The Beach Boys August 23, 2017 Ocean City MD Performing Arts Center Two Shows Announced!

The Beach Boys will be brining plenty of “Good Vibrations” and amazing surfer harmonies to the OC Performing Arts Center Wednesday, August 23, 2017 for two shows, 4pm and 7:30pm! The feelings never get old when The Beach Boys roll out their timeless hits “Surfin’ U.S.A.,” “I Get Around,” “Help Me Rhonda,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice, “California Girls” and many more chart-topping anthems of American youth.

The Beach Boys are led by Mike Love and Bruce Johnston, who along with Jeffrey Foskett, Brian Eichenburger, Tim Bonhomme, John Cowsill and Scott Totten continue the legacy of the iconic American Band.

Few, if any acts, can match The Beach Boys concert presence, spirit and performance, and the OC Performing Arts Center is the perfect place to see them, offering an intimate setting to enjoy an evening of hits you won’t want to miss.

This show is going to be fun, fun fun! Tickets go on sale Friday, February 17th at 10am and are sure to go fast. To get yours visit the OC Box Office located inside the Convention Center on 40th street, online at Ticketmaster.com or call Ticketmaster 1-800-551-SEAT. For more information visit oceancityconcerts.com

Geert Wilders promises to 'de-Islamise' the Netherlands

Far-right Dutch MP Geert Wilders wants to 'de-Islamise' the Netherlands and ban the Quran after comparing the holy book to Mein Kampf.

In a rare television interview, the anti-Islam founder of Holland's Party of Freedom also compared mosques to Nazi temples.

The controversial politician has already proclaimed that Europe is about to enter a 'Patriotic Spring' in which populist parties will triumph in the Netherlands and France following Brexit and the election of Donald Trump as US president.

In the interview in Holland, Wilders repeated remarks he has made frequently in the past, offensive to many, comparing the Quran to Hitler's autobiography 'Mein Kampf'.

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Remember?

Take in a talkie in your own private box!

1938

Image: Bernd Lohse/ullstein bild via Getty Images

In May 1933, Richard Hollingshead, a sales manager at an auto products store in Camden, New Jersey, patented a new idea: an outdoor cinema where people could watch films from the comfort and privacy of their cars.

Hollingshead was motivated to develop the idea after witnessing his mother’s difficulty sitting comfortably in a movie theater. He tested out various arrangements of projector, screen, radio and cars in his own driveway, eventually settling on the auditorium-like configuration of a screen facing a series of raised terraces that gave each car an unobstructed view.

After receiving his patent, Hollingshead founded Park-In Theaters, Inc. and built a drive-in with enough space for nearly 400 cars.

The “Automobile Movie Theater” opened on June 6, 1933 with a screening of the 1932 comedy Wives Beware. Admission was 25 cents per car plus an additional 25 cents per person, slightly more expensive than an indoor theater but with the freedom to eat, smoke and otherwise take advantage of an automobile's privacy.

Failing to make a profit, the first drive-in closed after just three years, but others quickly popped up across the country and sparked a slew of lawsuits from Hollingshead. His patent was ultimately overturned, clearing the way for thousands of more drive-ins to be built. At their 1950s peak, drive-ins numbered nearly 5,000 countrywide.

Judge orders Ohio village to pay back $3 million to lead-footed drivers

Speed cameras became a cash cow for the small village of New Miami, Ohio.

The town, with a population of about 2,200, collected over $3 million in revenue from heavy-footed motorists after it installed stand-alone speed cameras along one of its major throughways, US 127. The speed cameras in New Miami, which is less than one square mile, automatically fined motorists $95 if they drove faster than 50 miles per hour.

It proved to be a lucrative venture for the village just 35 miles north of Cincinnati. Flush with cash, it raised its annual budget from roughly $1.5 million to $2.5 million in 2013.

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http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/02/13/judge-orders-ohio-village-to-pay-back-3-million-to-lead-footed-drivers.html

Backyard Buffers Offer Trees to Improve Maryland’s Waters

Homeowners in Select Counties Can Get Free Seedlings 

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering its Backyard Buffer program in select counties around the state. Any resident with a drainage ditch, stream, creek or river flowing through their property or adjacent to a waterway could qualify for a free “Buffer in a Bag.”

Each bag contains approximately 25 native bare-root tree and shrub seedlings, which are suited for streamside conditions. Streamside buffers help preserve and improve water quality by absorbing excess nutrients, reducing sediment, lowering peak water temperatures and stabilizing stream banks.

This year, the species will include a mix of: swamp white oak, river birch, redbud, persimmon and hazelnut. Information on tree planting techniques, planting arrangements, tree maintenance, other native plant species suitable for streamside plantings and other topics will be available at the time of pickup.

Quantities are limited, and reservations for tree packets will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis. Requests will be taken by the Maryland Forest Service through late March 2017, with varying deadlines depending on county. The following counties are participating in the program – residents should call the number listed for more information:

• Allegany County, 301-707-5590
• Anne Arundel County, 410-222-3831
• Carroll County, 410-848-9290
• Cecil County, 410-287-5777
• Dorchester County, 410-228-1861
• Garrett County, 301-334-3296
• Harford County, 410-557-4587
• Howard County, 410-442-2080
• Kent County, 410-260-8589
• Montgomery County, 301-854-6060
• Queen Anne’s County, 410-260-8589
• Talbot County, 410-924-1936
• Washington County, 301-791-4733
• Wicomico County, 410-543-1950

The trees will be available for pickup in early April. Those who have requested “buffers in a bag” will be contacted with additional information as the pick-up date approaches.

