Insurer CEO: Obamacare in a death spiral

The leader of one of America's largest insurers said Obamacare is collapsing in a death spiral, a day after another insurer bolted from the federal insurance exchanges.

Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini said the marketplaces are in a "death spiral" in pointed remarks Wednesday during a Wall Street Journal event. He added that more insurers likely would leave next year.

The comments come a day after Humana announced it would leave the last remaining states it offers plans in. Humana initially had offered plans in 15 states, but reduced it to 11 in 2017 and in 2018 will completely withdraw from the marketplaces.

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Minority lawmakers unite around Md. bill to protect undocumented immigrants

Members of the Latino, black and Asian American Pacific Islander caucuses call it the first-ever joint effort by their groups to push for a single piece of legislation.

Maryland’s three minority-based legislative caucuses have begun what they say is their first-ever joint effort to push for a new law, urging passage of a bill that would limit the state’s cooperation with deportation authorities.

Members of the Latino, black, and Asian American and Pacific Islander caucuses gathered in Annapolis on Monday to support the Trust Act, which aligns with “sanctuary” policies that cities and counties throughout the country have adopted in recent years.

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All Things Boating Spotlighted In Ocean City This Holiday Weekend

OCEAN CITY – As residents deal with chilling temperatures in the remaining days of winter, this weekend’s 34th Annual Seaside Boat Show gives the resort community hope for the warmer months to come.

This President’s Day weekend, 350 boats, 140 exhibits and 50 dealers will overtake the Roland E. Powell Convention Center, where visitors can view and purchase watercraft equipment, as well as learn about the industry’s newest water-related technology.

Like in years past, the Ocean City-Berlin Optimist Club – a local nonprofit composed of more than 120 members – will host the event and will use proceeds from the show to support youth programs and scholarship funds within the community.

Charles Smith, publicity chairman for the Optimist Club, said the event brings an average of 12,000 people through the doors of the convention center each year and offers them a chance to view the industry’s leading equipment and win a pontoon boat and motor, courtesy of North Bay Marina owners Scott and Mary McCurdy.

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Exclusive: Feds raid legendary Friars Club

Sources told Page Six that the agents left with "computers and boxes of files."

The feds raided the legendary Friars Club in Manhattan this week amid controversy over the finances of its charitable foundation, sources told The Post on Tuesday.

A squad of postal inspectors descended on the club’s Midtown town house and hauled away “computers and boxes of files” on Monday, sources said.

The US Postal Inspection Service — which investigates crimes including mail fraud and money laundering — conducted the raid in conjunction with Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara, sources said.

A dozen or more inspectors spent the entire day combing through the Friars Club offices, using large carts to tote away the evidence, sources said.

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Dan Rodricks: Letter to a young man in jail

Dear Lee Dotson: I believe I speak on behalf of the majority of citizens of Baltimore when I say we're glad the police arrested you Monday afternoon. We're glad because it looks as if another fellow with a gun has been taken off the streets, thereby reducing the possibility of at least one shooting in a city that has had too many this year already.

Of course, until the police and prosecution prove their cases beyond a reasonable doubt, you are innocent of the five charges against you – all of them violations of Maryland firearms law, including being a felon in possession of a gun.

I'm not telling you anything you do not already know. You are 26 years old, and based on court records, you have had a lot of contact with police, public defenders, prosecutors and judges since 2007.

It's one thing for the police to arrest you, another for them to prove their case.

But now that we have that out of the way, let's be real: You're in trouble again, young man. The law says that a person found guilty of being a convicted felon in possession of a gun "is subject to imprisonment for not less than 5 years and not exceeding 15 years."

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Gun-Controlled Chicago: Over 400 Shot Year-to-Date

It is Valentine’s Day in gun-controlled Chicago and there have been over 400 people shot in the city year-to-date.

The Chicago Tribune puts the precise number at 403. Moreover, the Tribune shows that there were more shooting victims in January 2017 than in January 2016, which means last’s year carnage not only carried over into this year but increased.

Breitbart News reported more than 300 people were shot in the first 30 days of 2017 alone. The Tribune reported 302 shootings January 1 through January 30, which is an average of just over 10 a day for 30 days.

There have already been 70 homicides in Chicago year-to-date. There were 54 in the first 30 days of 2017 alone.

By January 22 of this year, it was clear Chicago was on a trajectory for another year of bloody streets and lost lives. According to the Tribune, “At least 228 people were shot in Chicago [January 1 through January 22, 2017],” which was an increase of 16 victims above the number shot during the same period in 2016. And there were “at least 42 homicides” by January 22, marking a “23.5 percent … [increase from] the 34 homicides from the same period in 2016.”

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Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank responds to Trump tempest with letter to Baltimore

Under Armour founder Kevin Plank responded Wednesday to criticism sparked by his comments last week about President Donald J. Trump, addressing the company's hometown of Baltimore to stress personal and brand values such as diversity, equal rights and opportunity.

Plank penned an open letter to the city that appeared as a full-page advertisement in The Baltimore Sun.

"In a business television interview last week, I answered a question with a choice of words that did not accurately reflect my intent," wrote Plank, company chairman and CEO. "I want to clarify for our hometown exactly the values for which Under Armour and I stand."

In the interview a week ago on CNBC, Plank praised the president's pro-business philosophy, saying Trump "wants to make bold decisions and be decisive" and that having "such a pro-business president is something that's a real asset to this country. People should grab that opportunity."

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Trump Positioned to Shape Future of American Judicial System

Vacant seats, older judges could allow Trump to appoint more federal judges than any president in 40 years

President Donald Trump is positioned to potentially appoint more federal judges to the bench than any first-term president in 40 years due to several vacancies on federal courts and a growing number of older judges.

There are 870 federal court judgeships established under Article III of the Constitution that are appointed by the president, of which all but a few judges can serve lifetime terms. The majority of these judgeships are on district or appeals courts.

As Trump begins his presidency, 12 percent of the federal judiciary's seats are vacant, and 24 percent are eligible for "senior status," a kind of semi-retirement that judges reach with a combination of age and years served on the bench, the New York Times reported Tuesday. A seat becomes vacant once the judge who occupies it enters "senior status."

