The liberal green groups are celebrating their "victory" of putting America's major coal producers out of business — to say nothing of the tens of thousands of miners placed in unemployment lines. Several thousand more mining jobs were lost last month.
Now to get their next homicidal high, the leftists have turned their ambitions on the oil and natural gas industries.
Here is how the Sierra Club spokeswoman, Lena Moffit, explains the grand, green vision: "We have moved to a very clear and firm and vehement position of opposing gas. We oppose any new gas-fired power plants. We also have a policy opposing fracking."
That's an amazing admission given that natural gas is a clean burning fuel that is reducing greenhouse gas emissions and real pollutants too. Then she admitted: "We are doing everything we can to bring the same expertise that we brought to taking down the coal industry and coal-fired power in this country to taking on gas in the same way ... to ensure that we're moving to a 100% clean energy future."
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Thursday, June 09, 2016
VA to Consider Providing Gender Confirmation Surgery
The Department of Veterans Affairs is looking into changing regulations so that VA hospitals can provide gender-confirming surgery, which alters a transgender person's sexual characteristics to match the person's gender identity, according to the Washington Post.
The Post noted that a document on a government regulations site that the VA is proposing to remove a rule that prohibits the surgery.
There are an estimated 134,000 transgender veterans or retirees in the National Guard or the Reserves, according to a study by the Williams Institute, a UCLA think tank. 15,500 transgender people are on active duty in the Guard or Reserves, according to the study.
The VA document said that "increased understanding" suggests that the VA changes its rule that the surgery is not deemed medically necessary.
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The Post noted that a document on a government regulations site that the VA is proposing to remove a rule that prohibits the surgery.
There are an estimated 134,000 transgender veterans or retirees in the National Guard or the Reserves, according to a study by the Williams Institute, a UCLA think tank. 15,500 transgender people are on active duty in the Guard or Reserves, according to the study.
The VA document said that "increased understanding" suggests that the VA changes its rule that the surgery is not deemed medically necessary.
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Katie Couric Accused of Deceptive Edits in Another Documentary
Katie Couric is being accused of deceptively editing another documentary, this one about obesity and the nation's food industry.
Couric was criticized for adding a pause that lasted nearly 10 seconds into a documentary about guns, an edit that, according to one of the people interviewed for the film, made gun owners look like "idiots."
The Washington Free Beacon is now reporting that Couric's documentary "Fed Up" contains two deceptive edits that attempt to make the interview subjects look bad.
The first edit is a seven-second pause after Dr. David Allison was asked a question.
Couric asks Allison about the science behind his assertion that sugary drinks may not play a larger role than other foods in the obesity problem. That assertion goes against the viewpoint of the film, which was produced by Couric.
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Couric was criticized for adding a pause that lasted nearly 10 seconds into a documentary about guns, an edit that, according to one of the people interviewed for the film, made gun owners look like "idiots."
The Washington Free Beacon is now reporting that Couric's documentary "Fed Up" contains two deceptive edits that attempt to make the interview subjects look bad.
The first edit is a seven-second pause after Dr. David Allison was asked a question.
Couric asks Allison about the science behind his assertion that sugary drinks may not play a larger role than other foods in the obesity problem. That assertion goes against the viewpoint of the film, which was produced by Couric.
More
Wash Post: Freed Gitmo Prisoners Have Attacked, Killed Americans
About a dozen former prisoners who were released from Guantanamo Bay have killed six Americans and have attacked American and coalition forces in Afghanistan, according to a new report.
The Washington Post cites current and former U.S. officials who say the ex-prisoners have returned to the battlefield since they've been released.
One of the Americans killed, according to the Post, was a female aid worker who perished in 2008. Nine of the former prisoners implicated in the attacks, reports the Post, have either been killed or are in custody with governments other than the U.S.
The newspaper cites officials who said the number of prisoners who returned to fight was less than 15. They were all released during President George W. Bush's administration.
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The Washington Post cites current and former U.S. officials who say the ex-prisoners have returned to the battlefield since they've been released.
One of the Americans killed, according to the Post, was a female aid worker who perished in 2008. Nine of the former prisoners implicated in the attacks, reports the Post, have either been killed or are in custody with governments other than the U.S.
The newspaper cites officials who said the number of prisoners who returned to fight was less than 15. They were all released during President George W. Bush's administration.
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6 WAYS WE (ACCIDENTALLY) TEACH OUR KIDS RAPE CULTURE
No parent (that I’ve ever met) would ever dream of teaching their child that rape is okay. But every day, in many different ways, well-meaning parents contribute to rape culture, and our kids suffer for it.
As moms and dads, we probably don’t talk directly about rape to kids, at least not until they’re older. But we’re still sending messages about sex and consent all the time. Because of that, we need to make sure we’re not teaching them some very dangerous lessons, even if just by accident.
Here are six (very common) ways we get it wrong, and how we can do better …
As moms and dads, we probably don’t talk directly about rape to kids, at least not until they’re older. But we’re still sending messages about sex and consent all the time. Because of that, we need to make sure we’re not teaching them some very dangerous lessons, even if just by accident.
Here are six (very common) ways we get it wrong, and how we can do better …
1. Telling our kids that “boys will be boys.”
As a mom of very active boys, I know most people don’t mean any harm when they say “boys will be boys,” but too often that phrase is used to excuse bad behavior, like hitting other kids or being destructive.
The truth is, boys are perfectly capable of respecting other people’s bodies,possessions, and space. But every time they hear us excuse their bad behavior as part of boy life, they learn that they are not only above the rules, but also that boys cannot control their impulses.
This message will stick with them as they grow older and sexual desire starts to kick in. As parents, we cannot be shocked that boys feel entitled to sexually harass others (whether it’s standard rape, like in Steubenville, or as part of the all-too-common tradition of sexual “hazing”) when we’ve been telling them their whole lives that they are above the rules, by virtue of being boys.
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As a mom of very active boys, I know most people don’t mean any harm when they say “boys will be boys,” but too often that phrase is used to excuse bad behavior, like hitting other kids or being destructive.
The truth is, boys are perfectly capable of respecting other people’s bodies,possessions, and space. But every time they hear us excuse their bad behavior as part of boy life, they learn that they are not only above the rules, but also that boys cannot control their impulses.
This message will stick with them as they grow older and sexual desire starts to kick in. As parents, we cannot be shocked that boys feel entitled to sexually harass others (whether it’s standard rape, like in Steubenville, or as part of the all-too-common tradition of sexual “hazing”) when we’ve been telling them their whole lives that they are above the rules, by virtue of being boys.
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Feds Took 8 Years To Develop USELESS $300M Software
The SSA began in 2008 seeking out alternatives for processing disability cases more efficiently and cost-effectively by combining multiple case management systems into one. Eight years later, what little the agency has developed through contractors is so useless SSA might be better off sticking with its old management systems, the IG found.
“Since it conceived of a common case processing system in 2008, SSA has invested over $300 million in the DCPS (Disability Case Processing System) project – equivalent to the cost of maintaining the legacy systems for over nine years – for which it appears the agency will receive little benefit,” the IG said.
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Clinton: The First Female Presidential Candidate?
Maybe in an alter-universe, but...
One name not found anywhere in the Common Core agenda is Victoria Woodhull. Hence, why Ms. Clinton was able to pontificate about being the first female to be a presidential nominee?
