DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Monday, May 15, 2017
Can't Pay Your Student Loans? The Government May Come After Your House
On Adriene McNally's 49th birthday in January, she heard a knock on the door of her modest row-home in Northeast Philadelphia.
She was being served.
"They actually paid someone to come out and serve me papers on a Saturday afternoon," she says.
The papers were from a government lawsuit that represents something more than just an unwelcome birthday gift — it's an example of a program the federal government has brought to 19 cities around the country including Brooklyn, Detroit, Miami and Philadelphia: suing to recover unpaid student loans, like the ones McNally owes.
Every day, 3,000 people default on their federal student loans — and those lack of payments amount to an unpaid bill of $137 billion for the federal government. For decades, the government has tried to get borrowers to pay up by hiring debt collection agencies to call and send letters. But now the government is trying this new lawsuit strategy.
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She was being served.
"They actually paid someone to come out and serve me papers on a Saturday afternoon," she says.
The papers were from a government lawsuit that represents something more than just an unwelcome birthday gift — it's an example of a program the federal government has brought to 19 cities around the country including Brooklyn, Detroit, Miami and Philadelphia: suing to recover unpaid student loans, like the ones McNally owes.
Every day, 3,000 people default on their federal student loans — and those lack of payments amount to an unpaid bill of $137 billion for the federal government. For decades, the government has tried to get borrowers to pay up by hiring debt collection agencies to call and send letters. But now the government is trying this new lawsuit strategy.
More
The Real Problem With Self-Driving Cars: They Actually Follow Traffic Laws
In the century or so that people have been driving, two different sets of rules have developed: The official laws that we’re supposed to obey, and the unofficial code of the road that bends and often breaks those laws. For example, we allknow — whether we like it or not — that many highway drivers are going to exceed the speed limit. But what happens when you introduce self-driving cars that are designed to always follow the rules and don’t understand why other drivers are extending their middle fingers in their direction?
That seems like it would be a good thing, and it would be if all vehicles on the road were autonomous ones that communicated with each other and followed the same rules. The problem is that they will still have to share the road with human drivers.
New York state is about to allow autonomous cars to begin testing on its public highways and roads, adding another area to the territory that the vehicles can cover, and yet another set of unspoken rules of traffic that engineers will have to teach to their vehicles.
Companies testing the vehicles will have to file the routes their cars will travel with the state, but it’s other drivers who pose the real problem.
“There’s an endless list of these cases where we as humans know the context, we know when to bend the rules and when to break the rules,” a Carnegie Mellon University professor in charge of autonomous car research told the Associated Press.
More
That seems like it would be a good thing, and it would be if all vehicles on the road were autonomous ones that communicated with each other and followed the same rules. The problem is that they will still have to share the road with human drivers.
New York state is about to allow autonomous cars to begin testing on its public highways and roads, adding another area to the territory that the vehicles can cover, and yet another set of unspoken rules of traffic that engineers will have to teach to their vehicles.
Companies testing the vehicles will have to file the routes their cars will travel with the state, but it’s other drivers who pose the real problem.
“There’s an endless list of these cases where we as humans know the context, we know when to bend the rules and when to break the rules,” a Carnegie Mellon University professor in charge of autonomous car research told the Associated Press.
More
Multiple People Injured In Harford Co. Crash
(Havre de Grace, MD) – Maryland State Police are continuing their investigation into a crash this morning that injured multiple people and involved a passenger bus with school students on board and a passenger vehicle.
The driver of the passenger vehicle is from Maryland. He refused medical treatment at the scene.
Those on-board the bus included 26 students from the Philadelphia School District, three adult chaperones and one driver. All persons on the bus were transported to area hospitals, at least for a medical evaluation. Two people who were flown by medevacs, one from the Maryland State Police and one from the Delaware State Police, to trauma centers. The others were transported by ambulances to hospitals in the region.
Shortly before 9:30 a.m. today, Maryland State Police received multiple 9-1-1 calls from motorists, reporting an overturned passenger bus southbound Interstate 95, just north of the Havre de Grace exit. Troopers from Maryland State Police JFK Highway Barrack were immediately dispatched to the location.
7 Things We Learned About The Thriving American Heroin Industry
The market for heroin is a robust one, and 2017 is shaping up to be the best year yet for the gangs and cartels who import and distribute the drug in the United States. The drug is now both inexpensive to make and more addictive, but this more potent heroin is also killing its users.
Bloomberg Businessweek traveled to Cincinnati, which has somehow become the capital of American heroin, to find out why the market is so great, and whether it’s possible to stop the flow of heroin laced with even stronger painkillers.
1. Getting dealers off the streets is like playing whack-a-mole. There’s always someone ready to replace any dealer who goes to prison, dies, or quits.
“Everybody and their mom sells drugs these days,” a Cincinnati cop told a reporter. “There’s always somebody right there to pick back up.”
2. Competition is fierce in areas where heroin is popular. Cops describe dealers who mass-text customers about specials on days when sales are slow, and who throw free samples of their products through car windows along with their phone numbers.
Black nuclear scientist wins Miss USA; causes liberal MELTDOWN when she says…
Ms. Kara McCullough is your new Miss USA and boy is she ever a handful for liberals. Like any and everything connected to the liberal-dominated entertainment industry, it’s assumed any and all players in it will toe the progressive talking points line and never say or do anything that veers from their group-think society.
As has been the format since forever, each of the contestants are asked live, on-the-spot, thought-provoking questions to gauge their smarts and ability to think on their feet. Those questions used to be about uncontroversial topics such as feeding starving children in Africa – something everyone agrees with.
Those days are gone. Organizers now write politically-charged questions one would assume more likely to be heard on “Face the Nation” than a beauty contest. When confronted with such a question on Saturday night, McCullough knocked liberals right in the teeth with an answer Sean Hannity would be proud of and caused an immediate liberal meltdown.
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Indict Comey for obstruction of justice
While various so-called political and legal commentators at CNN and MSNBC, as well as the Washington Post, New York Times and other leftist rags, have suggested in recent days that President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should be prosecuted and/or impeached (and in the case of Sessions lose his law license) for firing former FBI Director James Comey, as according to them this constitutes obstruction of justice, ironically the opposite is true.
As I explained in the below embedded radio appearance at www.raffradio.com, where I exchanged views with the talented host, Franklin Raff, it is Comey himself, along with his staff, that deep-sixed their claimed investigation of Dennis Montgomery, a NSA/CIA whistleblower who came forward over two years ago, under grant of immunity, with 47 hard drives and over 600 million pages of information and then provided sworn testimony to FBI Agents Walter Giardina and William Barnett, showing that the intelligence agencies had not only “wiretapped,” in the form of unconstitutional surveillance, Trump, his associates and his family, but also other prominent Americans such as the chief justice of the Supreme Court, other justices, 156 judges and persons like myself who challenge or even criticize government misconduct and illegality. In short, the president’s firing of Comey was long overdue. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who recommended the former FBI director’s termination, should now empanel a grand jury to investigate Comey for having covered up and subverted this would-be FBI investigation of mass illegal surveillance in violation of the Fourth Amendment.
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As I explained in the below embedded radio appearance at www.raffradio.com, where I exchanged views with the talented host, Franklin Raff, it is Comey himself, along with his staff, that deep-sixed their claimed investigation of Dennis Montgomery, a NSA/CIA whistleblower who came forward over two years ago, under grant of immunity, with 47 hard drives and over 600 million pages of information and then provided sworn testimony to FBI Agents Walter Giardina and William Barnett, showing that the intelligence agencies had not only “wiretapped,” in the form of unconstitutional surveillance, Trump, his associates and his family, but also other prominent Americans such as the chief justice of the Supreme Court, other justices, 156 judges and persons like myself who challenge or even criticize government misconduct and illegality. In short, the president’s firing of Comey was long overdue. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who recommended the former FBI director’s termination, should now empanel a grand jury to investigate Comey for having covered up and subverted this would-be FBI investigation of mass illegal surveillance in violation of the Fourth Amendment.
