The hashtag #BoycottTarget has topped Facebook’s top 10 trends for three days in a row from Friday through Sunday, as hundreds of thousands of Americans have signed the American Family Association’s (AFA) petition opposing the retail giant’s decision to allow men to use women’s changing rooms and bathrooms.
What began as a corporate statement of solidarity with LGBT activists has morphed into a public relations disaster for Target. On Tuesday, Target stated it “welcomes transgender team members and guests to use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender identity.” Target added, “Everyone deserves to feel like they belong.”
Then the AFA launched its #BoycottTarget petition. As of Sunday, the AFA says 444,405 individuals have signed a pledge not to shop at Target.
Citizen comments across social media have highlighted the obvious myriad problems with allowing shoppers to self-define their gender. A core criticism has been whether predators will use Target’s transgender policy to gain access to bathrooms or changing rooms with the intent to video or assault customers.
“This means a man can simply say he ‘feels like a woman today’ and enter the women’s restroom…even if young girls or women are already in there,” states the AFA petition.
As Breitbart’s Warner Todd Huston has reported, video voyeurism remains a serious problem, and bathroom assaults are common.
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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
Monday, April 25, 2016
$11 per week raise vs. $277,000 per ballgame
A reader charged me the other day with comparing apples and tennis balls. I prefer to think of it as an imaginative mind making profound connections between two seemingly unrelated phenomena. But that’s just me.
So let’s compare pay and what people are worth, an absurd debate if there ever was one, based on two stories this week.
A member of Congress, Rep. Susan Davis (D-Calif.), has made a connection about two halves of the same apple. She’s worried the 2.1 percent pay increase for uniformed armed services members, if it becomes law, would have to be paid for with money from military readiness accounts. Davis was off in her arithmetic. An E-4 specialist or corporal, who earns $24,000 per year for the first two years, would have $42 a month more, not $11. Maybe she meant $11 a week. Regardless, not enough to cover payments on a new F-150 Lariat. $42 is about the price of a box of 148 Pampers Swaddlers with wetness indicator. If you invested the $42 each month for two years, and could guarantee a 3 percent return, eventually you’d have … not very much.
But Davis has a point. She said, presumably quoting an authority like the Congressional Budget Office, the raise would cost the military $330 million in 2017. And wonders where it would come from.
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So let’s compare pay and what people are worth, an absurd debate if there ever was one, based on two stories this week.
A member of Congress, Rep. Susan Davis (D-Calif.), has made a connection about two halves of the same apple. She’s worried the 2.1 percent pay increase for uniformed armed services members, if it becomes law, would have to be paid for with money from military readiness accounts. Davis was off in her arithmetic. An E-4 specialist or corporal, who earns $24,000 per year for the first two years, would have $42 a month more, not $11. Maybe she meant $11 a week. Regardless, not enough to cover payments on a new F-150 Lariat. $42 is about the price of a box of 148 Pampers Swaddlers with wetness indicator. If you invested the $42 each month for two years, and could guarantee a 3 percent return, eventually you’d have … not very much.
But Davis has a point. She said, presumably quoting an authority like the Congressional Budget Office, the raise would cost the military $330 million in 2017. And wonders where it would come from.
More
Opposition mounts against NDAA military pay raise, troop increase
A top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee is concerned about some of the main personnel provisions in the 2017 defense authorization bill.
Rep. Susan Davis (D-Calif.), the ranking member on the military personnel subcommittee said Wednesday that a higher pay rate for active duty military members and an increase in active duty troops could affect readiness, budgeting and hurt the military further if sequestration returns.
Despite Davis’ apprehension, the subcommittee passed its portion of the Defense authorization bill by a unanimous vote. The recommendations in the markup will be folded into the whole bill and voted on by the full committee next week.
Davis’ unease over the two provisions stems from warnings about military readiness from the services.
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Rep. Susan Davis (D-Calif.), the ranking member on the military personnel subcommittee said Wednesday that a higher pay rate for active duty military members and an increase in active duty troops could affect readiness, budgeting and hurt the military further if sequestration returns.
Despite Davis’ apprehension, the subcommittee passed its portion of the Defense authorization bill by a unanimous vote. The recommendations in the markup will be folded into the whole bill and voted on by the full committee next week.
Davis’ unease over the two provisions stems from warnings about military readiness from the services.
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Can Trump Take Down Hillary?
Varney then asked about the general election.
“If it’s Trump versus Hillary in November, who wins?” he asked.
Harrington would not discount Trump in a general election against Clinton, the almost surefire nominee after she soundly defeated Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) in New York’s primary Tuesday. Both Clinton and Trump sport low favorability numbers with the public.
“I think it would be a lot closer than a lot of people are saying. I think Trump puts a lot of states on the map that Republicans haven’t seen in years and really, when you look at the polls now, until asking the voters about November, it’s purely a hypothetical thing,” Harrington said. “I don’t think the polls really carry much influence so, yeah, I think it would be pretty close, but I think Trump would have a shot and a lot of people are writing him off right now."
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Democrats Turning to Trump?
Democrats in Pennsylvania are changing parties in response to Donald Trump's presidency- at an unprecedented rate. As the Duluth News Tribune reports:
A retired middle school principal was so moved by Donald Trump that he switched his Democratic Party registration so he can vote for him in Tuesday’s Republican presidential primary.
So did the daughter of a steelworker, who twice voted for President Barack Obama but says she is “over” the Democrats’ political correctness.
And a husband-wife team of Trump volunteers — she’s a laid-off airport worker, he’s a laid-off truck driver — were Democrats for 30 years, until recently.
“We always voted Democrat,” said Laurie McGinnis, as her husband Ricky hung a Trump banner outside their South Greensburg home. “But not any more.”
Some of these newly minted Pennsylvania Republicans are formalizing a process that began with Ronald Reagan’s election in 1980, when conservative-leaning Democrats began shifting away from the party in the faded industrial state.
Others moved abruptly, inspired by Trump and fed up with a party they say no longer speaks their language.
A retired middle school principal was so moved by Donald Trump that he switched his Democratic Party registration so he can vote for him in Tuesday’s Republican presidential primary.
So did the daughter of a steelworker, who twice voted for President Barack Obama but says she is “over” the Democrats’ political correctness.
And a husband-wife team of Trump volunteers — she’s a laid-off airport worker, he’s a laid-off truck driver — were Democrats for 30 years, until recently.
“We always voted Democrat,” said Laurie McGinnis, as her husband Ricky hung a Trump banner outside their South Greensburg home. “But not any more.”
Some of these newly minted Pennsylvania Republicans are formalizing a process that began with Ronald Reagan’s election in 1980, when conservative-leaning Democrats began shifting away from the party in the faded industrial state.
Others moved abruptly, inspired by Trump and fed up with a party they say no longer speaks their language.
Zika Awareness Week April 24th- 30th
Preventing infection from mosquito bites, human contact
Salisbury, MD (April 22, 2016) – In accordance with Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s proclamation of April 24-30 as Maryland Zika Awareness Week, Wicomico County Health Department will raise awareness and provide residents with information to help minimize their risk for the mosquito-borne virus, as weather becomes warmer.
“Activities will be centered on helping our residents reduce opportunities around their homes for mosquitoes to breed,” said Wicomico County Health Officer Lori Brewster.
