into the driver’s seating area. Bradford was properly restrained however, sustained massive trauma and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The Collision Reconstruction Unit is continuing their investigation into the incident. Savannah Road was closed for approximately 2.5 hours as the crash was investigated and cleared.
Note: Tomorrow on July 28, 2015 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. The Collision Reconstruction Unit will be conducting Forensic Mapping and the roadway will have limited access as one lane will be closed for that hour.
The preliminary investigation has determined the incident occurred around 11:32 a.m. this morning, Monday, July, 27 2015, as Troy J. Bradford, 32 of Millsboro, was operating a 2000 Dodge Neon northbound on Savannah Road (CR 246), .2 miles south of Rudd Road (CR 245) north of Georgetown. Bradford was traveling at an unsafe rate of speed for the existing wet and curvy roadway conditions. While negotiating a sharp left curve, the rear of his vehicle began to rotate counterclockwise. Bradford overcorrected right, which then caused his vehicle to rotate in the opposite direction off of the roadway into a densely wooded area. The driver’s side door subsequently struck a large standing tree which penetrated substantially into the driver’s seating area. Bradford was properly restrained however, sustained massive trauma and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The Collision Reconstruction Unit is continuing their investigation into the incident. Savannah Road was closed for approximately 2.5 hours as the crash was investigated and cleared.
Note: Tomorrow on July 28, 2015 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. The Collision Reconstruction Unit will be conducting Forensic Mapping and the roadway will have limited access as one lane will be closed for that hour.
Phone Scam Alert
DHS Ignored 2008 Advice on Imminent EMP Disaster
Homeland Security has taken no precautions since warning of imminent electrical threat
The Department of Homeland Security has failed to address a single recommendation from a 2008 Critical National Infrastructures report to assess the threat of electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attacks and solar storms, according to Christopher Currie, director of homeland security and justice at the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
Expert witnesses in the field of energy infrastructure testified Wednesday to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs about the imminent threats of EMP weaponry and geomagnetic disturbance (GMD) events.
“We’ve allowed government dysfunction to prevent us from doing even the most basic things to protect ourselves,” said Chairman Ron Johnson (R., Wis.), the lone representative present at the beginning of the hearing.
“I wish every member of the committee was here to hear this.”
In 1859, a coronal mass ejection (CME) from the sun, known as the Carrington Event, contacted the Earth’s magnetosphere and induced one of the largest GMD’s in recorded history. If a similar storm contacted Earth today, it would precipitate a devastating meltdown of the global electric grid, setting humanity back more than 100 years technologically.
More here
The Department of Homeland Security has failed to address a single recommendation from a 2008 Critical National Infrastructures report to assess the threat of electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attacks and solar storms, according to Christopher Currie, director of homeland security and justice at the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
Expert witnesses in the field of energy infrastructure testified Wednesday to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs about the imminent threats of EMP weaponry and geomagnetic disturbance (GMD) events.
“We’ve allowed government dysfunction to prevent us from doing even the most basic things to protect ourselves,” said Chairman Ron Johnson (R., Wis.), the lone representative present at the beginning of the hearing.
“I wish every member of the committee was here to hear this.”
In 1859, a coronal mass ejection (CME) from the sun, known as the Carrington Event, contacted the Earth’s magnetosphere and induced one of the largest GMD’s in recorded history. If a similar storm contacted Earth today, it would precipitate a devastating meltdown of the global electric grid, setting humanity back more than 100 years technologically.
More here
State health insurance markets struggle with cost challenges
WASHINGTON (AP) — State-run health insurance markets that offer coverage under President Barack Obama’s health law are struggling with high costs and disappointing enrollment. These challenges could lead more of them to turn over operations to the federal government or join forces with other states.
Hawaii’s marketplace, the latest cautionary tale, was awarded $205 million in federal startup grants. It has spent about $139 million and enrolled 8,200 customers for individual coverage in 2015. Unable to sustain itself, the state marketplace is turning over sign-ups to the federal HealthCare.gov for 2016.
Twelve states and the District of Columbia fully control their markets. Experts estimate about half face financial difficulties. Federal taxpayers invested nearly $5 billion in startup grants to the states, expecting that state markets would become self-sustaining. Most of the federal money has been spent, and states have to face the consequences.
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1,400 Without Power In Salisbury
There is a major power outage currently in Salibury. Delmarva Power is reporting over 1,400 people are without power. The estimated restoration time is 6:00 Pm tonight.
You can report an outage by clicking HERE
You can also call 1-800-898-8042
Mobile users can Download their mobile app on their smartphone or tablet. You can access outage maps, get restoration estimates, report outages or call us through a direct dial link.
Please check on your friends and neighbors if they are in this area especially the elderly.
From SPD:
Power Outage: Vine to Carroll & Eastern Shore to Snow Hill Road. Delmarva Pwr will be working on problem. Use caution @ intersections.
Ill. Gov. Signs First Anti-BDS Bill Into Law
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner became the first state leader to sign into law “historic” legislation that makes it illegal for any taxpayer-funded public pension fund to invest in any company that participates in the fiercely anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Rauner was joined at the signing ceremony by Jewish community leaders and other lawmakers who backed the bill, which was a first in any U.S. state legislature.
We need to stand up to anti-Semitism whenever and wherever we see it,” Gov. Rauner said in the statement. “This historic legislation is an important first step in the fight against boycotts of Israel and I hope other states move quickly to follow our lead.”
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Rauner was joined at the signing ceremony by Jewish community leaders and other lawmakers who backed the bill, which was a first in any U.S. state legislature.
We need to stand up to anti-Semitism whenever and wherever we see it,” Gov. Rauner said in the statement. “This historic legislation is an important first step in the fight against boycotts of Israel and I hope other states move quickly to follow our lead.”
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The Perspective Of A Child Remind Us What’s Important.
After their return from the trip, the father asked his son how he liked the trip. “It was great, Dad,” the son replied. “Did you see how poor people can be?” the father asked. “Oh Yeah,” said the son.