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Annual DelMarVa Wounded Warrior Escort to Ocean City
Tuesday, June 6 at 10 AM - 2 PM
23490 Marsh Rd, Mardela Springs, MD 21837
OK, DelMarVa, it's that time again to SADDLE up for the Annual "First Tuesday of June Wounded Warrior Escort" to Ocean City.
Last year we had 175 people show up; let's shoot for 200 in 2017 !!! We are calling ALL Delmarva ( and beyond ) Motorcyclists, Trikes, and 4 wheeled vehicle PATRIOTS!!! Please join us as we assist Wicomico County Sheriff's Office in the MULTI-Jurisdiction police escort to Ocean City. This is an OPEN ride to everyone; bring a friend for an experience you won't forget.
We will meet at the Md State Truck Inspection Station & "Scales" in Mardela Springs, MD and await the arrival of FOUR (4) buses carrying our Heroes with their families and escort them to the MD STATE VFW Convention held each year at the Princess Royale Oceanfront Resort Hotel and Conference Center
DETAILS: Meet at the "Scales" by 10 AM for staging. The exact timing of departure will be fluid since the 4 buses usually come from different directions. Be prepared for possibly a two (2)hour staging.
More details to follow as information is passed onto us from the State VFW Wounded Warrior Committee. ALL updates will only be posted on this event page.
Lastly, let's make this the largest and best escort yet. PLEASE SHARE and INVITE from your friends list. This is a FREE, PUBLIC event sponsored by The Maryand State VFW Convention.
#OCMD #Woundedwarriors #PrincessRoyale #Escort #Community
#Delmarva #Escort #HEROES
Wells Fargo fake-accounts estimate soars to 3.5 million
(San Jose Mercury News) Wells Fargo may have opened as many as 3.5 million bogus bank accounts without its customers’ permission, attorneys for customers suing the bank have alleged in a court filing, suggesting the bank may have created far more fake accounts than previously indicated.
The plaintiffs’ new estimate of bogus bank accounts is about 1.4 million, or 67 percent, higher than the original estimate — disclosed last year as part of a settlement with regulators — that up to 2.1 million accounts were opened without customers’ permission.
In estimating the higher number of fake accounts, the plaintiffs’ attorneys examined a much longer time period than regulators and the bank had previously addressed, they said in court documents. The attorneys covered a period from 2002 to 2017, rather than the previously scrutinized five-year stretch from 2011 to some time in 2016 in which the bank acknowledged setting up unauthorized accounts. Scrutiny of bank employees’ activity during that five-year period led to the settlement last September, which required the bank to pay $185 million in fines.
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The plaintiffs’ new estimate of bogus bank accounts is about 1.4 million, or 67 percent, higher than the original estimate — disclosed last year as part of a settlement with regulators — that up to 2.1 million accounts were opened without customers’ permission.
In estimating the higher number of fake accounts, the plaintiffs’ attorneys examined a much longer time period than regulators and the bank had previously addressed, they said in court documents. The attorneys covered a period from 2002 to 2017, rather than the previously scrutinized five-year stretch from 2011 to some time in 2016 in which the bank acknowledged setting up unauthorized accounts. Scrutiny of bank employees’ activity during that five-year period led to the settlement last September, which required the bank to pay $185 million in fines.
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Free Movies on the Beach Start June 7th
Ocean City, MD – : Families visiting Ocean City this summer can again enjoy Free Movies on the Beach from June 7 to August 30.
Ocean City Recreation and Parks will host Movies on the Beach at the Carousel Hotel on 117th Street on Wednesday evenings from June 7 – August 30. As well as, on 27th Street on Monday and Friday evenings from June 26 – August 11. At both locations the movie begins at approximately 8:30 p.m. The 27th Street presenting sponsor is The Commander Hotel.
Movies will be shown on a gigantic screen on the beach. In the event of inclement weather the movie will be held inside at the Carousel Hotel, but canceled at the 27th Street location.
Movie Listing:
June 7 – Moana – Carousel Hotel – 117th Street
June 14 – Hook – Carousel Hotel – 117th Street
June 21 – Pete’s Dragon – Carousel Hotel – 117th Street
June 26 – Sing – 27th Street
June 28 – Storks – Carousel Hotel – 117th Street
June 30 – The Angry Birds Movie – 27th Street
July 3 – Space Jam – 27th Street
July 5 – The Secret Life of Pets – Carousel Hotel – 117th Street
July 7 – Surf’s Up 2 – 27th Street
July 10 – The Jungle Book – 27th Street
July 12 – The BFG – Carousel Hotel – 117th Street
July 14 – The Lego Batman Movie – 27th Street
July 17 – Pete’s Dragon – 27th Street
July 19 – Finding Dory – Carousel Hotel – 117th Street
July 21 – The BFG – 27th Street
July 24 – Frozen – 27th Street
July 26 – The Good Dinosaur – Carousel Hotel – 117th Street
July 28 – Storks – 27th Street
July 31 – Finding Dory – 27th Street
August 2 – Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) – Carousel Hotel – 117th Street
August 4 – Moana – 27th Street
August 7 – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – 27th Street
August 9 – Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – Carousel Hotel – 117th Street
August 11 – The Secret Life of Pets – 27th Street
August 16 – Sing – Carousel Hotel – 117th Street
August 23 – Back to the Future – Carousel Hotel – 117th Street
August 30 – The Lego Batman Movie – Carousel Hotel – 117th Street
For more information call the Ocean City Recreation and Parks Department at 410-250-0125.
White House Sources: Trump Looks to Replace Spicer as Purge of Establishment Advisers Begins
Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle being considered for press secretary as president cleans house
White House sources tell Infowars that Sean Spicer could be fired within the next week as President Trump begins a purge of establishment advisers who he feels have failed to properly investigate leaks coming from within the administration.
Speculation is already swirling as to whether or not Spicer will return after he was “benched” and temporarily replaced with Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Spicer has behaved like a “deer in the headlights” in recent weeks and is not able to handle the pressure of the job, according to one source.
They add that Spicer will be gone by next week and that former prosecutor and current Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle, who was previously considered for the role, is currently the favorite to replace him.
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White House sources tell Infowars that Sean Spicer could be fired within the next week as President Trump begins a purge of establishment advisers who he feels have failed to properly investigate leaks coming from within the administration.
Speculation is already swirling as to whether or not Spicer will return after he was “benched” and temporarily replaced with Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Spicer has behaved like a “deer in the headlights” in recent weeks and is not able to handle the pressure of the job, according to one source.
They add that Spicer will be gone by next week and that former prosecutor and current Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle, who was previously considered for the role, is currently the favorite to replace him.
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Tall Ship Could Return For Three-Week Stint In August
Special Events Director Frank Miller told the Recreation and Parks Committee this week the tall ship could return for as long as three weeks at the end of August. The 170-foot, 500-ton tall ship replica visited Ocean City twice in recent years, arriving in the resort for the first time in August 2013 and returning during the same month the following year.
Miller said the negotiations are ongoing and there are still some details to work out. The last two times El Galeon Andalucia came to Ocean City, the details on mooring, transport in and out of the Inlet, individual and group tours and everything else associated with the replica late 16th Century fabled merchant vessel’s stay in Ocean City were handled through a partnership with the National Air, Sea and Space Foundation (NASSF). This time around, the town is working directly with the replica tall ship’s owner, the NAO Victoria Foundation.
