Last month, I celebrated the beginning of my 81st year of life. For nearly half that time, I have been writing a nationally syndicated column on many topics generating reader responses that go from supportive to quite ugly. So I thought a column making my vision, values and views explicit might settle some of the controversy.
My initial premise, when looking at all human issues, is that each of us owns himself. I am my private property, and you are your private property. If you agree with that premise, then certain human actions are moral and others immoral. The reason murder is immoral is that it violates private property. Similarly, rape and theft are immoral, for they, too, violate private property. Most Americans will agree that murder and rape violate people's property rights and are hence immoral. But there may not be so much agreement about theft.
Let's look at it.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Sanders Opts Out of Senators' Letter Backing Israel Defense Aid
An AIPAC-backed letter to President Barack Obama urging a more “robust” defense package for Israel reportedly has garnered the signatures of 83 senators, including Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz but not Democratic hopeful Bernie Sanders.
Reuters reported Monday that 51 Republicans and 32 Democrats, more than four-fifths of the Senate, had signed on to the document.
The letter, initiated by Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Chris Coons, D-Del., was one of the lobbying day requests during the American Israel Public Affairs Committee annual conference last month.
Reuters said Cruz, of Texas, had signed and Sanders, an Independent of Vermont, did not. Sanders is the first Jewish candidate to win major party nominating contests.
Israel and the United States are negotiating a 10-year defense assistance package, or Memorandum of Understanding, to follow the package set to expire next year that guarantees $3 billion annually. The new agreement is widely expected to be significantly larger.
More here
Reuters reported Monday that 51 Republicans and 32 Democrats, more than four-fifths of the Senate, had signed on to the document.
The letter, initiated by Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Chris Coons, D-Del., was one of the lobbying day requests during the American Israel Public Affairs Committee annual conference last month.
Reuters said Cruz, of Texas, had signed and Sanders, an Independent of Vermont, did not. Sanders is the first Jewish candidate to win major party nominating contests.
Israel and the United States are negotiating a 10-year defense assistance package, or Memorandum of Understanding, to follow the package set to expire next year that guarantees $3 billion annually. The new agreement is widely expected to be significantly larger.
More here
Obama Admin Accused of Misleading Congress on Cash Release to Iran
The Obama administration faces accusations it has been misleading Congress about the amount and destination of sanctions relief being provided to Iran as part of last summer’s nuclear agreement, according to lawmakers and congressional sources who expressed anger at the administration over a range of contradictory facts being offered about the payouts.
Secretary of State John Kerry came under scrutiny last week after saying in a statement that Iran has received only about $3 billion in sanctions relief to date—a figure far smaller than the $100 billion estimate administration officials had previously said Iran would receive under the deal. It also contradicts statements from top Iranian officials that they had regained control of $100 billion in foreign reserves unfrozen under the deal.
The statement came amid congressional allegations, detailed by the Washington Free Beacon, that Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Javid Zarif are engaged in a campaign to facilitate even more sanctions relief than Iran is entitled to under the deal. Congressional sources suggested that Kerry’s statements about the amount and nature of this money might be part of that campaign.
The issue has frustrated lawmakers who remain concerned that Iran will use this newly available money to fund its global terrorism operations.
Attempts by congressional offices to clarify the source of Kerry’s claim have gone unmet by the State Department..
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Secretary of State John Kerry came under scrutiny last week after saying in a statement that Iran has received only about $3 billion in sanctions relief to date—a figure far smaller than the $100 billion estimate administration officials had previously said Iran would receive under the deal. It also contradicts statements from top Iranian officials that they had regained control of $100 billion in foreign reserves unfrozen under the deal.
The statement came amid congressional allegations, detailed by the Washington Free Beacon, that Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Javid Zarif are engaged in a campaign to facilitate even more sanctions relief than Iran is entitled to under the deal. Congressional sources suggested that Kerry’s statements about the amount and nature of this money might be part of that campaign.
The issue has frustrated lawmakers who remain concerned that Iran will use this newly available money to fund its global terrorism operations.
Attempts by congressional offices to clarify the source of Kerry’s claim have gone unmet by the State Department..
More
Sweet Cakes by Melissa Files Appeal In Oregon Gay Wedding Cake Case
A bakery that was ordered to pay a $135,000 fine after refusing to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex marriage ceremony filed a brief on Monday with the Oregon Court of Appeals challenging the decision.
Attorneys for the Melissa and Aaron Klein, who own Sweet Cakes by Melissa, argued in the brief that the family’s 1st and 14th Amendment rights were violated.
“The Constitution guarantees the rights of free exercise of religion, free speech and due process for every America,” said attorney Boyden Gray, former White House counsel for President George H.W. Bush. “We hope the Oregon Court of Appeals will defend the Kleins’ rights in accordance with state and federal law.”
Kelly Shackelford, president and CEO of First Liberty Institute, which represents the Kleins, said Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries Commissioner Brad Avakian “decided the Kleins were guilty before he even heard the case.”
The attorneys note that Mr. Avakian made a series of social media posts and public statements about the Kleins before hearing the case.
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Attorneys for the Melissa and Aaron Klein, who own Sweet Cakes by Melissa, argued in the brief that the family’s 1st and 14th Amendment rights were violated.
“The Constitution guarantees the rights of free exercise of religion, free speech and due process for every America,” said attorney Boyden Gray, former White House counsel for President George H.W. Bush. “We hope the Oregon Court of Appeals will defend the Kleins’ rights in accordance with state and federal law.”
Kelly Shackelford, president and CEO of First Liberty Institute, which represents the Kleins, said Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries Commissioner Brad Avakian “decided the Kleins were guilty before he even heard the case.”
The attorneys note that Mr. Avakian made a series of social media posts and public statements about the Kleins before hearing the case.
More
WOW! MUST-SEE VIDEO=> HUNDREDS OF SUPPORTERS Chase Down Trump’s Caravan in Rhode Island
Trump Supporters – Young, Old, Middle Aged, Men, Women, Children – Chase down the Trump caravan in Warwick, Rhode Island.
They were RUNNING ACROSS A FIELD to see Donald Trump arrive for his Rhode Island rally today.
Then they chased him down the street.
…Just to get a glimpse of the Republican front-runner.
When was the last time you saw HUNDREDS OF MIDDLE AGED PEOPLE chase down a candidate’s caravan?
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Paul Ryan’s GOP Leadership Team Fears Beltway Media, Isn’t Holding IRS Accountable
TAMPA, Florida — Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), a conservative running for the GOP nomination to replace Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) in the U.S. Senate in November, called out his own party’s leadership for its failure to hold the IRS accountable, years after the agency refused to comply with congressional investigations into its targeting of conservative groups.
DeSantis is part of a small group of conservatives in the House pushing to impeach IRS commissioner John Koskinen. He tells Breitbart News that House Speaker Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)’s leadership team has backed down from holding Koskinen accountable.
“I think what’s holding it back, I think the leadership is worried about being criticized by inside the Beltway media and stuff,” Desantis told Breitbart News at a gun show here. “We are going to try to force the issue potentially in a way that at least people have to go on the record, look I think if Republicans have to go on the record on it, it will sail through because no one wants to be defending a recalcitrant IRS commissioner.”
DeSantis and some other conservative members in the House Freedom Caucus, which is chaired by the Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), are planning to lead an effort this week to force the issue. In mid-April, a band of Freedom Caucus members took to the House floor to lead a special order to call attention to the fact that leadership has thus far ignored the matter.
More here
DeSantis is part of a small group of conservatives in the House pushing to impeach IRS commissioner John Koskinen. He tells Breitbart News that House Speaker Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)’s leadership team has backed down from holding Koskinen accountable.
“I think what’s holding it back, I think the leadership is worried about being criticized by inside the Beltway media and stuff,” Desantis told Breitbart News at a gun show here. “We are going to try to force the issue potentially in a way that at least people have to go on the record, look I think if Republicans have to go on the record on it, it will sail through because no one wants to be defending a recalcitrant IRS commissioner.”
DeSantis and some other conservative members in the House Freedom Caucus, which is chaired by the Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), are planning to lead an effort this week to force the issue. In mid-April, a band of Freedom Caucus members took to the House floor to lead a special order to call attention to the fact that leadership has thus far ignored the matter.
More here
Dershowitz: Obama a Hypocrite, Should Apologize to Netanyahu
President Barack Obama has shown blatant hypocrisy when it comes to Israel, renowned Harvard Law School professor Alan Dershowitz noted in a scathing op-ed Tuesday - with double standards on giving and receiving criticism from other nations.
Obama sparked uproar when criticizing and issuing veiled threats over Britain's possible exit from the European Union (EU) this week during a visit to the United Kingdom.
Obama defended his remarks by saying that democratic nations should be free to speak their minds openly - yet Obama himself attacked Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for rejecting the Iran deal during his visit to the US, and indeed snubbed Netanyahu during that visit, in March 2015.
"Recall how outraged the same President Obama was when the prime minister of a friendly country, Benjamin Netanyahu, spoke his mind about the Iran Deal," Dershowitz noted, on a Fox News op-ed.
"So what is it, Mr. President? Should friends speak their minds about controversial issues when visiting another country, or should they keep their views to themselves? Or is your answer that friends should speak their minds only when they agree with other friends, but not when they disagree?"
More here
Obama sparked uproar when criticizing and issuing veiled threats over Britain's possible exit from the European Union (EU) this week during a visit to the United Kingdom.