Zika Awareness Week is part of Maryland’s effort to raise awareness about the virus and about prevention. Throughout this week, local health departments around the state will be scheduling activities in their respective communities.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have stated – because transmission has chiefly occurred through the bite of the aedes aegypti mosquito – that preventing mosquito bites is the best way to prevent infection.
The CDC also has confirmed that people who have traveled to countries where the virus is actively transmitted (the Caribbean, Central American and South American countries) should abstain from unprotected sexual activity, especially if their partner is a woman who is pregnant or who could become pregnant.
Salisbury, MD (April 22, 2016) – In accordance with Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s proclamation of April 24-30 as Maryland Zika Awareness Week, Wicomico County Health Department will raise awareness and provide residents with information to help minimize their risk for the mosquito-borne virus, as weather becomes warmer.
“Activities will be centered on helping our residents reduce opportunities around their homes for mosquitoes to breed,” said Wicomico County Health Officer Lori Brewster.
Zika Awareness Week is part of Maryland’s effort to raise awareness about the virus and about prevention. Throughout this week, local health departments around the state will be scheduling activities in their respective communities.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have stated – because transmission has chiefly occurred through the bite of the aedes aegypti mosquito – that preventing mosquito bites is the best way to prevent infection.
The CDC also has confirmed that people who have traveled to countries where the virus is actively transmitted (the Caribbean, Central American and South American countries) should abstain from unprotected sexual activity, especially if their partner is a woman who is pregnant or who could become pregnant.
For more information on prevention steps, visit the CDC at http://goo.gl/mzPHVy.
As of today, Maryland has had nine confirmed cases of Zika virus infection. All have been related to travel from areas of ongoing transmission; none have involved local transmission.
The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene keeps a record of confirmed cases on its website: http://goo.gl/oAqPF6. For more information about the Zika virus, visit the CDC at http://www.cdc.gov/zika/ or www.wicomicohealth.org.
As of today, Maryland has had nine confirmed cases of Zika virus infection. All have been related to travel from areas of ongoing transmission; none have involved local transmission.
The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene keeps a record of confirmed cases on its website: http://goo.gl/oAqPF6. For more information about the Zika virus, visit the CDC at http://www.cdc.gov/zika/ or www.wicomicohealth.org.
Subject: Cruz-Kasich Pact Quiet on California Primary
The presidential campaigns of Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich made little mention of the California primary in announcing Sunday night that they have agreed to split several remaining states in the Republican primary in a joint effort to keep Donald Trump from winning the Republican nomination.
According to the agreement, Cruz will agree not to contest Oregon and New Mexico, in return for Kasich agreeing not to contest Indiana, where Trump holds a slight lead in the polls.
Of those contests, only Indiana is likely to prove decisive in any way. Trump’s current lead over Cruz is just eight points, while Kasich is polling at 16 percent. It is unclear, however, whether all of Kasich’s supporters will support Cruz. If even a significant minority support Trump instead, Trump could still win the state. The Indiana Republican primary awards 30 delegates statewide on a winner-take-all basis, plus three delegates per congressional district, also on a winner-take-all basis.
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According to the agreement, Cruz will agree not to contest Oregon and New Mexico, in return for Kasich agreeing not to contest Indiana, where Trump holds a slight lead in the polls.
Of those contests, only Indiana is likely to prove decisive in any way. Trump’s current lead over Cruz is just eight points, while Kasich is polling at 16 percent. It is unclear, however, whether all of Kasich’s supporters will support Cruz. If even a significant minority support Trump instead, Trump could still win the state. The Indiana Republican primary awards 30 delegates statewide on a winner-take-all basis, plus three delegates per congressional district, also on a winner-take-all basis.
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Exclusive Data Analysis: GOP Primary Turnout Up 8.7 Million Votes, More Than 60 Percent in 2016 Versus 2012
Newly compiled data after the New York Republican primary shows that among the states that have voted so far in 2016, GOP primary and caucus turnout is up well more than 8 million votes and well more than 60 percent over 2012’s process.
Top GOP officials say that the intense interest in the GOP primary throughout the year so far only serves to benefit the Republican nominee in November, whoever it ends up being.
In total, so far, nationwide the GOP has seen an increase of 8,719,041 votes in 2016’s primaries, caucuses and conventions over 2012’s primaries, caucuses and conventions. In 2012, 14,452,500 people voted in each of the states and territories that have held contests so far in 2016. In 2016, 23,171,541 people have voted in the GOP contests so far. That is a 60.33 percent increase in GOP contest turnout in just four years.
Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus reacted to the news in an exclusive comment to Breitbart News saying that voters are flocking to the GOP after a bad past eight years with Democratic President Barack Obama because they know Democrat Hillary Clinton as president would be “disastrous.”
“After eight years of Barack Obama, voters throughout the country know that four years of Hillary Clinton would be disastrous,” Priebus said in an email. “Almost to a state, we are seeing record turnout because voters know it’s the Republican Party that has the ideas and solutions that will move America in the right direction.”
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Top GOP officials say that the intense interest in the GOP primary throughout the year so far only serves to benefit the Republican nominee in November, whoever it ends up being.
In total, so far, nationwide the GOP has seen an increase of 8,719,041 votes in 2016’s primaries, caucuses and conventions over 2012’s primaries, caucuses and conventions. In 2012, 14,452,500 people voted in each of the states and territories that have held contests so far in 2016. In 2016, 23,171,541 people have voted in the GOP contests so far. That is a 60.33 percent increase in GOP contest turnout in just four years.
Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus reacted to the news in an exclusive comment to Breitbart News saying that voters are flocking to the GOP after a bad past eight years with Democratic President Barack Obama because they know Democrat Hillary Clinton as president would be “disastrous.”
“After eight years of Barack Obama, voters throughout the country know that four years of Hillary Clinton would be disastrous,” Priebus said in an email. “Almost to a state, we are seeing record turnout because voters know it’s the Republican Party that has the ideas and solutions that will move America in the right direction.”
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What I've Learned: Jack Nicholson
I hate advice unless I'm giving it.
I hate giving advice, because people won't take it.
I love discourse. I'm dying to have my mind changed. I'm probably the only liberal who readTreason, by Ann Coulter. I want to know, you understand? I like listening to everybody. This to me is the elixir of life.
I don't think many people have a very good understanding of leisure and the importance it plays in our lives. People today are too competitive about leisure, as if it needs to have some other value in order to be able to fit into our puritanical view of the world. But if you're playing golf to get a loan, it ain't golf, you know what I mean?
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Going to the boat......first time
Here is a good birds eye view of what pilots see when they are landing on the deck of a carrier. Most Marine pilots are required to do carrier quals, as all Navy pilots are required to do. They begin with a touch and go then proceed to catch an arresting gear wire on the ship’s deck. Take note of the pilot’s description of the moving angle deck they have to land on....
GOING TO THE BOAT
GOING TO THE BOAT
Can More Money Fix America's Schools?
This winter, Jameria Miller would often run to her high school Spanish class, though not to get a good seat.
She wanted a good blanket.
"The cold is definitely a distraction," Jameria says of her classroom's uninsulated, metal walls.
Her teacher provided the blankets. First come, first served. Such is life in the William Penn School District in an inner-ring suburb of Philadelphia.
The hardest part for Jameria, though, isn't the cold. It's knowing that other schools aren't like this.
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She wanted a good blanket.
"The cold is definitely a distraction," Jameria says of her classroom's uninsulated, metal walls.
Her teacher provided the blankets. First come, first served. Such is life in the William Penn School District in an inner-ring suburb of Philadelphia.
