American colleges and universities may be liberal strongholds for the most part, but there are some outstanding institutions of higher learning that still cater to conservative values.
Some are religious, some secular, but all of the schools on this list have demonstrated a commitment to conservatism, either through their original mission statements, their curricula, volunteer and work opportunities, or on-campus activities available to students.
To help young people find a top-notch education at an institution that resonates with their principles, Newsmax — with the help of TheBestSchools.org, the Young America's Foundation, and other resources — has compiled a list of the 40 best colleges and universities for conservative values.
Read more here
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Thursday, February 18, 2016
US Marshals Arresting People For Not Paying Their Federal Student Loans
HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Believe it or not, the US Marshals Service in Houston is arresting people for not paying their outstanding federal student
loans.
Paul Aker says he was arrested at his home last week for a $1500 federal student loan he received in 1987.
He says seven deputy US Marshals showed up at his home with guns and took him to federal court where he had to sign a payment plan for the 29-year-old school loan.
More
loans.Paul Aker says he was arrested at his home last week for a $1500 federal student loan
he received in 1987.He says seven deputy US Marshals showed up at his home with guns and took him to federal court
where he had to sign a payment plan for the 29-year-old school loan.More
Republicans Aren’t Fighting Hillary, They’re Fighting the Hillary-Loving Media
Hillary Clinton is a red-hot garbage dumpster fire of a candidate.
On Monday, she barked like a dog to indict Republicans as liars. That was after labeling Republicans her “enemies,” stating that she will not release transcripts of her $700,000 speeches at Goldman Sachs, pretending she doesn’t know what it means to wipe a server, standing on her vagina to push her candidacy, and trotting out her lecherous old husband to recite talking points about her genius.
Clinton’s speeches sound like a mashup of John Edwards, HAL 9000, and the Wicked Witch of The West atop her broomstick. Every move she makes is transparently ridiculous – she virtually shouts “SUPPORT ME, BLACK PEOPLE!” every time she opens her mouth in order to prevent Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) 16% from wrenching away the coveted Democratic nomination from her Gollum-like fingers.
Even her erstwhile allies recognize that Hillary’s awful. Saturday Night Live, a Hillary propaganda machine, now has Kate McKinnon as Hillary singing Bonnie Raitt’s I Can’t Make You Love Me to Bernie Sanders supporters. Democratic National Committee chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) 4%
couldn’t help laughing when Triumph The Insult Comic Dog insulted Hillary. Hillary has nothing going for her other than her last name.
More
On Monday, she barked like a dog to indict Republicans as liars. That was after labeling Republicans her “enemies,” stating that she will not release transcripts of her $700,000 speeches at Goldman Sachs, pretending she doesn’t know what it means to wipe a server, standing on her vagina to push her candidacy, and trotting out her lecherous old husband to recite talking points about her genius.
Clinton’s speeches sound like a mashup of John Edwards, HAL 9000, and the Wicked Witch of The West atop her broomstick. Every move she makes is transparently ridiculous – she virtually shouts “SUPPORT ME, BLACK PEOPLE!” every time she opens her mouth in order to prevent Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) 16% from wrenching away the coveted Democratic nomination from her Gollum-like fingers.
Even her erstwhile allies recognize that Hillary’s awful. Saturday Night Live, a Hillary propaganda machine, now has Kate McKinnon as Hillary singing Bonnie Raitt’s I Can’t Make You Love Me to Bernie Sanders supporters. Democratic National Committee chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) 4%
couldn’t help laughing when Triumph The Insult Comic Dog insulted Hillary. Hillary has nothing going for her other than her last name.
More
HILLARY’S NEW 2016 STRATEGY: “VOTE FOR ME IF YOU WANT A THIRD OBAMA TERM!”
Not that we didn’t already know we’d be getting even more tyrannical oligarchical collectivism with a Hillary presidency, but it’s just weird to see her blatantly promoting the idea that a vote for her is a vote for more Obama politics as if there are just hoardes of people running around the streets of America beside themselves that Obama’s presidency isn’t going to last forever.
Via Salon, who loves her, and call refers to this strategy as “wise”:
MoreAfter Thursday’s debate it’s clear what Hillary Clinton’s closing message is: “Vote for me if you want a third Obama term.” Clinton mentioned Obama 21 times during the debate, and almost every time it was to imply that she’s a stronger supporter of the president and, more important, better prepared to continue his legacy. She even dodged questions about her financial ties to Wall Street by noting that Obama accepted more donations from bankers than any Democratic candidate in history. The point wasn’t to bash Obama but rather to reject the idea that “if you take donations from Wall Street, you can’t be independent.”…The point, in any case, is that Clinton and Obama are very much alike. They may hold progressive principles (although Clinton’s record invites skepticism), but they govern like calculating centrists…
Democrats’ Big Lie About the Supreme Court
Democrats are giddy over the prospect of President Obama replacing conservative Justice Antonin Scalia with a liberal.
But Republicans are equally adamant about blocking Obama’s lame-duck appointment. “This vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president,” says Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
It’s rare that a president makes a Supreme Court appointment during his last months in office. But timing’s not the critical issue. The real outrage is the Democrats’ baseless claim that Obama’s promised nominee should get an E-ZPass onto the bench.
Party chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz urges that Senate confirmation move quickly, “as our founders intended,” and not be “twisted by politics.”
Hillary Clinton says any obstruction would “dishonor our Constitution.” Sorry Hillary and Debbie, that’s not what the Constitution says.
Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders also insists it would be wrong to delay Obama’s court pick for “overtly political reasons.”
All these politicians need a history lesson. Claiming the Senate’s duty is to rubber stamp any “qualified” nominee is pure fiction.
More
But Republicans are equally adamant about blocking Obama’s lame-duck appointment. “This vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president,” says Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
It’s rare that a president makes a Supreme Court appointment during his last months in office. But timing’s not the critical issue. The real outrage is the Democrats’ baseless claim that Obama’s promised nominee should get an E-ZPass onto the bench.
Party chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz urges that Senate confirmation move quickly, “as our founders intended,” and not be “twisted by politics.”
Hillary Clinton says any obstruction would “dishonor our Constitution.” Sorry Hillary and Debbie, that’s not what the Constitution says.
Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders also insists it would be wrong to delay Obama’s court pick for “overtly political reasons.”
All these politicians need a history lesson. Claiming the Senate’s duty is to rubber stamp any “qualified” nominee is pure fiction.
More
POLICE SHOOT SUICIDAL DAD 11 TIMES… WHILE HE LAY IN BED CRYING
We’ve reported before on how calling the police for help these days in the modern American police state usually ends in less help and more death, pets included.
This time the woman was actually calling for an ambulance and not the cops, but since all first response tech is now integrated, the cops were sent anyway.
The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports:
MoreDonna Spry called her husband’s doctor, crying. Curly Spry was refusing to go to his appointment. He was suicidal, off his medication and had a gun, his wife said.Call 911, the doctor’s staff instructed her.Less than an hour later, Curly Spry was dead. He had been shot 11 times by troopers with the West Virginia State Police, according to a lawsuit filed by Donna Spry last month in Kanawha County Circuit Court.The family is suing for $11 million—their attorney told the Gazette-Mail that the agency’s insurance covers $1 million per incident.
Dumb, Dumber and Democrat
Not all Republicans are talented valedictorians residing on Mt. Genius, but today’s Democratic party and its supporters have become disgustingly dumber as the presidential campaign wears on. It escapes me how a Democrat, let alone any American citizen, would cede their rights to bureaucratic dolts. But that is the preference of the Democratic electorate. Their choices for president include an old con-artist just toenails ahead of federal prosecutors and an ancient curmudgeon determined to tax and spend our nation into the dust bowl of history.