Once again, Ms. Clinton lied. It's a too bad she didn't take US History while she was studying to perform the perfect subterfuge to con Americans. A speech recognizing Ms. Woodhull and how she plans on carrying her predecessor's great history into the 21st century would have much more stirring than screaming about how she owned the new ceiling when she didn't.
In 1872, Ms. Woodhull ran in the presidential election on the Equal Rights ticket. She didn't get any electoral votes; however, her popular vote has been long disputed. Funny, that many don't know about this woman, considering she was one of the grand dams of Suffrage. She was quite a provocative character; believing in 'free love' - which meant a "woman's ability to marry, divorce and have children without government interference." She believed women were capable and rightfully equal to men.
Unfortunately, in a salaciously torrid scandal, she was incarcerated mere days before the election for exposing a prominent minister's affair. However, she was far from disgraced as she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 2001. So the history was there for any of Clinton's handlers to find had they bothered to look.
Granted, when she ran, it was illegal for her to vote for herself - but the fact is, she was the very first female presidential candidate and owner of that infamous glass ceiling everyone keeps sputtering on and on about.
Look up this cavalier and you'll find she was quite a character in her own time - as well as ours!
Just a tidbit of history to brighten your day.
O’Keefe: Teachers Union Officials Advise Fraud to Cover Up Child Abuse
A new Project Veritas video shows Yonkers, New York, teachers union officials advising fraud, violations of workplace rules and absurd excuses to protect a teacher who had physically hurt a student and taken an unauthorized vacation.
Throughout the video, the officials, who didn’t know they were being filmed, appear unconcerned with whether the student was hurt and more focused on what needs to be done to keep the teacher’s livelihood safe. They even suggest ways to make an excuse for the “teacher’s” lengthy vacation in Mexico, like telling him to tell school officials that he had a family member kidnapped there.
“What would a teachers union president do if presented with a scenario where a teacher hit and possibly bloodied a student in an act of racial animus?” undercover journalist James O’Keefe asked. “And what if the teacher had then taken off for a two-week vacation in Mexico without telling the school?”
O’Keefe explained Project Veritas was tipped off that union officials would go to “extraordinary lengths” to protect their members.
More here
Throughout the video, the officials, who didn’t know they were being filmed, appear unconcerned with whether the student was hurt and more focused on what needs to be done to keep the teacher’s livelihood safe. They even suggest ways to make an excuse for the “teacher’s” lengthy vacation in Mexico, like telling him to tell school officials that he had a family member kidnapped there.
“What would a teachers union president do if presented with a scenario where a teacher hit and possibly bloodied a student in an act of racial animus?” undercover journalist James O’Keefe asked. “And what if the teacher had then taken off for a two-week vacation in Mexico without telling the school?”
O’Keefe explained Project Veritas was tipped off that union officials would go to “extraordinary lengths” to protect their members.
More here
More Officers File Suit Against Baltimore Top Prosecutor
Officers Edward Nero and Garrett Miller, who were charged with misdemeanors in the death of Freddie Gray, have sued State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby and Maj. Sam Cogen of the sheriff’s office for defamation of character, violation of rights and false imprisonment.
Nero was acquitted last month. Miller is scheduled to stand trial in July.
Three other officers already have filed similar lawsuits in state and federal court.
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Baltimore Cops To Sue Marilyn Mosby For ‘Malicious Prosecution’
Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby will face a slew of new counts, including malicious prosecution and false arrest in a lawsuit brought by two Baltimore cops, The Daily Caller News Foundation has learned.
Sgt. Alicia White and Officer William Porter, two officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray, filed suit May 2 against Mosby and Maj. Sam Cogen of the Baltimore Sheriff’s office for defamation and invasion of privacy. The suit alleges Mosby and Cogen knew the charges were trumped up, but filed them anyway to quell the riots that had ravaged the city.
Michael Glass, the lawyer for the officers in the suit, told TheDCNF that he plans to amend the lawsuit to include “likely a count of malicious prosecution, false arrest, false imprisonment, violation of the Maryland declaration of rights, article 24 and 26.” He said the they’re currently working on modifying the complaint, and the changes will be official in the next few weeks, likely by the end of June.
“These six officers were essentially sacrificed,” Glass told TheDCNF. “Alicia White, she’s accused of murder, she never touched Mr. Gray.”
John Banzhaf, professor of public interest law at George Washington University, told TheDCNF the officers must prove that there was malice, not just neglect, in bringing the charges.
More here
Sgt. Alicia White and Officer William Porter, two officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray, filed suit May 2 against Mosby and Maj. Sam Cogen of the Baltimore Sheriff’s office for defamation and invasion of privacy. The suit alleges Mosby and Cogen knew the charges were trumped up, but filed them anyway to quell the riots that had ravaged the city.
Michael Glass, the lawyer for the officers in the suit, told TheDCNF that he plans to amend the lawsuit to include “likely a count of malicious prosecution, false arrest, false imprisonment, violation of the Maryland declaration of rights, article 24 and 26.” He said the they’re currently working on modifying the complaint, and the changes will be official in the next few weeks, likely by the end of June.
“These six officers were essentially sacrificed,” Glass told TheDCNF. “Alicia White, she’s accused of murder, she never touched Mr. Gray.”
John Banzhaf, professor of public interest law at George Washington University, told TheDCNF the officers must prove that there was malice, not just neglect, in bringing the charges.
More here
Mike Rowe Drops A Graduation Truth Bomb On Entitled Millennials
In a video for PragerU, the 54-year-old host of “Dirty Jobs” challenged the popular notion that college graduates should follow their passion.
“Every time I watch the Oscars, I cringe when some famous movie star — trophy in hand — starts to deconstruct the secret of their success,” Rowe said. “It’s always the same thing: ‘Don’t let anyone tell you that you don’t have what it takes, kid!’ and the ever popular, ‘Never give up on your dreams!’
“Look, I understand the importance of persistence, and the value of encouragement, but who tells a stranger to never give up on their dreams, without even knowing what it is they’re dreaming? How can Lady Gaga possibly know where your passion will lead you?”
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People are spending much less time on social media apps
People are spending less time on social media apps, in some cases substantially less, a new study from marketing intelligence firm SimilarWeb found.
The company compared Android users' daily time spent on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat from January to March 2016 with the same period in 2015. The firm looked at data from the U.S, UK, Germany, Spain, Australia, India, South Africa, Brazil and Spain.
Facebook's Instagram saw the biggest year-over-year drop — usage was down 23.7 percent this year, closely followed by Twitter (down 23.4 percent), Snapchat (down 15.7 percent) and Facebook (down 8 percent), the study found.
More here
The company compared Android users' daily time spent on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat from January to March 2016 with the same period in 2015. The firm looked at data from the U.S, UK, Germany, Spain, Australia, India, South Africa, Brazil and Spain.
Facebook's Instagram saw the biggest year-over-year drop — usage was down 23.7 percent this year, closely followed by Twitter (down 23.4 percent), Snapchat (down 15.7 percent) and Facebook (down 8 percent), the study found.
More here
Police Responding To Missing Four Year Old At Park In Salisbury
Missing child is a black female. Wearing a long sleeve red shirt. Last seen with a biracial male (child) wearing khaki pants and a white shirt.
They are now reporting the missing child is 7.
The race-driven San Diego La Raza Association is exactly what’s wrong with the legal system.
The GOP Establishment is in full flight.
No Abraham Lincolns here.