The hardest part for Jameria, though, isn't the cold. It's knowing that other schools aren't like this.
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Liberals Recreate The Jim Ireton THREE Dollar Bill
Click on image to enlarge.
Liberals, on behalf of the LGBT supporters have rewarded Jim Ireton to be the face of the $3.00 Bill for being the first man to crash the Ladies Room at MoJo's in Salisbury, Maryland.
Since his aggressive move, even Target is now on board and Bruce Jenner has started to wear dresses.
Yes, it all started right here in Salisbury, Maryland. To think this guy is running for congress. The Eastern Shore should be so proud.
Ex-Sen. Harris Wofford, 90, Announces He's Marrying a Man
Harris Wofford, a Democratic U.S. senator in Pennsylvania from 1991 to 1995, has announced that he is marrying a man, according to an article he wrote in The New York Times.
Wofford is one of the founders of the Peace Corps, and was a special assistant for civil rights to President John F. Kennedy and an adviser to Martin Luther King Jr.
Wofford’s wife, Clare, died in 1996 of leukemia. In the Times article, he said, "I wondered what it would be like living by myself for the rest of my life."
Wofford discusses meeting Matthew Charlton.
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Wofford is one of the founders of the Peace Corps, and was a special assistant for civil rights to President John F. Kennedy and an adviser to Martin Luther King Jr.
Wofford’s wife, Clare, died in 1996 of leukemia. In the Times article, he said, "I wondered what it would be like living by myself for the rest of my life."
Wofford discusses meeting Matthew Charlton.
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4 Ways To Heal ADD Without Medication
Taking a dose of Ritalin or Adderall at school is a daily ritual for many students in the United States.
That shouldn’t be a surprise because the number of cases of attention deficit disorder (ADD), also called attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is on the rise among children and teenagers, up 43 percent over an eight-year period, according to a recently published study by the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University. Today, roughly 12 percent of children and teens have the diagnosis.
But medication isn’t the only alternative for treating ADD. Focusing on natural treatments and the individual ADHD type can produce great results, says Daniel Amen, MD, a clinical neuroscientist and brain imaging expert who also is the Founder of Amen Clinics (www.amenclinics.com), which treat patients at six locations around the country.
“Through our work with over 20,000 ADD patients over the last three decades, using a powerful brain-imaging tool called SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography), we discovered that ADD is not a single or simple disorder; there are seven different types,” says Amen, author of numerous books, including “Healing ADD” and “Change Your Brain, Change Your Life.”
“In addition, many natural treatments can help all the ADD types. I always prefer to start with the least toxic, most effective treatment,”
That doesn’t mean medication is never right, he says.
“For some children medication is the best option,” Amen says. “But whether they are on medication or not, there are several lifestyle changes that can help all types.”
He suggests parents consider these four non-medical interventions:
• Nutrition. The right diet can have an impact. Amen says parents should try putting their children on a high protein, low carbohydrate diet that is relatively high in healthy fat. The reason: Such a diet has a stabilizing effect on blood sugar levels and helps with both energy level and concentration.
• Exercise. Parents need to make sure their children aren’t just sitting around watching TV. Exercise increases blood flow to all parts of the body, the brain included. That, of course, is particularly beneficial to people with ADD. Exercise also increases the availability of serotonin in the brain, helping to calm hyperactivity.
• Meditation. Parents should teach their children how to meditate because research shows that meditation can calm stress and enhance brain function. Help them find a quiet spot where they can sit comfortably, Amen says, then tell them to gently close their eyes and focus on their breathing. He suggests starting with just a few minutes and working up to 10, 15 or 20 minutes.
• Neurofeedback. This is a specialized treatment that uses computer technology to balance and optimize the brain. During each session, patients play a video game using just their brain. Amen says it’s both fun for the child, and also helps strengthen their brains “to a healthier, more focused state.”
“Parents shouldn’t automatically discount medication as a way to treat children with ADD,” Amen says. “But they also need to be mindful that medication isn’t their only option.”
That shouldn’t be a surprise because the number of cases of attention deficit disorder (ADD), also called attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is on the rise among children and teenagers, up 43 percent over an eight-year period, according to a recently published study by the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University. Today, roughly 12 percent of children and teens have the diagnosis.
But medication isn’t the only alternative for treating ADD. Focusing on natural treatments and the individual ADHD type can produce great results, says Daniel Amen, MD, a clinical neuroscientist and brain imaging expert who also is the Founder of Amen Clinics (www.amenclinics.com), which treat patients at six locations around the country.
“Through our work with over 20,000 ADD patients over the last three decades, using a powerful brain-imaging tool called SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography), we discovered that ADD is not a single or simple disorder; there are seven different types,” says Amen, author of numerous books, including “Healing ADD” and “Change Your Brain, Change Your Life.”
“In addition, many natural treatments can help all the ADD types. I always prefer to start with the least toxic, most effective treatment,”
That doesn’t mean medication is never right, he says.
“For some children medication is the best option,” Amen says. “But whether they are on medication or not, there are several lifestyle changes that can help all types.”
He suggests parents consider these four non-medical interventions:
• Nutrition. The right diet can have an impact. Amen says parents should try putting their children on a high protein, low carbohydrate diet that is relatively high in healthy fat. The reason: Such a diet has a stabilizing effect on blood sugar levels and helps with both energy level and concentration.
• Exercise. Parents need to make sure their children aren’t just sitting around watching TV. Exercise increases blood flow to all parts of the body, the brain included. That, of course, is particularly beneficial to people with ADD. Exercise also increases the availability of serotonin in the brain, helping to calm hyperactivity.
• Meditation. Parents should teach their children how to meditate because research shows that meditation can calm stress and enhance brain function. Help them find a quiet spot where they can sit comfortably, Amen says, then tell them to gently close their eyes and focus on their breathing. He suggests starting with just a few minutes and working up to 10, 15 or 20 minutes.
• Neurofeedback. This is a specialized treatment that uses computer technology to balance and optimize the brain. During each session, patients play a video game using just their brain. Amen says it’s both fun for the child, and also helps strengthen their brains “to a healthier, more focused state.”
“Parents shouldn’t automatically discount medication as a way to treat children with ADD,” Amen says. “But they also need to be mindful that medication isn’t their only option.”
Cruz and Kasich Team Up to Stop Trump
Sunday night, Ted Cruz and John Kasich announced that they were going to coordinate to try and stop GOP frontrunner Donald Trump from reaching the 1,237 delegates he needs to win the nomination. This comes after both men have been all but mathematically eliminated from reaching the 1,237 number before the convention.
From CNN:
Within minutes of each other, the pair issued statements late Sunday saying they will divide their efforts in upcoming contests with Cruz focusing on Indiana and Kasich devoting his efforts to Oregon and New Mexico. The strategy -- something the two campaigns have been working on for weeks -- is aimed at blocking Trump from gaining the 1,237 delegates necessary to claim to GOP nomination this summer.
The extraordinary moves reflect the national strength Trump has shown and the inability of Republicans who oppose the New York billionaire to come together to stop him. Dividing up some of the remaining primary states by putting forward one strong alternative to Trump in each could be enough to take away delegates and curb Trump's run to the nomination.
Trump is the only candidate who can realistically get a first-ballot victory -- there's no mathematical path for Cruz or Kasich to clinch the nomination heading into the convention. The billionaire is poised for a strong performance Tuesday, when Republicans in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut and Rhode Island head to the polls.