GOP Congressmen Meet With Le Pen

Republican congressmen Steve King and Dana Rohrabacher, both Trump allies, met recently with far-right French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen.

“US Congressmen King & Rohrabacher pay a visit to discuss liberty & shared values w/(next president of France?) Marine Le Pen,” Iowa Rep. King tweeted Monday.

US Congressmen King & Rohrabacher pay a visit to discuss Liberty & shared values w/(next president of France?) Marine Le Pen @MLP_officiel pic.twitter.com/UZEp8vWPNz

— Steve King (@SteveKingIA) February 13, 2017

Le Pen, whose platform is stridently anti-immigrant, is in first place in polling for the first-round of the French presidential race, but polling shows her losing in the runoff to Emmanuel Macron, an independent liberal candidate. The first-round of voting is in late April and the runoff is on May 7.

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Disney Increasing Park Tickets For Certain Times Of Year

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Walt Disney World is increasing single-day tickets at certain times of the year and setting expiration dates on tickets in hopes of preventing overcrowding during the theme parks’ busiest times, company officials said Saturday.

The single-day ticket prices are either staying the same or are increasing no more than $5 under the new price structure that goes into effect Sunday. Last year, Disney rolled out a pricing plan that allows visitors to view a planning calendar from eight to 11 months out to determine which days are considered “value,” ”regular” or “peak” times. Visitors pay more on “peak” days, which are the busiest times as forecast by park officials.

The goal of the varied price structure is to give park visitors an incentive to come during times that are not “peak” so that the experience can be better enjoyed by all, officials said. There have been times during holiday and spring break where the crowds have been so large that Disney has had to stop selling tickets.

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Governor Larry Hogan Announces Funding for Lower Eastern Shore Initiatives

Downtown Salisbury Revitalization, School Construction, Priority Transportation Projects Among Recipients of State Funding

ANNAPOLIS, MD – During a day-long visit to the Eastern Shore, Governor Larry Hogan announced state funding for Lower Eastern Shore initiatives at a press conference at the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce in Wicomico County. The governor was joined by Wicomico County Executive Bob Culver, Salisbury Mayor Jacob Day, and state and county officials for the funding announcement, which includes $1 million for Salisbury's Downtown Revitalization Plan, as well as nearly $29 million for projects across Wicomico, Somerset, and Worcester Counties.

"I am pleased to announce that our administration is investing $1 million for the Downtown Revitalization Plan to continue bringing much-needed improvements to one of our most beloved Eastern Shore communities," said Governor Hogan. "This project is a terrific example of how state and local governments can work together with the private sector to make smart investments that spur redevelopment, economic growth, and job creation."

The Hogan administration’s support for the Downtown Revitalization Plan, a 20-year master plan developed by the City of Salisbury in partnership with the University of Maryland School of Agriculture, will help the city create a vibrant mixed-use urban center in the downtown and riverfront areas. In less than three years, 31 new businesses have opened in the Downtown Salisbury area. The $1 million investment from the state bring much-needed improvements to the area and spur redevelopment, economic growth, and job creation. The project is expected to create hundreds of jobs and new downtown housing units, including housing for Salisbury University graduate students.

“This is great news for Salisbury and all Wicomico County residents,” said County Executive Culver. “We look forward to continuing to partner with Governor Hogan and his administration on important projects that improve the quality of life for our citizens.”

“This funding brings us one step closer to giving the citizens of Salisbury the city they want and deserve,” said Mayor Day. “These investments will help bring much-needed economic growth and jobs to downtown Salisbury, and I am excited the state has recognized our commitment to this project.”

The governor also announced an additional $29 million in his FY 2018 Capital Budget for projects across the Lower Eastern Shore. This includes nearly $13 million for projects in Wicomico County, nearly $12 million for projects in Somerset County, and more than $3 million for projects in Worcester County. These investments include construction at West Salisbury Elementary School and Parkside High School, improvements for the Smith Island Wastewater Treatment Plant, and renovations at Wellington Wildlife Management Area, as well as funding for Ocean City Beach Replenishment and Hurricane Protection, and investments in the Atlantic General Hospital Regional Cancer Care Center. The governor also affirmed the administration’s commitment to fund the final phase of Arthur Perdue Stadium, home of the Delmarva Shorebirds.

Finally, Governor Hogan announced that the state will invest nearly $368 million for Lower Eastern Shore transportation projects. This includes funding to finish the rehabilitation of the US 13 Bridges in Pocomoke City, replace the MD 349 bridge over Windsor Creek, re-deck 11 bridges along the US 50 Salisbury Bypass, and upgrades to create a 4-lane divided highway on Worcester Highway.

Mainstream media whines as Trump calls on less established news outlets

The mainstream media isn’t liking the new set up at the White House: Lesser name news outlets are being called on during press briefings, rather than the old, established bellwethers.

