DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Monday, April 10, 2017
Going Without
People think it’s crazy to go without health insurance – not that it’s any of their business. But they think it is their business – and so we have Obamacare and almost Trump Care, which at least would have resurrected some connection between the cost of premiums and the insured person’s risk profile, including such variables as their age and pre-existing conditions.
If you are older or have an established chronic illness, you’d have paid more for coverage under TrumpCare.
Egads!
This is considered by some to be morally outrageous.
These same people don’t, however, complain about the iniquity of car insurance costing convicted drunk drivers or teenagers or the glaucomic elderly more.
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If you are older or have an established chronic illness, you’d have paid more for coverage under TrumpCare.
Egads!
This is considered by some to be morally outrageous.
These same people don’t, however, complain about the iniquity of car insurance costing convicted drunk drivers or teenagers or the glaucomic elderly more.
More
What Every Small Town In Maryland Had In The 1930s. It Was A Simpler Time.
It’s hard to imagine what life was like 80 years ago in the Old Line State. Development, inventions, and population continues to rise and Maryland looks insanely different than it did in decades past. Take a look at the following images to get a glimpse of what every small town in Maryland had in the 1930s.
The shops were small, and the barber was likely known by everyone in town. (Berwyn, 1937)
Clinton Foundation : Corruption at highest level
INTERESTING!!!
She’s just a poor working girl trying to make it in this hard, cruel world. It’s a never ending hand-to-mouth, day-to-day struggle. Suspect this is real since you can go to check the return (see below)?
The real heart of the Clintons can be seen here. Staggering but not surprising. These figures are from an official copy of the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation for the tax year 2014. The copy of the tax return is from the National Center for Charitable Statistics website! You can get the latest tax return on any charitable organization!
Total revenue (line 12) $177,804,612.00
Total grants to charity (line 13) $ 5,160,385.00 (that's less than 3%)
Total expenses of $ 91,281,145.00
Expenses include:
Salaries (line 15) $ 34,838,106.00
Fund raising fees (line 16a) $ 850,803.00
Other expenses (line 17) $ 50,431,851.00
Travel $ 8,000,000.00
Meetings $ 12,000,000.00
They list 486 employees (line 5)! It took 486 people who are paid $34.8 million and $91.3 million in fees and expenses, to give away $5.1 MILLION
Line 22 shows ending year net assets/fund balances of $332,471,349.00 which is up $85,171,891 from last year's tax return!
And they call this a CHARITY?
The full tax return is at Caution-http://990s.foundation center.org/990_pdf_archive/ 311/311580204/311580204_ 201412_990.pdf
Snow Hill Welcomes New Business To Long Dormant Building
SNOW HILL – Shoppers can step back in time as they walk through the doors of Snow Hill’s newest business.
After months of renovations, on Friday Toy Town Antiques opened in the town’s long vacant opera house. The store, formerly located in Berlin, attracts antique collectors from all over the country.
“We are so happy,” Snow Hill Mayor Charlie Dorman said. “This building has been vacant 16 years. To see a proven business come out of Berlin to come to Snow Hill, it’s amazing. It’ll be one of our main attractions.”
Richard Seaton, proprietor of Toy Town, said he made the decision to move his shop to Snow Hill last year, knowing that his lease in Berlin was expiring and that Snow Hill was a more affordable alternative. Because Toy Town has a strong base of regular customers, he wasn’t too worried about losing the foot traffic of Berlin.
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Indian police arrest alleged ringleader of IRS scam
Sagar Thakkar, 24, was detained in Mumbai after arriving on a flight from Dubai on Saturday.
"He was the mastermind of IRS scam call centers in the state of Maharashtra and one center in Ahmedabad," said Mukund Hatote, assistant commissioner of police in Thane, just north of Mumbai.
Hatote said Thakkar stands accused of extortion, cheating, impersonation, criminal conspiracy as well as violating India's communications and tech laws.
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Welcome Spring With This Musical Treat !
Finally it looks like spring has arrived! And with it, Pemberton Hall Foundation is planning a very special musical treat. On April 30, at 2pm in the historic Great Room of Pemberton Hall the Blarney Pilgrim Ensemble will be entertaining with selections of 18th century music! Led by Meri Holden on violin, this presentation will be the first of several afternoon musical mini-concerts planned for this year by Pemberton Hall. Ms. Holden will be joined by husband Brad, also an accomplished musician, and others.
Pemberton Hall was and is the centerpoint of one of Wicomico’s best kept secrets – a restored 18th century plantation, on the banks of the Wicomico River, and once a major point in the tobacco economy of the lower Eastern Shore. The home, built by Isaac Handy in 1741, has been restored to its beautiful origins. The Great Room, once the center of activity for this part of now-Wicomico County, witnessed Mr. Handy’s leadership in economic, military, and judicial life. Because of the room’s size and it age, the number of persons who can gather today in such a wonderful gathering as this musical presentation is limited to less than 40 persons.
Following the concert, guests will be treated after the concert to light refreshments and a chance to take an informal behind-the-scenes tour of the Hall (house, in today’s parlance!) Tickets, at $25 per person or $40 per couple, can be reserved by calling 443-235-9691 or mailing requests to Pemberton Hall Foundation, 6272 Westbury Drive, Salisbury MD 21801. If you are mailing, please include a contact number so that the folks at PHF can get back to you. All proceeds from this concert will be used toward the upkeep of the Hall and for their youth education programs.
Pemberton Hall was and is the centerpoint of one of Wicomico’s best kept secrets – a restored 18th century plantation, on the banks of the Wicomico River, and once a major point in the tobacco economy of the lower Eastern Shore. The home, built by Isaac Handy in 1741, has been restored to its beautiful origins. The Great Room, once the center of activity for this part of now-Wicomico County, witnessed Mr. Handy’s leadership in economic, military, and judicial life. Because of the room’s size and it age, the number of persons who can gather today in such a wonderful gathering as this musical presentation is limited to less than 40 persons.
Following the concert, guests will be treated after the concert to light refreshments and a chance to take an informal behind-the-scenes tour of the Hall (house, in today’s parlance!) Tickets, at $25 per person or $40 per couple, can be reserved by calling 443-235-9691 or mailing requests to Pemberton Hall Foundation, 6272 Westbury Drive, Salisbury MD 21801. If you are mailing, please include a contact number so that the folks at PHF can get back to you. All proceeds from this concert will be used toward the upkeep of the Hall and for their youth education programs.
Stores Are Closing at a Record Pace as Amazon Chews Up Retailers
The battered American retail industry took a few more lumps this week, with stores at both ends of the price spectrum preparing to close their doors.
At the bottom, the seemingly ubiquitous Payless Inc. shoe chain filed for bankruptcy and announced plans to shutter hundreds of locations. Ralph Lauren Corp., meanwhile, said it will close its flagship Fifth Avenue Polo store -- a symbol of old-fashioned luxury that no longer resonates with today’s shoppers.