Obama defended his remarks by saying that democratic nations should be free to speak their minds openly - yet Obama himself attacked Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for rejecting the Iran deal during his visit to the US, and indeed snubbed Netanyahu during that visit, in March 2015.
"Recall how outraged the same President Obama was when the prime minister of a friendly country, Benjamin Netanyahu, spoke his mind about the Iran Deal," Dershowitz noted, on a Fox News op-ed.
"So what is it, Mr. President? Should friends speak their minds about controversial issues when visiting another country, or should they keep their views to themselves? Or is your answer that friends should speak their minds only when they agree with other friends, but not when they disagree?"
More here
Abortion Activists Target Pence’s Abortion Bill with ‘Color Your Junk for Pence’ Event
Abortion activists in Indianapolis, Ind., targeted Indiana Gov. Mike Pence’s abortion bill, which makes it illegal to seek an abortion because of a disability, with an event called “Color Your Junk for Pence.”
The event, which was sponsored by a group called Periods for Pence, consisted of coloring reproductive organs. The group Periods for Pence has been calling Pence’s office “to tell him about their periods to keep him informed about women’s bodies,” the Ball State Daily reported on Saturday.
More here
The event, which was sponsored by a group called Periods for Pence, consisted of coloring reproductive organs. The group Periods for Pence has been calling Pence’s office “to tell him about their periods to keep him informed about women’s bodies,” the Ball State Daily reported on Saturday.
More here
New Study Reveals Abnormally Low Blood Flow To NFL Players’ Brains
With concern growing in recent years about the long-term impact of head trauma in the NFL, a new study has revealed abnormal areas of low blood flow in the brains of current and retired professional football players.
Researchers made their discovery using sophisticated neuroimaging and analytics, according to the study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
“Our findings raise the potential for better diagnosis and treatment for people with football-related head trauma,” says lead author Daniel G. Amen, MD, founder and head of Amen Clinics (www.amenclinics.com) in Costa Mesa, Calif.
The study examined the brains of 161 retired and current NFL players, the largest group of players investigated to date. Their average age was 52.
The researchers looked at every region of the brain and were able to identify areas of abnormally low blood flow. They did this using cerebral-perfusion imaging with SPECT (single-photon emission computed tomography.)
Combining this information with a leading-edge quantitative approach called machine learning, the researchers were able to distinguish NFL players with abnormal brain patterns compared to a healthy control group with 92 to 94 percent accuracy.
“Without functional imaging studies like SPECT, it is very difficult to know if brain trauma is present and which areas are affected,” Amen says.
“Structural studies often appear normal, but what we can do better with functional neuroimaging with SPECT is not only pinpoint specific areas of the brain that are unhealthy with low blood flow, but also demonstrate their improvement with successful brain-rehabilitation treatments in persons like football players.”
Concern about head trauma in professional football players has risen in recent years, and was the subject of the 2015 feature film “Concussion” starring Will Smith. Dr. Bennet Omalu, whom Smith portrayed in the movie, was one of the co-authors of this study.
“What our current work is doing in addition to other imaging modalities builds the foundation between identifying the negative effects of head trauma on the brain while the patient is still alive so that we can intervene with better treatments,” Omalu says.
Investigators determined that on average the NFL players had lower blood flow in 36 areas of the brain. The decreased blood flow in six regions of the brain was the most important in determining who had football-related health trauma. Those brain regions were: anterior superior temporal lobes, rolandic operculum, insula, superior temporal poles, precuneus and cerebellar vermis.
These same regions function in memory, mood, and learning. When damaged, they can produce cognitive and psychiatric problems as evidenced by the fact that 83 percent of players in this study had memory problems and 29 percent had a history of depression.
Previous studies in which the brains of deceased players were studied revealed high incidents of CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), a progressive degenerative disease that afflicts people who have suffered repeated concussions and traumatic brain injuries.
NOTES FOR EDITORS
“Perfusion Neuroimaging Abnormalities Alone Distinguish National Football League Players from a Healthy Population,” by Daniel G. Amen, Kristen Willeumier, Bennet Omalu, Andrew Newberg, Cauligi Raghavendra, and Cyrus A. Raji, DOI: 10.3233/JAD-160207, published online ahead of Volume 53, Issue 1 of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, by IOS Press.
Full text of the paper is available to credentialed journalists upon request by contacting Daphne Watrin at +31 20 688 3355 ord.watrin@iospress.nl.
Researchers made their discovery using sophisticated neuroimaging and analytics, according to the study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
“Our findings raise the potential for better diagnosis and treatment for people with football-related head trauma,” says lead author Daniel G. Amen, MD, founder and head of Amen Clinics (www.amenclinics.com) in Costa Mesa, Calif.
The study examined the brains of 161 retired and current NFL players, the largest group of players investigated to date. Their average age was 52.
The researchers looked at every region of the brain and were able to identify areas of abnormally low blood flow. They did this using cerebral-perfusion imaging with SPECT (single-photon emission computed tomography.)
Combining this information with a leading-edge quantitative approach called machine learning, the researchers were able to distinguish NFL players with abnormal brain patterns compared to a healthy control group with 92 to 94 percent accuracy.
“Without functional imaging studies like SPECT, it is very difficult to know if brain trauma is present and which areas are affected,” Amen says.
“Structural studies often appear normal, but what we can do better with functional neuroimaging with SPECT is not only pinpoint specific areas of the brain that are unhealthy with low blood flow, but also demonstrate their improvement with successful brain-rehabilitation treatments in persons like football players.”
Concern about head trauma in professional football players has risen in recent years, and was the subject of the 2015 feature film “Concussion” starring Will Smith. Dr. Bennet Omalu, whom Smith portrayed in the movie, was one of the co-authors of this study.
“What our current work is doing in addition to other imaging modalities builds the foundation between identifying the negative effects of head trauma on the brain while the patient is still alive so that we can intervene with better treatments,” Omalu says.
Investigators determined that on average the NFL players had lower blood flow in 36 areas of the brain. The decreased blood flow in six regions of the brain was the most important in determining who had football-related health trauma. Those brain regions were: anterior superior temporal lobes, rolandic operculum, insula, superior temporal poles, precuneus and cerebellar vermis.
These same regions function in memory, mood, and learning. When damaged, they can produce cognitive and psychiatric problems as evidenced by the fact that 83 percent of players in this study had memory problems and 29 percent had a history of depression.
Previous studies in which the brains of deceased players were studied revealed high incidents of CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), a progressive degenerative disease that afflicts people who have suffered repeated concussions and traumatic brain injuries.
NOTES FOR EDITORS
“Perfusion Neuroimaging Abnormalities Alone Distinguish National Football League Players from a Healthy Population,” by Daniel G. Amen, Kristen Willeumier, Bennet Omalu, Andrew Newberg, Cauligi Raghavendra, and Cyrus A. Raji, DOI: 10.3233/JAD-160207, published online ahead of Volume 53, Issue 1 of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, by IOS Press.
Full text of the paper is available to credentialed journalists upon request by contacting Daphne Watrin at +31 20 688 3355 ord.watrin@iospress.nl.
Helping Traumatized Veterans
A staggering share of veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan have been returning home with mental illnesses brought on by their time overseas. But as hundreds of thousands struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder, many are going without the help they need, which is prompting several states to step in.
State officials say they are trying to bridge what they see as gaps in services provided by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, whose medical centers have been plagued by mismanagement, often face lengthy backlogs and can be located far from rural communities.
If veterans with PTSD aren’t treated while their wounds are still raw, it will end up costing not only the veterans and their families, but society, according to state lawmakers and mental health workers. Veterans with PTSD are more likely to bedepressed, drink heavily or use drugs, and many have trouble working and maintaining relationships — problems that cost billions of dollars in lost productivity.
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State officials say they are trying to bridge what they see as gaps in services provided by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, whose medical centers have been plagued by mismanagement, often face lengthy backlogs and can be located far from rural communities.
If veterans with PTSD aren’t treated while their wounds are still raw, it will end up costing not only the veterans and their families, but society, according to state lawmakers and mental health workers. Veterans with PTSD are more likely to bedepressed, drink heavily or use drugs, and many have trouble working and maintaining relationships — problems that cost billions of dollars in lost productivity.
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To Help New Farmers, Some States Look at Forgiving Student Loans
The farm of Bryce Brewer’s dreams would produce strawberries during even the worst Wisconsin winters. The climate-controlled setup would use no chemicals, less water and one key element: fish waste.
Brewer, 23, learned in college about this unconventional, emerging agricultural method called aquaponics. Yet, with $35,000 in student loan debt, he said it will be a while before he can get the $100,000 he needs to start the farm.
While aspiring farmers like Brewer have always had a hard time getting loans and land, they now point to student loan debt as another obstacle to a career in agriculture. Hearing their struggles — and hoping to entice more young people into a graying industry — federal and state lawmakers want to help them pay down their debt.
The U.S. Congress is considering a bill that would add farmers to the list of occupations that qualify for a federal program that forgives student loans for public service workers, such as teachers and police officers. In the meantime, New York started a small student loan forgiveness program for farmers last year, and the WisconsinLegislature is considering doing the same.
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Brewer, 23, learned in college about this unconventional, emerging agricultural method called aquaponics. Yet, with $35,000 in student loan debt, he said it will be a while before he can get the $100,000 he needs to start the farm.
While aspiring farmers like Brewer have always had a hard time getting loans and land, they now point to student loan debt as another obstacle to a career in agriculture. Hearing their struggles — and hoping to entice more young people into a graying industry — federal and state lawmakers want to help them pay down their debt.