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Suspect in doctors’ slayings previously avoided deportation
Allowed to stay in U.S., keep green card, after plea deal for 2 earlier bank heists
It was a plea bargain after criminal charges that allowed an African immigrant suspected of slashing the throats of two doctors in Boston to remain in the United States, according to a new report.
The Boston Herald reported Suffolk prosecutors agreed to the plea deal involving Bampumim Teixeira last fall.
He now is accused of murdering two doctors in their penthouse apartment.
The deal last fall allowed him to keep a green card and avoid being deported.
He had admitted robbing a bank – twice.
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It was a plea bargain after criminal charges that allowed an African immigrant suspected of slashing the throats of two doctors in Boston to remain in the United States, according to a new report.
The Boston Herald reported Suffolk prosecutors agreed to the plea deal involving Bampumim Teixeira last fall.
He now is accused of murdering two doctors in their penthouse apartment.
The deal last fall allowed him to keep a green card and avoid being deported.
He had admitted robbing a bank – twice.
More
Seasonal Officer Recruitment Up Over Last Year
OCEAN CITY — With Memorial Day now just weeks away, the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) is preparing its seasonal officers for another summer season and the total number is looking better than it did a few months ago.
OCPD Ross Buzzuro on Monday briefed the Police Commission on the status of the seasonal police officer recruitment and training efforts. Buzzuro said the seasonal officer training academy began last Saturday. In terms of raw numbers, the chief said there were 73 new seasonal officers to go along with four returning seasonal officers.
That brings the total to 77, which is considerably lower than just a few years ago when the OCPD hired well over 100 seasonal officers, but with today’s challenges in getting young people interested in police work along with more jobs in police work than candidates, Buzzuro said he was comfortable with the number heading into the summer season.
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OCPD Ross Buzzuro on Monday briefed the Police Commission on the status of the seasonal police officer recruitment and training efforts. Buzzuro said the seasonal officer training academy began last Saturday. In terms of raw numbers, the chief said there were 73 new seasonal officers to go along with four returning seasonal officers.
That brings the total to 77, which is considerably lower than just a few years ago when the OCPD hired well over 100 seasonal officers, but with today’s challenges in getting young people interested in police work along with more jobs in police work than candidates, Buzzuro said he was comfortable with the number heading into the summer season.
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3 Reasons Why James Comey Should Have Been Fired A Long Time Ago
James Comey, the former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) appointed by President Barack Obama, has never been a man independent of the law. This is not because his heart wasn’t in the right place or because his intentions may have been malicious. Instead, Comey has always been a man of the state — much like any other person to have occupied this position in history. What does that mean? That personal responsibility, morals, and any other ethical framework aren’t applied if what’s at stake is the government’s hold on the narrative.
Ever since the days of J. Edgar Hoover, when the bureau became what it is now - a politicized powerhouse where anyone and everyone is the target — presidents have relied on the FBI as a tool, not a force for what’s right.
But calls for an “independent” bureau, headed by someone who only has the U.S. Constitution in mind, have been popping up here and there, leading many to believe that the FBI could, under the right leadership, be a force for good.
Unfortunately, that wish will never materialize so long as the agency is an arm of the state.
But for the sake of argument, what constitutes a “good reason” to let go of an FBI director? And how low or how absolutely immoral can an action undertaken by said FBI director be for a president to make the decision to fire him? In this article, we attempt to look at instances in Comey’s career as the G-men’s boss that should have been enough reason to let him go.
1. He Could Have Stopped the Boston Bombers and the NY Terrorist but Let Them Go
We all know Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the brothers responsible for the Boston Marathon bombing. What many may not know, or not remember, is that the FBI, under the watch of none other than Comey, interviewed Tamerlan in 2011 after the Russian Federal Security Service (FBS) tipped off the agency about his radical beliefs. After looking into this complaint, the FBI dismissed the Tsarnaevs. But during a trip to Dagestan in 2012, Tamerlan frequented a mosque believed by the FBS to be associated with radical Islamic activities.
After a second warning, the FBI again failed to keep track of the older brother and his moves. Ultimately, the duo produced two homemade bombs and had them detonated near the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring several hundred others.
But the Tsarnaev brothers weren’t the only ones the FBI had the power to stop under Comey’s watch.
Ahmad Rahami was responsible for the September 2016 bombings of New York City and nearby towns, which injured 31 people. His father had called the authorities two years prior to the incidents, telling them his son was a terrorist. After briefly interviewing him, the FBI let him go. Two years later, Rahami attempted to kill people with three bombs and several explosive devices.
More
Ever since the days of J. Edgar Hoover, when the bureau became what it is now - a politicized powerhouse where anyone and everyone is the target — presidents have relied on the FBI as a tool, not a force for what’s right.
But calls for an “independent” bureau, headed by someone who only has the U.S. Constitution in mind, have been popping up here and there, leading many to believe that the FBI could, under the right leadership, be a force for good.
Unfortunately, that wish will never materialize so long as the agency is an arm of the state.
But for the sake of argument, what constitutes a “good reason” to let go of an FBI director? And how low or how absolutely immoral can an action undertaken by said FBI director be for a president to make the decision to fire him? In this article, we attempt to look at instances in Comey’s career as the G-men’s boss that should have been enough reason to let him go.
1. He Could Have Stopped the Boston Bombers and the NY Terrorist but Let Them Go
We all know Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the brothers responsible for the Boston Marathon bombing. What many may not know, or not remember, is that the FBI, under the watch of none other than Comey, interviewed Tamerlan in 2011 after the Russian Federal Security Service (FBS) tipped off the agency about his radical beliefs. After looking into this complaint, the FBI dismissed the Tsarnaevs. But during a trip to Dagestan in 2012, Tamerlan frequented a mosque believed by the FBS to be associated with radical Islamic activities.
After a second warning, the FBI again failed to keep track of the older brother and his moves. Ultimately, the duo produced two homemade bombs and had them detonated near the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring several hundred others.
But the Tsarnaev brothers weren’t the only ones the FBI had the power to stop under Comey’s watch.
Ahmad Rahami was responsible for the September 2016 bombings of New York City and nearby towns, which injured 31 people. His father had called the authorities two years prior to the incidents, telling them his son was a terrorist. After briefly interviewing him, the FBI let him go. Two years later, Rahami attempted to kill people with three bombs and several explosive devices.
More
Police commission leaves trailer parking ban on books
Police Chief Ross Buzzuro told the commission that sticking with the plan would mean giving officers the power to use discretion on when to give someone the $250 ticket for parking a trailer on public streets or parking lots without a permit between May 1 to Oct. 31. No trailers are allowed to park on Baltimore Avenue, no matter what time of year.
“We look at each violation to see if it’s a true violation, and the officer can handle it accordingly,” he said. Buzzuro also addressed earlier arguments about dividing officers’ focus. “The extra time officers spend there will be used to see if a situation is occurring.”
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Medical Curiosity: Where Has It Gone?
[Commentary by Ralph Campbell, MD]
What happened to curiosity as it pertains to searching for causes of poor health? Maybe it's payback. Lack of curiosity leads to the next step: complacency. Some doctors and patients have retained their curiosity, but many more have not.
Over the last several decades, there has been a cultural shift in attitudes about healthful living from seeking core causes of ill health over to pharmaceutical treatment. This extends from a clash between "anecdotal (experiential) evidence" and "evidence-based" science. There is little evidence of altruism in the pharmaceutical industry, as profit is the driving force. The industry has maximized the use of the new communications technology to assure the public that drugs and immunizations are effective (with caveats included in the 60-second TV commercials) and provide most of all one needs to know to prevent illness.