During his press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, President Donald Trump called on two news outlets: WJLA a local ABC news affiliate, and the Daily Caller. Both failed to ask him about the fate of his national security adviser Gen. Michael Flynn, who has been marred in a controversy that he spoke to Russian authorities before Mr. Trump took office.

And the mainstream media immediately pounced – saying Mr. Trump was picking favorites in order to avoid questioning on Mr. Flynn.

“By handpicking reporters, Trump manages to get through a news conference without being asked about Flynn,” New York Times reporter Peter Baker lamented on Twitter – failing to mention that all U.S. presidents handpick reporters.

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Man charged in Lyon sisters case also tried to abduct other girls

BEDFORD, Va. (AP) — Prosecutors say a man accused of killing Maryland sisters who disappeared more than 40 years ago had tried to abduct two other girls around the same time.

Lloyd Welch. Jr. goes on trial in April for murder in the deaths of Sheila Lyon and Katherine Lyon. The sisters were last seen walking to Wheaton Plaza in Montgomery County in 1975. They’ve never been found.

Prosecutors say in documents posted by WSET-TV that if Welch is convicted, two women will testify at his sentencing that they got into Welch’s car near that mall in 1975. Prosecutors say the women sensed they were in danger and had to roll down the car windows “to avoid abduction.”

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Kansas Secretary of State: There is Proof of Widespread Voter Fraud

On Sunday a top Trump adviser doubled down on claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2016 election, saying the White House has provided “enormous evidence” to substantiate the assertion.

"The White House has provided enormous evidence with respect to voter fraud, with respect to people being registered in more than one state, dead people voting, noncitizens being registered to vote,” White House senior policy adviser Stephen Miller said on ABC’s ‘This Week with George Stephanopoulos.’

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach said Miller is referring to voters who are registered in more than one state.

“About three million people are registered in more than one state. But get this Neil, it’s no crime to be registered in more than one state vote, but it is a crime if you actually try to vote in two states and every year thousands of people do,” Kobach said during an interview on the FOX Business Network’s Cavuto: Coast-to-Coast.

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NOI 2/14/17 Somerset Apartment Fire Somerset Avenue

NOTICE OF INVESTIGATION

Date:   February 14, 2017

Time:   11:10 a.m

Location / Address:   11542 Somerset Ave., Princess Anne, Somerset Co.

Type of Incident:  Fire

Description of Structure / Property:  Two story wood frame apartment building

Owner / Occupants:   David Donohoe (Owner)   

Injuries or Deaths:   None

Estimated $ Loss: Structure:  $60,000                      Contents: $1,000

Smoke Alarm Status:  Present and activated

Fire Alarm / Sprinkler Status:   n/a

Arrests(s):   None

Primary Responding Fire Department:  Princess Anne

# of Alarms:   1    # Of Firefighters:  15

Time to Control:   90 minutes

Discovered By:  Monitoring alarm system

Area of Origin:   Kitchen

Preliminary Cause:  Accidental, unattended cooking

Additional Information: 

Former Obama Officials, Loyalists Waged Secret Campaign to Oust Flynn

Sources: Former Obama officials, loyalists planted series of stories to discredit Flynn, bolster Iran deal

The abrupt resignation Monday evening of White House national security adviser Michael Flynn is the culmination of a secret, months-long campaign by former Obama administration confidantes to handicap President Donald Trump's national security apparatus and preserve the nuclear deal with Iran, according to multiple sources in and out of the White House who described to the Washington Free Beacon a behind-the-scenes effort by these officials to plant a series of damaging stories about Flynn in the national media.

The effort, said to include former Obama administration adviser Ben Rhodes—the architect of a separate White House effort to create what he described as a pro-Iran echo chamber—included a small task force of Obama loyalists who deluged media outlets with stories aimed at eroding Flynn's credibility, multiple sources revealed.

The operation primarily focused on discrediting Flynn, an opponent of the Iran nuclear deal, in order to handicap the Trump administration's efforts to disclose secret details of the nuclear deal with Iran that had been long hidden by the Obama administration.

Insiders familiar with the anti-Flynn campaign told the Free Beacon that these Obama loyalists plotted in the months before Trump's inauguration to establish a set of roadblocks before Trump's national security team, which includes several prominent opponents of diplomacy with Iran. TheFree Beacon first reported on this effort in January.

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AK-47 found near man hit, killed by SUV in Md. shopping center parking lot

WASHINGTON — A driver hit and killed a man at an Upper Marlboro shopping center Monday morning, and police say they found an assault rifle near the body of the victim.

Around 8:30 a.m. Monday, a man walking in the Marlborough Village shopping center off Brown Station Road and Marlboro Pike was hit and killed by the driver of an SUV, said Cpl. Harry Bond with Prince Georges County police. The investigation closed one of the shopping center’s parking lots.

“There was a weapon, an assault rifle found at the scene as well. That is under investigation as to how that weapon got there, who the weapon belonged to,” Bond said.

The driver knew the victim, who was his daughter’s boyfriend, sources told WTOP’s broadcast news partners at NBC Washington. Police said an AK-47 was found near the man’s body and they are investigating if he was carrying the weapon.

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Martin Armstrong Warns "This Will Only End In Bloodshed..."

