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Friday, September 16, 2016

Raising Suicide Awareness A Goal For September; Community Walk Planned In OC

BERLIN – Suicide rates among youth in Worcester and Wicomico counties are higher than the state average, according to recent numbers from the state and local health departments.

Suicide rates were 16 percent higher in Worcester County from 2012 to 2014 and 33 percent higher in Wicomico County, compared to Maryland’s average suicide rate.

These statistics come with the start of World Suicide Prevention Month, a campaign that spreads mental health awareness each September.

A culmination of factors, including school transition and upcoming holidays, leads to more suicides during this time of year, according to Ronald Pilling, secretary and treasurer for The Jesse Klump Memorial Fund.

Pilling says rural counties, like Worcester and Wicomico, are not immune to suicide.

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Emails Shed New Light On Clinton Server Fiasco

An email exchange involving employees with the tech firm that managed Hillary Clinton’s off-the-books email server provides new insight into the company’s deliberations in the early days of the FBI’s investigation of the former secretary of state.

The email chain, which was obtained by The Daily Caller, shows that an employee for Platte River Networks joked about accessing the email accounts of employees of the Clinton Executive Services Corp., a pass-through company owned by the Clintons.

The emails, which are dated Aug. 19, 2015, also show that PRN had a would-be corporate client back out of a deal at the last minute because of its involvement in the Clinton email fiasco.

PRN provided the email chain to the Senate Homeland Security Committee last year. TheDC obtained a copy from an aide with the House Oversight Committee, which held a hearing on Tuesday in which two PRN employees pleaded the Fifth.

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A Dry Cleaner Robbery Turns Into A Redemption Story

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A robbery that occurred last month, take an unbelievable twist when the robber anonymously return the money.

When a robber held up a dry cleaner on York Road, there was a very recognizable witness to the crime who tried to stop it with his cane.

“I just saw boom boom” says Joe Curran, the father in law of former Governor Martin O’Malley and former Attorney General.

The dry cleaner gave the surveillance tape showing the crime to police, who then released the suspect’s photo to the public. No one could have predicted what happened next.

“This arrived in the mail.” says store owner Helen Paik, “When mail come, I open, money is in here.”

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Obama gives away the internet and, with it, our liberty

In 1992, when Bill Clinton was running for president, if you asked the average American, “What is the Internet? What is the World Wide Web? And, what is Email?” most Americans would not have known.

It is hard to believe in less than a quarter century, the internet has transformed the world. It has created wealth for many. It has changed the way America does business. It has given birth to political movement and killed political careers. The Internet is without a doubt the greatest tool for advancing freedom since the invention of the printing press.

It is no great shock that President Obama does not like American control of the internet. The internet was an American invention and America shared it with the world. American values of freedom and liberty created the Internet and allowed it to flourish. Now, in one of his last acts, Obama wants to destroy the Internet.

No, this is not one of those crazy internet conspiracy theories.

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Baby Memorial ‘Vision’ Becomes A Reality At Cemetery

SELBYVILLE – One man’s effort to improve a largely forgotten section of a local cemetery culminated this week with a dedication by Bishop Francis Malooly.

Malooly, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, presided over a ceremony at the new stone marking the section of the Gate of Heaven Cemetery set aside for infants. Ocean City resident Joe Mulholland spent the past year raising money to have the new stone installed.

“Thirteen months ago it was a vision,” Mulholland said the day after the ceremony. “Yesterday it was a reality because of so many parts played by so many people. I was just one part.”

Mulholland, 88, became a regular visitor at Gate of Heaven Cemetery following his wife’s death. It was on one of his twice-weekly visits that he first noticed the small area of the graveyard set aside for babies that have passed away. Unlike the rest of the cemetery, it was plain and overlooked. Tiny markers the size of index cards delineated the graves.

“A lot of the couples didn’t have money for anything,” Mulholland said.

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The Video Hillary Clinton Doesn't Want Seen! (2016-2017)

City School Students to Get Vaccinated or Stay Home

BALTIMORE (WJZ)– Thousands of Baltimore City students will soon be barred from the classroom, because they haven’t received required vaccines that protect against things like measles, chickenpox, hepatitis, and meningitis.

The bell has rung for parents procrastinating that back-to-school doctor’s visit for vaccines.

“You have to remind yourself like, ‘okay, this is important. We need to make the time.’ it’s really just making the time,” said one mom.

By Maryland law, kids must be up to date on shots by the 20th day of school or they’ll stay home. In Anne Arundel county, 84 students still aren’t vaccinated and are barred from school. In Baltimore County, 345 kids have been out since Tuesday and in Baltimore City, about 3800 students don’t meet requirements.

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L.A. Times Stunned by Diversity of Volunteers at Trump H.Q.

The Los Angeles Times paid a visit to Donald Trump’s Southern California headquarters in Long Beach on Monday and was stunned by the diversity of volunteers who are committed to seeing him win the Golden State and the presidency.

“It was as if the whole thing had been staged, in Cambodia Town, no less, to belie the notion that Trump’s appeal is largely limited to older white males,” the Times‘s Steve Lopez wrote. In Long Beach, one of America’s most diverse cities, that same diversity was reflected in Trump’s supporters at his Southern California headquarters.

Lopez spoke with a woman and millennials of Filipino descent, a Mexican-American, and a Jewish man, and saw the “names of volunteers from the African-American, Hispanic and Asian communities” written on blackboards adorning the names of volunteers. He noted that “two middle-aged white people [also] joined the party.”

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Server Charged With Felony Theft

OCEAN CITY — An Ocean City restaurant server and Romanian national was charged last week with theft after scheming to steal money from guests through various scams and ultimately her employer.

Last Thursday, an Ocean City police officer responded to the Parched Pelican to investigate a reported theft scheme. The officer met with the restaurant’s general manager, who advised a server identified as Roxana Calugaru, 24, of Ocean City, had been stealing money from customers and the restaurant using several different schemes between July 13 and Aug. 28.

The manager told police he began investigating Calugaru’s activities in the restaurant’s computerized billing system and found that she had been altering the tips on credit card transactions and making unauthorized charges on customer credit cards. The charges Calugaru allegedly made on credit cards were ultimately refunded to the customers’ accounts by the Parched Pelican, making the restaurant the ultimate victim in the alleged scam.