The U.S. Congress is considering a bill that would add farmers to the list of occupations that qualify for a federal program that forgives student loans for public service workers, such as teachers and police officers. In the meantime, New York started a small student loan forgiveness program for farmers last year, and the WisconsinLegislature is considering doing the same.
More
Amid Tight State Budgets, Black Colleges Seek White, Latino, Asian Students
Faced with stalled state funding, Harry Williams, the president of Delaware State University, a historically black public university, had to get creative: He slashed a quarter of the school’s academic programs and began aggressively recruiting students who aren’t black.
He’s gone as far as China to strike agreements with universities there that will bring Chinese exchange students to Delaware State to study.
“It’s a revenue generator for us and a way of marketing the university,” Williams said of the school’s international recruiting. “We’re definitely committed to our heritage and our history. But we had to make sure that we were relevant and have programs that would attract students.”
Delaware State isn’t the only of the public historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to reach beyond a tradition of educating primarily African-American students as a way of making ends meet in a time of tight state budgets and changing racial and ethnic demographics.
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U.S. Spy Chief Considers Disclosing Number Of Americans Surveilled Online
National Intelligence Director James Clapper said Monday that he is looking at "several options" to make public the number of U.S. citizens caught up in online surveillance of foreign targets by the U.S. government.
Clapper was responding to a question about a letter sent last week from 14 members of the House Judiciary Committee. The letter, signed by six Republicans and eight Democrats, presses Clapper for information about a law that governs the data-mining program known as PRISM.
PRISM "gathers messaging data from Alphabet Inc's Google, Facebook Inc, Microsoft Corp, Apple Inc and other major tech companies that is sent to and from a foreign target under surveillance," Reuters reports.
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Clapper was responding to a question about a letter sent last week from 14 members of the House Judiciary Committee. The letter, signed by six Republicans and eight Democrats, presses Clapper for information about a law that governs the data-mining program known as PRISM.
PRISM "gathers messaging data from Alphabet Inc's Google, Facebook Inc, Microsoft Corp, Apple Inc and other major tech companies that is sent to and from a foreign target under surveillance," Reuters reports.
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In Baltimore, Hopes Of Turning Abandoned Properties Into Affordable Homes
But things recently took a turn for the worse: Five vacant houses in the city collapsed in high winds several weeks ago, in one case killing a 69-year-old man who was sitting in his car.
The city needs to do more about decaying properties if it wants to revitalize neighborhoods like those where Freddie Gray grew up, says Marvin Cheatham, president of the Matthew Henson Neighborhood Association in West Baltimore.
Gray's death — of a severe neck injury sustained in police custody over a year ago — led to riots in Baltimore and calls by protesters for more jobs, new housing and better schools to address extreme poverty in the area.
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Federal Judge Upholds North Carolina's Sweeping Voter ID Law
A federal judge upheld a sweeping North Carolina law that required voters to show a photo identification before casting a ballot.
In a 485-page opinion, Thomas D. Schroeder of the Federal District Court in Winston-Salem wrote that the law served a "legitimate state interest" in its effort to "detect and deter fraud."
Michael Tomsic of NPR member station WFAE reports that Schroeder upheld all the parts of the 2013 law, including the ID requirement, the cuts to early voting and an end to same-day registration.
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In a 485-page opinion, Thomas D. Schroeder of the Federal District Court in Winston-Salem wrote that the law served a "legitimate state interest" in its effort to "detect and deter fraud."
Michael Tomsic of NPR member station WFAE reports that Schroeder upheld all the parts of the 2013 law, including the ID requirement, the cuts to early voting and an end to same-day registration.
More
Fishtails Wins 10th Annual Bloody Mary Contest, 7th Year In A Row
Clearly it was jam packed and everyone received a ballot to vote for the best presentation, hottest and best overall bloody mary. Fishtails took the prize for the 7th year in a row.
In Restoring Felons' Voting Rights, McAuliffe Compares Himself to Lincoln Freeing the Slaves
(CNSNews.com) - "Nobody should be surprised" that Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe issued an executive order restoring the voting rights of more than 200,000 convicted felons who have served their time, McAuliffe told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday.
"This is something I campaigned on and I've been working for the restoration rights for the last two years as governor," he said. "I have already restored the rights of 18,000 individuals, more than my past seven governors combined."
McAuliffe said "second chances matter," and "everybody ought to have a second chance" once they've completed probation or parole and they're back in society, working and paying taxes.
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"This is something I campaigned on and I've been working for the restoration rights for the last two years as governor," he said. "I have already restored the rights of 18,000 individuals, more than my past seven governors combined."
McAuliffe said "second chances matter," and "everybody ought to have a second chance" once they've completed probation or parole and they're back in society, working and paying taxes.
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Ocean City Police Warning Residents and Business Owners of Counterfeit Currency
Ocean City police are encouraging citizens to closely examine currency by looking carefully at the money being exchanged. When receiving a $50 or $100 bill for a very small purchase, examine the currency. Often times, suspects will pass the counterfeit bill to exchange it for real currency, not necessarily to purchase big-ticket items. Also, business owners are reminded that counterfeit detection pens very often generate false results. Counterfeiters can use bleached genuine currency or coat counterfeit notes to prevent the proper chemical reactions.
In addition, the Federal Reserve Board offers these tips to detect suspicious or counterfeit currency:
- Feel the paper. Genuine U.S. currency has a unique feel. The note should feel slightly rough to the touch. If the currency feels different than what you are used to, examine it closer.
- Tilt the note back and forth to observe the color-shifting ink in the right-hand corner of denominations $10 or higher. Most bills will shift from copper to green.
- Check the watermark and security thread by holding the currency up to a light. A watermark should be visible from both sides and will match the portrait or denomination. A security thread should also be visible from both sides and match the denomination. When held to UV light, the security thread will glow a unique color.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary Adds ‘Genderqueer,’ 'Cisgender' and ‘Gender Neutral’ Title ‘Mx.’
(CNSNews.com) – Merriam-Webster, the leading publisher of dictionaries in the United States, added over 2,000 new words and phrases to their unabridged dictionary last week, including the terms "cisgender," "genderqueer," and the gender neutral title "Mx."
The Merriam-Webster definition of cisgender is “of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity corresponds with the sex the person had or was identified as having at birth.”
Genderqueer is defined as “of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity cannot be categorized as solely male or female.”
“The gender-neutral Mx. is used as a title for those who do not identify as being of a particular gender, or for people who simply don't want to be identified by gender,” according to Merriam-Webster.
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The Merriam-Webster definition of cisgender is “of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity corresponds with the sex the person had or was identified as having at birth.”
Genderqueer is defined as “of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity cannot be categorized as solely male or female.”
“The gender-neutral Mx. is used as a title for those who do not identify as being of a particular gender, or for people who simply don't want to be identified by gender,” according to Merriam-Webster.
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Obama in 2013: ‘I Will Not Put American Boots on the Ground in Syria’
(CNSNews.com) – Three years ago, President Obama said he did not “foresee a scenario in which boots on the ground in Syria, American boots on the ground in Syria would not only be good for America, but also would be good for Syria.”
It was a stance repeated on a number of occasions since then, even as U.S. forces have been sent both to Iraq and, in much smaller numbers, to Syria, to help local forces in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS/ISIL).
On Monday he announced he was authorizing the deployment of 250 troops to Syria, where around 50 special forces operators have been based since late last year.
State Department spokesman John Kirby said Monday that the deployments in Syria and Iraq do not constitute “boots on the ground” in the sense of a conventional ground combat mission.
At a press conference in Costa Rica in May 2013, at a time when claims of the small-scale use of sarin gas in the Syrian conflict were under investigation, Obama was asked about the possibility of sending troops to Syria.
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It was a stance repeated on a number of occasions since then, even as U.S. forces have been sent both to Iraq and, in much smaller numbers, to Syria, to help local forces in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS/ISIL).
On Monday he announced he was authorizing the deployment of 250 troops to Syria, where around 50 special forces operators have been based since late last year.
State Department spokesman John Kirby said Monday that the deployments in Syria and Iraq do not constitute “boots on the ground” in the sense of a conventional ground combat mission.
At a press conference in Costa Rica in May 2013, at a time when claims of the small-scale use of sarin gas in the Syrian conflict were under investigation, Obama was asked about the possibility of sending troops to Syria.
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State Department Withheld Clinton Email for Two Years
A watchdog group said on Tuesday that the State Department withheld a document that would have revealed Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email address two years ago, before finally agreeing to release it earlier this month.
The Sept. 29, 2012, document, an email to Clinton from her Deputy Chief of Staff Jake Sullivan, included Clinton’s private email address. The email discussed talking points related to the Benghazi attack.
Judicial Watch, a government watchdog group that has been suing the State Department for Clinton’s records, said the State Department first agreed to partially release the document in an April 18 court filing. Attorneys for the State Department said the email was initially withheld from Judicial Watch, as noted in the department’s Nov. 12, 2014 letter to the watchdog group.
But Judicial Watch said the November 2014 letter did not mention that any emails had been withheld. The group said the existence of the email was noted in a search declaration from the State Department, which indicated it was first discovered in September 2014.
Judicial Watch criticized the delayed release on Tuesday, saying “Clinton’s email server and her hidden emails would have been disclosed nearly two years ago, before Clinton authorized the alleged deletion of tens of thousands emails” if the State Department had turned over the document earlier.
More here
The Sept. 29, 2012, document, an email to Clinton from her Deputy Chief of Staff Jake Sullivan, included Clinton’s private email address. The email discussed talking points related to the Benghazi attack.