And the teen-apparel retailer Rue21 Inc. could be the next casualty. The chain, which has about 1,000 stores, is preparing to file for bankruptcy as soon as this month, according to people familiar with the situation. Just a few years ago, it was sold to private equity firm Apax Partners for about a billion dollars.
“It’s an industry that’s still in search for answers,” said Noel Hebert, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. “I don’t know how many malls can reinvent themselves.”
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At the bottom, the seemingly ubiquitous Payless Inc. shoe chain filed for bankruptcy and announced plans to shutter hundreds of locations. Ralph Lauren Corp., meanwhile, said it will close its flagship Fifth Avenue Polo store -- a symbol of old-fashioned luxury that no longer resonates with today’s shoppers.
And the teen-apparel retailer Rue21 Inc. could be the next casualty. The chain, which has about 1,000 stores, is preparing to file for bankruptcy as soon as this month, according to people familiar with the situation. Just a few years ago, it was sold to private equity firm Apax Partners for about a billion dollars.
“It’s an industry that’s still in search for answers,” said Noel Hebert, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. “I don’t know how many malls can reinvent themselves.”
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Should Delaware’s top earners pay more in taxes?
DOVER — What’s the difference between yearly earnings of $60,001 and $1 million?
Yes, it’s nearly $940,000, but in Delaware, there’s no distinction between the two figures for tax purposes.
All income above $60,000 is considered in the state’s top tax bracket. That means someone who makes $60,001 pays the same rate of 6.6 percent as a tycoon of industry pulling in millions of dollars each year.
Republicans say higher taxes stifle economic growth; Democrats have mixed views.
The Delaware General Assembly is no exception.
But with revenues projected to fall well short of projected spending, lawmakers have to do something to balance the budget for the fiscal year starting July 1. Those steps will be decided over the ensuing months.
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Yes, it’s nearly $940,000, but in Delaware, there’s no distinction between the two figures for tax purposes.
All income above $60,000 is considered in the state’s top tax bracket. That means someone who makes $60,001 pays the same rate of 6.6 percent as a tycoon of industry pulling in millions of dollars each year.
Republicans say higher taxes stifle economic growth; Democrats have mixed views.
The Delaware General Assembly is no exception.
But with revenues projected to fall well short of projected spending, lawmakers have to do something to balance the budget for the fiscal year starting July 1. Those steps will be decided over the ensuing months.
More
CA homeowner catches twice-deported sex offender breaking into house
A Port Hueneme family got an unwanted lesson in illegal immigration Wednesday when they caught a previously deported sex offender peeping through the windows of their home less than 24 hours after he crossed back into the U.S.
Magaly Barragan told KABC she noticed the man peeping through the window of her home from the back yard around 9 a.m. Wednesday and called the Port Hueneme Police.
Barragan said the man was trying to break in through the window, and when she confronted him he jumped a fence and tried to hide, NBC Los Angeles reports.
Police arrested 39-year-old Guillermo Damaso nearby, and after the homeowner identified him in a lineup, they booked him into the Ventura County Jail for attempted burglary.
Port Hueneme Police Chief Andrew Salinas said Damaso is a convicted sex offender and illegal immigrant with multiple deportations.
“We did locate and determine that he was a two-time previously deported sex offender and had re-entered our country less than 24 hours ago,” Salinas told KABC. “He is now immediately re-offending here in our small city of Port Hueneme, California.”
Damaso currently has a pending arrest warrant in Florida for indecent exposure to minors, as well as weapons and narcotics violations in California.
More here
Magaly Barragan told KABC she noticed the man peeping through the window of her home from the back yard around 9 a.m. Wednesday and called the Port Hueneme Police.
Barragan said the man was trying to break in through the window, and when she confronted him he jumped a fence and tried to hide, NBC Los Angeles reports.
Police arrested 39-year-old Guillermo Damaso nearby, and after the homeowner identified him in a lineup, they booked him into the Ventura County Jail for attempted burglary.
Port Hueneme Police Chief Andrew Salinas said Damaso is a convicted sex offender and illegal immigrant with multiple deportations.
“We did locate and determine that he was a two-time previously deported sex offender and had re-entered our country less than 24 hours ago,” Salinas told KABC. “He is now immediately re-offending here in our small city of Port Hueneme, California.”
Damaso currently has a pending arrest warrant in Florida for indecent exposure to minors, as well as weapons and narcotics violations in California.
More here
Five bills covered earlier died in committee: online sales tax, overtime pay, corporate filing fee
For MarylandReporter.com
Many bills get a hearing, and maybe some discussion in committee, but not much more, dying a silent death with little notice.
Here are some of those bills whose hearings MarylandReporter.com covered, but were never heard from afterward. All but one never got a vote in committee.
HB1213/SB855, Online sales tax fails: A proposed online sales tax failed to move after committee hearings in the House and Senate on March 8. Passage of the Main Street Fairness Act of 2017 would have required sellers without a physical presence in Maryland to collect the state’s 6% sales tax from Marylanders buying on. Under current law only online sellers with a physical presence in Maryland must collect the 6% sales tax.
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Confused About Syria, You Should Be
Close your eyes, click your heels three times, and tell me if you actually know what the fuck is happening in Syria.
There’s an awful lot about the poison gas attack that doesn’t add up for the casual observer.
It was only a week ago that the US enunciated a new policy that we would be content for Bashar al Assad to remain in power presiding over the Syrian government — after years of grousing and threats against him. Apparently Trump Central had concluded that Assad was a better alternative than another failed state in the Middle East with no government at all.
That policy change was a yuge benefit for Assad since it removed any pretext for US subterfuge or “black box” mischief against him. He was rather busy fighting a civil war, after all. Against whom? A mash-up of Jihadi forces ranging from Isis (so-called), to al Qaeda and Jabhat al Nusra, its spinoff gang dedicated specifically against Assad personally. Assad’s relations with Isis were ambiguous and complex. Isis had used Syria as a staging area for its operations next door in Iraq. It was rumored that Assad purchased oil from Isis. Yet Isis had participated in actions against Assad. In any case, all of the Jihadis were Sunni, in opposition to Assad’s Iran-leaning regime. Assad himself belongs to the Alawite sect of Islam, a twig on the Shia branch. Syria as a whole is a majority Sunni population, so Assad and his father Hafez before him (President 1971 – 2000) have represented a minority (12 percent) in an era of inflamed Sunni-Shia passions.
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There’s an awful lot about the poison gas attack that doesn’t add up for the casual observer.
It was only a week ago that the US enunciated a new policy that we would be content for Bashar al Assad to remain in power presiding over the Syrian government — after years of grousing and threats against him. Apparently Trump Central had concluded that Assad was a better alternative than another failed state in the Middle East with no government at all.
