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Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Michigan Man Says He Was Fired After Intervening With Gun To Stop Stabbing Attack at Work
A valet attendant in Michigan who pulled a gun to stop a stabbing attack at his workplace said he has been fired.
Didarul Sarder said he was heading into work at the General Motors Technical Center in Warren when he heard a woman calling for help as she was being stabbed repeatedly by another woman.
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Didarul Sarder said he was heading into work at the General Motors Technical Center in Warren when he heard a woman calling for help as she was being stabbed repeatedly by another woman.
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'Hookers for Hillary' in Clinton's corner ahead of Nevada caucuses
Ahead of the Nevada Democratic caucuses this weekend, a group of sex workers operating under the name Hookers for Hillary is going all in for Hillary Clinton’s campaign – touting her positions on health care and other issues.
According to The Guardian, brothel owner Dennis Hof and the girls at the Moonlite Bunny Ranch launched the pro-Clinton project shortly after she entered the race.
In interviews with the newspaper, they described their support as an endorsement of Clinton’s efforts to combat domestic violence as well. And one simply described it as a case of women helping women.
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Clinton, Sanders Agree: Expand Social Security Taxes Beyond Wages to Investment Income
(CNSNews.com) - "We both believe there has to be more money going into the Social Security system," Hillary Clinton said at Thursday's Democrat debate in Milwaukee.
"I'm interested in making sure we get the maximum amount of revenue from those who can well afford to provide it. So I'm going to come up with the best way forward. We're going to end up in the same place," she told Sen. Bernie Sanders. "We're going to get more revenue."
Clinton said she would use the money she gets from wealthy people to "prioritize those recipients who need the most help first." Women, she said.
Sanders said he would use the money he gets from wealthy people to expand Social Security by $1,300 a year for everyone making under $16,000.
And how would they get more money?
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"I'm interested in making sure we get the maximum amount of revenue from those who can well afford to provide it. So I'm going to come up with the best way forward. We're going to end up in the same place," she told Sen. Bernie Sanders. "We're going to get more revenue."
Clinton said she would use the money she gets from wealthy people to "prioritize those recipients who need the most help first." Women, she said.
Sanders said he would use the money he gets from wealthy people to expand Social Security by $1,300 a year for everyone making under $16,000.
And how would they get more money?
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State Police Arrest Calvert County Man on Child Pornography Charges
(Solomons, MD) Maryland State Police investigators from the Maryland Internet Crimes Section, Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), arrested a Calvert County man on child pornography related charges this past Friday.
The suspect is identified as Andre Rudolph Barbins, 45, of the 200 block of Pelagic Lane in Solomons, Maryland. Barbins was arrested without incident and charged with one count of child pornography and one count of displaying obscene matter to a minor.
As a result of the investigation a search and seizure warrant was executed at Barbins’ residence on February 12th, 2016 by Maryland State Police Computer Crimes investigators, state troopers from the Prince Frederick barrack and agents from the Department of Homeland Security. Barbins was identified by investigators as the focus of the investigation. Execution of the search warrant resulted in the seizure of various digital media storage devices. These items were found to contain images of child pornography. Barbins was transported to the Calvert County Detention Center for processing and awaited a hearing by the District Court Commissioner.
The Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children task force is comprised of police agencies from around the state. Its primary mission is to protect children from computer-facilitated sexual exploitation. The task force works cooperatively with law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to provide resources to combat these crimes. Additionally, the task force provides community awareness campaigns helping to prevent the spread of these crimes through education.
Ediotor's Note: Andre Barbins is the head swimming coach at St. Mary's College of Maryland. St. Mary's College of Maryland released the statement below.
St. Mary's College of Maryland learned that Andre Barbins, the College's head swimming coach, has been arrested. The College is taking all steps necessary to protect the safety of its campus and community, and is cooperating fully with law enforcement. Assistant Coach Hattie Schiavone has assumed coaching duties. As with all personnel matters, the College is unable to provide further comment.
The 'Necessity' Of Animal Research Does Not Mean It's Ethical
A few weeks ago, two prominent scientists, Hollis Cline and Mar Sanchez, wrote a brief piece in The Hill newspaper arguing that animal research is "necessary." They were prompted by the recent National Institutes of Health (NIH) decision to phase out the use of primates in controversial maternal deprivation studies.
Scientists have long been fond of claims of necessity — in fact, justifications for animal research have remained largely the same since the writings of 19th century French physiologist Claude Bernard. However, this claim is problematic for a number of reasons.
If animal research is necessary, then it is not necessary in the sense that we have to do it. Rather, it is a choice that we make, a choice that its proponents believe is a necessary means to the end of further medical advances. Such advances are undoubtedly of significant moral importance, but even if we grant the assumption that animals are necessary for medical progress, this does not equate to a moral justification.
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Scientists have long been fond of claims of necessity — in fact, justifications for animal research have remained largely the same since the writings of 19th century French physiologist Claude Bernard. However, this claim is problematic for a number of reasons.
If animal research is necessary, then it is not necessary in the sense that we have to do it. Rather, it is a choice that we make, a choice that its proponents believe is a necessary means to the end of further medical advances. Such advances are undoubtedly of significant moral importance, but even if we grant the assumption that animals are necessary for medical progress, this does not equate to a moral justification.
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Carrier Received $5.1 Million in Obama-Stimulus Cash Before Move To Mexico
Local media reported the “Department of Energy awarded Carrier $5.1 million in clean energy tax credits in December 2013” for its Indianapolis facility. They planned to use the money to “expand production at its Indianapolis facility to meet increasing demand for its eco-friendly condensing gas furnace product line.”
From WIBC:
“Energy Efficient Buildings: With the support of $5.1 million in 48C Program tax credits, Carrier Corporation will expand production at its Indianapolis facility to meet increasing demand for its eco-friendly condensing gas furnace product line. The new line includes the most energy efficient gas furnaces on the market – all with at least 95 percent annual fuel utilization efficiency”
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In Freddie Gray's Baltimore, The Best Medical Care Is Nearby But Elusive
The Baltimore health system put Robert Peace back together after a car crash shattered his pelvis. Then it nearly killed him, he says.
A painful bone infection that developed after surgery and a lack of follow-up care landed him in the operating room five more times, kept him homebound for a year and left him with joint damage and a severe limp.
"It's really hard for me to trust what doctors say," Peace said, adding that there was little after-hospital care to try to control the infection. "They didn't do what they were supposed to do."
Pushed by once-unthinkable shifts in how they are reimbursed, Baltimore's famous medical institutions say they are trying harder than ever to improve the health of their lower-income neighbors in West Baltimore.
But dozens of interviews with patients, doctors and local leaders show multiple barriers between the community and the glassy hospital towers a few blocks away.
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A painful bone infection that developed after surgery and a lack of follow-up care landed him in the operating room five more times, kept him homebound for a year and left him with joint damage and a severe limp.
"It's really hard for me to trust what doctors say," Peace said, adding that there was little after-hospital care to try to control the infection. "They didn't do what they were supposed to do."
Pushed by once-unthinkable shifts in how they are reimbursed, Baltimore's famous medical institutions say they are trying harder than ever to improve the health of their lower-income neighbors in West Baltimore.
But dozens of interviews with patients, doctors and local leaders show multiple barriers between the community and the glassy hospital towers a few blocks away.