The manager told police each server is required to complete a server report at the end of each shift, which shows the employee’s cash sales and credit card sales. In some cases, the employee owes money to the restaurant because his or her cash sales exceeded credit card tips. In other cases, the restaurant pays money back to the employee because his or her credit card tips exceed cash sales.

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VFW raising funds with beer table at BikeFest festivities

The campaign to save Ocean City’s Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8296 from the wrecking ball is gaining momentum.

Post Commander Bob Shiffner said this week the organization hopes to raise additional capital with a table inside the Roland E. Powell Convention Center during the BikeFest event, which began on Thursday and continues until Sunday.

“Come support the VFW at the Ocean City convention center on 40th Street, where we will be selling beer to save the post,” he said.

The VFW will be vending brews from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., except on Sunday when the hours are limited to noon to 5 p.m.

Shiffner has been enthused by the response the post has received since initiating the campaign in early August.

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As Obama campaigns for Hillary, Trump mocks, 'Shouldn't you be at work?'

Turning his attention to Hillary Rodham Clinton's chief surrogate, Republican Donald Trump ripped President Obama who is on the campaign trail again for his hoped for successor, asking, "Shouldn't you be at work?

In a statement, Team Trump listed the efforts by Obama to leave the White House to spend hours helping the limping Clinton while major issues go untouched in Washington. Today, Obama flew to Philadelphia for a Clinton rally and fundraiser where co-chairs wrote a $100,000 check.

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Harvest Full Moon Rises Tonight — with a Subtle Lunar Eclipse

The full moon known as this year's Harvest Moon will rise tonight (Sept.16) and will be shaded by a subtle type of lunar eclipse for some skywatchers in Africa, Asia and Australia.

The Harvest Moon (as with all full moons) officially turns full when it reaches the spot in the sky opposite to (180 degrees from) the sun. In 2016, the Harvest Moon's moment will occur tonight at 3:05 p.m. EDT (12:05 p.m. PDT).

A minor penumbral lunar eclipse will accompany the full moon tonight, and will be visible from Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and the Western Pacific. The Slooh Community Observatory will offer a live webcast of the eclipse at Slooh.com beginning at 12:45 p.m. EDT (1645 GMT). You can also watch the lunar eclipse webcast on Space.com, courtesy of Slooh. [Harvest Moon Lunar Eclipse Guide: When & How to See It]

The Harvest Moon is the one that comes the closest to the autumnal equinox, so this year it falls in September, although occasionally this title can be bestowed upon the October full moon. That will happen 12 times from 1970 to 2020, occurring next in 2017. The 2016 version of the Harvest Moon comes six days prior to the autumnal equinox, although it can occur as early as Sept. 8 (as it did in 2014) or as late as Oct. 7 (as happened in 1987).

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Conflicts Of Interest And Local Government

In small town government, conflicts of interest can seem apparent at nearly every turn, but locally most of the time problems do not arise.

For example, take the Boardwalk street performer task force. It’s comprised of Boardwalk business owners and a street performer, among others. Surely, the Boardwalk property owners appointed to the body have a stake in this situation as does the spray paint artist himself. They may or may not be exercising judgment based on their own well-beings but surely they are referring to their own unique perspectives when weighing in on certain matters. Their personal experiences make them knowledgeable on the matters at hand.

Concerns would surface if the Boardwalk property owners were crafting or proposing legislation that would singularly help their business and bottom line while not looking to suggest Boardwalk-wide recommendations. Over two years of crafting proposed rules and regulations, all individuals involved appeared to approach matters with a broad enough lens to not raise any proverbial red flags.

The same can be said for several other committees in Ocean City. On the surface, there would appear to be obvious conflicts of interest after a review of their personnel make-ups because the individuals serving on these groups have experiences and knowledge unique to their professions. It’s typically okay for these sorts of advisory groups to work around these obvious conflicts so long as it doesn’t hamper integrity and undermine policy making at the higher Mayor and Council level. What cannot be tolerated is any semblance of impropriety or actions that raise questions about impartiality and special treatment.

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Hillary Clinton's radical support for abortion

The candidate has lost touch with America’s values

As we move toward the November elections, Hillary Clinton continues to demonstrate that a radical pro-abortion agenda is going to be a signature part of her campaign. Some of Mrs. Clinton’s highest priorities include increasing the availability of abortions — including forcing taxpayers to pay for them — and taking millions in campaign money from groups that advocate for abortion without restriction up to the moment of birth.

Mrs. Clinton showed just how prominent this issue would be for her when she invited the heads of America’s three biggest pro-abortion groups to speak at her nominating convention. Planned Parenthood, NARAL Pro-Choice America and Emily’s List are also some of Hillary’s biggest contributors.

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Delmar's Annual Heritage Day


Obama ‘Frustrated’ By Black Voter Apathy To Hillary Clinton

President Barack Obama phoned in a pair of interviews with black radio hosts Wednesday, urging African-Americans to turn out for Hillary Clinton.

“One of things that I admit Frankie, I get a little frustrated by is sometimes I hear folks say, ‘Well we were so excited with Barack and we love Michelle’ and they take Hillary for granted,” Obama said in an interview with radio host Frankie Darcell.

Obama insisted that Clinton “walked the walk” on issues that African-American voters cared about and warned them that the future of his legacy was at stake.

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Cops And Courts – September 16, 2016

Concealed Weapons Arrest On Boardwalk

OCEAN CITY — A Delaware man was arrested on multiple concealed deadly weapons charges this week after resort police found him in possession of a hatchet and several knives on the Boardwalk.

Around 1:45 p.m. on Monday, an OCPD officer responded to the area of Somerset Street and the Boardwalk for a reported of two men sitting on a bench rolling what appeared to be cigarettes although the complainant was not sure if what the men were rolling was marijuana. The officer responded and found the two men panhandling on the Boardwalk, according to police reports.

The officer questioned one of the suspects, later identified as John Bryant, 31, of New Castle, Del., who informed police he may have an active warrant through Delaware. While speaking with Bryant, the officer noticed a knife clipped to the left side of his pants. The officer asked Bryant if he was in possession of any other weapons and Bryant reportedly told police he had a hatchet and a fixed-blade knife in his book bag.

