… AND WHY IT’S SO DANGEROUS FOR THE FUTURE OF “OBJECTIVE JOURNALISM”
This website makes no claims as to objectivity. We exist to shape your opinions. And like anyone else with something to say, our effectiveness in convincing you depends on our ability to compete in the “marketplace of ideas” using facts, numbers and arguments.
Other news outlets?
They’re the ones with the laminated credentials. The sexy anchors. The “access.” The lofty claims of being “fair and balanced.” Of course as we’ve already seen in this election cycle, these outlets are pushing agendas every bit as much as we are.
The latest example of MSM machination in the 2016 election? The Washington Post – which fancies itself as “the dominant morning newspaper in the capital of the free world.”
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Saturday, March 12, 2016
Casino Employees Demonstrate Over Starting Wage Rates
OCEAN CITY – Dozens of Casino at Ocean Downs employees took a gamble on trying to pressure their employers to increase their pay by picketing in front of the casino on Thursday afternoon.
In recent months, a handful of employees have been seen handing out leaflets to incoming casino goers in hopes of gaining public support for ongoing wage negotiations with Ocean Downs’ management. This week, the leaflets turned to picket signs.
“This is the first time that workers have organized a picket line in front of Ocean Downs, and we think that our demands for better pay are very similar to the conversation that is happening nationally about income inequality and the disappearance of the middle class,” said Mishy Leiblum, lead organizer with UNITE HERE local 7, which is a national organization that represents workers in the hotel, gaming, food service, transportation, and manufacturing industries.
According to Leiblum, about 100 of the workers at Ocean Downs are unionized, and they’ve been increasing their call for better compensation, especially since the revenue numbers for the casino have grown since it opened five years ago.
The union contract expired last October and no new agreement has been finalized.
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In recent months, a handful of employees have been seen handing out leaflets to incoming casino goers in hopes of gaining public support for ongoing wage negotiations with Ocean Downs’ management. This week, the leaflets turned to picket signs.
“This is the first time that workers have organized a picket line in front of Ocean Downs, and we think that our demands for better pay are very similar to the conversation that is happening nationally about income inequality and the disappearance of the middle class,” said Mishy Leiblum, lead organizer with UNITE HERE local 7, which is a national organization that represents workers in the hotel, gaming, food service, transportation, and manufacturing industries.
According to Leiblum, about 100 of the workers at Ocean Downs are unionized, and they’ve been increasing their call for better compensation, especially since the revenue numbers for the casino have grown since it opened five years ago.
The union contract expired last October and no new agreement has been finalized.
More
Air Show Announces This Year’s Heritage Flight To Include F-35
Air Show officials announced this month the F-35 will fly together with the P-51 Mustang in Ocean City in June in a Heritage Flight showcasing the past and future of U.S. Air Force technology. The F-35 Lightning II, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter, is a single-seat, single-engine stealth fighter undergoing final development and testing by the Department of Defense.
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County accepts changes to liquor license
Sunset clause modified in state bills shrinks radius between Ocean City stores
As part of the adopted exit strategy for the county’s Department of Liquor Control, the Worcester County Commissioners wanted a 10-mile radius between a newly opened store and one currently operated by county employees until the county stores were all sold or subleased.
What they are more likely to get, however, is a 1-mile no compete zone in the county and a 10-block radius in Ocean City, should a Senate bill sponsored by Worcester County’s Sen. Jim Mathias be signed into law.
The idea, the commissioners agreed at the time, was to encourage investment into a county store as a sort of turnkey operation before allowing private investment into new ventures. Once Worcester had divested itself of the properties, the prohibition would also become obsolete, according to the plan.
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As part of the adopted exit strategy for the county’s Department of Liquor Control, the Worcester County Commissioners wanted a 10-mile radius between a newly opened store and one currently operated by county employees until the county stores were all sold or subleased.
What they are more likely to get, however, is a 1-mile no compete zone in the county and a 10-block radius in Ocean City, should a Senate bill sponsored by Worcester County’s Sen. Jim Mathias be signed into law.
The idea, the commissioners agreed at the time, was to encourage investment into a county store as a sort of turnkey operation before allowing private investment into new ventures. Once Worcester had divested itself of the properties, the prohibition would also become obsolete, according to the plan.
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Watchdog finds cyber vulnerabilities at half of free IRS e-file sites
Nearly half of the firms approved by the Internal Revenue Service to provide free online tax filing services have received a failing grade from a cybersecurity watchdog organization.
Of the 13 free e-file services that have agreements with the IRS, the Online Trust Alliance said six of them failed a cybersecurity “audit” based on the IRS’ revised 2010 security and privacy standards.
The problem, said Craig Spiezle, executive director and founder of OTA, is that potential hackers now target every link in the supply chain of information — the taxpayers, the e-file companies and the IRS.
“Whether we like it or not, the criminals recognize that the tax season is like Christmas for them,” Spiezle said in an interview with Federal News Radio. “What’s concerning is they’re not only looking at the consumer, they’re not only trying to target and breach the IRS. They’re looking at the whole flow of the data, the supply chain and increasingly a majority of returns through e-file providers. And so, not surprisingly, cyber criminals are smart, and they are actually looking and they are trying to compromise, either directly through hacking, or by masquerading as these legitimate e-file provider companies.”
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Of the 13 free e-file services that have agreements with the IRS, the Online Trust Alliance said six of them failed a cybersecurity “audit” based on the IRS’ revised 2010 security and privacy standards.
The problem, said Craig Spiezle, executive director and founder of OTA, is that potential hackers now target every link in the supply chain of information — the taxpayers, the e-file companies and the IRS.
“Whether we like it or not, the criminals recognize that the tax season is like Christmas for them,” Spiezle said in an interview with Federal News Radio. “What’s concerning is they’re not only looking at the consumer, they’re not only trying to target and breach the IRS. They’re looking at the whole flow of the data, the supply chain and increasingly a majority of returns through e-file providers. And so, not surprisingly, cyber criminals are smart, and they are actually looking and they are trying to compromise, either directly through hacking, or by masquerading as these legitimate e-file provider companies.”
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Traveling Musician Sings for Venezuelans Stuck in Six-Hour Supermarket Lines
Musician Jonathan Acosta has offered to help ease the frustration by visiting supermarkets and performing for those waiting in line.
Acosta, from the Venezuelan state of Lara, has so far only made local appearances, singing songs of hope and offering hugs to those waiting patiently in line. He has launched a hashtag campaign called #ÁnimoVenezuela, or #EnergyVenezuela, looking to inspire hope in those looking to improve their daily life situation, and hopes to visit the capital, Caracas, with his music soon.
“There is a need to bring a message of hope and a song of encouragement before the struggle Venezuelans live through today… let’s go and give these people some energy,” Acosta says he thought when first launching the project in an interview. Acosta is a licensed attorney by day but has always enjoyed performing music, and he says he has found that engaging Venezuelans with music has a positive emotional effect on those spending hours on supermarket lines in order to feed their children.
He notes his effort is bipartisan, and he has rejected overtures from the government of socialist president Nicolás Maduro to perform at government functions.
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Mark Levin Endorses Cruz for President
Talk radio and TV host Mark Levin on Wednesday endorsed Texas Sen. Ted Cruz for president.
"If you're a conservative, if you're a constitutionalist, if you've been a tea party activist, if you're a Reaganite or a Reagan Democrat, it really is, in the end, a simple decision," Levin said on his newly launched Levin TV.
Levin said his endorsement was not an attack on the three other remaining candidates, businessman Donald Trump, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio or Ohio Gov. John Kasich, but rather an acknowledgement that Cruz "understands where this country has been and where it needs to go."
No candidate is perfect, he said, including his hero Ronald Reagan, but when looking at the whole picture, Cruz is the natural choice for conservatives.
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"If you're a conservative, if you're a constitutionalist, if you've been a tea party activist, if you're a Reaganite or a Reagan Democrat, it really is, in the end, a simple decision," Levin said on his newly launched Levin TV.
Levin said his endorsement was not an attack on the three other remaining candidates, businessman Donald Trump, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio or Ohio Gov. John Kasich, but rather an acknowledgement that Cruz "understands where this country has been and where it needs to go."
No candidate is perfect, he said, including his hero Ronald Reagan, but when looking at the whole picture, Cruz is the natural choice for conservatives.