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Md. Immigrants Concerned About “Targeted Enforcement Operations”

BALTIMORE (WJZ)– Federal agents are conducting what they call “targeted enforcement operations” aimed at capturing and deporting those in the country illegally.

Some are claiming it happened in Maryland.

George Solis explains why immigrant advocate groups are calling foul on the operations.

Those groups fighting this tell WJZ the notion that these operations are designed to go after criminals is completely false. They say it’s all part of the frustration and confusion spawned by the president order’s on immigration.

United States Immigration and Customs released footage of what they call “targeted enforcement operations” in Los Angeles and Chicago Friday.

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Concealed Carrier Stops Stabbing At Topeka Walmart

Once again, it was a good guy with a concealed handgun that stepped in and saved a life, this time in the parking lot of a Topeka (KS) Walmart.

Topeka Police responded to reports of a stabbing at the Walmart on SE California in Topeka just after 4 p.m. Saturday.

TPD says two men were involved in an altercation, when a third party conceal carry holder intervened and stopped the assault.

“He intervened, drew his firearm, and held the people to the ground basically at gun-point,” said Topeka police Sergeant Joshua Klamm.

One of the men involved in the altercation was stabbed and transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Police say the two men knew each other.

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Report: Domestic Violence Deaths Have Increased Over Past Year

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The Maryland Network against Domestic Violence releases its annual report and the results are disturbing. Domestic violence deaths increased over the past year.

Days after police find the body of Tonja Chadwick, they charge her boyfriend Marco Holmes with murder.

Tonja was last seen alive January 28, her body found February 2 in a southwest Baltimore park.
Her mother told WJZ there was a history of violence.

“She called me and said he choked her until she blacked out and woke up shaking,” says Tonja’s mother.

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Parting Gifts: Obama Released A Flood of Illegal Alien Kids in His Final Month

It’s been nearly a month since he left office, and we’re looking under the White House sofa and finding little nuggets of crap President Obama left us before he took off for the beach.

According to recently published data from the Office of Refugee Resettlement, it turns out the Obama administration released another 7,686 illegal alien kids into the United States during the month of December, Obama’s final full month as president.

That’s about 248 kids released per day.

Ever the lover of all things amnesty, Obama had a strong penchant for allowing minors – or, at least, those claiming to be minors – to come into the United States unlawfully only to be sent off to live with sponsors, usually relatives who are also living here illegally. But it appears that in the mad dash to enact sweeping reforms before exiting stage left, the Obama administration released even more kids in December than in previous months.

For example, the nearly 7,700 unaccompanied alien children processed and released by the Office of Refugee Resettlement in December is about a thousand more than the 6,623 kids who were released the month before.

That’s also about 1,600 more kids than the 6,051 the Obama administration shipped off to sponsors in October.

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Study: Most drivers, not just young, are taking risks

Young drivers aren't alone in behaving badly on U.S. roads, a trend that could be contributing to a spike in highway deaths.

Well over half of drivers in every age group have texted behind the wheel, run a red light or driven faster than the speed limit in the last 30 days, according to a new study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

Younger drivers are the worst offenders. Eighty-eight percent of drivers ages 19 to 24 admitted to at least one of those behaviors. But even mature drivers skirted the rules more often researchers expected. For instance, 10 percent of drivers between 60 and 74 have texted or sent email from behind the wheel, while 37 percent of drivers over 75 said they'd driven through a light that had just turned red.

"It was a surprise that there were relatively high rates of these behaviors among the drivers we think of as safer," said Lindsay Arnold, a research associate with the AAA Foundation.

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Jefferson Statue At William & Mary Vandalized With Fake Blood, Targeted As Slave Owner

A William & Mary student photographed a Thomas Jefferson statue’s hands vandalized with fake blood, posted it on Facebook, and captioned his photo, “Overseen: TJ caught with the blood of all the people he owned on his hands.”

According to Bizpacreview, “The red paint below the statue seems to scrawl out “slave owner.” The photos, posted on Facebook, elicited numerous comments condemning the vandalism, including:

What does this accomplish? I know this likely isn't the case with many other places, but at least in this community of intelligent, well-read people, I would imagine that most people here are aware that Jefferson did indeed own slaves. Owning slaves is shitty and inexcusable, full stop. But I'm confused about what this accomplishes.

Oh just stop it. If you didn't want to go to a school that one of our Founding Fathers went to- then protest by matriculating elsewhere.

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Baltimore City Set to Shell Out $300K for Anthony Anderson Death

BALTIMORE (WJZ)– A wrongful death suit is set to cost Baltimore City big.

The City’s spending panel will approve a $300,000 settlement surrounding the death of Anthony Anderson. The largest settlement since Freddie Gray’s back in 2015.

Anderson died after being tackled by a police officer in east Baltimore.

Long before Freddie Gray, it was a case that exploded with controversy in the City. All surrounding the arrest and death of 46-year-old Anthony Anderson.

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11 NC officers busted in I-95 area drug operation, say investigators

More than a dozen law enforcement officers, including 11 in North Carolina, have been arrested in a government sting that included the FBI, the government announced last week.

WRAL-TV reported on Wednesday that each of the NC officers who were indicted have since confessed, according to prosecutors.

Thomas Walker, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District, said multiple people were arrested in a major sting of cocaine and heroin operations. Those arrested include five current members of the Northampton County sheriff’s office.

They were charged with trafficking cocaine and heroin up and down the I-95 corridor.

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COMMISSIONERS ANNOUNCE NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPUTY DIRECTOR

The Worcester County Commissioners announce the promotion of Kathryn Gordon to the position of Worcester County Economic Development (WCED) deputy director. She will step into her new role with WCED on February 27, 2017.

"Kathryn's unique combination of business ownership experience and human resources education will serve WCED, as we prioritize the expansion of workforce development resources in our County," WCED Director Merry Mears said.

Gordon, who along with her husband, Matt, owned and operated the family-owned Gordon Family Golf Center and Albatross Golf Management Company, joined the Worcester County Government team in 2013, where she worked in County Administration while completing her education. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business from Phoenix University and a Master of Science Degree in Human Resources Management from University of Maryland University College.