The officer located the hatchet, which was concealed with a sheath that hid the blade. The hatchet also had an orange rope around the handle to improve the grip. The officer acknowledged it would be unreasonable for anyone to be in a crowded area such as the Boardwalk with multiple concealed deadly weapons on their person and offered Bryant an opportunity to explain why he was carrying the hatchet and knife.

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Hillary Clinton Campaign Manager Admits 2008 Birther Link

Patti Solis Doyle, who was Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager in 2008 until the Iowa caucuses, admitted on Friday that a Clinton campaign staffer had, in fact, circulated the Birther conspiracy theory that Barack Obama was born outside the U.S. and therefore potentially ineligible to serve in the presidency.

Doyle made the admission on Twitter, as she responded to former George W. Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer. Fleischer said that Clinton’s staff had spread the rumor. Doyle said that was a “lie” — but admitted, in the same tweet, that she had fired the “rogue” staffer who had used email to spread the Birther conspiracy theory.

Doyle appeared about an hour later on CNN with Wolf Blitzer to address the issue once again. She denied that Hillary Clinton had started the Birther theory — then admitted that someone in the Clinton campaign had, in fact, been involved. Here is part their exchange:

It Costs Nearly $44 Billion To Educate Illegal Aliens

It cost taxpayers an estimated $43.9 billion to educate illegal alien students in the 2015-2016 school year, and $59.2 billion for programs to educate voters lacking proficient English skills, according to a Wednesday report from the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).

FAIR estimated that it cost an average of $12,128 per illegal immigrant student in the last school year and there were an estimated 3.618 million illegal immigrant students nationwide. In addition, it takes at least $1.7 billion to educate 119,000 unaccompanied alien minors. “From January 2014 to June 2016, the federal government placed 118,929 UAMs with sponsors in the United States, typically a relative or acquaintance. This figure does not include UAMs who may have slipped past the Border Patrol,” the FAIR report stated.

Taxpayers across the country spent nearly $60 billion on non-English proficient students and the vast majority of this taxpayer cost was borne by state and local taxpayers. These students also were among the worst classroom performers.

“Educators measure four categories of achievement: Below Basic, Basic, Proficient and Advanced. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), administered by the U. S. Department of Education, indicates that only 7 percent of fourth grade LEP students performed at the Proficient level and just one percent demonstrated the ability to master Advanced work,” FAIR wrote in the report.

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Former Dover Air Force Base airman gets probation in toddler’s death

DOVER — A former Dover Air Force Base airman convicted of criminally negligent homicide after a toddler’s death while in his care in 2012 will serve no further prison time provided he follows probation requirements, according to a sentence ordered on Thursday afternoon.

Justin K. Corbett, 28, received credit for 31 days of incarceration, and an eight-year prison sentence was suspended in Kent County Superior Court.

He received 18 months of intensive Level III probation as well, ordered to take an anger management class and pay for the cost of the trial, according to Judge Robert B. Young.

The sentence came before about 50 spectators in the courtroom, many of which were friends and family of Corbett and also the late infant Evan’s mother Nicole “Nikki” Dudley.

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JUST IN: Nation's largest police union endorses Trump

The nation's largest police union on Friday endorsed Donald Trump for president, lauding his commitment to police officers.
 

The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) gave the GOP presidential nominee its endorsement after he received support from more than two-thirds of the group's national board.

"[Trump] has seriously looked at the issues facing law enforcement today. He understands and supports our priorities and our members believe he will make America safe again," said Chuck Canterbury, the FOP's national president.

"He's made a real commitment to America's law enforcement and we're proud to make a commitment to him and his campaign by endorsing his candidacy today." 

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Honest To God, I Just Got This From The Liberals: "we’re BEGGING you"

“Undecided voters started moving to Trump”
-Washington Post

This isn’t what we hoped for. At all.

With Trump becoming the favorite, we expected an outpouring of grassroots support to defeat him.

But instead, we’re falling further and further behind… even after top leaders like Michelle Obama and Joe Biden pleaded with you.

 
We’re worried sick. Undecided voters are breaking for Trump this week.

If grassroots supporters can’t pick us up during this low point, it could become impossible to beat Trump and the Republican Majority.


We’re begging you. Can you help before midnight?

Sen. Menendez Faces Federal Corruption Trial, Unless Supreme Court Intervenes

WASHINGTON — Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) has lost his final opportunity for a federal appeals court to spare him from multiple corruption indictments, leaving him with only the hope of an intervention by the U.S. Supreme Court to avoid a trial on 22 felonies that could send him to prison for years.

The Democratic Senator is being pursued by the U.S. Department of Justice on charges of corruption, alleging that he solicited and received valuable gifts from a wealthy ophthalmologist—Dr. Salomon Melgen—in exchange for using his power and influence as a U.S. senator to try blocking a federal enforcement action against the eye doctor, whom the government charged with overbilling Medicare to the tune of $8.9 million.

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Suspect Charged After Choking Cop

OCEAN CITY — A Parsonsburg man faces first-degree assault charges this week after allegedly choking an Ocean City police officer who was attempting to stop him from walking in traffic.

Around 5:45 p.m. last Saturday, an officer was patrolling in the area of Coastal Highway and 71st Street when he observed an individual, later identified as Joshua Bell, 21, of Parsonsburg, walking in the bus lane along the busy highway at that time of day. The officer was stopped at a red light when he observed Bell walk out into the highway as the light changed to green.

The officer then conducted a pedestrian stop on Bell, who was walking into the highway with traffic flowing in both directions. According to police reports, the officer instructed Bell to walk back to the sidewalk at 70th Street, but Bell was uncooperative and refused to move out of the roadway. Bell stood in the northbound lanes of Coastal Highway at 70th Street, causing three vehicles to stop abruptly to avoid hitting the suspect and the officer.

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Exclusive – Donald Trump Jr: Hillary Wants to 'Shut Down' PA Energy Production to Benefit Saudis

CANONSBURG, Pa. — Donald Trump Jr. defended Pennsylvania’s coal industry from former President Bill Clinton in a Wednesday appearance in southwestern Pennsylvania.

In an exclusive interview with Breitbart News, the son of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump praised energy production jobs, which have kept the state afloat since the country’s late-2000s recession, as important to national security as well as economic growth.