“So what did you learn from the trip?” asked the father. The son answered, “I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.
Army Tells Recruiters to Fear Armed Citizens Standing Guard
The Army has told its recruiters that the armed citizens showing up outside recruiting offices in the wake of the recent attack in Chattanooga, Tennessee, should be considered threats and reported to local police.
“I’m sure the citizens mean well, but we cannot assume this in every case and we do not want to advocate this behavior,” according to the Army Command Operations Center-Security Division letter obtained by Stars and Stripes. “If questioned by these alleged concerned citizens, be polite, professional and terminate the conversation immediately and report the incident to local law enforcement.”
“Ensure your recruiters clearly articulate to local police the civilian may be armed and in possession of a conceal/carry permit.”
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“I’m sure the citizens mean well, but we cannot assume this in every case and we do not want to advocate this behavior,” according to the Army Command Operations Center-Security Division letter obtained by Stars and Stripes. “If questioned by these alleged concerned citizens, be polite, professional and terminate the conversation immediately and report the incident to local law enforcement.”
“Ensure your recruiters clearly articulate to local police the civilian may be armed and in possession of a conceal/carry permit.”
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Shooting In Fruitland
There is a report of a homicide in Mardela. We will update our readers when a press release becomes available.
Obama Seeks To Let More Illegals Stay
The Obama administration is trying to take unilateral action – without Congress – and expand a 2013 rule to give even more illegal immigrants the ability to stay in America.
The Department of Homeland Security has proposed an expansion to a waiver system enacted in 2013 that allows illegals to stay in-country for up to 10 years if they prove “extreme hardship,” Breitbart reported.
In 2013, DHS explained the rule this way: “[The] process allow[s] such aliens to apply for a provisional waiver prior to departing for DOS consular processing of their immigrant visa applications. Instead of requiring them to wait abroad while USCIS adjudicates their application for a waiver of inadmissibility through the Form I–601 waiver process, the provisional waiver process established in 2013 allowed those applicants to remain in the United States with their U.S. citizen relative(s) while awaiting notification of USCIS’s decision on their provisional waiver application.”
Obama’s administration now wants to add to the list of eligible categories of illegals.
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The Department of Homeland Security has proposed an expansion to a waiver system enacted in 2013 that allows illegals to stay in-country for up to 10 years if they prove “extreme hardship,” Breitbart reported.
In 2013, DHS explained the rule this way: “[The] process allow[s] such aliens to apply for a provisional waiver prior to departing for DOS consular processing of their immigrant visa applications. Instead of requiring them to wait abroad while USCIS adjudicates their application for a waiver of inadmissibility through the Form I–601 waiver process, the provisional waiver process established in 2013 allowed those applicants to remain in the United States with their U.S. citizen relative(s) while awaiting notification of USCIS’s decision on their provisional waiver application.”
Obama’s administration now wants to add to the list of eligible categories of illegals.
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Pruden: The Mullahs Rub Some Noses In Obama’s Folly
The Iranians, having hornswoggled Barack Obama and John Kerry, are giddy with euphoria. Ordinarily the parties to an agreement would help each other sell it to the skeptical and the suspicious in their ranks, not least by keeping their traps shut. But not these guys.
Like many Muslims, the Iranians know very little of the world beyond the mosque and figure that if an agreement satisfies the mullahs, it should satisfy everyone (praise be to Allah), even the president of the nation they call “the great Satan.” Why should the president need help selling an agreement that guarantees an Islamic bomb. Rub the noses of the infidels in the grime of Islamic celebration.
Abbas Araghchi, the deputy Iranian foreign minister who led the negotiations for Mr. Obama’s deal, says Iran will continue to buy all the arms it wants, from whomever it wants, and if the rest of the world doesn’t like it the rest of the world knows what it can do about it. Which is nothing, under the prevailing leadership of the West.
The deputy minister vowed that Iran would “buy weapons from wherever possible, and that [Iran] will provide weapons to whomever and wherever it considers appropriate.” This should humiliate Mr. Obama and his men in the way it humiliates the rest of us, but Barack Obama, listening to the evening call to prayer — “the sweetest sound on earth,” he calls it — feels neither shame nor contrition. He hears music the rest of us don’t.
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Like many Muslims, the Iranians know very little of the world beyond the mosque and figure that if an agreement satisfies the mullahs, it should satisfy everyone (praise be to Allah), even the president of the nation they call “the great Satan.” Why should the president need help selling an agreement that guarantees an Islamic bomb. Rub the noses of the infidels in the grime of Islamic celebration.
Abbas Araghchi, the deputy Iranian foreign minister who led the negotiations for Mr. Obama’s deal, says Iran will continue to buy all the arms it wants, from whomever it wants, and if the rest of the world doesn’t like it the rest of the world knows what it can do about it. Which is nothing, under the prevailing leadership of the West.
The deputy minister vowed that Iran would “buy weapons from wherever possible, and that [Iran] will provide weapons to whomever and wherever it considers appropriate.” This should humiliate Mr. Obama and his men in the way it humiliates the rest of us, but Barack Obama, listening to the evening call to prayer — “the sweetest sound on earth,” he calls it — feels neither shame nor contrition. He hears music the rest of us don’t.
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We’ve published the full answer from Quora user Jon Davis, a Marine veteran who is now a writer and blogger on military, veterans, and Middle Eastern affairs. In Oct. 2014, Davis’ answer was optioned by a Hollywood producer for a potential television series.
These are the accounts of the Second American Civil War, also known as the Wars of Reunification and the American Warring States Period.
After the breakup many wondered which states would come out in control of the power void created by the dissolution of the United States. There were many with little chance against several of the larger more powerful states. The states in possession of a large population, predisposition for military bases and a population open to the idea of warfare fared the best. In the long term we would look to states with self-sufficiency and long term military capabilities.
Here are the states that held the greatest strategic value from day one. They have the ability to be self-sufficient, economic strength, military strength, the will to fight and the population to support a powerful war machine.