Although the medical/pharmaceutical industry does admit that avoidance of tobacco and moderation of alcohol intake is a good idea, it dismisses questions of the toxicity of many things in our environment and of the importance of understanding either deficiencies or excesses of nutrients, with "more studies are needed." The medical approach seems to require especially rigorous methodology to be employed in evaluating health claims of nutrients. However, the fact is that there already is a robust scientific literature on the use of excellent nutrition to prevent and reverse many progressive diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer [1-6] and acute diseases such as pneumonia and septic shock [7-15].
Many are satisfied with symptom relief provided by drugs. Faith is put in technology and the way doctors use it and in our government agencies that are designed to protect our health. There seems to be little curiosity to search for the "why" of disease..
More here
What happened to curiosity as it pertains to searching for causes of poor health? Maybe it's payback. Lack of curiosity leads to the next step: complacency. Some doctors and patients have retained their curiosity, but many more have not.
Over the last several decades, there has been a cultural shift in attitudes about healthful living from seeking core causes of ill health over to pharmaceutical treatment. This extends from a clash between "anecdotal (experiential) evidence" and "evidence-based" science. There is little evidence of altruism in the pharmaceutical industry, as profit is the driving force. The industry has maximized the use of the new communications technology to assure the public that drugs and immunizations are effective (with caveats included in the 60-second TV commercials) and provide most of all one needs to know to prevent illness.
Although the medical/pharmaceutical industry does admit that avoidance of tobacco and moderation of alcohol intake is a good idea, it dismisses questions of the toxicity of many things in our environment and of the importance of understanding either deficiencies or excesses of nutrients, with "more studies are needed." The medical approach seems to require especially rigorous methodology to be employed in evaluating health claims of nutrients. However, the fact is that there already is a robust scientific literature on the use of excellent nutrition to prevent and reverse many progressive diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer [1-6] and acute diseases such as pneumonia and septic shock [7-15].
Many are satisfied with symptom relief provided by drugs. Faith is put in technology and the way doctors use it and in our government agencies that are designed to protect our health. There seems to be little curiosity to search for the "why" of disease..
More here
Elizabeth Warren Asked To Deliver University Commencement Speech…Goes On Trump-Bashing, Marxist Rant Instead!
Though her main point of being invited to the University of Massachusetts-Amherst was to deliver the spring commencement address, the awful charlatan, Sen. Elizabeth Warren just couldn’t help her socialist self from getting off the main points and heading straight for Trump-bashville.
While addressing graduates on Friday, Warren began her diatribe by congratulating the students for their achievement…But then she moved on to what she really cared about: Making a name for herself as a ‘warrior’ for the left in their radical battle against the Trump administration. The speech speedily sank into Warren just bashing President Donald Trump for, I don’t know, being President?
“I’m trying to keep this apolitical but I can’t help myself…the principle that no one, no one in this country is above the law and we need a Justice Department, not an obstruction of justice department.”
The line, of course, had to do with Trump’s determination earlier this week to can James Comey as head of the FBI. Democrats have been nothing if not annoying and ridiculous about the matter, disputing that Trump is trying to cover-up an alleged connection to Russia — claims that have not only been unfounded, but completely ridiculous. Is Trump going to fire every FBI director that will fill the vacancy? Investigations don’t just stop when you fire the head.
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While addressing graduates on Friday, Warren began her diatribe by congratulating the students for their achievement…But then she moved on to what she really cared about: Making a name for herself as a ‘warrior’ for the left in their radical battle against the Trump administration. The speech speedily sank into Warren just bashing President Donald Trump for, I don’t know, being President?
“I’m trying to keep this apolitical but I can’t help myself…the principle that no one, no one in this country is above the law and we need a Justice Department, not an obstruction of justice department.”
The line, of course, had to do with Trump’s determination earlier this week to can James Comey as head of the FBI. Democrats have been nothing if not annoying and ridiculous about the matter, disputing that Trump is trying to cover-up an alleged connection to Russia — claims that have not only been unfounded, but completely ridiculous. Is Trump going to fire every FBI director that will fill the vacancy? Investigations don’t just stop when you fire the head.
More
Comey Testimony on Clinton’s ‘Intent’ in Email Case Triggered Firing
The surprise firing of James Comey was triggered by the ousted FBI director's recent comments on why he chose not to seek the prosecution of Hillary Clinton for using an unsecure email server, according to White House and Trump administration officials.
President Trump was angered by Comey's assertion that Clinton had no criminal intent when she mishandled highly classified information on her private server, said officials familiar with the president's thinking.
The Comey firing took center stage at a hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee Thursday where the acting FBI director fielded questions from Democrats who suggested the dismissal was aimed at hampering an ongoing FBI counterintelligence probe into whether Russian intelligence secretly cooperated with the Trump presidential campaign last year.
During May 3 Senate testimony, Comey said one reason he recommended against a Justice Department prosecution of Clinton was that she lacked criminal "intent" when setting up the private email server that was used to transmit some classified information.
"Federal law is clear regarding classified materials: intent is not relevant [to mishandling classified information]," the White House official said.
The probe into Clinton's emails revealed that "top secret" information, including some of the nation's most closely guarded information held in what are called Special Access Programs, was transmitted on her private email server. The information included secrets on North Korea's nuclear programs and how the U.S. government targets terrorists for drone strikes.
The president was said to be upset that Comey had granted concessions to witnesses in the email probe that undermined its integrity, the officials said.
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President Trump was angered by Comey's assertion that Clinton had no criminal intent when she mishandled highly classified information on her private server, said officials familiar with the president's thinking.
The Comey firing took center stage at a hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee Thursday where the acting FBI director fielded questions from Democrats who suggested the dismissal was aimed at hampering an ongoing FBI counterintelligence probe into whether Russian intelligence secretly cooperated with the Trump presidential campaign last year.
During May 3 Senate testimony, Comey said one reason he recommended against a Justice Department prosecution of Clinton was that she lacked criminal "intent" when setting up the private email server that was used to transmit some classified information.
"Federal law is clear regarding classified materials: intent is not relevant [to mishandling classified information]," the White House official said.
The probe into Clinton's emails revealed that "top secret" information, including some of the nation's most closely guarded information held in what are called Special Access Programs, was transmitted on her private email server. The information included secrets on North Korea's nuclear programs and how the U.S. government targets terrorists for drone strikes.
The president was said to be upset that Comey had granted concessions to witnesses in the email probe that undermined its integrity, the officials said.
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Rep. John Lewis Calls For Students To “Get In Trouble” And “Get In The Way”…For The Country?!
Just like the annoyingly predictable Elizabeth Warren, Rep. John Lewis gave a commencement speech address on Saturday, allegedly pushing for unrest by telling the graduates to “get in the way” and “get in trouble” because the “country needs you now more than ever before.”
Lewis presented the address to the graduating students of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. In the speech, Lewis delineated many of the challenges he faced during the civil rights movement of the 1960s and then made his own comparison of those days, to our days today.
Lewis claimed that in the 1960s under President John Kennedy,“there was a greater sense of hope and a greater sense of optimism. We must rebuild that sense of hope, that sense of optimism and never let anything get you down.”
Lewis also talk about the value of civil disobedience. Yes, civil disobedience. He went on to brag about having been arrested by the police five times since being in Congress, then went into the topic of “comprehensive immigration reform.”
“And since I’ve been in Congress, arrested another five times. My last arrest, almost two years ago, and two other private citizens and eight Democratic members of Congress had a protest on the Capitol grounds, trying to get the speaker of the House to bring forth a comprehensive immigration reform bill…It doesn’t make sense for millions and millions of people, including little children, to be living in fear in the United States of America. Set people on the path to citizenship!”