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How To Easily Add A Foreign Flair To Home Cooking
But in reality, it’s not difficult to add a pinch of foreign flavor to your kitchen, says Blakely Trettenero, a chef, world traveler and host of Cooking for Bimbos (www.cookingforbimbos.com) and Hungry for Travels (www.hungryfortravels.com).
Trettenero, who makes difficult dishes easy on her cooking website with the tongue-in-check name, has visited more than 30 countries and made many food discoveries along the way.
“While in Italy, I realized pasta in the United States is second rate,” says Trettenero, who has been featured on several TV shows. “That dried stuff we buy in a box doesn’t cut it. If you've ever had homemade pasta, you know what I mean.”
Once, after a night of dancing in Greece, Trettenero and others worked up an appetite and at 6 a.m. landed at a restaurant that never closes on Mykonos Harbor.
“We ordered this amazing chicken soup with fresh lemon juice squeezed on it,” she says. “It was unreal.”
Here are two recipes from Trettenero to help bring a taste of international cuisine to your home:
Punkins will Fly in Sussex County Skies Once Again
The World Championship Punkin Chunkin competition is destined to stay in Sussex County in 2016, held on November 4th, 5th & 6th. Frank Payton, WCPCA board president, confirmed that an arrangement with the Wheatley’s has been worked out for the event to return to where it was last successfully held in 2013.
After an exhaustive five month long search for land, the association should be able to breathe a little easier. “There is a certain level of relief that we are returning to where we have been successfully able to hold the event but we still have a lot ahead of us”, said Frank Payton, referring to the cost to put on the event. An insurance policy required to protect the landowner will cost the association nearly three times what they previously paid. Costs to host the event have increased over the years and after not having the event for two years, the association will now start focusing on the budget.
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After an exhaustive five month long search for land, the association should be able to breathe a little easier. “There is a certain level of relief that we are returning to where we have been successfully able to hold the event but we still have a lot ahead of us”, said Frank Payton, referring to the cost to put on the event. An insurance policy required to protect the landowner will cost the association nearly three times what they previously paid. Costs to host the event have increased over the years and after not having the event for two years, the association will now start focusing on the budget.
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Soros and Other Liberal Donors to Fund Bid to Spur Latino Voters
The billionaire George Soros and other liberal donors will bankroll a new $15 million campaign to mobilize Latinos and other immigrants this fall, hoping to channel outrage at the political rhetoric of Donald J. Trump and other Republicans into a surge of votes for Democrat candidates in November.
Strategists involved said the new spending would be the largest Democrat voter-turnout effort ever devoted exclusively to Latino and immigrant voters. Most of the money will be spent through organizations in Colorado, Florida and Nevada, states with large or growing Latino and Asian populations that will be pivotal in the presidential race and in the battle for control of the Senate.
The outreach, which will be coordinated through a new “super PAC” called Immigrant Voters Win PAC, will be more explicitly political and partisan than past efforts, the strategists said: The goal was to not only turn out committed Latinos already voting Democrat but also find and persuade immigrant swing voters. Ultimately, organizers hope to get at least 400,000 new Democrat voters to the polls in November.
Mr. Soros has committed another $5 million to a Democrat-led legal campaign to contest restrictive voting laws in states like Ohio, Wisconsin, and North Carolina.
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Strategists involved said the new spending would be the largest Democrat voter-turnout effort ever devoted exclusively to Latino and immigrant voters. Most of the money will be spent through organizations in Colorado, Florida and Nevada, states with large or growing Latino and Asian populations that will be pivotal in the presidential race and in the battle for control of the Senate.
The outreach, which will be coordinated through a new “super PAC” called Immigrant Voters Win PAC, will be more explicitly political and partisan than past efforts, the strategists said: The goal was to not only turn out committed Latinos already voting Democrat but also find and persuade immigrant swing voters. Ultimately, organizers hope to get at least 400,000 new Democrat voters to the polls in November.
Mr. Soros has committed another $5 million to a Democrat-led legal campaign to contest restrictive voting laws in states like Ohio, Wisconsin, and North Carolina.
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Mike Lee Endorses Ted Cruz for President, Encourages Rubio to Drop Out
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) endorsed Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) as his choice to become the next president of the United States Thursday afternoon.
Lee appeared at a campaign rally with Cruz in Cora Gables, Florida. Lee said that Cruz is “unstoppable,” hinted that other senators will soon endorse him, and called on Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) to drop out of the presidential race.
Utah @SenMikeLee says he would tell @marcorubio that it's time to unite behind @tedcruz.
— Jason Whitely (@JasonWhitely) March 10, 2016
The Utah Senator is well-regarded as one of the brightest voices for constitutional conservatism in the Senate. He and Cruz have maintained a strong friendship since arriving on Capitol Hill. The two have fought together for a pro-Liberty, pro-Constitution agenda in Washington.
Sen. Lee had previously been on the campaign trail with both Cruz and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL).
Lee will officially endorse Cruz at an event on Thursday afternoon in Florida, according to reports.
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Lee appeared at a campaign rally with Cruz in Cora Gables, Florida. Lee said that Cruz is “unstoppable,” hinted that other senators will soon endorse him, and called on Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) to drop out of the presidential race.
Utah @SenMikeLee says he would tell @marcorubio that it's time to unite behind @tedcruz.
— Jason Whitely (@JasonWhitely) March 10, 2016
The Utah Senator is well-regarded as one of the brightest voices for constitutional conservatism in the Senate. He and Cruz have maintained a strong friendship since arriving on Capitol Hill. The two have fought together for a pro-Liberty, pro-Constitution agenda in Washington.
Sen. Lee had previously been on the campaign trail with both Cruz and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL).
Lee will officially endorse Cruz at an event on Thursday afternoon in Florida, according to reports.
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Subject: Hungary Declares State Of Emergency, Deploys Thousands Of Troops To Border
Announcing the deployment of troops, the minister said: “we don’t know exactly what reactions those refugees and illegal migrants will have, [those] who are already inside the neighbouring countries. Therefore the government has decided that to prepare for this situation Hungary will strengthen protection of its borders, and we declare a crisis situation due to migration for the entire country.”
New fears of migrants passing through both Romania and Bulgaria to get to Hungary triggered the move, with the unpredictability of the migrant crisis and the migrant flow being a huge cause for concern for the Hungarian government, reports Kronen Zeitung.
The Hungarians are also worried about the growing number of migrants who are stuck in Greece along the border with Macedonia and Bulgaria. There are concerns the tens of thousands now stuck along the Balkans may attempt to force their way through borders, as has been observed in Greece.
Some border regions of Hungary have already been in a state of crisis, but this is the first time the whole country has been placed on an emergency footing.
More here
Subject: Tech Group: ‘2016 Will Be the Year Ransomware Holds America Hostage’
“’To Pay or Not to Pay’ will be the question fueling heated debate in boardrooms across the Nation and abroad,” predicts ICIT, a non-profit, non-partisan group that acts as “a conduit between the private sector, federal agencies, and the legislative community.”
Ransomware is a cyberattack that holds a victim’s computer system for ransom by encrypting data files or completely locking it down. Cybercriminals then demand a ransom for the decryption key, threatening to destroy the data if the victim does not comply.
“Ransomware is rampant,” ICIT reports, with some attacks posing as bogus law enforcement announcements.
Businesses, healthcare organizations, educational, religious, and financial institutions have all been victims of ransomware, which is often accompanied by denial of service attacks that cost victims an average of $500 per minute, notes the report, which was co-authored by ICIT senior fellows James Scott and Parham Eftekhari.
Even police and fire departments have been targeted.
More here
Why Clinton is Defying Her Liberal Base On This Key Issue
The question is, do you have the cash?
She put her policy auction block on display in the latest Democrat debate, where she defended a corporate welfare program despised by both liberals and free market conservatives.
The Daily Caller reports:
When Hillary Clinton offered her full-throated support for the Export-Import Bank during Sunday’s Democratic presidential debate, a vast majority of viewers were likely unaware that some of the largest recipients of subsidies from the federal agency are major Clinton Foundation donors.
Boeing, General Electric, ExxonMobil, Dow Chemical, Emirates Airline, and others have received billions of dollars in handouts from Ex-Im. They’ve also contributed massively to the Clinton Foundation and other Clinton-related endeavors. Companies like Bechtel Corp. have ties to the Clintons through Podesta Group, a Washington, D.C. lobbying firm.
But Clinton failed to mention any of that Sunday when she touted Ex-Im’s virtues as a boon to small businesses...