More
Troopers Investigate Crash Involving Rehoboth Beach Police Officer
The incident occurred around 6:50 a.m. Saturday February 13, 2016 as Keith Banks, 47, (Chief of Rehoboth Beach PD) was operating a 2013 Ford Taurus (owned by the City of Rehoboth Beach) southbound on Coastal Highway (SR1) approaching Miller Road. Sumer M. Clevenger, 36 of Georgetown, was operating a 2012 Jeep Patriot northbound on SR1 with the intentions of turning left onto Miller Road to continue westbound. The Jeep came to a stop at the intersection and then proceeded into the southbound lanes where it was struck on the passenger's side by the Ford. Both vehicles came to an uncontrolled stop on the southwest side of the roadway. The intersection is controlled by a traffic signal for all directions.
No injuries were reported by either operator at the time of the collision and both were properly restrained.
There is an active and on-going investigation into this incident and no charges have been filed.
The Delaware State Police is requesting any witnesses to the collision to contact Cpl. A. Mitchell at 302-703-3322. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, via the internet at www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com, or by sending an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword "DSP."
Marine Vet Says Group of Teens Harassed Him While He Was Eating — He Woke Up a Short Time Later and Pieced Things Together
Sgt. Maj Brad Kasal being carried to safety by Chris Marquez, left, and Dane Shaffer, right, in Fallujah.
(Lucian Read/Hope for the Warriors)
A former Marine was enjoying his burger at a McDonald’s Friday evening when a crowd of teens approached him and demanded he respond to the question, “Do you believe black lives matter?” Shortly after this, the youths allegedly knocked the man unconscious and robbed him.
Christopher Marquez received the Bronze Star for valor after serving in the Iraq war.
Marquez said he was grabbing a bite at a McDonald’s in northwest Washington, D.C., when the group came up to him and started harassing him about the Black Lives Matter movement, the Daily Caller reported.
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| This Iraq War memorial located at Camp Pendleton, California, is based on a photo of Sgt. Maj Brad Kasal being carried to safety by Chris Marquez, left, and Dane Shaffer, right, in Fallujah. (Hope for the Warriors) |
After finishing his food, Marquez left the restaurant. As he was walking out to the parking lot, he allegedly sustained a blow to the back of his head, which knocked him unconscious.
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Senate Passes Bill Making Internet Tax Ban Permanent
Nearly two decades ago, Congress passed the first Internet Tax Freedom Act, establishing that — with a handful of grandfathered exceptions — local, state, and federal governments couldn’t impose taxes on Internet access. Problem is, that law has had to be renewed over and over, each time with an expiration date. But today, the U.S. Senate finally passed a piece of legislation that would make the tax ban permanent.
Recent attempts to make this ban permanent — by simply striking out the current end date on the latest of the Tax Freedom Act — had stalled in both the House and Senate. And so, as we reported in December, the language was simply tacked on to HR 644, Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015, a piece of legislation authorizing funding for Customs and Border Protection, that was deemed likely to pass. Today, it passed the Senate with a 75-20 vote.
“Internet Tax Freedom saves Oregonians and most Americans hundreds of dollars a year in taxes,”writes Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, a co-author of the original Tax Freedom Act and an outspoken proponent of the permanent ban. “There’s no ban on wireless taxes and Americans pay an average 17 percent (!) tax on their mobile service.”
In addition to removing the end date on the existing tax ban, the revised law puts an end date of June 30, 2020 for those few states that are still collecting sales tax on Internet services.
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Recent attempts to make this ban permanent — by simply striking out the current end date on the latest of the Tax Freedom Act — had stalled in both the House and Senate. And so, as we reported in December, the language was simply tacked on to HR 644, Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015, a piece of legislation authorizing funding for Customs and Border Protection, that was deemed likely to pass. Today, it passed the Senate with a 75-20 vote.
“Internet Tax Freedom saves Oregonians and most Americans hundreds of dollars a year in taxes,”writes Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, a co-author of the original Tax Freedom Act and an outspoken proponent of the permanent ban. “There’s no ban on wireless taxes and Americans pay an average 17 percent (!) tax on their mobile service.”
In addition to removing the end date on the existing tax ban, the revised law puts an end date of June 30, 2020 for those few states that are still collecting sales tax on Internet services.
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Employers can expect health insurance premiums to rise 5% a year over the next decade
This year, the average premium for employment-based insurance will be $6,400 for single coverage and $15,500, according to CBO. By 2025, that will increase to $10,000 for single coverage and $24,500 for family coverage.
The cost of insurance in the individual market is expected to increase at an annual rate of 6 percent over the next decade, according to CBO.
So much for President Barack Obama’s claim that the Affordable Care Act would reduce health care costs. Instead, Obamacare’s impact on health insurance premiums is mixed, according to CBO.
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American School Forces Female Students To Wear The Hijab – Because… World Hijab Day
Over my dead body. A school in New York is celebrating World Hijab Day and is asking all women to wear the traditional head covering of Muslims. It is a sign of submission and conversion. Yeah, I want my daughter treated like a sex slave and as something less than human. That’s how women are treated in the Ummah. Parents were not consulted over this move by the school and they are way less than thrilled over the development. Even some of the teachers are outraged over it. Jim Farnholz, who has taught for over 30 years, is quoted as saying, “This is wrong on so many levels. All religions are taught in our global studies classes. That being said, that is where understanding, tolerance and the good and bad of religion and history are taught.” This is just massively wrong.
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More grandparents taking on parental role for grandchildren
“I took one look at the little fella, and that was it,” said Aldridge, now 62. “I couldn’t let go.”
For more than 11 years, Aldridge, who is divorced and lives in Chicago, has struggled to feed, house and clothe her “baby,” Mario. As she ages, Aldridge sinks deeper into poverty.
Nationwide, 2.7 million grandparents are raising grandchildren, and about one-fifth of those have incomes that fall below the poverty line, according to census figures.
Their ranks are increasing. The number of grandparents raising grandchildren is up 7 percent from 2009. Experts say the trend is likely to continue as the nation responds to the opiate epidemic. Military deployment and a growth in the number of women incarcerated are other factors forcing grandparents to step into parental roles.
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Leticia Astacio, Rochester judge, charged with drunken driving on way to court, DA says
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Authorities say a Rochester judge has been arrested on a drunken driving charge after being pulled over on her way to court.
Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley says Judge Leticia Astacio was arrested Friday morning after being stopped by New York State troopers on Interstate 490.
Astacio, who was elected to the judicial post in 2014, was released with an appearance ticket and ordered to appear in court in March. She hasn't immediately returned a call for comment.
Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley says Judge Leticia Astacio was arrested Friday morning after being stopped by New York State troopers on Interstate 490.
Astacio, who was elected to the judicial post in 2014, was released with an appearance ticket and ordered to appear in court in March. She hasn't immediately returned a call for comment.
Maryland Democrats have plan to restrict Hogan on transportation decisions
Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael E. Busch threw their combined support behind legislation that would create a new process for evaluating which transportation projects deserve funding priority. While the legislative package would affect all chief executives, the move is an explicit reaction to Gov. Larry Hogan's massive shift of mass transit money to highway construction last summer.
The legislative leaders billed their legislation as a measure that would "create a new process to objectively screen and score transportation projects based on their anticipated benefits." But the measure would also require the governor to justify decisions that fall outside of that scoring system — such as the cancellation of an urban transit project to build a highway in a lightly-populated part of the state.