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Lewis presented the address to the graduating students of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. In the speech, Lewis delineated many of the challenges he faced during the civil rights movement of the 1960s and then made his own comparison of those days, to our days today.
Lewis claimed that in the 1960s under President John Kennedy,“there was a greater sense of hope and a greater sense of optimism. We must rebuild that sense of hope, that sense of optimism and never let anything get you down.”
Lewis also talk about the value of civil disobedience. Yes, civil disobedience. He went on to brag about having been arrested by the police five times since being in Congress, then went into the topic of “comprehensive immigration reform.”
“And since I’ve been in Congress, arrested another five times. My last arrest, almost two years ago, and two other private citizens and eight Democratic members of Congress had a protest on the Capitol grounds, trying to get the speaker of the House to bring forth a comprehensive immigration reform bill…It doesn’t make sense for millions and millions of people, including little children, to be living in fear in the United States of America. Set people on the path to citizenship!”
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Rascovar: Preakness Week and Pimlico’s future
For MarylandReporter.com
Kentucky may have the biggest horse race of the year but Maryland has the most entertaining “people’s party” on the infield at Pimlico Race Course on Preakness Day, which takes place Saturday.
While the week is filled with more quality horse-racing than Pimlico will see the rest of the year, the Preakness Stakes is without question the most important day of entertainment on Maryland’s calendar each and every year.
But will it continue?
For decades skeptics have proclaimed “the end is near.” Pimlico’s facilities are antiquated, unable to comfortably accommodate 137,000 patrons, as it did last year.
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What kind of person wants to get a job policing 'microaggressions’?
The University of Arizona is hiring students to be “social-justice activists,” and the job description demands that they “report any bias incidents or claims to appropriate Residence Life staff.”
In addition to reporting the potentially offensive behavior of their peers, other parts of the job include planning social-justice programs for the residence halls, increasing “awareness and knowledge of diverse identities and how they influence interactions,” and promoting “inclusive communities through positive interactions.”
In other words: These kids are being paid to tattle on other kids for anything they might consider to be a microaggression, and any students who gets these jobs should probably identify themselves so that other students will know to never invite them to their parties.
According to the university’s website, the official title of the position is “social-justice activist,” and it pays $10 per hour. They can expect to work about 15 hours per week, which, as the Daily Caller notes, means that they will be making roughly $600 per month to behave like self-righteous, meddling nightmares.
In addition to reporting the potentially offensive behavior of their peers, other parts of the job include planning social-justice programs for the residence halls, increasing “awareness and knowledge of diverse identities and how they influence interactions,” and promoting “inclusive communities through positive interactions.”
And all of that is fine. I’m all for being a nice, sensitive person, but encouraging outside sources to report “bias incidents” whenever they feel that other students have been wronged is a terrible idea.
It’s one thing to give students a place to report any problems that they’ve experienced themselves, but shouldn’t it be up to the person who was involved to decide whether or not there even was a problem in the first place? After all, we’re living in a world where many schools consider “you guys” to be a sexist phrase, and chances are that there will be reports of incidents committed against “victims” who never even felt that they were victims to begin with.
Intel Report: Iran Refining Nuke Delivery System in Flagrant Violation of Ban
Iran continues to make critical technological strides in its efforts to perfect an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of delivering nuclear weapons over great distances, efforts that violate international prohibitions, according to the director of national intelligence, who informed Congress this week that the Islamic Republic "would choose ballistic missiles as its preferred method of delivering nuclear weapons."
The disclosure comes just days after Iranian leaders announced the upcoming launch of two new domestically produced satellites. Iran has long used its space program as cover for illicit missile work, as the know-how needed to launch such equipment can be applied to long-range ballistic missile technology.
Former US Senator Dan Coats, America's top spymaster, informed Congress this week in an intelligence briefing that Iran's ballistic missile work continues unimpeded and could be used by the Islamic Republic to launch a nuclear weapon, according to unclassified testimony.
Iran's ballistic missile work, particularly its focus on ICBMs, runs counter to United Nations resolutions barring such activity, though it remains unclear if the Trump administration plans to pursue new sanctions on Iran.
Iran continues to perform key research and development on nuclear missile capabilities despite the landmark nuclear agreement with Western powers, according to the last U.S. intelligence assessments.
More here
The disclosure comes just days after Iranian leaders announced the upcoming launch of two new domestically produced satellites. Iran has long used its space program as cover for illicit missile work, as the know-how needed to launch such equipment can be applied to long-range ballistic missile technology.
Former US Senator Dan Coats, America's top spymaster, informed Congress this week in an intelligence briefing that Iran's ballistic missile work continues unimpeded and could be used by the Islamic Republic to launch a nuclear weapon, according to unclassified testimony.
Iran's ballistic missile work, particularly its focus on ICBMs, runs counter to United Nations resolutions barring such activity, though it remains unclear if the Trump administration plans to pursue new sanctions on Iran.
Iran continues to perform key research and development on nuclear missile capabilities despite the landmark nuclear agreement with Western powers, according to the last U.S. intelligence assessments.
More here
Liberal Professors Trade Secret Emails in Effort to Undermine Trump Commission
Professor calls for commission of scholars and voting rights activists to push back publicly against the voter fraud commission
A leaked email obtained by the Washington Free Beacon shows a proposal floated by members of the a prominent left-wing professor's email listserv to form an academic commission to counter President Trump's voter fraud commission.
Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to establish a commission to investigate voter fraud in the United States. Vice President Mike Pence and Kansas Secretary of state Kris Kobach will lead the new body, which will "study the systematic issues that have been raised over many years in terms of the integrity of the elections."
Shortly after the announcement, Rutgers University Professor Lorraine Minnite emailed UC Irvine Law School Chancellor Rick Hasen's email listserv in an effort to enroll members to "resist" Trump's commission, according to an email provided to the Free Beacon.
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A leaked email obtained by the Washington Free Beacon shows a proposal floated by members of the a prominent left-wing professor's email listserv to form an academic commission to counter President Trump's voter fraud commission.
Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to establish a commission to investigate voter fraud in the United States. Vice President Mike Pence and Kansas Secretary of state Kris Kobach will lead the new body, which will "study the systematic issues that have been raised over many years in terms of the integrity of the elections."
Shortly after the announcement, Rutgers University Professor Lorraine Minnite emailed UC Irvine Law School Chancellor Rick Hasen's email listserv in an effort to enroll members to "resist" Trump's commission, according to an email provided to the Free Beacon.
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Town Hall Protesters Mock Death of GOP Lawmaker’s Special Needs Daughter
Liberal activists involved in a nationwide effort to disrupt town hall meetings being held by lawmakers for their constituents reached a new low on Wednesday night when Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-NJ) was mocked when he told the unruly crowd about how the death of his special needs daughter informed his decision to amend and vote for the American Health Care Act that was passed by the House earlier this month.
When MacArthur started to tell the story about Gracie, who died two decades ago at age 11, someone yelled “Shame!,” accusing the lawmaker of “using” his daughter’s death to promote his political agenda.
“I will say shame on you right now actually,” MacArthur said. “I’m going to tell you because this affects my perspective on this issue of health care.”
The Congressman offered the “MacArthur amendment” in the GOP bill that now will be taken up by the Senate.
The amendment, in part, offers protections for people with pre-existing conditions and would “create an option for states to obtain Limited Waivers from certain federal standards, in the interest of lowering premium costs and expanding the number of insured persons.”
When MacArthur tried to explain the facts about the health legislation, he was shouted down.
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When MacArthur started to tell the story about Gracie, who died two decades ago at age 11, someone yelled “Shame!,” accusing the lawmaker of “using” his daughter’s death to promote his political agenda.
“I will say shame on you right now actually,” MacArthur said. “I’m going to tell you because this affects my perspective on this issue of health care.”