Cruz campaign manager Jeff Roe called a Trump nomination “a sure disaster” for the GOP in his announcement of the arrangement. Marco Rubio, who will have the fourth largest amount of delegates at the convention, all but endorsed Ted Cruz in an appearance with Mark Levin.
Trump took to Twitter to blast the arrangement.
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From CNN:
Within minutes of each other, the pair issued statements late Sunday saying they will divide their efforts in upcoming contests with Cruz focusing on Indiana and Kasich devoting his efforts to Oregon and New Mexico. The strategy -- something the two campaigns have been working on for weeks -- is aimed at blocking Trump from gaining the 1,237 delegates necessary to claim to GOP nomination this summer.
The extraordinary moves reflect the national strength Trump has shown and the inability of Republicans who oppose the New York billionaire to come together to stop him. Dividing up some of the remaining primary states by putting forward one strong alternative to Trump in each could be enough to take away delegates and curb Trump's run to the nomination.
Trump is the only candidate who can realistically get a first-ballot victory -- there's no mathematical path for Cruz or Kasich to clinch the nomination heading into the convention. The billionaire is poised for a strong performance Tuesday, when Republicans in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut and Rhode Island head to the polls.
Cruz campaign manager Jeff Roe called a Trump nomination “a sure disaster” for the GOP in his announcement of the arrangement. Marco Rubio, who will have the fourth largest amount of delegates at the convention, all but endorsed Ted Cruz in an appearance with Mark Levin.
Trump took to Twitter to blast the arrangement.
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Dr. Richard Land: Gender Activists ‘Practicing Psychological Child Abuse’ On ‘Our Nation’s Children’
In defending North Carolina's new "bathroom" law, author and theologian Dr. Richard Land said it is psychologically harmful to expose young boys and girls to transgender sexuality, and that "conditioning children" to believe that "chemical and surgical impersonation of the opposite sex is normal" is nothing more than "child abuse."
Dr. Land, president of Southern Evangelical Seminary and former five-term member of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, added that the LGBT activists and lawmakers who push transgender and transsexual policies are abusing a "whole generation of our nation's children" and it is up to "clear-thinking adults to stop them."
During an April 19 radio interview on "Sandy Rios in the Morning," Dr. Land said, “At best, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people make about 3%, 3 or 4% of the population. We’re going to consider confusing, and doing psychological harm to 98% of the boys and 88% of the gender-confused girls – who eventually figure out they’re girls and that they’re boys – in order to further confuse and confirm in their confusion the small minority of adult [LGBTs]."
"You know, the rates of suicide, the American College of Pediatricians says, are 20 times greater among adults who use cross-sex hormones and undergo sex-reassignment surgery – even in Sweden, which is among the most LGBT-affirming countries," said Dr. Land.
"Think about that: Twenty times greater suicide rates," he said.
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Dr. Land, president of Southern Evangelical Seminary and former five-term member of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, added that the LGBT activists and lawmakers who push transgender and transsexual policies are abusing a "whole generation of our nation's children" and it is up to "clear-thinking adults to stop them."
During an April 19 radio interview on "Sandy Rios in the Morning," Dr. Land said, “At best, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people make about 3%, 3 or 4% of the population. We’re going to consider confusing, and doing psychological harm to 98% of the boys and 88% of the gender-confused girls – who eventually figure out they’re girls and that they’re boys – in order to further confuse and confirm in their confusion the small minority of adult [LGBTs]."
"You know, the rates of suicide, the American College of Pediatricians says, are 20 times greater among adults who use cross-sex hormones and undergo sex-reassignment surgery – even in Sweden, which is among the most LGBT-affirming countries," said Dr. Land.
"Think about that: Twenty times greater suicide rates," he said.
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Program Diverting Money From Treasury to Insurance Companies
Sen. Ben Sasse (R., Neb.) is taking aim at an Obamacare program that is diverting billions of dollars in payments away from the U.S. Treasury and steering the money to major insurance companies involved with the health care law.
Sasse recently introduced legislation tackling the Transitional Reinsurance Program, one of three programs in Obamacare put into place to protect insurance companies from risks that could arise from entering the marketplace.
Under the reinsurance program, if an individual were to have an Obamacare-compliant plan and accrued medical costs between $45,000 and $250,000, HHS was slated to pay 80 percent of the large claims total back to the insurance companies.
However, HHS later announced that they were going to raise the payment rates for the insurance companies to 100 percent.
The secretary of HHS, under the law, is required to deposit a total of $5 billion between 2014 and 2016 to the Treasury. This amount was supposed to consist of a $2 billion payment in 2014, a $2 billion payment for 2015, and a $1 billion payment for 2016.
Treasury did not receive a single payment out of the $2 billion that they were supposed to receive in 2014, while the insurance companies were given the full $8 billion that they requested. Additionally, HHS carried over $1.7 billion to have on hand to give to insurance companies at a later time.
HHS said it would give Treasury $500 million out of the $2 billion owed for 2015 and that the insurance companies will receive a payout of $7.7 billion. This includes a $6 billion payment for 2015 and the $1.7 billion that was carried over from 2014.
On Feb. 29, 2016, Sen. Sasse wrote to HHS demanding that the full amount “be deposited into the general fund of the U.S. Treasury before any additional amounts are paid to the insurance companies.
Sasse recently introduced legislation tackling the Transitional Reinsurance Program, one of three programs in Obamacare put into place to protect insurance companies from risks that could arise from entering the marketplace.
Under the reinsurance program, if an individual were to have an Obamacare-compliant plan and accrued medical costs between $45,000 and $250,000, HHS was slated to pay 80 percent of the large claims total back to the insurance companies.
However, HHS later announced that they were going to raise the payment rates for the insurance companies to 100 percent.
The secretary of HHS, under the law, is required to deposit a total of $5 billion between 2014 and 2016 to the Treasury. This amount was supposed to consist of a $2 billion payment in 2014, a $2 billion payment for 2015, and a $1 billion payment for 2016.
Treasury did not receive a single payment out of the $2 billion that they were supposed to receive in 2014, while the insurance companies were given the full $8 billion that they requested. Additionally, HHS carried over $1.7 billion to have on hand to give to insurance companies at a later time.
HHS said it would give Treasury $500 million out of the $2 billion owed for 2015 and that the insurance companies will receive a payout of $7.7 billion. This includes a $6 billion payment for 2015 and the $1.7 billion that was carried over from 2014.
On Feb. 29, 2016, Sen. Sasse wrote to HHS demanding that the full amount “be deposited into the general fund of the U.S. Treasury before any additional amounts are paid to the insurance companies.
ESPN Has a Right to Fire Curt Schilling. What Rights Do People of Faith Have?
ESPN has fired Curt Schilling. The company said that his speech went against company values because ESPN is “an inclusive company.”
What’s at stake here?
Curt Schilling has a right to say biological men don’t belong in women’s bathrooms in whatever controversial way he wants. And ESPN has a right to give Caitlyn Jenner the “Arthur Ashe Courage Award” for being a men’s sports icon who now publicly identifies as a woman. And whether we agree or disagree with Schilling’s message or ESPN’s isn’t the point.
The bigger issue is that ESPN, like any other company, has a right to control its message, which means it should be generally free to make employment decisions based on its values, not Curt Schilling’s, and certainly not the government’s.