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Former U.S. Army Lt. General Michael Flynn SLAMS Hillary Clinton- LIAR! YOU KNOW BETTER!
Friday on CNN’s “The Lead,” retired U.S. Army Lt. General Michael Flynn, the former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, discussed his call for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to drop out of the race because she is under investigation by the FBI for how classified materiel was handled on her private email system.
When people like him speak out against crimes committed by Hillary Clinton, then maybe people should become better listeners. Guys like this don’t say those things for no reason.
Source
Not The America I Knew
Envy is defined by Dictionary.com as “a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another’s advantages, success, possessions, etc.” That perfectly characterizes the entire political philosophy of the Democratic progressive left.
Listening to presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton, I often hear the principles I grew up with and practiced being disregarded, even denounced.
In his victory speech following his New Hampshire primary win, Sanders said America was founded on the principle of fairness.
No it wasn’t. You don’t find the word “fairness” in the Declaration of Independence, or the Constitution. The word you do find is “liberty.” The Founders wanted Americans to be liberated from oppressive, intrusive, dictatorial government and to be free to pursue happiness, according to their definition of the word.
Sanders and Clinton aren’t channeling the Founders, they’re channeling Robin Hood. They want to take from people who have sacrificed, invested, risked and worked hard and give the fruits of their labors to others who have not embraced those noble practices.
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Listening to presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton, I often hear the principles I grew up with and practiced being disregarded, even denounced.
In his victory speech following his New Hampshire primary win, Sanders said America was founded on the principle of fairness.
No it wasn’t. You don’t find the word “fairness” in the Declaration of Independence, or the Constitution. The word you do find is “liberty.” The Founders wanted Americans to be liberated from oppressive, intrusive, dictatorial government and to be free to pursue happiness, according to their definition of the word.
Sanders and Clinton aren’t channeling the Founders, they’re channeling Robin Hood. They want to take from people who have sacrificed, invested, risked and worked hard and give the fruits of their labors to others who have not embraced those noble practices.
More
Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Press Release 2-16-16
The Deputy stopped the vehicle as it turned onto Beauchamp Road. The Deputy identified the driver as Jose Benito Ordonez Juarez 32 years old, of Ocean Pines, Maryland. The Deputy observed an open bottle of Coors Light sitting in the center console and detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from Mr. Juarez’ breath and person as he spoke as well as a slur in his speech. Mr. Juarez did poor on field sobriety tests.
Mr. Juarez was placed under arrest for suspected driving under the influence of alcohol. Mr. Juarez was charged with DUI and released pending trial.
On February 15, 2016 at approximately 12:31 am a Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Deputy stopped a vehicle for speeding at Route 113 and Woodside lane. The Deputy identified the driver as Jeremy Mack Williamson 35 years old, of North Carolina. The Deputy could smell the odor of suspected burnt marijuana coming from the vehicle. A search of the vehicle produced suspect marijuana and a loaded Ruger 357 handgun.
Mr. Williamson was placed under arrest for wear, carry and knowingly transporting a loaded handgun in a vehicle and possession of marijuana less than 10 grams. He awaiting trial.
Wicomico County Executive Bob Culver Urges Opposition to Senate Bill 908, House Bill 1013
Now Illegal Aliens Are Getting Obamaphones
Anyone who says immigration is not the most important issue in the 2016 presidential election, is clearly misguided.
The government is providing some illegal immigrant families with smartphones to temporarily use as they travel throughout the United States to their “destination” cities.
GEO Care, a federal contractor, has started loaning smartphones to certain illegal immigrant families enrolled in Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Family Case Management Program.
The FCMP is an alternative to detention that pairs illegal immigrants with social workers who help them get their footing in cities across the U.S. — including assisting the new arrivals with accessing housing, education, medical services and legal assistance — while they await immigration hearings.
The Obama administration has billed the program as a way to ensure the illegal immigrant families show up for their immigration hearings.
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The government is providing some illegal immigrant families with smartphones to temporarily use as they travel throughout the United States to their “destination” cities.
GEO Care, a federal contractor, has started loaning smartphones to certain illegal immigrant families enrolled in Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Family Case Management Program.
The FCMP is an alternative to detention that pairs illegal immigrants with social workers who help them get their footing in cities across the U.S. — including assisting the new arrivals with accessing housing, education, medical services and legal assistance — while they await immigration hearings.
The Obama administration has billed the program as a way to ensure the illegal immigrant families show up for their immigration hearings.
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What's For Dinner: Mexican Pizza
MEXICAN PIZZA
Serves 2
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Serves 2
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
You’ll Need
– 1 cup refried beans
– 4 – 6-inch flour tortillas
– ⅓ cup red enchilada sauce
– 1 medium tomato, diced
– ⅔ cup shredded cheddar cheese blend
– 2 green onions, chopped
– Cooking spray
– 1 cup refried beans
– 4 – 6-inch flour tortillas
– ⅓ cup red enchilada sauce
– 1 medium tomato, diced
– ⅔ cup shredded cheddar cheese blend
– 2 green onions, chopped
– Cooking spray
How To
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Spray a hot skillet with cooking spray. Brown and crisp the tortillas on both sides. Reserve for later.
- Heat the refried beans.
- Place 2 of the browned tortillas on a sheet pan and spread half of the heated refried beans onto each tortilla. Place the remaining tortillas on top of the beans.
- Pour and evenly spread half of the enchilada sauce on top of each tortilla. Top each with half the tomato and ⅓ cup cheese, then sprinkle half the green onion on each.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Allow to sit a few minutes before cutting and serving.
NY Times: Congress Should Rubber-stamp Anyone Obama Nominates For Supreme Court
The NY Times Editorial Board actually makes a few salient points in their editorial, but, it is the lead that should be noticed first
When Antonin Scalia was named by President Ronald Reagan to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court in 1986, the Senate considered the nomination for 85 days, then voted to confirm him. The tally was 98-0.
That unanimity was by no means a measure of widespread agreement with Justice Scalia’s judicial philosophy. Rather it was the Senate’s customary acknowledgment — at least until recently — that the president had fulfilled his constitutional duty and selected a clearly qualified person for the post.
It is by no means a coincidence that the NYTEB starts off this way: they are demanding that the GOP led Congress rubber-stamp whomever Obama nominates, who will certainly be a hardcore leftist applying their political beliefs, activism, and international law in deciding cases, rather than American law and our Constitution.
Thirty years later, and within hours of the news that Justice Scalia had died, Senate Republicans, led by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, rejected that practice outright. It would not matter if President Obama nominated the ghost of Ronald Reagan himself, they appeared to suggest — there will be no confirmation hearings until Mr. Obama has packed his bags and moved out of the White House. Mr. Obama promptly replied that he planned to send a nomination to Congress shortly.
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When Antonin Scalia was named by President Ronald Reagan to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court in 1986, the Senate considered the nomination for 85 days, then voted to confirm him. The tally was 98-0.
That unanimity was by no means a measure of widespread agreement with Justice Scalia’s judicial philosophy. Rather it was the Senate’s customary acknowledgment — at least until recently — that the president had fulfilled his constitutional duty and selected a clearly qualified person for the post.
It is by no means a coincidence that the NYTEB starts off this way: they are demanding that the GOP led Congress rubber-stamp whomever Obama nominates, who will certainly be a hardcore leftist applying their political beliefs, activism, and international law in deciding cases, rather than American law and our Constitution.