- California
- Texas
- New York
Others that have many of the qualities that gave them an advantage are also listed.
- Washington
- Colorado
- Illinois
- Virginia
- Florida
- Georgia
For all intents and purposes Alaska and Hawaii ended well enough since they were so far removed from the center of the country that they never really suffer greatly nor benefit from the shattering.
Zetas Drug Cartel Linked to US Helicopter Downing
A shooting incident last month that forced a U.S. border patrol helicopter to make an emergency landing near Laredo, Texas, was the work of Mexican drug traffickers, and analysts say the attack highlights growing narcotics trafficking across porous U.S. borders.
According to U.S. officials familiar with an investigation of the June 5 incident, members of the Los Zetas drug cartel were crossing back into Mexico from the United States when they were spotted by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) helicopter along the Rio Grande River near Laredo.
The traffickers had finished delivering a shipment of drugs and were returning to Mexico when they were spotted by U.S. agents and opened fired with automatic weapons.
The helicopter, part of USCBP’s Office of Air and Marine, was struck by gunfire on its side and on the rotor blade. The pilot was forced to make an emergency landing.
More here
According to U.S. officials familiar with an investigation of the June 5 incident, members of the Los Zetas drug cartel were crossing back into Mexico from the United States when they were spotted by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) helicopter along the Rio Grande River near Laredo.
The traffickers had finished delivering a shipment of drugs and were returning to Mexico when they were spotted by U.S. agents and opened fired with automatic weapons.
The helicopter, part of USCBP’s Office of Air and Marine, was struck by gunfire on its side and on the rotor blade. The pilot was forced to make an emergency landing.
More here
WCSO Retired K-9 Passed Away
Clinton Says Date's Set for Her Benghazi Testimony
House Republicans and the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton sparred Saturday over the details of having her testify publicly before a House panel investigating the 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya.
The tensions came one day after a report from the U.S. intelligence community’s inspector general that a personal e- mail account used by Clinton when she was secretary of state contained some information that should have been classified and secured. The inspector general said no e-mails reviewed by its office were labeled as classified.
The latest squabble centered on the ground rules for an expected public hearing with Clinton before the House Select Committee on Benghazi. The committee is investigating actions taken by Clinton, a 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, following the attacks that left U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three others dead.
More here
The tensions came one day after a report from the U.S. intelligence community’s inspector general that a personal e- mail account used by Clinton when she was secretary of state contained some information that should have been classified and secured. The inspector general said no e-mails reviewed by its office were labeled as classified.
The latest squabble centered on the ground rules for an expected public hearing with Clinton before the House Select Committee on Benghazi. The committee is investigating actions taken by Clinton, a 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, following the attacks that left U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three others dead.
More here
Federal 'Gay' Mania Sparks Push For Civil Disobedience
A key government agency says the landmark Civil Rights Act forbids employers from firing or refusing to hire people based on their sexual orientation, a ruling critics say has no basis in law and threatens to erode Americans’ most basic liberties. And now one prominent critic suggests civil disobedience may be the proper response in the face of tyranny and lawlessness.
On July 16, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or EEOC, ruled that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which bans discrimination based on biological sex, also ought to apply to sexual orientation. The decision follows a 2012 ruling that extended similar protections to transgender employees and applicants. The only exception is extended to business with 15 or fewer employees.
“This ruling is absolutely absurd,” said Liberty Counsel Chairman Mathew Staver. “It’s certainly not based upon the statute, and so this is lawlessness in the process. This is an activist agency dominated by appointments from President Barack Obama that has a homosexual agenda that trumps not only Title VII and any other statutory law but even the First Amendment.”
“Title VII is what Congress said it is, and what Congress said it is is very specific. It’s about sex discrimination,” he said. “That’s whether you’re male or female, not whether you’re engaging in a certain kind of sexual behavior.
“Most people are not going to tell someone that they can’t work for them if they’re doing the job and they’re not pushing their sexual activity into the face of other individuals,” he said. “They’re not going to inquire about what they do when they’re not at the workplace in most situations.”
The problem, Staver said, is that homosexuals often call attention to themselves because their sexual orientation is critical to their overall identity.
More here
On July 16, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or EEOC, ruled that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which bans discrimination based on biological sex, also ought to apply to sexual orientation. The decision follows a 2012 ruling that extended similar protections to transgender employees and applicants. The only exception is extended to business with 15 or fewer employees.
“This ruling is absolutely absurd,” said Liberty Counsel Chairman Mathew Staver. “It’s certainly not based upon the statute, and so this is lawlessness in the process. This is an activist agency dominated by appointments from President Barack Obama that has a homosexual agenda that trumps not only Title VII and any other statutory law but even the First Amendment.”
“Title VII is what Congress said it is, and what Congress said it is is very specific. It’s about sex discrimination,” he said. “That’s whether you’re male or female, not whether you’re engaging in a certain kind of sexual behavior.
“Most people are not going to tell someone that they can’t work for them if they’re doing the job and they’re not pushing their sexual activity into the face of other individuals,” he said. “They’re not going to inquire about what they do when they’re not at the workplace in most situations.”
The problem, Staver said, is that homosexuals often call attention to themselves because their sexual orientation is critical to their overall identity.
More here
The Fact-Free Left Part 1
The outrage over another multiple murder of American military personnel on American soil by another Islamic extremist has been exacerbated by the fact that these military people had been ordered to be unarmed – and therefore sitting ducks.
Millions of American civilians have also been forbidden to have guns, and are also sitting ducks – for criminals, terrorists or psychos.
You might think that, before having laws or policies forcing fellow human beings to be defenseless targets, those who support such laws and policies would have some factual basis for believing that these gun restrictions save more lives, on net balance, than allowing more legal access to firearms. But you would be wrong.
Most gun control zealots show not the slightest interest in testing empirically their beliefs or assumptions. There have been careful factual studies by various scholars of what happens after gun control laws have been instituted, strengthened or reduced.