Here Comes the Cashless Grid: Europe Moves To Begin Elimination Of Paper Money

In the shadow of Donald Trump’s spree of controversial actions, the European commission has quietly launched the next offensive in the war on cash. These unelected bureaucrats have boldly asserted their intention to crack down on paper transactions across the E.U. and solidify a trend that has been gaining momentum for years.

The financial uncertainty amplified by Brexit has incentivized governments throughout Europe to seize further control over their banking systems. France and Spain have already criminalized cash transactions above a certain limit, but now the commission has unilaterally established new regulations that will affect the entire union. The fear of physical money flowing out of the trade bloc has manifested a draconian response from the State.

The European Action Plan doesn’t mention a specific dollar amount for restrictions, but as expected, their reasoning for the move is to thwart money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Border checks between countries have already been bolstered to help implement these new standards on hard assets. Although these end goals are plausible, there are other clear motivations for governments to target paper money that aren’t as noble.

Negative interest rates and high inflation are a deadly combination that could further destabilize the already fragile union in the future. With less physical currency circulating, these trends ensure that the impact of any additional central bank policies will be maximized. If economic conditions deteriorate, the threat of citizens pulling cash out of their accounts and starting a bank run is eliminated in a cashless system. So long as the people’s wealth is under centralized control, funds can be shifted at will to conceal any underlying problems. But the longer this shell game is allowed to persist, the more painful it will be when reality overrides the manipulation.

Since former Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF),Kenneth Rogoff, published a paper last year advocating for the U.S. $100 bill to be removed, governments around the world have pushed forward their agendas towards a cashless society. He wrote:

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Maryland Senate moves quickly to recoup $4.8 million in lost federal aid

After federal authorities followed through last week on a threat to withhold millions in transit aid from Maryland, the state Senate on Tuesday began fast-tracking a bill to restore the money.

Sen. Brian Feldman said lawmakers believed they had a "soft deadline" of Feb. 9 to create a new safety agency to oversee Washington, D.C.'s troubled Metro rail line. He said they didn't realize it was a "hard deadline" until the new Trump administration sent a letter Friday revoking $4.8 million in federal aid.

"We were all caught by surprise," said Feldman, a Montgomery County Democrat and chairman of the Joint Committee on Federal Relations.

Maryland, Virginia and D.C. were each penalized 5 percent of their federal transit aid for failing to establish a newly empowered safety commission by the deadline. They money will be reinstated if the jurisdictions create the agency — something officials agreed to do in principle seven years ago after a collision killed nine people near the Fort Totten Metro stop.

In February 2016, the Department of Transportation set the Feb. 9 deadline to enact a plan. The process involves passing identical legislation in all three jurisdictions, setting up the new agency and making sure it has the funds to operate.

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Hillary Clinton References Pizzagate in Tweet to General Flynn

Phillipe Reines, senior political advisor to Hillary Clinton, tweeted this to Genral Flynn and his son Mike Flynn Jr. last night, after it was announced that his Father had resigned from the national security position.

Dear Mike Flynn & Mike Flynn Jr.,

What goes around COMETS around.

And given your pizza obsession...

https://jobs.dominos.com/dominos-careers/ …

xo

Philippe

If you're unfamiliar with Flynn Jr., he was one of the more prominent people close to the Trump administration who questioned the peculiarities of the Pizzagate story.

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Lake: 'Permanent State' Destroyed Mike Flynn 'from the Cloak of Anonymity'

Eli Lake writes in Bloomberg View that the leaks leading to the resignation of National Security Advisor Mike Flynn are an alarming, weaponized use of “tightly held government secrets.” He likens the intelligence community’s actions to that of a police state.

From Bloomberg:

The point here is that for a White House that has such a casual and opportunistic relationship with the truth, it’s strange that Flynn’s “lie” to Pence would get him fired. It doesn’t add up.

It’s not even clear that Flynn lied. He says in his resignation letter that he did not deliberately leave out elements of his conversations with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak when he recounted them to Vice President Mike Pence. The New York Times and Washington Post reported that the transcript of the phone call reviewed over the weekend by the White House could be read different ways. One White House official with knowledge of the conversations told me that the Russian ambassador raised the sanctions to Flynn and that Flynn responded that the Trump team would be taking office in a few weeks and would review Russia policy and sanctions. That’s neither illegal nor improper.

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A New Jacksonian Era? Part 2

In Part One of this article I documented the populist administration of Andrew Jackson and similarities to Donald Trump’s populist victory in the recent election. I’ll now try to assess the chances of a Trump presidency accomplishing its populist agenda.

The Trumpian Era

“But you must remember, my fellow-citizens, that eternal vigilance by the people is the price of liberty, and that you must pay the price if you wish to secure the blessing. It is to be regretted that the rich and powerful too often bend the acts of government to their own selfish purposes.” – Andrew Jackson

“For too long, a small group in our nation’s capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered, but the jobs left and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your triumphs. And while they celebrated in our nation’s capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land. What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people. January 20th, 2017 will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again. The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.” – Donald J. Trump – Inaugural Speech

It is not a coincidence the painting in the oval office behind President Trump’s desk is of Andrew Jackson. He has promoted his presidency as a Jacksonian quest to return government to the people. His chief strategist Steve Bannon, a student of history, helped mold Trump’s speech with echoes of Jacksonian populism:

“It was an unvarnished declaration of the basic principles of his populist and kind of nationalist movement. It was given, I think, in a very powerful way. I don’t think we’ve had a speech like that since Andrew Jackson came to the White House. But you could see it was very Jacksonian. It’s got a deep, deep root of patriotism there.”

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Big Brother is watching you: Jim Rogers prophesizes death of cash & total govt control of spending

The time will come when you won't be able to buy a cup of coffee without being traced, warns investment guru Jim Rogers. To control people, governments will increasingly seek to hunt down cash spending, he adds.

“Governments are always looking out for themselves first, and it's the same old thing that has been going on for hundreds of years. The Indians recently did the same thing. They withdrew 86 percent of the currency in circulation, and they have now made it illegal to spend more than, I think it's about $4,000 in any cash transaction. In France you cannot use more than, I think it's a €1,000,”said Rogers in an interview with MacroVoices Podcast.