Thirty years later, and within hours of the news that Justice Scalia had died, Senate Republicans, led by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, rejected that practice outright. It would not matter if President Obama nominated the ghost of Ronald Reagan himself, they appeared to suggest — there will be no confirmation hearings until Mr. Obama has packed his bags and moved out of the White House. Mr. Obama promptly replied that he planned to send a nomination to Congress shortly.
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Noonan: Trump, Sanders and the American Rebellion
What is happening in American politics?
We’re in the midst of a rebellion. The bottom and middle are pushing against the top. It’s a throwing off of old claims and it’s been going on for a while, but we’re seeing it more sharply after New Hampshire. This is notpolitics as usual, which by its nature is full of surprise. There’s something deep, suggestive, even epochal about what’s happening now.
I have thought for some time that there’s a kind of soft French Revolution going on in America, with the angry and blocked beginning to push hard against an oblivious elite. It is not only political. Yes, it is about the Democratic National Committee, that house of hacks, and about a Republican establishment owned by the donor class. But establishment journalism, which for eight months has been simultaneously at Donald Trump’s feet (“Of course you can call us on your cell from the bathtub for your Sunday show interview!”) and at his throat (“Trump supporters, many of whom are nativists and nationalists…”) is being rebelled against too. Their old standing as guides and gatekeepers? Gone, and not only because of multiplying platforms. Gloria Steinem thought she owned feminism, thought she was feminism. She doesn’t and isn’t. The Clintons thought they owned the party — they don’t. Hedge-funders thought they owned the GOP. Too bad they forgot to buy the base!
All this goes hand in hand with the general decline of America’s faith in its institutions. We feel less respect for almost all of them — the church, the professions, the presidency, the Supreme Court. The only formal national institution that continues to score high in terms of public respect (72% in the most recent Gallup poll) is the military.
More here
We’re in the midst of a rebellion. The bottom and middle are pushing against the top. It’s a throwing off of old claims and it’s been going on for a while, but we’re seeing it more sharply after New Hampshire. This is notpolitics as usual, which by its nature is full of surprise. There’s something deep, suggestive, even epochal about what’s happening now.
I have thought for some time that there’s a kind of soft French Revolution going on in America, with the angry and blocked beginning to push hard against an oblivious elite. It is not only political. Yes, it is about the Democratic National Committee, that house of hacks, and about a Republican establishment owned by the donor class. But establishment journalism, which for eight months has been simultaneously at Donald Trump’s feet (“Of course you can call us on your cell from the bathtub for your Sunday show interview!”) and at his throat (“Trump supporters, many of whom are nativists and nationalists…”) is being rebelled against too. Their old standing as guides and gatekeepers? Gone, and not only because of multiplying platforms. Gloria Steinem thought she owned feminism, thought she was feminism. She doesn’t and isn’t. The Clintons thought they owned the party — they don’t. Hedge-funders thought they owned the GOP. Too bad they forgot to buy the base!
All this goes hand in hand with the general decline of America’s faith in its institutions. We feel less respect for almost all of them — the church, the professions, the presidency, the Supreme Court. The only formal national institution that continues to score high in terms of public respect (72% in the most recent Gallup poll) is the military.
More here
Hillary Clinton’s Dead-End Campaign
Hillary Clinton may yet win the Democratic nomination—if she is not indicted. After all, it is hard for a New England spread-the-wealth socialist like rival Bernie Sanders to appeal to working-class southern whites, minorities, or the wealthy Democratic establishment. It is still likely that the Democratic Party will find a way to aid an ailing and scandal-plagued Mrs. Clinton, rather than turn over its future to a 74-year-old scold, who for most of his voting life was not a Democrat and whose redistributionist agendas and Woodstock fables about the 1960s make Obama seem centrist in comparison.
All that said, Mrs. Clinton’s campaign rhetoric is coming up empty—largely because it is at odds with the way she has lived her life and conducted her various careers over the last two decades. Voters, even younger ones, are now sorely aware of those flagrant contradictions.
The so-called Republican war on women was successful Democratic demagoguery in 2008 and 2012. That paranoid mythmaking worked with urban, unmarried young women. They were terrified of old white-guy Republican bogeymen, who would make them pay for their birth control and take away abortion on demand, were indifferent to new expansive definitions of sexual harassment, and seemed hung up on what were seen as roadblocks—religion, marriage, and family—to a young, college-educated woman’s self-expression. Yet Hillary has now lost that long-enshrined wedge issue after only 24 hours of Donald Trump’s withering counter-fire—in stark contrast to past years of failed Republican counter-strategies.
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All that said, Mrs. Clinton’s campaign rhetoric is coming up empty—largely because it is at odds with the way she has lived her life and conducted her various careers over the last two decades. Voters, even younger ones, are now sorely aware of those flagrant contradictions.
The so-called Republican war on women was successful Democratic demagoguery in 2008 and 2012. That paranoid mythmaking worked with urban, unmarried young women. They were terrified of old white-guy Republican bogeymen, who would make them pay for their birth control and take away abortion on demand, were indifferent to new expansive definitions of sexual harassment, and seemed hung up on what were seen as roadblocks—religion, marriage, and family—to a young, college-educated woman’s self-expression. Yet Hillary has now lost that long-enshrined wedge issue after only 24 hours of Donald Trump’s withering counter-fire—in stark contrast to past years of failed Republican counter-strategies.
More
Paul Ryan: ‘We’re Not Going To Be Talking About Visa Caps’
In a remarkable interview with popular Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo, House Speaker Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) declined multiple times to answer whether he would, as Speaker of the House, allow legislation to proceed curbing the rapid growth of America’s foreign-born population.
Ninety-two percent of GOP voters want immigration frozen or slashed, according to Pew polling data.
Ryan eventually admitted the he would not bring up legislation desired by the overwhelming majority of his Party: “We’re not going to be talking about visa caps in our agenda,” Ryan declared.
As Breitbart News has previously documented, Ryan has devoted much of his career to preserving and expanding mass migration into the United States— a key part of the GOP establishment policy platform.
Ryan’s admission is significant as it means that the leader of the Republican Party in Congress has all but announced that the will of GOP voters on the signature issue of 2016 will not be part of the Republican agenda.
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Ninety-two percent of GOP voters want immigration frozen or slashed, according to Pew polling data.
Ryan eventually admitted the he would not bring up legislation desired by the overwhelming majority of his Party: “We’re not going to be talking about visa caps in our agenda,” Ryan declared.
As Breitbart News has previously documented, Ryan has devoted much of his career to preserving and expanding mass migration into the United States— a key part of the GOP establishment policy platform.
Ryan’s admission is significant as it means that the leader of the Republican Party in Congress has all but announced that the will of GOP voters on the signature issue of 2016 will not be part of the Republican agenda.
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Catholic college president rejects faculty demand he resign.
EMMITSBURG, Md. (AP) — Mount St. Mary’s University President Simon Newman rejected the faculty’s demand for his resignation Monday after a majority of students expressed support for his leadership, including a bluntly pragmatic plan to boost the academic ranking of the nation’s second-oldest Catholic university.
“I’m not going to stop,” Newman told scores of cheering students rallying outside the administration building. Although classes were canceled by a blustery snowstorm, students showed up with signs reading, “I Stand by Newman” and “Team Newman.” They listened to brief speeches by Newman and student government leaders, and then invited their peers to discuss the dispute at a nearby cafeteria.