... That comment received heavy pushback from Clinton’s challenger, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. The democratic socialist, who voted against reauthorizing the agency last year, pointed to statistics showing that 75 percent of Ex-Im’s disbursements go to major corporations and not small businesses.
Sanders is not alone in his critique of Ex-Im’s apparent cronyism. Conservative Republicans have been heavily critical of the 81-year-old agency, going so far as to block its reauthorization in the House for several months last year.
Source: AAN
I was wrong about Donald Trump: Camille Paglia on the GOP front-runner’s refreshing candor (and his impetuousness, too)
Yes, he remains thin-skinned and easily riled. But his fearlessness and brash energy also seem necessary and rare
I’m dying for an update from you on Donald Trump. Last summer you called him “not a president” and a “carnival barker.” Do you still feel the same? If you loved Trump, would Salon even let you proclaim it? I mean, they’re kind of as liberal as they come, no?
Why can’t there be a party that is basically Republican, but minus the religion, minus the legislating of morality, and that cares about climate change/overpopulation? Could Trump be that guy?
Well, Trump may still be a carnival barker, but he’s looking more and more like a president! Along with most media pundits in the Northeast, I found it improbable if not impossible that Trump could survive his klutz-o-rama cascade of foot-in-mouth flubs, from carelessly categorizing Mexican immigrants as rapists to hallucinating about “thousands’ of Muslims cheering the fall of the twin towers from the mean streets of New Jersey. Surely he would soon implode and pouf into fairy dust!
But only a few weeks after that interview of mine in Salon, I suddenly realized that Trump’s candidacy had a broad support that few had expected or discerned. The agent of my revelation was a hilariously scathing, viral Web blog video posted by Diamond and Silk–Lynette Hardaway and Rochelle Richardson, two African-American sisters and former Democrats in Fayetteville, North Carolina. They were reacting with indignant outrage to the first GOP debate, broadcast by Fox News from Cleveland on August 6 and hosted by Megyn Kelly, whose loaded questions had impugned Trump as a sexist.
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I’m dying for an update from you on Donald Trump. Last summer you called him “not a president” and a “carnival barker.” Do you still feel the same? If you loved Trump, would Salon even let you proclaim it? I mean, they’re kind of as liberal as they come, no?
Why can’t there be a party that is basically Republican, but minus the religion, minus the legislating of morality, and that cares about climate change/overpopulation? Could Trump be that guy?
Well, Trump may still be a carnival barker, but he’s looking more and more like a president! Along with most media pundits in the Northeast, I found it improbable if not impossible that Trump could survive his klutz-o-rama cascade of foot-in-mouth flubs, from carelessly categorizing Mexican immigrants as rapists to hallucinating about “thousands’ of Muslims cheering the fall of the twin towers from the mean streets of New Jersey. Surely he would soon implode and pouf into fairy dust!
But only a few weeks after that interview of mine in Salon, I suddenly realized that Trump’s candidacy had a broad support that few had expected or discerned. The agent of my revelation was a hilariously scathing, viral Web blog video posted by Diamond and Silk–Lynette Hardaway and Rochelle Richardson, two African-American sisters and former Democrats in Fayetteville, North Carolina. They were reacting with indignant outrage to the first GOP debate, broadcast by Fox News from Cleveland on August 6 and hosted by Megyn Kelly, whose loaded questions had impugned Trump as a sexist.
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More than 17,000 Walmart Associates in Maryland To Receive Pay Raise
Maryland associates also share more than $10 million in quarterly cash bonuses
BALTIMORE – As part of the largest single-day, private-sector pay increase ever, more than 1.2 million Walmart and Sam’s Club associates in the U.S., including more than 17,000 in the state of Maryland, will receive a pay raise in their March 10 paycheck. The increases are part of the company’s two-year, $2.7 billion investment in higher pay, better training, clearer career paths and additional educational opportunities for its workers.
Walmart associates are eligible for quarterly cash bonuses based on the performance of their store. For the full fiscal year, Walmart associates across the country earned more than $550 million in bonuses, including more than $10 million in Maryland. In addition to the higher wages, the March 10 paycheck for eligible Maryland associates will include a share of the more than $3.2 million in bonus money earned in the fourth quarter of the year alone.
“The company continues to go to bat for its associates,” said Lionel Grayson, an office associate who has worked at Walmart’s Cockeysville location since August 2011. “Since I began working with Walmart a few years ago, management has continued to demonstrate a steady commitment toward its employees. In addition to the recent pay raise, there have been plenty of opportunities for associates like myself to grow and move within the company.”
BALTIMORE – As part of the largest single-day, private-sector pay increase ever, more than 1.2 million Walmart and Sam’s Club associates in the U.S., including more than 17,000 in the state of Maryland, will receive a pay raise in their March 10 paycheck. The increases are part of the company’s two-year, $2.7 billion investment in higher pay, better training, clearer career paths and additional educational opportunities for its workers.
Walmart associates are eligible for quarterly cash bonuses based on the performance of their store. For the full fiscal year, Walmart associates across the country earned more than $550 million in bonuses, including more than $10 million in Maryland. In addition to the higher wages, the March 10 paycheck for eligible Maryland associates will include a share of the more than $3.2 million in bonus money earned in the fourth quarter of the year alone.
“The company continues to go to bat for its associates,” said Lionel Grayson, an office associate who has worked at Walmart’s Cockeysville location since August 2011. “Since I began working with Walmart a few years ago, management has continued to demonstrate a steady commitment toward its employees. In addition to the recent pay raise, there have been plenty of opportunities for associates like myself to grow and move within the company.”
Ted Cruz Defends Endorsement From Pastor Who Believes Hitler Was ‘Hunter’ Sent By God
Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz isn’t backing away from the endorsement of Mike Bickle, a controversial evangelical pastor who once characterized Hitler as “a hunter” sent by God to go after Jews who don’t to convert to Christianity.
Despite calls from Jewish groups to denounce Bickle’s interpretation of scripture, a senior advisor to Cruz instead welcomed the pastor’s support in a statement published today in the Jewish Journal.
Bickle, who runs the Kansas City-based International House of Prayer, made the Hitler comment during a 2011 sermon where he discussed two methods he believes God will use to convert the world’s Jewish population to Christianity — grace and violence.
After discussing the “fishermen” that will use “grace” to persuade Jews to convert, Bickle turned his attention to the “hunters” he believes will use violence toward the same end.
“And [the Lord] says, ‘And if they don’t respond to grace, I’m going to raise up the hunters,'” Bickle said. “And the most famous hunter in recent history is a man named Adolf Hitler.”
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Despite calls from Jewish groups to denounce Bickle’s interpretation of scripture, a senior advisor to Cruz instead welcomed the pastor’s support in a statement published today in the Jewish Journal.
Bickle, who runs the Kansas City-based International House of Prayer, made the Hitler comment during a 2011 sermon where he discussed two methods he believes God will use to convert the world’s Jewish population to Christianity — grace and violence.
After discussing the “fishermen” that will use “grace” to persuade Jews to convert, Bickle turned his attention to the “hunters” he believes will use violence toward the same end.
“And [the Lord] says, ‘And if they don’t respond to grace, I’m going to raise up the hunters,'” Bickle said. “And the most famous hunter in recent history is a man named Adolf Hitler.”
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'Danger to herself': What cop thought of Ted Cruz's wife when he found her sitting on an expressway with her head in her hands 10 years ago
According to the 2005 report which DailyMail.com highlighted in June, Heidi Cruz, 43, had walked from her home after dinner on August 22.She then sat down beside N. Mopac and Enfield in Austin, at around 10pm.
While Mrs Cruz has not spoken out publicly about the incident, an adviser to her senator husband said she had experienced 'a brief bout of depression' ten years ago in response to questions about the police report.
A concerned passerby had made the call after spotting a woman in a pink shirt was just 'sitting in the area with her head in her hands.'
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BOOTED: GOP Presidential Candidate Removed From the Ballot
The most significant part of this story is that Pennsylvania, like Michigan and Ohio, is supposed to be the part of the country wherein Kasich relates. And he can’t pull off getting the signatures so he has to run to court and have the court ignore the rules.
Kasich called Michigan a must win then lost it in third place. It is an open question whether or not he can win Ohio. And now Pennsylvania should be off the table. If he stays on the ballot, it’d be because of a technicality and a judge, not because he actually complied with the rules.
There is no way he is going to be the nominee. At this point, he is just helping Trump.
Source: The Resurgent
ISIS Files Leaked!