“Many countries are already doing this. Some states in the US you cannot make cash transactions above a certain amount. Governments love it. Then they can control you. If you want to go and buy a cup of coffee, they know how many you drink, where you buy them, etc., if they can all put it into electronic formats and they will. The world is all going electronic,” the investor said.

According to Rogers, governments will claim they are doing it for the public good, not for themselves.

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Older Judges and Vacant,Seats Give Trump Huge Power,to Shape American Courts

In the weeks since taking office, President Trump has derided court decisions as “ridiculous” and “disgraceful,” called the legitimacy of federal judges into question and encouraged people to blame the courts in the event of another terrorist attack.

But Mr. Trump could soon find himself responsible for appointing a greater share of federal court judges than any first-term president in 40 years, in large part because of a growing number of older judges and a stack of vacancies on the federal courts.

There are 870 Article III federal court judgeships, the vast majority on district courts or appeals courts like the one that recently upheld a halt on Mr. Trump’s immigration ban. These judges are appointed by the president and serve a lifetime term. (A few federal judges are appointed for limited terms.)

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Melania Trump: White House public tours to resume March 7

WASHINGTON —Public tours of the White House are scheduled to resume on March 7.

The tours had been temporarily suspended during the change in government and the beginning weeks of President Donald Trump's administration.

But first lady Melania Trump announced Tuesday that the popular tours will resume early next month.

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GOP Intel Chair: FBI 'Better Have a Good Answer' Why Flynn Was Recorded

Apart from what he said, one GOP lawmaker wants to know how and why Michael Flynn's conversation with a Russian ambassador ever saw the light of day in the first place, The Washington Post reported.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., plans to pose that question to the FBI.

"I expect for the FBI to tell me what is going on, and they better have a good answer," Nunes told the Post. "The big problem I see here is that you have an American citizen who had his phone calls recorded."

And then leaked.

More here

Netanyahu’s Office Threatens Lie Detector Tests Over Security Cabinet Leaks

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief of staff condemned harshly a series of leaks to come out of top-level meetings ahead of Netanyahu’s summit with US President Donald Trump, threatening to submit ministers to lie detector tests.

The government will “consider using polygraphs” to ensure that internal debates are not leaked from the security cabinet, one of Israel’s most sensitive security decision-making bodies, Yoav Horowitz told reporters accompanying the prime minister to Washington early on Tuesday.

On Sunday, Netanyahu convened the security cabinet, a forum of the most senior ministers, for a four-hour discussion in a bid to formulate policy on Iran, Syria and the Palestinians.

Several news outlets published leaked comments from the meeting minutes after it concluded, including reports that Netanyahu said he would seek to avoid a confrontation with the US president when they meet on Wednesday, especially given Trump’s personality.

“It’s impossible to work like this,” Horowitz said, arguing that any leaks — even if on the face of it some might look harmless — are detrimental to Israeli security interests.

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Former Obama Officials, Loyalists Waged Secret Campaign to Oust Flynn

Sleeper cells..

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. The Free Beacon first reported on this effort in January.

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Leader of Calexit movement called into question for ties to Russia

It would be easy to dismiss this as some fringe group trying to make California into its own country, but former intelligence officials tell the ABC7 News I-Team the ballot initiative leader's ties to Russia raise serious questions.

Louis Marinelli has received support in Russia from a far-right nationalist group that wants to break up the United States. Former intelligence officials say that association raises serious questions about his intent.

"You don't need this to be involved in California's campaign for independence," Marinelli said holding up an American flag.

He's the leader of the Yes California campaign, also dubbed Calexit. Marinelli is an American who lives in Russia, but his movement is getting a lot of attention stateside.

A recent Reuters poll found one in three Californians support the idea of withdrawing from the United States.

More here

The Left's Alinsky Plan to Destroy the Trump Administration

The current Democratic Party strategy is not to reach out to the voters they have lost over the past several years, but rather to make the country appear ungovernable, hoping that voters then turn to the Democrats for relief.

In recent protests at Los Angeles International Airport, for instance, Mayor Eric Garcetti not only joined demonstrators in solidarity, but did so at a time when protesters were blocking traffic and disrupting travel. He was perfectly willing to harm his own city for political gain — normally objectionable, except that it worked.

These tactics will not fade because of one resignation. Alinksy, after all, advised his acolytes to “keep the pressure on.” What is happening today will continue throughout the Trump administration. The government, and the conservative voters who are expecting it to deliver, will have to be just as tough, and even stronger, in the face of Alinskyite attacks.

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ENOUGH with the Russians Already!

By Thornton Crowe

This story has gotten seriously old and worn out beyond comprehension...

Ever since the election, everyday actually, there's been some different hysteria going on with the politicians and MSM that has gone way too far. The DC squatters have done everything in their power to retain power! Yet, they've done absolutely nothing for the working class in this country that pays their salaries. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

First, McCain and his evil twin Graham just happened to leak a dossier about Donald Trump pissing on some bed and having kinky sex which was all ginned up nonsense because the Toxic Twins DC style can't deal with the fact their guy pal Jeb didn't get through the first month in the primaries.

Then, we had Pelosi, who doesn't even realize that George W. Bush isn't our President anymore, with her buddy Schumer, whining and making vows to stop progress while Princess Fauxahontas screams at any cameraman stupid enough to film her jags for all the world to see. It's just a silly circus of stupidity and idiocy.

As of recent we've seen all this nonsense about Russians hijacking elections and talking with General Flynn about sanctions - oh, call the cops, the LOGAN ACT!

If the Democrats, Neocons and MSM were really that interested in National Security, we'd like to know, Where the hell were you when the Clintons were selling 20% of our uranium, allowing North Korea to have a path to nuclear weapons along with India? You weren't all that bothered about it then, so why now? Why now, when we have a president who really is working for a change, are they pissing up that tree?

Let's face it, people, both parties have been utterly and completely deplorable. They've both done everything humanly possible to do everything but actually help Americans with the issues that secured the White House for President Trump. The real truth is, DC hasn't waged war with Russia, they've declared war against the American people!

Use your noodles, kids, the Republicans gave this sad-sack story about how they tried to repeal Obamacare how many times when Obama was president, yet now, they walk back and claim they have no solid plan? Really? I call bull!