Faculty members will meet later this week to discuss their reaction to Newman’s refusal to step down, David McCarthy, a professor of theology and secretary to the faculty, said in an email. He said 90 of the roughly 110 full-time faculty voted by secret ballot Friday, and 87 of them supported the request for Newman to resign by Monday morning.
“Our decision was based on what we think is the best way for the university to move forward,” McCarthy wrote.
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“I’m not going to stop,” Newman told scores of cheering students rallying outside the administration building. Although classes were canceled by a blustery snowstorm, students showed up with signs reading, “I Stand by Newman” and “Team Newman.” They listened to brief speeches by Newman and student government leaders, and then invited their peers to discuss the dispute at a nearby cafeteria.
Faculty members will meet later this week to discuss their reaction to Newman’s refusal to step down, David McCarthy, a professor of theology and secretary to the faculty, said in an email. He said 90 of the roughly 110 full-time faculty voted by secret ballot Friday, and 87 of them supported the request for Newman to resign by Monday morning.
“Our decision was based on what we think is the best way for the university to move forward,” McCarthy wrote.
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Shock Study: Earth Acts Like a Sponge!
This should help coastal residents sleep a little better, at least for a while longer.
According to NASA.gov, “A new study by scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, and the University of California, Irvine, shows that while ice sheets and glaciers continue to melt, changes in weather and climate over the past decade have caused Earth’s continents to soak up and store an extra 3.2 trillion tons of water in soils, lakes and underground aquifers, temporarily slowing the rate of sea level rise by about 20 percent.”
First, a quick primer.
According to NASA.gov, “A new study by scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, and the University of California, Irvine, shows that while ice sheets and glaciers continue to melt, changes in weather and climate over the past decade have caused Earth’s continents to soak up and store an extra 3.2 trillion tons of water in soils, lakes and underground aquifers, temporarily slowing the rate of sea level rise by about 20 percent.”
First, a quick primer.
What Killed Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia?
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who died of a heart attack, probably passed away peacefully without ever awakening, a top cardiology expert says.
“Based on the suddenness of it, he had a heart attack in his sleep, which stopped his heart. Nothing else will kill you suddenly while you’re sleeping,” Dr. Chauncey Crandall tells Newsmax Health.
Scalia, 79, was found dead Saturday at Cioblo Creek Ranch when he failed to appear at breakfast. His death certificate will list myocardial infarction – a heart attack – as the cause of his death, USA Today said. Scalia had arrived Friday, spent the day quail hunting, and then attended a private party. But he left early, telling a friend he didn't feel well. He was discovered dead when he failed to appear at breakfast the next morning, CNN and the San Antonio Express-News said.
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“Based on the suddenness of it, he had a heart attack in his sleep, which stopped his heart. Nothing else will kill you suddenly while you’re sleeping,” Dr. Chauncey Crandall tells Newsmax Health.
Scalia, 79, was found dead Saturday at Cioblo Creek Ranch when he failed to appear at breakfast. His death certificate will list myocardial infarction – a heart attack – as the cause of his death, USA Today said. Scalia had arrived Friday, spent the day quail hunting, and then attended a private party. But he left early, telling a friend he didn't feel well. He was discovered dead when he failed to appear at breakfast the next morning, CNN and the San Antonio Express-News said.
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A Viewer Writes: How many justices on Supreme Court...not what you think!
There is NO constitutional requirement that there be nine members of the Supreme Court! While the Constitution does establish a Supreme Court it leaves up to Congress to decide how many justices there should be. We could legally have a Supreme Court of just one person or 320 million people if Congress so wishes.
For the very first Supreme Court in 1787 Congress decided to have six justices and George Washington appointed all of them. In 1807 the number was increased to seven and in 1837 it was bumped up to nine. In 1866 Congress cut the number back to 7 purely to prevent President Andrew Johnson from appointing any justices at all! In 1869 the number went back up to nine. In 1937 President Franklin Roosevelt attempted to get the number up to 15 so he could pack the court with people who agreed with him but Congress refused to go along.
So all this debate about Obama appointing and the Senate opposing is pretty moot considering that nine justices is an artificial number and Congress can change it at any time.
Has God Endorsed Ted Cruz’s Presidential Campaign?
We published a report earlier this week about U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas chasing the endorsement of status quo “Republican” governor Nikki Haley of South Carolina.
But that’s not the Palmetto State nod he really covets …
Cruz wants to be the candidate of choice among evangelical voters. He especially wants to win over those residing in the vote-rich socially conservative Upstate region of this pivotal “First in the South” presidential primary state.
So who better to endorse him than … well … God.
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Delaware Gun Sales ‘Surging’ Thanks to ‘Nontraditional’ Buyers
Background checks for the two month period were up “26 percent” over checks for the same two-month period a year ago.
According to Delaware Online, the surge is due to “nontraditional gun owners” deciding it is time to get a gun. University of Delaware senior Dominique Carpio is a perfect example. She was previously “anti-gun” but became concerned “about becoming a victim of one of the crimes she frequently hears about in New Castle County.” So she went and bought gun with which to defend herself.
Bob Miller owns Miller’s Gun Center and he credited a large portion of the surging sales to the national media’s fixation on high profile shooters. He suggested “there’s a concern (about safety) that’s media-driven.”
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Jackie Mason: Bloomberg, With 12 Bodyguards, Is a Hyprocrite on Gun Control
Comedian Jackie Mason on Sunday accused former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg of being a hypocrite on gun control.
"He's standing there with 12 bodyguards, telling you that you shouldn’t have a gun to protect you, while he has 12 guys protecting him!" Mason said on Aaron Klein's Sunday radio show on AM 970 "The Answer."
"As if his life counts, but yours is not important?" Mason said of Bloomberg, who says he is considering a run for president as an independent.
"If guns are not important and nobody should have a gun to protect himself, why does Bloomberg have 12 bodyguards? Why doesn’t he stand there with 12 rabbis? Why do they have guns? Instead of guns they should have pastrami sandwiches."
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"He's standing there with 12 bodyguards, telling you that you shouldn’t have a gun to protect you, while he has 12 guys protecting him!" Mason said on Aaron Klein's Sunday radio show on AM 970 "The Answer."
"As if his life counts, but yours is not important?" Mason said of Bloomberg, who says he is considering a run for president as an independent.
"If guns are not important and nobody should have a gun to protect himself, why does Bloomberg have 12 bodyguards? Why doesn’t he stand there with 12 rabbis? Why do they have guns? Instead of guns they should have pastrami sandwiches."
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Coastal Highway Repaving Project To Start Next Month
In December, State Highway Administration (SHA) officials briefed the Mayor and Council on several projects slated for the resort in its Consolidated Transportation Program (CTP) for 2016, including a major repaving project for the north end of Ocean City. Coastal Highway from 62ndStreet to the Delaware line will be completely milled and repaved as part of the SHA’s ongoing enhancements along the resort’s main drag, and with it will come the requisite maze of orange barrels, lane closures, detours and altered traffic patterns.
When SHA officials pitched the concept to the Mayor and Council in December, it had not yet been put out to bid. The bid has since been awarded to George and Lynch and the project is tentatively scheduled to begin around March 1, weather permitting. Despite the size and scale of the major repaving project, SHA officials essentially guaranteed it would be completed by the Friday before Memorial Day.