That policy change was a yuge benefit for Assad since it removed any pretext for US subterfuge or “black box” mischief against him. He was rather busy fighting a civil war, after all. Against whom? A mash-up of Jihadi forces ranging from Isis (so-called), to al Qaeda and Jabhat al Nusra, its spinoff gang dedicated specifically against Assad personally. Assad’s relations with Isis were ambiguous and complex. Isis had used Syria as a staging area for its operations next door in Iraq. It was rumored that Assad purchased oil from Isis. Yet Isis had participated in actions against Assad. In any case, all of the Jihadis were Sunni, in opposition to Assad’s Iran-leaning regime. Assad himself belongs to the Alawite sect of Islam, a twig on the Shia branch. Syria as a whole is a majority Sunni population, so Assad and his father Hafez before him (President 1971 – 2000) have represented a minority (12 percent) in an era of inflamed Sunni-Shia passions.
More
Commissioners OK Ag Solar Project
SNOW HILL – The Worcester County Commissioners approved plans for a utility scale solar project in Whaleyville following a public hearing Tuesday.
The commissioners voted 6-0 to approve the Gateway Solar Project, a 15.6 megawatt (AC) system to be built by Community Energy Solar Inc. on agricultural property owned by Tull Brothers LLC.
“We anticipate construction in the summer of 2018,” said Tom Anderson of Community Energy.
Anderson told the commissioners that since 2008, his company had developed 700 megawatts of solar energy projects in 10 states. In Whaleyville, he said the company had agreed to a 30-year lease that would allow for the construction of 52,000 solar panels on 130 acres of a 425 acre site. The agriculturally zoned property, which currently consists of farm land and some forested area, is on the north side of Route 50 just west of the Route 90 off-ramp and the southerly side of Route 346 across from the intersection with Circle Road.
Anderson said construction of the panels would take roughly four to five months. After that, there will be very little daily activity at the site. Anderson expects site visits to take place monthly during the first year of operation and after that only quarterly.
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The commissioners voted 6-0 to approve the Gateway Solar Project, a 15.6 megawatt (AC) system to be built by Community Energy Solar Inc. on agricultural property owned by Tull Brothers LLC.
“We anticipate construction in the summer of 2018,” said Tom Anderson of Community Energy.
Anderson told the commissioners that since 2008, his company had developed 700 megawatts of solar energy projects in 10 states. In Whaleyville, he said the company had agreed to a 30-year lease that would allow for the construction of 52,000 solar panels on 130 acres of a 425 acre site. The agriculturally zoned property, which currently consists of farm land and some forested area, is on the north side of Route 50 just west of the Route 90 off-ramp and the southerly side of Route 346 across from the intersection with Circle Road.
Anderson said construction of the panels would take roughly four to five months. After that, there will be very little daily activity at the site. Anderson expects site visits to take place monthly during the first year of operation and after that only quarterly.
More
San Bernardino elementary school shooting: 2 reported dead in suspected murder-suicide
Two adults were shot and killed at a California elementary school Monday in what police believe to be a murder-suicide and two students were rushed to a hospital with unknown injuries.
The incident happened around 10 a.m. local time at the North Park Elementary school in San Bernardino.
"Two adults are deceased in a classroom, believed to be a murder suicide," San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan posted on Twitter. "We believe the suspect is down and there's no further threat."
More/Video
The incident happened around 10 a.m. local time at the North Park Elementary school in San Bernardino.
"Two adults are deceased in a classroom, believed to be a murder suicide," San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan posted on Twitter. "We believe the suspect is down and there's no further threat."
More/Video
Texas Wins Victory for Farmers Against BLM
Texas leaders and farm owners secured a victory in the battle against the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) attempted land grab along the banks of the Red River. The federal agency announced it is suspending the surveys ordered during the Obama Administration to justify the attempted takeover of 90,000 acres of land.
The BLM admitted this week admitted in a letter issued on March 29 (attached below) that it used an “incorrect methodology” in its justification for the attempted taking of land that had been in the possession of many Texas landowners for generations. “Having reviewed this deposition testimony and other new information, the BLM believes the survey methodology was used in error and may have caused errors in identifying the location of the Gradient Boundary,” Acting Cadastral Survey Chief Stephen Beyerlein wrote in the letter.
“The BLM’s admission that it used incorrect methodology in these surveys and the decision to suspend the surveys is welcome news,” U.S. Representative Mac Thornberry (R-TX) said in a statement obtained by Breitbart Texas. “The portions of the river that the agency has surveyed strayed widely from the accepted gradient boundary survey method established by the Supreme Court in Oklahoma v. Texas. It is encouraging that the BLM has admitted their error and that all administrative action will be suspended until the matter is resolved. I will continue working with the landowners, local and state officials, and Senator Cornyn (R-TX) until this issue is resolved once and for all.” Thornberry is the author of the “Red River Gradient Boundary Survey Act” which passed earlier this year.
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The BLM admitted this week admitted in a letter issued on March 29 (attached below) that it used an “incorrect methodology” in its justification for the attempted taking of land that had been in the possession of many Texas landowners for generations. “Having reviewed this deposition testimony and other new information, the BLM believes the survey methodology was used in error and may have caused errors in identifying the location of the Gradient Boundary,” Acting Cadastral Survey Chief Stephen Beyerlein wrote in the letter.
“The BLM’s admission that it used incorrect methodology in these surveys and the decision to suspend the surveys is welcome news,” U.S. Representative Mac Thornberry (R-TX) said in a statement obtained by Breitbart Texas. “The portions of the river that the agency has surveyed strayed widely from the accepted gradient boundary survey method established by the Supreme Court in Oklahoma v. Texas. It is encouraging that the BLM has admitted their error and that all administrative action will be suspended until the matter is resolved. I will continue working with the landowners, local and state officials, and Senator Cornyn (R-TX) until this issue is resolved once and for all.” Thornberry is the author of the “Red River Gradient Boundary Survey Act” which passed earlier this year.
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University facing crisis as enrollment plummets over liberal reputation
Since 2015, a total of seven dorms have been forced to close.
The abandonment of the residence halls is to “ensure that we are maximizing the space we have and being as efficient as possible with our resources,” MU News Bureau associate director Liz McCune told local ABC17.
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First town manager tries to move Green Mountain Falls past 'rough patches'
John Pick is not foreign to small-town government. But Green Mountain Falls and its tiny population nestled on the northern slopes of Pikes Peak is definitely the most minuscule municipality the seasoned city administrator of 30 years has tackled.
Pick, 65, was chosen by leaders of the western El Paso County town of fewer than 700 people in September to be the first town manager, and in early October began a six-month adventure to help move the burg move past what Mayor Pro Tem Cameron Thorne called "some rough patches" during the last few years.
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Pick, 65, was chosen by leaders of the western El Paso County town of fewer than 700 people in September to be the first town manager, and in early October began a six-month adventure to help move the burg move past what Mayor Pro Tem Cameron Thorne called "some rough patches" during the last few years.
