DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Border Patrol is Keeping Busy
04/26/2017 06:32 PM EDT
TUCSON, Ariz. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Raul Hector Castro Port of Entry in Douglas, Arizona, arrested a 34-year-old Mexican woman Tuesday when she attempted to enter the United States with more than 300 pounds of...
04/26/2017 06:07 PM EDT
RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas – Border Patrol agents seized more than 1,000 pounds of marijuana on Tuesday while conducting line operations. Agents assigned to the Rio Grande City Station observed a Chevy Silverado idling by the Rio Grande with its lights...
04/26/2017 05:52 PM EDT
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Gateway International Bridge intercepted a load of alleged cocaine. CBP officers discovered the alleged narcotics, valued at approximately $36,550, hidden within a silver 2003...
Pelosi-Backed PAC Took Funds From Owner of Site Tied to Underage Prostitution
A political action committee that is backed by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) took funds from the co-owner of a website that is linked to underage prostitution.
The House Majority PAC, an Alexandria, Virginia-based Super PAC created in 2011 to "answer the barrage of GOP outside spending" and help Democrats regain seats in the House of Representatives, accepted a$10,000 contribution last year from James Larkin, the co-owner of the Backpage.com, a website linked to underage trafficking and prostitution.
Larkin, along with Michael G. Lacey, were co-owners of the scandal-plagued Backpage when legal troubles began to mount against the site for accepting prostitution advertisements that included postings for sex with underage girls.
The duo began stepping up their political contributions after the site came under fire for its ads and have since donated more than $160,0000 to Democrats in Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado, the Arizona Republic reported.
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The House Majority PAC, an Alexandria, Virginia-based Super PAC created in 2011 to "answer the barrage of GOP outside spending" and help Democrats regain seats in the House of Representatives, accepted a$10,000 contribution last year from James Larkin, the co-owner of the Backpage.com, a website linked to underage trafficking and prostitution.
Larkin, along with Michael G. Lacey, were co-owners of the scandal-plagued Backpage when legal troubles began to mount against the site for accepting prostitution advertisements that included postings for sex with underage girls.
The duo began stepping up their political contributions after the site came under fire for its ads and have since donated more than $160,0000 to Democrats in Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado, the Arizona Republic reported.
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Trooper Shot Outside Newark Area Convenience Store – Update – Name Released
Ballard, 32, was an 8.5 year veteran of the Delaware State Police and was assigned to patrol at Troop 2, Glasgow.
The investigation into this incident is on-going. More information will be released as the investigation progresses.
Board of Elections Examining Voter Rolls after Conservative Group Raises Questions
However, board members said they haven’t uncovered any wrongdoing and that the process of removing voters from the rolls is a lengthy one that could have resulted in the discrepancy.
Judicial Watch, which receives millions in funding from conservative groups such as the Sarah Scaife Foundation, sent a letter to the state Board of Elections this month threatening a National Voter Registration Act lawsuit over the county’s voter rolls. The group found the county’s voter registration total was about 103 percent of the census-recorded population of residents over the age of 18 in the county.
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DHS to open office for victims of crimes by illegal immigrants
Homeland Security on Wednesday will officially open its office to assist victims of crimes committed by illegal immigrants, making good on a promise President Trump made during the campaign.
Mr. Trump has identified victims of illegal immigrant crime as a forgotten population in the immigration debate and has given parents whose children were killed by illegal immigrants an unprecedented platform to make their case for stiffer enforcement.
Democrats counter with exampled of high-performing illegal immigrants, and say creating a special office could give Americans an inflated sense of the criminal threat from illegal immigrants.
The new office is dubbed Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement or VOICE.
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Illegals thwart immigration laws with help from lawyers, judges, educators
A video released Monday by a coalition of advocates instructs illegal immigrants not to open the door to federal agents, what proof to demand if they are being arrested and what to say if accosted outside their homes.
Meanwhile, attorneys are working to lower charges from some illegal immigrant criminals, hoping to blunt their crimes so they don’t show up as high-priority deportation targets.
The latest instance was in California, where an immigrant from India was accused of abusing his wife. The Santa Clara prosecutor told The Daily Beast that he reduced a felony assault charge to a felony accessory after the fact charge in order to spare the man a sentence that would have made him a deportation risk.
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The side effects of statins outweigh their benefits
Statins' side effects outweigh any of their potential benefits.
The cholesterol-lowering medications do not reduce death rates in any patients, a leading expert has warned.
Professor Sherif Sultan, president, the International Society for Vascular Surgery, said: 'People are taking this drug to prevent a problem and [are] creating a disaster.'
Side effects vary between individuals, with one in 1,000 suffering visual disturbances and increased bleeding; one in 100 experiencing inflammation of the liver and pancreas; and as many as one in 10 developing headache and muscle pain.
Statins are prescribed to around one in four adults in the UK, making them the most common treatment given out by doctors.
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The cholesterol-lowering medications do not reduce death rates in any patients, a leading expert has warned.
Professor Sherif Sultan, president, the International Society for Vascular Surgery, said: 'People are taking this drug to prevent a problem and [are] creating a disaster.'
Side effects vary between individuals, with one in 1,000 suffering visual disturbances and increased bleeding; one in 100 experiencing inflammation of the liver and pancreas; and as many as one in 10 developing headache and muscle pain.
Statins are prescribed to around one in four adults in the UK, making them the most common treatment given out by doctors.
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Increasing number of Americans are willing to drive farther, pay more for ethanol-free fuel
Like locally sourced food or antibiotic-free chickens and eggs, so-called E0, or “pure gas,” has generated a cultlike following willing to pay a premium. More than 12,000 service stations across the U.S. and Canada now offer E0, according to pure-gas.org and other groups that track fuel trends.
While federal mandates make finding pure gas somewhat difficult — the vast majority of stations in the U.S. sell primarily E10, gasoline blended with about 10 percent ethanol — specialists say there is a dedicated market for the product. Some customers may hold fast to the notion that ethanol damages engines over time, or they may want to protest government policies that have forced increased amounts of ethanol into the gasoline supply.
Whatever the reason, the service station owners that sell pure gas, often at a per-gallon price 40 cents higher than E10, have found increasing demand.
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Democrats in Disarray Over Abortion
The Democratic Party is in disarray over the issue of abortion. In recent days, top party officials have made contradictory claims on whether they accept Americans into their ranks who are pro-life.
The split among Democrats came after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) and Rep. Keith Ellison (D., Minn.), deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee, endorsed Heath Mello, the pro-life Democratic candidate for mayor of Omaha, Nebraska.
Pro-choice groups denounced Mello because eight years ago he voted for legislation requiring doctors to inform their patients they had the right to a fetal ultrasound before an abortion. The National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League released a statement calling Sanders' endorsement of Mello a "betrayal of women," and the liberal site Daily Kos withdrew its endorsement of Mello.
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The split among Democrats came after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) and Rep. Keith Ellison (D., Minn.), deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee, endorsed Heath Mello, the pro-life Democratic candidate for mayor of Omaha, Nebraska.