But those studies are seldom even mentioned by gun control activists. Somehow they just know that gun restrictions reduce gun crime, no matter how many studies show the opposite. How do they know? Because other like-minded people say so – and say so repeatedly and loudly.
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Millions of American civilians have also been forbidden to have guns, and are also sitting ducks – for criminals, terrorists or psychos.
You might think that, before having laws or policies forcing fellow human beings to be defenseless targets, those who support such laws and policies would have some factual basis for believing that these gun restrictions save more lives, on net balance, than allowing more legal access to firearms. But you would be wrong.
Most gun control zealots show not the slightest interest in testing empirically their beliefs or assumptions. There have been careful factual studies by various scholars of what happens after gun control laws have been instituted, strengthened or reduced.
But those studies are seldom even mentioned by gun control activists. Somehow they just know that gun restrictions reduce gun crime, no matter how many studies show the opposite. How do they know? Because other like-minded people say so – and say so repeatedly and loudly.
More
MSP Princess Anne State Police Press Release
On September 9, 2014 at 1434 hours, Troopers from the Maryland State Police Princess Anne Barrack and Criminal Enforcement Division responded to three thousand block of Hinman Lane, Crisfield, MD for a reported burglary.
Upon arrival they made contact with the victim who advised that his father had recently passed away and that he was the power of attorney for his father’s estate. The victim advised that someone had broken into his father’s home and removed coins from a safe which was kept inside the master bedroom closet. Troopers observed plaster lying on the hallway floor which came from the inside portion of the safes locking mechanism. Once inside the master bedroom Troopers observed the safe to be destroyed along with numerous empty boxes of collectible coins. The victim estimated the stolen coins to have a value of over $1,000 dollars. Evidence was collected from the scene and sent to the Maryland State Police Crime Lab for DNA testing.
On 4/9/15 a DNA hit came back from the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division. DNA collected the scene of the crime was entered into the National DNA Index System. That DNA matched to a Maryland convicted offender. The DNA came back to Donald Robert Wharton, W/M 51 YOA. Wharton’s back yard and the victim’s back yard share a property line. Wharton’s DNA was then collected for comparison.
On 7/22/15 the DNA comparison came back from the Maryland State Police Crime Lab. The DNA collected from Wharton was compared to the DNA collected from the scene of the crime. The DNA matched to Wharton’s DNA. The probability of randomly selecting an unrelated individual with this DNA profile at 15 of 15 loci tested is:
1 in 100 quadrillion in the us Caucasian population
1 in 20 quintillion of the us African American population
1 in 1.1 quintillion in the us Hispanic population
On 7/24/15 a criminal summons on Wharton for 1st Degree Burglary and theft.
Upon arrival they made contact with the victim who advised that his father had recently passed away and that he was the power of attorney for his father’s estate. The victim advised that someone had broken into his father’s home and removed coins from a safe which was kept inside the master bedroom closet. Troopers observed plaster lying on the hallway floor which came from the inside portion of the safes locking mechanism. Once inside the master bedroom Troopers observed the safe to be destroyed along with numerous empty boxes of collectible coins. The victim estimated the stolen coins to have a value of over $1,000 dollars. Evidence was collected from the scene and sent to the Maryland State Police Crime Lab for DNA testing.
On 4/9/15 a DNA hit came back from the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division. DNA collected the scene of the crime was entered into the National DNA Index System. That DNA matched to a Maryland convicted offender. The DNA came back to Donald Robert Wharton, W/M 51 YOA. Wharton’s back yard and the victim’s back yard share a property line. Wharton’s DNA was then collected for comparison.
On 7/22/15 the DNA comparison came back from the Maryland State Police Crime Lab. The DNA collected from Wharton was compared to the DNA collected from the scene of the crime. The DNA matched to Wharton’s DNA. The probability of randomly selecting an unrelated individual with this DNA profile at 15 of 15 loci tested is:
1 in 100 quadrillion in the us Caucasian population
1 in 20 quintillion of the us African American population
1 in 1.1 quintillion in the us Hispanic population
On 7/24/15 a criminal summons on Wharton for 1st Degree Burglary and theft.
The Fact-Free Left: Part II
There is no way to know what is going on in someone else’s mind. But sometimes their behavior tells you more than their words.
The political left’s great claim to authenticity and honor is that what they advocate is for the benefit of the less fortunate. But how could we test that?
T.S. Eliot once said, “Half the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don’t mean to do harm – but the harm does not interest them. Or they do not see it, or they justify it because they are absorbed in the endless struggle to think well of themselves.”
This suggests that one way to find out if those who claim to be trying to help the less fortunate are for real is to see if they are satisfied to simply advocate a given policy, and see it through to being imposed – without also testing empirically whether the policy is accomplishing what it set out to do.
The first two steps are enough to let advocates feel important and righteous. Whether you really care about what happens to the supposed beneficiaries of the policy is indicated by whether you bother to check out the empirical evidence afterwards.
Many, if not most, people who are zealous advocates of minimum wage laws, for example, never check to see if these laws do more good by raising some workers' wages than harm by preventing many young and inexperienced workers from finding jobs.
One of my own pieces of good fortune, when I left home at age 17, was that the unemployment rate for black 17-year-old males was in single digits that year – for the last time. The minimum wage law was ten years old, and the wage specified in that law was now so low that it was irrelevant, after years of inflation. It was the same as if there were no minimum wage law.
Liberals, of course, wanted the minimum wage raised, to keep up with inflation. The result was that, ten years later, the unemployment rate for black 17-year-old males was 27.5 percent – and it has never been less than 20 percent in all the years since then.
Read more here
[ Dr. Thomas Sowell is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution in Stanford, California.]
The political left’s great claim to authenticity and honor is that what they advocate is for the benefit of the less fortunate. But how could we test that?
T.S. Eliot once said, “Half the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don’t mean to do harm – but the harm does not interest them. Or they do not see it, or they justify it because they are absorbed in the endless struggle to think well of themselves.”