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NOI 4/8/17 Wicomico Dwelling Fire Alabama Avenue
NOTICE OF INVESTIGATION
Date: April 8, 2017
Time: 3:38 p.m.
Location / Address: 537 Alabama Ave., Salisbury, Wicomico Co.
Type of Incident: Fire
Description of Structure / Property: One story wood frame single family dwelling
Owner / Occupants: GNI Properties
Injuries or Deaths: None
Estimated $ Loss: Structure: $2,000 Contents: $0
Smoke Alarm Status: Present and not activated
Fire Alarm / Sprinkler Status: n/a
Arrests(s): None
Primary Responding Fire Department: Salisbury
# of Alarms: 1 # Of Firefighters: 10
Time to Control: 5 minutes
Discovered By: Neighbor
Area of Origin: Exterior of front porch
Preliminary Cause: Accidental, careless discard of smoking materials
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NOI 4/8/17 Wicomico Apartment Fire Emory Court
NOTICE OF INVESTIGATION
Date: April 8, 2017
Time: 1:55 p.m.
Location / Address: 500 Emory Court, Apt. 201, Salisbury, Wicomico Co.
Type of Incident: Fire
Description of Structure / Property: Three story brick 12-unit apartment building
Owner / Occupants: Parkside Apartments / Megan Schwartz
Injuries or Deaths: None
Estimated $ Loss: Structure: $1,500 Contents: $150
Smoke Alarm Status: Present, not activated
Fire Alarm / Sprinkler Status: Present, activated
Arrests(s): None
Primary Responding Fire Department: Salisbury
# of Alarms: 1 # Of Firefighters: 30
Time to Control: 5 minutes
Discovered By: Neighbor
Area of Origin: Exterior patio
Preliminary Cause: Accidental, careless discard of smoking materials
Additional Information:
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Supreme Court: 5 cases Gorsuch will hear in his first month on the bench
It was a grueling process from President Trump’s nomination of U.S. Circuit Judge Neil Gorsuch in January to the Supreme Court seat left vacant at Justice Antonin Scalia’s death to the Senate’s confirmation of him on Friday.
But now comes the really hard work.
With less than a month left in the court’s current sitting, Gorsuch will have to jump into hearings on a number of controversial issues that will not only gauge the 49-year-old Colorado native’s conservative credentials but also lay bare how he compares to his predecessor, Scalia.
“Scalia was not a monochromatic justice and I don’t think that Gorsuch is that way either,” Stephen Wasby, a professor emeritus at the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy at the University of Albany, told Fox News.
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But now comes the really hard work.
With less than a month left in the court’s current sitting, Gorsuch will have to jump into hearings on a number of controversial issues that will not only gauge the 49-year-old Colorado native’s conservative credentials but also lay bare how he compares to his predecessor, Scalia.
“Scalia was not a monochromatic justice and I don’t think that Gorsuch is that way either,” Stephen Wasby, a professor emeritus at the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy at the University of Albany, told Fox News.
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Great Debt Unwind: Personal And Commercial Bankruptcies Surge In March
Commercial bankruptcy filings, from corporations to sole proprietorships, spiked 28% in March from February, the largest month-to-month move in the data series of the American Bankruptcy Institute going back to 2012. They’re up 8% year-over-year. Over the past 24 months, they soared 37%! At 3,658, they’re at the highest level for any March since 2013.
Commercial bankruptcy filings skyrocketed during the Financial Crisis and peaked in March 2010 at 9,004. Then they fell sharply until they reached their low point in October 2015. November 2015 was the turning point, when for the first time since March 2010, commercial bankruptcy filings rose year-over-year.
Bankruptcy filings are highly seasonal, reaching their annual lows in December and January. Then they rise into tax season, peak in March or April, and zigzag lower for the remainder of the year. The data is not seasonally or otherwise adjusted – one of the raw and unvarnished measures of how businesses are faring in the economy.
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Commercial bankruptcy filings skyrocketed during the Financial Crisis and peaked in March 2010 at 9,004. Then they fell sharply until they reached their low point in October 2015. November 2015 was the turning point, when for the first time since March 2010, commercial bankruptcy filings rose year-over-year.
Bankruptcy filings are highly seasonal, reaching their annual lows in December and January. Then they rise into tax season, peak in March or April, and zigzag lower for the remainder of the year. The data is not seasonally or otherwise adjusted – one of the raw and unvarnished measures of how businesses are faring in the economy.
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Trust Act Dead In Annapolis; Lawmakers To Approve Some Language From It
However, the bill that passed the House of Delegates last month will not be considered in the Senate this year.
Senator Victor Ramirez of Prince George’s County, who sponsored the Senate version of the bill withdrew his legislation this week, when he learned the bill could not pass the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. The committee will not consider the bill passed by the House.
Senate President Mike Miller told WBAL NewsRadio 1090 last week that the bill that the version of the bill that passed the House would not pass the Senate
Governor Larry Hogan had promised to veto the measure.
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At Least 20% of SEIU’s Budget Went to Politics
After spending big on Clinton, Obama, SEIU now facing steep budget cuts
Labor giant Service Employees International Union spent $60 million on politics and lobbying as well as $19 million on the Fight for 15 movement in 2016, and now finds itself laying off headquarters staff.
The union's federal filing to the Department of Labor reveal that it experienced marginal growth in 2016, adding about 15,000 members from 2015. However, that increase did not correlate with financial growth as revenue fell by $17 million, fueling a $10 million budget deficit.
The union, which represents healthcare and public sector workers, spent $61.6 million on political activities and lobbying in 2016, roughly 20 percent of its $314.6 million budget, according to the filing.
However, those figures may underestimate its political spending. The union spent $19 million on activist groups and public relations consultants to assist with the Fight for 15 campaign, which has successfully pushed for dramatic minimum wage increases in New York, California, and Washington, D.C., according to an analysis from the Center for Union Facts.
The majority of that money went to worker organizing committees, local groups that organized and staged protests outside of fast food eateries such as McDonald's, which the SEIU has long targeted for unionization. Payments to those seven committees totaled $14 million and were classified as "support for organizing," rather than "political activities and lobbying."
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Labor giant Service Employees International Union spent $60 million on politics and lobbying as well as $19 million on the Fight for 15 movement in 2016, and now finds itself laying off headquarters staff.
The union's federal filing to the Department of Labor reveal that it experienced marginal growth in 2016, adding about 15,000 members from 2015. However, that increase did not correlate with financial growth as revenue fell by $17 million, fueling a $10 million budget deficit.
The union, which represents healthcare and public sector workers, spent $61.6 million on political activities and lobbying in 2016, roughly 20 percent of its $314.6 million budget, according to the filing.