Pro-choice groups denounced Mello because eight years ago he voted for legislation requiring doctors to inform their patients they had the right to a fetal ultrasound before an abortion. The National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League released a statement calling Sanders' endorsement of Mello a "betrayal of women," and the liberal site Daily Kos withdrew its endorsement of Mello.
More/Video
Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR star, to retire at end of season
Hendrick Motorsports said in a news release that Earnhardt informed his team of his decision early Tuesday.
“After 18 seasons and more than 600 races behind the wheel, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will bring his NASCAR Cup Series driving career to a close at the conclusion of 2017,” the news release says.
The two-time Daytona 500 winner set an afternoon news conference with team owner Rick Hendrick to discuss his decision.
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Breaking News: President Trump is likely to sign an order setting in motion a U.S. withdrawal from the Nafta trade accord, an official says
President Trump is likely to sign an executive order formally withdrawing the United States from the North American Free Trade Agreement, according to a senior administration official. The move would set the stage for renegotiating the deal with Canada and Mexico and fulfill one of Mr. Trump’s major campaign promises.
It was not clear what the language of the executive order would be, or what steps would come next. But an executive order could start a required six-month notification period for withdrawal, during which time talks on renegotiation could be pursued.
It was not clear what the language of the executive order would be, or what steps would come next. But an executive order could start a required six-month notification period for withdrawal, during which time talks on renegotiation could be pursued.
BREAKING: Dignified escort set to begin for Delaware State Trooper who died
WJZ BREAKING: Dignified escort set to begin for Delaware State Trooper who died after a shooting at a Bear, Delaware Wawa this afternoon. (Apologies for the interruption in the last live video.)
DETAILS: http://cbsloc.al/2q6DZBU
This is a live video feed. Click 'READ MORE' below to access the live video
DETAILS: http://cbsloc.al/2q6DZBU
This is a live video feed. Click 'READ MORE' below to access the live video
Stolen Chihuahua Puppy From Superpet
Two people stole a white chihuahua from Salisbury Superpet this afternoon and were captured on camera.
Could you please post it on your site? Maybe somebody will recognize them.
Thank you so much
Trump Is Not Shutting Down the EPA’s Data Service
EPA contractor and Hillary fan spreads fake news
A contractor for the Environmental Protection Agency who was "devastated" by Hillary Clinton's election loss was the source for a false story stating that the agency is shutting down its climate data service.
The EPA's Open Data service, where users can look up EPA facilities in their area and view pollution graphs, will continue to operate, despite several news reports to the contrary.
Bernadette Hyland, a contractor who has access to the Open Data website, was quoted in several publications, including the Independent, which falsely claimed "Donald Trump is to completely shut down one of the government's most important data services."
The Independent warned that citizens would "no longer be able to access information on their environment and climate, keeping them from researching potentially fatal changes to their area."
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A contractor for the Environmental Protection Agency who was "devastated" by Hillary Clinton's election loss was the source for a false story stating that the agency is shutting down its climate data service.
The EPA's Open Data service, where users can look up EPA facilities in their area and view pollution graphs, will continue to operate, despite several news reports to the contrary.
Bernadette Hyland, a contractor who has access to the Open Data website, was quoted in several publications, including the Independent, which falsely claimed "Donald Trump is to completely shut down one of the government's most important data services."
The Independent warned that citizens would "no longer be able to access information on their environment and climate, keeping them from researching potentially fatal changes to their area."
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Killers on Delaware’s roadways
DOVER — Drunk drivers are on the road today.
Some might get arrested, many will go undetected.
Impaired motorists are everywhere and that’s dangerous for everyone, sober or not.
Consider one weekend last October: Police made 16 DUI stops in Kent County in three days.
Those arrested came from 10 different towns — Dover, Smyrna, Clayton, Felton, Camden, Frederica, Milford, Millsboro, Magnolia and Kenton.
During a 25-day stretch in late January through mid-February, seven felony drunken drivers (with at least two DUI convictions) were arrested in the area, including two men for the sixth time each.
The wide-ranging suspects resided in Camden, Felton (two), Middletown, Harrington, Clayton and Frederica.
While reported DUIs spike during targeted law enforcement operations, Delaware Office of Highway Safety Director Jana Simpler said, “I don’t have a way to quantify how many impaired drivers are not caught.”
Even one offense is serious, Ms. Simpler said and “has the potential to result in a traffic fatality.”
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Some might get arrested, many will go undetected.
Impaired motorists are everywhere and that’s dangerous for everyone, sober or not.
Consider one weekend last October: Police made 16 DUI stops in Kent County in three days.
Those arrested came from 10 different towns — Dover, Smyrna, Clayton, Felton, Camden, Frederica, Milford, Millsboro, Magnolia and Kenton.
During a 25-day stretch in late January through mid-February, seven felony drunken drivers (with at least two DUI convictions) were arrested in the area, including two men for the sixth time each.
The wide-ranging suspects resided in Camden, Felton (two), Middletown, Harrington, Clayton and Frederica.
While reported DUIs spike during targeted law enforcement operations, Delaware Office of Highway Safety Director Jana Simpler said, “I don’t have a way to quantify how many impaired drivers are not caught.”
Even one offense is serious, Ms. Simpler said and “has the potential to result in a traffic fatality.”
More
NYT Editorial Board Member Attacks NRA for Having Guns in Its Gun Museum
The New York Times ran an op-ed Monday attacking the National Rifle Association's National Firearms Museum and gun owners.
Editorial board member Francis X. Clines wrote in the piece that the Fairfax, Virginia gun museum, which features firearms from every era of American history, represents the worst of America. In particular, Clines was troubled by a display detailing gun use in Hollywood movies.
"There are thousands of ingenious, gleaming rifles and handguns in displays about America's gun-rich history of colonialism, immigration, expansionism and vigilante justice," Clines wrote on page A22 of Monday's Times. "But it is the gallery devoted to Hollywood and its guns and good-guy shooters that best illustrates the power of fantasy now driving the modern gun rights debate."
Clines expressed outrage at a cardboard cutout of John Wayne displayed in the exhibit, referencing it several times in his editorial. He said the cutout, which depicts a gun-toting Wayne with a grin full of "menace," promoted fantasies about killing "bad guys" for American gun owners.
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Editorial board member Francis X. Clines wrote in the piece that the Fairfax, Virginia gun museum, which features firearms from every era of American history, represents the worst of America. In particular, Clines was troubled by a display detailing gun use in Hollywood movies.
"There are thousands of ingenious, gleaming rifles and handguns in displays about America's gun-rich history of colonialism, immigration, expansionism and vigilante justice," Clines wrote on page A22 of Monday's Times. "But it is the gallery devoted to Hollywood and its guns and good-guy shooters that best illustrates the power of fantasy now driving the modern gun rights debate."
Clines expressed outrage at a cardboard cutout of John Wayne displayed in the exhibit, referencing it several times in his editorial. He said the cutout, which depicts a gun-toting Wayne with a grin full of "menace," promoted fantasies about killing "bad guys" for American gun owners.
More
Phone Issues
Liberal Judge Who Bundled $200K for Obama Blocks Trump’s Order on Sanctuary Cities
Orrick, of the Northern District of California, issued a nationwide injunction against the Trump Administration after the city of San Francisco and county of Santa Clara sued in a refusal to honor federal immigration detainers. The judge raised at least $200,000 for Mr. Obama and donated more than $30,000 to groups supporting him.