The rage among the left continues to build and it is being supported in earnest by mainstream personalities in Hollywood and the music industry. As Martin Armstrong points out, the constant protests by the Entertainment industry against Trump will not subside.

The Grammy show was reduced to hurried political statements, A Tribe Called Quest delivered a vigorous rebuke of Trump during a tribute to Phife Dawg, who died in March 2016. The group said the performance of We the People was also in honor of protesters.

The hip-hop group was joined by Rhymes who thanked “President Agent Orange” the new name they gave to Trump for “perpetuating evil in the United States”. The tribute ended with people of different races gathered on stage as Q-Tip repeatedly shouted: “Resist” as the camera faded to commercial.

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Md. delegate pushing to end child marriages

WASHINGTON — Child marriages are still happening in America, but a Maryland lawmaker is fighting back and has vowed to reintroduce her child marriage bill after it failed last year in the Maryland legislature.

Maryland Del. Vanessa Atterbeary, D-Howard County, introduced her new bill, HB 799, on Feb. 3 in hopes of ending child marriages in her state. The bill would make 18 the legal age to marry, no exceptions. Her new bill heads to a house committee hearing on Feb. 23.

In Maryland, a child can marry at the age of 15 only if there is parental consent and “the woman to be married” is pregnant or has a child, according to the Maryland Courts website. Teens ages 16 and 17 can marry if either one of the conditions are present.

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Trump Voters Very Happy With New President

A large portion of President Donald Trump’s supporters in Middle America approve of the job he’s doing, according to a Monday report from Politico.

Key swing counties in Indiana robustly support Trump’s executive order that limits travel from seven nations identified to be sources of terrorism, as well as the proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

“I think Trump is doing exactly what he said he was going to do,” Keith Kindsvatter told Politico. Other supporters compared Trump’s performance in the first few weeks to his way of thinking in his book, “Trump: The Art Of The Deal.”

“I think he’s pretty much following The Art of the Deal,” said Ken Warner, 60, who works in the finance industry. “He’s got the price of fighter jets down. It’s not something we’re used to. It’s a little unorthodox. Listening to his Carrier negotiation, you have to shrug on the means but can’t disagree with the ends. You don’t want to be picking winners and losers. You don’t want to see a president calling out people on Twitter. However, the results so far have not been bad. So I can’t say it’s wrong.”

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Ed Rolling, (former Cecil County States Attorney) Must Receive Mental Health Counseling and More

A Viewer Writes: Worcester County Circuit Court Judge Brian Shockley also imposed on Rollins a 90-day jail sentence with all time suspended, 100 hours of community service, a $1,000 fine, and mental health counseling.

Campground Improvement Project Planned at Assateague State Park

Proposal to Relocate Some Roads and Campsites; Enhance Accessibility; Fortify Natural Dune Landscape

Maryland’s only oceanfront state park will be doing some remodeling. Assateague State Park in Worcester County has proposed a Campground Improvement Project, which will impact some camp loops and sites.

The project, set to begin in the fall or winter of 2017, will allow for the widening of the base of sand dunes at the park in an effort to increase the park’s resilience to coastal storms, higher tides and the adverse impacts of projected sea level rise.

“This project seeks to enhance Assateague State Park’s sustainability as a coastal barrier island,” Maryland Park Service Superintendent Nita Settina said. “By strategically relocating some roads and campsites, we expect that we will be better able to protect the park’s infrastructure and the natural dune and beach landscape.”

Maxine Waters claims connection 'between Ukraine and Trump'

A Comment Worthy Of A Post

Anonymous said...

I am an older gay male. It's idiots like this that make my blood boil. It was my generation of gay men who had to endure bashings and yes...even shootings. We lived in closets while other minorities staged civil rights marches and some even burned cities. It was us who paved the way and broke ground so the rest of the community could thrive. And yes I to am a conservative. I voted for Trump. I wake up every morning thanking God that he is our president. Not just my president but the president of our entire nation. It is because of this type of attitude that I will march this coming Saturday as a proud supporter of President Trump. Snowflakes like Skylar Barker-Jordan can kiss my lily white ass. It was because of my suffering that he is able to openly write trash like this. And as far as Jim Ireton goes. He is just as bad as Barker-Jordan. Ireton does not speak for me.

Will More Free Special Events Hurt Boardwalk Businesses?

OCEAN CITY — While most agree the value-added free special events on many nights throughout the summer season are successful in enhancing the visitor experience in Ocean City, a new perspective on their possible detriment for Boardwalk merchants and other businesses in the resort was revealed this week.

Ocean City’s Tourism Committee this week got a first look at the proposed 100 Nights of Lights free special event proposed for the downtown Boardwalk area this summer. TEAM Productions, which produces many of the value-added special events throughout the summer including the weekly fireworks and laser shows along with other events such as Sundaes in the Park at Northside Park and Octoberfest events in the fall, for example, first pitched the 100 Nights of Lights event to the Mayor and Council two weeks ago.

The event would light up the downtown sky several times each night from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The proposed special event would feature a dozen large spotlights with filters of various colors lighting up the beach and Boardwalk about every 20 minutes from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. each night, creating iconic images and enhancing the Boardwalk experience for visitors and residents alike. The spotlights could be mounted on lifeguard chairs along the Boardwalk or on portable supports.