This suggests that one way to find out if those who claim to be trying to help the less fortunate are for real is to see if they are satisfied to simply advocate a given policy, and see it through to being imposed – without also testing empirically whether the policy is accomplishing what it set out to do.
The first two steps are enough to let advocates feel important and righteous. Whether you really care about what happens to the supposed beneficiaries of the policy is indicated by whether you bother to check out the empirical evidence afterwards.
Many, if not most, people who are zealous advocates of minimum wage laws, for example, never check to see if these laws do more good by raising some workers' wages than harm by preventing many young and inexperienced workers from finding jobs.
One of my own pieces of good fortune, when I left home at age 17, was that the unemployment rate for black 17-year-old males was in single digits that year – for the last time. The minimum wage law was ten years old, and the wage specified in that law was now so low that it was irrelevant, after years of inflation. It was the same as if there were no minimum wage law.
Liberals, of course, wanted the minimum wage raised, to keep up with inflation. The result was that, ten years later, the unemployment rate for black 17-year-old males was 27.5 percent – and it has never been less than 20 percent in all the years since then.
Read more here
[ Dr. Thomas Sowell is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution in Stanford, California.]
Governor Larry Hogan Named Chair of the National Governors Association Economic Development and Commerce Committee
ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Larry Hogan was named chair of the National Governors Association (NGA) Economic Development and Commerce Committee by NGA Chair Utah Governor Gary Herbert and NGA Vice Chair Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe.
“After almost a decade of jobs and businesses leaving our state, I was elected on the promise to restore Maryland’s economic competitiveness and our administration remains committed to delivering on that promise. Bringing jobs and businesses to Maryland is our top priority,” said Governor Hogan. “I look forward to chairing the NGA Economic Development and Commerce Committee and working with my fellow governors to ensure that federal policies are in line with local priorities and are helping states do the important work of creating jobs and promoting economic growth.”
The Economic Development and Commerce Committee handles issues dealing with transportation infrastructure, telecommunications, international trade promotion, financial services regulation, science and technology development, and affordable housing. Members of the committee ensure that the governors’ views are represented in the shaping of federal policy.
Founded in 1908, NGA is the collective voice of the nation’s governors and one of Washington, D.C.’s most respected public policy organizations. Its members are the governors of the 55 states, territories and commonwealths. NGA provides governors and their senior staff members with services that range from representing states on Capitol Hill and before the Administration on key federal issues to developing and implementing innovative solutions to public policy challenges through the NGA Center for Best Practices. For more information, visit www.nga.org.
“After almost a decade of jobs and businesses leaving our state, I was elected on the promise to restore Maryland’s economic competitiveness and our administration remains committed to delivering on that promise. Bringing jobs and businesses to Maryland is our top priority,” said Governor Hogan. “I look forward to chairing the NGA Economic Development and Commerce Committee and working with my fellow governors to ensure that federal policies are in line with local priorities and are helping states do the important work of creating jobs and promoting economic growth.”
The Economic Development and Commerce Committee handles issues dealing with transportation infrastructure, telecommunications, international trade promotion, financial services regulation, science and technology development, and affordable housing. Members of the committee ensure that the governors’ views are represented in the shaping of federal policy.
Founded in 1908, NGA is the collective voice of the nation’s governors and one of Washington, D.C.’s most respected public policy organizations. Its members are the governors of the 55 states, territories and commonwealths. NGA provides governors and their senior staff members with services that range from representing states on Capitol Hill and before the Administration on key federal issues to developing and implementing innovative solutions to public policy challenges through the NGA Center for Best Practices. For more information, visit www.nga.org.
At Anti-Bullying Conference, Middle Schoolers Learn About (Censored)
The last one — in April — left many of the denizens of Humboldt, Iowa up in arms, reports Des Moines NBC affiliate WHO-TV.
Iowa Safe Schools, an activist group out of Des Moines, hosted the conference.
It was quite something.
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New California: Mass Immigration Turning Virginia Blue
The birthplace and final resting place of George Washington, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson—and once one of the most reliably-red of red states—is being rapidly turned into a progressive stronghold.
These changes are not the result of an inside agency, or a natural evolution in political thinking, but rather the result of one of the most impactful yet least-discussed policies of the federal government.
Each year the federal government prints millions of visas and distributes these admission tickets to the poorest and least-developed nations in the world.
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McCain And The Cowardly, Do-nothing Republicans
Sen. John McCain is a war hero, despite many remaining questions about whether he “broke” and passed classified military to the North Vietnamese during his confinement in prison at the “Hanoi Hilton” during the Vietnam War. At the time, McCain’s father was the admiral in charge of the Navy’s Seventh Fleet in Asia, and he was a valued war prize for then Vietnamese leader Ho Chin Minh. McCain was beaten and left disabled during his captivity by his inhuman captors.
Years ago when I was chairman and general counsel of Judicial Watch, in the late ’90s, before I ran for the U.S. Senate in Florida and before I founded Freedom Watch, I met with McCain in his Senate office. I was flattered that of all the senators serving during the criminally minded Clinton administration, he was the only one who had reached out and seemed to take a personal interest in the work I was doing at Judicial Watch.
Most importantly, we had just uncovered perhaps the biggest scandal in American history: the sale of government access, services and classified information to the Communist Chinese by Bill and Hillary Clinton, much akin to what the Bonnie and Clyde of American politics did with Iran in furtherance of their RICO criminal enterprise while “Hill” was secretary of state under the Obama administration.
Read more here
Years ago when I was chairman and general counsel of Judicial Watch, in the late ’90s, before I ran for the U.S. Senate in Florida and before I founded Freedom Watch, I met with McCain in his Senate office. I was flattered that of all the senators serving during the criminally minded Clinton administration, he was the only one who had reached out and seemed to take a personal interest in the work I was doing at Judicial Watch.
Most importantly, we had just uncovered perhaps the biggest scandal in American history: the sale of government access, services and classified information to the Communist Chinese by Bill and Hillary Clinton, much akin to what the Bonnie and Clyde of American politics did with Iran in furtherance of their RICO criminal enterprise while “Hill” was secretary of state under the Obama administration.