Nationals from at least 51 countries, including the U.K., had to give up their most personal information as they joined the terror organisation. Only when the 23 question form was filled in were they inducted into IS.
A lot of the names and their new Islamic State names on the registration forms are well known.
Abdel Bary, a 26-year-old from London joined in 2013 after visiting Libya, Egypt and Turkey. He is designated as a fighter but is better known in the U.K. as a rap artist. His whereabouts are unknown.
Source: FOXNews.com
Protectionism's Opposite Effect
Job creation is a perpetual theme in American politics. So it’s not surprising that the topic is once again in the limelight. As part of Donald Trump’s pledge to return American jobs from abroad — a key promise, understandably, for many of his supporters — he plans to impose protective tariffs on imported goods, including a 35% tariff on cars from Mexico and a 45% tariff on all products from China. Is this a good idea?
Theoretically, higher prices for foreign goods will increase demand for U.S. products and, consequently, create jobs here at home. Nice theory, but reality doesn’t support it.
Instead, protective tariffs have historically cost American jobs while inciting retaliatory tariffs by foreign powers and increasing consumer prices.
Consider, for example, the tariff increase Barack Obama imposed on Chinese tires in 2009. While Chinese tire imports dropped by 30%, U.S. manufacturers didn’t automatically pick up the slack. As Forbes reports, from 2009-2011, “30 percent more tires were imported from Canada; 110 percent more from South Korea; 44 percent more from Japan; 152 percent more from Indonesia; 154 percent more from Thailand; 117 percent more from Mexico and 285 percent more from low volume provider Taiwan.”
“But jobs were created,” some will say. Perhaps, but there’s more to that story.
Theoretically, higher prices for foreign goods will increase demand for U.S. products and, consequently, create jobs here at home. Nice theory, but reality doesn’t support it.
Instead, protective tariffs have historically cost American jobs while inciting retaliatory tariffs by foreign powers and increasing consumer prices.
Consider, for example, the tariff increase Barack Obama imposed on Chinese tires in 2009. While Chinese tire imports dropped by 30%, U.S. manufacturers didn’t automatically pick up the slack. As Forbes reports, from 2009-2011, “30 percent more tires were imported from Canada; 110 percent more from South Korea; 44 percent more from Japan; 152 percent more from Indonesia; 154 percent more from Thailand; 117 percent more from Mexico and 285 percent more from low volume provider Taiwan.”
“But jobs were created,” some will say. Perhaps, but there’s more to that story.
Abbas’ Fatah Praises ‘Heroic Martyr’ Who Murdered U.S. Veteran
(CNSNews.com) – Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah organization on Wednesday praised as a “heroic martyr” the killer of West Point graduate and U.S. Army veteran Taylor Force, according to an Israel-based media monitoring group.
On its Facebook page, Fatah posted a sketch of a man’s hand holding a knife over a map of “Palestine,” Palestinian Media Watch reported. Across the map is written “Bashar Masalha,” the name of the 22 year-old Palestinian who stabbed Force and 11 others in the Tel Aviv-Jaffa area on Tuesday.
Written on the arm of the person holding the knife in the sketch are the words, “the heroic martyr.”
Meanwhile a news report on official Palestinian Authority television stated in part, “A complex operation was carried out in Jaffa, or more precisely in the Jaffa port, by the Martyr – according to Hebrew sources and sources in Qalqilya – Bashar Masalha, 22 ... in which 12 settlers were hurt, among them an American tourist who was killed, according to the Hebrew sources.”
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On its Facebook page, Fatah posted a sketch of a man’s hand holding a knife over a map of “Palestine,” Palestinian Media Watch reported. Across the map is written “Bashar Masalha,” the name of the 22 year-old Palestinian who stabbed Force and 11 others in the Tel Aviv-Jaffa area on Tuesday.
Written on the arm of the person holding the knife in the sketch are the words, “the heroic martyr.”
Meanwhile a news report on official Palestinian Authority television stated in part, “A complex operation was carried out in Jaffa, or more precisely in the Jaffa port, by the Martyr – according to Hebrew sources and sources in Qalqilya – Bashar Masalha, 22 ... in which 12 settlers were hurt, among them an American tourist who was killed, according to the Hebrew sources.”
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Federal Student Aid Is Responsible for Ever-Increasing College Tuition Costs
A consensus is growing that federal student aid, however well-intentioned, is directly responsible for increases in college tuition over the past few decades.
One study estimates that expansions of federal student aid roughly doubled tuition costs relative to a baseline, while another finds that each dollar of subsidized Stafford student loans boost tuition by 65 cents.
The logic is simple: when students have access to a generous line of credit, colleges will raise their prices because their students can easily borrow the money to pay them.
In theory, since there is a cap on how much students may borrow through the Stafford student loan program (the most common form of student loan), there should be an upper limit to how much federal student aid can fuel tuition increases. Currently, the aggregate cap stands at $31,000 for undergraduate dependent students. But as the cost of college approaches this cap, more and more borrowers may take advantage of a back door—the Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) program.
PLUS loans are loans which the federal government makes to the parents of dependent undergraduate students to finance the students' tuition. (Independent graduate students are also eligible.) They carry a higher interest rate (6.8 percent) than Stafford loans, which have a rate of 4.3 percent for undergraduates. Parents are eligible if they or an "endorser" can pass a basic credit check. Most importantly, there is effectively no credit limit—parents may borrow up to their student's cost of attendance.
More here
One study estimates that expansions of federal student aid roughly doubled tuition costs relative to a baseline, while another finds that each dollar of subsidized Stafford student loans boost tuition by 65 cents.
The logic is simple: when students have access to a generous line of credit, colleges will raise their prices because their students can easily borrow the money to pay them.
In theory, since there is a cap on how much students may borrow through the Stafford student loan program (the most common form of student loan), there should be an upper limit to how much federal student aid can fuel tuition increases. Currently, the aggregate cap stands at $31,000 for undergraduate dependent students. But as the cost of college approaches this cap, more and more borrowers may take advantage of a back door—the Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) program.
PLUS loans are loans which the federal government makes to the parents of dependent undergraduate students to finance the students' tuition. (Independent graduate students are also eligible.) They carry a higher interest rate (6.8 percent) than Stafford loans, which have a rate of 4.3 percent for undergraduates. Parents are eligible if they or an "endorser" can pass a basic credit check. Most importantly, there is effectively no credit limit—parents may borrow up to their student's cost of attendance.
More here
Failed ObamaCare co-ops have not repaid $1.2B in federal loans, docs say
The dozen failed ObamaCare cooperatives have not repaid any of the $1.2 billion in federal loans they received and still owe more than $1 billion in additional liabilities, according to recent financial statements cited Thursday at a congressional hearing.
“We shouldn’t hold our breath on repayment,” Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, said in his opening statement at the hearing.
“In some states, these losses will be absorbed by other insurance companies—which means, by the policyholders of other insurance companies who have to pay increased … premiums,” he said. “In other states, doctors, hospitals and individual patients stand to suffer large out-of-pocket losses due to the co-op failures—as our report details.”
“Once the co-ops got going in 2014, things went south in a hurry—both in terms of financial losses and enrollment figures that wildly deviated from the co-ops’ own projections,” Portman said. “Despite getting regular reports that the co-ops were hemorrhaging cash, HHS [the Department of Health and Human Services] took essentially no corrective action for over a year.”
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“We shouldn’t hold our breath on repayment,” Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, said in his opening statement at the hearing.
“In some states, these losses will be absorbed by other insurance companies—which means, by the policyholders of other insurance companies who have to pay increased … premiums,” he said. “In other states, doctors, hospitals and individual patients stand to suffer large out-of-pocket losses due to the co-op failures—as our report details.”
“Once the co-ops got going in 2014, things went south in a hurry—both in terms of financial losses and enrollment figures that wildly deviated from the co-ops’ own projections,” Portman said. “Despite getting regular reports that the co-ops were hemorrhaging cash, HHS [the Department of Health and Human Services] took essentially no corrective action for over a year.”
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Upper Ferry Closed
Alexander: Who Are the 'Establishment Republicans'?
Rancorous political contests are nothing new. George Washington was elected without opposition in 1789 and 1793. But in the first contested presidential campaign in 1796, when Washington’s VP John Adams faced Thomas Jefferson, there was vitriolic debate and acrimony between the candidates.
So it has been for most of the last 220 years in presidential politics. Notably, one of those elections, that of our 16th president Abraham Lincoln, was so contentious it literally divided the nation in 1860 and led to the bloody War Between the States.