The Democratic Party is built on a foundation of victimization and LOSER-ism. Thank God, (and I truly mean to thank HIM, aware that my gratitude upsets some Democrats), we have the freedom in America to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Per the latter, we can pursue happiness. It is not a “right” any more than health care or housing is a “right”. Yet there are those who fall prey to the Democrats’ collective canards of victimization and believe they are owed a large portion of what others earn and produce. These “losers,” if you will, are not totally at fault.
The Democrats purposely created a narrative of nasty and divisive class envy, destroyed our educational system particularly through Common Core, and wildly helped millions of people become addicted to a life of entitlement. These do-gooders demonically created a dependent constituency who will obediently be there when it is time to pull the voting lever, whether legal or not. The two pillars sustaining today’s Democratic Party are the elites and the losers. Remember the so-called and once important “middle class”? Although occasionally still referenced in stump speeches, these hard-working blue-collar factory laborers, veterans, police and fire-fighters have been relegated to the back of the Democrats’ busload of newly-found victims. “Black Lives Matter,” men in dresses and harboring dangerous illegal immigrants in sanctuary cities are the new protected class and assured Democrat voters.
More
The Democratic Party is built on a foundation of victimization and LOSER-ism. Thank God, (and I truly mean to thank HIM, aware that my gratitude upsets some Democrats), we have the freedom in America to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Per the latter, we can pursue happiness. It is not a “right” any more than health care or housing is a “right”. Yet there are those who fall prey to the Democrats’ collective canards of victimization and believe they are owed a large portion of what others earn and produce. These “losers,” if you will, are not totally at fault.
The Democrats purposely created a narrative of nasty and divisive class envy, destroyed our educational system particularly through Common Core, and wildly helped millions of people become addicted to a life of entitlement. These do-gooders demonically created a dependent constituency who will obediently be there when it is time to pull the voting lever, whether legal or not. The two pillars sustaining today’s Democratic Party are the elites and the losers. Remember the so-called and once important “middle class”? Although occasionally still referenced in stump speeches, these hard-working blue-collar factory laborers, veterans, police and fire-fighters have been relegated to the back of the Democrats’ busload of newly-found victims. “Black Lives Matter,” men in dresses and harboring dangerous illegal immigrants in sanctuary cities are the new protected class and assured Democrat voters.
More
American Cheer and Dance Academy Brings Delmarva Beach Classic to WY&CC Saturday, Feb. 20
Salisbury, MD – Salisbury is sizzlin’ this time of year at American Cheer and Dance Academy’s Delmarva Beach Classic on Saturday, Feb. 20 at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center. Doors open at 11 a.m. and the competition begins at 12 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door (cash only); admission for adults (ages 13 - 64 years) is $15.00, children (ages 6 - 12 years) $9.00, seniors (65 years & up) $9.00 and children (5 years & under) are admitted free.
For more information on the Delmarva Beach Classic, visithttp://acdaspirit.com/events/delmarva-beach-blast/.
For more information on the Delmarva Beach Classic, visithttp://acdaspirit.com/events/delmarva-beach-blast/.
"We're Voting With Our Middle Finger": South Carolina Explains Why It Will Pick Trump
Earlier today, we noted that going into the South Carolina primary, Donald Trump is sitting on a commanding lead not just in the state, where he’s up 17 points, but nationally, where his lead over Ted Cruz is an even larger 20 points.
Perhaps most disconcerting for Cruz, Trump has a nine point national edge among white evangelicals, a voter base the Texas senator should by all rights dominate. Trump is also only 3 points behind Cruz among voters who identify as “very conservative.”
In short, the Teflon Don is living up to the hype and while everyone was laughing last summer when Trump declared his candidacy, the only one who is laughing now is Trump himself.
Some were surprised that the latest GOP debate - which appeared at times as though it might devolve into a fist fight - didn’t dent Trump’s numbers. We’re not sure why the shock.
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Perhaps most disconcerting for Cruz, Trump has a nine point national edge among white evangelicals, a voter base the Texas senator should by all rights dominate. Trump is also only 3 points behind Cruz among voters who identify as “very conservative.”
Some were surprised that the latest GOP debate - which appeared at times as though it might devolve into a fist fight - didn’t dent Trump’s numbers. We’re not sure why the shock.
More
Police Release Video of Attack on Iraq War Vet Outside DC McDonald's
The video was released Thursday afternoon.
Christopher Marquez, 30, an Iraq War vet, told the Washington Post he was eating in a back corner of the restaurant when a group of teens and young men approached his table, asking him if he thought 'black lives matter'.
Marquez said he ignored them, because he felt intimidated.
"I'm telling this to everybody because it's been happening a lot around here and across our country," Marquez told "Fox & Friends." "It was a hate crime. They targeted me because of my skin color. So, we're seeing a lot of these events of people being attacked because they're white. And I'm thinking we have to speak up more about this because it's just going to continue to happen."
Marquez said he left the McDonald's, but was knocked unconscious by a blow to his head. When he came to, his pants were ripped and his wallet, which contained $400 in cash, three credit cards and VA medical card among other items, was missing.
More here
Misuse Of ADHD Drugs By Young Adults Drives Rise In ER Visits
It's no secret that stimulant medications such as Adderall that are prescribed to treat symptoms of ADHD are sometimes used as "study drugs" aimed at boosting cognitive performance.
And emergency room visits linked to misuse of the drug are on the rise, according to astudy published Tuesday in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
"Young adults in the 18- to 25-year age range are most likely to misuse these drugs," says Dr. Ramin Mojtabai, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and senior author of the study.
A common scenario is this: A person who has been prescribed ADHD drugs gives or diverts pills to a friend or family member who may be looking for a mental boost, perhaps to cram for a final or prepare a report. And guess what? This is illegal.
More
And emergency room visits linked to misuse of the drug are on the rise, according to astudy published Tuesday in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
"Young adults in the 18- to 25-year age range are most likely to misuse these drugs," says Dr. Ramin Mojtabai, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and senior author of the study.
A common scenario is this: A person who has been prescribed ADHD drugs gives or diverts pills to a friend or family member who may be looking for a mental boost, perhaps to cram for a final or prepare a report. And guess what? This is illegal.
More
Suspect In Custody After Barricade In Wicomico County
The man is identified as Ali Antonio Bradley, 33, of no fixed address. He is being charged this afternoon with multiple traffic violations, burglary and other charges pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation. He was taken to Salisbury Barrack and will be transported to the Wicomico County Detention Center’s central booking facility for processing and his initial appearance before a court commissioner.
Shortly before 1:00 p.m. today Bradley was taken into police custody without incident after he barricaded himself inside a home located in the one hundred block of Justice Avenue in Salisbury. Prior to the barricade, Bradley led investigators from the Maryland State Police Gang Enforcement Unit in a vehicle pursuit before stopping in the dead end of a street behind the home around 11:00 a.m. this morning. After stopping the vehicle, Bradley exited the vehicle and jumped a fence before breaking into the home.
Investigators believe Bradley is associated with the residents of the Salisbury home. Two adults and two small children were in the home at the time of the incident. All four were escorted safely out of the residence. No police officers or citizens were injured during the incident.
Troopers attempted to convince Bradley to surrender to police. He refused the police requests until almost 1:00 p.m. when he came out of the residence and was taken into custody without further incident.
No shots were fired from the residence by Bradley during the incident. No shots were fired by police.
State Police investigators are obtaining a search warrant for the house where Bradley was located and will be conducting a search later this evening.
The Maryland State Police Gang Enforcement Unit, assigned to the Criminal Enforcement Division received assistance from deputies from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office. The Gang Enforcement Unit focuses on a variety of criminal investigations and their involvement in a case does not mean the person arrested is a member of a criminal gang.