Read more here
Mexico search finds 60 mass graves
Sixty mass graves have been uncovered in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero during a search for 43 student teachers abducted last September, official documents have revealed.
The attorney general's office says the remains of 129 bodies have been recovered from the graves.
None of the remains have been linked to the students who vanished in Iguala.
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The attorney general's office says the remains of 129 bodies have been recovered from the graves.
None of the remains have been linked to the students who vanished in Iguala.
More
Extreme Makeovers, Round 1: Eagle Scout project before-and-after photos
That’s why I asked to see Eagle Scout project before-and-after photos — the same photos prospective Eagles must include with their post-project report.
In the collection below, you’ll see the same spot twice: Once before an Eagle Scout project began and once after.
Consider this as you scroll through: You can multiply each individual act of stupendous service by 50,000. That’s how many Eagle Scout projects get completed every single year.
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Editors Note: Scroll your mouse over the pictures to see the before and after
Remains of 36 unidentified Marines from WWII battle return
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii — The military and a private organization have brought home the remains of 36 Marines killed in one of World War II's bloodiest battles.
A group called History Flight recovered the remains from the remote Pacific atoll of Tarawa, the U.S. Marine Corps said. A ceremony was held Sunday in Pearl Harbor to mark their return.
History Flight has started identifying the remains, and the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency will complete the effort, the Marines said. The Marines plan to return the remains to their families after they've been identified.
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A group called History Flight recovered the remains from the remote Pacific atoll of Tarawa, the U.S. Marine Corps said. A ceremony was held Sunday in Pearl Harbor to mark their return.
History Flight has started identifying the remains, and the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency will complete the effort, the Marines said. The Marines plan to return the remains to their families after they've been identified.
More
Architectural Plans for the Third Temple Have Begun
While most Jews mourn and pray, one organization has been busily preparing plans to rebuild.
Sunday, on the Fast of Av, Jews throughout the world mourn the destruction of the two Holy Temples of Jerusalem and pray for the rebuilding of the Third Temple.
But one organization has been doing a lot more than just praying.
The Temple Institute has released a modern three-dimensional architectural rendition of the future Third Holy Temple, utilizing the latest building material and techniques.
The vivid, three-minute video walks viewers through the main sanctuary, showcasing decades of research and tens of innovative Halakhic (Jewish law) solutions to various perplexing issues that were resolved to create fully functional, ready-to-use plans.
While staying true to the Halakhic requirements and dimensions, the project also adds some clear modern twists.
As the visual tour sweeps through the sanctuary, one can see the menorah, incense altar and showbread table, all of which have already been prepared by the Institute, among 70 other sacred vessels.
The presentation was specially released to coincide with the Ninth of Av, the Jewish national day of mourning which commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Temples.
More here
Sunday, on the Fast of Av, Jews throughout the world mourn the destruction of the two Holy Temples of Jerusalem and pray for the rebuilding of the Third Temple.
But one organization has been doing a lot more than just praying.
The Temple Institute has released a modern three-dimensional architectural rendition of the future Third Holy Temple, utilizing the latest building material and techniques.
The vivid, three-minute video walks viewers through the main sanctuary, showcasing decades of research and tens of innovative Halakhic (Jewish law) solutions to various perplexing issues that were resolved to create fully functional, ready-to-use plans.
While staying true to the Halakhic requirements and dimensions, the project also adds some clear modern twists.
As the visual tour sweeps through the sanctuary, one can see the menorah, incense altar and showbread table, all of which have already been prepared by the Institute, among 70 other sacred vessels.
The presentation was specially released to coincide with the Ninth of Av, the Jewish national day of mourning which commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Temples.
More here
Canadian Minister Makes Official Statement About Tisha B'Av
Canadian Minister of National Defense and Multiculturalism Jason Kenney has released an official statement commemorating Tisha B'Av. The statement, which was published yesterday (Friday) invited his fellow citizens to remembering the way Jews have been mistreated.
Following an explanation of the history and customs of the fast day, Kenney wrote: "On Tisha B’av, Jewish communities around the world will fast and pray to remember these historical wrongs on what is considered the ‘saddest day in Jewish history.'
"[Sunday] I will join with the Jewish community in remembering and mourning the oppression, violence, and suffering that the Jewish people have experienced throughout history, and I encourage all Canadians to do the same."
More here
Following an explanation of the history and customs of the fast day, Kenney wrote: "On Tisha B’av, Jewish communities around the world will fast and pray to remember these historical wrongs on what is considered the ‘saddest day in Jewish history.'
"[Sunday] I will join with the Jewish community in remembering and mourning the oppression, violence, and suffering that the Jewish people have experienced throughout history, and I encourage all Canadians to do the same."
More here
Arabs Attack Jews on Temple Mount
The Arabs, described as mostly youth, engaged in violent clashes with Jerusalem Police, who used non-lethal means to push the rioters into the al-Aqsa Mosque to prevent what would have been a major attack on Jewish worshipers Sunday.
The Arabs holed up overnight inside the al-Aqsa Mosque, where they set up barricades using shoe racks, iron rods, and ropes to prevent the police from entering.
The plan was reportedly to attack Jewish worshipers Sunday as Jews worldwide celebrate the Jewish fast day of Tisha Báv, or the ninth day of the lunar Jewish month of Av. The day marks the anniversary of several major disasters in Jewish history, most notably the destruction of both the First and Second Jewish Temples in Jerusalem.
More here
Homeschooling Increasing As Parents Worry About Common Core, Public Schools
MANASSAS, Va. – The latest studies show that an increasing number of students are being homeschooled by their parents in order to avoid Common Core, which is found even in many Catholic schools.
There is no question that the link is there and that parents are extremely concerned about how Common Core will affect their children’s Catholic education, said Florida Catholics Against Common Core’s Rolando Perez.