The ruling claims the federal government cannot coerce municipalities by threatening to withhold funding, something Mr. Obama threatened to do to states who refused to fund Planned Parenthood. Speaking of the abortionist industry leaders, Judge Orrick also issued a restraining order in 2015 against The Center for Progress after they released undercover videos purporting to show Planned Parenthood employees plotting to sell baby organs.
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The End of All Federal Gun Control Laws?
The federal trial of a Kansas man for manufacturing and selling firearms and silencers without a federal license could very well turn out to be the pivotal case that not only challenges the constitutionality of the National Firearms Act of 1934, but also every federal firearms law ever passed in a battle that will determine whether it is the states or the federal government that has the constitutional right to pass gun laws.
Put bluntly, this could be huge.
When Shane Cox began selling his homemade firearms and silencers out of his military surplus store, he stamped “Made in Kansas” on them to assure buyers that a Kansas law would prevent federal prosecution of anyone owning firearms made, sold and kept in the state.
The 45-year-old Chanute resident also handed out copies to customers of the Second Amendment Protection Act passed in 2013 by the Kansas Legislature and signed by Gov. Sam Brownback, and even collected sales taxes. His biggest selling item was unregistered gun silencers that were flying out of the shop as fast as Cox could make them, prosecutors said later. One of those customers – 28-year-old Jeremy Kettler of Chanute – was so enthusiastic about the silencer that he posted a video on Facebook.
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Put bluntly, this could be huge.
When Shane Cox began selling his homemade firearms and silencers out of his military surplus store, he stamped “Made in Kansas” on them to assure buyers that a Kansas law would prevent federal prosecution of anyone owning firearms made, sold and kept in the state.
The 45-year-old Chanute resident also handed out copies to customers of the Second Amendment Protection Act passed in 2013 by the Kansas Legislature and signed by Gov. Sam Brownback, and even collected sales taxes. His biggest selling item was unregistered gun silencers that were flying out of the shop as fast as Cox could make them, prosecutors said later. One of those customers – 28-year-old Jeremy Kettler of Chanute – was so enthusiastic about the silencer that he posted a video on Facebook.
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WCSO Press Releases - Apr. 26, 2017
Date of Incident: 24 April 2017
Location: 800 block of Snow Hill Road, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Joshua Lee Boyer, 31, Harrington, DE
Narrative: On 24 April 2017 at 4:15 PM a deputy arrested Joshua Lee Boyer on an arrest warrant in a theft and uttering case from 2015. Boyer was extradited from Stafford, VA where authorities there had detained him on Wicomico County’s arrest warrant.
Boyer stands accused of presenting a check for payment at the Loyal Order of Moose from an account that was already closed back in 2015.
Upon arrest the deputy transported Boyer to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. Following an initial appearance, the Commissioner released Boyer on a $5,000.00 unsecured bond.
Charges: Theft under $1,000.00 and Uttering Bad Check
Date of Incident: 25 April 2017
Location: Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Shawntel Denise Baine, 43, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 25 April 2017 at 2:48 PM a deputy located and arrested a wanted subject, Shawntel Baine, at a location in the 2000 block of Northgate Drive in Salisbury. Baine was being sought on a Circuit Court Bench Warrant that was issued back in 2016 after Baine failed to appear in the Circuit Court for a case where she was facing traffic related charges.
Baine was ordered held without bond upon the issuance of the Bench Warrant.
Charges: Failure to Appear
Date of Incident: 25 April 2017
Location: 6000 block of Willing Drive, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Anthony Shane Vinson, 29, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 25 April 2017 at 4:30 PM, a deputy located and arrested Anthony Vinson at a residence in the 6000 block of Willing Drive in Salisbury. Vinson was wanted on a Circuit Court Bench Warrant that was issued after he violated the terms of his probation in a case where he had been convicted of sex abuse of a minor.
Vinson was ordered held without bond upon the issuance of the bench warrant.
Charges: Violation of Probation
Date of Incident: 26 April 2017
Location: Bi-State Boulevard, Delmar, MD
Suspect: Ryen Lee Hook, 22, Delmar, MD
Narrative: On 26 April 2017 at 12:49 AM a deputy stopped a vehicle for an equipment violation and during the encounter the deputy detected the odor of marijuana emanating from within the vehicle. Upon searching the vehicle, the deputy recovered a jar containing marijuana that would be found to be well over 10 grams. During a subsequent investigation, the deputy identified that the marijuana belonged to one of the passengers, Ryen Hook.
The deputy placed Hook under arrest and transported him to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. Following an initial appearance, the Commissioner released Hook on Personal Recognizance.
Charges: Possession of Marijuana over 10 grams
Construction Materials Questioned In College Park Fire
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Fire investigators got their first look Tuesday at what may have led to a massive five-alarm fire in College Park that burned an apartment building under construction.
Prince George's County fire investigators were raised in a fire truck's bucket early Tuesday afternoon to examine the area of the apartment building where Monday's fire seems to have started.
No one is yet permitted in the building, in the 4700 block of Berwyn House Road. Fire officials said the risk of collapse of the upper floors is too great. Firefighters continued to put out hot spots Tuesday.
Fire officials cite the type of materials used in construction -- all permitted by code -- as a factor in how hard the fire was to fight.
"Our biggest challenge is access to the building. It's a lightweight wood truss construction, and a majority of all the fire was in the roof area of the trusses, which immediately started to collapse," Prince George's County Assistant Fire Chief Alan Doubleday said. "Once they are loaded excessively by water or exposed to fire is when they have a large potential for collapse."
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BREAKING NEWS President Trump proposed a plan to sharply lower individual tax rates, eliminate most deductions and drop the alternative minimum tax
President Trump proposed sharp reductions in both individual and corporate income tax rates, reducing the number of individual income tax brackets to three — 10 percent, 25 percent and 35 percent — and easing the tax burden on most Americans, including the rich.
DSP Press Release: Trooper Shot Outside Newark Area Convenience Store
Newark – The Delaware State Police are currently investigating a shooting of a trooper in the parking lot of the Wawa located at 1605 Pulaski Highway.
The investigation is in its early stages and more information will be disseminated at a later time.
Traffic is congested in the area, commuters are asked to find alternate routes of travel.
BREAKING: Delaware State Trooper Shot Outside Of Wawa
It happened on the 1600 block of Pulaski Highway in Bear, Delaware.
The trooper was transported to Christiana Hospital in unknown condition.
More/Live feed
More information can also be found at the link HERE
Derek Jeter, Jeb Bush buying the Miami Marlins
The ownership group led by the Yankees legend and former presidential candidate Jeb Bush has won the auction to purchase the Miami Marlins, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.
The group has agreed to pay $1.3 billion for the team, according to the Miami Herald, which said Bush will have ultimate control of the franchise, while Jeter will take a more active role.
Earlier Tuesday, Forbes reported the Jeter-Bush group was the last one standing and was frantically trying to complete the financing arrangements. The Herald later portrayed the Marlins, being sold by Jeffrey Loria, who has owned the team since 2002, as “very optimistic” the deal would go through — though the transaction could take months to complete.