Judicial Watch, a government watchdog group that has been suing the State Department for Clinton’s records, said the State Department first agreed to partially release the document in an April 18 court filing. Attorneys for the State Department said the email was initially withheld from Judicial Watch, as noted in the department’s Nov. 12, 2014 letter to the watchdog group.
But Judicial Watch said the November 2014 letter did not mention that any emails had been withheld. The group said the existence of the email was noted in a search declaration from the State Department, which indicated it was first discovered in September 2014.
Judicial Watch criticized the delayed release on Tuesday, saying “Clinton’s email server and her hidden emails would have been disclosed nearly two years ago, before Clinton authorized the alleged deletion of tens of thousands emails” if the State Department had turned over the document earlier.
More here
It's Now Almost Impossible To Save For Retirement
My grandfather was something of a Renaissance Man.
He was a farmer, schoolteacher, fisherman, collector, real estate investor… and one of those guys who always seemed to know how to do everything.
He could take apart an engine, build a house with his bare hands, tame wild horses, treat life-threatening wounds, play the guitar… and he was extremely well respected in his community.
Plus, like many from his generation who grew up during the Great Depression, he was also a prolific saver.
Being highly mistrustful of banks, my grandparents dealt mostly in physical cash. They used to keep money in old coffee cans stuffed full of coins and bills.
Every now and again when the coffee cans became too numerous, they would buy government savings bonds.
Of course, that was a different world.
When my grandparents were saving, the government was actually solvent, and interest rates were ‘normal’. You could buy government bonds and expect a decent rate of return.
Plus the dollar was still linked to gold back then, so you could have a confident outlook on your currency.
At the same time, Social Security was also in good shape; you didn’t have to worry whether it was still going to exist when it came time for you to retire.
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He was a farmer, schoolteacher, fisherman, collector, real estate investor… and one of those guys who always seemed to know how to do everything.
He could take apart an engine, build a house with his bare hands, tame wild horses, treat life-threatening wounds, play the guitar… and he was extremely well respected in his community.
Plus, like many from his generation who grew up during the Great Depression, he was also a prolific saver.
Being highly mistrustful of banks, my grandparents dealt mostly in physical cash. They used to keep money in old coffee cans stuffed full of coins and bills.
Every now and again when the coffee cans became too numerous, they would buy government savings bonds.
Of course, that was a different world.
When my grandparents were saving, the government was actually solvent, and interest rates were ‘normal’. You could buy government bonds and expect a decent rate of return.
Plus the dollar was still linked to gold back then, so you could have a confident outlook on your currency.
At the same time, Social Security was also in good shape; you didn’t have to worry whether it was still going to exist when it came time for you to retire.
More
Anti-White Racism: The Hate That Dares Not Speak Its Name
It is especially puzzling because a general consensus has formed on the right that the Democratic Party is moving so far left that its agendas threaten the very foundations of America’s social contract. These include a frontal assault on the system of individual rights that the Founders set in place. The left envisions a fundamentally transformed America where individual rights are secondary to the collective rights of races, ethnicities, genders and classes. That is why the particular circumstances of individual acts, such as the ones that led to the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, for example, don’t matter to progressive mobs. It’s the races of the actors that do.
This progressive assault is being waged in the name of an “identity politics” that places whites at the bottom of the racial totem pole while holding them responsible for all the sins attributed to Americans but none of their achievements, specifically their success in creating the most tolerant and inclusive society on earth. Identity politics has a long and ugly history under its proper name – fascism – which is another term for the socialism of the Volk or nation (as opposed, for example, to the socialism of classes). Today p.c. fascism is an integral feature of the ethos and tactics of the progressive left, which has become the dominant force in the Democratic Party.
Read more here
Doug Casey Warns: "It's The Next Stage Of The Greater Depression..."
While President Obama took credit this weekend for saving the world economy from a global depression and stock markets are hovering around all-time highs, not everyone is convinced that central bank policy and government involvement in financial markets has stabilized the system. Doug Casey, one of the most well respected institutional investors in the world and someone who thrives in environments plagued with volatility and risk, joins Future Money Trends to explain exactly why the world has not avoided a Greater Depression and how things are about to get “very, very bad.”
And by very bad he means that centrally manufactured super-bubbles and bubbles are set to wipe out trillions.
You’ve got to remember that all of these governments and central banks all around the world have driven interest rates not just to zero, but to negative levels in some cases… and they are simultaneously printing up trillions of currency units. And even while they are desperately doing that the economy is falling apart in lots of different ways.
…They’ve created a super-bubble in bonds, a bubble in stocks, and meanwhile commodities have collapsed and are below production costs in many cases.
…The economy is going to be very, very bad… It’s the next stage of what I call the Greater Depression.
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And by very bad he means that centrally manufactured super-bubbles and bubbles are set to wipe out trillions.
You’ve got to remember that all of these governments and central banks all around the world have driven interest rates not just to zero, but to negative levels in some cases… and they are simultaneously printing up trillions of currency units. And even while they are desperately doing that the economy is falling apart in lots of different ways.
…They’ve created a super-bubble in bonds, a bubble in stocks, and meanwhile commodities have collapsed and are below production costs in many cases.
…The economy is going to be very, very bad… It’s the next stage of what I call the Greater Depression.
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Governor Larry Hogan Signs 172 Bills Into Law
Bills Expand Opportunities for Students and Voters, Strengthen Tools to Fight Against Opioid Abuse
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today was joined by Senate President Mike Miller and Speaker of the House Mike Busch for a bill signing ceremony at the State House in Annapolis, which included a number of bills aimed at creating opportunities for Maryland’s students, as well as broadly expanding opportunities for voters to participate in early voting. In total, the governor signed 172 bills into law.
"Our administration's top priority has and always will be education, and we want to continue encouraging the kinds of innovative ideas that give parents the best options to prepare children for higher education and for rewarding employment," said Governor Hogan. “With this bill signing, we are creating educational opportunities that pave a clear pathway to careers and produce students who have both the skills and the opportunities they need to be successful."
Among the bills signed today is SB 376, which establishes the state-funded Pathways in Technology Early College High schools, better known as P-TECH schools, in Maryland through grants to local schools or districts.The P-TECH education model, co-developed by IBM, is an innovative, nationally recognized approach that blends high school, college, and work experience in one. P-TECH schools offer students an integrated six-year education program that combines high school, college, and workplace skills required for 21st-century jobs. Graduates from Maryland’s P-TECH schools will earn their high school diploma and a two-year postsecondary degree in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) from an accredited community college and will be first in line for skilled jobs upon graduation through partnerships with private sector participants.
Additional bills signed today include:
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today was joined by Senate President Mike Miller and Speaker of the House Mike Busch for a bill signing ceremony at the State House in Annapolis, which included a number of bills aimed at creating opportunities for Maryland’s students, as well as broadly expanding opportunities for voters to participate in early voting. In total, the governor signed 172 bills into law.
"Our administration's top priority has and always will be education, and we want to continue encouraging the kinds of innovative ideas that give parents the best options to prepare children for higher education and for rewarding employment," said Governor Hogan. “With this bill signing, we are creating educational opportunities that pave a clear pathway to careers and produce students who have both the skills and the opportunities they need to be successful."
Among the bills signed today is SB 376, which establishes the state-funded Pathways in Technology Early College High schools, better known as P-TECH schools, in Maryland through grants to local schools or districts.The P-TECH education model, co-developed by IBM, is an innovative, nationally recognized approach that blends high school, college, and work experience in one. P-TECH schools offer students an integrated six-year education program that combines high school, college, and workplace skills required for 21st-century jobs. Graduates from Maryland’s P-TECH schools will earn their high school diploma and a two-year postsecondary degree in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) from an accredited community college and will be first in line for skilled jobs upon graduation through partnerships with private sector participants.
Additional bills signed today include:
"What Do We Do Now?" - Anti-Trump Alliance Self-Destructs Within Hours
Less than 24 hours after the Cruz/Kasich alliance was announced, it already appears to be on the verge of failure. Upon hearing of the deal between Cruz and Kasich, GOP voters and strategists alike were left scratching their heads, wondering how this was all supposed to work. To recap, the two men had their campaigns release statements late last night telling voters of a plan they'd put together that would prevent Donald Trump from winning the necessary delegates required to have an outright victory prior to the convention. Cruz was to focus on Indiana, while Kasich was responsible for Oregon and New Mexico.
Immediately GOP strategists were left wondering how this plan was going to sit with voters, dreading that this would be the latest anti-Trump plan to violently backfire. "I think the Kasich people are now left choosing between two people who they see as unappealing. I have talked to a lot of friends today who are stunned and puzzled and kind of adrift: 'what do we do now?'" said Mike Murphy, a GOP operative in the state of Indiana.
The Hill also quoted an anonymous Republican Strategist in Indiana who said people were torn between stopping Trump, and asking themselves what has happened to their party that made this circumstance even possible. "I think it's a bit of an open question as to whether this deal will take. I've got people who say, 'Yes, I will do anything to stop Trump.' And others who say, 'What in the world is the party coming to?' They view Cruz as unsatisfactory as a nominee but Trump as unfathomable."
And then there was outright frustration at the absurdity of it all. "This election is garbage. I voted early and then they cut a deal a week before election day." Dave Ober, a Republican state representative in Indiana tweeted.