It's about BOTH Parties, not just Democrats!

The fact is, they all get kickbacks from that disaster - Republicans and Democrats alike. They've made money making America SICK not again, just sick! Therefore, the whole repeal and replace was all balderdash for everyone but President Trump. He really has a desire to do what he said during his campaign. Unlike the professional politicians, he got into this dog and pony show to make every American's life better. He wasn't just blowing smoke up everyone's tush!

Contrary to what Democrats and their lapdog media would have you believe, President Trump isn't a fascist but a humanitarian. One most of us voted for. Oh, don't even start with that popular vote nonsense, because there's way too many videos and evidence that Clinton didn't win the popular vote...do don't even go there because your pleas only fall on deaf ears. Get a grip.

And for the protestors. Bought and paid for pimps for Soros and his merry band of thieves. Sorry, but no one believes you're out there because of some altruistic gesture with bleeding hearts for illegal aliens' families. If they really wanted to keep their families together they wouldn't have committed the crime of coming here without the proper paperwork. And there's no such thing as a law abiding illegal alien because the minute they stepped in this country illegally or overstayed their visa illegally, they became lawbreakers - that's not law abiding by any stretch of the imagination... even the Democrats' colorful fairy tales.

Now we have Democrats and Republicans alike pissing and moaning over Russians.........AGAIN! Knock it off. Get a grip. We're not stupid. We can clearly see you're doing everything but dealing with the matters at hand. So let me boil it down for you in plain English:

• JOBS
• TAX REDUCTIONS
• HEALTHCARE
• IMMIGRATION INCLUDING BUILD THE BLEEDIN' WALL!

Expansion of attorney general lawsuit authority advances

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — A resolution empowering Maryland’s attorney general to sue the federal government without the governor’s permission has advanced in the House of Delegates.

The House gave the resolution initial approval Tuesday. A final vote could come as soon as Wednesday.

Democrats, who control the legislature, proposed the legislation out of concern for actions Republican President Donald Trump may take that could hurt Maryland. Supporters have noted worries about a potential Affordable Care Act repeal as an example.

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House committee moves to block D.C.’s assisted-suicide law

In a rare step, a House committee voted 22 to 14 Monday night to block a law that would make assisted suicide legal in the District, opening a new front in the conflict between congressional Republicans and the overwhelmingly Democratic capital city.

It was one of only a handful of times in the four-decade history of D.C. home rule that members of Congress have tried to use their constitutional power to overturn a city law, and the first attempt since the GOP took control of both Congress and the White House in January.

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House Speaker: When Trump Saw White House 'Being Misled' by Flynn, Resignation Requested

WASHINGTON -- House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) told reporters today that President Trump "was right to ask for" former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn's resignation while GOP senators want more answers about his contacts with Russia.

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway told the Today show this morning, though, that Flynn was the one to offer his resignation.

"He knew he had become a lightning rod and he made that decision," Conway said.

Flynn resigned Monday night after reports that he had spoken about sanctions with the Russian ambassador on the day that then-President Obama levied new penalties against Moscow for their influence campaign during the U.S. presidential election. Flynn originally said sanctions were not part of the transition-period conversation, and Vice President Pence publicly repeated the same in Flynn's defense.

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America's spies anonymously took down Michael Flynn. That is deeply worrying.

The United States is much better off without Michael Flynn serving as national security adviser. But no one should be cheering the way he was brought down.

The whole episode is evidence of the precipitous and ongoing collapse of America's democratic institutions — not a sign of their resiliency. Flynn's ouster was a soft coup (or political assassination) engineered by anonymous intelligence community bureaucrats. The results might be salutary, but this isn't the way a liberal democracy is supposed to function.

Unelected intelligence analysts work for the president, not the other way around. Far too many Trump critics appear not to care that these intelligence agents leaked highly sensitive information to the press — mostly because Trump critics are pleased with the result. "Finally," they say, "someone took a stand to expose collusion between the Russians and a senior aide to the president!" It is indeed important that someone took such a stand. But it matters greatly who that someone is and how they take their stand. Members of the unelected, unaccountable intelligence community are not the right someone, especially when they target a senior aide to the president by leaking anonymously to newspapers the content of classified phone intercepts, where the unverified, unsubstantiated information can inflict politically-fatal damage almost instantaneously.

President Trump was roundly mocked among liberals for that tweet. But he is, in many ways, correct. These leaks are an enormous problem. And in a less polarized context, they would be recognized immediately for what they clearly are: an effort to manipulate public opinion for the sake of achieving a desired political outcome. It's weaponized spin.

This doesn't mean the outcome was wrong. I have no interest in defending Flynn, who appears to be an atrocious manager prone to favoring absurd conspiracy theories over more traditional forms of intelligence.

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WCSO Press Releases - Feb 15, 2016

Incident: Most Wanted Apprehension
Date of Incident: 10 February 2017
Location: Delaware
Suspect: Danielle Christine Murphy, 30, Frankford, DE
Narrative: On 10 February 2016 at 3:30 PM, a deputy traveled to New Castle County, DE for the purpose of extraditing Danielle Murphy back to Wicomico County. Murphy was being sought on a District Court Bench Warrant that was issued in a theft case and Murphy had also been featured as one of Wicomico County’s “Most Wanted” on local media outlets.
Murphy 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 Murphy without bond
Charge: Failure to Appear

Incident: Violation of Pre-Trial Release
Date of Incident: 12 February 2017
Location: 31000 block of Stevens Lane, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Michael Francis Reynolds, 52, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 12 February 2016 at 4:50 PM a deputy arrested Michael Reynolds on a Bench Warrant that was issued after Reynolds violated the terms of his pre-trial release in a Driving Without a License case
Reynolds 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 detained Reynolds in the Detention Center without bond.
Charge: Violation of Pre-Trial Release

Incident: Fugitive
Date of Incident: 13 February 2017
Location: 200 block of Newton St, Salisbury, MD  *SBYNEWS*
Suspect: Mark Vincent Tyler, 46, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 13 February 2016 at 9:51 PM a deputy located and arrested Mark Tyler in the 200 block of Newton St on a Circuit Court Bench Warrant. The warrant was issued after Tyler failed to appear in the Circuit Court for a Burglary and Resisting Arrest case.
Tyler was detained in the Detention Center without bond pending an initial appearance in front of a Circuit Court Judge.
Charge: Failure to Appear