In a shameful haste to embrace identity politics, the latter the political descendant of slavery and segregation, Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have stunningly given thumbs up to a judge who has made no bones about injecting his ethnic heritage into his role as a lawyer and judge.
In a broadside against Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who presiding over the case against Trump University (a case in itself riddled with bad judicial decision-making as the judge has assigned the case to a notoriously Clinton-supporting law firm — more of which later this week), Trump has assailed the Indiana-born judge as “of Mexican heritage” who has “an inherent conflict of interest.”
The response from the Speaker? “It’s reasoning I don’t relate to. I completely disagree with the thinking behind that.”
Said McConnell: “I think it’s a big mistake for our party to write off Latino Americans.”
Hello? Speaker Ryan can’t relate to standing up to fight racism? Who, Senator McConnell, is writing off Latino Americans? And isn’t it time to get right with Lincoln and write off racism — aka in the 21st century, “identity politics”? Appallingly in the case of Ryan, his latest comments embracing out and out race-driven lawyering and judging comes only weeks after he said he stood for the “Party of Lincoln, Reagan, and Kemp.”
Well that didn’t last long. Somewhere Abe, Ronnie, and Jack are baffled as to why their defender has suddenly thrown them over the side to embrace the absolute worst of racial politics.
Over in the Wall Street Journal, our friends on the editorial board have written an entire editorial on the subject entitled:
Trump and the ‘Mexican’ Judge-- Why equating ethnicity with judicial bias is so offensive.
Well, yes, “equating ethnicity with judicial bias” is offensive. Yet the WSJ has not a solitary word revealing to readers that Judge Curiel has been actively associated with the racially-centric San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association — a group entirely devoted to “equating ethnicity with judicial bias.”
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No Abraham Lincolns here.
In a shameful haste to embrace identity politics, the latter the political descendant of slavery and segregation, Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have stunningly given thumbs up to a judge who has made no bones about injecting his ethnic heritage into his role as a lawyer and judge.
In a broadside against Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who presiding over the case against Trump University (a case in itself riddled with bad judicial decision-making as the judge has assigned the case to a notoriously Clinton-supporting law firm — more of which later this week), Trump has assailed the Indiana-born judge as “of Mexican heritage” who has “an inherent conflict of interest.”
The response from the Speaker? “It’s reasoning I don’t relate to. I completely disagree with the thinking behind that.”
Said McConnell: “I think it’s a big mistake for our party to write off Latino Americans.”
Hello? Speaker Ryan can’t relate to standing up to fight racism? Who, Senator McConnell, is writing off Latino Americans? And isn’t it time to get right with Lincoln and write off racism — aka in the 21st century, “identity politics”? Appallingly in the case of Ryan, his latest comments embracing out and out race-driven lawyering and judging comes only weeks after he said he stood for the “Party of Lincoln, Reagan, and Kemp.”
Well that didn’t last long. Somewhere Abe, Ronnie, and Jack are baffled as to why their defender has suddenly thrown them over the side to embrace the absolute worst of racial politics.
Over in the Wall Street Journal, our friends on the editorial board have written an entire editorial on the subject entitled:
Trump and the ‘Mexican’ Judge-- Why equating ethnicity with judicial bias is so offensive.
Well, yes, “equating ethnicity with judicial bias” is offensive. Yet the WSJ has not a solitary word revealing to readers that Judge Curiel has been actively associated with the racially-centric San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association — a group entirely devoted to “equating ethnicity with judicial bias.”
More
Key Witness in Stanford Sexual Assault Case Breaks Silence
In an interview with ABC News, Swedish doctoral student Carl-Fredrik Arndt said he and his friend Peter Jonsson were riding their bikes through campus in January 2015 when they spotted Turner on top of a woman behind a dumpster outside a fraternity house. Jonsson immediately sensed something wasn’t right, Arndt said.
“She wasn’t moving,” he told ABC News during an interview in Palo Alto, California, on Tuesday night. “She was half-naked.”
The two Swedes decided to intervene. Jonsson shouted at Turner, “What the f--- are you doing?”
There was an exchange of words, and then Turner fled as the two men approached, Arndt recalled.
Jonsson chased down Turner while Arndt stayed with the victim. Arndt said the woman was unconscious the entire time and he checked “to make sure she was still alive.”
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BREAKING NEWS: Large Sinkhole On Coastal Hwy In Ocean City
Clinton Aides' Legal Strategy Is A 'Red Flag'
Four central figures in the FBI’s criminal investigation of Hillary Clinton’s email practices are all using the same lawyer, a move described as a “red flag” by a former U.S. attorney who now runs a government watchdog group.
Lawyer Beth Wilkinson is representing: Clinton former chief of staff Cheryl Mills; policy adviser Jake Sullivan; media gatekeeper Philippe Reines; and former aide Heather Samuelson, who helped decide which Clinton emails were destroyed before turning over the remaining 30,000 records to the State Department.
"I think it would be a real red flag," Matthew Whitaker, executive director of the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, or FACT, told Fox News, in reference to the legal defense. He suggested having a single lawyer would help the four Clinton aides align their stories for FBI interviews.
"The benefit is to have one lawyer’s brain have all the knowledge of the various pieces and parts, and so each of those potential targets or subjects of the investigation get to share information across that same attorney -- and quite frankly get their story to sync up and understand what other people know of the situation,” he said.
More here
Lawyer Beth Wilkinson is representing: Clinton former chief of staff Cheryl Mills; policy adviser Jake Sullivan; media gatekeeper Philippe Reines; and former aide Heather Samuelson, who helped decide which Clinton emails were destroyed before turning over the remaining 30,000 records to the State Department.
"I think it would be a real red flag," Matthew Whitaker, executive director of the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, or FACT, told Fox News, in reference to the legal defense. He suggested having a single lawyer would help the four Clinton aides align their stories for FBI interviews.
"The benefit is to have one lawyer’s brain have all the knowledge of the various pieces and parts, and so each of those potential targets or subjects of the investigation get to share information across that same attorney -- and quite frankly get their story to sync up and understand what other people know of the situation,” he said.
More here
Wallops Island Among Three Sites In Running For Navy’s Unmanned Aircraft Initiative
The Worcester County Commissioners on Tuesday agreed to draft a letter of support for the effort to bring the U.S. Navy’s MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft to Wallops Island. The facility is one of three locations under consideration for the project, which would bring 400 new jobs to Virginia’s Eastern Shore.
Delegate Mary Beth Carozza and Senator Jim Mathias were both in attendance to voice their support of the initiative.
“Triton’s the future,” Mathias said. “It’s critically important that we do this.”
The Wallops Island Regional Alliance, a non-profit dedicated to protecting and promoting the flight facility, is working to gain tri-state support for bringing the Triton to Wallops Island. The Navy is currently considering the Virginia facility, which is located 45 miles from Ocean City, as well as two sites in Florida, according to Merry Mears, the county’s economic development director.
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Police: 26 people indicted in connection to Maryland drug ring
Police shut down drug ring in Columbia; lengthy investigation leads to 26 people indicted.
Howard County narcotics detectives have shut down a drug ring in Columbia involving cocaine and prescription pills with the arrests and indictments of 26 people over the last eight months. The effort has had an impact on the availability and distribution of these types of drugs in Columbia.
Detectives began investigating the ring after undercover officers made a series of drug buys from various dealers in Columbia. Through their investigation, they learned that many drug dealers were being supplied with cocaine and OxyContin by a local man, James William Matthews, 50, of Tamebird Court, Columbia.