There are no further details available at this time. The investigation continues…
'No Place For Discontent': A History Of The Family Dinner In America
Before the late 18th century, it was difficult for American families to dine together regularly, in part because dining rooms and dining tables were not yet a thing. Rooms and tables had multiple uses, and families would eat in shifts, if necessary. If there weren't enough chairs for all members of the family, the men would sit and the women and children might stand, coming and going from the table. (Blame the patriarchy.)
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Dear Fellow Republican
I support Kathy Szeliga for U.S. Senate and I hope you will too. I have known Kathy for years and know that she would bring to Washington, energy, integrity, a sharp mind and devotion to the conservative values that made America great.
In 2010, Kathy Szeliga ran for the House of Delegates. worked hard, and won. In 2013, Delegate Szeliga was elected by her GOP caucus to be the second ranking Republican in the House of Delegates and is currently the highest ranking elected Republican woman in Maryland.
Kathy is a small business owner. She and her husband, Mark, started a general contracting company almost 30 years ago. Kathy knows how to create jobs and understands the toll government overregulation and taxes take on our small business owners and our economy.
Kathy is a leader who has come up through the ranks, paid her dues to the party and earned our support. As Minority Whip, Kathy worked selflessly to raise funds, identify candidates, train and help elect a number of new Republican members to the Maryland House of Delegates. .
Things are finally moving in the right direction in Maryland. Now it's time to make changes in Washington. I’m convinced that Kathy Szeliga is exactly who we need in Washington. Not only am I endorsing Kathy, I intend to do all I can to help her get elected on April 26 and then again in November.
Larry Hogan proved that we could Change Maryland. Will you help elect a hardworking Republican woman to Change Washington?
Please Click Here to join the Kathy for Maryland team. Kathy Szeliga is the right person, and our strongest candidate, to capture this US Senate seat.
Ellen Sauerbrey
In 2010, Kathy Szeliga ran for the House of Delegates. worked hard, and won. In 2013, Delegate Szeliga was elected by her GOP caucus to be the second ranking Republican in the House of Delegates and is currently the highest ranking elected Republican woman in Maryland.
Kathy is a small business owner. She and her husband, Mark, started a general contracting company almost 30 years ago. Kathy knows how to create jobs and understands the toll government overregulation and taxes take on our small business owners and our economy.
Kathy is a leader who has come up through the ranks, paid her dues to the party and earned our support. As Minority Whip, Kathy worked selflessly to raise funds, identify candidates, train and help elect a number of new Republican members to the Maryland House of Delegates. .
Things are finally moving in the right direction in Maryland. Now it's time to make changes in Washington. I’m convinced that Kathy Szeliga is exactly who we need in Washington. Not only am I endorsing Kathy, I intend to do all I can to help her get elected on April 26 and then again in November.
Larry Hogan proved that we could Change Maryland. Will you help elect a hardworking Republican woman to Change Washington?
Please Click Here to join the Kathy for Maryland team. Kathy Szeliga is the right person, and our strongest candidate, to capture this US Senate seat.
Ellen Sauerbrey
Expect Obama To Try To Box In Republicans With His Supreme Court Nominee
The White House isn't offering any names of potential nominees to succeed Justice Antonin Scalia, but it is offering a few clues.
"I'd urge you to take a look at the two Supreme Court justices that the president has already nominated and successfully got confirmed to the bench," White House spokesman Eric Schultz told reporters Monday.
He was referring to Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic, and Elena Kagan, just the fourth woman, to serve on the court.
"I'd also urge you to look at the several hundred judges the president has nominated and successfully confirmed to the lower courts," Schultz added.
Those judges include more women (132), more blacks (nine), more Hispanics (35), more Asian-Americans (20) and more gay (11) judges than any prior president.
Senate Republicans are quickly lining up behind Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's plan to block any consideration of Obama's nominee, but the president has generally sent the Senate nominees who could overcome the 60-vote hurdle usually required for high-profile nominations.
More
"I'd urge you to take a look at the two Supreme Court justices that the president has already nominated and successfully got confirmed to the bench," White House spokesman Eric Schultz told reporters Monday.
He was referring to Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic, and Elena Kagan, just the fourth woman, to serve on the court.
"I'd also urge you to look at the several hundred judges the president has nominated and successfully confirmed to the lower courts," Schultz added.
Those judges include more women (132), more blacks (nine), more Hispanics (35), more Asian-Americans (20) and more gay (11) judges than any prior president.
Senate Republicans are quickly lining up behind Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's plan to block any consideration of Obama's nominee, but the president has generally sent the Senate nominees who could overcome the 60-vote hurdle usually required for high-profile nominations.
More
WHOA: Look how many cops signed up to provide security for Beyonce’s concert…
The backlash for Beyonce’s Super Bowl halftime performance of her new song “Formation” — which critics say contains an anti-cop message — continues. Since the show, police, politicians and erstwhile fans have been speaking out against the controversial performance.
And now, it appears some cops are registering their displeasure with the star in a very tangible, practical way. In response to a call for officers to work Beyonce’s sold-out April 29th concert in Tampa, Florida, no cops have signed up.
Not one
More
And now, it appears some cops are registering their displeasure with the star in a very tangible, practical way. In response to a call for officers to work Beyonce’s sold-out April 29th concert in Tampa, Florida, no cops have signed up.
Not one
More
Get A Government Job, Then Break The Law. It's So Worth It Under Liberal Leadership!
A Veterans Affairs official in California has been sentenced to five months of house arrest for receipt of a gratuity by a public official. Anthony Castaneda allegedly received two prepaid vacation packages from a construction contractor while working as a contracting official for VA. The accused contractor was also sentenced in a separate trial to three years probation.
Larry Summers: "It’s time to kill the $100 bill"
Lawrence H. Summers, the Charles W. Eliot university professor at Harvard, formerUSTreasury Secretary and former director of the National Economic Council, in a column at The Washington Post tiled, It’s time to kill the $100 bill, is calling for the banishment from circulation of the US $100 bill.
He writes:
Harvard's Mossavar Rahmani Center for Business and Government, which I am privileged to direct, has just issued an important paper by senior fellow Peter Sands and a group of student collaborators. The paper makes a compelling case for stopping the issuance of high denomination notes like the 500 euro note and $100 bill or even withdrawing them from circulation.
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He writes:
Harvard's Mossavar Rahmani Center for Business and Government, which I am privileged to direct, has just issued an important paper by senior fellow Peter Sands and a group of student collaborators. The paper makes a compelling case for stopping the issuance of high denomination notes like the 500 euro note and $100 bill or even withdrawing them from circulation.
More
Celebrities who left Scientology
Actor Leah Remini's messy public split from the Church of Scientology brought renewed attention to the controversial religion. Founded by science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology believers undergo "auditing," in which a person pays to relive past experiences with the guidance of a church official, to rid themselves of social ills and attain greater spiritual salvation. Hubbard reportedly had an infatuation with bringing famous people into Scientology. His Project Celebrity sought to disseminate the religion through pop culture icons. The famous people Hubbard sought to convert to Scientology in his heyday included Ed Sullivan, Orson Welles and Walt Disney, among others. The celebrity tradition in Scientology has continued today, most notably led by high-profile advocates Tom Cruise and John Travolta. However, many actors have left Scientology in addition to Remini.
More
More
Owner of Ranch Where Scalia Died Was Honored With Same Award Given to David Rockefeller, Paul Volcker and Alan Greenspan
Okay conspiracy theorists, work these emerging facts into your theories.