Incident: Warrant
Date of Incident: 13 February 2017
Location: 900 block of Delaware Avenue, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Edmond Landon Urie, 34, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 13 February 2016 at 11:17 AM a deputy arrested Edmond Urie at a residence in the 900 block of Delaware Avenue on two Circuit Court Bench Warrants. The warrants were issued after Urie violated the terms of his probation in two burglary cases.
Urie was detained without bond in the Detention Center pending an initial appearance in front of a Circuit Court Judge.
Charge: Violation of Probation

Military Intel Confirms JW Reporting: Muslim Terrorists Entering U.S. Via Mexico

Corroborating what Judicial Watch uncovered years ago, a U.S. military intelligence report disclose Muslim terrorists are being smuggled into the country through Mexico. The government calls them Special Interest Aliens (SIA) and Latin American smuggling networks are helping them cross the border, according to information obtained from a U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) Intelligence dispatch.

Located in Miami, Florida SOUTHCOM is one of nine unified combat commands in the Department of Defense (DOD). It’s responsible for providing contingency planning operations and security cooperation in Central and South America as well as the Caribbean. The internal assessment on SIA smuggling has not been made public, but a conservative Washington D.C. online newspaper obtained key points from the command’s J-2 intelligence directorate. A SOUTHCOM Army colonel told the paper that in 2015 more than 30,000 migrants who entered the U.S. through the southwestern border were from countries of “terrorist concern.”

The new SOUTHCOM report specifically mentions Sunni extremists, the news article states. The terrorists are using a known alien smuggling network in Latin America to reach the U.S. but the network has not been identified by military officials. “Networks that specialize in smuggling individuals from regions of terrorist concern, mainly from the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, the Middle East, and East Africa, are indeed a concern for SOUTHCOM and other interagency security partners who support our country’s national security,” a SOUTHCOM Army Colonel, Lisa A. Garcia, says in the story. “There are major hubs that serve as entry points into the region for migrants from those areas of concern attempting to enter the U.S. along our border with Mexico.”

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Md. bills would limit help in enforcing immigration laws

WASHINGTON — After taking office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that threatens federal funding cuts to so-called “sanctuary communities” where law enforcement officials don’t cooperate fully with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Now, some Maryland lawmakers are responding to Trump’s order, with two new bills aimed at limiting how much state and local resources can be used during the enforcement of immigration laws.

“You can’t deputize law enforcement officials to enforce immigration law like through stopping, arresting or searching or detaining an individual simply to find out their immigration or citizenship status,” said Del. Maricé Morales, D-Montgomery County, who introduced a house version of the “Trust Act” bill.

Morales said her bill and a twin bill in the state Senate — as law — would prevent police officers from questioning victims and those arrested about their citizenship or place of birth. The legislation also would bar officers from assisting in immigration enforcement operations in the communities they serve.

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Liberal Frenzy: 'Impeach' Trump; 'Traitor! Resign by Morning'

Liberal activists, stung by their election loss, have been angling to get rid of President Trump since the day he took office.

Some of them are now seizing on the resignation of National Security Director Michael Flynn as the scandal they need to topple Trump -- or more of his top advisers.

In his resignation letter, Flynn wrote, “because of the fast pace of events, I inadvertently briefed the Vice President-Elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian Ambassador.” Flynn reportedly did discuss sanctions with the Russian ambassador, but he didn't tell that to Vice President Pence, who denied it on national television.

In a series of furious tweets early Tuesday morning, film-maker Michael Moore, the epitome of the angry liberal, called both Flynn and Trump traitors, demanding either Trump's impeachment or resignation -- whichever comes first, presumably.

Around the same time, two congressional Democrats, expressing shock and dismay, are demanding a "full classified briefing by all relevant agencies," including the FBI and the Justice Department, to find out who authorized Flynn's conversations with the Russians, who "permitted them," and who "continued to let him have access to our most sensitive national security information despite knowing these risks."

"We need to know who else within the White House is a current and ongoing risk to our national security," Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), ranking member on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said in statement.

Here's an indication of where the left goes from here, as illustrated by Moore's tweets and the Democrats' call for an investigation.

Subject: Asra Nomani: Voting for Trump as a Muslim Immigrant Revealed ‘Intolerance of the Tolerance-Loving Left’

On Tuesday’s Breitbart News Daily, former Georgetown Professor Asra Nomani recalled the intolerant reaction of fellow liberal academics after she voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 election.

Nomani went public with her voting decision in a Washington Post op-ed. She explained she was a “51-year-old, a Muslim, an immigrant woman ‘of color’” who became a “silent voter for Donald Trump,” and she made it clear she was not motivated by bigotry or a desire for “white supremacism.” Her stated reasons for voting for Trump included the damaging effects of Obamacare and concern about the rise of Islamist extremism worldwide.

She was immediately accused of bigotry and facilitating white supremacism after publishing her article, with one former colleague insulting her as a “clueless dolt” and questioning her humanity.

“You all were kind enough to write a piece from my experience since my election vote, in which a former colleague at Georgetown University, a professor in the Department of Peace and Security Studies, told me to ‘eff off and go to hell’ because of my vote,” she recalled.

“It became a window for me into not just my dynamics with this one individual, but this phenomena that you’re talking about, of the intolerance of the tolerance-loving Left. I was just shocked,” Nomani told SiriusXM host Alex Marlow.

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Williams: Pawns of Liberals

Ordinary black people cannot afford to go along with the liberal agenda that calls for undermining police authority. That agenda makes for more black crime victims. Let's look at what works and what doesn't work.

In 1990, New York City adopted the practice in which its police officers might stop and question a pedestrian. If there was suspicion, they would frisk the person for weapons and other contraband. This practice, well within the law, is known as a Terry stop. After two decades of this proactive police program, New York City's homicides fell from over 2,200 per year to about 300. Blacks were the major beneficiaries of proactive policing. According to Manhattan Institute scholar Heather Mac Donald — author of "The War on Cops" — seeing as black males are the majority of New York City's homicide victims, more than 10,000 blacks are alive today who would not be had it not been for proactive policing.