Trump lit into Bill Clinton’s recent comments mocking coal workers. The former president called them “coal people,” said they believe global warming is a “Chinese hoax,” and taunted their work as outdated and obsolete. Breitbart News’ Charlie Spiering reported on Clinton’s remarks at a Pennsylvania rally last week:

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WCSO Press Release 9-16-16

Incident: Extradition of Most Wanted Subject.
Date of Incident: 14 September 2016
Location: New Castle, DE
Suspect: Megan Lynn Tyndall, 30, Seaford, DE
Narrative: On 14 Sep 2016 a deputy traveled to New Castle, DE for the purpose of extraditing Megan Tyndall back to Wicomico County. Tyndall was being sought on a District Court Bench Warrant that had been issued back in March 2016 after Tyndall violated her probation in a theft and credit card fraud case.
Tyndall had also been featured as one of Wicomico County’s “Most Wanted.”
Tyndall was transported to the Central Booking Unit where she was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. Following an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Tyndall in the Detention Center in lieu of $50,000.00 bond.
Charges: Violation of Probation.



Incident: Assault / Reckless Endangerment
Date of Incident: 14 September 2016
Location: 100 block of Carolyn Avenue, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Jon William Hulin Jr., 30, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 14 Sep 2016 at 9:00 PM a deputy arrested Jon Hulin in connection with a reported domestic related assault. Hulin stands accused of engaging in an argument with his girlfriend that turned physical. According to the victim, Hulin repeatedly assaulted her and knocked her down. During the investigation, the deputy observed several signs of injury that corroborated the victim’s account.
The victim informed the deputy that at one point during the attack she lost consciousness.
Upon arrest the deputy transported Hulin to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. Following an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Hulin in the Detention Center in lieu of $20,000.00 bond.
Charges: Assault 2nd Degree and Reckless Endangerment.



Incident: Theft
Date of Incident: 15 September 2016
Location: 1100 block of Walnut Street, Delmar, MD
Suspect: Shawn Allen Smith, 23, Dagsboro, DE
Narrative: On 15 Sep 2016 a deputy extradited Shawn Smith from Delaware back to Wicomico County where Smith was wanted on an arrest warrant that charged him with theft. It was alleged back in June 2015 that Smith stole jewelry from the victim in this case.
Upon return to Wicomico County, Smith was transported to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. Following an initial appearance, the Commissioner released Smith on Personal Recognizance.
Charges: Theft under $100.00.



Incident: Wanted Subject
Date of Incident: 15 September 2016
Location: 600 block of Lakeside Drive, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Jo Ann Marie Abdullin, 28, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 15 Sep 2016 at 2:00 PM a deputy arrested Jo Anne Abdullin on a Circuit Court Bench Warrant. The warrant was issued after Abdullin violated the terms of her probation in Credit Card Misuse case.
The deputy transported Abdullin to the Detention Center where she was detained without bond pending an appearance in front of a Circuit Court judge.  SBYNEWS
Charges: Violation of Probation.

Downtown Arsonist Pleads Guilty, Sentenced To 10 Years


SNOW HILL — An Ocean City man indicted in May on first-degree arson and other charges for setting fire to a downtown cottage in early March pleaded guilty on Wednesday to second-degree arson and was sentenced to 10 years in jail.

Around 12:35 a.m. on March 10, the Ocean City Fire Department was dispatched to a residence at 19 St. Louis Ave. for a reported house fire. First-arriving crews observed a two-story, wood-frame single-family dwelling with fire burning throughout the first floor and portions of the second floor. The building was unoccupied at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported for firefighters or civilians.

Fire crews remained on scene for several hours extinguishing hot spots within the structure’s floors and walls. The cottage, one of many similar along the same stretch of St. Louis Avenue south of First Street, was deemed a total loss and ultimately torn down. The property owner later demolished the structure with an adjacent cottage that suffered extensive damage including heat damage and melted siding.

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JUST IN: 2016 Roll Call Results!

The Results Are In!

Maryland Business for Responsive Government (MBRG) just released the 31st edition of Roll Call, an annual publication scoring state legislators based on their voting records on pro- or anti-business legislation.

This year, 14 Senators and 29 Delegates received perfect scores of 100%, whereas 2 Senators and 31 Delegates scored below 30%. Many Maryland voters will reference Roll Call scores when deciding who to vote for during election season.

View the 2016 Roll Call Results below!
 


"The Fed Is Planning For The Next Crisis," Ron Paul Warns Welfare-Warfare State Collapse Looms

In her recent address at the Jackson Hole monetary policy conference, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen suggested that the Federal Reserve would raise interest rates by the end of the year. Markets reacted favorably to Yellen’s suggested rate increase. This is surprising, as, except for one small increase last year, the Federal Reserve has not followed through on the numerous suggestions of rate increases that Yellen and other Fed officials have made over the past several years.

Much more significant than Yellen’s latest suggestion of a rate increase was her call for the Fed to think outside the box in developing responses to the next financial crisis. One of the outside the box ideas suggested by Yellen is increasing the Fed’s ability to intervene in markets by purchasing assets of private companies. Yellen also mentioned that the Fed could modify its inflation target.

Increasing the Federal Reserve's ability to purchase private assets will negatively impact economic growth and consumers’ well-being. This is because the Fed will use this power to keep failing companies alive, thus preventing the companies’ assets from being used to produce a good or service more highly valued by consumers.

Investors may seek out companies whose assets have been purchased by the Federal Reserve, since it is likely that Congress and federal regulators would treat these companies as “too big to fail.” Federal Reserve ownership of private companies could also strengthen the movement to force businesses to base their decisions on political, rather than economic, considerations.

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Friends of Hillary say she has Parkinson’s

'Stage 3' of neuro-degenerative disease

NEW YORK – Hillary Clinton has stage-three Parkinson’s disease and suffers from seizures, according to three sources who have had a personal relationship with the Democratic Party presidential nominee.

The sources, who spoke to WND on condition of anonymity, explained that her seizures or dizzy spells can be triggered by being out in the sun, such as apparently occurred Sunday when she was videoed collapsing as she was escorted into her limousine in New York City.

After the episode Sunday, the Clinton campaign announced she had been diagnosed on Friday with pneumonia.

However, images captured at the 9/11 memorial Sunday showed Clinton apparently being asked by a medical professional to squeeze her fingers, a test that would indicate she suffers from a neurological disease such as Parkinson’s.