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Immediately GOP strategists were left wondering how this plan was going to sit with voters, dreading that this would be the latest anti-Trump plan to violently backfire. "I think the Kasich people are now left choosing between two people who they see as unappealing. I have talked to a lot of friends today who are stunned and puzzled and kind of adrift: 'what do we do now?'" said Mike Murphy, a GOP operative in the state of Indiana.
The Hill also quoted an anonymous Republican Strategist in Indiana who said people were torn between stopping Trump, and asking themselves what has happened to their party that made this circumstance even possible. "I think it's a bit of an open question as to whether this deal will take. I've got people who say, 'Yes, I will do anything to stop Trump.' And others who say, 'What in the world is the party coming to?' They view Cruz as unsatisfactory as a nominee but Trump as unfathomable."
And then there was outright frustration at the absurdity of it all. "This election is garbage. I voted early and then they cut a deal a week before election day." Dave Ober, a Republican state representative in Indiana tweeted.
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Online petition for Target boycott Now Has More Than 700,000 signatures
A pledge to boycott its stores, launched Wednesday by the American Family Association, received more than 700,000 signatures in almost a week.
“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,” a supporting statement on the website says. “Target’s policy is exactly how sexual predators get access to their victims.”
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Governor’s Task Force Arrest Three in Heroin Investigation
On Monday April 25, 2016 at approximately 8:15 p.m., the Kent County Governor’s Task Force responded to the unit block of West Walnut Street in order to conduct an administrative probation search on the residence of William E. Nieberg III, 29, who is currently on Level 3 probation stemming from a 2015 drug conviction. When troopers and probation officers assigned to the task force arrived at the home, Nieberg was taken into custody in his upstairs bedroom. A probation officer noticed the bedroom window was open and upon looking out, observed a plastic bag that appeared to be filled with a large quantity of heroin directly below his window. Further investigation revealed the plastic bag contained 253 bags of heroin weighing 3.795 grams. Nieberg was also found to be in possession of over $1,000.00 in suspected drug proceeds.
As troopers and probation officers continued their search of the bedroom, a purse belonging to Haley Nickerson, 20 of Frederica (No photo available), was found to have three pills inside a pill bottle that were identified as Tramadol Hydrochloride. Those pills were not prescribed to Nickerson.
Investigators also contacted Austin J. Balke, 29 of Magnolia (No photo available), who appeared to living in a shed on the property. Upon searching him, he was found to be in possession of one single bag of heroin.
All three subjects were transported to Troop 3 in Camden where William Nieberg was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance in a Tier 3 Quantity (Heroin), Tampering with Physical Evidence, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was arraigned at JP7 and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on $26,100.00 secured bond.
Haley Nickerson was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance without a Prescription. She was released on $500.00 unsecured bond.
Austin Balke was charged with Possession of Controlled Substance (Heroin) and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was released on $600.00 unsecured bond.
Tsunami Buoy in "EVENT MODE" off New Jersey - Sudden 180' Water Depth Change
The buoy recorded sudden changes in water depth of fifty-five METERS (180 feet) in a matter ofseconds.
Here is what the Buoy recorded:
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Yard Sale This Weekend
Brooklyn Election Official Scored Big Profit From Real Estate Deal with Hillary Clinton Supporters
Diane Haslett Rudiano, who is at the center of an investigation by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (D) over the mysterious purging of voter rolls in Brooklyn, was involved in a recent lucrative real estate transaction with Hillary Clinton’s political allies that bagged her a whopping 1,000 percent return on her investment.
Rudiano, who served as chief clerk of the Board of Elections in Brooklyn, oversaw the removal of more than 102,000 voters from the rolls in Brooklyn between November 1, 2015 and April 1, 2016 in the run up to the Democratic primary in New York state. On April 19, Hillary Clinton won Kings County, where Brooklyn is located, by more than 57,000 votes.
Rudiano was suspended immediately from her position with the Board of Elections over “widespread irregularities” in Brooklyn voting, reported the Wall Street Journal. Schneiderman announced immediately after the primary vote an investigation into voting problems: “I am deeply troubled by the volume and consistency of voting irregularities, both in public reports and direct complaints to my office’s voter hotline.”
Barely a year before those voter purges began, Rudiano was involved in a real estate transaction with powerful Clinton allies that netted her an astonishing 1,003 percent profit.
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Rudiano, who served as chief clerk of the Board of Elections in Brooklyn, oversaw the removal of more than 102,000 voters from the rolls in Brooklyn between November 1, 2015 and April 1, 2016 in the run up to the Democratic primary in New York state. On April 19, Hillary Clinton won Kings County, where Brooklyn is located, by more than 57,000 votes.
Rudiano was suspended immediately from her position with the Board of Elections over “widespread irregularities” in Brooklyn voting, reported the Wall Street Journal. Schneiderman announced immediately after the primary vote an investigation into voting problems: “I am deeply troubled by the volume and consistency of voting irregularities, both in public reports and direct complaints to my office’s voter hotline.”
Barely a year before those voter purges began, Rudiano was involved in a real estate transaction with powerful Clinton allies that netted her an astonishing 1,003 percent profit.
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U.N. Pressing for ‘Alternative’ Ways to Admit More Syrian Refugees to U.S.
“The legitimacy and transparency of these new ‘alternative pathways,’ aimed at admitting increasing numbers of Syrian refugees into the United States without calling them ‘refugees,’ remain to be seen,” CIS senior researcher Nayla Rush wrote in a report Monday. “They might even amount to convenient admissions detours at a time when the U.S. refugee resettlement program is under tight scrutiny.”
According to Rush, facing a target to resettle 480,000 Syrian refugees over the next three years, U.N. representatives have already been laying the rhetorical groundwork for pursuing such alternatives to resettlement. During a panel discussion at the Brookings Institution in February, Rush detailed, Beth Harris, Research Professor at Georgetown University and adviser to the United Nations Secretary General on humanitarian refugee policy noted the possibility of alternative paths.
More here
Man loses legs after diving under moving train to flee cops
WSGW-AM reports state troopers were looking for robbery suspects Monday night in Saginaw when they saw a driver make an improper turn. They tried to stop the man, but he abandoned the vehicle and ran until the train blocked his path.
The radio station says he tried to go underneath and was dragged for about 1,000 feet before the train could stop.
Police say the train cut off one of his legs. The Saginaw News reports that the other leg was amputated at a hospital. He is expected to survive.
Police say the man had two misdemeanor traffic warrants for his arrest.
Source
Target Defends Unpopular Pro-Transgender Bathroom Policy
Target is sticking with its plan to open all of its single-sex bathrooms and changing rooms to members of the opposite sex, despite a public boycott and a new poll showing growing public support for single-sex bathrooms.
“We certainly respect that there are a wide variety of perspectives and opinions,” company spokeswoman Molly Snyder told USA Today.
“As a company that firmly stands behind what it means to offer our team an inclusive place to work — and our guests an inclusive place to shop — we continue to believe that this is the right thing for Target,” she said, adding that the company has “single-stall, family restrooms for those who may be more comfortable with that option.”
The statement came as the #BoycottTarget petition reached over 550,000 signers in less than a week.
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“We certainly respect that there are a wide variety of perspectives and opinions,” company spokeswoman Molly Snyder told USA Today.
“As a company that firmly stands behind what it means to offer our team an inclusive place to work — and our guests an inclusive place to shop — we continue to believe that this is the right thing for Target,” she said, adding that the company has “single-stall, family restrooms for those who may be more comfortable with that option.”
The statement came as the #BoycottTarget petition reached over 550,000 signers in less than a week.
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Burglar sues homeowner who shot him
Authorities said David A. Bailey, now 31, of Albany, Ind., broke into the garage of David McLaughlin of Dunkirk, Ind., on April 21, 2014.
McLaughlin, now 33, fired gunshots at the intruder he saw fleeing his property. One of the bullets hit Bailey in the left arm as he ran down an alley.
In September 2014, a Jay County Superior Court jury here found McLaughlin guilty of criminal recklessness in the shooting. Judge Max Ludy later sentenced McLaughlin to 60 days in jail, to be followed with four months on home detention.
In June 2015, Judge Brian Hutchinson of Jay County Circuit Court placed Bailey, who had pleaded guilty to burglary, on electronic home detention for three years. Last week Bailey's lawyers, Jason Delk and Daniel Gibson of Muncie, Ind., filed a Jay County Circuit Court lawsuit against McLaughlin.
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Exclusive Data Analysis: Trump Leads Romney’s 2012 Primary Pace by 2 Million Votes
Data compiled since the New York GOP primary shows that billionaire Donald Trump’s popular vote total in 2016 in states that have voted so far significantly exceeds the vote totals that Mitt Romney, the 2012 nominee, had in those states in total.
All in all, in the contests that have been had so far in 2016, Trump towers over Romney—having won more than 2 million more votes in the 2016 GOP primaries.
Sen. Ted Cruz, the next closest vote-getter to Trump this cycle, falls just under 300,000 votes short of Romney’s totals in the 2012 cycle.
In total, Trump has received 8,776,586 votes so far this year in states that have already held primaries or caucuses or conventions. In those same states in 2012, Romney received 6,654,029 votes—a whopping 2,122,557 votes less than Donald Trump. That means Trump has gotten a 31.79 percent increase over Romney’s totals.
Meanwhile, Cruz, in states that have voted already in 2016 has received an impressive 6,452,032 votes. While admirable, that’s still 201,977 votes less than Romney’s 2012 totals in those states—a decrease of 3.04 percent from Romney’s 2012 votes.
The analysis shows that of the nearly 40 contests so far, Trump’s 2016 vote totals have demolished Romney’s 2012 vote totals in most places.