The same is true for religious institutions, only more so. While ESPN is committed to being “inclusive,” it’s a large corporation whose main focus is reporting sports in ways that make money. Religious institutions and some family businesses, on the other hand, have more robust substantive commitments driven by faith, not profits alone.
Jewish, Christian, and Muslim schools, for example, provide comprehensive learning environments that support distinctive beliefs and distinctive worldviews. That’s why parents sacrifice to save their money to send their kids there — to avoid the secular liberal indoctrination of many government-run public schools, and to have their children formed intellectually and spiritually in keeping with their values.
So it seems all the more important that religious schools have at least the same freedom as ESPN to make employment decisions based on their sincere beliefs.
More here
What’s at stake here?
Curt Schilling has a right to say biological men don’t belong in women’s bathrooms in whatever controversial way he wants. And ESPN has a right to give Caitlyn Jenner the “Arthur Ashe Courage Award” for being a men’s sports icon who now publicly identifies as a woman. And whether we agree or disagree with Schilling’s message or ESPN’s isn’t the point.
The bigger issue is that ESPN, like any other company, has a right to control its message, which means it should be generally free to make employment decisions based on its values, not Curt Schilling’s, and certainly not the government’s.
The same is true for religious institutions, only more so. While ESPN is committed to being “inclusive,” it’s a large corporation whose main focus is reporting sports in ways that make money. Religious institutions and some family businesses, on the other hand, have more robust substantive commitments driven by faith, not profits alone.
Jewish, Christian, and Muslim schools, for example, provide comprehensive learning environments that support distinctive beliefs and distinctive worldviews. That’s why parents sacrifice to save their money to send their kids there — to avoid the secular liberal indoctrination of many government-run public schools, and to have their children formed intellectually and spiritually in keeping with their values.
So it seems all the more important that religious schools have at least the same freedom as ESPN to make employment decisions based on their sincere beliefs.
More here
WARNING: CRUZ LACKEYS Are Posting Fake Trump PA Delegate Lists on Twitter
Voters in Pennsylvania MUST VOTE ON THESE CONFIRMED TRUMP DELEGATES In their district.
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Program Diverting Money From Treasury to Insurance Companies
Sen. Ben Sasse (R., Neb.) is taking aim at an Obamacare program that is diverting billions of dollars in payments away from the U.S. Treasury and steering the money to major insurance companies involved with the health care law.
Sasse recently introduced legislation tackling the Transitional Reinsurance Program, one of three programs in Obamacare put into place to protect insurance companies from risks that could arise from entering the marketplace.
Under the reinsurance program, if an individual were to have an Obamacare-compliant plan and accrued medical costs between $45,000 and $250,000, HHS was slated to pay 80 percent of the large claims total back to the insurance companies.
However, HHS later announced that they were going to raise the payment rates for the insurance companies to 100 percent.
The secretary of HHS, under the law, is required to deposit a total of $5 billion between 2014 and 2016 to the Treasury. This amount was supposed to consist of a $2 billion payment in 2014, a $2 billion payment for 2015, and a $1 billion payment for 2016.
Treasury did not receive a single payment out of the $2 billion that they were supposed to receive in 2014, while the insurance companies were given the full $8 billion that they requested. Additionally, HHS carried over $1.7 billion to have on hand to give to insurance companies at a later time.
HHS said it would give Treasury $500 million out of the $2 billion owed for 2015 and that the insurance companies will receive a payout of $7.7 billion. This includes a $6 billion payment for 2015 and the $1.7 billion that was carried over from 2014.
On Feb. 29, 2016, Sen. Sasse wrote to HHS demanding that the full amount “be deposited into the general fund of the U.S. Treasury before any additional amounts are paid to the insurance companies.
More here
Sasse recently introduced legislation tackling the Transitional Reinsurance Program, one of three programs in Obamacare put into place to protect insurance companies from risks that could arise from entering the marketplace.
Under the reinsurance program, if an individual were to have an Obamacare-compliant plan and accrued medical costs between $45,000 and $250,000, HHS was slated to pay 80 percent of the large claims total back to the insurance companies.
However, HHS later announced that they were going to raise the payment rates for the insurance companies to 100 percent.
The secretary of HHS, under the law, is required to deposit a total of $5 billion between 2014 and 2016 to the Treasury. This amount was supposed to consist of a $2 billion payment in 2014, a $2 billion payment for 2015, and a $1 billion payment for 2016.
Treasury did not receive a single payment out of the $2 billion that they were supposed to receive in 2014, while the insurance companies were given the full $8 billion that they requested. Additionally, HHS carried over $1.7 billion to have on hand to give to insurance companies at a later time.
HHS said it would give Treasury $500 million out of the $2 billion owed for 2015 and that the insurance companies will receive a payout of $7.7 billion. This includes a $6 billion payment for 2015 and the $1.7 billion that was carried over from 2014.
On Feb. 29, 2016, Sen. Sasse wrote to HHS demanding that the full amount “be deposited into the general fund of the U.S. Treasury before any additional amounts are paid to the insurance companies.
More here
Wicomico Sample Ballots: Important Information Below Ballots!!!
IMPORTANT: You can only vote for THREE Delegates and THREE alternate Delegates. MAKE VERY SURE you vote, (if you so choose) for Delegates that have TRUMP to the right of their name IF you want Trump to win the popular and delegate votes. If you do vote for the Delegates the Trump Campaign has chosen, (they already have the Trump name next to them on the ballot) ALL Republican Delegates must vote for Trump at the Convention.
Subject: Manafort: My Comments About Trump Playing A 'Part' Were Taken Out Of Context
On this weekend’s broadcast of “Fox News Sunday,” Paul Manafort, the convention manager for Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump, said his comments last week at a Republican National Committee meeting that Trump is playing a “part” were taken out of context.
Manafort, said “I was talking about rallies versus some other setting,” adding, “the context I was talking about. We were evolving the campaign, not the candidate, and the settings were going to start changing.”
He added., “In the context of that room that’s what I said and that’s what was understood. When it was taken out of context the question that was asked to me wasn’t prefaced with my answer you get a distorted thing. Donald Trump said it yesterday on the campaign trail, he addressed the issue completely, ‘Look, I’m playing to — when I’m out here i want to talk to you and be — to show you who i am in this environment. When I’m going to give a policy speech, I’m going to be giving a policy speech.’ He said it straight up.”
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Manafort, said “I was talking about rallies versus some other setting,” adding, “the context I was talking about. We were evolving the campaign, not the candidate, and the settings were going to start changing.”
He added., “In the context of that room that’s what I said and that’s what was understood. When it was taken out of context the question that was asked to me wasn’t prefaced with my answer you get a distorted thing. Donald Trump said it yesterday on the campaign trail, he addressed the issue completely, ‘Look, I’m playing to — when I’m out here i want to talk to you and be — to show you who i am in this environment. When I’m going to give a policy speech, I’m going to be giving a policy speech.’ He said it straight up.”
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Limbaugh: 'Obliterating Morality Has Been What the Culture War is All About'
"How in the hell did this happen?" conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh asked his audience on Thursday.
"We have men's and women's restrooms for a reason, just like we've always had marriage, and it's always been defined as a specific thing for...time-honored and time-tested reasons. They were not the result of people who had power lording that over other people.
"These are processes and behavioral patterns that established over the millennia as proper, just, moral, correct, sensible, you name it. Now all of a sudden that gets thrown out, and it's all up to how somebody feels about themselves at a particular moment in time as to which bathroom they want to use."