After gathering months of information, police requested a court order from a judge for a wiretap on Matthews’ phone. The wiretap began in October 2015 and detectives began gathering details about Matthews’ illegal activities and associates.
Over the course of seven weeks, police obtained significant information about Matthews’ operation and established probable cause for numerous arrests and search warrants. Matthews was arrested in November 2015, and later indicted by a grand jury on charges of conspiracy to distribute drugs, possession of large quantities of drugs, importing drugs into the state, and operating as a drug kingpin.
An Email From Donald J. Trump
First, I would like to thank
the people of Montana, South Dakota, New Mexico, New Jersey and
California.
I am honored by your
support.
Together, we accomplished
what nobody thought was possible – and we’re only getting started.
Tonight, we close one
chapter in history and begin another.
Our campaign received more
primary votes than any GOP campaign in history. This is not a
testament to me, but a testament to all the people like you who
believed real change is possible.
We have received wide spread
support, winning 37 states from New Hampshire, to Alabama, to
California and everywhere in between.
You have given me the honor
to lead the Republican Party to victory this fall, and I won’t let you
down. I will make you proud of your party, our movement and most
importantly, our country.
To everyone who voted for me
throughout this campaign: thank you.
My message continues to
resonate and I know that my vision for the country is one that will
make us stronger and better than ever before. Now more than ever we
must be smart, we must be vigilant, and we must be tough. Every day
moving forward – we must work to bring about all of the changes
necessary to put an end to the destruction caused by the current
administration.
I am going to be the best
jobs President God ever created! We are going to revitalize our
economy, rebuild our infrastructure, repeal and replace ObamaCare,
strengthen our military, defeat ISIS, end illegal immigration and put
America first!
This is a movement - it’s
about common sense and doing the right thing. I’m going to take care
of people. I’m going to make sure this country comes first. As
Americans, we have incredible potential and I am the leader this
country needs to Make America Great Again.
Thank you again for your
support.
Best Wishes,
 Donald J. Trump |
San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association
The federal judge presiding over the Trump University class action lawsuit is a member of the San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association, a group that while not a branch of the National Council of La Raza, has ties to the controversial organization, which translates literally “The Race.”
U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who has been criticized by Donald Trump as a “hater” appointed by President Obama who should be recused from the case, listed his membership in the “La Raza Lawyers of San Diego” on a judicial questionnaire he filled out when he was selected to be a federal judge. He was named in a brochure as a member of the selection committee for the organization’s 2014 Annual Scholarship Fund Dinner & Gala. Meanwhile, the San-Diego based law firm representing the plaintiffs in the Trump University case, Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd, was listed as a sponsor of the event.
(Source)
["Formed in 1979, with a handful of Latino attorneys, San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association (SDLRLA) has grown to represent over three hundred Latino and Latina lawyers practicing in San Diego County. SDLRLA is one of 18 affiliate bar associations of the California La Raza Lawyers Association, which serves several thousand Latino lawyers practicing in the State of California.
"Our purpose is to advance the cause of equality, empowerment and justice for Latino attorneys and the Latino community in San Diego County through service and advocacy. We are dedicated to promoting diversity on both the bench and bar. We support law students with mentorship programs and scholarships.
"SDLRLA offers you a community of San Diego Latino attorneys and business professionals and forms connections with those who support the Latino community and its interests. Through our unity, there is strength. " ]
(Source: Association website)
U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who has been criticized by Donald Trump as a “hater” appointed by President Obama who should be recused from the case, listed his membership in the “La Raza Lawyers of San Diego” on a judicial questionnaire he filled out when he was selected to be a federal judge. He was named in a brochure as a member of the selection committee for the organization’s 2014 Annual Scholarship Fund Dinner & Gala. Meanwhile, the San-Diego based law firm representing the plaintiffs in the Trump University case, Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd, was listed as a sponsor of the event.
(Source)
["Formed in 1979, with a handful of Latino attorneys, San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association (SDLRLA) has grown to represent over three hundred Latino and Latina lawyers practicing in San Diego County. SDLRLA is one of 18 affiliate bar associations of the California La Raza Lawyers Association, which serves several thousand Latino lawyers practicing in the State of California.
"Our purpose is to advance the cause of equality, empowerment and justice for Latino attorneys and the Latino community in San Diego County through service and advocacy. We are dedicated to promoting diversity on both the bench and bar. We support law students with mentorship programs and scholarships.
"SDLRLA offers you a community of San Diego Latino attorneys and business professionals and forms connections with those who support the Latino community and its interests. Through our unity, there is strength. " ]
(Source: Association website)
To Brock Turner’s Father, From Another Father
I’ve read your letter to the judge on behalf of your son Brock, asking for leniency in his rape conviction.
I need you to understand something, and I say this as a father who dearly loves my son as much as you must love yours:
Brock is not the victim here.
His victim is the victim.
She is the wounded one.
He is the damager.
If his life has been “deeply altered” it is because he has horribly altered another human being; because he made a reprehensible choice to take advantage of someone for his own pleasure. This young woman will be dealing with this for far longer than the embarrassingly short six months your son is being penalized. She will endure the unthinkable trauma of his “20 minutes of action” for the duration of her lifetime, and the fact that you seem unaware of this fact is exactly why we have a problem.
This is why young men continue to rape women.
This is why so many men believe that they can do whatever they please to a woman’s body without accountability.
This is the reason so many victims of sexual assault never step forward.
This is why white privilege is real and insidious and usually those with it are oblivious to it.
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Subject: FLASHBACK: Roger Clinton Took Cash to Ask Brother for Presidential Pardons
Roger Clinton received hundreds of thousands of dollars from felons during his brother Bill Clinton’s presidency to help them obtain presidential pardons, according to a congressional report released in 2002.
The House Government Reform Committee found during an investigation launched following the conclusion of the Clinton administration that the younger Clinton took “at least $335,000 in unexplained travelers checks” in exchange for speaking to his brother on behalf of individuals seeking pardons.
“With President Clinton’s encouragement, his half brother, Roger, collected hundreds of thousands of dollars to lobby on behalf of as many as 13 people seeking presidential pardons and other favors, a key congressional panel has found,” the Los Angeles Times reported in 2002.
The investigation was launched after then-committee chairman Rep. Dan Burton (R., Ind.) was notified that Clinton urged the pardon of felons such as Carlos Vignali Jr., who was in the midst of a 15-year prison sentence for getting caught trafficking 800 pounds of cocaine, according to a 2001 CNN report.
The Clinton administration did not deny that Roger Clinton asked for pardons but argued that the effort by Roger Clinton fell short of “lobbying” and that no money was exchanged.
More
The House Government Reform Committee found during an investigation launched following the conclusion of the Clinton administration that the younger Clinton took “at least $335,000 in unexplained travelers checks” in exchange for speaking to his brother on behalf of individuals seeking pardons.
“With President Clinton’s encouragement, his half brother, Roger, collected hundreds of thousands of dollars to lobby on behalf of as many as 13 people seeking presidential pardons and other favors, a key congressional panel has found,” the Los Angeles Times reported in 2002.
The investigation was launched after then-committee chairman Rep. Dan Burton (R., Ind.) was notified that Clinton urged the pardon of felons such as Carlos Vignali Jr., who was in the midst of a 15-year prison sentence for getting caught trafficking 800 pounds of cocaine, according to a 2001 CNN report.