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Police: 2 tractor trailers overturn on Maryland bridge

HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. (AP) — Maryland State Police say two tractor-trailers overturned on the Millard Tydings Memorial Bridge, likely because of high winds.

Media outlets report that it happened late Sunday on the bridge that carries Interstate 95 over the Susquehanna River.

Officials say one driver was trapped for a time and was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.

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Cupid Has Been Replaced By Melennial Antwan

Immigration officers arrest 680 illegal immigrants, including many with criminal records

Federal immigration agents have recently arrested more than 680 illegal immigrants who they say pose a threat to public safety and border security as part of a string of standard enforcement operations carried out across six states last week.

Approximately 510 of those individuals had criminal records in addition to lacking legal presence or lawful status to be in the U.S., Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said Monday.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement branch of the Department of Homeland Security confirmed on Monday that a series of the operations took place in Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, San Antonio and New York City.

"Of those arrested, approximately 75 percent were criminal aliens, convicted of crimes including, but not limited to, homicide, aggravated sexual abuse, sexual assault of a minor, lewd and lascivious acts with a child, indecent liberties with a minor, drug trafficking, battery, assault, DUI and weapons charges," Kelly said in a statement.

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NOI 2/14/17 Wicomico Deck Fire Walston Switch Road

NOTICE OF INVESTIGATION

Date:  February 14, 2017

Time:   12:17 a.m.

Location / Address:  7445 Walston Switch Road, Parsonsburg, Wicomico Co.

Type of Incident:  Fire

Description of Structure / Property:  8’ x 8’ deck attached to single family dwelling

Owner / Occupants:  Nina Railean

Injuries or Deaths:  None

Estimated $ Loss: Structure:  $500                      Contents: $

Smoke Alarm Status:  n/a

Fire Alarm / Sprinkler Status:  n/a

Arrests(s):   None

Primary Responding Fire Department:  Parsonsburg

# of Alarms:   1    # Of Firefighters:  9

Time to Control:   7 minutes

Discovered By:   Passerby

Area of Origin:   Deck

Preliminary Cause:  Accidental, careless discard of smoking material

Additional Information: 

What's Happening? 2-14-17

What's happening in the area?  The good the bad and the ugly!

Burger King announces Valentine's Day 'adults meal,' complete with 'adults toy'

When making plans for Valentine's Day, most couples wouldn't consider Burger King an option for a romantic night out.

The fast food chain is trying to change that in Israel, where they're offering a special "adults meal" just in time for Valentine's Day.

According to AdWeek, the adult meal comes with two Whoppers, two orders of french fries, two beers, and one romantic adult toy.

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What Will Trump Do About The Central-Bank Cartel?

The US is by far the biggest economy in the world. Its financial markets — be it equity, bonds or derivatives markets — are the largest and most liquid. The Greenback is the most important transaction currency. Many currencies in the world — be it the euro, the Chinese renminbi, the British pound or the Swiss franc — have actually been built upon the US dollar.

The world is effectively on a US-dollar-standard, and the US Federal Reserve (Fed) has risen to the unofficial status of the world’s central bank. The rise of the Greenback has to a large extent been propelled by international banking, which has basically “dollarized” in terms of its lending and issuing activities.
The Fed Sets Global Policy

The Fed’s policy not only determines credit and liquidity conditions in the US, but does so in many financial markets around the world as well. For instance, movements of long-term US interest rates regularly have effects on credit and equity markets in, say, Europe and Asia. The Fed’s actions are the blueprint for monetary policymaking in many countries around the world.

The graph shows the Fed’s supply of newly created US dollar liquidity sent to other central banks around the world. It also shows the so-called “euro cross currency basis swap,” which can be interpreted as a “stress indicator”: If it drops into negative territory, it means that euro banks find it increasingly difficult to obtain US dollar credit in the free market place. The Fed’s injection of new US dollar balances into the financial system has helped to reduce the euro currency basis swap. Since late 2016, however, it has started to venture again into negative territory — potentially signaling that euro banks are again heading for trouble.

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Review: None of Gorsuch’s opinions overturned by Supreme Court

In more than a decade on a federal appeals court, Judge Neil Gorsuch never had one of his own written opinions overturned by the Supreme Court, according to the questionnaire he delivered to Capitol Hill over the weekend in preparation for an eventual confirmation hearing.

The questionnaire kicks off the confirmation process, and runs tens of thousands of pages long, covering opinions issued, law review articles written, notes from courses taught at universities and speeches given. Judge Gorsuch’s version even includes audio files linking to some of those speeches.

The questionnaire is also an early test of the way the judge plans to present himself to the senators who will sit in judgment of him, and he appears to be staking out ground as a voice for everyday Americans — and for Congress and the courts — against an expansive executive branch.

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Academic feud over non-citizen voters resurfaces with fraud probe

A small research group has entered the debate on voter fraud, siding with academics who estimate that large numbers of non-citizens illegally register and vote in U.S. elections.

Just Facts, founded in New Jersey 20 years ago by a Brown-educated mechanical engineer, released its findings as President Trump was setting up a task force on voter fraud headed by Vice President Mike Pence.