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Leahy Accused of Hypocrisy for Advocating Vote on SCOTUS Replacement
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D., Vt.), the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, was accused of hypocrisy on Sunday for advocating a swift replacement to the Supreme Court seat left vacant by Associate Justice Antonin Scalia's death on Saturday.
CNN reporter Dana Bash, filling in as host on State of the Union, asked Leahy to comment on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s statement that the body will not vote to fill Scalia’s seat until after the presidential election.
“I think he’s making a terrible mistake and he’s certainly ignoring the constitution and its responsibilities,” Leahy said.
“But Senator, I want to ask you about something called the Thurmond Rule, which is an informal agreement in the Senate that the party not in the White House blocks all judicial nominees during a presidential campaign season.” Bash said. “You subscribed to that when it was the opposite, so why is it different now?”
Leahy said he does not believe the rule applies here, prompting Bash to ask if he would still believe that if the roles were reversed.
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CNN reporter Dana Bash, filling in as host on State of the Union, asked Leahy to comment on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s statement that the body will not vote to fill Scalia’s seat until after the presidential election.
“I think he’s making a terrible mistake and he’s certainly ignoring the constitution and its responsibilities,” Leahy said.
“But Senator, I want to ask you about something called the Thurmond Rule, which is an informal agreement in the Senate that the party not in the White House blocks all judicial nominees during a presidential campaign season.” Bash said. “You subscribed to that when it was the opposite, so why is it different now?”
Leahy said he does not believe the rule applies here, prompting Bash to ask if he would still believe that if the roles were reversed.
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Justice Breyer: Number of Cases With Global Implications Growing
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer tells Newsmax TV the nation's highest court must now think internationally because of the growing number of cases that have global implications.
"You have to know something about what's going on beyond our shores, whether its law or practices or copyright or security," Breyer said in an interview with J.D. Hayworth on "Newsmax Prime."
"All kinds of things in order to get the right answer to a question about American law. [It's] maybe 10 or 15 percent of our cases now."
Breyer is the author of "The Court and the World: American Law and the New Global Realities," published by Knopf, which discusses the court's expanded responsibilities in handling legal questions with an eye on their international repercussions.
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"You have to know something about what's going on beyond our shores, whether its law or practices or copyright or security," Breyer said in an interview with J.D. Hayworth on "Newsmax Prime."
"All kinds of things in order to get the right answer to a question about American law. [It's] maybe 10 or 15 percent of our cases now."
Breyer is the author of "The Court and the World: American Law and the New Global Realities," published by Knopf, which discusses the court's expanded responsibilities in handling legal questions with an eye on their international repercussions.
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Lawsuit: Union Thugs Stormed Church Construction Site, Broke Man’s Face In Mob-Like Beat Down
A lawsuit filed Friday accuses Indiana-based union officials of allegedly storming a church-owned construction site to brutally assault non-union construction workers.
Iron Workers Local 395 officials were adamantly opposed to Dyer Baptist Church using non-union construction workers. Local 395 Business Agent Thomas Williamson Sr. demanded the project be turned over to his union, but the onsite workers and the church pastor refused. D5 Iron Works President Richard Lindner allegedly told Williamson on numerous occasions that he was trespassing and he should leave. After several failed attempts, the lawsuit alleges, Williamson arrived with some associates Jan. 7 and physically attacked the non-union workers.
“Men associated with Local 395 appeared at the job site,” the lawsuit, which was obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation, stated. “After exiting their respective vehicles, the Local 395 Assault Team rushed the job site.”
Lindner and his colleague Scott Kudingo were among those assaulted. Williamson’s adult son and ten other colleagues joined him during the alleged incident. Kudingo suffered numerous injuries. His face was fractured and had to have his jaw wired shut. The attackers, according to the lawsuit, shouted that the assault was in relation for the union not getting the project.
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Iron Workers Local 395 officials were adamantly opposed to Dyer Baptist Church using non-union construction workers. Local 395 Business Agent Thomas Williamson Sr. demanded the project be turned over to his union, but the onsite workers and the church pastor refused. D5 Iron Works President Richard Lindner allegedly told Williamson on numerous occasions that he was trespassing and he should leave. After several failed attempts, the lawsuit alleges, Williamson arrived with some associates Jan. 7 and physically attacked the non-union workers.
“Men associated with Local 395 appeared at the job site,” the lawsuit, which was obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation, stated. “After exiting their respective vehicles, the Local 395 Assault Team rushed the job site.”
Lindner and his colleague Scott Kudingo were among those assaulted. Williamson’s adult son and ten other colleagues joined him during the alleged incident. Kudingo suffered numerous injuries. His face was fractured and had to have his jaw wired shut. The attackers, according to the lawsuit, shouted that the assault was in relation for the union not getting the project.
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DNC Insists Primary/Superdelegates Not ‘Rigged’ for Hillary
The Democratic National Committee is insisting that the primary process is not “rigged” for Hillary Clinton as supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) are calling on the party’s 712 superdelegates to “pledge to back the will of the voters.”
Patrice Taylor, the Democratic National Committee’s Director of Party Affairs & Delegate Selection, explained in a Sunday post on Medium that “over 30 years ago, the Democratic Party created the category of un-pledged ‘super”’ delegates. These are Democratic leaders like governors, members of Congress, and party officials. We ensure these leaders have a voice in our convention outside of the primary and caucus process. Un-pledged delegates mean interested voters don’t have to run against elected officials to attend the Democratic National Convention. Ultimately, each state’s delegation is comprised of a diverse group of citizens like you and the Democratic leaders you have elected.”
Taylor insisted that “the election is not rigged for one candidate or another. The rules that I just described were first established in the 1970s, long before any current candidate declared for office. All candidates run under the same rules.”
She also tried to dispel the notion Sanders and Clinton received the same number of delegates in New Hampshire after Sanders trounced Clinton by more than 20 points in the New Hampshire primary. Taylor lawyerly argued “there were 24 pledged delegate votes at stake in New Hampshire’s First in the Nation primary on the Democratic side. Those 24 delegate votes were distributed according to the results of those elections, with Bernie Sanders winning 15 and Hillary Clinton winning 9.”
She conveniently left out the fact that Clinton had the support of six New Hampshire super-delegates, which means Clinton also has 15 delegates from New Hampshire.
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Patrice Taylor, the Democratic National Committee’s Director of Party Affairs & Delegate Selection, explained in a Sunday post on Medium that “over 30 years ago, the Democratic Party created the category of un-pledged ‘super”’ delegates. These are Democratic leaders like governors, members of Congress, and party officials. We ensure these leaders have a voice in our convention outside of the primary and caucus process. Un-pledged delegates mean interested voters don’t have to run against elected officials to attend the Democratic National Convention. Ultimately, each state’s delegation is comprised of a diverse group of citizens like you and the Democratic leaders you have elected.”
Taylor insisted that “the election is not rigged for one candidate or another. The rules that I just described were first established in the 1970s, long before any current candidate declared for office. All candidates run under the same rules.”
She also tried to dispel the notion Sanders and Clinton received the same number of delegates in New Hampshire after Sanders trounced Clinton by more than 20 points in the New Hampshire primary. Taylor lawyerly argued “there were 24 pledged delegate votes at stake in New Hampshire’s First in the Nation primary on the Democratic side. Those 24 delegate votes were distributed according to the results of those elections, with Bernie Sanders winning 15 and Hillary Clinton winning 9.”
She conveniently left out the fact that Clinton had the support of six New Hampshire super-delegates, which means Clinton also has 15 delegates from New Hampshire.