Colin Powell Mocks Clintons: Hillary ‘Greedy’ — Bill Home With ’Bimbos’

Colin Powell shared his unvarnished opinion of the Clintons, in an email he sent to Democratic financier Jeffrey Leeds in 2014.

Powell described Hillary Clinton as having “a long track record, unbridled ambition, greedy, and not transformational.”

He also described Bill Clinton as “still dicking bimbos at home,” apparently citing reports from the New York Post.

“I would rather not have to vote for her, although she is a friend I respect,” Powell wrote in the email to Leeds.


Governor Larry Hogan’s Request for Presidential Disaster Declaration for Ellicott City, Howard County Approved

Maryland Now Eligible for Federal Assistance Following Historic Flooding

ANNAPOLIS, MD –
Governor Larry Hogan’s request for a major disaster declaration in the wake of historic flooding in Ellicott City was approved today. Maryland and Howard County will now be eligible for federal assistance to help pay costs associated with the response to and recovery from the July 30 flooding event that damaged much of Main Street in Ellicott City as well as surrounding areas. Governor Hogan requested the assistance in a letter to President Barack Obama on August 12. By granting the declaration, federal assistance will be made available for expenses related to infrastructure repair and replacement, hazard mitigation projects, debris removal, and other costs associated with the storm.

“When this devastating storm hit, we assured residents and leaders in Howard County that our administration would pursue all avenues of support to help our communities rebuild,” said Governor Hogan. “I would like to thank Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman for his leadership and extend my sincerest gratitude to Senator Barbara Mikulski, Senator Ben Cardin, Congressman Elijah Cummings, and the entire Maryland delegation for working diligently at the federal level to secure this vital assistance for businesses, citizens, and public infrastructure damaged by this historic flooding. I am amazed by the resilience of Ellicott City and the surrounding communities and look forward to Main Street again being the focal point of local activity.”

“This is welcome news for the people of Ellicott City,” said Howard County Executive Allan H. Kittleman. “This declaration will help us coordinate and take advantage of the many federal resources available to us. These resources will help us implement long-term flood mitigation projects to rebuild Ellicott City to become a model resilient community. I am thankful to Governor Hogan and our federal delegation for their continued support throughout this process.”

Signs of electoral earthquake in latest polls

From Ohio to Colorado to Maine, Trump surging, Hillary collapsing

WASHINGTON –
The latest state and national polls, the first partially reflecting Hillary Clinton’s bad week, show Donald Trump moving up in swing states, challenging his opponent in Democrat states and running away with Republican states.

In Ohio, one of the most important battleground venues, the latest Bloomberg poll, conducted only partially after Mrs. Clinton’s physical collapse Sunday, shows Trump with his biggest lead – up 5 percent.

Taken Friday through Monday, Trump emerges with a 48 percent to 43 percent lead among likely voters in a two-way contest and 44 percent to 39 percent when third-party candidates are included.

In another shocking poll for the Democrats released Tuesday, Donald Trump is catching up on Hillary Clinton in Maine as they race for the presidency. Clinton leads Trump by a mere 3 points, 42 percent to 39 percent, within the margin of error, in the Colby College/Boston Globe survey.

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Maryland governor says he remains cancer-free

ANNAPOLIS, Md. —Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Thursday he remains cancer-free, with one more treatment scheduled before he hopes to have the disease behind him.

Hogan gave an update on his battle against B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma after signing an executive order that renews the state's Council on Cancer Control.

"I just had a PET scan done a few weeks ago," Hogan told reporters after the announcement. "I'm completely cancer-free, and I have one more treatment, and then I'll be hopefully done with it forever."

The governor was diagnosed in June 2015, five months into his first term. Over four months, he underwent 30 days of 24-hour chemotherapy. He also had three surgeries and four spinal taps. Hogan announced in November he was in remission.

"I'm feeling great, and you know I've been cancer-free for nearly a year, and I had a proposed plan to do one year of sort of maintenance chemotherapy," Hogan said. "Once a month I go in to get a little booster, just to make sure it doesn't recur."

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Obama raises refugee goal to 110,000, infuriating GOP

President Barack Obama plans to admit 110,000 refugees from around the world to the United States over the next year — a figure that is 10,000 above his original goal and which immediately set off howls of protest from some Republicans.

The 110,000 figure is expected to include a substantial number of Syrian refugees, whose admission to the U.S. has sparked debate in the presidential race. Republican nominee Donald Trump wants to bar Syrian refugees completely, alleging that terrorists could be hiding among them.

At the same time, the 110,000 figure, which covers the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, is likely to disappoint many supporters of the refugee program, who have been urging the administration to take in as many as 200,000 displaced people from around the world.

A senior Obama administration official confirmed late Tuesday that Secretary of State John Kerry had briefed Congress earlier in the day about the administration's new plan. He noted that Kerry had said several months ago that the U.S. wanted to admit at least 100,000 refugees worldwide but that it would take more if it could.

The decision to go with 110,000 "is consistent with our belief that all countries should do more to help the world's most vulnerable people," the official said.

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Trump Gets Nearly 26 Percent Of Black Vote In New Poll

Republican nominee Donald Trump leads Hillary Clinton in South Carolina with 53 percent of the vote in a poll out Wednesday which also shows Trump getting 26 percent of the black vote.

Trump is leading with 53 percent, Clinton follows with with 37.57 percent, Libertarian Gary Johnson is at 3.4 percent and the Green Party’s Jill Stein got less than one percent in the Trafalgar Group poll. South Carolina is a solidly Republican state so Trump’s lead here isn’t surprising.

However, Trump is doing quite well with blacks in the poll. He has 25.75 percent support among black voters, and Clinton leads with 70 percent of the black vote. Clinton leads with Hispanic voters at 50.99 percent, Trump follows with 29.3 percent.

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Campaign acknowledges Hillary still hasn't recovered from Sunday collapse

Hillary Clinton’s campaign sent an email to supporters on Wednesday acknowledging she hasn’t yet recovered from her collapse on the New York City street on Sunday, but that she’s “on her way to 100 percent.”

National Finance Director Dennis Cheng wrote to backers, “I’m happy to report she’s feeling great, resting, and on her way to 100 percent in order to fight in the final eight weeks ahead.”