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What's Happening>? 4-25-17
Cataclysm
The USSR didn’t just fail one day, as does a person who dies of a sudden heart attack or stroke. It was more like a wasting illness brought on by an unhealthy lifestyle. A physician tells a morbidly obese patient: “Your daily consumption of twelve cocktails, three packs of cigarettes, and 4,000 calories, and your refusal to engage in exercise more strenuous than walking to the refrigerator will kill you, but I can’t say when.” For both individuals and governments, certain choices are incompatible with continued existence, and the Soviet government made plenty of those.
Very few people foresaw its failure when it was imminent, even purported experts. The small group who said Soviet communism wouldn’t work because it couldn’t work were disparaged right up until it didn’t work. However, the deck is always stacked in favor of those predicting this or that government will fail. Ultimately they all do because they all come to rest on a foundation of coercion and fraud, which doesn’t work because it can’t work.
There is both a quantitative and qualitative calculus for individuals subject to a government: what the government takes versus what individuals get back. Government is a protection racket: turn over your money and it promises physical security from invasion and crime, and adjudication and restitution in the event of civil or criminal wrongs. The quantitative calculus: am I getting more back than I put in? The qualitative calculus: what activities and people does the government help or hinder?
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Very few people foresaw its failure when it was imminent, even purported experts. The small group who said Soviet communism wouldn’t work because it couldn’t work were disparaged right up until it didn’t work. However, the deck is always stacked in favor of those predicting this or that government will fail. Ultimately they all do because they all come to rest on a foundation of coercion and fraud, which doesn’t work because it can’t work.
There is both a quantitative and qualitative calculus for individuals subject to a government: what the government takes versus what individuals get back. Government is a protection racket: turn over your money and it promises physical security from invasion and crime, and adjudication and restitution in the event of civil or criminal wrongs. The quantitative calculus: am I getting more back than I put in? The qualitative calculus: what activities and people does the government help or hinder?
More
Mila Kunis brings mom to tears after surprise renovation of modest childhood condo
She may be a Bad Mom - but she makes a great daughter.
Mila Kunis brought her parents to tears when she surprised them by renovating their beloved 24-year-old condo.
The actress teamed up with home company Houzz to overhaul the modest California home they have lived in for almost a quarter of a century.
While she is worth around $30million - and her husband Ashton Kutcher is worth another 140 - the 33-year-old could easily afford a whopping mansion for dad Mark and mom Elvira.
But the couple refuse to move from the home where they raised Mila from nine years old
'You cannot get my parents out of that condo,' she said in the latest episode of Houzz’s makeover video series, My Houzz. 'They’re never going to move. They love it.'
So she decided to give the house - which 'kind of looks like Miami Vice circa 1994' - an overhaul instead.
More/Video
Mila Kunis brought her parents to tears when she surprised them by renovating their beloved 24-year-old condo.
The actress teamed up with home company Houzz to overhaul the modest California home they have lived in for almost a quarter of a century.
While she is worth around $30million - and her husband Ashton Kutcher is worth another 140 - the 33-year-old could easily afford a whopping mansion for dad Mark and mom Elvira.
But the couple refuse to move from the home where they raised Mila from nine years old
'You cannot get my parents out of that condo,' she said in the latest episode of Houzz’s makeover video series, My Houzz. 'They’re never going to move. They love it.'
So she decided to give the house - which 'kind of looks like Miami Vice circa 1994' - an overhaul instead.
More/Video
Judge Blocks Trump Effort to Withhold Money From Sanctuary Cities
The judge, William H. Orrick of United States District Court, wrote that the president had overstepped his powers with his January executive order on immigration by tying billions of dollars in federal funding to immigration enforcement. Judge Orrick said only Congress could place such conditions on spending.
The ruling, which applies nationwide, was another judicial setback for the Trump administration, which has now seen three immigration orders stopped by federal courts in its first 100 days. And as with the rulings halting his two temporary bans on travel from several predominantly Muslim countries, the president’s own words were used against him.
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Bill Nye the 'Vagina Guy' Indoctrinates Kids Into Gay Sex on Netflix
You probably remember Bill Nye from when he was the Science Guy, a quirky smartie who taught kids about energy and force and matter. Like most good things, those days are long gone. Nye has a new show on Netflix called "Bill Nye Saves the World," which is just a hyper-political show dressed up like a science lesson. It's no coincidence that Nye led the highly political March for "Science"—where people marched for the totally unscientific notion that a boy can actually be a girl if he wishes hard enough—right at the same time this new show about "science" debuted on Netflix. My faith in authentic movements needs a crash cart.
Not only is this show full of far-left ideology disguised as science, the episode "Sexuality Spectrum" is a bizarre trip down a yellow brick road to insanity. Nye's show is rated TV-14, but his reputation was always G-rated. How many parents will turn this on thinking the "Science Guy" is a great learning tool for their kids? If you did that with this show, you'd soon find your six-year-old asking you what "butt stuff" and "sex junk" mean.
More/Video
Not only is this show full of far-left ideology disguised as science, the episode "Sexuality Spectrum" is a bizarre trip down a yellow brick road to insanity. Nye's show is rated TV-14, but his reputation was always G-rated. How many parents will turn this on thinking the "Science Guy" is a great learning tool for their kids? If you did that with this show, you'd soon find your six-year-old asking you what "butt stuff" and "sex junk" mean.
More/Video
State Champion Football Coach May Be Fired for Being White
Football coach Todd Peterman won a state championship for DeSoto High School in 2016, the school's first. For a Texas high school, a state championship tends to ensure a coach will keep his job for a while.
However, Peterman is facing a job hunt on the horizon.
Apparently because he's white:
DeSoto went 16-0 last season and won the Class 6A Division II state title.
Former NFL linebacker Zach Orr, a DeSoto and North Texas alumnus, indicated people were originally skeptical of Peterman's hire because of his race. He said that seems to be the reason behind the potential change.
"They act like they can't handle a white man running a predominantly black football team, which is very sad," said Orr, whose three brothers also played for DeSoto. "Me, I want what's best for the kids, our youth and our community. That's what Coach Peterman is."
Orr's father, Terry, was one of the members of the public who spoke during the open session and hoped race wasn't a factor in the current situation.
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However, Peterman is facing a job hunt on the horizon.
Apparently because he's white:
DeSoto went 16-0 last season and won the Class 6A Division II state title.
Former NFL linebacker Zach Orr, a DeSoto and North Texas alumnus, indicated people were originally skeptical of Peterman's hire because of his race. He said that seems to be the reason behind the potential change.
"They act like they can't handle a white man running a predominantly black football team, which is very sad," said Orr, whose three brothers also played for DeSoto. "Me, I want what's best for the kids, our youth and our community. That's what Coach Peterman is."
Orr's father, Terry, was one of the members of the public who spoke during the open session and hoped race wasn't a factor in the current situation.
More
Carried away: The inside story of how the Carl Vinson's canceled port visit sparked a global crisis
In early April, officials at U.S. Pacific Command were developing plans to respond to a sharp rise in tensions with North Korea. Defense Secretary James Mattis ordered PACOM Commander Adm. Harry Harris to come up with “robust and sustainable” options for North Korea if President Trump ordered a strike on the rogue regime, according to four defense officials who spoke on background.