However, those figures may underestimate its political spending. The union spent $19 million on activist groups and public relations consultants to assist with the Fight for 15 campaign, which has successfully pushed for dramatic minimum wage increases in New York, California, and Washington, D.C., according to an analysis from the Center for Union Facts.
The majority of that money went to worker organizing committees, local groups that organized and staged protests outside of fast food eateries such as McDonald's, which the SEIU has long targeted for unionization. Payments to those seven committees totaled $14 million and were classified as "support for organizing," rather than "political activities and lobbying."
More
Michael Savage Turns on Trump, Says Syrian Gas Attack Was False Flag Operation
Conservative talk show host, Michael Savage, who fervently supported Trump during the Presidential campaign, soured on him today. Savage, referencing his background in science, having a PhD in epidemiology, said the alleged gas attack in the ISIS controlled city of Idlib was most likely phosgene and not sarin.
Backing up his claim that the attack did not contain sarin, Savage made reference to photos showing first responders attending to bodies without gloves or protective gear. Had sarin been used in the attack, all of those men in white helmets would be dead.
In nearly a 15 minute soliloquy over the attack, Savage lamented that the neocon 'military tweet' by Trump was a ploy to increase his popularity, in light of falling poll numbers. Verbosely, Savage hemmed and hawed with disappointment, dispirited that he spent over a year advocating for Trump, who said he eschewed the interventionist policies of people like McCain, Graham, and Schumer, only to cave in shortly after winning the Presidency.
Savage also questioned the timing of Jared Kushner's trip to Iraq, coupled with Bannon's timely demotion from the NSC -- just ahead of the attacks as being highly suspicious.
"This whole thing stinks to high heaven,' said Savage. Furthering his criticism of the President, Savage proclaimed: "It looks like Hillary, deep state won, and Trump is doing her bidding."
More/Video
Backing up his claim that the attack did not contain sarin, Savage made reference to photos showing first responders attending to bodies without gloves or protective gear. Had sarin been used in the attack, all of those men in white helmets would be dead.
In nearly a 15 minute soliloquy over the attack, Savage lamented that the neocon 'military tweet' by Trump was a ploy to increase his popularity, in light of falling poll numbers. Verbosely, Savage hemmed and hawed with disappointment, dispirited that he spent over a year advocating for Trump, who said he eschewed the interventionist policies of people like McCain, Graham, and Schumer, only to cave in shortly after winning the Presidency.
Savage also questioned the timing of Jared Kushner's trip to Iraq, coupled with Bannon's timely demotion from the NSC -- just ahead of the attacks as being highly suspicious.
"This whole thing stinks to high heaven,' said Savage. Furthering his criticism of the President, Savage proclaimed: "It looks like Hillary, deep state won, and Trump is doing her bidding."
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Sally Kohn Makes False Claim About Nuclear Option
CNN contributor and liberal pundit Sally Kohn on Thursday tweeted out a flawed take on the Senate Republicans' use of the so-called "nuclear option."
"Are we really surprised that after Democrats DIDN'T use [the nuclear option], Republicans DID?" she tweeted on Friday. "Perpetual high-road/low-road distinction."
Are we really surprised that after Democrats DIDN'T use #NuclearOption, Republicans DID?
Perpetual high-road/low-road distinction.
— Sally Kohn (@sallykohn) April 6, 2017
But Democrats did use the nuclear option when they controlled the Senate in 2013, changing the rules to kill the filibuster of any executive appointments and non-Supreme Court federal judges. Republicans on Thursday then applied the nuclear option to Supreme Court nominations.
When Kohn wrote an op-ed for CNN in 2013 she praised Democrats for going nuclear.
"‘Nuclear option' makes GOP do its job," she wrote. "If Democrats didn't flip the nuclear switch now to allow appointments to go through, Republicans will surely flip it later. At least if Democrats do it first, they get to finally vote on some critical nominees and move the governance and sanctity of our nation forward."
"‘Nuclear option' is a loaded term," she insisted. "Proponents of the measure call it the ‘constitutional option' in so far as it is constitutional and it would finally hold Senate Republicans' feet to the fire to perform their constitutional duty."
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"Are we really surprised that after Democrats DIDN'T use [the nuclear option], Republicans DID?" she tweeted on Friday. "Perpetual high-road/low-road distinction."
Are we really surprised that after Democrats DIDN'T use #NuclearOption, Republicans DID?
Perpetual high-road/low-road distinction.
— Sally Kohn (@sallykohn) April 6, 2017
But Democrats did use the nuclear option when they controlled the Senate in 2013, changing the rules to kill the filibuster of any executive appointments and non-Supreme Court federal judges. Republicans on Thursday then applied the nuclear option to Supreme Court nominations.
When Kohn wrote an op-ed for CNN in 2013 she praised Democrats for going nuclear.
"‘Nuclear option' makes GOP do its job," she wrote. "If Democrats didn't flip the nuclear switch now to allow appointments to go through, Republicans will surely flip it later. At least if Democrats do it first, they get to finally vote on some critical nominees and move the governance and sanctity of our nation forward."
"‘Nuclear option' is a loaded term," she insisted. "Proponents of the measure call it the ‘constitutional option' in so far as it is constitutional and it would finally hold Senate Republicans' feet to the fire to perform their constitutional duty."
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'It Did Not Stick': The First Federal Effort to Curb Police Abuse
PITTSBURGH — Federal intervention to curb police abuse did not begin after chants of “I can’t breathe,” viral cellphone videos or the Black Lives Matter movement.
It began 21 years ago here in Pittsburgh, where the police were laden with complaints that black residents were routinely singled out for false arrest and abuse. In a City Hall conference room, Chief Robert McNeilly faced a team of lawyers from the Justice Department — young, smartly dressed and newly empowered to rein in the department.
Sizing up the investigators, Chief McNeilly — dressed, as usual, in uniform — had one thought he could not get out of his mind: “There was nobody with any police experience.”
Still, the negotiators groped their way to the first federal “consent decree,” an 83-paragraph court-enforced agreement in 1997 that turned Pittsburgh into a widely emulated model department — for a time, at least.
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It began 21 years ago here in Pittsburgh, where the police were laden with complaints that black residents were routinely singled out for false arrest and abuse. In a City Hall conference room, Chief Robert McNeilly faced a team of lawyers from the Justice Department — young, smartly dressed and newly empowered to rein in the department.
Sizing up the investigators, Chief McNeilly — dressed, as usual, in uniform — had one thought he could not get out of his mind: “There was nobody with any police experience.”
Still, the negotiators groped their way to the first federal “consent decree,” an 83-paragraph court-enforced agreement in 1997 that turned Pittsburgh into a widely emulated model department — for a time, at least.
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Comptroller of Md: Tax Identity Scams Are At An All-Time High
Now, he says his office needs more power to put criminals behind bars.
The criminals behind identity theft are getting more bold and brazen. The comptroller says until his office has more power, they won’t be able to get a grip on what he calls an epidemic.