The American Civil Liberties Union and other leftist groups brought suit against proactive policing. A U.S. District Court judge ruled that New York City's "stop and frisk" policy violated the 14th Amendment's promise of equal protection because black and Hispanic people were subject to stops and searches at a higher rate than whites. But the higher rate was justified. Mac Donald points out that while blacks are 23 percent of New York City's population, they are responsible for 75 percent of shootings and 70 percent of robberies. Whites are 34 percent of the population of New York City. They are responsible for less than 2 percent of shootings and 4 percent of robberies. If you're trying to prevent shootings and robberies, whom are you going to focus most attention on, blacks or whites?

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U.S. experts soften on DNA editing of human eggs, sperm, embryos

Powerful gene editing tools may one day be used on human embryos, eggs and sperm to remove genes that cause inherited diseases, according to a report by U.S. scientists and ethicists released on Tuesday.

The report from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the National Academy of Medicine said scientific advances make gene editing in human reproductive cells "a realistic possibility that deserves serious consideration.”

The statement signals a softening in approach over the use of the technology known as CRISPR-Cas9 that has opened up new frontiers in genetic medicine because of its ability to modify genes quickly and efficiently.

In December 2015, scientists and ethicists at an international meeting held at the NAS in Washington said it would be "irresponsible" to use gene editing technology in human embryos for therapeutic purposes, such as to correct genetic diseases, until safety and efficacy issues are resolved.

Though the technology is still not ready, the latest NAS report says clinical trials for genome editing of the human germline could be permitted, "but only for serious conditions under stringent oversight."

Such editing is not legal in the United States, and other countries have signed a convention prohibiting the practice on concerns it could be used to create so-called designer babies.

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Maryland: General Assembly Schedules Annual Gun Day – Numerous Firearm Bills to be Heard

March just got a lot busier as the Maryland House and Senate committees are scheduling their respective “Gun Days.”  The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee has scheduled its “Gun Day” for March 8, while the House Judiciary Committee has scheduled it for March 14.  A non-exhaustive list of the bills to be heard in those committees and on what days is below:

March 1 – Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee

Senate Bill 946, an anti-gun bill sponsored by Senator Smith, creates a federally prohibitive criminal penalty for the possession of a firearm on a college campus in Maryland.  This is the same bill as HB 159 which passed the House last week.  Those with wear and carry permits do not present a threat to public safety, as they are one of the most law-abiding segments of the population.  Current law already allows each university to set its own policy regarding the carrying or possession of firearms.  This legislation is a blanket prohibition that disallows schools from using discretion on their campus.

March 2 – House Judiciary Committee

House Bill 294, an anti-gun bill sponsored by Delegate Dumais, would prohibit from firearms ownership those persons with a probation before judgement in a domestically related 2^nd degree assault.  In Maryland, 2^nd degree assault does not require injury, only unwanted physical contact.  A probation before judgement is a legal option used by the Courts to allow an individual to maintain a period of good behavior in exchange for a future lack of criminal record.  They should not be treated as convictions.  Domestic Abusers should be convicted of their crimes, and persons without criminal records should not lose Constitutional rights.

March 8 – Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee – GUN DAY

Anti-Gun Bills

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LISTEN: Russian comedian prank calls Maxine Waters — poses as Ukraine PM

A Russian comedian has posted a phone conversation on his Facebook page he claims is with California Congresswoman Maxine Waters in which he poses as the prime minister of Ukraine.

And Waters falls for it — hard.

“I was surprised to hear that you called me,” Waters tells a man known as Vovan, “but I’m delighted to talk with you.”

The comedian, posing as Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman, and Waters discussed U.S. sanctions on Russia and Donald Trump’s position on them.

He went on to tell Waters that he has “good relations with Ms. Clinton.”

“She doing fine,” Waters responded. “She has come out some. I think she did one or two speeches and she’s been tweeting a bit on her telephone.

“So she’s coming back, she’s going to be alright.”

Waters seemed to be confused repeatedly by geographical locations, including when the comedian informed Waters that Russians hackers affected elections in the African province of Limpopo.

Here's the video..

ICE, Border Patrol continue to nab bad hombres along U.S.-Mexico border

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested an illegal immigrant from Honduras on assault charges moments before he was set to board a flight out of the country last week.

McAllen police called ICE agents to intercept 31-year-old Andres Roberto Ortiz about an hour before his scheduled deportation on Feb. 9 over evidence that allegedly links him to the aggravated assault of a McAllen, Texas man last month, the Brownsville Herald reports.

“Ortiz’s arrest come more than a week since officers responded to a rollover crash Jan. 30 at about 12:30 a.m. near the 3100 block of westbound Frontage Road after witnesses reported a driver crashed an SUV into a canal and fled the scene,” according a police statement cited by the news site.

Police found the SUV’s owner – a 56-year-old man who had been badly beaten – at a home on West Kennedy Avenue and later determined Ortiz attacked the man and stole his vehicle after arriving on a bus from Houston the same night. The victim remains in critical condition.

More here

Note to the Left: Four Years Ago, Conservatives Were Just as Depressed

Here's a news flash for Democrats and other Americans on the left: Four years ago, when Barack Obama was re-elected president, conservatives were just as depressed as you are now that Hillary Clinton lost and Donald Trump won.

I describe this as news because this undoubtedly surprises many of you. You probably never gave a moment's thought to how depressed conservatives were in 2012. (Why would you? Unlike you, we shun hysteria.) But believe me — we were.

Many of us believed that President Obama was doing great damage to America. Now we are convinced that he did more damage to America domestically, to America's position the world and to the world at large than any other two-term president. He left office with racial tensions — many of which he exacerbated — greater than at any time since the civil rights era half a century ago. He left the world's worst regimes — Iran, China, Russia, North Korea and radical Islamist terror groups — stronger and more aggressive than before he became president. Economic growth never rose above 3 percent, a first for a two-term president. He nearly doubled the national debt and had little to nothing to show for it. Obamacare hurt more people financially than it helped medically, including physicians. More people than ever are on government aid. The list is far longer than this.