Harris was traveling in Washington away from his Hawaii base of operations, something that he dislikes because, in his view, something always seems to happen when he’s not in his office. At one point that week, top PACOM officials called Harris to recommend that Vinson cancel its upcoming trip to Australia and make its way back to the waters near North Korea where the carrier had just been in March, thus serving as one of the responses to Mattis’s directive that they explore military options for the Trump administration.
The plan was to truncate a secretive exercise with the Australians near Indonesia, to cancel Vinson’s visit to Perth and then head the direction of the Korean Peninsula — meaning Vinson would be off North Korea by the end of the month.
Harris was traveling in Washington away from his Hawaii base of operations, something that he dislikes because, in his view, something always seems to happen when he’s not in his office. At one point that week, top PACOM officials called Harris to recommend that Vinson cancel its upcoming trip to Australia and make its way back to the waters near North Korea where the carrier had just been in March, thus serving as one of the responses to Mattis’s directive that they explore military options for the Trump administration.
The plan was to truncate a secretive exercise with the Australians near Indonesia, to cancel Vinson’s visit to Perth and then head the direction of the Korean Peninsula — meaning Vinson would be off North Korea by the end of the month.
Rep. Harris: President Trump is Easing the Regulatory Burden on Farmers
“I am pleased to see President Trump and Secretary Perdue working together to ease the regulatory burden placed on farmers by the Obama administration. Maryland’s First District is home to a robust rural community and many small, family-owned farms. I am confident that the concerns of these communities and farmers will be a priority for the new Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity.”
The President’s executive order directs Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to work with the rest of the Cabinet to identify and eliminate unnecessary regulations that are harmful to the American agriculture industry. This order also establishes the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity, which will examine agricultural issues related to economic development, education, overregulation, and taxation. After 180 days, the task force will report its findings and propose specific legislative, regulatory, and policy changes.
Laura Ingraham Blasts 'Pathetic' GOP for Not Backing Trump on Wall
Radio talk-show host Laura Ingraham Tuesday ripped "pathetic" Republicans for not working to help President Donald Trump deliver on his promise to build a wall on the southern U.S. border to stop illegal immigration.
Ingraham took to Twitter:
Trump vowed Tuesday that "the wall is going to get built, folks" amid reports that the president was softening his stance as Congress develops a spending plan that would keep the federal government from shutting down on Friday.
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Ingraham took to Twitter:
Trump vowed Tuesday that "the wall is going to get built, folks" amid reports that the president was softening his stance as Congress develops a spending plan that would keep the federal government from shutting down on Friday.
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Monthly Skateboarding Opportunities Planned For Berlin Falls Park
On Monday, the town council approved an area resident’s proposal to set up his skateboarding ramps and equipment in Berlin Falls Park the last Sunday of each month from May to October. The equipment would be available for the public to use free of charge from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“Our goal is to give an outlet for everybody to participate,” said Sean McLaren, the local resident who’s providing the ramps.
The council approved a “Temporary Skateboard Services and Facility Use Agreement” with McLaren to allow for the monthly events. McLaren had previously offered the use of his equipment to the town at a meeting of the Berlin Parks Commission. He and Tres Denk of the Eastern Shore International Mountain Biking Association hosted the “Get Ramped” skateboarding and biking event at Berlin Falls Park last year. They’re eager to provide area children with more biking and skateboarding opportunities.
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April 25, 2017 Spring Trout Stocking Update
The following areas have been stocked today:
Jennings Run, Allegany County - Quantity: 800
North Jennings Run Watershed, Allegany County - Quantity: 200
Orchard Pond, Allegany County - Quantity: 400
White Sulfur Pond, Allegany County - Quantity: 500
Patapsco River, Avalon, Baltimore County - Quantity: 1,600
Patapsco River, Daniels (2/day), Baltimore County - Quantity: 700
South Branch Patapsco River (River Rd.), Carroll County - Quantity: 400
Go to our trout stocking website for a full list of the latest stocked locations.
Enjoy Maryland's outdoors! Visit the site for all of the releases statewide.
Jennings Run, Allegany County - Quantity: 800
North Jennings Run Watershed, Allegany County - Quantity: 200
Orchard Pond, Allegany County - Quantity: 400
White Sulfur Pond, Allegany County - Quantity: 500
Patapsco River, Avalon, Baltimore County - Quantity: 1,600
Patapsco River, Daniels (2/day), Baltimore County - Quantity: 700
South Branch Patapsco River (River Rd.), Carroll County - Quantity: 400
Go to our trout stocking website for a full list of the latest stocked locations.
Enjoy Maryland's outdoors! Visit the site for all of the releases statewide.
Tickets on sale for National Day of Prayer Breakfast
SALISBURY, Md. - The National Day of Prayer Breakfast will return to the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center on Thursday, May 4, at 7:15 a.m. The seventh annual breakfast will feature speaker Terence Chatmon, president and CEO of Fellowship of Companies for Christ International.
Tickets for this event are $20 per person or $160 for a table of eight. Tickets are available at The Country House in Salisbury or by calling Ted Evans at 410-430-4189. To purchase tickets by mail, send a check payable to Salisbury Area Prayer Breakfast Committee c/o Magi Fund, P.O. Box 521, Salisbury, MD 21803.
Following the breakfast, on the same day, the 66th Annual National Day of Prayer Observance will be held at the Government Office Building in downtown Salisbury at noon. This observance is free and open to the public.
For more information, contact Evans at 410-430-4189.
Tickets for this event are $20 per person or $160 for a table of eight. Tickets are available at The Country House in Salisbury or by calling Ted Evans at 410-430-4189. To purchase tickets by mail, send a check payable to Salisbury Area Prayer Breakfast Committee c/o Magi Fund, P.O. Box 521, Salisbury, MD 21803.
Following the breakfast, on the same day, the 66th Annual National Day of Prayer Observance will be held at the Government Office Building in downtown Salisbury at noon. This observance is free and open to the public.
For more information, contact Evans at 410-430-4189.
GOVERNOR LARRY HOGAN ANNOUNCES THE MARYLAND BUSINESS SUMMIT
The all-day event will feature remarks by Governor Hogan and other notable speakers, including Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh; BITHGROUP Founder and CEO Robert Wallace, Maryland Economic Development Commission Chair and CEO of Sage Policy Group Anirban Basu, and Innovation Village Baltimore chairman Richard May.
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Stone carvings confirm comet hit Earth 13,000 years ago
Ancient symbols carved into stone at an archaeological site in Turkey tell the story of a devastating comet impact that triggered a mini ice age more than 13,000 years ago, scientists believe.
Evidence from the carvings, made on a pillar known as the Vulture Stone, suggests that a swarm of comet fragments hit the Earth in around 11000 BC.
One image of a headless man is thought to symbolise human disaster and extensive loss of life.
The devastating event, which wiped out creatures such as woolly mammoths, also helped spark the rise of civilisation.
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Evidence from the carvings, made on a pillar known as the Vulture Stone, suggests that a swarm of comet fragments hit the Earth in around 11000 BC.