Limbaugh said none of it makes any sense within a "right versus wrong" framework. He said it's all about "us versus them."
"And, see, I don't think the culture war has been about right versus wrong for a long time. And people haven't figured that out. They continue to fight it on a moral or a morality battlefield, but that's not it at all.
"In fact, obliterating morality has been what the culture war is all about, not asserting it and not having it triumph. The whole point of the culture war is an us-versus-them framework now, and the 'us' is all of the disparate minorities of the world versus the 'them,' which is people they claim to be the oppressive majority."
Limbaugh said liberalism is determined to wipe out the concept of morality, believing that no one has the right to define it.
More here
"We have men's and women's restrooms for a reason, just like we've always had marriage, and it's always been defined as a specific thing for...time-honored and time-tested reasons. They were not the result of people who had power lording that over other people.
"These are processes and behavioral patterns that established over the millennia as proper, just, moral, correct, sensible, you name it. Now all of a sudden that gets thrown out, and it's all up to how somebody feels about themselves at a particular moment in time as to which bathroom they want to use."
Limbaugh said none of it makes any sense within a "right versus wrong" framework. He said it's all about "us versus them."
"And, see, I don't think the culture war has been about right versus wrong for a long time. And people haven't figured that out. They continue to fight it on a moral or a morality battlefield, but that's not it at all.
"In fact, obliterating morality has been what the culture war is all about, not asserting it and not having it triumph. The whole point of the culture war is an us-versus-them framework now, and the 'us' is all of the disparate minorities of the world versus the 'them,' which is people they claim to be the oppressive majority."
Limbaugh said liberalism is determined to wipe out the concept of morality, believing that no one has the right to define it.
More here
American Family Association Sees Quarter-Million-Person Response to Boycott Target
Director of Government Affairs for the American Family Association (AFA), Sandy Rios, joined Breitbart News Saturday host Matt Boyle to discuss the problem with Target’s recent decision regarding its store’s public restrooms.
Rios said, “The Target department store chain has jumped into the transgender bathroom debate by declaring that men who claim to be women may use whatever bathroom or changing room they choose.”
According to Rios:
The problem with Target’s policy is that they are now opening their bathrooms, really welcoming and inviting people of all sexual persuasions to go into bathrooms, and I have in my hand probably a dozen articles of cases where men who were dressed as women abused or raped or molested women or children in bathrooms.
She went on to say that within 24 hours, the American Family Association heard “from close to 250,000 people already” in support of an effort to boycott Target:
"The American Family Association is calling for a boycott of Target after the retail giant said it would allow men to use the women’s restrooms and dressing rooms in their stores."
More here
Rios said, “The Target department store chain has jumped into the transgender bathroom debate by declaring that men who claim to be women may use whatever bathroom or changing room they choose.”
According to Rios:
The problem with Target’s policy is that they are now opening their bathrooms, really welcoming and inviting people of all sexual persuasions to go into bathrooms, and I have in my hand probably a dozen articles of cases where men who were dressed as women abused or raped or molested women or children in bathrooms.
She went on to say that within 24 hours, the American Family Association heard “from close to 250,000 people already” in support of an effort to boycott Target:
"The American Family Association is calling for a boycott of Target after the retail giant said it would allow men to use the women’s restrooms and dressing rooms in their stores."
More here
Subject: Bathroom Wars’ Goal: Humiliate the American Normal Majority
Totalitarianism is about the politicization of everything, and once people’s careers can be destroyed by the New Bathroom Order if they publicly object to the once-bizarre idea of men in the ladies’ room–we’re there. Ask the now-unemployed Curt Schilling.
Totalitarianism is about using force to gain political goals. You can’t get more coercive than forcing the vast majority of people to endorse the utterly bizarre just to accommodate the allegedly hurt feelings of an almost undetectably small percentage of the population. So for the sake of each transgendered person’s hurt feelings, two thousand ordinary folk must be forced to ignore what their eyes and hearts tell them … and be publicly slandered as quasi-racist bigots if they murmur any objection.
Moreover, Americans have already solved the problem: They just politely ignore the fact that public bathrooms are quietly used by transsexuals–both those who look like the other sex and those who really don’t look like the other sex. That decent-minded, live-and-let-live compromise means Americans don’t have to pretend that men are women, and they can call the police if they feel threatened, for example, when a transsexual wants to use a changing room in a school.
But the progressives’ hostility to Americans’ civic compromises was always an element of the gay marriage crusade, as well. It was clear that the amount of coercive force unleashed upon society to make gay marriage work was far, far greater than the coercion necessary to allow civil unions to quietly operate alongside normal marriage. Sure enough, in the blink of an eye, we went from soft-focus “Love Wins” to the nation’s judges’ gaveling out legal threats: “Bake that cake, or lose your entire business.”
More here
Scientists Build a Better Incandescent Light Bulb… Six Years After Last US Factory Closes
MIT researchers discovered that by wrapping the filament of an incandescent bulb with a “photonic crystal,” they could “recycle” the energy that was typically lost as heat to create more light.
The new technique “makes a dramatic difference in how efficiently the system converts electricity into light,” said the research team led by MIT professors Marin Soljačić, John Joannopoulos and Gang Chen.
A new generation of incandescent bulbs could be twice as energy efficient as LEDs without the drawbacks, including higher initial cost and “inconsistent” white light.
“Whereas the luminous efficiency of conventional incandescent lights is between 2 and 3 percent, that of fluorescents (including CFLs) is between 7 and 15 percent, and that of most commercial LEDs between 5 and 20 percent, the new two-stage incandescents could reach efficiencies as high as 40 percent,” according to a press release from MIT.
More here
Miami hospital fires doctor who berated Uber driver in viral video
A Miami doctor, whose actions were widely ridiculed after a video surfaced three months ago of her having a meltdown after an incident with an Uber driver, was fired Friday.
The Miami Herald reported that Jackson Health System officials released a statement saying that fourth-year neurology resident Anjali Ramkissoon would be terminated. She was placed on administrative leave in January after the video of her tantrum surfaced.
On the video Ramkissoon, wearing white shorts and an orange shirt, slaps the Uber driver and kicks him in the groin.
After she is pushed to the ground, she gets up and jumps into the passenger seat of the Uber vehicle.
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The Miami Herald reported that Jackson Health System officials released a statement saying that fourth-year neurology resident Anjali Ramkissoon would be terminated. She was placed on administrative leave in January after the video of her tantrum surfaced.
On the video Ramkissoon, wearing white shorts and an orange shirt, slaps the Uber driver and kicks him in the groin.
After she is pushed to the ground, she gets up and jumps into the passenger seat of the Uber vehicle.
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$545,504 FEDERAL GRANT TO SUPPORT CHESAPEAKE SHIPBUILDING JOBS ON EASTERN SHORE
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) today announced that Chesapeake Shipbuilding has been awarded a $545,504 Maritime Administration grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to purchase equipment and make improvements to the shipyard’s vessel assembly building. As Vice Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Mikulski fought to put funds in the federal checkbook for DOT and the Maritime Administration’s Small Shipyard Grant Program.
“This grant is about jobs, jobs, jobs,” said Senator Mikulski, Vice Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which funds DOT. “These funds in the federal checkbook will help Chesapeake Shipbuilding expand and grow their business in a safe and efficient way. It will create jobs today in Salisbury in shipbuilding, and jobs tomorrow in Baltimore and up and down the East Coast.”