Moreover, just like most Democrats in 2016, most Republicans in 2012 expected to win.

The depression among conservatives was palpable. To cite only my own experience, I turned the television off on election night. It was too painful to watch. Instead, I played hearts on the computer and listened to Strauss's "Death and Transfiguration" to lighten the mood.

But why does the level of conservative despair four years ago come as a surprise to Americans on the left?

First, unlike much of the left, most conservatives handle despair like mature adults. Most obviously, we didn't riot. In fact, in America, rioting — not to mention shutting down highways and airports, taking over college offices and protesting at peoples' homes — is a monopoly of the left.

Nor did we allow our conservative children to take a day off from school to demonstrate..

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You are looking at a future president of the US in Mr. Gowdy

California spent on high-speed rail and illegal immigrants, but ignored Oroville Dam

The flood danger from the Oroville Dam receded Monday, but California was hit by a wave of criticism for failing to heed warnings about risks to the spillway at a time when the state spent generously on illegal immigrants and high-speed rail.

California Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, came under fire amid reports that federal and state officials for years rebuffed or ignored calls to fortify the massive 50-year-old dam, which provides water to more than 20 million farmers and residential consumers.

“What’s Governor Brown doing?” former state Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, a Republican, asked in a Monday post on Facebook. “The same thing he’s been doing for decades — obstructing progress.”

A radio talk show host, Mr. Donnelly said California “has been so busy defying President Donald Trump in order to protect illegal aliens from deportation that it forgot to do the things government is supposed to do, like maintain infrastructure. Governor Brown is now going hat-in-hand to beg the Trump administration for emergency funds.”

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How Obama is scheming to sabotage Trump’s presidency

The far left thought they had it won! Four or eight years of Hillary, and their socialist agenda would be so completely enmeshed in our economic, political, cultural and educational system that the old America would be gone. Then came Trump to upset their apple cart.

But the left won’t let go easily. The immediate campaign to discredit Trump’s election gets uglier by the day. Trump is “unhinged”. He and his supporters are labeled “alt right” fascists and bigots. The specter of Nazis and a Hitler dictatorship is thrown around by hysterical Hollywood bubble heads and on university campuses. This kind of irresponsible demagoguery, assisted by the media is encouraging violence and anarchy. Funded by the Soros network and aided by Obama’s army of agitators, “spontaneous” protests will be led by professional protesters and joined by useful idiots. The goal – anarchy, breakdown of civil order and the rule of law-- and blame it on Trump….. Ellen Sauerbrey

How Obama is scheming to sabotage Trump’s presidency

I gave her a room and now she wants some distance

Dear Carolyn: My little sister (late 20s) got married last year. Within months she found out her 30-year-old husband was cheating on her with a barely legal cashier at his job.

They tried to work things out, only for my sister to discover the affair was still going on and predated the wedding. She decided she was done, only now she was pregnant.

I decided to invite her to live with me and my family, which involved buying a new (and much more expensive) house.

Now she has decided to try to work things out with her husband, and will probably break her promise of a several years’ stay in our home. I can afford the new mortgage without her financial contribution, but not without serious lifestyle changes.

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Do Black Lives Really Matter?

Autopsy: 7-year-old suffered 20 gunshot wounds in Salisbury NC.

SALISBURY, NC (FOX 46) - New details have come out about a 7-year-old Salisbury girl who was gunned down in her sleep back in December. According to the autopsy report, A’yanna Allen suffered 20 gunshot wounds.

You would think a $20,000 reward being offered in this case might get people talking. But police said they’re frustrated after still not receiving the information they need to make an arrest in the child’s murder and another killing they believe is connected to this case.

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I Met This Incredible Woman 17 Years Ago At Lighthouse Sound

Jennifer and I married on Valentines Day 15 years ago. We decided to spend our special day back at the very place we met and it was absolutely wonderful.

While Lighthouse Sound in Bishopville may be "out of sight, out of mind" for many, this is by far one of the greatest restaurants on the entire Eastern Shore. I had the bone in lamb chop, (above) loaded with lump crab meat while Jennifer enjoyed lobster. 

If you ever want to take someone special to a wonderful restaurant with an incredible environment, give Lighthouse Sound a try. You won't be disappointed. 

Radical Muslim cleric the latest to be arrested at the border

U.S. border guards got a surprise when they searched a Mexican BMW and found a hardline Muslim cleric – banned from France and Canada – curled up in the boot.

Said Jaziri, who called for the death of a Danish cartoonist that drew pictures of the prophet Mohammed, was being smuggled into California when he was arrested, along with his driver Kenneth Robert Lawler.

The 43-year-old was deported from Canada to his homeland Tunisia in 2007 after it emerged he had lied on his refugee application about having served jail time in France.

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Navy Seals parachuting into a football stadium

ICYMI: O’Malley Sees the Light on Redistricting

From The Baltimore Sun

Editorial Board – “But rather than branding Mr. O'Malley a convenient convert on the matter, we see in the reasons for his change of heart a strong argument that Maryland Democrats ought to heed.”

The Baltimore Sun
Editorial Board
February 13, 2017

“A a recent lecture at the Boston College School of Law, former Gov. Martin O'Malley outlined what he described as a ‘principled response’ to Trumpism and the threats to our democratic institutions it represents. Among his prescriptions: a state-by-state effort to end the gerrymandering of congressional districts, ‘a system that drives our representatives apart ... has wiped out diversity of opinions ... [and] digs ideological trenches around incumbents.’

“Marylanders who caught wind of this might be excused for thinking, ‘that's rich.’

“The notion that it was damaging our democracy to use highly sophisticated computer mapping and micro-targeting of voters to shape congressional districts to one party's advantage wasn't exactly news when Mr. O'Malley got the chance to reshape Maryland's political map after the 2010 census. For years, it had been clear that the two pernicious tactics of the gerrymander — packing huge numbers of voters of the party you want to hurt into a few districts or diluting their power by spreading them out among many districts — was fueling the forces of extremism on both ends of the political spectrum. Members of Congress had little to fear in general elections but lived in terror of primary challenges, leading the House away from compromise and toward sclerotic partisanship.

Cancel MPR for Kristian Kelley

Thank you for your help. Kristian Kelley returned home safely overnight.