It’s a nationwide crisis that’s spiraling out of control. Thieves are digging around for personal information and cashing in your tax return, right here in Maryland.
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Breaking News: Well Fargo executives were ordered to pay back $75 million after a scathing report on the company's sales fraud scandal
Wells Fargo’s board said Monday that it would claw back an additional $75 million in compensation from the two executives on whom it pinned most of the blame for the company’s sales scandal: the bank’s former chief executive, John G. Stumpf, and its former head of community banking, Carrie L. Tolstedt.
In a scathing, 113-page report that made it clear that all the warning signs of the problem had been glaring, the board released the results of its six-month investigation into the conditions and culture that prompted thousands of Wells Fargo employees to create fraudulent accounts in an effort to meet aggressive sales goals.
In a scathing, 113-page report that made it clear that all the warning signs of the problem had been glaring, the board released the results of its six-month investigation into the conditions and culture that prompted thousands of Wells Fargo employees to create fraudulent accounts in an effort to meet aggressive sales goals.
Loans 'Designed to Fail': States Say Navient Preyed on Students
Ashley Hardin dreamed of being a professional photographer — glamorous shoots, perhaps some exotic travel. So in 2006, she enrolled in the Brooks Institute of Photography and borrowed more than $150,000 to pay for what the school described as a pathway into an industry clamoring for its graduates.
“Brooks was advertised as the most prestigious photography school on the West Coast,” Ms. Hardin said. “I wanted to learn from the best of the best.”
Ms. Hardin did not realize that she had taken out high-risk private loans in pursuit of a low-paying career. But her lender, SLM Corporation, better known as Sallie Mae, knew all of that, government lawyers say — and made the loans anyway.
In recent months, the student loan giant Navient, which was spun off from Sallie Mae in 2014 and retained nearly all of the company’s loan portfolio, has come under fire for aggressive and sloppy loan collection practices, which led to a set of government lawsuits filed in January. But those accusations have overshadowed broader claims, detailed in two state lawsuits filed by the attorneys general in Illinois and Washington, that Sallie Mae engaged in predatory lending, extending billions of dollars in private loans to students like Ms. Hardin that never should have been made in the first place.
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“Brooks was advertised as the most prestigious photography school on the West Coast,” Ms. Hardin said. “I wanted to learn from the best of the best.”
Ms. Hardin did not realize that she had taken out high-risk private loans in pursuit of a low-paying career. But her lender, SLM Corporation, better known as Sallie Mae, knew all of that, government lawyers say — and made the loans anyway.
In recent months, the student loan giant Navient, which was spun off from Sallie Mae in 2014 and retained nearly all of the company’s loan portfolio, has come under fire for aggressive and sloppy loan collection practices, which led to a set of government lawsuits filed in January. But those accusations have overshadowed broader claims, detailed in two state lawsuits filed by the attorneys general in Illinois and Washington, that Sallie Mae engaged in predatory lending, extending billions of dollars in private loans to students like Ms. Hardin that never should have been made in the first place.
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Trump Is Delivering for His Voters
Column: And Washington doesn't seem to care
The imminent confirmation of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court highlights the divergence between the state of the Trump presidency and official Washington's assessment of it. If you were to judge by the news coming from the television in my office, your inescapable conclusion would be that the Trump administration is a disaster, that the president lacks any achievement, that collusion with Russia put him in the Oval Office and the FBI is on the verge of throwing him out. But you could easily tell another and quite different story from the president's daily schedule and the available empirical evidence: Trump is presiding over a surging U.S. economy, fulfilling promises made on the campaign trail, and rolling back the burdensome regulatory legacy of his predecessor.
I'm not saying Trump is a popular president, nor would I deny he's had his share of embarrassments. What I am saying is that a Trump voter would have very little reason to be disappointed in this presidency so far. The negative poll numbers are in part a response to Washington's unrelenting hostility to Trump. And his greatest misstep, the failure of his health care bill, was largely a consequence of him deciding for once to play by Washington's rules. On those matters under his direct control, the president has delivered.
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The imminent confirmation of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court highlights the divergence between the state of the Trump presidency and official Washington's assessment of it. If you were to judge by the news coming from the television in my office, your inescapable conclusion would be that the Trump administration is a disaster, that the president lacks any achievement, that collusion with Russia put him in the Oval Office and the FBI is on the verge of throwing him out. But you could easily tell another and quite different story from the president's daily schedule and the available empirical evidence: Trump is presiding over a surging U.S. economy, fulfilling promises made on the campaign trail, and rolling back the burdensome regulatory legacy of his predecessor.
I'm not saying Trump is a popular president, nor would I deny he's had his share of embarrassments. What I am saying is that a Trump voter would have very little reason to be disappointed in this presidency so far. The negative poll numbers are in part a response to Washington's unrelenting hostility to Trump. And his greatest misstep, the failure of his health care bill, was largely a consequence of him deciding for once to play by Washington's rules. On those matters under his direct control, the president has delivered.
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Legislative Session Ends Tonight
Lawmakers have considered more than 2,800 bills and joint resolutions over the last 90 days.
Lawmakers will leave Annapolis having passed a budget, a number of measures criticizing President Trump, a ban on fracking, and an education bill that was vetoed by Governor Larry Hogan.
The measure helps the state comply with new federal education guidelines. It reduces the influence of student test scores in the assessment used to determine a school’s success, and it prohibits the state form putting poor performing schools into a special school district, or converting them into private schools.
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Trump’s airstrike on Syria delivers another blow to Obama’s legacy
In a flash, President Trump’s missile strike on Syria conveyed America’s moral outrage over the slaughter of innocents and delivered a lethal warning to two-bit tyrants everywhere.
The attack did something else, too. It punched a giant hole in the battered legacy of Barack Obama.
The former president talked early and often about Syria, but wasted six years and countless lives with hand-wringing dithering. He failed to enforce his red line about Bashar al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons, kicking the job to Trump, who acted just two days after Assad again unleashed fiendish weapons on his own people.
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The attack did something else, too. It punched a giant hole in the battered legacy of Barack Obama.
The former president talked early and often about Syria, but wasted six years and countless lives with hand-wringing dithering. He failed to enforce his red line about Bashar al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons, kicking the job to Trump, who acted just two days after Assad again unleashed fiendish weapons on his own people.
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Take Two-and-a-Half Minutes to See How Hypocritical Democrats Are on Filibustering Supreme Court Nominees
Numerous Senate Democrats have reversed themselves on prior oppositions to filibusters and preventing Supreme Court nominees from getting "up-or-down" votes as they try to block the nomination of Neil Gorsuch.
While they once decried the "tyranny of the minority" and the idea that judges could be blocked by the minority party, the Chuck Schumer-led party is changing course to stop President Trump's pick for the high court.