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Poll: High Tax Rates Make People Want To Leave Their States
According to Gallup, 46 percent of those living in Connecticut and New Jersey – which have some of thehighest state and local rates in the nation – wanted to leave, followed by 42 percent in Illinois, 41 percent in Rhode Island and 40 percent in Maryland.
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Black Lies Matter
Manhattan Institute fellow Heather Mac Donald has written extensively about crime and has a new op-edrevealing that, while Black Lives Matter has “convinced Democrats and progressives that there is an epidemic of racist white police officers killing young black men,” the “movement is based on fiction.”
Not just the fictional account of the 2014 police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., but the utter misrepresentation of police shootings generally.
To judge from Black Lives Matter protesters and their media and political allies, you would think that killer cops pose the biggest threat to young black men today. But this perception, like almost everything else that many people think they know about fatal police shootings, is wrong.
The Washington Post has been gathering data on fatal police shootings over the past year and a half to correct acknowledged deficiencies in federal tallies. The emerging data should open many eyes.
For starters, fatal police shootings make up a much larger proportion of white and Hispanic homicide deaths than black homicide deaths. According to the Post database, in 2015 officers killed 662 whites and Hispanics, and 258 blacks. (The overwhelming majority of all those police-shooting victims were attacking the officer, often with a gun.) Using the 2014 homicide numbers as an approximation of 2015’s, those 662 white and Hispanic victims of police shootings would make up 12% of all white and Hispanic homicide deaths. That is three times the proportion of black deaths that result from police shootings.
More here
Not just the fictional account of the 2014 police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., but the utter misrepresentation of police shootings generally.
To judge from Black Lives Matter protesters and their media and political allies, you would think that killer cops pose the biggest threat to young black men today. But this perception, like almost everything else that many people think they know about fatal police shootings, is wrong.
The Washington Post has been gathering data on fatal police shootings over the past year and a half to correct acknowledged deficiencies in federal tallies. The emerging data should open many eyes.
For starters, fatal police shootings make up a much larger proportion of white and Hispanic homicide deaths than black homicide deaths. According to the Post database, in 2015 officers killed 662 whites and Hispanics, and 258 blacks. (The overwhelming majority of all those police-shooting victims were attacking the officer, often with a gun.) Using the 2014 homicide numbers as an approximation of 2015’s, those 662 white and Hispanic victims of police shootings would make up 12% of all white and Hispanic homicide deaths. That is three times the proportion of black deaths that result from police shootings.
More here
Media Calls Them “Baby-Faced Boys”
News reports indicate that the 17-year-olds charged in the gruesome Massachusetts killing entered the U.S. recently as UAC’s and both have ties to MS-13, according to authorities cited by various outlets. They lived in Everett and one of the teens, Cristian Nunez-Flores, moved to Massachusetts from his native El Salvador a year and a half ago which is when the influx of Central American minors began. His parents remain in El Salvador, according to a local news article. The other gangbanger’s name is Jose Vasquez Ardon and he too is a recent arrival from Central America. Prosecutors say the teens, described in a local news article as“baby-faced boys,” shot a 19-year-old in the head. Both are being held without bail for obvious reasons.
This week two federal lawmakers—a senator and a congressman—are demanding answers from the administration involving how the teens entered the U.S. Specifically, they want to confirm if the gangbangers came as UACs and when exactly they arrived.
More here
Ending Coercive Unionism Trumps Dem Governor’s Veto
West Virginia becomes 26th right-to-work state
Coercive unionism is no longer the law of the land for the majority of the country after West Virginia lawmakers overrode Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s veto to become the 26th right to work state on Friday.
Delegate Gary Howell was among the leaders in the legislature to push right to work, which prevents employers from requiring union membership as a condition of employment, in the longtime labor stronghold. The veto override came as no surprise because West Virginia only requires a majority vote in the Republican-controlled legislature. The vote, he said, would help boost the lagging economy’s ability to attract employers.
“It’s going to move West Virginia in a position to grow our economy again,” Howell told the Washington Free Beacon in a phone interview. “It’ll have a positive effect on job creation, especially with manufacturers. We build things here and have a lot of natural resources. We’re closer to the source of raw materials. It’ll be easier to create those jobs here. It makes us more competitive.”
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Coercive unionism is no longer the law of the land for the majority of the country after West Virginia lawmakers overrode Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s veto to become the 26th right to work state on Friday.
Delegate Gary Howell was among the leaders in the legislature to push right to work, which prevents employers from requiring union membership as a condition of employment, in the longtime labor stronghold. The veto override came as no surprise because West Virginia only requires a majority vote in the Republican-controlled legislature. The vote, he said, would help boost the lagging economy’s ability to attract employers.
“It’s going to move West Virginia in a position to grow our economy again,” Howell told the Washington Free Beacon in a phone interview. “It’ll have a positive effect on job creation, especially with manufacturers. We build things here and have a lot of natural resources. We’re closer to the source of raw materials. It’ll be easier to create those jobs here. It makes us more competitive.”
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Why it’s time to stop glorifying marriage
A cover story in the Christian Science Monitor Weekly last year announced that “singles outnumber married adults,” right before the Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges — possibly the most important ruling on marriage in decades. Yet the views Justice Anthony Kennedy expressed in that decision underwhelmed me.
I imagined the never-married Justice Elena Kagan rolling her eyes when she read his paean to married life: “Marriage is a keystone of the Nation’s social order.” For that matter, I could picture the widowed Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the divorced Justice Sonia Sotomayor scratching their heads and wondering what world Kennedy lives in. There is life without marriage, thank you very much, and marriage itself isn’t always such a good deal.
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STUDY: Scott Walker's Union Reforms Saved Taxpayers $5.24 billion
MADISON, Wis. – Five years ago, hundreds of thousands of angry and distressed teachers and other public employees stormed the state capitol in Madison, passionately protesting Act 10, Gov. Scott Walker’s public sector labor reform legislation.
As WiscNews.com put it, “The bill that later became Act 10 launched the largest protests ever in Madison, including a temporary occupation of the Capitol; legislative chaos highlighted by Democratic senators fleeing to Illinois to forestall a floor vote; and Walker’s historic recall victory.
“The days, weeks and months after Walker’s Feb. 11, 2011, announcement were among the most dramatic in Wisconsin’s history.”
The emotional protests left many across the state and nation with the impression that Walker and legislative Republicans had somehow imposed a terrible injustice on public sector employees and their families.
But the fact is that unchecked collective bargaining was bleeding massive resources from units of government at all levels. And overburdened taxpayers were picking up the tab.
The worst part was that taxpayers had no way to defend their wallets from constantly increasing labor costs. Public sector unions bullied employers behind closed doors, and the resulting contracts almost always increased costs for schools and municipalities, whether they could afford it or not.
Those extra costs inevitably found their way to the working people of Wisconsin.
Act 10, signed into law on March 11, 2011, limited the ability of public sector unions to plunder their employers’ bank accounts every two or three years, when contract time came around again. Unions were limited to negotiating for salary increases alone, and the percentage of those increases was capped. The levels of other compensation, like insurance and other benefits, were left to the discretion of the people elected to run local units of government.
More here
As WiscNews.com put it, “The bill that later became Act 10 launched the largest protests ever in Madison, including a temporary occupation of the Capitol; legislative chaos highlighted by Democratic senators fleeing to Illinois to forestall a floor vote; and Walker’s historic recall victory.