All in all, in the contests that have been had so far in 2016, Trump towers over Romney—having won more than 2 million more votes in the 2016 GOP primaries.
Sen. Ted Cruz, the next closest vote-getter to Trump this cycle, falls just under 300,000 votes short of Romney’s totals in the 2012 cycle.
In total, Trump has received 8,776,586 votes so far this year in states that have already held primaries or caucuses or conventions. In those same states in 2012, Romney received 6,654,029 votes—a whopping 2,122,557 votes less than Donald Trump. That means Trump has gotten a 31.79 percent increase over Romney’s totals.
Meanwhile, Cruz, in states that have voted already in 2016 has received an impressive 6,452,032 votes. While admirable, that’s still 201,977 votes less than Romney’s 2012 totals in those states—a decrease of 3.04 percent from Romney’s 2012 votes.
The analysis shows that of the nearly 40 contests so far, Trump’s 2016 vote totals have demolished Romney’s 2012 vote totals in most places.
Pocomoke City Police Press Release 4-26-16
4-14-2016 Amber Onley, age 36 of Pocomoke, MD was Cited for Theft less $100. She was issued a Criminal Citation and released.
4-20-2016 Kyle Whetzel, age 26 of Edgewater, MD was Cited for Driving While Intoxicated. He was issued citations and released.
4-21-2016 Jerry Allen, age 37 of Salisbury, MD was Arrested for an Outstanding Warrant; original charges Assault 2nd degree, False Imprisonment and Arson Threat. He was held on $10,000 bond.
4-23-2016 Duane Stephens, age 40 of Salisbury, MD was Arrested for Theft less than $1,000. He was released on his personal recognizance.
4-24-2016 Elton Thomas, age 36 Pocomoke, MD was Cited for Disorderly Conduct. He was issued a Criminal Citation and released.
Three (3) additional Arrests were made for various traffic violations during this time period.
Chief William Harden Sr.
Retail Layoffs in 2016 could be Highest Since 2010
With more than 24,000 retail-sector job cuts already announced in 2016, layoffs are on track to hit their highest since 2010, according to Credit Suisse analysts.
Credit Suisse said in a Monday note there could be more than 37,000 layoffs in 2016 based on Bloomberg data. But analysts there believe that number could top those projections due to the number of retailers filing for bankruptcy recently. About two-thirds of layoffs tend to come in the first one-third of the year.
According to Bloomberg, there were 30,273 layoffs in 2010. There were far fewer each year between 2011 and 2015. Bloomberg generated its figures by culling data from news headlines. Layoffs that didn’t make headline news may not have been included.
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Credit Suisse said in a Monday note there could be more than 37,000 layoffs in 2016 based on Bloomberg data. But analysts there believe that number could top those projections due to the number of retailers filing for bankruptcy recently. About two-thirds of layoffs tend to come in the first one-third of the year.
According to Bloomberg, there were 30,273 layoffs in 2010. There were far fewer each year between 2011 and 2015. Bloomberg generated its figures by culling data from news headlines. Layoffs that didn’t make headline news may not have been included.
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Why America's Schools Have A Money Problem
Let's begin with a choice.
Say there's a check in the mail. It's meant to help you run your household. You can use it to keep the lights on, the water running and food on the table. Would you rather that check be for $9,794 or $28,639?
It's not a trick question. It's the story of America's schools in two numbers.
That $9,794 is how much money the Chicago Ridge School District in Illinois spent per child in 2013 (the number has been adjusted by Education Week to account for regional cost differences). It's well below that year's national average of $11,841.
Ridge's two elementary campuses and one middle school sit along Chicago's southern edge. Roughly two-thirds of its students come from low-income families, and a third are learning English as a second language.
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Subject: Colorado County GOP Chair: Errors with Ted Cruz’s Delegate Win, Might Need Do-Over
The chairwoman of the Boulder County GOP has admitted that grave errors affected the Colorado Republican caucus, in which Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) won a clean sweep of 34 delegates without opening up the process to voting by everyday citizens.
Breitbart News has obtained an email that Boulder County GOP chairwoman Peg Cage sent to other top Republican officials in Colorado, including to other party chairs, describing the errors in the process that led to “the perception of fraud.” Reached for comment on the email, Cage said that the caucus might have to be done over.
Since Breitbart News’s original report on massive voting problems at the caucus — including names of candidates being left off ballots and at least one woman not being able to vote — insiders have come forward to tell this reporter about other alleged inconsistencies, including a screw-up in the Pueblo and Mesa counties that led to one county having twenty more ballots and another twenty less. Trump supporters even protested the results of the caucus on the steps of the Colorado State Capitol.
“Rather than spend their time working on try to build integrity and correct errors — I know that’s happening they’re working on it right now —today at 1:30 there’s a bill being pushed by [state chairman] Steve House to push from a caucus system to a primary system as if that would change things,” Boulder County chairwoman Peg Cage told Breitbart News.
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Breitbart News has obtained an email that Boulder County GOP chairwoman Peg Cage sent to other top Republican officials in Colorado, including to other party chairs, describing the errors in the process that led to “the perception of fraud.” Reached for comment on the email, Cage said that the caucus might have to be done over.
Since Breitbart News’s original report on massive voting problems at the caucus — including names of candidates being left off ballots and at least one woman not being able to vote — insiders have come forward to tell this reporter about other alleged inconsistencies, including a screw-up in the Pueblo and Mesa counties that led to one county having twenty more ballots and another twenty less. Trump supporters even protested the results of the caucus on the steps of the Colorado State Capitol.
“Rather than spend their time working on try to build integrity and correct errors — I know that’s happening they’re working on it right now —today at 1:30 there’s a bill being pushed by [state chairman] Steve House to push from a caucus system to a primary system as if that would change things,” Boulder County chairwoman Peg Cage told Breitbart News.
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Operation We Care is gearing up for the next shipment of care packages
1. Baby Wipes
2. Shampoo/Body Wash
3. 15 oz cans of Chef Boyardee
4. Hot chocolate packets
5. Dental floss
6. Deodorant
7. Disposable razors
8. Instant oatmeal packets
9. Powdered drink mix packets
10. Toothpaste
Items can be dropped off at Minuteman Press Salisbury.
America's Part Time Workforce is Huge
Growing number concerns Federal Reserve chair
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — America has a huge part-time workforce problem.
And it's Worry Number One for Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen. She has talked about part-timers at each of her last three press conferences, at nearly every speech in the last six months, and at both of her past two testimonies to Congress.
Yellen's worries stem from the fact that the part-time U.S. workforce is at "very high levels."
Excluding the Great Recession, the 6 million Americans who work part-time but want full-time jobs today are at the highest level in about 30 years or so. The number has come down since its peak during the recession, but some experts believe America now has a "new normal" -- a permanently high number of part-timers.
Experts call these jobs "hidden unemployment" because these people are capable of working more hours than they can get.
It's a tough situation. About 25% of part-time workers lives in poverty, according to a study by Rebecca Glauber, a professor at the University of New Hampshire. Only 5% of full-timers live in poverty.
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NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — America has a huge part-time workforce problem.
And it's Worry Number One for Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen. She has talked about part-timers at each of her last three press conferences, at nearly every speech in the last six months, and at both of her past two testimonies to Congress.
Yellen's worries stem from the fact that the part-time U.S. workforce is at "very high levels."
Excluding the Great Recession, the 6 million Americans who work part-time but want full-time jobs today are at the highest level in about 30 years or so. The number has come down since its peak during the recession, but some experts believe America now has a "new normal" -- a permanently high number of part-timers.
Experts call these jobs "hidden unemployment" because these people are capable of working more hours than they can get.
It's a tough situation. About 25% of part-time workers lives in poverty, according to a study by Rebecca Glauber, a professor at the University of New Hampshire. Only 5% of full-timers live in poverty.
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Waterways in Somerset, Wicomico counties reclassified for shellfish harvesting
Portion of Wicomico River opened to harvesting, areas of Big Annemessex River and Hall Creek closed
Baltimore, MD – The Maryland Department of the Environment has reclassified three waterways in Somerset and Wicomico counties for shellfish harvesting.
An 821-acre portion of the Wicomico River in Wicomico and Somerset counties has been reclassified from “restricted” to “approved” to allow oysters and clams to be harvested. The headwaters of the river remain classified as restricted, meaning that they are closed to shellfish harvesting. Ellis Bay and its tributaries, along with a portion of the Wicomico River near the Bay and that portion’s tributaries, also remain classified as restricted.
The change – which is effective today, Monday, April 25 – is based on a recent evaluation of potential pollution sources and testing of the waters and shellfish that showed decreased levels of indicator bacteria.
Old Photos of "Firsts"
Trump Crushes Competition in Five State Sweep
Donald J. Trump has been declared the winner in five states tonight, cruising to victory in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. All told, Trump collected 82 delegates. John Kasich and Ted Cruz collected zero.
The calendar now moves to states that favor Cruz, and the Texas Senator will have to do everything he can to make up critical ground.
Source: AAN
The calendar now moves to states that favor Cruz, and the Texas Senator will have to do everything he can to make up critical ground.
Source: AAN
District 1 Proves Hillary Will Lose Big To Trump
While the Liberal Media keeps trying to say Hillary will beat Donald Trump, according to their polls, they are full of crap. Trump will take this whole thing and Make America Great Again.