John Poindexter, who owns the Cibolo Creek Ranch where Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was staying at the time of his death, is not some small time ranch owner or just an ordinary wealthy industrialist.
The Houston Business Journal reported in 2010, "he was once captain of the Vietnam War combat unit, Alpha Troop, 11th Armored Calvary Regiment.... He worked for many years and lobbied three presidents to direct attention to the heroism of his combat unit in a fight not recorded during the Vietnam War... President Barack Obama honored Poindexter and the troop with the Presidential Unit Citation, the nation’s highest award for unit valor, in a White House ceremony last October.
"Poindexter also received the C. Walter Nichols Award from the New York University Stern School of Business, an honor conferred annually on a leader who exemplifies the qualities of integrity, enterprise and service. Previous recipients have included David Rockefeller, Paul Volcker, Alan Greenspan and Jack Welch."
More
John Poindexter, who owns the Cibolo Creek Ranch where Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was staying at the time of his death, is not some small time ranch owner or just an ordinary wealthy industrialist.
The Houston Business Journal reported in 2010, "he was once captain of the Vietnam War combat unit, Alpha Troop, 11th Armored Calvary Regiment.... He worked for many years and lobbied three presidents to direct attention to the heroism of his combat unit in a fight not recorded during the Vietnam War... President Barack Obama honored Poindexter and the troop with the Presidential Unit Citation, the nation’s highest award for unit valor, in a White House ceremony last October.
"Poindexter also received the C. Walter Nichols Award from the New York University Stern School of Business, an honor conferred annually on a leader who exemplifies the qualities of integrity, enterprise and service. Previous recipients have included David Rockefeller, Paul Volcker, Alan Greenspan and Jack Welch."
More
A Letter To The Editor 2-18-16
Michelle Protani-Chesnik
Conspiracy theories in Scalia death
(CNN) Three days after Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead in his room at a luxury hunting ranch in remote West Texas, the conspiracy theories about his passing continue to swirl.
A local judge's decision not to order a post-mortem examination have triggered a round of questions ranging from scrutiny of the procedures to the bizarre.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Monday referenced a report from the scene about Scalia's body when asked on a radio show to comment on the possibility that Scalia may have been murdered and whether there should be an independent investigation into this death.
"They say they found a pillow on his face, which is a pretty unusual place to find a pillow," Trump said on conservative radio host Michael Savage's show "The Savage Nation." Savage called for "the equivalent of a Warren Commission"-style investigation into Scalia's death.
More
A local judge's decision not to order a post-mortem examination have triggered a round of questions ranging from scrutiny of the procedures to the bizarre.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Monday referenced a report from the scene about Scalia's body when asked on a radio show to comment on the possibility that Scalia may have been murdered and whether there should be an independent investigation into this death.
"They say they found a pillow on his face, which is a pretty unusual place to find a pillow," Trump said on conservative radio host Michael Savage's show "The Savage Nation." Savage called for "the equivalent of a Warren Commission"-style investigation into Scalia's death.
More
Bush Campaign Sources: Campaign Out of Money. Pay Ends Saturday.
Additionally, after having hundreds of millions of dollars on hand, the Bush Super PAC has less than $15 million from what I am being told.
What a waste.
Ironically, if Bush really wants to have an impact on the race, given that his campaign is broke, he should publicly get out of the race today. This would be like Rich Perry in 2012, who got out, cast his support to Gingrich at the last minute, and saw Gingrich storm into first place in South Carolina.
Bush could be the king maker if he gets out today.
More
Iceberg kills 150,000 penguins
(CNN)About 150,000 penguins have died since being stranded by a vast iceberg that became lodged off the coast of Antarctica six years ago, according to the journal Antarctic Science.
Combined with expanding ice, the B09B iceberg, which at 1,120 square miles is almost the size of Rhode Island, has cut off the Adelie penguins' food supply and changed the landscape of their home, according to a February report in the peer-reviewed journal published by Cambridge University Press.
The towering mass of water ice first ran aground into the penguins' habitat of Cape Denison in Commonwealth Bay in 2010. Before that it was floating along the coast for nearly 20 years before colliding into the bay. The iceberg essentially has landlocked the penguins, forcing the animals to trek across a desolate stretch of nearly 40 miles to find food.
More
Combined with expanding ice, the B09B iceberg, which at 1,120 square miles is almost the size of Rhode Island, has cut off the Adelie penguins' food supply and changed the landscape of their home, according to a February report in the peer-reviewed journal published by Cambridge University Press.
The towering mass of water ice first ran aground into the penguins' habitat of Cape Denison in Commonwealth Bay in 2010. Before that it was floating along the coast for nearly 20 years before colliding into the bay. The iceberg essentially has landlocked the penguins, forcing the animals to trek across a desolate stretch of nearly 40 miles to find food.
More
OPM’s acting director prohibited from serving
The Office of Personnel Management’s acting Director Beth Cobert has been in violation of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act for the past three months, says OPM’s Inspector General, and any actions taken by Cobert since her nomination by President Barack Obama to permanently lead the agency are null and void.
The potentially legal snarl comes in a Feb. 10 memo from the IG’s office that was released this week that references an August decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
“I am compelled to bring to your immediate attention that the Federal Vacancies Reform Act (FVRA), as decided by the D.C. Circuit in SW General, Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board, prohibits your serving as the acting director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) as of Nov. 10, 2015, the date that the President nominated you to the Senate for appointment as director of OPM,” the memo stated. “Moreover, under the FVRA, any actions taken by you since the date of your nomination are void and may not be subsequently ratified.”
More
The potentially legal snarl comes in a Feb. 10 memo from the IG’s office that was released this week that references an August decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
“I am compelled to bring to your immediate attention that the Federal Vacancies Reform Act (FVRA), as decided by the D.C. Circuit in SW General, Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board, prohibits your serving as the acting director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) as of Nov. 10, 2015, the date that the President nominated you to the Senate for appointment as director of OPM,” the memo stated. “Moreover, under the FVRA, any actions taken by you since the date of your nomination are void and may not be subsequently ratified.”
More
IMMIGRATION REFORM THAT WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN
The three core principles of Donald J. Trump's immigration plan
When politicians talk about “immigration reform” they mean: amnesty, cheap labor and open borders. The Schumer-Rubio immigration bill was nothing more than a giveaway to the corporate patrons who run both parties.
Real immigration reform puts the needs of working people first – not wealthy globetrotting donors. We are the only country in the world whose immigration system puts the needs of other nations ahead of our own. That must change. Here are the three core principles of real immigration reform:
1. A nation without borders is not a nation. There must be a wall across the southern border.
2. A nation without laws is not a nation. Laws passed in accordance with our Constitutional system of government must be enforced.
3. A nation that does not serve its own citizens is not a nation. Any immigration plan must improve jobs, wages and security for all Americans.
Make Mexico Pay For The Wall
When politicians talk about “immigration reform” they mean: amnesty, cheap labor and open borders. The Schumer-Rubio immigration bill was nothing more than a giveaway to the corporate patrons who run both parties.
Real immigration reform puts the needs of working people first – not wealthy globetrotting donors. We are the only country in the world whose immigration system puts the needs of other nations ahead of our own. That must change. Here are the three core principles of real immigration reform:
1. A nation without borders is not a nation. There must be a wall across the southern border.
2. A nation without laws is not a nation. Laws passed in accordance with our Constitutional system of government must be enforced.
3. A nation that does not serve its own citizens is not a nation. Any immigration plan must improve jobs, wages and security for all Americans.
Make Mexico Pay For The Wall
Maryland Democrats have plan to restrict governor on transportation decisions
The Democratic leaders of the General Assembly want to restrict the governor's power to decide what transportation projects to fund.
Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael E. Busch threw their support Tuesday behind legislation that would create a process for determining which transportation projects should be priorities.
The bill would affect all future governors, but is an explicit reaction to Gov. Larry Hogan's decision last summer to shift $1 billion toward highway construction after scrapping the $2.9 billion Red Line through Baltimore. The light rail project had been in planning for more than a decade.
The leaders said the bill would "create a new process to objectively screen and score transportation projects based on their anticipated benefits." It would require the governor to justify decisions that fall outside of that scoring system.
Busch said such a measure was not needed under previous governors because there were opportunities for legislators and local government to give input. Under Hogan, he said, that changed.
"There was no discussion, no collaboration," Busch said. "They waited to the end of the session to put forward their plan without any input from the General Assembly."
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Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael E. Busch threw their support Tuesday behind legislation that would create a process for determining which transportation projects should be priorities.
The bill would affect all future governors, but is an explicit reaction to Gov. Larry Hogan's decision last summer to shift $1 billion toward highway construction after scrapping the $2.9 billion Red Line through Baltimore. The light rail project had been in planning for more than a decade.
The leaders said the bill would "create a new process to objectively screen and score transportation projects based on their anticipated benefits." It would require the governor to justify decisions that fall outside of that scoring system.
Busch said such a measure was not needed under previous governors because there were opportunities for legislators and local government to give input. Under Hogan, he said, that changed.
"There was no discussion, no collaboration," Busch said. "They waited to the end of the session to put forward their plan without any input from the General Assembly."
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JON MCNAUGHTON PAINTING
If you are familiar with Jon McNaughton's paintings, you will love this one.
This is his latest---his opinions on the current situation are stated very clearly by his paintbrush and his comments below, but no comment is really needed.
Many Americans today feel a sense of dismay and horror as we see our country in a downward spiral; economically, morally, and politically. President Obama's indifferent attitude and the continuous list of scandals and bad policy are leading the country to ruin. As an artist I am reminded of the old saying "Nero fiddled while Rome burned." History believes that Nero himself may have set the great fire that burned a part of Rome during his leadership. Afterwards, he blamed it on the Christians who suffered great persecution under his rule. I see great similarities to what we are experiencing today.
Obama fiddled, while the people witnessed the demise of America. Jon McNaughton
Ann Coulter: GOP Baffled as Voters Rally to Popular Candidate
Donald Trump’s latest bombshell, claiming the Bush administration lied about weapons of mass destruction to get us into the Iraq War, is just him doing wheelies on the way to the nomination. He’s apparently decided it would be fun to taunt the entire GOP by demonstrating that he can say anything and his voters won’t care.
I wish he’d stop showing off, the little scamp, but maybe the GOP establishment will finally get the message that voters have been waiting a really long time for a candidate who would put Americans first. Not donors, not plutocrats, not foreigners, and certainly not foreign plutocrats (i.e., Fox News).
Trump is the first presidential candidate in 50 years who might conceivably: (1) deport illegal aliens, (2) build a wall, (3) block Muslim immigration, (4) flout political correctness, (5) bring manufacturing home, and (6) end the GOP’s neurotic compulsion to start wars in some godforsaken part of the world.
That’s all that matters! Are you listening yet, RNC?
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I wish he’d stop showing off, the little scamp, but maybe the GOP establishment will finally get the message that voters have been waiting a really long time for a candidate who would put Americans first. Not donors, not plutocrats, not foreigners, and certainly not foreign plutocrats (i.e., Fox News).
Trump is the first presidential candidate in 50 years who might conceivably: (1) deport illegal aliens, (2) build a wall, (3) block Muslim immigration, (4) flout political correctness, (5) bring manufacturing home, and (6) end the GOP’s neurotic compulsion to start wars in some godforsaken part of the world.
That’s all that matters! Are you listening yet, RNC?
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Slain Va. man was one-time informant who got Marine to confess to murders
WASHINGTON - A Virginia man found murdered in Maryland over the weekend was an informant who successfully got a Marine to confess to three murders in prison.
Osama El-Atari had been reported missing by his family last Thursday. Two days later, El Atari was found dead inside his truck on Armstrong Lane in Upper Marlboro.
El-Atari was an ex-con who scammed millions of dollars out of banks in the Washington area. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison, but served only just a few of those years after he worked with investigators to get a confession on tape.
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Osama El-Atari had been reported missing by his family last Thursday. Two days later, El Atari was found dead inside his truck on Armstrong Lane in Upper Marlboro.
El-Atari was an ex-con who scammed millions of dollars out of banks in the Washington area. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison, but served only just a few of those years after he worked with investigators to get a confession on tape.
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Terminal Cancer Patient Admits Breaking the Law to Take Cannabis — And It Saved His Life
Camp Hill, PA – Initially hiding his identity to protect himself and his family from the state and federal government, a 56-year-old man diagnosed with stage 4 cancer chose to reveal himself on Tuesday in order to publicly tell state lawmakers how an illegal medical treatment helped save his life. Although the government has determined that cannabis kills cancer cells, further research is restricted due to the fact that marijuana remains a Schedule I drug along with heroin, LSD, and bath salts.
Diagnosed with stage 4 bile duct cancer in March 2015, Randal Ray Robertson was told he had a two percent chance of survival with the probability of only living another nine to eleven months. After the cancer spread to Robertson’s lungs and liver, one of his doctors suggested medical marijuana even though the drug is illegal for medicinal use in Pennsylvania. As the chemotherapy treatments completely emaciated Robertson, he decided to break the law in a desperate attempt to save his life.
“If you can’t eat, you can’t heal. If you can’t sleep, you can’t heal. If you can’t digest your food properly, you can’t heal. Pharmaceutical medications are designed to shut your system down, that’s what they do, marijuana does not do that,” his wife, Molly Robertson, told ABC27.
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Diagnosed with stage 4 bile duct cancer in March 2015, Randal Ray Robertson was told he had a two percent chance of survival with the probability of only living another nine to eleven months. After the cancer spread to Robertson’s lungs and liver, one of his doctors suggested medical marijuana even though the drug is illegal for medicinal use in Pennsylvania. As the chemotherapy treatments completely emaciated Robertson, he decided to break the law in a desperate attempt to save his life.
“If you can’t eat, you can’t heal. If you can’t sleep, you can’t heal. If you can’t digest your food properly, you can’t heal. Pharmaceutical medications are designed to shut your system down, that’s what they do, marijuana does not do that,” his wife, Molly Robertson, told ABC27.
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Paul Ryan on Passing TPP: ‘I’m Not the Dictator of the House’
(CNSNews) - House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said Sunday that he doesn’t see where the votes are right now to pass the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), and when pressed to explain what he would want to change in order to get the votes, Ryan told Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures,” he’s not the “dictator of the House.”
“I’m the speaker of the House. I’m not the dictator of the House. I’m not the micromanager of the House, and I don’t see where these votes are right now, and I’m just being honest with people about that, and I don’t know if and when that’s going to change,” Ryan told host Maria Bartiromo.
Ryan wrote the Trade Promotion Authority law, “which gives us the ability to go negotiate trade agreements and then gives Congress the final say-so on whether or not we enter into a trade agreement.”
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“I’m the speaker of the House. I’m not the dictator of the House. I’m not the micromanager of the House, and I don’t see where these votes are right now, and I’m just being honest with people about that, and I don’t know if and when that’s going to change,” Ryan told host Maria Bartiromo.
Ryan wrote the Trade Promotion Authority law, “which gives us the ability to go negotiate trade agreements and then gives Congress the final say-so on whether or not we enter into a trade agreement.”
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County Executive Announces Passage of Capital Improvement Program 2017-2021
County Executive Bob Culver is pleased to announce the Capital Improvement Program 2017-2021 was approved by County Council at their meeting on February 16, 2016.