“The days, weeks and months after Walker’s Feb. 11, 2011, announcement were among the most dramatic in Wisconsin’s history.”
The emotional protests left many across the state and nation with the impression that Walker and legislative Republicans had somehow imposed a terrible injustice on public sector employees and their families.
But the fact is that unchecked collective bargaining was bleeding massive resources from units of government at all levels. And overburdened taxpayers were picking up the tab.
The worst part was that taxpayers had no way to defend their wallets from constantly increasing labor costs. Public sector unions bullied employers behind closed doors, and the resulting contracts almost always increased costs for schools and municipalities, whether they could afford it or not.
Those extra costs inevitably found their way to the working people of Wisconsin.
Act 10, signed into law on March 11, 2011, limited the ability of public sector unions to plunder their employers’ bank accounts every two or three years, when contract time came around again. Unions were limited to negotiating for salary increases alone, and the percentage of those increases was capped. The levels of other compensation, like insurance and other benefits, were left to the discretion of the people elected to run local units of government.
More here
NEW POLL: Most Women Oppose Having to Register for the Draft
And now, Rasmussen has released a survey that provides some clarity and basis for political calculation. The headline figure: Only 38 percent of likely female voters support the proposed new requirement, while just over half oppose it.
More here
Contributions to Library Board
Photograph Two - Left to Right- Greenwood Elementary School second grade teacher Christine Martinez's class raised the most money within the school. Her student Kamren Morgan had individual honors raising the most money, Principal Cheryl O'Neal and Library Board of Trustees member Tom Brice are pictured.
Photograph Three - Left to Right- Princess Anne Elementary School's 3rd grade class taught by Kelly Holland Crockett was the number one class in the school. Adults standing left to right are Library Trustee Board Member Tom Brice, Principal Cortney Monar and Vice Principal Robert Hopkins. Lanazia Goeins was the individual who raised the most money. She is third from the left on the front row.
Exploring the Nature of Human Existence
Can Socrates Offer Millennials Much-Needed Meaning?
Academic Researcher Offers Real-World Applications
Mention philosophy to the average person on the street, and you’re liable to earn at least a few strange looks. For most, the majority of such content is restricted to obscure footnotes in books laypeople never read.
But philosophy and related disciplines have everything to do with everyday life, says Dean Chavooshian, an academic researcher.
“I want to motivate people to be inquisitive about what there is to know and gain knowledge – that idea people carry in their minds as disciplines hiding inside enormous books collecting dust in far corners of libraries – to be read after dinner, during lunch or before bedtime,” says Chavooshian, who has published his “The Pursuit of Wisdom” (thepursuitofwisdom.net) this year. The book chronologically outlines history’s most important names in theology, philosophy and science – fields that inform each other on the nature of human existence.
These three fields, however, tend to remain largely ignored by vast populations of intelligent minds – to the peril of a more enriched life. There is true significance and, yes, controversy to be understood among the world’s intellectual disciplines, he says.
“There’s a reason why Millennials frequently post quotes on social media from Martin Luther King, Jr., Plato, existentialists and religious leaders,” Chavooshian says. “As the lucky inheritors of these intellectual and spiritual giants, we learn something deep about ourselves.
Chavooshian explains some practical applications people – and especially young people – gain from an education exploring the nature of human existence.
• “Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world. Education is the only solution. Education first.” – Malala Yousafzai … The will of one teenage girl sent shockwaves throughout the world because of her thirst for an education and knowledge. Yousafzai, a Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate, was shot by the Taliban at age 15 for her advocacy. Later, in a 2013 speech to the United Nations, she said, “I want education for the sons and the daughters of all the extremists, especially the Taliban.”
“She knows that more education is key to combating extremist ideologies,” Chavooshian says. “It was 9th century Muslim scholars who contributed mightily to the foundation of modern civilization. Intellectuals like Al-Farabi advocated for reconciling Islamic doctrine with the fundamentals of Greek philosophy. Education changes the world.”
• Philosophy challenges your intuition and helps people understand each other. Would you believe that there’s ample drama in philosophy? There is, as played out in academia for centuries, and even today with fun and informal podcasts.
“The more you know, the more you get into these philosophical soap operas,” Chavooshian says. “With a basic foundation, you can find yourself amidst the drama of debate. Ultimately, you walk away with a clearer picture of how others reason and feel. It can cultivate a deep sense of empathy and compassion. This fosters an emotional intelligence that is useful in all aspects of a person’s life, including family matters, continued learning, a future career and spiritual ponderings.”
• Improve how to think and decide for yourself. “I’m particularly sensitive to the needs of inquisitive young people who are trying to find their voices,” Chavooshian says. “I dove into philosophy in my teens because I wanted a clearer picture of life’s significance. Unfortunately, philosophy, theology and even science can remain shrouded in obscurity, with abstractions upon abstractions and esoteric terminology. I want these fields to be accessible.”
On news channels and ads there’s the meme, “You decide!” Much of the time, however, young minds are guided by historical ideas for which they understand little or no context, he says. A background in philosophy and related fields, however, enables minds of all ages to dig deeper, and connect concepts, to realize how they truly feel within themselves, and how to create a meaningful life.”
“A foundational understanding of these intellectual domains is ultimatelyempowering to the young, flowering mind, and clarity to more mature thinking,” Chavooshian says.
About Dean Chavooshian
COOKIES & BEER
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Saturday, February 20th from 1:00-5:00pm!
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Offering $10 Beer & Cookie Flights!
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Incredible Pathé videos of 1916 Easter Rising
Amazing archive footage of the 1916 Rising that changed the course of Irish history was released online in advance of the centenary by the British Pathé organization.
The material released digitally includes footage from the Rising and the immediate aftermath.
The Irish Times reports that British Pathé has made its entire archive, which consists of 3,500 hours of coverage on 85,000 films, available on YouTube.
At the time of the Rising, Pathé’s silent newsreels were the only source of news as we now know it.
Cameras captured the Easter Rising and the events surrounding it.
Footage shows British soldiers receiving tea and food from women on the street.
Heavy damage to the General Post Office on O’Connell Street and Liberty Hall are also shown.
Other footage shows the damage to the center of Dublin caused by the fighting during Easter Week.
The War of Independence and the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty on December 7, 1921 also feature in the newly released footage.
The company’s newsreels stretch from 1896 to 1976 and the Irish Times report says it has, arguably, the finest collection of Irish filmed news events before the advent of television.
The company’s coverage of the First and Second World Wars is also unparalleled.
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The material released digitally includes footage from the Rising and the immediate aftermath.
The Irish Times reports that British Pathé has made its entire archive, which consists of 3,500 hours of coverage on 85,000 films, available on YouTube.
At the time of the Rising, Pathé’s silent newsreels were the only source of news as we now know it.
Cameras captured the Easter Rising and the events surrounding it.
Footage shows British soldiers receiving tea and food from women on the street.
Heavy damage to the General Post Office on O’Connell Street and Liberty Hall are also shown.
Other footage shows the damage to the center of Dublin caused by the fighting during Easter Week.
The War of Independence and the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty on December 7, 1921 also feature in the newly released footage.
The company’s newsreels stretch from 1896 to 1976 and the Irish Times report says it has, arguably, the finest collection of Irish filmed news events before the advent of television.
The company’s coverage of the First and Second World Wars is also unparalleled.
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