One image of a headless man is thought to symbolise human disaster and extensive loss of life.
The devastating event, which wiped out creatures such as woolly mammoths, also helped spark the rise of civilisation.
More
Nasdaq hits 6,000 mark for the first time ever
The Nasdaq Composite Index in early Tuesday trading hit a milestone: 6,000.
The Nasdaq Composite traded at an intraday record of 6,012, up 0.5 percent, on Tuesday morning in New York.
“The Nasdaq has not seen a major new high, which is to say a breakthrough of a big round number, since way back in 2000,” Brad McMillan, chief investment officer at Commonwealth Financial Network, said back in February when the Nasdaq was flirting with those lofty levels.
Indeed, the last time the Nasdaq was somersaulting higher was in the late 1990s and early 2000s, during the notorious dot-com bubble. That period of buzzy tech companies with dubious business models, exemplified by Pets.com, didn’t end well for investors. In fact, Wall Street took 15 years to recover, with the index not returning to the 5,000 level again until March 2015.
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The Nasdaq Composite traded at an intraday record of 6,012, up 0.5 percent, on Tuesday morning in New York.
“The Nasdaq has not seen a major new high, which is to say a breakthrough of a big round number, since way back in 2000,” Brad McMillan, chief investment officer at Commonwealth Financial Network, said back in February when the Nasdaq was flirting with those lofty levels.
Indeed, the last time the Nasdaq was somersaulting higher was in the late 1990s and early 2000s, during the notorious dot-com bubble. That period of buzzy tech companies with dubious business models, exemplified by Pets.com, didn’t end well for investors. In fact, Wall Street took 15 years to recover, with the index not returning to the 5,000 level again until March 2015.
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Where'd The Recycling Bins Go At WalMart North
I Thought Liberals Want $15.00 Per Hour?
Independent Contractor - Newspaper Delivery (Eastern Shore, Maryland)
Make from $600 to $1,200 per month! THE DAILY TIMES is recruiting Newspaper Delivery Contractors for the Salisbury, Berlin, Fruitland, Bishopville and Crisfield areas.
Need extra cash and want to work for yourself? THE DAILY TIMES has a great opportunity for you!
Potential gross revenue up to $600 to $1,200 per month plus tips delivering newspapers. By going the extra mile with your customers, tips will start rolling in!
THE DAILY TIMES is currently recruiting RELIABLE and DEDICATED Independent Contractors for newspaper routes...
* Our customers look forward to receiving their newspaper 365 days per year - rain, sleet or snow. As a contractor, you have the right to personally perform the deliveries and have the ability to arrange and compensate a subcontractor to complete deliveries in your absence.
Need extra cash and want to work for yourself? THE DAILY TIMES has a great opportunity for you!
Potential gross revenue up to $600 to $1,200 per month plus tips delivering newspapers. By going the extra mile with your customers, tips will start rolling in!
THE DAILY TIMES is currently recruiting RELIABLE and DEDICATED Independent Contractors for newspaper routes...
* Our customers look forward to receiving their newspaper 365 days per year - rain, sleet or snow. As a contractor, you have the right to personally perform the deliveries and have the ability to arrange and compensate a subcontractor to complete deliveries in your absence.
Federal Judge Rules Busker Suit Has Enough Merit To Proceed
In November 2015, eight Ocean City Boardwalk street performers filed suit in U.S. District Court seeking $1 million in punitive and compensatory damages and injunctive relief from the town’s revised ordinance regulating buskers. On two occasions, the plaintiffs’ suit was rejected by the court, largely over procedural issues, but the third amended complaint filed last September, while still rife with procedural issues, does have merit and will continue, U.S. District Court Judge William Nickerson ruled last week, essentially denying the town’s motion to dismiss the case.
“It is clear that the plaintiffs’ action arises under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, which can be enforced against municipalities through the 14th Amendment’s due process clause,” the opinion reads.
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Donald Trump Wants to Send Astronauts to Mars During His Presidency
President Donald Trump spoke with NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station on Monday, as one of them, Peggy Whitson, set the U.S. record for most cumulative days in space.
During the conversation, Trump said he wanted to speed up the timetable of a NASA mission to Mars — suggesting he could get it done during his second term as president.
“Who’s ready to go to Mars up there?” he asked the astronauts who responded by raising their hands on camera.
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During the conversation, Trump said he wanted to speed up the timetable of a NASA mission to Mars — suggesting he could get it done during his second term as president.
“Who’s ready to go to Mars up there?” he asked the astronauts who responded by raising their hands on camera.
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LGBT Protests of Chick-Fil-A at Duquesne University Garner National Attention
The ongoing saga of LGBT protests of an upcoming Chick-fil-A restaurant on campus at Duquesne University, a Catholic college in Pittsburgh, has taken on biblical dimensions as a test-case of safe spaces and microaggressions in American higher education.
According to its mission statement, Duquesne University is “a Catholic university founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit,” dedicated to serving God while espousing a “profound concern for moral and spiritual values.” It also professes a commitment to “an ecumenical atmosphere open to diversity.”
For its part, Chick-fil-A CEO management has articulated a biblical understanding of marriage that exactly mirrors Catholic teaching, while also emphasizing that they do not discriminate in any way, and are more than happy to serve anyone who wishes to eat at their establishment.
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According to its mission statement, Duquesne University is “a Catholic university founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit,” dedicated to serving God while espousing a “profound concern for moral and spiritual values.” It also professes a commitment to “an ecumenical atmosphere open to diversity.”
For its part, Chick-fil-A CEO management has articulated a biblical understanding of marriage that exactly mirrors Catholic teaching, while also emphasizing that they do not discriminate in any way, and are more than happy to serve anyone who wishes to eat at their establishment.
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Donald Trump: ‘If They Don’t Treat Fairly, I Am Terminating NAFTA
President Donald Trump again leveled criticism about NAFTA in an interview with the Associated Press,promising to either renegotiate the trade deal or terminate it.
“I am going to either renegotiate it or I am going to terminate it,” he said. “If they don’t treat fairly, I am terminating NAFTA.”
Trump has not softened his campaign rhetoric about the North American Free Trade Act, accusing Mexico and more Canada for hurting the American economy.
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“I am going to either renegotiate it or I am going to terminate it,” he said. “If they don’t treat fairly, I am terminating NAFTA.”
Trump has not softened his campaign rhetoric about the North American Free Trade Act, accusing Mexico and more Canada for hurting the American economy.
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Sessions: DoJ Has Sent a Letter to 10 ‘Sanctuary Cities’ in Possible Violation of Immigration Law
Monday on Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions revealed he sent a letter to 10 cities functioning as so-called “sanctuary cities,” which may be in violation of federal law.
Sessions warned a failure to respond to those letters could result in those cities losing their federal funding.
“Last year, the Obama administration sent out notices that people had to comply with this cooperative language in the law that was passed several years ago,” Sessions explained. “And we sent out a letter today to 10 cities that the Inspector General’s office last year said were potentially in violation of the law involving deportation in sanctuary cities. We expect them to respond. If they don’t respond, they should not receive the grants because the grants were issued on condition of cooperation.”
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Sessions warned a failure to respond to those letters could result in those cities losing their federal funding.