The Clinton administration did not deny that Roger Clinton asked for pardons but argued that the effort by Roger Clinton fell short of “lobbying” and that no money was exchanged.
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Congressman: Obama Admin Failing to Screen, Track Foreign Immigrants
The Obama administration is failing to adequately screen and track nearly 10 million foreign immigrants who were let into the country on visas last year, according to a congressional member of the House Judiciary Committee, who disclosed to the Washington Free Beacon that there is “tremendous pressure” on federal authorities to green light these visas despite the inability to fully vet foreigners.
Rep. Randy Forbes (R., Va.) told the Free Beacon that nearly four years after a government oversight body highlighted critical vulnerabilities in the U.S. visa system, the risk of infiltration and fraud remains at record highs.
These flaws have allowed terrorists to gain legal entry to the United States, yet the Obama administration continues to pressure federal authorities to admit individuals into the country—even those who have failed to properly complete their visa applications, Forbes said.
These practices have prompted Forbes to spearhead legislation aimed at tightening security screening measures and cracking down on fraudulent visa applications.
“What most Americans don’t realize is that just last year alone we issued about 10 million visas for people to come into the United States,” Forbes said in an interview. “That’s a pretty large number and we really don’t have the processes of completely vetting those individuals, nor do we have processes often times of keeping up with them once they get here. So in addition to just driving or walking across the border, or sneaking across the border, on the Southern border, we have 10 million that just come in because we stamped a visa and allowed them to come in.”
More here
Rep. Randy Forbes (R., Va.) told the Free Beacon that nearly four years after a government oversight body highlighted critical vulnerabilities in the U.S. visa system, the risk of infiltration and fraud remains at record highs.
These flaws have allowed terrorists to gain legal entry to the United States, yet the Obama administration continues to pressure federal authorities to admit individuals into the country—even those who have failed to properly complete their visa applications, Forbes said.
These practices have prompted Forbes to spearhead legislation aimed at tightening security screening measures and cracking down on fraudulent visa applications.
“What most Americans don’t realize is that just last year alone we issued about 10 million visas for people to come into the United States,” Forbes said in an interview. “That’s a pretty large number and we really don’t have the processes of completely vetting those individuals, nor do we have processes often times of keeping up with them once they get here. So in addition to just driving or walking across the border, or sneaking across the border, on the Southern border, we have 10 million that just come in because we stamped a visa and allowed them to come in.”
More here
Feds spend nearly $20,000 to settle every refugee
The report provided federal budget figures showing that the government spends $19,884 on each refugee the U.S. takes in.
And that number is set to jump if President Obama gets his way and brings in an additional 10,000 Syrian refugees in this year.
The report from the Negative Population Growth Inc. said that the U.S. is currently accepting about 95,000 refugees and asylees. That is in addition to the over 500,000 legal and illegal immigrants coming to the U.S.
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Foreign Nations Still Not Sharing Info on Terrorists With U.S.
More than a third of foreign nations participating in the U.S. visa waiver program are failing to share the identity of potential terrorists with the U.S. government, according to a new government report, which disclosed that the Department of Homeland Security is also failing to provide Congress with timely information about these security flaws.
The information sharing agreements with 38 foreign governments, which U.S. officials have dubbed “essential for national security,” are not being properly upheld in many cases, according to the Government Accountability Office, which disclosed in a recent report that terrorist identity information is not being delivered to U.S. authorities.
The disclosure comes as lawmakers warn that critical flaws in the U.S. screening process are preventing the Obama administration from properly vetting and tracking foreign individuals who use the visa waiver program to enter America.
The report determined that “more than a third of [visa waiver participant] countries are not sharing terrorist identity information” and that “more than a third of the countries have not yet shared criminal history information.”
A similar number “were not sharing identity information about known or suspected terrorists” required by current agreements.
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The information sharing agreements with 38 foreign governments, which U.S. officials have dubbed “essential for national security,” are not being properly upheld in many cases, according to the Government Accountability Office, which disclosed in a recent report that terrorist identity information is not being delivered to U.S. authorities.
The disclosure comes as lawmakers warn that critical flaws in the U.S. screening process are preventing the Obama administration from properly vetting and tracking foreign individuals who use the visa waiver program to enter America.
The report determined that “more than a third of [visa waiver participant] countries are not sharing terrorist identity information” and that “more than a third of the countries have not yet shared criminal history information.”
A similar number “were not sharing identity information about known or suspected terrorists” required by current agreements.
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Remembering Hillary
Hillary met with Saul Alinsky several times in 1968, when she was writing her thesis. In her most recent memoir, Hillary wrote that she rejected a job offer from Alinsky to instead attend law school.
Hillary’s relationship with radical community organizer has long been the subject of speculation and intrigue. The interest has been largely fueled by her suppressed and later released 92-page senior thesis “There is only the Fight” for Wellesley College offering an extensive, largely positive critique of Alinsky and his work.
Hillary actually played a role in the Watergate saga, and her actions as a young attorney may have set the tone for her career.
As a 27-year-old House Judiciary committee staff attorney, Hillary was fired from the staff of the House Judiciary committee investigating the Watergate scandal in 1974. She was fired by her supervisor, lifelong Democrat Jerry Zeifman, who called her a liar and much worse.
“She was an unethical, dishonest lawyer,” he said. “She conspired to violate the Constitution, the rules of the House, the rules of the committee and the rules of confidentiality.”
Zeifman also refused to give Hillary a letter of recommendation, making her one of only three employees he snubbed during his 17-year career.
In 1975, Hillary defended a 41-year-old, who had been accused of raping a 12-year-old child. In unearthed recordings she almost boasts of knowing of her client’s guilt and laughing about the case. The tapes reveal her discussing the case of Thomas Alfred Taylor, then 41, who was accused of raping the 12-year-old in Springdale, Arkansas, on May 10, 1975.
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Border Patrol Sees Increase in Chinese Illegals Entering US
The Border Patrol has seen an increase in Chinese nationals arriving at the United States' border with Mexico, according to government figures.
The Los Angeles Times cites U.S. Customs and Border Protection data that shows 663 Chinese nationals were apprehended in San Diego over the first eight months of the current fiscal year. That's significantly more than the 48 who were caught in fiscal year 2015, five in 2014, and eight in 2013.
"We just weren't getting [Chinese nationals]," Border Patrol spokesperson Wendi Lee told the Times, alluding to pre-2013.
The rise, according to the report cited by the Times, could be due to highly educated Chinese nationals looking for well-paying jobs in the U.S. The journey from China via smugglers, however, is expensive.
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Florida mom, off-duty deputy thwart abduction of 13-year-old girl in store, police say
Surveillance video captured a dramatic scene inside a Florida convenient store where a man allegedly attempted to kidnap a 13-year-old girl, according to police.
Suspect Craig Bonello entered the store Tuesday and grabbed the teen, who was shopping with her mother, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office said.
Bonello, 30, can apparently be seen on surveillance camera pulling the girl by her arms and dragging her to the front door, police said of the mid-day incident that happened about 80 miles west of Orlando.
But the teen’s mother quickly jumped into action, grabbing onto her daughter’s arm while fighting off Bonello in a “tug-of-war,” officials said.
More including the video
Suspect Craig Bonello entered the store Tuesday and grabbed the teen, who was shopping with her mother, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office said.