“Chesapeake Shipbuilding is known for two things; laying down quality vessels and creating quality jobs for Marylanders on the Eastern Shore. This federal investment will ensure that both traditions continue to expand,” said Senator Cardin who visited Chesapeake Shipbuilding during his Made in Maryland Tour. “I’ve seen the operation at Chesapeake Shipbuilding first hand and look forward to more Maryland built vessels contributing to the maritime industry in ports across America.”
These federal dollars will be used to purchase a 55-ton rough terrain mobile crane and purchase a permanent industrial gas distribution system, which will improve efficiency as well as alleviate a number of safety risks. The grant will also be used to make improvements to the shipyard’s vessel assembly building. These purchases and improvements will allow the shipyard to expand its capacity to meet increased market demand for new tug boats on the Eastern Seaboard.
Chesapeake Shipbuilding specializes in the construction of passenger boats, tugboats and ferries. Their location in Salisbury puts them close to suppliers in Norfolk, Philadelphia and Baltimore. Chesapeake Shipbuilding has been expanding their presence in Salisbury, and completed their fifth hull fabrication facility in December of last year. They employ more than 100 people.
“This grant is about jobs, jobs, jobs,” said Senator Mikulski, Vice Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which funds DOT. “These funds in the federal checkbook will help Chesapeake Shipbuilding expand and grow their business in a safe and efficient way. It will create jobs today in Salisbury in shipbuilding, and jobs tomorrow in Baltimore and up and down the East Coast.”
“Chesapeake Shipbuilding is known for two things; laying down quality vessels and creating quality jobs for Marylanders on the Eastern Shore. This federal investment will ensure that both traditions continue to expand,” said Senator Cardin who visited Chesapeake Shipbuilding during his Made in Maryland Tour. “I’ve seen the operation at Chesapeake Shipbuilding first hand and look forward to more Maryland built vessels contributing to the maritime industry in ports across America.”
These federal dollars will be used to purchase a 55-ton rough terrain mobile crane and purchase a permanent industrial gas distribution system, which will improve efficiency as well as alleviate a number of safety risks. The grant will also be used to make improvements to the shipyard’s vessel assembly building. These purchases and improvements will allow the shipyard to expand its capacity to meet increased market demand for new tug boats on the Eastern Seaboard.
Chesapeake Shipbuilding specializes in the construction of passenger boats, tugboats and ferries. Their location in Salisbury puts them close to suppliers in Norfolk, Philadelphia and Baltimore. Chesapeake Shipbuilding has been expanding their presence in Salisbury, and completed their fifth hull fabrication facility in December of last year. They employ more than 100 people.
Maryland Rain Tax Continues To Fall On State’s Blue Collar Working People
The Democrat Party of today is no longer the party of John F. Kennedy, Harry Truman, and Franklin Roosevelt. These folks were foolhardy liberals no doubt. But they were still willing to stand up and fight for America, and its long time capitalist prosperity.
They went toe to toe with the Communists in Cuba, Berlin, and Viet Nam. They went up to the edge, but they maintained America’s military superiority to contain the Communists in Russia, China, North Korea and Vietnam. And they considered it their sacred duty to maintain the economic growth and prosperity that fueled the good life of America’s middle class, as well as America’s world dominant “arsenal of democracy.”
Indeed, those original American Democrats led a world war against the socialist cousins of the Communists, fighting, and defeating, the Fascists (National Socialists) of Germany and Italy, led by Hitler and Mussolini. Moreover, those original American Democrats were standard bearers for blue collar working people, and their high paying manufacturing jobs.
Maryland in those days represented America’s blue collar “arsenal of democracy.” In 1950, Baltimore was the sixth largest city in the country, home to nearly 1 million residents. In 1971, the Bethlehem steel mill at Sparrows Point just outside of Baltimore was the largest in the entire country, employing 55,000 hard-working blue collar Americans.
That steel mill fed the General Motors Automobile Plant on Broening Highway, the Maryland Shipyard and Drydock, Bendix Corporation, and Martin Marietta, which for decades built the Army’s tanks, the Navy’s ships, and the Air Force’s planes. Those companies led a complex of manufacturing throughout the Baltimore metro area.
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Republicans Cruz, Kasich reach 'stop-Trump' deal
Cruz's campaign said in a statement he would focus on the Indiana and give Kasich a clearer shot in Oregon and New Mexico, states where the Ohio governor expects to do well. Kasich, in turn, agreed to shift resources west and away from Indiana.
The Indiana primary is on May 3, Oregon's is May 17 and New Mexico's June 7.
Trump has won the most state nominating contests, but he has a tough path to earn the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination. The Cruz and Kasich campaigns believe their agreement to cede states where the other candidate appears strong could help limit Trump's ability to win more delegates.
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What's Wrong With This Picture?
It's a $10.00 BILL,
not a $20.00 bill.
Marijuana 'grow operations' found at Ohio slaying sites
(CNN) Investigators found three marijuana "grow operations" at rural residences where eight family members were killed in southern Ohio, state Attorney General Mike DeWine said Sunday at a news conference.
Authorities wouldn't say publicly whether they thought the killings were drug-related, but an official with knowledge of the operation told CNN's Nick Valencia: "This operation was not for personal use; it was for something much bigger than that. It was a very sophisticated operation."
The cold-blooded nature of the killings has rattled Piketon, a town of about 2,000 people 90 miles east of Cincinnati.
The victims, who ranged in age from 16 to 44, were methodically shot in the head Friday while sleeping at four residences, including a mother with a 4-day-old infant lying beside her, authorities said. The newborn, along with a 6-month-old and a 3-year-old, survived. The official said the killings happened before dawn.
Authorities wouldn't say publicly whether they thought the killings were drug-related, but an official with knowledge of the operation told CNN's Nick Valencia: "This operation was not for personal use; it was for something much bigger than that. It was a very sophisticated operation."
The cold-blooded nature of the killings has rattled Piketon, a town of about 2,000 people 90 miles east of Cincinnati.
The victims, who ranged in age from 16 to 44, were methodically shot in the head Friday while sleeping at four residences, including a mother with a 4-day-old infant lying beside her, authorities said. The newborn, along with a 6-month-old and a 3-year-old, survived. The official said the killings happened before dawn.
Subject: Somerset County Sheriff's Office Reports Most Recent Arrests
David James Tull of Crisfield, arrested 4-5-16 on a warrant for violating a protective order. Tull was later returned to the Somerset County detention center on an unrelated incident.
Michael Eugene Ingram of Baltimore, arrested 4-5-16 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Ingram was later held on a $500.00 bond.
Rontez Domeke Blue of Crisfield, arrested 4-7-16 on multiple warrants for failing to appear in court. Blue was later held without bond.
Brooke Marie Ward of Crisfield, arrested 4-8-16 on a warrant for violating a protective order. Ward was later released after posting bond.
Eldridge Harry Young 3rd. of Crisfield, arrested 4-8-16 on a warrant for failing to appear in a Anne Arundel court. Young was later held without bond pending transfer.
Nicholas Jeremy Brewer of Crisfield, arrested 4-8-16 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Brewer was later held on a $500.00 bond.
Mark Dulaney Wheatley of Princess Anne, arrested 4-8-16 for unlawful possession of a firearm, ammunition, and a Maryland State Police felony arrest warrant. Wheatley was later held on a $20,000 bond. The arrest was the result of a traffic stop conducted by Deputies in the area of Beachwood St, Princess Anne.