The Congressman offered the “MacArthur amendment” in the GOP bill that now will be taken up by the Senate.
The amendment, in part, offers protections for people with pre-existing conditions and would “create an option for states to obtain Limited Waivers from certain federal standards, in the interest of lowering premium costs and expanding the number of insured persons.”
When MacArthur tried to explain the facts about the health legislation, he was shouted down.
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Hartley Horror Follow Up Pt. 1
Legislators are beginning to weigh in on this breaking story with the Staff at Salisbury News.
Just in from Jim Mathias via text message to editor Joe Albero:
Just in from Jim Mathias via text message to editor Joe Albero:
"Good morning. For the public's safety I shared your nursing home post with Acting Secretary Dennis Schrader, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and spoke directly with his Chief of Staff. They are reviewing the matter. Thanks for your concern and bringing this matter to my attention. Have a good week. Jim"We will keep you updated as more feedback comes into our offices.
Seven members of '72 Dolphins suffered brain injuries
The 1972 Miami Dolphins made history as the only team to ever go undefeated and win the Super Bowl in a single season.
Forty five years later, key members of the legendary squad are now paying a dear price for their sacrifice.
At least seven players from that team either have suffered or are currently suffering from cognitive disease that experts believe were caused by repeated head trauma suffered during their days on the gridiron, according to the Miami Herald.
Earlier this week, Sports Illustrated profiled the decline of the Dolphins' rugged captain, Nick Buoniconti.
The 76-year-old former middle linebacker for the Dolphins and Patriots was diagnosed with dementia in October 2016.
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Forty five years later, key members of the legendary squad are now paying a dear price for their sacrifice.
At least seven players from that team either have suffered or are currently suffering from cognitive disease that experts believe were caused by repeated head trauma suffered during their days on the gridiron, according to the Miami Herald.
Earlier this week, Sports Illustrated profiled the decline of the Dolphins' rugged captain, Nick Buoniconti.
The 76-year-old former middle linebacker for the Dolphins and Patriots was diagnosed with dementia in October 2016.
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Maryland firefighters save dog that fell in a hole
Shortly after 11 a.m., an 85-pound collie named “Siri” fell into an old well off Shore Drive in Edgewater, Maryland.
“It was about 8 feet deep and about 2 and a half feet wide. There was mud on the bottom, and she really got stuck in it,” said Jen McKee with Anne Arundel County Fire. “She was so trenched into the muck that they knew that they were going to have to lower somebody down in there,” McKee said.
The fire department’s collapse team was then called out and within minutes, a rescuer was lowered into the hole and came up with what they call a very well behaved victim.
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Worst Restaurant Tailspin Since 2009/2010 Crushes Lower End
“The hope that consumer and business spending will surge is probably just that, hope.”
- Joel Naroff, President of Naroff Economic Advisors and TDn2K Economist
So another chain restaurant is “preparing” to bite the dust. Ignite Restaurant Group, which operates the Joe’s Crab Shack chain with 113 locations and the Brick House Tavern chain with 25 locations, and used to operate the Romano’s Macaroni Grill chain with 150 locations until it sold it in 2015, is preparing to file for bankruptcy, “people familiar with the matter” told Bloomberg.
In the quarter ended September 26, 2016, the last quarter for which the company bothered to release an earnings report, same-store sales fell 6.8%; total revenues plunged 10% to $120 million.
A liquidity problem turns into a solvency problem: It had $729,000 of cash and about $26 million of “available borrowing capacity under its current credit facility.” Not exactly a lot, considering that the company lost $15.2 million in Q3, up from a loss of $4 million in Q3 2015.
It had $179 million in liabilities, including $113 million in long-term debt. It shares, which had traded as high as $19 in 2013, have consistently trended lower since, became a penny stock last year, and are now just about worthless (2 cents).
For chain restaurants, it's really tough out there.
Industry-wide, same-store foot traffic fell 3.3% in April year-over-year. For the past three months, traffic is down 3.9%. Same-store sales in April fell 1.0% are down 1.8% for the past three months, according to TDn2K’s Restaurant Industry Snapshot.
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- Joel Naroff, President of Naroff Economic Advisors and TDn2K Economist
So another chain restaurant is “preparing” to bite the dust. Ignite Restaurant Group, which operates the Joe’s Crab Shack chain with 113 locations and the Brick House Tavern chain with 25 locations, and used to operate the Romano’s Macaroni Grill chain with 150 locations until it sold it in 2015, is preparing to file for bankruptcy, “people familiar with the matter” told Bloomberg.
In the quarter ended September 26, 2016, the last quarter for which the company bothered to release an earnings report, same-store sales fell 6.8%; total revenues plunged 10% to $120 million.
A liquidity problem turns into a solvency problem: It had $729,000 of cash and about $26 million of “available borrowing capacity under its current credit facility.” Not exactly a lot, considering that the company lost $15.2 million in Q3, up from a loss of $4 million in Q3 2015.
It had $179 million in liabilities, including $113 million in long-term debt. It shares, which had traded as high as $19 in 2013, have consistently trended lower since, became a penny stock last year, and are now just about worthless (2 cents).
For chain restaurants, it's really tough out there.
Industry-wide, same-store foot traffic fell 3.3% in April year-over-year. For the past three months, traffic is down 3.9%. Same-store sales in April fell 1.0% are down 1.8% for the past three months, according to TDn2K’s Restaurant Industry Snapshot.
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North Korean Officials Are Afraid To Live In New Pyongyang High-Rises
Pyongyang’s newest high-rises are not all they’re cracked up to be, according to South Korean media reports.
Ryomyong Street is a massive real estate project filled with tall buildings, some over 70 stories, consisting of about 3,500 apartments. Kim Jong-un first announced the project a little over a year ago. The structures are considered to be symbols of strength and defiance as international pressure on the regime mounts, but a number of North Korean officials are afraid to actually live in the apartment buildings, according to Daily NK.
Kim unveiled a new skyscraper on Ryomyong Street in April before a large group of foreign reporters.
“There are critical problems over the quality and safety of the construction, as it was carried out with an over-emphasis on construction speed leading to questionable workmanship,” reports Daily NK’s Choi Song Min, who has been covering the development of Ryomyong Street in Pyongyang, adding, “This is not just a personal opinion but a fact, with the officers and staff involved in the project sharing the same concerns.”
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Ryomyong Street is a massive real estate project filled with tall buildings, some over 70 stories, consisting of about 3,500 apartments. Kim Jong-un first announced the project a little over a year ago. The structures are considered to be symbols of strength and defiance as international pressure on the regime mounts, but a number of North Korean officials are afraid to actually live in the apartment buildings, according to Daily NK.
Kim unveiled a new skyscraper on Ryomyong Street in April before a large group of foreign reporters.
“There are critical problems over the quality and safety of the construction, as it was carried out with an over-emphasis on construction speed leading to questionable workmanship,” reports Daily NK’s Choi Song Min, who has been covering the development of Ryomyong Street in Pyongyang, adding, “This is not just a personal opinion but a fact, with the officers and staff involved in the project sharing the same concerns.”
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'Historically Black' University cancels Cornyn commencement speech after opposition
Texas Southern University, a historically black university, announced Friday that Sen. John Cornyn’s Saturday commencement speech was canceled after opposition from students at the school.
The cancellation of Cornyn’s address came just days after Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was booed and heckled as she delivered a commencement speech at a different historically black university, Bethune-Cookman University in Florida.
Cornyn’s spokesman said, “Sen. Cornyn was honored to be invited to address TSU’s graduates, but he respects the administration’s decision and looks forward to continuing to engage with the university in the future.”