Clinton Can't Shake Sanders, Barely Clinging to Frontrunner Status
Hillary Clinton narrowly defeated Bernie Sanders this evening, winning contests in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, but was absolutely shellacked by Sanders in Rhode Island, a state where she defeated Barack Obama in 2008. Connecticut has yet to be called, with Sanders narrowly leading Clinton in the Nutmeg State, which borders her "home" state of New York.
Source: AAN
Source: AAN
Watchdog: Group broke federal law escorting women to abortion clinics
The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) spent years working with a New York City health organization that escorted young women to abortion clinics, which is a violation of federal funding rules.
That program included six members of the federal community service program AmeriCorps, as The Hill first reported late Monday.
Those involved in the assistance program, which took place at three clinics, violated a strict decades-old rule that prohibits federal funding from supporting abortion services.
The misuse of the funding sparked an outcry from Republicans in Congress.
Even before the full release of the findings, Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), the head of a health appropriations panel, asked the Obama administration to investigate how community health centers nationwide are using their grants.
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Donald Trump: Bernie Sanders Should Run As Independent
All of the Vermont senator’s victories count for very little under the Democratic Party’s oddball delegate system.
The Democratic National Committee insists the primary process is not “rigged” for Hillary, but Bernie’s supporters are outraged and have demanded the party’s superdelegates to “pledge to back the will of the voters.”
GOP front runner Donald Trump suggested on Tuesday the VT senator should seek an independent path to the White House and abandon his run for the Democratic nomination.
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Judge sets Matthew Burton bail at $1.5 million
Burton is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and first-degree rape in connection with the 2012 death of Nicole Bennett. On April 25, Sussex County Superior Court Judge E. Scott Bradley gave Burton $500,000 cash for each count. A bail hearing was held April 22 in a case that extradited Burton from Maryland to Delaware. His trial is scheduled for October.
State prosecutor David Hume asked Superior Court Judge E. Scott Bradley for $2 million cash bail for Burton, who has been in custody since July 2012.
“He is an extreme flight risk, and he's a proven risk to the community,” Hume said.
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Images Like This Are Why Mike Smigiel Lost Big Against Andy Harris
Congressman Harris firmly supports everyone's Second Amendment Rights but would never tout an image of him carrying a gun I wouldn't even blame the Liberals pushing gun control over.
Trump passes Romney’s popular vote total, likely to break GOP record
Trump surged to 9.9 million votes, according to totals that include Tuesday’s preliminary results across the northeast and could rise further as the final votes are counted. That’s already more than 100,000 more than Romney earned in the entire 2012 primary season and tens of thousands more than John McCain earned in 2008.
Trump is certain to pass McCain’s total next week in Indiana, but more importantly, he’s positioned to easily pass the modern record-holder George W. Bush — who collected 10.8 million votes in 2000.
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Flip Flopping Dem Senator Spouts Foolishness About Guns
Once upon a time, Kirsten Gillibrand was considered a "Blue Dog" Democrat. For those of you new to the game, that's liberal speak for a liberal that pretended to care about gun rights so that she could get elected in a moderate conservative region of the country. In Gillibrand's case, it was upstate New York, where as a member of Congress, Gillibrand once received a 100 percent rating from the National Rifle Association. Now that Gillibrand is firmly esconced in the Senate, she's changing her tune. In an interview on a liberal radio program, she offered an argument for gun control so rife with irrelevant sentimentality that it reminded us of this:
Here's what Gillibrand said on the Glenn Thrush show, per Mediaite:
Sen. Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY) told Politico’s Glenn Thrush that the debate over gun control should be reframed as a “women’s issue” and that “nothing in this debate has to do with the Second Amendment rights.”
“This debate is relegated to the men. It’s about hunting? It has nothing to do with hunting,” she said on Thrush’s Off Message podcast released Monday. “Nothing in this debate has to do with hunting, and nothing in this debate has to do with the Second Amendment rights. Nothing. … I think — I see the world in the lens of women’s issues. I’m making everything a woman’s issue. I want guns to be a woman’s issue.”
Gillibrand is supporting Hillary Clinton, who has been hitting Bernie Sanders for his record on guns. Sanders, she said, “doesn’t have the sensitivity he needs to the horror that is happening in these families. I just don’t think he’s fully getting how horrible it is for these families [affected by gun violence.]”
Interestingly enough, Gillibrand, had a different take on guns and families back in 2009. Here's Gillibrand talking about why guns are an important tool for moms:
In 2009, she said she kept two guns under her bed, according to a Newsday headline from that year. “If I want to protect my family, if I want to have a weapon in the home, that should be my right,” she said in the February 2009 story. Later that year, however, she authored a measure that would facilitate crackdowns on illegal guns.
We have a great amount of sympathy for those who are victims of horrendous acts of violence. But we have a constitution for a reason; to ensure that our government, and our God given rights, are not hijacked in a fit of passion by emotional mobs. Apparently that's inconvenient for Senator Gillibrand, who believes that, despite a constitutionally guaranteed right to bear arms, and a demonstrated decline in gun violence the emotional state of women in the wake of a tragedy should be the key factor in how we choose to govern.
Source: AAN
Here's what Gillibrand said on the Glenn Thrush show, per Mediaite:
Sen. Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY) told Politico’s Glenn Thrush that the debate over gun control should be reframed as a “women’s issue” and that “nothing in this debate has to do with the Second Amendment rights.”
“This debate is relegated to the men. It’s about hunting? It has nothing to do with hunting,” she said on Thrush’s Off Message podcast released Monday. “Nothing in this debate has to do with hunting, and nothing in this debate has to do with the Second Amendment rights. Nothing. … I think — I see the world in the lens of women’s issues. I’m making everything a woman’s issue. I want guns to be a woman’s issue.”
Gillibrand is supporting Hillary Clinton, who has been hitting Bernie Sanders for his record on guns. Sanders, she said, “doesn’t have the sensitivity he needs to the horror that is happening in these families. I just don’t think he’s fully getting how horrible it is for these families [affected by gun violence.]”
Interestingly enough, Gillibrand, had a different take on guns and families back in 2009. Here's Gillibrand talking about why guns are an important tool for moms:
In 2009, she said she kept two guns under her bed, according to a Newsday headline from that year. “If I want to protect my family, if I want to have a weapon in the home, that should be my right,” she said in the February 2009 story. Later that year, however, she authored a measure that would facilitate crackdowns on illegal guns.
We have a great amount of sympathy for those who are victims of horrendous acts of violence. But we have a constitution for a reason; to ensure that our government, and our God given rights, are not hijacked in a fit of passion by emotional mobs. Apparently that's inconvenient for Senator Gillibrand, who believes that, despite a constitutionally guaranteed right to bear arms, and a demonstrated decline in gun violence the emotional state of women in the wake of a tragedy should be the key factor in how we choose to govern.
Source: AAN
What These Protesters Told Hillary Will Have You Cheering
Liberals love to portray the armed, omnipowerful government suppressing job creators as “speaking truth to power.”
But in reality, “speaking truth to power” is when citizens stand up to the power of the state.
And these two Hillary Clinton protesters are speaking for all of us.
The Washington Free Beacon reports:
Two protestors interrupted a Hillary Clinton campaign event on Saturday, with one being escorted out after shouting that the Democratic presidential frontrunner is “evil” and “guilty.”
Clinton was speaking to a crowd of supporters in Los Angeles when two individuals separately protested the rally and her candidacy. One man could be heard shouting, “She is guilty, she is guilty, she is evil,” as security removed him from the event...
... Clinton has had to battle accusations of dishonesty since she started her bid for the White House, with a majority of Americans believing that she is dishonest and untrustworthy, according to recent polling.
This has largely stemmed from the ongoing FBI investigation into Clinton’s private email server and the controversy surrounding her role in the aftermath of the 2012 terrorist attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
Source: American Action News
But in reality, “speaking truth to power” is when citizens stand up to the power of the state.
And these two Hillary Clinton protesters are speaking for all of us.
The Washington Free Beacon reports:
Two protestors interrupted a Hillary Clinton campaign event on Saturday, with one being escorted out after shouting that the Democratic presidential frontrunner is “evil” and “guilty.”
Clinton was speaking to a crowd of supporters in Los Angeles when two individuals separately protested the rally and her candidacy. One man could be heard shouting, “She is guilty, she is guilty, she is evil,” as security removed him from the event...
... Clinton has had to battle accusations of dishonesty since she started her bid for the White House, with a majority of Americans believing that she is dishonest and untrustworthy, according to recent polling.
This has largely stemmed from the ongoing FBI investigation into Clinton’s private email server and the controversy surrounding her role in the aftermath of the 2012 terrorist attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
Source: American Action News
Clear Evidence That Obama is Protecting Hillary
Many people believe the evidence against Hillary Clinton is overwhelming, and that eventually she'll pay for her sins. One part of that may be true. The evidence against Hillary Clinton is damning. But the second part? Will a Justice Department actually take the mountain of evidence piling up against the Democratic frontrunner and do anything about it? Not if Barack Obama has anything todo with it:
President Obama tried to downplay the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private server for handling some of the government’s most sensitive information, but a former top Justice Department official says Obama’s comments ignore the law and are an obvious attempt to convince the FBI not to recommend charges against Clinton.
On Fox News Sunday, anchor Chris Wallace asked Obama if he was convinced that national security was not compromised by Clinton’s handling of sensitive information.
“Here’s what I know: Hillary Clinton was an outstanding secretary of state. She would never intentionally put America in any kind of jeopardy,” Obama said.
Former Deputy Assistant Attorney General Victoria Toensing is appalled by that explanation.