He didn’t indicate when — if ever — she’ll be back to 100 percent.

He added, “Showing that you’ve got Hillary’s back is especially important as we enter these critical weeks.”

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Trump in a Landslide

We live in a world of vast and sometimes instantaneous changes. I know well that unpredictable, great events could stop Trump from becoming U.S. President in this Great Global Crisis we face. The danger of assassination by “accident” alone is a major risk he faces.

But the probability that Trump and Pence will win by a landslide and bring in veto-proof Republican majorities in the Senate and House is now quite high and overshadows other possible outcomes.

There are many major factors that support this conclusion.

1. Hillary faces immense problems now just trying to survive a series of fierce debates, speeches, etc.

2. There are many major legal and immense corruption challenges she and all her close associates face in these two months before the election.

Assange will hit her with horrific e-mails. Judicial Watch will do the same. Major Congressional exposes will hit her and the FBI. et al.

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Hillary Clinton Campaign Systematically Overcharging Poorest Donors

Hillary Clinton’s campaign is stealing from her poorest supporters by purposefully and repeatedly overcharging them after they make what’s supposed to be a one-time small donation through her official campaign website, multiple sources tell the Observer.

The overcharges are occurring so often that the fraud department at one of the nation’s biggest banks receives up to 100 phone calls a day from Clinton’s small donors asking for refunds for unauthorized charges to their bankcards made by Clinton’s campaign. One elderly Clinton donor, who has been a victim of this fraud scheme, has filed a complaint with her state’s attorney general and a representative from the office told her that they had forwarded her case to the Federal Election Commission.

“We get up to a hundred calls a day from Hillary’s low-income supporters complaining about multiple unauthorized charges,” a source, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of job security, from the Wells Fargo fraud department told the Observer. The source claims that the Clinton campaign has been pulling this stunt since Spring of this year. The Hillary for America campaign will overcharge small donors by repeatedly charging small amounts such as $20 to the bankcards of donors who made a one-time donation. However, the Clinton campaign strategically doesn’t overcharge these donors $100 or more because the bank would then be obligated to investigate the fraud.

“We don’t investigate fraudulent charges unless they are over $100,” the fraud specialist explained.

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Donald Trump gives unparalleled platform to families of illegal immigrants’ victims

A few years ago, they were the forgotten story of the immigration debate — the families of victims of crimes perpetrated by illegal immigrants who were ignored by the press and left begging for meetings with government officials.

Donald Trump has changed all that, giving the mothers and fathers an unparalleled platform to make their case from the podium of the Republican National Convention and again last month as they joined him on stage at the end of his major immigration policy speech in Arizona.

On Saturday, Mr. Trump will go even further, addressing the victims’ first-ever conference hosted by the Remembrance Project. The families will meet in Texas to share their stories and plot their next steps as they gain prominence.

“We are very honored for Donald Trump to have accepted our invitation to meet with stolen lives families and to speak at the Remembrance Luncheon. The families that have been ignored for so long are finally being heard,” said Maria Espinoza, national director of the project.

The families have labored for years to have their voices heard, pleading with reporters for coverage and arguing that they are proof that illegal immigration isn’t a victimless crime. If the government had been doing its job, they say, their spouses and children would still be alive.

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Ex-US Diplomat Warns Hillary Will Start Nuclear War With Russia & China

"Hillary is the candidate of an endless war"

Former U.S. diplomat James Jatras warns that Hillary Clinton will start numerous “regional wars” if she elected, including a potential nuclear confrontation with Russia, China or both.

“Hillary has never met a war she does not like. She is a true believer in the idea that the US can, as this vanguard of all progressive humanity, use military force to transform the world. We are looking at numerous regional wars and very possible at nuclear war with Russia or China, or both,” Jatrastold Sputnik Radio.

Jatras, who worked for 18 years as a foreign policy advisor to Senate lawmakers, said that Hillary is the candidate of “endless war” and has surrounded herself with like-minded hawks.

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HILLARY SAYS BEING HOME RESTING HELPED HER RECONNECT WITH HARD WORKING AMERICANS

What?

Hillary Clinton returned to the campaign trail Thursday and bizarrely attempted to use her sickness to suggest that she is some kind of working class champion of the people.

Hillary made out that being laid up at home, presumably in one of her many mansions surrounded by helpers and staff, allowed her to reconnect with hard working Americans.

Clinton declared that being off of the trail allowed her to gather her thoughts and “reconnect with what this whole campaign is about.”

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2 more docs charge coverup in Hillary health scandal

3 things 'for sure': It's neurological, pneumonia not cause of collapse, she and staff have been 'lying'

With a significant number of top physicians expressing concern that the American people aren’t being told the truth about Hillary Clinton’s health, the Democratic Party nominee’s personal doctor is declaring she is fit to return to the campaign trail.

The letter from Dr. Lisa Bardack was distributed by the campaign Wednesday after a video of Clinton apparently collapsing as aides helped her enter her limousine during a 9/11 memorial Sunday confirmed suspicions over the past several months that she is seriously ill.

Concerns about reported fainting spells, stumbles, blood clots, uncontrollable coughing and a “serious” concussion that took “months,” however, are being attributed to “dehydration,” “flu” or “pneumonia” by her campaign.

Bardack works in the internal medicine section at CareMount Medical in Mount Kisco, New York.

“My overall impression,” she wrote,” is that Mrs. Clinton has remained healthy and has not developed new medical conditions this year other than a sinus and ear infection and her recently diagnosed pneumonia. She is recovering well with antibiotics and rest. She continues to remain healthy and fit to serve as president of the United States.”

BRITISH LAWMAKERS CONDEMN CAMERON FOR LIBYAN INVASION LED BY HILLARY

Invasion of Libya “ an opportunistic policy of regime change”

British lawmakers assailed former Prime Minister David Cameron for his “opportunistic policy of regime change” in Libya, which was spearheaded by then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The eleven member foreign affairs committee in the House of Commons, including six from the Conservative Party, concluded former Prime Minister David Cameron lacked a plan and left a power vacuum that lead to the rise of ISIS.

Cameron “was ultimately responsible for the failure to develop a coherent Libya strategy,” the report said.