The Florida Department of Education recently released a report detailing a 9.6 percent increase in children being homeschooled, the largest increase in five years, according to the Herald Tribune. Since 2010, nearly 25,000 additional students in Florida have opted for homeschooling in lieu of public and Catholic school options.
“There is great concern about the indoctrination, data mining and constant testing that Common Core has brought to schools, including Catholic schools,” said Perez, who along with other concerned parents formed Florida Catholics Against Common Core. The priority for Common Core State Standards seems to be preparing students for future jobs, Perez affirmed. The standards then become utilitarian and distract from students’ moral and spiritual formation by placing too much emphasis on testing and performance.
More here
There is no question that the link is there and that parents are extremely concerned about how Common Core will affect their children’s Catholic education, said Florida Catholics Against Common Core’s Rolando Perez.
The Florida Department of Education recently released a report detailing a 9.6 percent increase in children being homeschooled, the largest increase in five years, according to the Herald Tribune. Since 2010, nearly 25,000 additional students in Florida have opted for homeschooling in lieu of public and Catholic school options.
“There is great concern about the indoctrination, data mining and constant testing that Common Core has brought to schools, including Catholic schools,” said Perez, who along with other concerned parents formed Florida Catholics Against Common Core. The priority for Common Core State Standards seems to be preparing students for future jobs, Perez affirmed. The standards then become utilitarian and distract from students’ moral and spiritual formation by placing too much emphasis on testing and performance.
More here
AG Frosh Urges Phone Carriers to Offer Call-Blocking Technology
FCC rule clarification removes industry claims of "legal barriers" to implement service
Baltimore, MD - Attorney General Brian E. Frosh called on five major telephone companies to offer call-blocking technology that would enable their customers to prevent unwanted calls.
In a joint letter to the chief executives of AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile and CenturyLink, Frosh and 44 other state attorneys general said a new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rule clarification allows landline and mobile telecommunication service providers to offer the call-blocking service, which is permissible under federal law.
"Every year, our offices are flooded with consumer complaints pleading for a solution to stop intrusive robocalls," the attorneys general wrote. "Your companies are now poised to offer your customers the help they need. We urge you to act without delay."
A cut to Social Security disability benefits may be around the corner
People receiving Social Security disability benefits could see a nearly 20 percent cut to payments at the end of next year
The annual check-up for Social Security is in, and one program looks more dire than the rest.
If Congress doesn’t act, people receiving Social Security disability benefits could see a nearly 20 percent cut to payments at the end of next year, according to the latest version of the Social Security trustees report released Wednesday.
The disability trust fund will be depleted by the fourth quarter of 2016, leaving the administration with enough income to pay 81 percent of benefits, according to the report, which is updated annually.
The health of the Social Security program didn’t change by much, and the cut to disability benefits has been expected for years. But now that Congress has still not come up with a compromise for boosting the funding, the shortfall is more imminent. As explained in the report’s summary:
Social Security’s Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Fund now faces an urgent threat of reserve depletion, requiring prompt corrective action by lawmakers if sudden reductions or interruptions in benefit payments are to be avoided.
Read more
The annual check-up for Social Security is in, and one program looks more dire than the rest.
If Congress doesn’t act, people receiving Social Security disability benefits could see a nearly 20 percent cut to payments at the end of next year, according to the latest version of the Social Security trustees report released Wednesday.
The disability trust fund will be depleted by the fourth quarter of 2016, leaving the administration with enough income to pay 81 percent of benefits, according to the report, which is updated annually.
The health of the Social Security program didn’t change by much, and the cut to disability benefits has been expected for years. But now that Congress has still not come up with a compromise for boosting the funding, the shortfall is more imminent. As explained in the report’s summary:
Social Security’s Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Fund now faces an urgent threat of reserve depletion, requiring prompt corrective action by lawmakers if sudden reductions or interruptions in benefit payments are to be avoided.
Read more
Documents Prove That the IRS Targeted Conservative Groups
It’s been a rough week for the IRS. On Monday it was revealed that during the last tax season, the IRS phone system hung up on 8.8 million callers looking for help with their taxes, a massive increase from the half a million hangups that were experienced the year before. The IRS is also being criticized for levying outrageous fines on businesses that reimburse their employees for health insurance; fines that are 12 times higher than the statutory limit written in the Affordable Care Act.
But the latest news on a long running IRS scandal takes the cake. Judicial Watch announced earlier this week, that they had obtained documentsthat prove the IRS used donor lists of tax exempt organizations to target them with audits. These were largely conservative organizations opposed to the Obama administration. The IRS attempted to issue a “gift tax” of 35% on some of these donors, despite the fact that a gift tax on donations was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, and hasn’t been used since 1982.
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But the latest news on a long running IRS scandal takes the cake. Judicial Watch announced earlier this week, that they had obtained documentsthat prove the IRS used donor lists of tax exempt organizations to target them with audits. These were largely conservative organizations opposed to the Obama administration. The IRS attempted to issue a “gift tax” of 35% on some of these donors, despite the fact that a gift tax on donations was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, and hasn’t been used since 1982.
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Proof Hillary doomed Stevens with ‘classified’ emails?
Inspectors-general query points to info on ambassador's movements in Benghazi
TEL AVIV – The New York Times reported Friday that government investigators have discovered classified information on correspondence that went through Hillary Clinton’s private email server while she was secretary of state.
In light of the report, it is instructive to recall that communications from Clinton’s personal email account made public in May by the State Department contained sensitive information regarding the U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, as first reported by WND.
Some of the Benghazi correspondence in question, while not officially designated as classified, betrayed the whereabouts of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens while he was stationed in arguably one of the most dangerous zones in the world for any American diplomat.
On Friday, the Times reported the inspectors general of the State Department and the nation’s intelligence agencies stated unequivocally that the secretive information contained in the emails should not have gone through Clinton’s personal server or beyond secure government computers.
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TEL AVIV – The New York Times reported Friday that government investigators have discovered classified information on correspondence that went through Hillary Clinton’s private email server while she was secretary of state.