Students at Texas Southern University in Houston had circulated a petition demanding the Texas senator be withdrawn as a commencement speaker, citing various stances he has taken. These included his confirmation votes in favor of DeVos and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, his opposition to funding for so-called sanctuary cities that protect immigrants and his support for photo IDs for voting. The petition also cited Cornyn’s low rating by the NAACP.
“Having a politician such as him speak at our institution is an insult to the students, to TSU, and to all (historically black colleges and universities),” said the petition on the change.org site.
More here
The cancellation of Cornyn’s address came just days after Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was booed and heckled as she delivered a commencement speech at a different historically black university, Bethune-Cookman University in Florida.
Cornyn’s spokesman said, “Sen. Cornyn was honored to be invited to address TSU’s graduates, but he respects the administration’s decision and looks forward to continuing to engage with the university in the future.”
Students at Texas Southern University in Houston had circulated a petition demanding the Texas senator be withdrawn as a commencement speaker, citing various stances he has taken. These included his confirmation votes in favor of DeVos and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, his opposition to funding for so-called sanctuary cities that protect immigrants and his support for photo IDs for voting. The petition also cited Cornyn’s low rating by the NAACP.
“Having a politician such as him speak at our institution is an insult to the students, to TSU, and to all (historically black colleges and universities),” said the petition on the change.org site.
More here
Radical Feminist Website Says It’s About To Shut Down, Admits No One Cares
The founders of a radical feminist website dedicated to social justice causes have announced that the site may be forced to shut down by the end of this month unless it receives a massive, immediate cash infusion.
The five-year-old website, Everyday Feminism, has created an “Emergency May Booster Fund” to fend off “scary financial trouble that’s threatening to put a halt to our work — maybe even as soon as the end of May.”
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The five-year-old website, Everyday Feminism, has created an “Emergency May Booster Fund” to fend off “scary financial trouble that’s threatening to put a halt to our work — maybe even as soon as the end of May.”
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27th Annual Cruisin Weekend Kicks Off On Thursday
OCEAN CITY — The 27th Annual Cruisin Ocean City returns to Ocean City May 18-21, attracting more than 3,500 customs, hot rods, street machines and classics from over 20 states as well as Canada.
Cruisin will have more than 10,000 event participants taking part in various car shows at the Convention Center on 40th Street, the downtown Inlet parking lot and various citywide locations.
Scheduled to appear at this year’s Cruisin will be special guest Erik Estrada, best known for his role on television show “CHiPs”. He will be at the event Friday, May 19 inside the OC Convention Center 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday, May 20 at the Inlet 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday, May 21 at the Inlet 11 a.m.-1 p.m. signing autographs and posing for pictures. Also joining the fun, from the hit television show “Counting Cars” will be Kevin Mack, who will be meeting and greeting fans, Friday at the Inlet 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday inside the convention center 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
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Cruisin will have more than 10,000 event participants taking part in various car shows at the Convention Center on 40th Street, the downtown Inlet parking lot and various citywide locations.
Scheduled to appear at this year’s Cruisin will be special guest Erik Estrada, best known for his role on television show “CHiPs”. He will be at the event Friday, May 19 inside the OC Convention Center 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday, May 20 at the Inlet 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday, May 21 at the Inlet 11 a.m.-1 p.m. signing autographs and posing for pictures. Also joining the fun, from the hit television show “Counting Cars” will be Kevin Mack, who will be meeting and greeting fans, Friday at the Inlet 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday inside the convention center 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
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Oklahoma House Declares Abortion 'Murder'
(CNSNews.com) -- The Oklahoma House of Representatives passed a resolution on May 8 declaring abortion to be murder and directing "every public official" in the state to use their authority "to stop the murder of innocent children by abortion."
The resolution does not have the force of law but it does reflect the policy view of the Oklahoma House, which has 101 members -- 74 Republicans, 26 Democrats, and 1 vacancy. The resolution, HR 1004, passed by voice vote, and was introduced by Rep. Chuck Strohm, R-Jenks.
The resolution, in part, states that "all human life is protected by God's law and the highest laws of the land," and that the Declaration of Independence explains that "all human beings" are "endowed by their Creator with the unalienable right to life."
Further, "the Constitution of the United States mandates that no state shall deprive any human being of life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness without due process of law, nor deny any human being within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
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The resolution does not have the force of law but it does reflect the policy view of the Oklahoma House, which has 101 members -- 74 Republicans, 26 Democrats, and 1 vacancy. The resolution, HR 1004, passed by voice vote, and was introduced by Rep. Chuck Strohm, R-Jenks.
The resolution, in part, states that "all human life is protected by God's law and the highest laws of the land," and that the Declaration of Independence explains that "all human beings" are "endowed by their Creator with the unalienable right to life."
Further, "the Constitution of the United States mandates that no state shall deprive any human being of life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness without due process of law, nor deny any human being within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
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Could you run a business and homeschool 12 kids?
Such is the life of a devoted mother to one dozen kids, grandmother to three more, and the owner of a successful, family-run west Richmond, Indiana catering and baking business.
The owner of Fechers' Panache — note the plural — has spent the past 29 years rearing children with her husband, Craig, and along the way has learned many lessons about parenting and educating her offspring. In recent years, she's learned a few more lessons about what it takes to operate a business, particularly with the help of immediate family members.
For Fecher, the focus has never been about striking a perfect balance between her children's schooling and the business, but rather blending the two together in the best way she can, while still letting her kids experience their childhood.
"We bring (it all) with us; we fit catering around school and school around catering," she said. "The family works together to make sure everything moves smoothly ... and (we) all still have lives outside these walls."
More here
VERIFY: Corrine Brown's government pension
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - She could lose her freedom, but could she forfeit a whole lot more?
One day after former Congresswoman Corrine Brown was convicted on 18 of 22 corruption charges that could net her prison time, First Coast News is digging in to verify whether she stands to also lose the pension she accrued during her years in Congress. It's a substantial question because she would be due to receive $152,250 annually.
First Coast News spoke with Jacksonville criminal defense attorney Randy Reep to get answers.
CLAIM No. 1: Corrine Brown could lose her government pension as a result of her conviction.
Reep pointed to a bill signed into law by then-President George W. Bush, titled The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007, saying, "Given the eighteen counts, her pension will be exposed and likely revoked, if you will, as a result of the convictions. Keep in mind, that is all subject to the same appellate process as her criminal convictions would be. As go the criminal cases, likely will go her pension."
VERIFIED: If her convictions are upheld, Corrine Brown can forfeit her government pension.
More/Video
One day after former Congresswoman Corrine Brown was convicted on 18 of 22 corruption charges that could net her prison time, First Coast News is digging in to verify whether she stands to also lose the pension she accrued during her years in Congress. It's a substantial question because she would be due to receive $152,250 annually.
First Coast News spoke with Jacksonville criminal defense attorney Randy Reep to get answers.
CLAIM No. 1: Corrine Brown could lose her government pension as a result of her conviction.
Reep pointed to a bill signed into law by then-President George W. Bush, titled The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007, saying, "Given the eighteen counts, her pension will be exposed and likely revoked, if you will, as a result of the convictions. Keep in mind, that is all subject to the same appellate process as her criminal convictions would be. As go the criminal cases, likely will go her pension."
VERIFIED: If her convictions are upheld, Corrine Brown can forfeit her government pension.
More/Video
Calls for Special Prosecutor Driven by Politics, Not Law
Calls for a special counsel to pursue a possible Russia investigation are dead wrong on the law, as are calls for Attorney General Jeff Sessions not to advise President Trump on selecting a new FBI director. This is politics at its most cynical.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) leads investigations, not the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The FBI conducts the investigation under the supervision of either U.S. attorneys’ offices or Main Justice. Supervising the FBI is a central part of any attorney general’s job. And special counsels are never independent of DOJ, because independent counsels (which are different from special counsels) are unconstitutional, which is why the law that formerly authorized them has not existed for almost 20 years.