“Contrary to the claims of certain major media outlets and fact checkers, a comprehensive analysis of polling data, election records and government investigations shows that many non-citizens vote illegally in U.S. elections,” Just Facts President James D. Agresti told The Washington Times.

Ever since two professors at Old Dominion University and one at George Mason University collaboratively released a 2014 study saying non-citizens vote illegally in U.S. elections, and they vote mostly for Democrats, the liberal media and academia have tried to crush the findings.

More here

Grassley: Declassify Obama's Australia Refugee Deal

Sen. Chuck Grassley on Twitter Sunday said he wanted an answer from the White House on why a deal the U.S. made with Australia to accept as many as 1,000 refugees hasn't been declassified, the Hill reports.

Grassley earlier this month sent a letter to new Secretary of State Rex Tillerson asking for a response.

"As I said before, the American people have a right to be fully aware of the actions of their government regarding foreign nationals who may be admitted to the United States," the Republican senator wrote in the letter.

The Obama administration agreed in November to accept the refugees Australia has been holding in detention centers on Nauru and Papua New Guinea's Manus Island, most of whom are from Iraq and Iran, as a way to help its ally.

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Crisfield Police Hand Out Flowers To Nursing Home and Assisted Living Residents

Crisfield Police visited with and handed out flowers to residents of Alice B. Tawes Nursing Home and Chesapeake Cove Assisted Living for Valentine's Day! 🌹 We want to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day! ❤

Click READ MORE below to see more pictures

Protesters Claim ICE Agents Impersonated Police, Arrested Highlandtown Resident

Hundreds gathered in Highlandtown on Sunday to protest President Donald Trump's immigration agenda.

Protesters rallied and marched through the streets in response to what organizers said was the arrest of a resident Thursday night by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

Protesters said Baltimore is a welcoming city for immigrants and they want ICE agents to leave.

“What doesn't give the community confidence is when ICE officers are acting to be general police, which people assume to be Baltimore City police,” protester Andrew Reinel said.

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LGBT Writer: I Won’t Accept Gay Conservatives ‘Coming Out’ as Trump Supporters

LGBT writer Skylar Baker-Jordan refused to accept homosexuals who “come out” as supporters of President Trump in a new article for The Independent, encouraging others in the LGBT community to cut ties with gay conservatives.

In the article, Baker-Jordan responded to OUT magazine’s Chadwick Moore, who came out as a conservative on Saturday and explained how the left-wing LGBT community started to ignore, reject, and cut ties with him after he wrote a neutral profile on Breitbart Senior Editor MILO and expressed conservative political beliefs.

“Gay conservatives aren’t welcome in gay spaces because the people they support are an existential threat to our rights and our community,” claimed Baker-Jordan, condemning homosexual conservatives including Moore and MILO. “After all, queer spaces (such as bars, bathhouses, community centres, and even bookstores) were founded and instrumental in radical sexual politics and political engagement. You can’t divorce that from the social aspect, because doing so would deny the history of our community and the present reality of so many vulnerable LGBT people.”

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JUST IN: Former wrestling exec Linda McMahon confirmed to lead SBA

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has confirmed former wrestling entertainment executive Linda McMahon to lead the Small Business Administration.

The vote was 81-19 on Tuesday.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky says McMahon will "prioritize growing jobs over growing government bureaucracy" and calls that a welcome change from Washington.

McMahon served as the chief executive officer at World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. before stepping down to run twice for the Senate in Connecticut. She lost both races despite spending some $100 million.

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Tolerance: Leftists Send Death Threats to Singer Joy Villa over ‘MAGA’ Grammys Dress

Singer-songwriter Joy Villa was hit with a barrage of hate from leftists who wished for her death on social media after she walked the red carpet at the Grammys on Sunday proudly wearing a red-white-and-blue dress emblazoned with President Donald Trump’s signature “Make American Great Again” slogan.

“Die,” was the message some Twitter users sent directly to Villa on the social media platform.

“Sometimes you just gotta be free to express yourself,” Villa wrote of her headline-making dress.

“Go big, or go home. You can either stand for what you believe or fall for what you don’t. Above all make a choice for tolerance and love,” the singer wrote on Instagram. “Agree to disagree."

While the 25-year-old multiracial singer intended to send a message of “tolerance and love,” bile-spewing leftists on social media called her “coon,” a “disgrace,” and a “dumb Uncle Tom.”

More love-trumping-hate here

Thugs Be Sayin, WHAT, NO PIZZA!

Speed Camera Payback

Speed cameras became a cash cow for the small village of New Miami, Ohio.

The town, with a population of about 2,200, collected over $3 million in revenue from heavy-footed motorists after it installed stand-alone speed cameras along one of its major throughways, US 127. The speed cameras in New Miami, which is less than one square mile, automatically fined motorists $95 if they drove faster than 50 miles per hour.

It proved to be a lucrative venture for the village just 35 miles north of Cincinnati. Flush with cash, it raised its annual budget from roughly $1.5 million to $2.5 million in 2013.

But now, the Village of New Miami must pay back every cent of the $3 million it collected from the speed cameras, which were ruled “unconstitutional” in 2014 when drivers filed a class-action lawsuit against the village.

An Ohio judge ruled in favor of drivers, who claimed they were unfairly ticketed.