Under the threat from Democrats to vote against cloture, Republicans are preparing to invoke the "nuclear option" to give Gorsuch a 51-vote threshold in order to allow his nomination to go before the full Senate, where he is essentially certain to be confirmed by the GOP majority.
Democrats led by then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) first invoked the "nuclear option" in 2013, which allowed President Obama to get his executive-branch and lower-court nominations through the chamber with just 51 votes. Liberals cheered the move as finally allowing the Democrat majority to rule.
More/Video
While they once decried the "tyranny of the minority" and the idea that judges could be blocked by the minority party, the Chuck Schumer-led party is changing course to stop President Trump's pick for the high court.
Under the threat from Democrats to vote against cloture, Republicans are preparing to invoke the "nuclear option" to give Gorsuch a 51-vote threshold in order to allow his nomination to go before the full Senate, where he is essentially certain to be confirmed by the GOP majority.
Democrats led by then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) first invoked the "nuclear option" in 2013, which allowed President Obama to get his executive-branch and lower-court nominations through the chamber with just 51 votes. Liberals cheered the move as finally allowing the Democrat majority to rule.
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Homegrown Islamic Extremism on the Rise in United States
House report tracks 204 homegrown jihadist cases in America since 9/11
The threat of homegrown Islamist extremism in the United States is on the rise, according to a new House Homeland Security Committee report.
Nearly 20 percent of the 204 homegrown jihadist incidents in the United States since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks have occurred over the past year, the committeefound in its monthly Terror Threat Snapshot, citing data from the Majority Staff of the Homeland Security Committee.
Two Americans with suspected ties to the Islamic State were indicted last month on terrorism charges. Texas resident Said Azzam Mohamad Rahim was charged March 5 with six counts of making false statements to federal agents regarding his support for ISIS during a terrorist investigation.
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The threat of homegrown Islamist extremism in the United States is on the rise, according to a new House Homeland Security Committee report.
Nearly 20 percent of the 204 homegrown jihadist incidents in the United States since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks have occurred over the past year, the committeefound in its monthly Terror Threat Snapshot, citing data from the Majority Staff of the Homeland Security Committee.
Two Americans with suspected ties to the Islamic State were indicted last month on terrorism charges. Texas resident Said Azzam Mohamad Rahim was charged March 5 with six counts of making false statements to federal agents regarding his support for ISIS during a terrorist investigation.
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PolitiFact Retracts ‘Mostly True’ Ruling That U.S. Removed ‘100 Percent’ of Syria’s Chemical Weapons
'Subsequent events have proved John Kerry wrong'
Fact-checking website PolitiFact on Wednesday retracted a 2014 article that found it "Mostly True" the Obama administration helped broker a deal that successfully removed "100 percent" of chemical weapons from Syria.
"We struck a deal where we got 100 percent of the chemical weapons out," then-Secretary of State John Kerry said on NBC's "Meet the Press" in July 2014. Kerry was referring to a deal the U.S. and Russia struck in September 2013 in which the Russians agreed to help confiscate and then destroy Syria's entire chemical weapons stockpile.
When making its ruling, PolitiFact cited a statement from Ahmet Üzümcü, director general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
Fact-checking website PolitiFact on Wednesday retracted a 2014 article that found it "Mostly True" the Obama administration helped broker a deal that successfully removed "100 percent" of chemical weapons from Syria.
"We struck a deal where we got 100 percent of the chemical weapons out," then-Secretary of State John Kerry said on NBC's "Meet the Press" in July 2014. Kerry was referring to a deal the U.S. and Russia struck in September 2013 in which the Russians agreed to help confiscate and then destroy Syria's entire chemical weapons stockpile.
When making its ruling, PolitiFact cited a statement from Ahmet Üzümcü, director general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
"The last of the remaining chemicals identified for removal from Syria were loaded this afternoon aboard the Danish ship Ark Futura," Üzümcü said in June 2014.
Swing State Election Worker Charged With Illegally Changing Records To Allow Felons to Vote
A North Carolina election worker has been charged with illegally altering voter records so hundreds of felons could vote, The News and Observer reports.
Joy Yvette Wilkerson, a former temporary election worker in Granville County, N.C., accessed voter registration records and restored the active voting status of 250 convicted felons in the county. The activity, which was initially discovered by the Granville County Board of Elections last June, is a felony.
More here
Joy Yvette Wilkerson, a former temporary election worker in Granville County, N.C., accessed voter registration records and restored the active voting status of 250 convicted felons in the county. The activity, which was initially discovered by the Granville County Board of Elections last June, is a felony.
More here
Polling Fact of the Day
Fifty-four percent (54%) of Americans think there are too many lawyers in this country.
Just 10% say there aren’t enough.
(Source)
Just 10% say there aren’t enough.
(Source)
US Regulators Accuse Google of Underpaying Female Workers
Government investigators looking into how Google pays its employees have accused the tech giant of shortchanging women doing similar work to men.
A U.S. Department of Labor official disclosed the agency's allegations during a Friday court hearing in San Francisco.
"We found systemic compensation disparities against women pretty much across the entire workforce," Janette Wipper, a Labor Department regional director, testified, according to a report published by The Guardian.
More here
A U.S. Department of Labor official disclosed the agency's allegations during a Friday court hearing in San Francisco.
"We found systemic compensation disparities against women pretty much across the entire workforce," Janette Wipper, a Labor Department regional director, testified, according to a report published by The Guardian.
More here
Alan Dershowitz: 'Nothing Historic' With Nuclear Option, Gorsuch
Famed civil rights lawyer Alan Dershowitz said Friday "there's nothing historic" about Judge Neil Gorsuch being confirmed to the Supreme Court on a "nuclear option" simple-majority vote led by Senate Republicans.
"We've never had a filibuster for a Supreme Court nominee," the Harvard Law School professor emeritus told host Bill Tucker on "The Steve Malzberg Show" in an interview. "They got rid of it on the same day that they used it.
"The rules are a simple majority," Dershowitz continued. "That's what the framers of the Constitution put in.
"The filibuster was a Southern tactic designed essentially to prevent civil rights laws from being enacted."
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"We've never had a filibuster for a Supreme Court nominee," the Harvard Law School professor emeritus told host Bill Tucker on "The Steve Malzberg Show" in an interview. "They got rid of it on the same day that they used it.
"The rules are a simple majority," Dershowitz continued. "That's what the framers of the Constitution put in.
"The filibuster was a Southern tactic designed essentially to prevent civil rights laws from being enacted."
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Congressman Harris Praises the Confirmation of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court
“I want to offer my congratulations to Judge Neil Gorsuch on his confirmation to the Supreme Court. Judge Gorsuch is a distinguished legal scholar and a devoted public servant. His profound understanding of the Constitution makes him the perfect fit to fill the seat of the late Justice Antonin Scalia.”