The five year Capital Improvement Program, referred to as CIP, is an important tool that assists Wicomico County in its long-range financial and public works plans. Each year, the program is reviewed and priorities are re-evaluated. Often new projects that have become matters of higher priority are added. The first year of the program will be considered as the Capital Improvement Budget. It is this portion which receives the closest scrutiny and for which funding decisions are made. The remaining years serve as a guide and an indicator of what future capital requirements are likely to be, their cost and probable sources of funding. That part of the Capital Budget requiring County funds may come from current revenues, prior fund balances, grants and the proceeds from the sale of General Obligation Bonds. In order to receive the maximum favorable interest rate, the County must pledge the County's full faith and credit to servicing the bonded debt, subject to Charter restrictions.
Executive Culver is appreciative to the County Council for moving this CIP program forward.
The five year Capital Improvement Program, referred to as CIP, is an important tool that assists Wicomico County in its long-range financial and public works plans. Each year, the program is reviewed and priorities are re-evaluated. Often new projects that have become matters of higher priority are added. The first year of the program will be considered as the Capital Improvement Budget. It is this portion which receives the closest scrutiny and for which funding decisions are made. The remaining years serve as a guide and an indicator of what future capital requirements are likely to be, their cost and probable sources of funding. That part of the Capital Budget requiring County funds may come from current revenues, prior fund balances, grants and the proceeds from the sale of General Obligation Bonds. In order to receive the maximum favorable interest rate, the County must pledge the County's full faith and credit to servicing the bonded debt, subject to Charter restrictions.
Executive Culver is appreciative to the County Council for moving this CIP program forward.
GOP Should Follow Democrat Precedent for Once
“The Constitution is not a living organism. … It’s a legal document, and it says what it says and doesn’t say what it doesn’t say.” —Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia
News of Antonin Scalia’s death was like a kick to the gut for conservatives. Scalia long has been the anchor of the conservative wing of the court. He was a champion of “originalism” — the philosophy of interpreting the Constitution according to the intentions of the men who wrote it. His jurisprudential brilliance and his sharp wit were legendary, and even though he spent most of his career on the Court in the minority, he had more influence in the minority than his lesser colleagues had in the majority. Such was the high quality of his legal reasoning.
His loss is devastating and cannot be overstated.
His passing also throws a huge curve ball into the political circus that is the presidential election year. Constitutionally, Barack Obama is well within his powers to nominate another justice to replace Scalia, even if that nominee will inevitably be a far left-wing radical with barely disguised contempt for the Constitution as originally written. After all, it should not be surprising for a radical leftist president to nominate a radical leftist judge who shares his view that the Constitution “reflected the fundamental flaw of this country.”
At Saturday night’s GOP debate, pretty much every Republican frowned on the idea of Obama, with less than a year left in office, nominating another justice, and most said the Senate should block any Obama nominee. Predictably, Democrats are outraged at the thought of Obama not getting his choice confirmed.
What short memories they have.
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News of Antonin Scalia’s death was like a kick to the gut for conservatives. Scalia long has been the anchor of the conservative wing of the court. He was a champion of “originalism” — the philosophy of interpreting the Constitution according to the intentions of the men who wrote it. His jurisprudential brilliance and his sharp wit were legendary, and even though he spent most of his career on the Court in the minority, he had more influence in the minority than his lesser colleagues had in the majority. Such was the high quality of his legal reasoning.
His loss is devastating and cannot be overstated.
His passing also throws a huge curve ball into the political circus that is the presidential election year. Constitutionally, Barack Obama is well within his powers to nominate another justice to replace Scalia, even if that nominee will inevitably be a far left-wing radical with barely disguised contempt for the Constitution as originally written. After all, it should not be surprising for a radical leftist president to nominate a radical leftist judge who shares his view that the Constitution “reflected the fundamental flaw of this country.”
At Saturday night’s GOP debate, pretty much every Republican frowned on the idea of Obama, with less than a year left in office, nominating another justice, and most said the Senate should block any Obama nominee. Predictably, Democrats are outraged at the thought of Obama not getting his choice confirmed.
What short memories they have.
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Florida 18-year-old accused of posing as doctor, setting up fake practice
A South Florida teen was arrested Tuesday and charged with practicing medicine without a license after allegedly setting up a fake medical practice and passing himself off as having a Ph.D.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said Malachi Love-Robinson, 18, was arrested after he allegedly performed an examination on an undercover agent and offered medical advice. He was being held on $6,000 bail.
The Palm Beach Post reported that a cease-and-desist order showed that Love-Robinson had operated a medical office in West Palm Beach since Jan. 26. The teen allegedly named his practice New Birth New Life Holistic and Alternative Medical Center & Urgent Care and claimed to be a doctor of psychology.
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The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said Malachi Love-Robinson, 18, was arrested after he allegedly performed an examination on an undercover agent and offered medical advice. He was being held on $6,000 bail.
The Palm Beach Post reported that a cease-and-desist order showed that Love-Robinson had operated a medical office in West Palm Beach since Jan. 26. The teen allegedly named his practice New Birth New Life Holistic and Alternative Medical Center & Urgent Care and claimed to be a doctor of psychology.
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Police-involved shooting reported in Middle River
County police spokesman Cpl. John Wachter said the officer involved tried to make a traffic stop for suspicion of narcotics activity at about 2 a.m. Thursday along Old Eastern and Harrison avenues. The passenger in the vehicle got out of the car and made a sudden movement toward his waistband, police said.
Police said the officer fired at least once because he feared for his life. The passenger was taken to the hospital, but there are no updates on his condition.
"The officer had no choice but to fire his weapon," Wachter said.
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Police said the officer fired at least once because he feared for his life. The passenger was taken to the hospital, but there are no updates on his condition.
"The officer had no choice but to fire his weapon," Wachter said.
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Palestinians Admit Working With Israel To Foil Attacks
RAMALLAH, West Bank — It’s a revelation that has sent shock waves throughout the Palestinian enclaves in the West Bank and Gaza Strip: The Palestinian Authority (PA) has acknowledged thwarting dozens of attacks on Israelis planned by local militants.
Last month, Palestinian General Intelligence Service chief Majid Faraj told Defense News that the PA has foiled 200 attacks on Israelis, confiscated weapons and arrested 100 Palestinians since October, when the so-called Third Intifada, an uprising against Israel’s dominance of the Palestinian lands, began.
Mr. Faraj framed the policy as crucial to preventing chaos in Palestine that the Islamic State, the violent jihadi group that controls large swaths of Syria and Iraq, might exploit.
Islamic State “is on our border; they are here with their ideology; and they are looking to find a suitable platform to establish their base,” Mr. Faraj told the newspaper. “Therefore, we must prevent a collapse here, because the alternative is anarchy, violence and terrorism. We, together with our counterparts in the Israeli security establishment, with the Americans and others, are all trying to prevent that collapse.”
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Last month, Palestinian General Intelligence Service chief Majid Faraj told Defense News that the PA has foiled 200 attacks on Israelis, confiscated weapons and arrested 100 Palestinians since October, when the so-called Third Intifada, an uprising against Israel’s dominance of the Palestinian lands, began.
Mr. Faraj framed the policy as crucial to preventing chaos in Palestine that the Islamic State, the violent jihadi group that controls large swaths of Syria and Iraq, might exploit.
Islamic State “is on our border; they are here with their ideology; and they are looking to find a suitable platform to establish their base,” Mr. Faraj told the newspaper. “Therefore, we must prevent a collapse here, because the alternative is anarchy, violence and terrorism. We, together with our counterparts in the Israeli security establishment, with the Americans and others, are all trying to prevent that collapse.”