Bonello, 30, can apparently be seen on surveillance camera pulling the girl by her arms and dragging her to the front door, police said of the mid-day incident that happened about 80 miles west of Orlando.
But the teen’s mother quickly jumped into action, grabbing onto her daughter’s arm while fighting off Bonello in a “tug-of-war,” officials said.
More including the video
STANFORD RAPIST SPECIAL JAIL PROTECTION ... To Prevent Inmate Beatdown
We spoke to a rep for the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office who confirmed to TMZ SportsTurner is being held in an area away from the general inmate population, and will have a deputy escort whenever he moves around the grounds.
He will be exposed to other inmates -- but only ones in "protective custody" -- which include people convicted of sexual assault, LGBT inmates and gang dropouts.
"They're kept totally separate ... so they aren't harmed."
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Hogan steps back from clean-energy efforts, citing cost to consumers
Republican Gov. Larry Hogan's pledge to cut taxes and fees has spurred his administration to step back from two of Maryland's main efforts to clear the air of pollution.
In the face of efforts by environmentalists, consumer advocates and utilities, the administration is opposing plans to expand an initiative that encourages state residents and businesses to use less electricity. And the governor vetoed a bill that sought to increase Maryland's use of renewable energy sources.
In each case, Hogan argues that while he wants cleaner air, the state cannot ask residents and businesses to further bankroll the effort. Utility customers pay monthly surcharges that Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. and others use to promote energy efficiency, and renewable sources such as wind and solar power are more expensive than energy from fossil fuels.
"The governor has demonstrated his commitments to reduced emissions and is willing to work with anybody to find ways to do that," said Matthew A. Clark, a Hogan spokesman. "But increasing taxes isn't going to be the approach he's going to agree to."
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In the face of efforts by environmentalists, consumer advocates and utilities, the administration is opposing plans to expand an initiative that encourages state residents and businesses to use less electricity. And the governor vetoed a bill that sought to increase Maryland's use of renewable energy sources.
In each case, Hogan argues that while he wants cleaner air, the state cannot ask residents and businesses to further bankroll the effort. Utility customers pay monthly surcharges that Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. and others use to promote energy efficiency, and renewable sources such as wind and solar power are more expensive than energy from fossil fuels.
"The governor has demonstrated his commitments to reduced emissions and is willing to work with anybody to find ways to do that," said Matthew A. Clark, a Hogan spokesman. "But increasing taxes isn't going to be the approach he's going to agree to."
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Mom and baby with Down syndrome mail letter to doctor who suggested abortion
Baker told ABC News, “I knew how important it was going to be to write that letter before Emmy was even born.”
The Sanford, Florida mom, with the help of her 15-month-old daughter, finally dropped the letter in the mail at the end of May to the doctor who she said delivered her daughter’s prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome. She then shared it on the Parker Myles Facebook page, where it’s been shared thousands of times.
The doctor, Baker said, suggested she terminate her pregnancy. Even after she refused, she said she continued to feel pressured.
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Critique of Pure Reason
For reasons that are still mysterious to me—you might say it’s a holy mystery—I decided to attend this year’s Reason Rally in front of the Lincoln Memorial. In the words of its organizers, the rally is meant to celebrate “secular, atheist, agnostic, humanist, freethinking, and nonreligious identities” and “showcase the presence and power of the nonreligious voting bloc, and to demand that reason be put at the forefront of our public and political discourse.” According to its website, there will be “awesome speakers, bands, entertainment, and political leaders,” including a member of the D.C. City Council, a Maryland state representative, a five-minute televised speech from Bill Maher, and a Beatles tribute combo. Will they play “Let it Be,” I wonder?
On my way to the rally, just outside the World War II Memorial, I see my first two attendees—unless they are just random tourists wearing “There is no God. Have a great day!” t-shirts—lose control of their Segway electric scooters and crash into one another.
“Oh, F—!” one of them shouts.
An older couple standing about 20 feet away looks over at them. The man, who is finishing a Popsicle, rolls his eyes, but the woman bows her head thoughtfully. I think she has decided to be embarrassed on their behalf.
I arrive in front of the Lincoln Memorial too late to hear the D.C. Gay Men’s Chorus perform, but am just in time for the Pledge of Allegiance. Do I need to spell it out, or can you guess why we’re doing this? Everyone in the audience grins with delight when “under God” is omitted. From their faces you get the sense that it’s the edgiest thing they’ve done since that time they wrote “ASS” on the chalkboard just after recess while the teacher was finishing her coffee in the break room. For confirmation I ask Tim, who is wearing a Four Horsemen t-shirt—not a metal band but a popular group moniker for those New Atheist luminaries Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, and Richard Dawkins.
More here
On my way to the rally, just outside the World War II Memorial, I see my first two attendees—unless they are just random tourists wearing “There is no God. Have a great day!” t-shirts—lose control of their Segway electric scooters and crash into one another.
“Oh, F—!” one of them shouts.
An older couple standing about 20 feet away looks over at them. The man, who is finishing a Popsicle, rolls his eyes, but the woman bows her head thoughtfully. I think she has decided to be embarrassed on their behalf.
I arrive in front of the Lincoln Memorial too late to hear the D.C. Gay Men’s Chorus perform, but am just in time for the Pledge of Allegiance. Do I need to spell it out, or can you guess why we’re doing this? Everyone in the audience grins with delight when “under God” is omitted. From their faces you get the sense that it’s the edgiest thing they’ve done since that time they wrote “ASS” on the chalkboard just after recess while the teacher was finishing her coffee in the break room. For confirmation I ask Tim, who is wearing a Four Horsemen t-shirt—not a metal band but a popular group moniker for those New Atheist luminaries Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, and Richard Dawkins.
More here
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Area Businessman For Bank Fraud, Laundering
U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware Charles Oberly III on Wednesday announced an indictment has been handed down by a federal grand jury charging William Cook, 60, of Ocean City, with bank fraud and money-laundering. Cook, who was the owner of the commercial space at the corner of Route 611 and Sunset Avenue that was home to the 19th Hole Bar and Grille for a few years, among other properties in Maryland, now faces up to 30 years on the bank fraud charge and up to 10 years on the money-laundering charge in addition to possible fines and restitution.
The indictment alleges Cook operated a business in neighboring Sussex County called AJJ Distributing. The company obtained a loan from a Delaware bank in March 2008 and, according to the terms of the loan, AJJ Distributing was permitted to borrow funds from the bank through periodic requests for disbursements in an amount not to exceed 75 percent of the value of AJJ’s accounts receivable. Cook would verify the amount of AJJ Distributing’s accounts receivable through weekly Borrowing Base Certificates, or BBCs, which he signed and faxed to the Delaware bank.
According to the indictment handed down by the federal grand jury on Tuesday, from on or about Jan. 16, 2009 through April 16, 2009, Cook allegedly falsified AJJ Distributing’s accounts receivable on BBCs submitted to the bank by failing to properly account for amounts owed to the company from third parties.
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GOP asks for public's help crafting 2016 platform
Donald Trump’s rise has fueled an identity crisis of sorts for the Republican Party – and now, the GOP is seeking the public’s help defining what the party of 2016 represents.
On the heels of the final primary contests that solidified Trump’s claim to the nomination, the Republican National Committee on Wednesday launched an interactive website, www.platform.gop, for people to share what they would like to see in the party’s platform. That document will be drafted and adopted at the convention in July.