But the current GOP primary season is a case study in how anger and despair lead to confusion and delusion, which has resulted in enormous division within a political party, before getting to the general election.
I profiled the GOP primary breakdown last July in a column on the “Obama Effect” and its impact on the current election cycle. Over the last seven years, Barack Hussein Obama has taken the Democratic Party so far left that an avowed Socialist is now a serious contender against the Democrats' “establishment candidate,” Hillary Clinton.
For the record, Clinton clearly fits the “establishment” definition for her party, but on the GOP side, there is a lot of division that begins with the fundamental adulteration of the definition of “establishment” as it pertains to Republicans.
Two weeks ago, Donald Trump told a group of his supporters: “Seven months ago before I decided to run, I was part of the establishment. But now I’m not part of the establishment.” Just like seven months ago he was a Democrat but now he’s not a Democrat.
So just what does this word “establishment” mean in the Republican political context?
Until six months ago, “establishment Republican” was synonymous with “RINOs” (Republicans In Name Only), but those descriptive labels have lost virtually all meaning in the fog of this primary.
More here
So it has been for most of the last 220 years in presidential politics. Notably, one of those elections, that of our 16th president Abraham Lincoln, was so contentious it literally divided the nation in 1860 and led to the bloody War Between the States.
But the current GOP primary season is a case study in how anger and despair lead to confusion and delusion, which has resulted in enormous division within a political party, before getting to the general election.
I profiled the GOP primary breakdown last July in a column on the “Obama Effect” and its impact on the current election cycle. Over the last seven years, Barack Hussein Obama has taken the Democratic Party so far left that an avowed Socialist is now a serious contender against the Democrats' “establishment candidate,” Hillary Clinton.
For the record, Clinton clearly fits the “establishment” definition for her party, but on the GOP side, there is a lot of division that begins with the fundamental adulteration of the definition of “establishment” as it pertains to Republicans.
Two weeks ago, Donald Trump told a group of his supporters: “Seven months ago before I decided to run, I was part of the establishment. But now I’m not part of the establishment.” Just like seven months ago he was a Democrat but now he’s not a Democrat.
So just what does this word “establishment” mean in the Republican political context?
Until six months ago, “establishment Republican” was synonymous with “RINOs” (Republicans In Name Only), but those descriptive labels have lost virtually all meaning in the fog of this primary.
More here
Heroes Shoot A Dog (Again)
After coming home from church on Wednesday night, an Owasso, Oklahoma family was disturbed to find their family dog bleeding on the porch from a gunshot wound.
The German Shepherd named Bruno had suffered a single gunshot wound that shattered its shoulder from a deputy with the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office. Shockingly, instead to seeking medical attention for the animal, the officer simply attached a note to the front door and left it to suffer.
The note relayed this message:
We were investigating a crime and a dog attacked our deputy. The dog was shot and we need you to call us.
“They left him bleeding. He was here almost three hours bleeding,” the dog’s owner, Angie Laymon said. “It’s just not fair. He’s part of our family.”
Laymon said the animal was first found by her young children who called to tell her what happened. She said she then called the sheriff’s office which told her that the animal attacked the deputy.
“I said ‘did he bite him?’” Laymon said. “He said, ‘well he felt threatened.’”
More
The German Shepherd named Bruno had suffered a single gunshot wound that shattered its shoulder from a deputy with the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office. Shockingly, instead to seeking medical attention for the animal, the officer simply attached a note to the front door and left it to suffer.
The note relayed this message:
We were investigating a crime and a dog attacked our deputy. The dog was shot and we need you to call us.
“They left him bleeding. He was here almost three hours bleeding,” the dog’s owner, Angie Laymon said. “It’s just not fair. He’s part of our family.”
Laymon said the animal was first found by her young children who called to tell her what happened. She said she then called the sheriff’s office which told her that the animal attacked the deputy.
“I said ‘did he bite him?’” Laymon said. “He said, ‘well he felt threatened.’”
More
Arizona Hero Charged With Second Degree Murder
But is still not only on the loose, but merely on “administrative leave” from his job as a Hero. This Hero shot an unarmed man five times, killing him, over a called-in report of a gun. Which turned out to be a pellet gun:
A Mesa, Arizona cop that shot and killed an unarmed man in January has been charged with second-degree murder.
Maricopa County prosecutors said Friday that the determining factor in the January 18 shooting death of Texas resident, 26-year-old Daniel Shaver, will be police body-cam footage.
Officer Philip Brailsford shot Shaver five times after police received calls from a Mesa hotel saying that someone in Shaver’s room pointed a pellet gun out of the window.
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A Mesa, Arizona cop that shot and killed an unarmed man in January has been charged with second-degree murder.
Maricopa County prosecutors said Friday that the determining factor in the January 18 shooting death of Texas resident, 26-year-old Daniel Shaver, will be police body-cam footage.
Officer Philip Brailsford shot Shaver five times after police received calls from a Mesa hotel saying that someone in Shaver’s room pointed a pellet gun out of the window.
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It Is “Just a Piece of **** Paper”
We’re supposed to revere – and follow – the Constitution. But if they don’t, why should we?
By they, I mean the people who lord it over us. Our rulers. I choose the word deliberately, in the interests of editorial accuracy. We’re certainly not ruled by the Constitution.
And neither are they.
Consider, for instance, this business of judicial review. The power claimed by the Supreme Court to “interpret” the Constitution. It is a power you will find nowhere in the Constitution itself, or even hinted at. It was simply asserted by the first chief justice, John Marshall (who was a cousin of but also – unsurprisingly – a great enemy of Thomas Jefferson’s) in a kind of lawyerly Beer Hall Putsch. The court, under Marshall, defined and decreed its own power. It has been the final arbiter of what the Constitution “really” means ever since.
Even when the court’s interpretation is obviously at odds with the plain meaning of what is actually written in the Constitution.
This is the mechanism by which we are halted and searched randomly – the very definition of unreasonable, which is the language you will find in the Constitution. But the Court has repeatedly asserted its own fluid definition, Humpty Dumpty-style, contrary to what is written and simply because it can. The Fourth (and other amendments) mean whatever the Court says they mean, which means they mean nothing at all.
More
By they, I mean the people who lord it over us. Our rulers. I choose the word deliberately, in the interests of editorial accuracy. We’re certainly not ruled by the Constitution.
And neither are they.
Consider, for instance, this business of judicial review. The power claimed by the Supreme Court to “interpret” the Constitution. It is a power you will find nowhere in the Constitution itself, or even hinted at. It was simply asserted by the first chief justice, John Marshall (who was a cousin of but also – unsurprisingly – a great enemy of Thomas Jefferson’s) in a kind of lawyerly Beer Hall Putsch. The court, under Marshall, defined and decreed its own power. It has been the final arbiter of what the Constitution “really” means ever since.
Even when the court’s interpretation is obviously at odds with the plain meaning of what is actually written in the Constitution.
This is the mechanism by which we are halted and searched randomly – the very definition of unreasonable, which is the language you will find in the Constitution. But the Court has repeatedly asserted its own fluid definition, Humpty Dumpty-style, contrary to what is written and simply because it can. The Fourth (and other amendments) mean whatever the Court says they mean, which means they mean nothing at all.
More
FBI could force us to turn on iPhone cameras and microphones, says Apple
Eddy Cue warns precedent set by San Bernardino case could lead to company being forced to turn users’ smartphones into surveillance devices
If the FBI wins in its case against Apple to help it unlock the San Bernardino killer’s iPhone 5C, it won’t be long before the government forces Apple to turn on users’ iPhone cameras and microphones to spy on them, according to the company’s head of services Eddy Cue.
The FBI has demanded that Apple creates custom software that bypasses certain security features of the company’s iOS to allow law enforcement to brute force the passcode of the gunman’s iPhone 5C.
But according to Apple, making the modifications necessary in this case would set a dangerous precedent in offering backdoors into users’ smartphones.
Cue said to Univision: “Someday they will want [Apple] to turn on [a user’s] camera or microphone. We can’t do that now, but what if we’re forced to do that?
“Where will this stop? In a divorce case? In an immigration case? In a tax case? Some day, someone will be able to turn on a phone’s microphone. That should not happen in this country.”
If the FBI wins in its case against Apple to help it unlock the San Bernardino killer’s iPhone 5C, it won’t be long before the government forces Apple to turn on users’ iPhone cameras and microphones to spy on them, according to the company’s head of services Eddy Cue.