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Obama fires back at Senate Republicans in Supreme Court battle
President Obama fired back Tuesday at Senate Republicans pre-emptively threatening to block his eventual nominee to succeed the late Justice Antonin Scalia, saying at a press conference that the Senate has “more than enough time” to consider his pick and he intends to press ahead.
“The Constitution is pretty clear about what is supposed to happen now,” Obama said. “When there is a vacancy on the Supreme Court, the president of the United States is to nominate someone. The Senate is to consider that nomination.”
Obama, in his most extensive remarks on the vacancy since the 79-year-old Scalia was found dead at a Texas ranch on Saturday, rejected widespread calls by Republican lawmakers and 2016 candidates to defer to the next president to fill Scalia’s seat.
“There is no unwritten law that says that it can only be done on off-years. That’s not in the constitutional text,” Obama said, blasting what he called an “obstructionist” Senate.
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“The Constitution is pretty clear about what is supposed to happen now,” Obama said. “When there is a vacancy on the Supreme Court, the president of the United States is to nominate someone. The Senate is to consider that nomination.”
Obama, in his most extensive remarks on the vacancy since the 79-year-old Scalia was found dead at a Texas ranch on Saturday, rejected widespread calls by Republican lawmakers and 2016 candidates to defer to the next president to fill Scalia’s seat.
“There is no unwritten law that says that it can only be done on off-years. That’s not in the constitutional text,” Obama said, blasting what he called an “obstructionist” Senate.
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Scalia, the Senate and the Media: A Time For Hypocrisy
This is the kind of Washington hypocrisy that should make everyone cringe.
In the immediate aftermath of Antonin Scalia’s death, Democrats and Republicans, along with liberal and conservative commentators, are making arguments that are parsed as principled, but really naked partisanship.
They are taking positions that they would reverse in a heartbeat if the Supreme Court vacancy occurred under mirror-image circumstances. In fact, many of them have taken the opposite stance in the past.
So the high-minded rhetoric really rings hollow.
What troubled me initially is that there was no decent interval—indeed, no interval at all—between the announcement of the 79-year-old jurist’s death and the online debate over what should happen to his seat. That seemed disrespectful, but it’s the world we now live in.
President Obama says he will nominate a successor. Mitch McConnell says don’t bother, the Senate won’t be voting on a nominee because we want to wait for the next president. Both sides are invoking the Constitution.
But it’s easy to see through the pretense.
Here’s Chuck Schumer, the incoming Senate Democratic leader, saying of McConnell: “He doesn’t even know who the president’s going to propose and he said, ‘No, we’re not having hearings; we’re not going to go forward to leave the Supreme Court vacant at 300 days in a divided time.’”
And as the Daily Caller noted, here’s Schumer in July of 2007, saying Senate Democrats shouldn’t allow George W. Bush to fill any future Supreme Court vacancies “except in extraordinary circumstances”:
“We should reverse the presumption of confirmation. The Supreme Court is dangerously out of balance. We cannot afford to see Justice Stevens replaced by another Roberts, or Justice Ginsburg by another Alito.”
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In the immediate aftermath of Antonin Scalia’s death, Democrats and Republicans, along with liberal and conservative commentators, are making arguments that are parsed as principled, but really naked partisanship.
They are taking positions that they would reverse in a heartbeat if the Supreme Court vacancy occurred under mirror-image circumstances. In fact, many of them have taken the opposite stance in the past.
So the high-minded rhetoric really rings hollow.
What troubled me initially is that there was no decent interval—indeed, no interval at all—between the announcement of the 79-year-old jurist’s death and the online debate over what should happen to his seat. That seemed disrespectful, but it’s the world we now live in.
President Obama says he will nominate a successor. Mitch McConnell says don’t bother, the Senate won’t be voting on a nominee because we want to wait for the next president. Both sides are invoking the Constitution.
But it’s easy to see through the pretense.
Here’s Chuck Schumer, the incoming Senate Democratic leader, saying of McConnell: “He doesn’t even know who the president’s going to propose and he said, ‘No, we’re not having hearings; we’re not going to go forward to leave the Supreme Court vacant at 300 days in a divided time.’”
And as the Daily Caller noted, here’s Schumer in July of 2007, saying Senate Democrats shouldn’t allow George W. Bush to fill any future Supreme Court vacancies “except in extraordinary circumstances”:
“We should reverse the presumption of confirmation. The Supreme Court is dangerously out of balance. We cannot afford to see Justice Stevens replaced by another Roberts, or Justice Ginsburg by another Alito.”
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POLICE ARREST BRITISH MAN FOR “OFFENSIVE” FACEBOOK POST ABOUT MIGRANTS
Negative opinions about wave of Muslim refugees 'will not be tolerated'
In another chilling example of how free speech is being criminalized, police in Scotland arrested a man after he made an “offensive” Facebook post about Muslim migrants arriving in his area.
Police Scotland confirmed today that they had arrested a 40-year-old man under the Communications Act for a post in which was critical of 12 Syrian families who recently arrived in the seaside town of Rothesay.
“I hope that the arrest of this individual sends a clear message that Police Scotland will not tolerate any form of activity which could incite hatred and provoke offensive comments on social media,” remarked Insp Ewan Wilson from Dunoon police office.
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In another chilling example of how free speech is being criminalized, police in Scotland arrested a man after he made an “offensive” Facebook post about Muslim migrants arriving in his area.
Police Scotland confirmed today that they had arrested a 40-year-old man under the Communications Act for a post in which was critical of 12 Syrian families who recently arrived in the seaside town of Rothesay.
“I hope that the arrest of this individual sends a clear message that Police Scotland will not tolerate any form of activity which could incite hatred and provoke offensive comments on social media,” remarked Insp Ewan Wilson from Dunoon police office.
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How To Further Degrade Military Effectiveness
When you want to take a country down, the first thing you do is weaken its military. That’s why “sequestration” turned out to be the perfect storm for the Obama administration. It provided the legal basis — actually, an excuse, as in “the budget made me do it” — for the unilateral disarmament of our military forces. Consequently, our forces have been degraded to levels not seen since prior to World War II, and in the Navy’s case, not since before World War I. It should be remembered that sequestration was an Obama administration initiative.
Compounding this disastrous situation, with all the instability and challenges we face throughout the world, our once-proud and uncontested military forces have also been subjected to debilitating social engineering directives. This is being done under the mantle of “diversity.” These include the removal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”; forcing women into all combat roles, including our Special Forces and Navy SEALs; and the integration of “transgender” personnel into the military. None of these directives enhance readiness or capability. Of course, the restricted Rules of Engagement our soldiers are forced to observe is another factor leading to the destruction of our military capability and effectiveness, as well as adding to the unnecessary loss of military lives.
The net effect has been to not only undermine the moral fiber of our military, but to adversely affect unit integrity, cohesiveness and most importantly, the “will to win.” We most recently saw an example of this with the capture of our two 47-foot heavily armed Riverine Command Boats in the Persian Gulf on Jan. 12 by two lightly armed Iranian center console craft. “Humiliation” describes it best. This was the darkest day for the U.S. Navy since the North Korean capture of the USS Pueblo.
Another directive that will adversely affect combat readiness and effectiveness is the recent Executive Order 13653, which directs all government agencies, including the Department of Defense, to prepare for the “impacts of climatic change.”
More here
Compounding this disastrous situation, with all the instability and challenges we face throughout the world, our once-proud and uncontested military forces have also been subjected to debilitating social engineering directives. This is being done under the mantle of “diversity.” These include the removal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”; forcing women into all combat roles, including our Special Forces and Navy SEALs; and the integration of “transgender” personnel into the military. None of these directives enhance readiness or capability. Of course, the restricted Rules of Engagement our soldiers are forced to observe is another factor leading to the destruction of our military capability and effectiveness, as well as adding to the unnecessary loss of military lives.