“While Democrats are letting party insiders write their platform behind closed doors, Platform.gop is proof of our Party’s philosophy of listening to the voice of the people and honoring the democratic process,” RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said in a statement.
The site asks users to explore six general policy categories – ranging from foreign policy to the economy to natural resources. Within each, users can rate what matters most to them by dragging and dropping pre-set issues into a top-three list.
More here
On the heels of the final primary contests that solidified Trump’s claim to the nomination, the Republican National Committee on Wednesday launched an interactive website, www.platform.gop, for people to share what they would like to see in the party’s platform. That document will be drafted and adopted at the convention in July.
“While Democrats are letting party insiders write their platform behind closed doors, Platform.gop is proof of our Party’s philosophy of listening to the voice of the people and honoring the democratic process,” RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said in a statement.
The site asks users to explore six general policy categories – ranging from foreign policy to the economy to natural resources. Within each, users can rate what matters most to them by dragging and dropping pre-set issues into a top-three list.
More here
Paramedics Union To Launch Petition Drive For Binding Arbitration After Stalemate With City
OCEAN CITY — While the resort remains at an impasse with its paramedics over proposed shift changes, the local Fire/EMS union this week began a petition drive to put a referendum question for binding interest arbitration on the election ballot this November.
In late February, the clock expired on negotiations between the town and the Career Firefighter Paramedics Association of Ocean City, or IAFF Local 4269, on a new three-year contract, resulting in the town’s “last, best and final offer” essentially becoming the new contract by default. The negotiations broke down over the town’s position on eliminating the paramedics’ long-standing 24-hour shifts.
Currently, most paramedics work in 24-hour shifts, followed by 72 hours off. However, citing a variety of reasons, including potential missed calls or delayed responses, the town remains adamant about eliminating the 24-72 shift rotation in favor of an alternative 12-hour shift or some hybrid of the two. Eliminating the 24-hour shift became a point of contention in the negotiations for a new contract for the IAFF 4269, forcing the union to walk away from the bargaining table.
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In late February, the clock expired on negotiations between the town and the Career Firefighter Paramedics Association of Ocean City, or IAFF Local 4269, on a new three-year contract, resulting in the town’s “last, best and final offer” essentially becoming the new contract by default. The negotiations broke down over the town’s position on eliminating the paramedics’ long-standing 24-hour shifts.
Currently, most paramedics work in 24-hour shifts, followed by 72 hours off. However, citing a variety of reasons, including potential missed calls or delayed responses, the town remains adamant about eliminating the 24-72 shift rotation in favor of an alternative 12-hour shift or some hybrid of the two. Eliminating the 24-hour shift became a point of contention in the negotiations for a new contract for the IAFF 4269, forcing the union to walk away from the bargaining table.
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Law professor backs Donald Trump’s conflict-of-interest charge against federal judge
A Washington D.C. law professor has given credence to Donald Trump’s charge that U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel has a conflict of interest in a court case involving the likely Republican presidential nominee, saying the judge’s affiliation with a group that advocated for illegal immigrants creates “an appearance of impropriety.”
Mr. Curiel’s membership and active role in the San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association, whether or not it creates an actual bias, is enough to disqualify him from presiding over the case, said Victor Williams, a professor at Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law.
“The standard isn’t that one has a personal bias and acknowledges such. That’s not the standard,” he said. “The standard is could there be an appearance of impropriety. That’s the standard.”
Mr. Trump has suffered stinging rebukes from Democratic and Republican leaders, including being labeled a “racist,” after he said last week that the judge’s Mexican heritage called into question his impartiality in presiding over a civil case against the billionaire businessman.
Mr. Trump is being sued by students who claim they were ripped off by the Trump University, which teaches courses in real estate strategies.
The lawsuit has become a painful distraction for the Trump campaign.
The judge’s affiliation with the La Raza Lawyers Association, which is politically active and supports rights of illegal immigration, “absolutely” meets the standard because Mr. Trump has taken a strong stance against illegal immigration and made it the centerpiece of his presidential campaign, the professor said.
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Mr. Curiel’s membership and active role in the San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association, whether or not it creates an actual bias, is enough to disqualify him from presiding over the case, said Victor Williams, a professor at Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law.
“The standard isn’t that one has a personal bias and acknowledges such. That’s not the standard,” he said. “The standard is could there be an appearance of impropriety. That’s the standard.”
Mr. Trump has suffered stinging rebukes from Democratic and Republican leaders, including being labeled a “racist,” after he said last week that the judge’s Mexican heritage called into question his impartiality in presiding over a civil case against the billionaire businessman.
Mr. Trump is being sued by students who claim they were ripped off by the Trump University, which teaches courses in real estate strategies.
The lawsuit has become a painful distraction for the Trump campaign.
The judge’s affiliation with the La Raza Lawyers Association, which is politically active and supports rights of illegal immigration, “absolutely” meets the standard because Mr. Trump has taken a strong stance against illegal immigration and made it the centerpiece of his presidential campaign, the professor said.
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Judge Williams, Set To Hear Goodson Trial, Regarded As 'Tough But Fair'
Friends and colleagues describe Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry Williams, an African-American, as an even-handed judge who has a sense of humor but doesn't tolerate any courtroom grandstanding. People on both sides of the Freddie Gray case agree he is the best judge for the job.
Williams will decide perhaps the most important trial in the Gray case. Officer Caesar Goodson faces a second-degree murder charge in the death of Gray, whose neck was broken in the back of a police wagon last spring. Goodson waived his right to a jury in favor of placing his fate in Williams' hands. His trial begins Thursday.
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IRS computer hack was worse than agency admitted
The IRS’s computer hack was worse than previously admitted, and the tax agency failed to alert thousands of people that their information was stolen, and didn’t give credit monitoring assistance to nearly 80,000 others who were targeted, an inspector general said Wednesday.
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration says nearly 1 million accounts were potentially targeted, and nearly 360,000 people actually had their accounts broken into. That’s far more than the 220,000 hacks the tax agency initially acknowledged.
In thousands of instances, the IRS missed the signs of a hack, the inspector general said.
“While the IRS acted swiftly to disable its application upon learning of the data breach, our auditors found that it did not identify all taxpayers who were potentially affected, and whose tax information was at risk of being used by unauthorized individuals,” said J. Russell George, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
He said the IRS did notify the taxpayers after the inspector general pointed out the botch.
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The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration says nearly 1 million accounts were potentially targeted, and nearly 360,000 people actually had their accounts broken into. That’s far more than the 220,000 hacks the tax agency initially acknowledged.
In thousands of instances, the IRS missed the signs of a hack, the inspector general said.
“While the IRS acted swiftly to disable its application upon learning of the data breach, our auditors found that it did not identify all taxpayers who were potentially affected, and whose tax information was at risk of being used by unauthorized individuals,” said J. Russell George, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
He said the IRS did notify the taxpayers after the inspector general pointed out the botch.
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South Moon Under moving headquarters from Eastern Shore to Annapolis
Michael Smith, CEO of the retailer now based in Berlin with 75 employees, said Wednesday the new headquarters will be located in 20,000 square feet of space at Annapolis Corporate Park, the 28-acre St. John Properties Inc. development off the Harry S. Truman Parkway near Riva Road.
The move will be complete in August.
A majority share of the retail chain was bought in April by Columbia-based JPB Capital Partners.