“Any collection or retention of the monies collected under the ordinance was wrongful,” Butler County Ohio Judge Michael Oster wrote in his decision last week.

The village reportedly cited almost 45,000 people and collected $1.8 million during the 15 months the cameras were tracking drivers. The village paid another $1.2 million to Optotraffic, the company that ran the speed camera program.

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6,000 out-of-state voter registrations in New Hampshire

The Kansas official in charge of a multi-state voter registration 'crosscheck' program said Monday that on Election Day, 6,000 people registered to vote in New Hampshire using drivers licenses from other states.

Nearly half of those suspect cases involved licenses issued in Massachusetts.

That, Kris Kobach told CNN, supports the White House's contention that America's voting system suffers great enough incidence of fraud to swing an election.

CNN conducted the interview over a graphic that read: 'Zero evidence to support Trump voter fraud claims.' Kobach later tweeted that it was 'proof of @CNN bias.' They run text below my picture claiming my statements are false. So much for letting the viewer decide.'

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Recession Alert: Treasury Receipts Turn Negative For The First Time Since The Financial Crisis

On the surface, today's monthly budget statement showed good news: in January the US Treasury brought in total receipts of $344 billion, versus outlays of only $293 billion, resulting in a surplus of $51 billion, substantially greater than the $40 billion expected (and well above last year's $28 billion deficit), a surplus which however was largely due to a law requiring the IRS to delay sending out tax refund checks to household claiming certain tax credits. For the fiscal year through Jan.31, the total US budget deficit was $157 billion, and set to keep rising this year and for the foreseeable future.

However, a more concerning datapoint emerges when looking at the annual change in the rolling 12 month total. It is here that we find that for the LTM period ended Jan 31, total government receipts were $3.27 trillion. This number was 0.3% lower than the $3.28 trillion reported one year ago.

Why is this important? Because as the chart below shows, every time since at least 1970 when government receipts have turned negative on an annual basis, the US was on the cusp of, or already in, a recession. Indicatively, the last time government receipts turned negative was in July of 2008.

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Study Aims To Keep Maryland College Grads Employed Locally

FROSTBURG, Md. (AP) — Frostburg State University says a study has identified certain types of businesses that could keep graduates of the school employed locally.

The next step is to lure those businesses to western Maryland.

The school said Friday in a statement that the study was ordered by the city of Frostburg, with support from the university and the Appalachian Regional Commission.

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JUST IN: Russian spy ship off East Coast of US, officials say

A Russian spy ship was spotted patrolling off the East Coast of the United States on Tuesday morning, the first such patrol since President Trump took office, two U.S. officials told Fox News.

he Russian spy ship was 70 miles off the coast of Delaware, heading north at 10 knots, according to one official. That location means the ship is in international waters. The U.S. territory line is 12 nautical miles.

It was not immediately clear where the Russian spy ship was headed.

The ship, the SSV-175 Viktor Leonov, last sailed near the U.S. in April 2015, an official said. The ship is capable of intercepting communications or signals, known as SIGINT, as well as measuring U.S. Navy sonar capability, a separate official said.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/02/14/russian-spy-ship-off-east-coast-us-officials-say.html

Editors Note:  Links to Fox News don't always work. You may have to copy and paste the above link.

Fitch Warns Trump Administration Could Lead To Global Economic Disaster

Twice in one week.

Just days after ECB president Mario Draghi (and other Europeans) suggested that Trump's proposed deregulation has "sown the seeds of the next financial crisis", when he told the European Parliament that "the last thing we need at this point in time is the relaxation of regulation. The idea of repeating the conditions that were in place before the crisis is something that is very worrisome", clearly ignoring that one of the biggest timebombs facing the world is his own balance sheet...

... moments ago Trump was also preemptively cast as the scapegoat for the next global economic crash by none other than rating agency Fitch.

In a self-explanatory report titled "The Trump Administration Poses Risks to Global Sovereigns", Fitch is sounding the alarm on the potentially negative consequences of Trump's economic policies, even though none have been officially disclosed yet.

In the report Fitch warns that "the Trump Administration represents a risk to international economic conditions and global sovereign credit fundamentals" and cautions that because "US policy predictability has diminished, with established international communication channels and relationship norms being set aside", this raises the "prospect of sudden, unanticipated changes in US policies with potential global implications."

Before it unleashes its criticism, Fitch concedes that elements of President Trump's economic agenda "would be positive for growth, including the long-overdue boost to US infrastructure investment, the focus on reducing the regulatory burden and the possibility of tax cuts and reforms, assuming cuts don't lead to proportionate increases in the government deficit and debt. One interpretation of current events is that, after an early flurry of disruptive change to establish a fundamental reorientation of policy direction and intent, the Administration will settle in, embracing a consistent business- and trade-friendly framework that leverages these aspects of its economic programme, with favourable international spill-overs."

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Trump on Drug War: 'We're Going to be Ruthless ... We Have No Choice'

Speaking before a prominent group of police chiefs and sheriffs from across the nation, President Donald Trump said his administration will fight a "ruthless" war against illegal drugs and assist state and local officials in stopping gang members, "many of whom are not even legally in our country."

"I've been here two weeks," President Trump said of his administration before a gathering of the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 8. "I've met a lot of law enforcement officials."