Judge Gorsuch was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 7 by a 54-45 vote. Judge Gorsuch previously served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, a position to which he was confirmed by a unanimous vote in the Senate in 2006.
Police: Pregnant 15-year-old killed by step-father was weeks from giving birth
A pregnant Texas teenager who was killed last month by her step-father – who was also the baby’s father – was fewer than two weeks away from giving birth to their second child together, reports said.
Recently released police documents revealed that the unborn baby of 15-year-old Jennifer Delgado still had a pulse when first responders arrived at the San Antonio, Texas, home she shared with her step-father Armando Garcia-Ramires, a 36-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico, the San Antonio Express News reported.
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Recently released police documents revealed that the unborn baby of 15-year-old Jennifer Delgado still had a pulse when first responders arrived at the San Antonio, Texas, home she shared with her step-father Armando Garcia-Ramires, a 36-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico, the San Antonio Express News reported.
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Exposing the Party of Lincoln
Dr. Wilson has written an excellent book that every Republican and Independent should read. He exposes the true Republican Party of Lincoln and Bush. However, hopefully, Trump will change the Republican Party from an establishment party to a grass-root party, which the establishment disdain.
The Republic Party, the Stupid Party, is not what Democratic Party, the Evil Party, or even -rank-and-file Republicans believe it is. The Republic Party is a void reflection of the Democratic Party — only worse. Dr. Wilson illustrates the major difference between the two parties as follows: “Democrats. Someone thinks that the purpose of government is to provide welfare for bureaucrats, minority groups, and rich people. Republican. Someone thinks that the purpose of government is to provide welfare for rich people, bureaucrats, and minority groups.” Unlike the Democratic Party, which really does represents its voters, the Republican Party does not. “It only represents itself.”
As Wilson explains, the Republican Party is not a conservative party, and its national leaders are not conservatives. Moreover, although Southerners have, for the most part, supported the Republican Party since the late 1960s, the Republican Party is the antipathy of the South. After all, it is the party of Lincoln: big government, government-business partnership, Wall Street (Wall Street also controls the Democratic Party), and centralized banking. Unlike the Democratic Party, which has principles, the Republican Party has none. Its primary objective is to get candidates elected — hence, the long string of campaign slogans and dull, mediocre, noncommittal candidates. To paraphrase President Nixon, Republicans give conservatives the rhetoric and liberal the action. That is, the typical Republican, especially at the national level, speaks like a conservative, but votes and acts like a liberal or progressive. Furthermore, the Republican Party is not an opposition party. It is “a self-serving, principles organization” that “is merely a device maintained by the ruling elite to absorb and neuter discontent — a somewhat prettified carbon copy of the dominant party.”
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The Republic Party, the Stupid Party, is not what Democratic Party, the Evil Party, or even -rank-and-file Republicans believe it is. The Republic Party is a void reflection of the Democratic Party — only worse. Dr. Wilson illustrates the major difference between the two parties as follows: “Democrats. Someone thinks that the purpose of government is to provide welfare for bureaucrats, minority groups, and rich people. Republican. Someone thinks that the purpose of government is to provide welfare for rich people, bureaucrats, and minority groups.” Unlike the Democratic Party, which really does represents its voters, the Republican Party does not. “It only represents itself.”
As Wilson explains, the Republican Party is not a conservative party, and its national leaders are not conservatives. Moreover, although Southerners have, for the most part, supported the Republican Party since the late 1960s, the Republican Party is the antipathy of the South. After all, it is the party of Lincoln: big government, government-business partnership, Wall Street (Wall Street also controls the Democratic Party), and centralized banking. Unlike the Democratic Party, which has principles, the Republican Party has none. Its primary objective is to get candidates elected — hence, the long string of campaign slogans and dull, mediocre, noncommittal candidates. To paraphrase President Nixon, Republicans give conservatives the rhetoric and liberal the action. That is, the typical Republican, especially at the national level, speaks like a conservative, but votes and acts like a liberal or progressive. Furthermore, the Republican Party is not an opposition party. It is “a self-serving, principles organization” that “is merely a device maintained by the ruling elite to absorb and neuter discontent — a somewhat prettified carbon copy of the dominant party.”
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Salisbury City Council Meeting Materials - 4-10 -17 - Council Meeting
Note there is a Public Hearing scheduled for Monday’s meeting:
Resolution No. 2744 – proposing to amend and clarify certain terms of the Annexation Agreement associated with property that was the subject of the 2007 “Dagsboro Road – Faith Baptist Church Annexation.”
Resolution No. 2744 – proposing to amend and clarify certain terms of the Annexation Agreement associated with property that was the subject of the 2007 “Dagsboro Road – Faith Baptist Church Annexation.”
Governor Larry Hogan Gives Opening Remarks at Maryland’s Second Annual Crime Victims’ Rights Conference
Presents Victim Assistance Awards to Three Deserving Marylanders
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today welcomed hundreds of individuals who provide services and support to Marylanders who have been victims of crime at the second statewide Maryland Crime Victims’ Rights Conference at Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City. The Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention and the Maryland State Board of Victim Services sponsored the daylong event.
The conference provides valuable training and recognizes those who have contributed to the victims’ rights movement in Maryland, and commemorates National Crime Victims’ Rights Week—a weeklong initiative to honor crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf. The 2017 Maryland Crime Victims’ Rights Conference provides opportunities to listen, learn, and network with speakers and peers about all emerging victims’ issues and solutions.
"National Crime Victims' Rights Week serves as a reminder of the significant progress we have made in securing justice for victims, but at the same time it also emphasizes the need to continue our resolve, and to work together to create a system of justice that restores victims and strengthens communities," said Governor Hogan. "Together we have already accomplished so much, but there is still much more hard work to be done. To crime victims all across our state, I want you to know that with our administration you have a friend, and a strong supporter in the Governor's office, who will continue fighting on your behalf each and every day."
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today welcomed hundreds of individuals who provide services and support to Marylanders who have been victims of crime at the second statewide Maryland Crime Victims’ Rights Conference at Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City. The Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention and the Maryland State Board of Victim Services sponsored the daylong event.
The conference provides valuable training and recognizes those who have contributed to the victims’ rights movement in Maryland, and commemorates National Crime Victims’ Rights Week—a weeklong initiative to honor crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf. The 2017 Maryland Crime Victims’ Rights Conference provides opportunities to listen, learn, and network with speakers and peers about all emerging victims’ issues and solutions.
"National Crime Victims' Rights Week serves as a reminder of the significant progress we have made in securing justice for victims, but at the same time it also emphasizes the need to continue our resolve, and to work together to create a system of justice that restores victims and strengthens communities," said Governor Hogan. "Together we have already accomplished so much, but there is still much more hard work to be done. To crime victims all across our state, I want you to know that with our administration you have a friend, and a strong supporter in the Governor's office, who will continue fighting on your behalf each and every day."
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