“Last year, the Obama administration sent out notices that people had to comply with this cooperative language in the law that was passed several years ago,” Sessions explained. “And we sent out a letter today to 10 cities that the Inspector General’s office last year said were potentially in violation of the law involving deportation in sanctuary cities. We expect them to respond. If they don’t respond, they should not receive the grants because the grants were issued on condition of cooperation.”
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Fattest US Cities: Did Your Hometown Make New Ranking?
Seattle, take a bow. Jackson, hit the gym. A new study ranking the nation’s 100 fattest cities has found residents of the Mississippi city topped the scales nationally, while Jimi Hendrix’s hometown has the smallest proportion of overweight residents.
The analysis, by Wallethub.com, found that 70 percent of Americans aged 15 and older are overweight or obese — in line with statistics compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But some cities are more likely to have more residents who hit those thresholds than others.
On balance, the south tended to rank higher in the new study, which has historically been the case, while residents of colder, northern states and the Pacific Northwest fared better.
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The analysis, by Wallethub.com, found that 70 percent of Americans aged 15 and older are overweight or obese — in line with statistics compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But some cities are more likely to have more residents who hit those thresholds than others.
On balance, the south tended to rank higher in the new study, which has historically been the case, while residents of colder, northern states and the Pacific Northwest fared better.
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Donald Trump Invites Conservative Media to White House for Exclusive Briefing
President Donald Trump met with a group of conservative media reporters, columnists, and radio hosts to discuss his first 100 days as president, speaking about trade issues, foreign policy, and infrastructure spending.
Representatives from Breitbart News were present for the event.
The event was billed as a reception, as White House aides and members of the press office mingled with about 20-30 individuals from conservative media outlets to discuss Trump’s first 100 days and issues of importance.
But the event turned into an impromptu press conference after the president entered the room flanked by senior advisers Reince Priebus, Steve Bannon, and Jared Kushner. At one point economic advisor Gary Cohn peered in the door to view the event.
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Representatives from Breitbart News were present for the event.
The event was billed as a reception, as White House aides and members of the press office mingled with about 20-30 individuals from conservative media outlets to discuss Trump’s first 100 days and issues of importance.
But the event turned into an impromptu press conference after the president entered the room flanked by senior advisers Reince Priebus, Steve Bannon, and Jared Kushner. At one point economic advisor Gary Cohn peered in the door to view the event.
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Overcoming Opioids: Special Schools Help Teens Stay Clean
When Logan Snyder got hooked on pills after a prescription to treat pain from a kidney stone, she joined the millions already swept up in the nation's grim wave of addiction to opioid painkillers.
She was just 14.
Youth is a drawback when it comes to kicking drugs. Only half of U.S. treatment centers accept teenagers and even fewer offer teen-focused groups or programs. After treatment, adolescents find little structured support. They're outnumbered by adults at self-help meetings. Sober youth drop-in centers are rare. Returning to school means resisting offers to get high with old friends.
But Snyder is lucky: Her slide ended when her father got her into a residential drug treatment program. Now 17 and clean, she credits her continued success to Hope Academy in Indianapolis, a tuition-free recovery school where she's enrolled as a junior.
"I am with people all day who are similar to me," she says. "We're here to hold each other accountable."
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She was just 14.
Youth is a drawback when it comes to kicking drugs. Only half of U.S. treatment centers accept teenagers and even fewer offer teen-focused groups or programs. After treatment, adolescents find little structured support. They're outnumbered by adults at self-help meetings. Sober youth drop-in centers are rare. Returning to school means resisting offers to get high with old friends.
But Snyder is lucky: Her slide ended when her father got her into a residential drug treatment program. Now 17 and clean, she credits her continued success to Hope Academy in Indianapolis, a tuition-free recovery school where she's enrolled as a junior.
"I am with people all day who are similar to me," she says. "We're here to hold each other accountable."
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Couple gives away piano. Then $600K in gold coins found in it. The couple’s reaction is priceless.
Meg and Graham Hemmings picked up a old piano from a second-hand dealer and plunked it down in their English home for three decades so their four children could play it.
Graham Hemmings, 72, told The Guardian it soon became an “item of furniture.” Then after their retirement the couple donated the piano to Bishop’s Castle Community College in Shropshire, England, Essex Live reported.
About four months ago, 61-year-old piano tuner Martin Backhouse was working on the instrument when he noticed objects inside that he first mistook for moth repellent, theTelegraph said.
Good thing he took a closer peek — because Backhouse proceeded to pull out eight cloth packages containing over 900 gold coins dating between 1847 and 1914. Their total value today? Over $600,000.
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Graham Hemmings, 72, told The Guardian it soon became an “item of furniture.” Then after their retirement the couple donated the piano to Bishop’s Castle Community College in Shropshire, England, Essex Live reported.
About four months ago, 61-year-old piano tuner Martin Backhouse was working on the instrument when he noticed objects inside that he first mistook for moth repellent, theTelegraph said.
Good thing he took a closer peek — because Backhouse proceeded to pull out eight cloth packages containing over 900 gold coins dating between 1847 and 1914. Their total value today? Over $600,000.
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Bankrupt Gander Mountain Could Have A Buyer, Allowing Stores To Stay Open
When specialty sporting goods retailer Gander Mountain recently went bankrupt, the future of the company’s physical locations was in doubt. Now comes a report that there may be a buyer for Gander Mountain that could keep some of the chain’s stores open.
Cherokee Nation Sues Wal-Mart, CVS, Walgreens Over Tribal Opioid Crisis
The Cherokee Nation is suing top drug distributors and pharmacies — including Wal-Mart — alleging they profited greatly by "flooding" communities in Oklahoma with prescription painkillers, leading to the deaths of hundreds of tribal members.
Todd Hembree, attorney general for the Cherokee Nation, says drug companies didn't do enough to keep painkillers off the black market or to stop the overprescription of these powerful narcotics, which include OxyContin and Vicodin. "They flooded this market," Hembree says. "And they knew — or should've known — that they were doing so."
Walgreens, CVS Health and Wal-Mart are all named in the suit, along with the nation's three largest pharmaceutical distributors: AmerisourceBergen, McKesson and Cardinal Health. They act as middlemen between pharmacies and drugmakers, distributing 85 to 90 percent of the prescription painkillers that some see as fueling a growing opioid epidemic in the U.S.
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Todd Hembree, attorney general for the Cherokee Nation, says drug companies didn't do enough to keep painkillers off the black market or to stop the overprescription of these powerful narcotics, which include OxyContin and Vicodin. "They flooded this market," Hembree says. "And they knew — or should've known — that they were doing so."
Walgreens, CVS Health and Wal-Mart are all named in the suit, along with the nation's three largest pharmaceutical distributors: AmerisourceBergen, McKesson and Cardinal Health. They act as middlemen between pharmacies and drugmakers, distributing 85 to 90 percent of the prescription painkillers that some see as fueling a growing opioid epidemic in the U.S.
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Net neutrality is not really neutral
Monday on “The Chris Salcedo Show,” Chris Salcedo welcomed policy analyst and author Phil Kerpen, president of American Commitment, to discuss the reality of net neutrality, which was imposed on the American people via the Federal Communications Commission.