In light of the report, it is instructive to recall that communications from Clinton’s personal email account made public in May by the State Department contained sensitive information regarding the U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, as first reported by WND.
Some of the Benghazi correspondence in question, while not officially designated as classified, betrayed the whereabouts of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens while he was stationed in arguably one of the most dangerous zones in the world for any American diplomat.
On Friday, the Times reported the inspectors general of the State Department and the nation’s intelligence agencies stated unequivocally that the secretive information contained in the emails should not have gone through Clinton’s personal server or beyond secure government computers.
More
Pro-Business Maryland Legislators Rated in Annual Scorecard
Assessment is Maryland Business for Responsive Government’s 30th Edition
COLUMBIA, Md., July 15, 2015 – Maryland Business for Responsive Government (MBRG), a statewide, nonpartisan, non-profit organization, has released the 2015 results of its annual publication Roll Call, now available online here.
Each year, MBRG selects recorded votes from the most recent General Assembly session that have practical or philosophical importance to the widest possible range of Maryland businesses, trade associations, and chambers of commerce. MBRG identifies the selected bills in Roll Call and analyzes the votes to produce a score for each legislator.
Nine Senators and 34 Delegates received perfect scores of 100%, whereas seven Senators scored below 30%. The most improved Democrats were Senator Edward J. Kasemeyer (60%) and Delegate Ana Sol Gutierrez (67%). The most improved Republicans were Senator Stephen S. Hershey (100%) and Delegate Neil C. Parrott (100%).
“Generally, the legislature assumed a more moderate stance this year on issues that affect business and jobs in Maryland,” said Duane Carey, MBRG President. “We have a long way to go, but we are giving credit to the General Assembly for avoiding tax increases and publicly acknowledging the need to improve our business climate.”
For the 2015 analysis, Roll Call analyzed 8 Senate votes and 11 House votes.
Download the 2015 edition of Roll Call.
COLUMBIA, Md., July 15, 2015 – Maryland Business for Responsive Government (MBRG), a statewide, nonpartisan, non-profit organization, has released the 2015 results of its annual publication Roll Call, now available online here.
Each year, MBRG selects recorded votes from the most recent General Assembly session that have practical or philosophical importance to the widest possible range of Maryland businesses, trade associations, and chambers of commerce. MBRG identifies the selected bills in Roll Call and analyzes the votes to produce a score for each legislator.
Nine Senators and 34 Delegates received perfect scores of 100%, whereas seven Senators scored below 30%. The most improved Democrats were Senator Edward J. Kasemeyer (60%) and Delegate Ana Sol Gutierrez (67%). The most improved Republicans were Senator Stephen S. Hershey (100%) and Delegate Neil C. Parrott (100%).
“Generally, the legislature assumed a more moderate stance this year on issues that affect business and jobs in Maryland,” said Duane Carey, MBRG President. “We have a long way to go, but we are giving credit to the General Assembly for avoiding tax increases and publicly acknowledging the need to improve our business climate.”
For the 2015 analysis, Roll Call analyzed 8 Senate votes and 11 House votes.
Download the 2015 edition of Roll Call.
The Big Gay Marriage Lie
Gay marriage, we've been told, will not affect you. What a crock.
It has become devastatingly clear that virtually the entirety of the gay-marriage activist effort was built on a lie. That lie, repeated ad nauseam, was this: gay marriage will affect nobody outside of the gays who wish to partake in it. This will become abundantly false as the Supreme Court-instituted gay marriage regime takes effect.
We did not actually need to nationalize gay marriage to realize this. We have had examples for years from the states that already legalized the practice. Combined with the growing public hostility towards supporters of traditional marriage, it is impossible at this point to deny that gay marriage is a growing and serious threat to the liberty of those who disagree with it.
Gay Marriage Doesn’t Hurt Anyone
Exhibit A comes to us from Gresham, Oregon, a state in which gay marriage has been legal since 2014. In Gresham, a couple of bakers declined to make a wedding cake for a lesbian wedding. Because the lesbians in question endured “emotional and mental suffering” after their cake request was turned down, the state’s labor commissioner demanded that the bakers—a husband-and-wife team—pay the plaintiffs $135,000.
In addition to this astronomical charge, the excitable commissioner ordered that the couple was not allowed to publicly proclaim their desire to not bake cakes for gay weddings. That is to say, the state slapped the Christian bakers with an enormous fine, then forbid them from advocating the point of view for which they were being fined.
Gay marriage, we’ve been told, will not affect you. They told us over and over again: Gay marriage has nothing to do with you! You don’t have to worry about it!
Read more
It has become devastatingly clear that virtually the entirety of the gay-marriage activist effort was built on a lie. That lie, repeated ad nauseam, was this: gay marriage will affect nobody outside of the gays who wish to partake in it. This will become abundantly false as the Supreme Court-instituted gay marriage regime takes effect.
We did not actually need to nationalize gay marriage to realize this. We have had examples for years from the states that already legalized the practice. Combined with the growing public hostility towards supporters of traditional marriage, it is impossible at this point to deny that gay marriage is a growing and serious threat to the liberty of those who disagree with it.
Gay Marriage Doesn’t Hurt Anyone
Exhibit A comes to us from Gresham, Oregon, a state in which gay marriage has been legal since 2014. In Gresham, a couple of bakers declined to make a wedding cake for a lesbian wedding. Because the lesbians in question endured “emotional and mental suffering” after their cake request was turned down, the state’s labor commissioner demanded that the bakers—a husband-and-wife team—pay the plaintiffs $135,000.
In addition to this astronomical charge, the excitable commissioner ordered that the couple was not allowed to publicly proclaim their desire to not bake cakes for gay weddings. That is to say, the state slapped the Christian bakers with an enormous fine, then forbid them from advocating the point of view for which they were being fined.
Gay marriage, we’ve been told, will not affect you. They told us over and over again: Gay marriage has nothing to do with you! You don’t have to worry about it!
Read more