The FBI has demanded that Apple creates custom software that bypasses certain security features of the company’s iOS to allow law enforcement to brute force the passcode of the gunman’s iPhone 5C.
But according to Apple, making the modifications necessary in this case would set a dangerous precedent in offering backdoors into users’ smartphones.
Cue said to Univision: “Someday they will want [Apple] to turn on [a user’s] camera or microphone. We can’t do that now, but what if we’re forced to do that?
“Where will this stop? In a divorce case? In an immigration case? In a tax case? Some day, someone will be able to turn on a phone’s microphone. That should not happen in this country.”
Amid Apple's FBI Fight, App Developers Are Ramping Up Encryption
While Apple fights the demands of the FBI over encrypted iPhone data, the companies that help users communicate privately between such devices are working hard to dramatically increase their methods of security.
Wire, a messaging app backed by Skype co-founder Janus Friis, is the latest to add end-to-end encryption and secure video communication to its service, the company announced today, as it tries to gain traction against rival communications platforms.
The service, which rolled out in December 2014, has tried to distinguish itself with a sleek, uncluttered design and its ability to operate on any device, desktop to mobile, and across all major operating systems.
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Wire, a messaging app backed by Skype co-founder Janus Friis, is the latest to add end-to-end encryption and secure video communication to its service, the company announced today, as it tries to gain traction against rival communications platforms.
The service, which rolled out in December 2014, has tried to distinguish itself with a sleek, uncluttered design and its ability to operate on any device, desktop to mobile, and across all major operating systems.
More
Report: 46,000 Pa. Democrats Become Republicans Due To Trump
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Nearly 46,000 Pennsylvania Democrats have switched to Republicans since the beginning of the year.
According to Penn Live, some experts attribute the mass exodus to Donald Trump.
There’s even a title for the movement. It’s called “Ditch and Switch” and calls for lifelong Democrats to abandon the party, register Republican, and help ensure Trump’s place in the general election.
Professor of Public Affairs at Franklin and Marshall College
, Dr. G. Terry Madonna, tells the paper he has a theory behind the switch.
“With the increase in support in exit polls for Trump among working class, blue-collar Democrats, it is my belief that these are people who fall into that genre,” said Madonna.
The numbers are similar in other states as well.
More
According to Penn Live, some experts attribute the mass exodus to Donald Trump.
There’s even a title for the movement. It’s called “Ditch and Switch” and calls for lifelong Democrats to abandon the party, register Republican, and help ensure Trump’s place in the general election.
Professor of Public Affairs at Franklin and Marshall College
, Dr. G. Terry Madonna, tells the paper he has a theory behind the switch.“With the increase
in support in exit polls for Trump among working class, blue-collar Democrats, it is my belief that these are people who fall into that genre,” said Madonna.The numbers are similar in other states as well.
More
FBI Instructs High Schools to Inform On “Anti-government” Students
Constitutionalists figure prominently on the target list
A new FBI initiative based on Britain’s “anti-terror” mass surveillance program instructs high schools across America to inform on students who express “anti-government” and “anarchist” political beliefs.
“High school students are ideal targets for recruitment by violent extremists seeking support for their radical ideologies, foreign fighter networks, or conducting acts of targeted violence within our borders. High schools must remain vigilant in educating their students about catalysts that drive violent extremism and the potential consequences of embracing extremist belief,” states an unclassified document released in January by the FBI’s Office of Partner Engagement, the agency’s primary liaison for the law enforcement community.
The document claims public school educators “are in a unique position to affect change, impart affirmative messaging, or facilitate intervention activities,” including informing on students. It calls for “observing and assessing concerning behaviors and communications” of students “embracing extremist ideologies.”
In addition to “designated foreign terrorist organizations,” the FBI program targets “domestic violent extremism movements,” including anti-government groups.
According to the FBI “some adults embrace domestic violent extremist ideologies [and] their beliefs can permeate family norms, oftentimes influencing their children. This dynamic fosters biases leading to hatred and intolerance, and drives the need for action.”
More here
A new FBI initiative based on Britain’s “anti-terror” mass surveillance program instructs high schools across America to inform on students who express “anti-government” and “anarchist” political beliefs.
“High school students are ideal targets for recruitment by violent extremists seeking support for their radical ideologies, foreign fighter networks, or conducting acts of targeted violence within our borders. High schools must remain vigilant in educating their students about catalysts that drive violent extremism and the potential consequences of embracing extremist belief,” states an unclassified document released in January by the FBI’s Office of Partner Engagement, the agency’s primary liaison for the law enforcement community.
The document claims public school educators “are in a unique position to affect change, impart affirmative messaging, or facilitate intervention activities,” including informing on students. It calls for “observing and assessing concerning behaviors and communications” of students “embracing extremist ideologies.”
In addition to “designated foreign terrorist organizations,” the FBI program targets “domestic violent extremism movements,” including anti-government groups.
According to the FBI “some adults embrace domestic violent extremist ideologies [and] their beliefs can permeate family norms, oftentimes influencing their children. This dynamic fosters biases leading to hatred and intolerance, and drives the need for action.”
More here
Loretta Lynch Admits: Mexican Border a Major Shipping Point for Heroin and Cocaine
Attorney General Loretta Lynch acknowledges an increase in drug trafficking of heroin and cocaine via the Mexico border.
Before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday, Lynch testified, “Certainly the Mexican border is a major trans-shipment point for heroin and cocaine. Which is a shift from where it was 20 years ago.” Lynch was responding when Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) asked about the need for a secure border to combat the ongoing drug epidemic in the United States.
Sessions concurred that there has been a shift since his tenure as a prosecutor, when drugs were smuggled into the U.S. via airplanes and boats. He argued that the trend has moved to the southern border.
“It has certainly grown to rival other areas, although I would hesitate to say that we take our attention away from the ports — as you noted — the ships and the boats and the northern border also,” Lynch responded.
The Alabama lawmaker took issue with her answer, saying that he thinks drugs from the Mexican border “clearly is the majority.”
Sessions further pointed to a decline in drug prosecutions despite “surging” drug use — with a six month average down 21 percent in 2015 compared to five years ago and 32 percent lower when excluding prosecutions in magistrate courts.
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Before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday, Lynch testified, “Certainly the Mexican border is a major trans-shipment point for heroin and cocaine. Which is a shift from where it was 20 years ago.” Lynch was responding when Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) asked about the need for a secure border to combat the ongoing drug epidemic in the United States.
Sessions concurred that there has been a shift since his tenure as a prosecutor, when drugs were smuggled into the U.S. via airplanes and boats. He argued that the trend has moved to the southern border.
“It has certainly grown to rival other areas, although I would hesitate to say that we take our attention away from the ports — as you noted — the ships and the boats and the northern border also,” Lynch responded.
The Alabama lawmaker took issue with her answer, saying that he thinks drugs from the Mexican border “clearly is the majority.”
Sessions further pointed to a decline in drug prosecutions despite “surging” drug use — with a six month average down 21 percent in 2015 compared to five years ago and 32 percent lower when excluding prosecutions in magistrate courts.
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Suspect Puts Gun to Taxi Driver’s Head, Doesn’t See Cop Behind Him
The incident occurred in Reading, Pennsylvania, around 4:30 pm.
According to ABC 7, a dash camera mounted inside the taxi captured the harrowing moments as 18-year-old Victor Herrea put the gun against the driver’s head and screamed, “Give me all your money man! Give me everything you got.” As the driver dug in his pockets for money Herrea said, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” and he continually demanded the driver keep his hands where they could be seen.
The driver explained that he did not have much money because he just started his shift, so the gunman demanded he hand over his whole wallet and his phone. “I need it all right now if you don’t want to die,” he said.
Throughout the exchange a police cruiser could be seen sitting behind the taxi.
More (with video)
Rubio 'Finished' in Florida, Former GOP Chairman Says
With Marco Rubio trailing Donald Trump by 23 points in the latest Fox News Florida poll, the former chairman of the state's Republican party has declared the Senator's campaign "pretty much finished."
Rubio is making a last stand in Florida, but many of his closest supporters have told The Washington Post they have little doubt the GOP"s once rising star will likely lose in his home state to Trump.
"It's certainly a possibility that he could lose on Tuesday, and perhaps by double digits," said John McKager "Mac" Stipanovich, a Tallahassee lobbyist and Rubio supporter told the Post.