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Feds spend another $10 million to register immigrant voters

'New Americans' strategy to 'institutionalize' president's open-borders policies

Months after the Obama administration spent $19 million to register new immigrant voters that will likely support Democrats in November, it’s dedicating an additional $10 million in a final push as the presidential election nears, a government-watchdog group reports.

The money, fully approved by the Republican-led Congress, is distributed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or USCIS, which is the Homeland Security agency that oversees lawful immigration. It’s distributed to organizations that help “enhance pathways to naturalization” by helping prepare immigrants and refugees for U.S. citizenship by teaching them English, U.S. history and civics, at no cost to the immigrant.

“Officially, they’re known as citizenship integration grants,” according to a report by Judicial Watch.

Since 2009, USCIS has doled out $63 million in these grants to prepare more than 156,000 immigrants in dozens of states for U.S. citizenship, according to the agency’s figures. Besides the free classes, the feds also offer immigrants free “naturalization legal services,” the latest USCIS grant announcement states.

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Hillary Clinton’s campaign: ‘Nothing short of a disaster’

The repercussions just keep rolling in: Hillary Clinton’s recent decision to call Donald Trump’s fans a “basketful of deplorables” has turned into “nothing short of a crisis” for the Democratic presidential nominee, says veteran pollster John Zogby. Ah, but it gets worse. “The entire fainting and pneumonia issue is nothing short of a disaster,” he continues, noting that the distress and drama of Mrs. Clinton’s health challenges have prompted voters to ask visceral questions about her truthfulness and judgment.

“This has all been badly done. New polls have come out that show Clinton down 5 points in Ohio, down in Florida, New Hampshire, Nevada and Iowa — and none of these polls reflect more than just one day’s sample. A new CBS Tracking Poll now shows her leading Trump 42 percent to 40 percent. I probably shouldn’t speculate, but I suspect she will lose a few more points,” Mr. Zogby continues.

“But the real crisis here is how she gets back on track. She will most likely have a good debate performance on Sept. 26. But then she still has to deal with the ‘deplorables’ thing because of what it reveals about her and her supporters. And then the release of her emails in October. She is in a tough spot.”

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Trump: The Only Thing Hillary Clinton Can Offer Is A Welfare Check, I Will Produce Paychecks

Donald Trump makes a speech about the economy at The Economic Club of New York on Thursday.

"Not one single idea she's got will create one net American job or create one new dollar of American wealth for our workers," Trump said of Hillary Clinton. "The only thing she can offer is a welfare check. That's about it. Our plan will produce paychecks and they're going to be great paychecks for millions of people now unemployed or underemployed."

From Trump's address today:

DONALD TRUMP: Instead of driving jobs and wealth away, America will become the world's great magnet for innovation and job creation. My opponent's plan rejects this optimism. She offers only more taxing and her tax increases are unbelievable. More regulating, more spending, and more wealth redistribution. A future of slow growth, declining incomes and dwindling prosperity.

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Merkel Demands German Firms Hire Unqualified Migrants

Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday that Germany needed “viable solutions” to integrate refugees into the workforce faster after she met with blue-chip companies, which have hired just over 100 refugees since around a million arrived in the country last year.

Merkel, fighting for her political life over her open-door policy, summoned the bosses of some of Germany’s biggest companies to Berlin on Wednesday to account for their lack of action and exchange ideas about how they can do better.

Many of the companies contend that a lack of German-language skills, the inability of most refugees to prove any qualifications and uncertainty about their permission to stay in the country mean there is little they can do in the short term.

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Hoyer: ‘Religious Liberty’ Shouldn’t Be ‘Denigrated’

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said on Tuesday that although some people may misuse “religious liberty” as a way to disagree with other people’s beliefs, the term should not be “denigrated.”

Hoyer was responding to a question from CNSNews.com about a recent report by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights that said “religious liberty” and “religious freedom” are “code words for discrimination, intolerance, racism, sexism, homophobia, Islamophobia, Christian supremacy or any form of intolerance.”

“Although [the words have] been misused by people using that phrase, that does not mean that the phrase itself, nor the ideal, nor the reality, nor the Constitutional protection should be, in any way denigrated because some people misuse it,” Hoyer said.


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Top DNC Donors Were Awarded Federal Posts Following Donations

On Tuesday night Guccifer 2.0 dropped 600MB worth of new “DNC Documents.”

The DNC released a statement bracing for the new batch of documents.

The DNC is bracing itself for the release of more documents pic.twitter.com/y1uVz8jUW9

— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) September 13, 2016

THIS IS BIG—
4Chan users put together a list of Top OFA and DNC Donors.

The top donors were awarded significant federal positions which is completely expected.
This was posted at Reddit:

The leaks are being explored over at 4chan. They found that top donors were awarded significant federal positions, which going by other Pay to Play comments is completely expected.
88719024
Here’s my updated list, starting with #1 (top donor) working their way down.
Starting to see the pattern?
1 Matthew Berzun … Ambassador to UK
2 Julius Genachowski … Former chairman to FCC
3 Frank Sanchez…. Under secretary of commerce
8 Kirk Wagner… Ambassador to Singapore
9 Alan Solomont … Ambassador to Spain
11 John Roos… Ambassador to Japan
12 Nicole Avant… Ambassador to Bahamas
13 Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe … Ambassador to the UN
16 Steve Westly – CFO of California
17 Don Beyer – Ambassador to Switzerland..

Many more here

WSJ: Don’t Let the Obama Administration Take Over Our Election System

In an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, John Fund and Hans von Spakovsky write about the danger of allowing the federal government to use vote hacking fears to launch a power grab of our election system.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter warned Russia last week that Americans “will not ignore attempts to interfere with our democratic processes.” Rumors are rife about hackers, Russian or otherwise, getting into the U.S. election system in November, and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson has what he considers a solution: He wants to use his authority under a post-9/11 federal law designed to protect the country against terrorist attacks to designate the election system as “critical infrastructure.”

[…]

There is legitimate concern that the election-management software being developed by some companies may include a wireless capability that could potentially be exploited. Election officials need to ensure that such capabilities are either completely shut down or taken out of the software they use.

The security on some of these individual electronic voting machines is poor. But hacking them requires unobserved physical access to the machine. That is difficult to do in secured warehouses where they are kept before Election Day or at polling sites where election officials are monitoring their use. Perhaps if the Russians could recruit thousands of hackers to go into polling places to hack individual machines without being noticed, they could steal a presidential election. Otherwise, they don’t have a chance.