Kerpen said it is hard for people to understand net neutrality because the definition keeps changing. The internet was deregulated and privatized in the mid 1990s. Competition between carriers and technologies spurred tremendous innovation and growth. This all changed in 2015, when the FCC started regulating the internet like a public utility “using a law written in the 1930s for the old Ma Bell telephone monopoly.”
If that sounds like the opposite of neutrality, that is because of how it was designed. Since 2015 there has been a significant decline in private investment and a significant increase in complaints. Kerpen believes if the Democrats had won in 2016, we would have seen the FCC enforcement bureau inhibit product development and choice, among other restrictions.
Chris likened “net neutrality” to what Obamacare did to the insurance industry. Kerpen found it an apt comparison. He said every aspect of the internet was to be under the control of “unelected bureaucrats at the enforcement bureau of the FCC.” However, Donald Trump became President and appointed Ajit Pai chairman of the FCC. Plans are already underway to roll back the Obama-era regulations.
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Kerpen said it is hard for people to understand net neutrality because the definition keeps changing. The internet was deregulated and privatized in the mid 1990s. Competition between carriers and technologies spurred tremendous innovation and growth. This all changed in 2015, when the FCC started regulating the internet like a public utility “using a law written in the 1930s for the old Ma Bell telephone monopoly.”
If that sounds like the opposite of neutrality, that is because of how it was designed. Since 2015 there has been a significant decline in private investment and a significant increase in complaints. Kerpen believes if the Democrats had won in 2016, we would have seen the FCC enforcement bureau inhibit product development and choice, among other restrictions.
Chris likened “net neutrality” to what Obamacare did to the insurance industry. Kerpen found it an apt comparison. He said every aspect of the internet was to be under the control of “unelected bureaucrats at the enforcement bureau of the FCC.” However, Donald Trump became President and appointed Ajit Pai chairman of the FCC. Plans are already underway to roll back the Obama-era regulations.
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How Trump Can Help the Cops
Donald Trump vigorously defended law enforcement during his presidential campaign. He pledged to restore order to the nation’s cities—where violent crime is surging—and to reinvigorate the rule of law. His appointment of conservative Republican senator Jeff Sessions as attorney general was a strong signal that Trump’s words were more than campaign rhetoric. Now that the Trump administration and the Sessions-led Justice Department are up and running, where should they focus their efforts?
The most immediate goal of the Trump administration should be to change the elite-driven narrative about the criminal-justice system. That narrative, which holds that policing is lethally racist, has dominated public discourse since the fatal shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, in August 2014. In response, officers are backing off of proactive policing, and violent crime is rising fast: 2015 saw the largest one-year spike in homicides nationwide in nearly 50 years. That violent-crime increase has continued unabated through 2016 and into the early months of 2017. A Trump administration official—perhaps Attorney General Sessions, or the president himself—should publicly address the question of what we expect from police officers: Do we want them to be proactive and to try to stop crime before it happens? Or do we want them to be purely reactive, responding to crime only after someone has been victimized? The administration should explain that data-driven, proactive policing made possible the country’s 20-year, 50 percent violent-crime decline that began in the mid-1990s.
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The most immediate goal of the Trump administration should be to change the elite-driven narrative about the criminal-justice system. That narrative, which holds that policing is lethally racist, has dominated public discourse since the fatal shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, in August 2014. In response, officers are backing off of proactive policing, and violent crime is rising fast: 2015 saw the largest one-year spike in homicides nationwide in nearly 50 years. That violent-crime increase has continued unabated through 2016 and into the early months of 2017. A Trump administration official—perhaps Attorney General Sessions, or the president himself—should publicly address the question of what we expect from police officers: Do we want them to be proactive and to try to stop crime before it happens? Or do we want them to be purely reactive, responding to crime only after someone has been victimized? The administration should explain that data-driven, proactive policing made possible the country’s 20-year, 50 percent violent-crime decline that began in the mid-1990s.
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BREAKING NEWS: Something Is Going On In Parsonsburg: UPDATE, Missing Person Located
Forget the critics, Mr. President. Your first 100 days have been just fine.
Despite the best efforts of the White House “PR apparatus” to sell the president’s first 100 days as a success, the New York Times declared in aneditorial, the new administration has, in fact, been plagued by “many missteps” including a “bungled sales job” on his first major legislative initiative and a “snakebit” confirmation process, all of which have produced “a flurry of articles bemoaning the lack of focus in the White House.” The first 100 days, the Times declared, is a period the president “might prefer to forget.”
The president in question is not Donald Trump. This is how, in April 1993, the Times described the first 100 days of Bill Clinton’s presidency. But not to worry, the Times reassured its readers: “It’s still early, and a hundred days don’t really mean very much.”
The Times is right: The first 100 days really don’t mean very much at all.
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The president in question is not Donald Trump. This is how, in April 1993, the Times described the first 100 days of Bill Clinton’s presidency. But not to worry, the Times reassured its readers: “It’s still early, and a hundred days don’t really mean very much.”
The Times is right: The first 100 days really don’t mean very much at all.
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Talk of Federal Tax Cuts Chills Affordable Housing Market
BOSTON — The planned A.O. Flats housing development in this city’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood was billed as an oasis for low- and middle-income families, a place where they could get affordable housing in an increasingly affluent area.
Financing was nearly in place and construction was set to begin until President Donald Trump and Congress started talking right after the election about delivering the biggest overhaul of the federal tax code in more than 30 years. Those plans include simplifying tax law as well as cutting taxes, especially for the better-off and for corporations.
Suddenly, because of the proposed slash in corporate tax rates, federal low-income housing tax credits, the key to financing almost every affordable housing project in the nation, looked like they might be worth less to investors. If the corporate tax rate, now at 35 percent, is cut to 20 or even 15 percent, the credits would not be as attractive to investors who use them to lower their tax liability in return for financing housing projects.
“Investors paused and said, ‘Wait a minute, if I’m getting a stream of tax deductions at a tax rate of 35 percent now, and I’m pretty confident the rate is going to be lower … I’m going to hold off here and figure out what’s going on,’ ” said Bart Mitchell, CEO of the Community Builders Inc., a nonprofit that coordinates low-income housing projects, including A.O. Flats.
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Financing was nearly in place and construction was set to begin until President Donald Trump and Congress started talking right after the election about delivering the biggest overhaul of the federal tax code in more than 30 years. Those plans include simplifying tax law as well as cutting taxes, especially for the better-off and for corporations.
Suddenly, because of the proposed slash in corporate tax rates, federal low-income housing tax credits, the key to financing almost every affordable housing project in the nation, looked like they might be worth less to investors. If the corporate tax rate, now at 35 percent, is cut to 20 or even 15 percent, the credits would not be as attractive to investors who use them to lower their tax liability in return for financing housing projects.
“Investors paused and said, ‘Wait a minute, if I’m getting a stream of tax deductions at a tax rate of 35 percent now, and I’m pretty confident the rate is going to be lower … I’m going to hold off here and figure out what’s going on,’ ” said Bart Mitchell, CEO of the Community Builders Inc., a nonprofit that coordinates low-income housing projects, including A.O. Flats.
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