Larry James Brown of Pocomoke, arrested 4-9-16 on a warrant regarding 2nd degree assault. Brown was later released on personal recognizance.
Devin Maurice Byrd of Princess Anne, arrested 4-10-16 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Byrd was later held on a $500.00 bond.
Deborah Jean Evans, Kristina Leigh Pepper, and Joshua Wayne Pryor all of Crisfield, arrested 4-13-16 on warrants for failing to appear in court. All parties were later held on bond.
Ronald Wayne Sterling Jr. of Crisfield, arrested 4-13-16 on a warrant for failing to appear in a Wicomico County court. Sterling was later released on personal recognizance.
Robert Lee Cottman Jr. of Salisbury, arrested 4-19-16 on a warrant for violation of probation. Cottman was later held without bond.
Jesse Eric Beaver of Princess Anne, arrested 4-19-16 on a warrant regarding 2nd degree assault. Beaver was later held on a $30,000 bond.
Steven Michael Ewell of Crisfield, arrested 4-19-16 on a warrant for violation of probation. Ewell was later held on a $10,000 bond.
Uniqua Tkeyia Johnson of Crisfield, arrested 4-22-16 on a Wicomico County District Court bench warrant. Johnson was later released on personal recognizance.
Michael Eugene Ingram of Baltimore, arrested 4-5-16 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Ingram was later held on a $500.00 bond.
Rontez Domeke Blue of Crisfield, arrested 4-7-16 on multiple warrants for failing to appear in court. Blue was later held without bond.
Brooke Marie Ward of Crisfield, arrested 4-8-16 on a warrant for violating a protective order. Ward was later released after posting bond.
Eldridge Harry Young 3rd. of Crisfield, arrested 4-8-16 on a warrant for failing to appear in a Anne Arundel court. Young was later held without bond pending transfer.
Nicholas Jeremy Brewer of Crisfield, arrested 4-8-16 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Brewer was later held on a $500.00 bond.
Mark Dulaney Wheatley of Princess Anne, arrested 4-8-16 for unlawful possession of a firearm, ammunition, and a Maryland State Police felony arrest warrant. Wheatley was later held on a $20,000 bond. The arrest was the result of a traffic stop conducted by Deputies in the area of Beachwood St, Princess Anne.
Larry James Brown of Pocomoke, arrested 4-9-16 on a warrant regarding 2nd degree assault. Brown was later released on personal recognizance.
Devin Maurice Byrd of Princess Anne, arrested 4-10-16 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Byrd was later held on a $500.00 bond.
Deborah Jean Evans, Kristina Leigh Pepper, and Joshua Wayne Pryor all of Crisfield, arrested 4-13-16 on warrants for failing to appear in court. All parties were later held on bond.
Ronald Wayne Sterling Jr. of Crisfield, arrested 4-13-16 on a warrant for failing to appear in a Wicomico County court. Sterling was later released on personal recognizance.
Robert Lee Cottman Jr. of Salisbury, arrested 4-19-16 on a warrant for violation of probation. Cottman was later held without bond.
Jesse Eric Beaver of Princess Anne, arrested 4-19-16 on a warrant regarding 2nd degree assault. Beaver was later held on a $30,000 bond.
Steven Michael Ewell of Crisfield, arrested 4-19-16 on a warrant for violation of probation. Ewell was later held on a $10,000 bond.
Uniqua Tkeyia Johnson of Crisfield, arrested 4-22-16 on a Wicomico County District Court bench warrant. Johnson was later released on personal recognizance.
"PUT SOME PORK ON YOUR FORK”
A commercial promoting pork says:
"PUT SOME PORK ON YOUR FORK"THE MAYOR REFUSES TO REMOVE PORK FROM SCHOOL CAFETERIA MENU AND EXPLAINS WHY:
Muslim parents demanded the abolition of pork in all the school canteens of a Montreal suburb.
The mayor of the Montreal suburb of Dorval has refused, and the town clerk sent a note to all parents to explain why.
"Muslims must understand that they have to adapt to Canada and Quebec, its customs, its traditions, and its way of life, because that's where they chose to immigrate.
"Muslims must understand that they have to integrate and learn to live in Quebec. They must understand that it is for them to change their lifestyle, not the Canadians who, so generously, welcomed them.
"Muslims must understand that Canadians are neither racist nor xenophobic.Canada accepted many immigrants before Muslims showed up (whereas the reverse is not true, in that Muslim states do not accept non-Muslim immigrants).”
"Just like other nations, Canadians are not willing to give up their identity or their culture.
"And, if Canada is a land of welcome, it's not the Mayor of Dorval who welcomes foreigners, but the Canadian-Quebecois people as a whole.
"Finally,they must understand that in Canada (Quebec) with its Judeo-Christian roots, Christmas trees, churches and religious festivals, religion must remain in the private domain."
The municipality of Dorval was right to refuse any concessions to Islam and Sharia.
"For Muslims who disagree with secularism and do not feel comfortable in Canada, there are 57 beautiful Muslim countries in the world, most of them under-populated and ready to receive them with open halal arms in accordance with Sharia.
"If you left your country for Canada, and not for other Muslim countries, it is because you have considered that life is better in Canada than elsewhere. We will not let you drag Canada down to the level of those 57 countries.
"Ask yourself this question – just once: “Why is it better here in Canada than where you came from?"
"A canteen with pork on the menu is part of the answer."
If you came to Canada with the idea that you will displace us with your prolific propagation and eventually take over the country, you should pack up and go back to the country you came from. We have no room here for you and your ideology.
"PUT SOME PORK ON YOUR FORK"THE MAYOR REFUSES TO REMOVE PORK FROM SCHOOL CAFETERIA MENU AND EXPLAINS WHY:
Muslim parents demanded the abolition of pork in all the school canteens of a Montreal suburb.
The mayor of the Montreal suburb of Dorval has refused, and the town clerk sent a note to all parents to explain why.
"Muslims must understand that they have to adapt to Canada and Quebec, its customs, its traditions, and its way of life, because that's where they chose to immigrate.
"Muslims must understand that they have to integrate and learn to live in Quebec. They must understand that it is for them to change their lifestyle, not the Canadians who, so generously, welcomed them.
"Muslims must understand that Canadians are neither racist nor xenophobic.Canada accepted many immigrants before Muslims showed up (whereas the reverse is not true, in that Muslim states do not accept non-Muslim immigrants).”
"Just like other nations, Canadians are not willing to give up their identity or their culture.
"And, if Canada is a land of welcome, it's not the Mayor of Dorval who welcomes foreigners, but the Canadian-Quebecois people as a whole.
"Finally,they must understand that in Canada (Quebec) with its Judeo-Christian roots, Christmas trees, churches and religious festivals, religion must remain in the private domain."
The municipality of Dorval was right to refuse any concessions to Islam and Sharia.
"For Muslims who disagree with secularism and do not feel comfortable in Canada, there are 57 beautiful Muslim countries in the world, most of them under-populated and ready to receive them with open halal arms in accordance with Sharia.
"If you left your country for Canada, and not for other Muslim countries, it is because you have considered that life is better in Canada than elsewhere. We will not let you drag Canada down to the level of those 57 countries.
"Ask yourself this question – just once: “Why is it better here in Canada than where you came from?"
"A canteen with pork on the menu is part of the answer."
If you came to Canada with the idea that you will displace us with your prolific propagation and eventually take over the country, you should pack up and go back to the country you came from. We have no room here for you and your ideology.