"We're running a $50 million a year business and doing the day to day work now, getting ready to really start ramping up the growth rate," Smith said, adding that revenue is expected to grow to at least $100 million over the next seven years.
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Donald Trump Is Correct To Hit ‘La Raza’ Judge For Latino Identity Politics
“This is one of the worst mistakes Trump has made. I think it’s inexcusable.”
Those words were spoken by Newt Gingrich – a man believed to be on Donald Trump’s Vice Presidential shortlist – during an interview on “Fox News Sunday.”
What mistake had the presumptive Republican nominee made that he earned the rebuke of an ally?
Trump had questioned the impartiality of a federal judge.
The controversy erupted when Trump told CNN’s Jake Tapper that Gonzalo Curiel – the judge in the Trump University class action lawsuit – might not give him a fair shake because of the judge’s connection to Mexican political activism. After critics bemoaned such an accusation as racism, Trump doubled down on “Face the Nation.”
“[Judge Curiel] is a member of a club or society, very strongly pro-Mexican, which is all fine,” Trump told CBS’s John Dickerson. “But I say he’s got bias.” The club Trump was referring to was La Raza Lawyers; an organization with the stated mission “to promote the interests of the Latino communities throughout the state.”
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Those words were spoken by Newt Gingrich – a man believed to be on Donald Trump’s Vice Presidential shortlist – during an interview on “Fox News Sunday.”
What mistake had the presumptive Republican nominee made that he earned the rebuke of an ally?
Trump had questioned the impartiality of a federal judge.
The controversy erupted when Trump told CNN’s Jake Tapper that Gonzalo Curiel – the judge in the Trump University class action lawsuit – might not give him a fair shake because of the judge’s connection to Mexican political activism. After critics bemoaned such an accusation as racism, Trump doubled down on “Face the Nation.”
“[Judge Curiel] is a member of a club or society, very strongly pro-Mexican, which is all fine,” Trump told CBS’s John Dickerson. “But I say he’s got bias.” The club Trump was referring to was La Raza Lawyers; an organization with the stated mission “to promote the interests of the Latino communities throughout the state.”
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Not all the facts presented when criticism raised over solar farm opposition
I’m one of your so-called “protesters” concerning the solar farm on Plantation Road in Crisfield. Sir or madam whoever is responsible for this editorial, you do not have ALL the facts in this case.
I purchased property in the vicinity of this farm close to 40 years ago. Although the property where the proposed solar farm will be constructed was used for farming, it was NOT zoned agricultural but zoned Residential 2, where my property across the street is zoned Residential 1. The difference between the two is simply more homes can be placed on R-2 zoned land versus R-1. The zoning on this property has never been changed.
Zoning laws are created to protect our property and in this case, it did not. They are placing a solar farm which is considered “industrial” in a residential neighborhood on residentially zoned property. This was our first protest — zoning laws not being followed.
The county and the company “OneEnergy Renewable” have been working on this project for 3 years. The residents in close proximity of this proposed solar farm only became aware of this a few short months ago. So we have every right to pursue protection of our property. And that is what we have been doing. Not because, as you say, we are afraid of change!
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The Media Blackout
Its a disgrace that we have this system. Hillary Clinton gives a speech to a high school gym and every news outlet reports on it, Trump tweets an insult and its on every channel. There is a selective reality they want to impose, and I hope everyone is starting to see that.
Milford Man Charged with 5th Offense DUI
Milford, DE - The Delaware State Police arrested a Milford man for his 5th offense DUI after he was found passed out behind the wheel of his car.
The incident occurred around 8:40 p.m. Tuesday June 7, 2016, after a concerned citizen contacted the Sussex County Emergency Operations Center (9-1-1) to report a subject unconscious behind the wheel of a brown Ford Taurus stopped in the area of the 7000 block of North Union Church Road. Just prior to that, a caller advised the Ford Taurus was traveling southbound all over the road. Upon the arrival of troopers and EMS, Jeffrey A. Bradley, 29 of Milford, was located in the driver’s seat passed out and was revived by EMS performing a sternum rub. He immediately became disorderly with the emergency responders on the scene and was taken into custody without further incident and transported to Bayhealth Milford Memorial Hospital where he was evaluated by hospital staff. While in the emergency room, Bradley once again became combative with the staff and attempted to flee the hospital, but was unsuccessful and was once again placed in custody by a trooper.
Jeffrey Bradley was eventually released and transported to Troop 5 in Bridgeville where a computer check revealed he had four previous DUI convictions (06/30/06, 05/01/07, 04/21/08, and 04/21/10) this arrest would make number five. He was charged with 5th Offense Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Resisting Arrest, Failure to Have Insurance in Possession, and Failure to Have Registration in Possession. He was arraigned a JP3 and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on $7,500.00 cash bond.
The incident occurred around 8:40 p.m. Tuesday June 7, 2016, after a concerned citizen contacted the Sussex County Emergency Operations Center (9-1-1) to report a subject unconscious behind the wheel of a brown Ford Taurus stopped in the area of the 7000 block of North Union Church Road. Just prior to that, a caller advised the Ford Taurus was traveling southbound all over the road. Upon the arrival of troopers and EMS, Jeffrey A. Bradley, 29 of Milford, was located in the driver’s seat passed out and was revived by EMS performing a sternum rub. He immediately became disorderly with the emergency responders on the scene and was taken into custody without further incident and transported to Bayhealth Milford Memorial Hospital where he was evaluated by hospital staff. While in the emergency room, Bradley once again became combative with the staff and attempted to flee the hospital, but was unsuccessful and was once again placed in custody by a trooper.
Jeffrey Bradley was eventually released and transported to Troop 5 in Bridgeville where a computer check revealed he had four previous DUI convictions (06/30/06, 05/01/07, 04/21/08, and 04/21/10) this arrest would make number five. He was charged with 5th Offense Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Resisting Arrest, Failure to Have Insurance in Possession, and Failure to Have Registration in Possession. He was arraigned a JP3 and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on $7,500.00 cash bond.
Female-Only Pool Hours Dive Into Controversy
A New York City municipal pool that maintains female-only hours has alarmed critics who say the accommodation to a particular religious group violates the constitutional separation of church and state.
WNYW-TV reports, the female-only hours at the Metropolitan City Pool were created so Hasidic Jewish females could swim with no men present, in keeping with their religion. But all women of any religion are welcome during that time.
The female-only pool hours have been going on for years, but gained wider public attention when someone complained about it to the city's Commission on Human Rights.
“This is insane,” Hassidic community leader Isaac Abraham told FOX5.
“Why don’t they go after and sue the bars and the clubs that give women free drink - entry into clubs for free and discriminate against men? Had the transgender people requested this even the ladies room would be removed.”
The NYC Department of Parks and Recreation said it was told by the city's Commission on Human Rights that the practice is discriminatory against men
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WNYW-TV reports, the female-only hours at the Metropolitan City Pool were created so Hasidic Jewish females could swim with no men present, in keeping with their religion. But all women of any religion are welcome during that time.
The female-only pool hours have been going on for years, but gained wider public attention when someone complained about it to the city's Commission on Human Rights.
“This is insane,” Hassidic community leader Isaac Abraham told FOX5.
“Why don’t they go after and sue the bars and the clubs that give women free drink - entry into clubs for free and discriminate against men? Had the transgender people requested this even the ladies room would be removed.”
The NYC Department of Parks and Recreation said it was told by the city's Commission on Human Rights that the practice is discriminatory against men
More