“Doesn’t this former constitutional law professor know the law?” she asked.
He knows the law. As Marco Rubio said in the statement that ultimately ended his campaign "President Obama knows what he's doing. He knows exactly what he's doing."
Source: AAN
President Obama tried to downplay the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private server for handling some of the government’s most sensitive information, but a former top Justice Department official says Obama’s comments ignore the law and are an obvious attempt to convince the FBI not to recommend charges against Clinton.
On Fox News Sunday, anchor Chris Wallace asked Obama if he was convinced that national security was not compromised by Clinton’s handling of sensitive information.
“Here’s what I know: Hillary Clinton was an outstanding secretary of state. She would never intentionally put America in any kind of jeopardy,” Obama said.
Former Deputy Assistant Attorney General Victoria Toensing is appalled by that explanation.
“Doesn’t this former constitutional law professor know the law?” she asked.
He knows the law. As Marco Rubio said in the statement that ultimately ended his campaign "President Obama knows what he's doing. He knows exactly what he's doing."
Source: AAN
What’s Missing In The Millennial Skillset?
One thing is clear: millennials – those born after 1980 – are the world’s future, and they’ve already made significant contributions.
Social media alone wouldn’t be what it is today without millennial entrepreneurs, for example.
“It’s not just technology defining the youngest working-age population, it’s also a distinct optimism and a desire to do work that matters,” says youth psychologist Dr. Jason Richardson.
“I don't think millennials lack the work ethic and soft skills that others say they do. Many of those things come with age regardless of when you were born. But I do think millennials have been coddled. Many have an aversion to seek resolutions to problems within themselves – outside of technology.”
Richardson, author of “It’s All BS! We’re All Wrong, And You’re All Right!” (www.drjasonrichardson.com), offers millennials suggestions for expanding their skillset.
• Try more authentic “connections.” Competition among millennials can be fierce, especially when it comes to how your social media profile looks. You can have a thousand friends, “Like” the cool, trendy items and have an impressive bio with the right degree from the right school. More one-on-one time with your peers, however, helps with truly interpersonal settings, including working with people from older generations.
• Distinguish yourself by offering your full attention – a rare commodity nowadays. People never have to be bored anymore. If we must wait for anything, we can find distraction in our smartphones, which are on-demand boredom-killers. On the job, dividing your attention while on your phone with clients, management, during conference calls, etc. will not be appreciated. It’s not multitasking when your attention is compromised – a major hindrance in communication.
• Take a cue from older generations; grow thicker skin. Today, colleges are catering to students with “safe spaces” in case their feelings are hurt. Professors often warn students of “trigger warnings” in case academic content could be seen as offensive. Older generations were not as coddled, which helps them accept criticism at work. Thin skin can keep you from finding solutions to problems. Learn to accept professional criticism graciously so you may think more clearly on possible solutions.
• Base progress on doing good and less on feeling good. Doing good and feeling good don’t always coincide. Remember, you’re the baby who learned to walk despite many failed attempts. You didn’t need to feel good to be successful. Place value in the work and personal gains made as you move forward. Think of yourself as continually developing or becoming. You are more than what’s written on your social media profile.
“We can’t always control the conditions of this amazing world,” Richardson says, “but you can take control of the amazing you, if you believe you can.”
Social media alone wouldn’t be what it is today without millennial entrepreneurs, for example.
“It’s not just technology defining the youngest working-age population, it’s also a distinct optimism and a desire to do work that matters,” says youth psychologist Dr. Jason Richardson.
“I don't think millennials lack the work ethic and soft skills that others say they do. Many of those things come with age regardless of when you were born. But I do think millennials have been coddled. Many have an aversion to seek resolutions to problems within themselves – outside of technology.”
Richardson, author of “It’s All BS! We’re All Wrong, And You’re All Right!” (www.drjasonrichardson.com), offers millennials suggestions for expanding their skillset.
• Try more authentic “connections.” Competition among millennials can be fierce, especially when it comes to how your social media profile looks. You can have a thousand friends, “Like” the cool, trendy items and have an impressive bio with the right degree from the right school. More one-on-one time with your peers, however, helps with truly interpersonal settings, including working with people from older generations.
• Distinguish yourself by offering your full attention – a rare commodity nowadays. People never have to be bored anymore. If we must wait for anything, we can find distraction in our smartphones, which are on-demand boredom-killers. On the job, dividing your attention while on your phone with clients, management, during conference calls, etc. will not be appreciated. It’s not multitasking when your attention is compromised – a major hindrance in communication.
• Take a cue from older generations; grow thicker skin. Today, colleges are catering to students with “safe spaces” in case their feelings are hurt. Professors often warn students of “trigger warnings” in case academic content could be seen as offensive. Older generations were not as coddled, which helps them accept criticism at work. Thin skin can keep you from finding solutions to problems. Learn to accept professional criticism graciously so you may think more clearly on possible solutions.
• Base progress on doing good and less on feeling good. Doing good and feeling good don’t always coincide. Remember, you’re the baby who learned to walk despite many failed attempts. You didn’t need to feel good to be successful. Place value in the work and personal gains made as you move forward. Think of yourself as continually developing or becoming. You are more than what’s written on your social media profile.
“We can’t always control the conditions of this amazing world,” Richardson says, “but you can take control of the amazing you, if you believe you can.”
How Women Can Recover After Hitting Rock Bottom
Movies from the 1980s profiled the prototypical “It Girl” – pretty, blond, wealthy, who drove luxury sports cars to high school, was liked by other girls and chased by all the boys.
Jane Zarse was that girl, and the persona continued into the ’90s, when she eventually graduated Boston University on the dean’s list and began acting in New York City and in Hollywood films.
That’s what nearly every young woman wants, right? Unfortunately for Zarse, it was a parallel image of her true self, she says. All the while, she’d been devolving into alcoholism and other self-abuses.
“My folks did very well and thought they were doing all the right things for their kids, but we never – never – spoke about our problems,” says Zarse, author of “Love and Compassion Is My Religion,” (http://tinyurl.com/z5u236t).
“It was more important to keep up appearances, especially how we appeared to ourselves. After punishing myself with substance abuse, doomed relationships and more, I’d finally hit rock bottom.”
It’s the life story for countless Americans. For Zarse, a non-romantic relationship opened her eyes, aiding her to a robust recovery and a new way of experiencing spirituality. She offers insights for those who need help recovering after hitting rock bottom.
• You can’t change or improve what you don’t acknowledge. Spirituality includes more than mental abstractions; it’s aboutapplying transcendent insights into everyday life. Admitting problems, for instance, means transcending the powerful forces of pride, habit, complacency, etc. Hitting rock bottom forces you to see what you’ve been hiding for so long – that ugly, desperately addicted side of your self.
• Don’t fall for a false sense of control. When alcohol, serial dating and unsuccessful job prospects gave Zarse the sense that her life was spinning out of control, she developed an eating disorder. It gave her a false sense of security via an unhealthy expression of discipline. While recovering from rock bottom, such temptations may occur. If so, be honest that you may be grasping, once again, at something unsustainable.
• Successful relationships require kindness and respect. As the “It Girl,” Zarse received plenty of attention from men. If she wanted a relationship, she was able to find herself in one quickly. But an entitled mentality, coupled with substance abuse, fostered toxicity in her first marriage. You get back what you put into relationships.
“I remember thinking: What’s the point of quitting drinking? – I’ll still be thinking about it constantly,” Zarse says. “If you find yourself with similar thoughts, it may be time seek help. Remember, that help may come in unexpected people.”
Jane Zarse was that girl, and the persona continued into the ’90s, when she eventually graduated Boston University on the dean’s list and began acting in New York City and in Hollywood films.
That’s what nearly every young woman wants, right? Unfortunately for Zarse, it was a parallel image of her true self, she says. All the while, she’d been devolving into alcoholism and other self-abuses.
“My folks did very well and thought they were doing all the right things for their kids, but we never – never – spoke about our problems,” says Zarse, author of “Love and Compassion Is My Religion,” (http://tinyurl.com/z5u236t).
“It was more important to keep up appearances, especially how we appeared to ourselves. After punishing myself with substance abuse, doomed relationships and more, I’d finally hit rock bottom.”
It’s the life story for countless Americans. For Zarse, a non-romantic relationship opened her eyes, aiding her to a robust recovery and a new way of experiencing spirituality. She offers insights for those who need help recovering after hitting rock bottom.
• You can’t change or improve what you don’t acknowledge. Spirituality includes more than mental abstractions; it’s aboutapplying transcendent insights into everyday life. Admitting problems, for instance, means transcending the powerful forces of pride, habit, complacency, etc. Hitting rock bottom forces you to see what you’ve been hiding for so long – that ugly, desperately addicted side of your self.
• Don’t fall for a false sense of control. When alcohol, serial dating and unsuccessful job prospects gave Zarse the sense that her life was spinning out of control, she developed an eating disorder. It gave her a false sense of security via an unhealthy expression of discipline. While recovering from rock bottom, such temptations may occur. If so, be honest that you may be grasping, once again, at something unsustainable.
• Successful relationships require kindness and respect. As the “It Girl,” Zarse received plenty of attention from men. If she wanted a relationship, she was able to find herself in one quickly. But an entitled mentality, coupled with substance abuse, fostered toxicity in her first marriage. You get back what you put into relationships.
“I remember thinking: What’s the point of quitting drinking? – I’ll still be thinking about it constantly,” Zarse says. “If you find yourself with similar thoughts, it may be time seek help. Remember, that help may come in unexpected people.”
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