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LA Man Walks People for a Living

Chuck McCarthy recently auditioned as a homicidal biker for a TV show, but the actor is finding glimmers of fame, and possibly a business franchise, with another role: Los Angeles’s first people walker.

He walks humans for $7 a mile around the streets and park near his home, pioneering an alternative to dog walking that requires no leash, just an ability to walk, talk and, above all, listen.

The idea initially struck the underemployed actor several months ago as a joke, an imaginary way to make extra cash, until it became real.

“The more I thought about it, the less crazy it seemed,” said McCarthy, draining a bottle of water – he now takes hydration seriously – and heading out into the sunshine for another walk, this time with the Guardian trotting in step.

A homemade scrawl across his T-shirt declared him The People Walker, low-budget, mobile advertising. “I’ve been doing walks almost every single day for the past week and I’m getting repeat clients, which is what you want.”

A stroll with this soft-spoken, hirsute hulk seems to be what much of LA wants, judging by the response to his Facebook page and homemade flyers.

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FBI Official Given Subpoena Over Hillary Clinton’s Server

House GOP investigators probing Hillary Clinton’s use of private email at the State Department accused the Obama administration Monday of operating like a “banana republic” by withholding or blacking out documents tied to the FBI’s decision not to prosecute the Democratic presidential nominee.

Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz served an FBI official a subpoena from the dais, saying he wants to see every piece of the bureau’s investigative file rather than cherry-picked pages.

The Utah Republican said it is embarrassing that only members of certain House committees can view sensitive material from the investigative file, and that he doesn’t understand why personal information had been redacted from the packet turned over to lawmakers last month.

“Where in the Constitution does it say that I can’t see that?” Mr. Chaffetz said.

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Mexico Builds A "Wall" (And Guess Who Paid For It)

Mexico is building a 'wall'... on its southern border (to keep illegal immigrants out). Perhaps even more ironic, The FT notes that the Obama administration is coy about its role in Mexico’s crackdown but is sending $75m in equipment and training to help stop Central Americans from crossing illegally into Mexico... in other words, US Taxpayers funded a Mexican wall to keep immigrants out.

The UN estimates 400,000 Central Americans cross illegally into Mexico each year and as many as half of those are fleeing violence. But as The FT reports, Mexico already acts as a formidable barrier for many...
 

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Unaccompanied minors swelling ranks of American gangs

A surge of unaccompanied children coming across the southern border could be swelling the ranks of one of America’s most dangerous gangs, either as fresh recruits or hardened sleepers, according to federal authorities.

Some 227,149 unaccompanied children have been apprehended at the border over the last six years, according to the U.S. Border Patrol. They remain in federal custody until a sponsor can be located, at which time they are often sent to communities where they are ripe for recruitment by Latin gangs such as the infamous MS-13.

“Our safety standards have increased,” Andrea Helling, spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, told FoxNews.com. “In the last few months screening procedures of children and sponsors has increased in their intensity which we hadn’t done previously.”

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Feds Force American Communities to Educate Almost 4 Million Foreign Students

The political establishment’s insatiable appetite for immigration is forcing hard-pressed American communities to divert funding from their own children to educate roughly 3.62 million foreign students, many of whom are teenagers and do not speak English, according to a new analysis by an immigration reform group.

“Public school districts across the United States are suffering under a massive unfunded mandate imposed by the federal government… to educate millions of illegal aliens, the school age children of illegal aliens, refugees and legal immigrant students,” says the report released Tuesday by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).

“It currently costs public schools $59.8 billion [per year] to serve this burgeoning population,” the report states.

“The struggle to fund programs for students with Limited English Proficiency (LEP), sometimes called English Language Learners (ELL), represents a major drain on school budgets. Yet due to political correctness, it is taboo to raise the issue even though resources are redirected away from American citizens to support programs like English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and English as a Second Language (ESL).”

More here

Soros Goes After Sheriff Joe

PHOENIX (AP) - Joe Arpaio, the self-proclaimed toughest sheriff in America who could face criminal charges for ignoring a judge's order to stop targeting Latinos in anti-immigration roundups, may now have a new foe as he seeks re-election - George Soros, the billionaire liberal hedge fund tycoon.

The Republican sheriff already was battered politically and support for him had been slipping when a group linked to Soros mounted an anti-Arpaio attack in an attempt to weaken his bid for a seventh straight term.

The group started sending fliers to Phoenix-area voters two weeks ago, and a mailing last week accuses Arpaio of separating a mother from her child because of an unpaid traffic ticket, botching hundreds of sex crimes investigations and scaring immigrants so much that that they don't report crime.

Arpaio denies the claims and is easily capable of striking back with a formidable $2.9 million still available for campaign spending ahead of the Nov. 8 vote, dwarfing the total $326,000 raised by his challenger, Democrat Paul Penzone, a former Phoenix police sergeant who lost to Arpaio by 6 percentage points in 2012.

But the entry of a Soros-linked group is a gift for Penzone, who acknowledges he'll never come close to matching Arpaio's campaign spending.

Over the last year, Soros contributed $3.9 million to Democrats in law enforcement political races in Chicago, St. Louis, Orlando, Houston, Albuquerque, Lowndes County in Mississippi and Caddo Parish in Louisiana, according to campaign finance records.

More here

GOP Tries To Fix America's Food Stamp Problem

Republicans in Congress are working to improve the food stamps program by focusing on how to lift people out of poverty through work.

“While we know that a job is the surest way to get out of poverty, it can be difficult for individuals to find a job that matches their skills, or to gain the skills needed to fill the jobs available in an area,” GOP Rep. Jackie Walorski of Indiana, chairwoman of the Nutrition Subcommittee, said during a hearing Tuesday.

The GOP’s proposal would expand employment and training programs for all able-bodied adults enrolled in welfare programs like food stamps, also known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). House Speaker Paul Ryan’s “A Better Way” proposal to fight poverty and reduce government spending would expand work requirements for SNAP benefits.

The food stamps program exploded under President Barack Obama, in part because of high unemployment after the great recession, with 46.6 million people enrolled in 2014. Nearly 45 million people are still on food stamps this year, costing taxpayers more than $50 billion in benefits during the past 12 months alone, according to recent USDA data.

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