The net effect has been to not only undermine the moral fiber of our military, but to adversely affect unit integrity, cohesiveness and most importantly, the “will to win.” We most recently saw an example of this with the capture of our two 47-foot heavily armed Riverine Command Boats in the Persian Gulf on Jan. 12 by two lightly armed Iranian center console craft. “Humiliation” describes it best. This was the darkest day for the U.S. Navy since the North Korean capture of the USS Pueblo.
Another directive that will adversely affect combat readiness and effectiveness is the recent Executive Order 13653, which directs all government agencies, including the Department of Defense, to prepare for the “impacts of climatic change.”
More here
NY Times: Taliban Essentially a Drug Cartel
As high-ranking Taliban officials have become entrenched in the opium trade, the prospect of peace is diminishing.
According to a New York Times report, top Taliban leaders have become enmeshed in the trade, and the United Nations warns that making peace with the West would actually hurt their bottom line.
"This trend has real consequences for peace and security in Afghanistan, as it encourages those within the Taliban movement who have the greatest economic incentives to oppose any meaningful process of reconciliation with the new government," the most recent U.N. monitoring report said.
In July 2014, Afghan forces stopped a convoy, seizing almost a metric ton of opium, along with weapons and communications equipment.
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According to a New York Times report, top Taliban leaders have become enmeshed in the trade, and the United Nations warns that making peace with the West would actually hurt their bottom line.
"This trend has real consequences for peace and security in Afghanistan, as it encourages those within the Taliban movement who have the greatest economic incentives to oppose any meaningful process of reconciliation with the new government," the most recent U.N. monitoring report said.
In July 2014, Afghan forces stopped a convoy, seizing almost a metric ton of opium, along with weapons and communications equipment.
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Three New "First In The South" Polls Show Donald Trump Up Big
GOP FRONTRUNNER MAINTAINS “YUGE” LEAD IN EARLY-VOTING SOUTH CAROLINA
A rocky debate performance and a steady onslaught of negative attacks coming from his rivals – most notably former Florida governor Jeb Bush – have made nary a dent in Donald Trump‘s dominance in early-voting South Carolina.
Three new polls released this week show Trump with a huge (yuge?) advantage over the rest of the “Republican” field.
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A rocky debate performance and a steady onslaught of negative attacks coming from his rivals – most notably former Florida governor Jeb Bush – have made nary a dent in Donald Trump‘s dominance in early-voting South Carolina.
Three new polls released this week show Trump with a huge (yuge?) advantage over the rest of the “Republican” field.
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U.S. Special Forces Not Ready to Integrate Women
The new challenge is tucked inside President Obama’s 2017 defense budget. It states that U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and its 69,000 personnel are up against “training challenges” and is seeing “minor impacts to the forces’ ability to accomplish missions” that could grow worse.
Army Green Berets and Navy SEALs face some limits on training due to cutbacks in fleet and training range operations, according to a budget overview document sent to Congress last week.
As this happens, SOCOM is looking at a spring deadline to begin tryouts for integrating women into teams where 85 percent of men oppose the move, according to a Pentagon-sponsored survey by the Rand Corp. Nearly 90 percent say that blending the sexes will lead to lowered physical standards for missions in which high endurance and brute strength are vital. Some male warriors are so opposed that Rand scholars labeled them “extreme.”
Special operations forces are deploying at one of the most frequent rotations in history during the war on terror, begun Sept. 11, 2001. After conducting hundreds of manhunts in Iraq against al Qaeda, they are back in that country preparing for raids on the Islamic State terrorist army.
More here
China is Selling US Gov. Debt
Chinese holdings of US government debt fell to a ten-month low in December.
According to the US treasury department, US government debt held by China – the largest offshore holder globally – fell by $18.4 billion to $1.25 trillion in December, leaving the holdings of bills, notes and bonds largely unchanged from the levels of a year earlier.
The tweet below from ANZ’s senior interest rate strategist Martin Whetton reveals the movements in US debt holdings by individual nation in December.
Chinese foreign debt holdings – fell by an even larger $22 billion, suggesting that the official reduction through direct Chinese selling may have been substantially larger than the $18.4 billion figure recorded.
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According to the US treasury department, US government debt held by China – the largest offshore holder globally – fell by $18.4 billion to $1.25 trillion in December, leaving the holdings of bills, notes and bonds largely unchanged from the levels of a year earlier.
The tweet below from ANZ’s senior interest rate strategist Martin Whetton reveals the movements in US debt holdings by individual nation in December.
Chinese foreign debt holdings – fell by an even larger $22 billion, suggesting that the official reduction through direct Chinese selling may have been substantially larger than the $18.4 billion figure recorded.
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Justice Scalia was a model for us all
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Justice Scalia was a model for us all
I mourn for our country. We have lost truly one of the greats of the ages.
(Photo: submitted image)
I write this in brief because words are hard to come by and tears are still fresh in my eyes in the hours after hearing of the sudden and unexpected death of my Supreme Court justice – Antonin Scalia.
When someone learns that I clerked for Justice Scalia, the most common question I am asked is, “What was it like?”
My answer has always been the same: It was intimidating, inspiring, and an experience I thank God for every day.
Imagine being a young 25-year-old clerk working as a professional intimate of one of the 10 greatest figures in the history of Anglo-American law in a thousand years of that tradition. You might as well ask me what was it like to clerk for Lord Chief JusticeEdward Coke or Chief Justice John Marshall.
There are many judges and justices who have written landmark opinions. But few of them have shaped or reshaped the entire philosophy of legal interpretation and the role of the courts as Scalia did.
We clerks counted ourselves lucky if so much as one sentence we had drafted remained intact after the justice had spent an evening in his chair at home working the keyboard – with a red wine in hand. Every word in his body of work was authentically “Scalia.”
Although this will surprise many, I remember the justice as uncompromisingly intellectually humble. He was always willing to follow logic, research and reasoning wherever it might take him, regardless of where his initial instincts and understandings may have placed him.
He was completely devoted to the rule of law and to a textualism that respected the role and meaning of language used by those who wrote our great Constitution and those vested through the Constitution with the power of creating our laws.
Scalia believed words have meaning. Oddly, that set him against many in the current age.
The most important volume in his private chambers when I clerked for him was theWebster’s Unabridged Dictionary, Second Edition. He hated the Third Edition. It was an abomination because it described how words were used, rather than how they should be used, as the Second Edition had done.
The Second Edition still sits next to my desk at home in tribute to him.
I never saw him delight as much as when his textualism brought the Court (or him) to what one might consider a “liberal” outcome. These were the proof cases that allowed him to demonstrate the integrity and power of his philosophy of interpretation.
More than the justice, though, was the man himself. He was a model for us all. His priorities were always God, family and country – in that order.
I mourn with Maureen and his family.
I mourn for our country. We have lost truly one of the greats of the ages.
I learned so much from him about the law, history and government. I learned much more from him about my faith by his example and words – in ways he perhaps never even knew.
He was a wise mentor and counselor.
I pray that God will grant Scalia, his good and faithful servant, memory eternal.
Alex M. Azar II clerked for Associate Justice Antonin Scalia in October Term 1992, served as deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and is now president of Lilly USA, LLC. The son of Dr. Alex Azar, Azar is a 1985 graduate of Parkside High School.
I'm sure the letter refers to Chief Justice John Marshall, who served from 1801 to 1835.; not Justice Thurgood Marshall, who was never Chief Justice.
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