The deputy attorney general is supervising any possible FBI investigation into Russia.
More here
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) leads investigations, not the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The FBI conducts the investigation under the supervision of either U.S. attorneys’ offices or Main Justice. Supervising the FBI is a central part of any attorney general’s job. And special counsels are never independent of DOJ, because independent counsels (which are different from special counsels) are unconstitutional, which is why the law that formerly authorized them has not existed for almost 20 years.
The deputy attorney general is supervising any possible FBI investigation into Russia.
More here
Md. firefighters in brawl acquitted
WASHINGTON — Competitive tension between volunteer and career firefighters, which boiled over at the scene of a fire and landed inside a Prince George’s County courtroom, has been resolved.
Two Maryland firefighters charged with attacking two colleagues at a house fire in 2015 have been acquitted by a jury of all charges.
Jeffrey Miller and Christopher Kelly are both volunteer firefighters with the West Lanham Hills station.
They were facing second-degree assault charges, as well as accusations of interfering with a firefighter and misconduct in office stemming from a situation that occurred on Dec. 8, 2015.
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Two Maryland firefighters charged with attacking two colleagues at a house fire in 2015 have been acquitted by a jury of all charges.
Jeffrey Miller and Christopher Kelly are both volunteer firefighters with the West Lanham Hills station.
They were facing second-degree assault charges, as well as accusations of interfering with a firefighter and misconduct in office stemming from a situation that occurred on Dec. 8, 2015.
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Governor Larry Hogan Attends Groundbreaking for HELP Veterans Village
Project Will Create 75 Housing Units for Homeless Veterans at Perry Point VA Medical Center
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan was today joined by Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Kenneth C. Holt, Maryland Department of Veteran Affairs Secretary George Owings, officials from the VA Maryland Health Care System and HELP USA, as well as community stakeholders for the groundbreaking of the HELP Veterans Village. Located at the Perry Point VA Medical Center, the village will create 75 newly renovated and newly constructed units of housing for at-risk and formerly homeless veterans.
“Anyone who spent their lives in service to others has more than earned the support they deserve to live, work, raise a family, and retire in Maryland,” said Governor Hogan. “It is so important that we honor and take care of all of our veterans, and that’s exactly what the Perry Point Village project, here in Cecil County, will help us do.”
“HELP USA has been working on this project for almost a decade and we are gratified to see it finally begin construction,” said David Cleghorn, Senior Vice President of Real Estate Development at HELP USA. “In a few short months, homeless veterans will start moving into brand-new homes on this beautiful site. From day one, they will be surrounded by clinical support and services from the VA, case management from HELP USA, and most importantly by each other, a group of like-minded veterans beginning their new lives. This project would not have been possible without the leadership of Governor Hogan, Assemblyman Hornberger, Secretary Holt and the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program. ”
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan was today joined by Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Kenneth C. Holt, Maryland Department of Veteran Affairs Secretary George Owings, officials from the VA Maryland Health Care System and HELP USA, as well as community stakeholders for the groundbreaking of the HELP Veterans Village. Located at the Perry Point VA Medical Center, the village will create 75 newly renovated and newly constructed units of housing for at-risk and formerly homeless veterans.
“Anyone who spent their lives in service to others has more than earned the support they deserve to live, work, raise a family, and retire in Maryland,” said Governor Hogan. “It is so important that we honor and take care of all of our veterans, and that’s exactly what the Perry Point Village project, here in Cecil County, will help us do.”
“HELP USA has been working on this project for almost a decade and we are gratified to see it finally begin construction,” said David Cleghorn, Senior Vice President of Real Estate Development at HELP USA. “In a few short months, homeless veterans will start moving into brand-new homes on this beautiful site. From day one, they will be surrounded by clinical support and services from the VA, case management from HELP USA, and most importantly by each other, a group of like-minded veterans beginning their new lives. This project would not have been possible without the leadership of Governor Hogan, Assemblyman Hornberger, Secretary Holt and the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program. ”
An Insoluble Problem
A thought provoking pragmatic overview of an insoluble problem affecting much of the world, written by Daniel Greenfield a NY writer born in Israel, and a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the Freedom Centre.
Forget the Syrian Civil War for a moment. Even without the Sunnis and Shiites competing to give each other machete haircuts every sunny morning, there would still be a permanent Muslim refugee crisis.
The vast majority of civil wars over the last ten years have taken place in Muslim countries. Muslim countries are also some of the poorest in the world. And Muslim countries also have high birth rates.
Combine violence and poverty with a population boom and you get a permanent migration crisis.
No matter what happens in Syria or Libya next year, that permanent migration crisis isn’t going away.
The Muslim world is expanding unsustainably. In the Middle East and Asia, Muslims tend to underperform their non-Muslim neighbors both educationally and economically. Oil is the only asset that gave Muslims any advantage and in the age of fracking, its value is a lot shakier than it used to be.
The Muslim world had lost its old role as the intermediary between Asia and the West. And it has no economic function in the new world except to blackmail it by spreading violence and instability.
Muslim countries with lower literacy rates, especially for women, are never going to be economic winners at any trade that doesn’t come gushing out of the ground. Nor will unstable dictatorships ever be able to provide social mobility or access to the good life. At best they’ll hand out subsidies for bread.
The Muslim world has no prospects for getting any better. The Arab Spring was a Western delusion.
Growing populations divided along tribal and religious lines are competing for a limited amount of land, water, power and wealth. Countries without a future are set to double in size.
There are only two solutions; war or migration.
Either you fight and take what you want at home. Or you go abroad and take what you want there.
Let’s assume that the Iraq War had never happened. How would a religiously and ethnically divided Iraq have managed its growth from 13 million in the eighties to 30 million around the Iraq War to 76 million in 2050?
The answer is a bloody civil war followed by genocide, ethnic cleansing and migration.
Forget the Syrian Civil War for a moment. Even without the Sunnis and Shiites competing to give each other machete haircuts every sunny morning, there would still be a permanent Muslim refugee crisis.
The vast majority of civil wars over the last ten years have taken place in Muslim countries. Muslim countries are also some of the poorest in the world. And Muslim countries also have high birth rates.
Combine violence and poverty with a population boom and you get a permanent migration crisis.
No matter what happens in Syria or Libya next year, that permanent migration crisis isn’t going away.
The Muslim world is expanding unsustainably. In the Middle East and Asia, Muslims tend to underperform their non-Muslim neighbors both educationally and economically. Oil is the only asset that gave Muslims any advantage and in the age of fracking, its value is a lot shakier than it used to be.
The Muslim world had lost its old role as the intermediary between Asia and the West. And it has no economic function in the new world except to blackmail it by spreading violence and instability.
Muslim countries with lower literacy rates, especially for women, are never going to be economic winners at any trade that doesn’t come gushing out of the ground. Nor will unstable dictatorships ever be able to provide social mobility or access to the good life. At best they’ll hand out subsidies for bread.
The Muslim world has no prospects for getting any better. The Arab Spring was a Western delusion.
Growing populations divided along tribal and religious lines are competing for a limited amount of land, water, power and wealth. Countries without a future are set to double in size.
There are only two solutions; war or migration.
Either you fight and take what you want at home. Or you go abroad and take what you want there.
Let’s assume that the Iraq War had never happened. How would a religiously and ethnically divided Iraq have managed its growth from 13 million in the eighties to 30 million around the Iraq War to 76 million in 2050?
The answer is a bloody civil war followed by genocide, ethnic cleansing and migration.