On Wednesday night, Rubio and his wife held a rally at a local football stadium in Hialeah. Members of the press quickly tweeted out photos of Rubio addressing a nearly empty stadium.
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[ Rubio: I'm Not Dropping Out ]
Rubio is making a last stand in Florida, but many of his closest supporters have told The Washington Post they have little doubt the GOP"s once rising star will likely lose in his home state to Trump.
"It's certainly a possibility that he could lose on Tuesday, and perhaps by double digits," said John McKager "Mac" Stipanovich, a Tallahassee lobbyist and Rubio supporter told the Post.
On Wednesday night, Rubio and his wife held a rally at a local football stadium in Hialeah. Members of the press quickly tweeted out photos of Rubio addressing a nearly empty stadium.
More
[ Rubio: I'm Not Dropping Out ]
Student Senator Faces Impeachment for Conservative Beliefs
There’s a witch hunt underway for conservatives at the University of Southern California – and Jacob Ellenhorn appears to be Public Enemy No. 1.
Ellenhorn is a student senator at USC and president of the College Republicans. He is also an outspoken conservative.
And that’s a big problem among his fellow student lawmakers at USC.
Ellenhorn is facing possible impeachment – accused of all sorts of tawdry behavior – like publicly expressing his conservative opinions and (brace yourself) inviting high-profile conservative speakers to campus.
“It seems like freedom of speech and freedom to express your views is not allowed by the University of Southern California student government right now,” he told me.
Ellenhorn accused liberal students of engaging in a “witch hunt” and committing “institutionalized discrimination against me and my views.”
“If you voice a difference of opinion on any small issue – they lash out at you,” he told me. “You’re a racist, you’re a homophobe, you’re anti-woman, you’re sexist. This is ridiculous.”
The official complaint, first reported by Campus Reform, alleges that Ellenhorn “created a hostile environments (sic) for our USC study body, and has also violated our USC Principles of Community by bringing a speaker and moderating an event that blatantly perpetuates sexism.”
More
Ellenhorn is a student senator at USC and president of the College Republicans. He is also an outspoken conservative.
And that’s a big problem among his fellow student lawmakers at USC.
Ellenhorn is facing possible impeachment – accused of all sorts of tawdry behavior – like publicly expressing his conservative opinions and (brace yourself) inviting high-profile conservative speakers to campus.
“It seems like freedom of speech and freedom to express your views is not allowed by the University of Southern California student government right now,” he told me.
Ellenhorn accused liberal students of engaging in a “witch hunt” and committing “institutionalized discrimination against me and my views.”
“If you voice a difference of opinion on any small issue – they lash out at you,” he told me. “You’re a racist, you’re a homophobe, you’re anti-woman, you’re sexist. This is ridiculous.”
The official complaint, first reported by Campus Reform, alleges that Ellenhorn “created a hostile environments (sic) for our USC study body, and has also violated our USC Principles of Community by bringing a speaker and moderating an event that blatantly perpetuates sexism.”
More
Does the Justice Department Want to Enable Non-citizen Voting?
We continue to get rapid developments in the noncitizen voter-registration lawsuit involving the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC), the League of Women Voters, the NAACP, and the U.S. Department of Justice.
DOJ has been siding with the League and the NAACP instead of defending the EAC. The latest actions of the Justice Department (DOJ), which include filing a motion for a protective order, seek to shield from discovery potential government misbehavior that could affect election outcomes.
Last week, federal district judge Richard Leon refused to grant the Temporary Restraining Order requested by the plaintiffs (and acceded to by DOJ), and set March 9 for a hearing on their request for a preliminary injunction. The plaintiffs — and DOJ — want to stop the EAC from changing the instructions on the federal voter registration form to accommodate state laws in Kansas, Alabama, Georgia, and Arizona that require residents using that form to provide proof of citizenship when they register to vote.
On February 24, EAC Chairwoman Christy McCormick sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch asking her to allow the EAC to hire its own special counsel to defend the agency. McCormick expressed her “grave concerns regarding the potential conflict of interest and failure of the Department of Justice to provide” the EAC with proper representation. A similar request was sent to Judge Leon. Two days later, Benjamin Mizer, the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Division of DOJ, sent a letter to Judge Leon refusing Commissioner McCormick’s request.
More here
DOJ has been siding with the League and the NAACP instead of defending the EAC. The latest actions of the Justice Department (DOJ), which include filing a motion for a protective order, seek to shield from discovery potential government misbehavior that could affect election outcomes.
Last week, federal district judge Richard Leon refused to grant the Temporary Restraining Order requested by the plaintiffs (and acceded to by DOJ), and set March 9 for a hearing on their request for a preliminary injunction. The plaintiffs — and DOJ — want to stop the EAC from changing the instructions on the federal voter registration form to accommodate state laws in Kansas, Alabama, Georgia, and Arizona that require residents using that form to provide proof of citizenship when they register to vote.
On February 24, EAC Chairwoman Christy McCormick sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch asking her to allow the EAC to hire its own special counsel to defend the agency. McCormick expressed her “grave concerns regarding the potential conflict of interest and failure of the Department of Justice to provide” the EAC with proper representation. A similar request was sent to Judge Leon. Two days later, Benjamin Mizer, the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Division of DOJ, sent a letter to Judge Leon refusing Commissioner McCormick’s request.
More here
TIME Guide to Official 2016 Republican Nomination Calendar
The official road map for the GOP candidates is released
The 2016 Republican presidential race may turn into the most grueling campaign in two generations thanks to a series of rules and calendar changes instituted by the party in recent years.
The combination of a front-loaded calendar and the expansion of states splitting their delegates among candidates, means a nominee won’t be likely be known until the spring at the earliest, according to the Republican National Committee—and perhaps months later. If three or more candidates pick up a substantial share of the early delegates in the first month of voting, the race could go all the way to early June, if not the convention.
GOP state parties had until Oct. 1 to submit their delegate selection plans. The Republican Party gave TIME an exclusive look at what they entailed, providing the sharpest picture yet of what the next nine months of campaigning will look like.
Here’s your guide to the 2016 Republican Nomination:
Delegates to the convention: 2,470*
Delegates needed to win the nomination (50%+1): 1,236*
How many delegates does each state get?
More
The 2016 Republican presidential race may turn into the most grueling campaign in two generations thanks to a series of rules and calendar changes instituted by the party in recent years.
The combination of a front-loaded calendar and the expansion of states splitting their delegates among candidates, means a nominee won’t be likely be known until the spring at the earliest, according to the Republican National Committee—and perhaps months later. If three or more candidates pick up a substantial share of the early delegates in the first month of voting, the race could go all the way to early June, if not the convention.
GOP state parties had until Oct. 1 to submit their delegate selection plans. The Republican Party gave TIME an exclusive look at what they entailed, providing the sharpest picture yet of what the next nine months of campaigning will look like.
Here’s your guide to the 2016 Republican Nomination:
Delegates to the convention: 2,470*
Delegates needed to win the nomination (50%+1): 1,236*
How many delegates does each state get?
More
HISTORICAL COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER 3-12-16
Parsons Cemetery
A brief history
The history of Parsons Cemetery has many twists that may never be unraveled. The burial of a horse (it took 4 lots) and the identity of several plots are just two of the mysteries. A pamphlet about the history of the cemetery exists and is an excellent source of many of the facts about the cemetery to this point in time.
While the majority of the land at Parsons was originally bequeathed to St. Peter’s Church by Benjamin Parsons, there was apparently a cemetery there prior to the Civil War. When he died in 1873 without any children, his will stipulated that his home and 53 acre farm were to go to St. Peter’s Episcopal Church as a cemetery. His farm abutted the already existing city cemetery. St. Peter’s moved the graves of their Church members from the small plot next to the Church to the newly acquired land. One of the graves contained the bones of a very large man. It is thought that they belonged to “Big Ben” Allen. He was a Tory during the Revolutionary War and caused great distress to the local population that was faithful to the cause of the Revolution. It is said that he had a hiding place that was a cave near where the East prong of the Wicomico River now runs under the railroad tracks. The burial of several Union Army veterans quickly made Parsons Cemetery a popular final resting place in Salisbury. St. Peter’s opened the cemetery to all denominations at that point in time and today is considered a non-denominational cemetery.
Another large influx of burials came about because of the new Rt. 50 going directly through two existing cemeteries known as Potters Field and Houston Cemetery on Ward St. The removal of the graves for the right-of-way began in 1955. Some of the old graves are still there.