"Yesterday, I brought them into the Oval Office," he said. "I asked a group, what impact do drugs have in terms of a percentage on crime? They said, 75 to 80 percent. That's pretty sad."

"We're going to stop the drugs from pouring in," said the president. "We're going to stop those drugs from poisoning our youth, from poisoning our people. We're going to be ruthless in that fight. We have no choice."

As for the drug cartels that have operatives throughout the United States, President Trump said "we're going to take that fight to the drug cartels and work to liberate our communities from their terrible grip of violence.."

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Buchanan: Trump Must Break Judicial Power

“Disheartening and demoralizing,” wailed Judge Neil Gorsuch of President Trump’s comments about the judges seeking to overturn his 90-day ban on travel to the U.S. from the Greater Middle East war zones.

What a wimp. Did our future justice break down crying like Sen. Chuck Schumer? Sorry, this is not Antonin Scalia. And just what horrible thing had our president said?

A “so-called judge” blocked the travel ban, said Trump. And the arguments in court, where 9th Circuit appellate judges were hearing the government’s appeal, were “disgraceful.” “A bad student in high school would have understood the arguments better.”

Did the president disparage a couple of judges? Yep.

Yet compare his remarks to the tweeted screeds of Elizabeth Warren after her Senate colleague, Jeff Sessions, was confirmed as attorney general.

Sessions, said Warren, represents “radical hatred.” And if he makes “the tiniest attempt to bring his racism, sexism & bigotry” into the Department of Justice, “all of us” will pile on.

Now this is hate speech. And it validates Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s decision to use Senate rules to shut her down.

These episodes reveal much about America 2017.

They reflect, first, the poisoned character of our politics. The language of Warren — that Sessions is stepped in “racism, sexism & bigotry” echoes the ugliest slander of the Hillary Clinton campaign, where she used similar words to describe Trump’s “deplorables.”

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[Patrick Joseph "Pat" Buchanan is a political commentator, author, syndicated columnist, politician and broadcaster. Buchanan was a senior advisor to U.S. Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan, and was an original host on CNN's Crossfire.]

Society is creating a new crop of alpha women who are unable to love

Editor's note: The following column is adapted from the new book "The Alpha Female’s Guide to Men & Marriage" Post Hill Press (February 14, 2017).

Like me, my mother was not a perfect wife. She was, however, a remarkable and compassionate woman. And she was fiercely devoted to my father, so much so that five years after he died, she couldn’t bring herself to even kiss the man who fell in love with her at the independent living facility where she lived for a year and a half before she too passed away. The man wanted to marry her, but it was out of the question. In my mother’s mind, there was only one man for her. That he was gone and she was technically available was beside the point.

Despite my mother’s allegiance to my father, she never quite mastered wifedom—for one reason: she was wholly unyielding.

With my mother, everything was a fight. Everything was “No” unless she determined it was appropriate to say yes. If my mother wasn’t the one who made the decision, the decision couldn’t possibly be good. Every so often she would appear to cede to my father’s wishes, but only if she happened to agree with him.

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http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/02/08/society-is-creating-new-crop-alpha-women-who-are-unable-to-love.html

Maryland Latino Caucus to discuss immigration trust bill

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — The Maryland Legislative Latino Caucus will be discussing support for a measure that seeks to restrict state and local law enforcement agencies from cooperating with federal immigration agencies during immigration actions in their jurisdictions.

They will be joined by members of the Legislative Black Caucus and the Asian American Pacific islander Caucus on Monday evening for a news conference in Annapolis.

The measure also would prohibit a law enforcement official from stopping, arresting, searching or detaining an individual for purposes of investigating a suspected immigration violation.

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Trump slams 'fake news CNN' for cutting off Bernie Sanders, blaming 'technical difficulties'

The CNN gremlins got the last laugh after Bernie Sanders sarcastically called the network “fake news” on air Friday night.

Sanders was appearing on Erin Burnett OutFront last night discussing — what else — Donald Trump’s supposed relationship with Russia.

After playing a clip of the president saying he was unaware of discussions his National Security Advisor reportedly had with the adversary, Sanders was asked if it was a problem and he said, “Well, I don’t know. Maybe he was watching CNN fake news. What do you think?” he said with the smirk, apparently attempting to crack a joke.

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Netanyahu Becomes D.C. Darling as Democrats Clamor for Meetings

After years of tense relations with the United States under former President Barack Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is emerging as one of the most prominent international personalities, according to multiple sources who told the Washington Free Beacon that Democrats, Republicans, and high-level White House officials are clamoring for a sit down with the Israeli leader when he arrives in town on Tuesday.

Senior officials across party lines hope to let Netanyahu know that America has Israel's back and that years of tension during the Obama administration is just water under the bridge, according to both congressional sources and those close to the Trump administration.

Netanyahu's schedule is already packed with powwows between President Trump, senior administration officials, and a cast of leading lawmakers on Capitol Hill from both sides of the aisle.

Meetings will center on U.S. lawmakers' desire to reset relations with the Jewish state. Multiple sources told the Free Beacon that sit downs with White House officials will focus on holding Iran accountable for violations of the nuclear deal, moving the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, and combatting efforts at the United Nations to de-legitimize Israel.

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