The genealogy of the Parsons family was graciously provided by Pat Taylor of the Nabb Center. It begins with a George Parsons who was born in 1708. He had two sons, William and George. William had a son he named William and it was this latter William’s son, Benjamin, who was the benefactor of the cemetery. George Parsons’ other son, also named George, had a son he named Jehu. Jehu had a son named Alison, who named his son Jehu. This Jehu was the mayor of Salisbury from 1898-1900. He named his son Alison after his father and this Alison is the donor of the funds for the design and construction of the brick wall along N. Division St. and the iron gates to the cemetery. A noted Williamsburg architect designed the wall, and the iron gates were hand-fabricated by a noted craftsman in Norfolk. These were added in 1967.
In 1999, columbaria were added along the west side in a beautiful setting overlooking Johnson’s Lake.
In 2000, George W. Parsons of Pittville passed away bequeathing a generous amount in his estate for the perpetuation of Parsons Cemetery.
In 2006, the former cemetery office on London Ave. was sold and this new administration/maintenance building was erected on the south side of the cemetery grounds.
Only in 2007 did we become aware that we have another distinguished person interred here. This came about because the Federal Government sent a plaque to the cemetery to be placed on the grave of a Medal of Honor recipient. He is John Purnell Chatham, who was born in Worcester County, MD on July 2, 1872, and died on October 3, 1914. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his meritorious service as a Gunner’s Mate Second Class assigned to the USS NEWARK during the China Relief Expedition during the period of June 13,20,21 and 22, 1900. The award states that he was awarded the Medal of Honor by distinguishing himself by his conduct in the presence of the enemy.
The next project in the works is to computerize the cemetery’s operations, to include creating a digitized map of the cemetery grounds, using Ramaker software, which will facilitate finding anyone interred there.
West Salisbury Elementary Students to Attend Charles H. Chipman Elementary, North Salisbury Elementary During Construction of New West Salisbury School
The Wicomico County Board of Education and Wicomico County Public Schools took an important step forward on the replacement West Salisbury Elementary School project this week, approving a plan to temporarily relocate its students to two other elementary schools to make way for the start of construction in the 2016-2017 school year.
Starting in August 2016, West Salisbury’s prekindergarten and kindergarten students will temporarily become part of Charles H. Chipman Elementary, whose attendance area is adjacent to West Salisbury’s. First- and second-grade students from the West Salisbury attendance area will temporarily attend West Salisbury’s sister school, North Salisbury Elementary, which they were already set to attend for grades 3-5.
Having two Wicomico elementary schools serve as swing space will make it possible to fulfill the school system’s No. 1 priority of keeping the West Salisbury Elementary School project moving forward, without delay, the Board said in approving the plan at its March 8 Board meeting. Wicomico County is on track to have West Salisbury design development documents to the Maryland Department of General Services by April 1, a key step in the project receiving first-year state construction funding as of July 1. The project received planning approval from the Board of Public Works earlier in the year. Wicomico County has already pledged funding for design and engineering for the project and is recommending funding for construction in FY2017.
The move out of West Salisbury Elementary will occur this summer, with preparations beginning now. West Salisbury Elementary will soon have meetings to share the plan with parents and answer questions about the move.
What Has This Election Done to Gun Stocks?
Shares of Smith & Wesson (SWHC) and Sturm Ruger (RGR) have enjoyed huge gains since President Barack Obama’s inauguration on Jan. 20, 2009. Smith & Wesson’s stock is up a whopping 957%, and Ruger has rallied 1,078%. By comparison, the broader S&P has risen 135% over the same period.
Since the start of 2016, Smith & Wesson and Ruger have jumped 23% as of Friday’s close. Vista Outdoor (VSTO), the owner of Savage Arms and ammunition maker Federal Premium, is up 18.8%.
Both gun makers have reported a recent surge in demand, thanks in part to uncertainty over the presidential race and fears that new gun-control regulations could be coming. Those concerns resurfaced this year with President Obama’s executive orders expanding background checks and the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
Lifelong Democrat Tells the Truth About the Liberal Agenda
Barkley began by saying that he has “always voted Democratic,” The Guardian reports.
“Always,” the NBA hall of famer explained. “I don’t know why. I’m trying to figure out exactly what they’ve done for us.”
Barkley is right. Where would the Democratic Party be today without a dependable system of impoverished voters who rely on government for their basic needs?
Source: AAN
Chuck Norris No Longer Will Campaign With Ted Cruz
According to the pro-Cruz PAC, Norris, 75, was to attend a rally along with the GOP presidential hopeful, radio host Glenn Beck and Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin at an “American rally” in Concord, North Carolina. However, as rumors of a Norris endorsement of Cruz swirled, the “Walker, Texas Ranger” star apparently backed out of the event.
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Mitt Romney’s Niece Publicly Said Who She’s Voting For, And Mitt Is FURIOUS!
When it comes down to common sense, Mitt Romney’s niece, Ronna Romney McDaniel, brings it to the table without question.
As you know, her uncle Mitt is working to create havoc against GOP frontrunner Donald Trump at the GOP convention in July of this year. He doesn’t want the successful businessman to win the GOP nomination, so he’s joined with the establishment to try to prevent that from happening.
Ronna isn’t playing those games. She sounds like she’s country-first and will abide by the will of the people. Imagine if all of our elected officials thought this way!
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As you know, her uncle Mitt is working to create havoc against GOP frontrunner Donald Trump at the GOP convention in July of this year. He doesn’t want the successful businessman to win the GOP nomination, so he’s joined with the establishment to try to prevent that from happening.
Ronna isn’t playing those games. She sounds like she’s country-first and will abide by the will of the people. Imagine if all of our elected officials thought this way!
More
Law Day program May 2; appointments are required
Area attorneys will be on hand Monday, May 2, to offer seniors free assistance on creating an Advance Directive.
The attorneys, members of the Wicomico County Bar Association, are providing this service in partnership with MAC Inc., the Area Agency on Aging, in observance of Maryland Law Day.
The attorneys will be available from 10 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 3 p.m. at MAC Inc. This free service is being offered to those age 65 and older, and is available by appointment only.
Participants are asked to come prepared with the name, address and phone number of the person designated to honor their health care wishes. All forms will be provided.
An Advance Directive is a written document meant to reflect your health care preferences should you become incapacitated and unable to make such decisions for yourself.
Appointments are required. To make an appointment, call 410-742-0505, ext. 118.
Space is limited, and those interested in participating are encouraged to call soon.
The attorneys, members of the Wicomico County Bar Association, are providing this service in partnership with MAC Inc., the Area Agency on Aging, in observance of Maryland Law Day.
The attorneys will be available from 10 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 3 p.m. at MAC Inc. This free service is being offered to those age 65 and older, and is available by appointment only.
Participants are asked to come prepared with the name, address and phone number of the person designated to honor their health care wishes. All forms will be provided.
An Advance Directive is a written document meant to reflect your health care preferences should you become incapacitated and unable to make such decisions for yourself.
Appointments are required. To make an appointment, call 410-742-0505, ext. 118.
Space is limited, and those interested in participating are encouraged to call soon.
Administration Official: ‘Our Streets Are Flooded With Heroin’ With Much of It ‘Coming From Mexico’
(CNSNews.com) – An official with the Obama administration said on Tuesday that the “streets are flooded with heroin” in the United States and much of it “is coming from Mexico.”
Mary Lou Leary, deputy director of State, Local and Tribal Affairs for the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), spoke at the National League of Cities Conference in Washington, D.C. During a confence-workshop on heroin addiction and prevention, CNSNews.com asked Leary about the need to address border security and drug cartels to combat the opioid crisis.
“I think there’s another issue I’m sure that the chief really appreciates and that is, ‘Where is this heroin coming from?’” Leary said, noting fellow panelist, Pittsburgh Chief of Police Cameron McLay, who spoke about law enforcement’s role battling heroin.
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Mary Lou Leary, deputy director of State, Local and Tribal Affairs for the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), spoke at the National League of Cities Conference in Washington, D.C. During a confence-workshop on heroin addiction and prevention, CNSNews.com asked Leary about the need to address border security and drug cartels to combat the opioid crisis.
“I think there’s another issue I’m sure that the chief really appreciates and that is, ‘Where is this heroin coming from?’” Leary said, noting fellow panelist, Pittsburgh Chief of Police Cameron McLay, who spoke about law enforcement’s role battling heroin.
More
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