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Wednesday, July 12, 2017
14+ States join Hawaii's Challenge to Trump Travel Ban
Fourteen states that voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Presidential election plus one state that Donald Trump won (Iowa) and the District of Columbia have filed a brief supporting Hawaii’s continued legal challenge to the temporary travel and refugee ban in Executive Order 13780, signed by the president on March 6.
The fourteen blue states are California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.
New York filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of itself, the fourteen other states, and the District of Columbia on Monday.
The only states won by Hillary Clinton that have not yet joined the legal challenge areColorado, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, and New Jersey.
Clinton won the state of Hawaii, one of the plaintiffs in the case, easily, 62 percent to 30 percent.
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The fourteen blue states are California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.
New York filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of itself, the fourteen other states, and the District of Columbia on Monday.
The only states won by Hillary Clinton that have not yet joined the legal challenge areColorado, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, and New Jersey.
Clinton won the state of Hawaii, one of the plaintiffs in the case, easily, 62 percent to 30 percent.
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OC: TOWN TO INSPECT ALL REQUIRED LANDSCAPING
Ocean City, Maryland – : The Town of Ocean City is reminding residents and property owners of the purpose and intent of the city’s landscaping requirements. Not only does landscaping help to protect, preserve and promote the aesthetic appeal, scenic beauty, character and value of Ocean City; but it also promotes public health and safety through the reduction of noise pollution, storm water runoff, reduces heat island effect, prevents erosion, and improves air quality, visual pollution and artificial light glare.
“There are a number of reasons that we have a landscaping ordinance,” commented Town of Ocean City Environmental Engineer Gail Blazer. “Landscaping contributes to scenic beauty and public health and allows us to visually screen parking areas and properties abutting public ways, as well as provide a buffer between non-compatible land uses.”
According to Blazer, the town, having required landscaping for over 40 years, has a bit of a dilemma. “Trees have reached maturity and some are too big for the location where they were installed,” Blazer continued. “Trees also get sick or diseased and storms uproot trees or break branches. It is important to realize that these trees were required at the time it was developed.”
Due to O.Care, 22% S.Business are Hiring Fewer Workers
As a result of Obamacare, 22 percent of small businesses reported they are hiring fewer workers or reducing workers' salaries, according to a report from the Mercatus Center.
In addition, 24 percent of large businesses, those with 50 to 199 employees, reported that they were reducing salaries and the number of hires.
Even though roughly half of small businesses said Obamacare did not change their employment practices, 31 percent said they were reducing hours or hiring more part-time workers instead of full-time workers.
Only 11 percent of small businesses said they were increasing salaries and only 10 percent said they were hiring more workers as a result of the Affordable Care Act.
Professor Casey Mulligan of the University of Chicago, author of the study, says the Affordable Care Act has cost businesses roughly 250,000 jobs because of a penalty employers face if they don't provide mandated insurance.
"Thanks to the ACA, hiring the 50th full-time employee effectively costs another $70,000 a year on top of the normal salary and benefits," Mulligan said. "Nationwide, we estimate the ACA-inspired practice of keeping payrolls below 50 has cost roughly 250,000 jobs."
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In addition, 24 percent of large businesses, those with 50 to 199 employees, reported that they were reducing salaries and the number of hires.
Even though roughly half of small businesses said Obamacare did not change their employment practices, 31 percent said they were reducing hours or hiring more part-time workers instead of full-time workers.
Only 11 percent of small businesses said they were increasing salaries and only 10 percent said they were hiring more workers as a result of the Affordable Care Act.
Professor Casey Mulligan of the University of Chicago, author of the study, says the Affordable Care Act has cost businesses roughly 250,000 jobs because of a penalty employers face if they don't provide mandated insurance.
"Thanks to the ACA, hiring the 50th full-time employee effectively costs another $70,000 a year on top of the normal salary and benefits," Mulligan said. "Nationwide, we estimate the ACA-inspired practice of keeping payrolls below 50 has cost roughly 250,000 jobs."
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WORCESTER HEALTH OFFERS SUMMER SMOKING CESSATION CLASSES
Rhesus macaques invade Florida man's home
Brian Pritchard lives just four miles away from Silver Springs State Park in Ocala, Florida, where a growing population of aggressive monkeys has forced wildlife officials to consider ways to better control the numbers of primates.
Pritchard, who set up a camera to capture the deer, shared photographs of gangs of rhesus macaques, who leave his yard stinking with feces, WFTV reported.
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Oregon Passes GOP Senator’s Bill Allowing Gun Seizure Order Without Gun Owner’s Knowledge
One was providing for free abortions for all, including illegal aliens.
The second was just as crazy and a huge threat to the Second Amendment.
Oregon lawmakers passed legislation co-sponsored by Sen. Brian Boquist (R-Dallas) that allows a judge to issue an ex parte ruling for the confiscation of an individual’s firearms.
The bill is SB 719, and it has now passed Oregon’s House and Senate. It creates an Extreme Risk Protection Order, which forces the subject of the order to hand over all firearms, as well as his concealed carry permit if he possesses one.
Windows vs. Ford
For all of us who feel only the deepest love and affection for the way computers have enhanced our lives, read on. At a recent computer expo (COMDEX) : Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry and stated, "If Ford had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon."
In response to Bill's comments, Ford issued a press release stating:
If Ford had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following characteristics (and I just love this part):
1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash.........twice a day.
2.. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car.
3.. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You would have to pull to the side of the road, close all of the windows, shut off the car, restart it, and reopen the windows before you could continue. For some reason you would simply accept this.
4.... Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine.
5... Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five times as fast and twice as easy to drive - but would run on only five percent of the roads.
6...... The oil, water temperature, and alternator warning lights would all be replaced by a single "This Car Has Performed An Illegal Operation" warning light.
7...... The airbag system would ask, "Are you sure?"before deploying.
8....... Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key and grabbed hold of the radio antenna.
9........ Every time a new car was introduced car buyers would have to learn how to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car.
10......... You'd have to press the "Start" button to turn the engine off.
PS - I'd like to add that when all else fails, you could call "customer service" in some foreign country and be instructed in some foreign language how to fix your car yourself!
In response to Bill's comments, Ford issued a press release stating:
If Ford had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following characteristics (and I just love this part):
1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash.........twice a day.
2.. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car.
3.. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You would have to pull to the side of the road, close all of the windows, shut off the car, restart it, and reopen the windows before you could continue. For some reason you would simply accept this.
4.... Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine.
5... Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five times as fast and twice as easy to drive - but would run on only five percent of the roads.
6...... The oil, water temperature, and alternator warning lights would all be replaced by a single "This Car Has Performed An Illegal Operation" warning light.
7...... The airbag system would ask, "Are you sure?"before deploying.
8....... Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key and grabbed hold of the radio antenna.
9........ Every time a new car was introduced car buyers would have to learn how to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car.
10......... You'd have to press the "Start" button to turn the engine off.
PS - I'd like to add that when all else fails, you could call "customer service" in some foreign country and be instructed in some foreign language how to fix your car yourself!
WCSO Press Releases - July 12, 2017
Date of Incident: 7 July 2017
Location: Booth Street, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Alex Kyle Corbin, 29, Bloxom, VA
Narrative: On 7 July 2017 at 10:24 AM a deputy stopped a vehicle operated by Alex Corbin on Booth Street for an equipment violation. After observing indicators that caused the deputy to surmise that Corbin was involved in illicit activity, a WCSO K9 team was summonsed to conduct a scan of the vehicle. Following an alert on Corbin’s vehicle the deputy conducted a search and located both heroin and a syringe.
The deputy placed Corbin 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 Corbin on Personal Recognizance.
Charges: Possession of Heroin and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Date of Incident: 11 July 2017
Location: 32000 block of Johnson Road, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Clayton Cordell Sherrill, 45, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 11 July 2017 at 3:34 PM a deputy responded to a residence in the 32000 block of Johnson Road in Salisbury for a reported disturbance. Upon arrival, the deputy met with two females who advised that the they were accosted by an individual who resides at that location. According to the two women, Clayton Sherrill began swinging a device known as “nun-chucks” in their direction in what they described as a menacing manner while making threats towards them. The two women further stated at one point, Sherrill also brandished a knife and made waved it in a threatening manner towards them.
During the investigation, the deputy located both the “nun-chucks” and the knife in question and also detected that Sherrill was visibly impaired by alcohol.
The deputy placed Sherrill 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 detained Sherrill in the Detention Center pending a bond hearing.
Charges: Assault First Degree and Assault Second Degree
Idaho dog reunited with owners after 9 months in the wild
A lost Boise dog is back home after nine months and a brutal winter alone in the Idaho mountains.
Mo, an elderly Chesapeake Bay Retriever, wandered away from her owners during a hunting trip on September 13 last year.
The 14-year-old's owners, Darwin and Cindy Cameron, spent the next three months staying near the tiny hamlet of Horseshoe Bend about 30 miles north of their home in Boise while they desperately searched for Mo.
But when winter rolled around, deep snow and harsh conditions eventually made the search impossible.
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Mo, an elderly Chesapeake Bay Retriever, wandered away from her owners during a hunting trip on September 13 last year.
The 14-year-old's owners, Darwin and Cindy Cameron, spent the next three months staying near the tiny hamlet of Horseshoe Bend about 30 miles north of their home in Boise while they desperately searched for Mo.
But when winter rolled around, deep snow and harsh conditions eventually made the search impossible.
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British spy points at McCain in Russia-Trump dossier case
WASHINGTON - Sen. John McCain faces questions in a defamation lawsuit about leaks leading to publication of the now-infamous dossier that alleged Donald Trump’s campaign had connections to Russian operatives, McClatchy has learned.
The dossier compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele and his London firm, Orbis Business Intelligence Ltd., amounted to a collection of uncorroborated reports of collusion gathered as political research for sale to Trump’s opponents. It proved explosive when published by online news site BuzzFeed on Jan. 10.
Now, two lawsuits — one in the United States and a second in the U.K. — are being brought by lawyers for Aleksej Gubarev, a Cyprus-based Internet entrepreneur whom Steele’s Russian sources accused of cyber spying against the Democratic Party leadership.
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The dossier compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele and his London firm, Orbis Business Intelligence Ltd., amounted to a collection of uncorroborated reports of collusion gathered as political research for sale to Trump’s opponents. It proved explosive when published by online news site BuzzFeed on Jan. 10.
Now, two lawsuits — one in the United States and a second in the U.K. — are being brought by lawyers for Aleksej Gubarev, a Cyprus-based Internet entrepreneur whom Steele’s Russian sources accused of cyber spying against the Democratic Party leadership.
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Maryland’s Renegade Attorney General, Brian Frosh – Costing Maryland Tax Payer’s Wallets
List Of Frivolous And Ongoing Lawsuits Against President Trump And His Administration
Commentary: It appears to me, that, Maryland’s Attorney General has become fully obsessed with President Donald Trump and his Administration, filing frivolous lawsuits and costing Maryland Tax Payer’s millions of dollars. This does not include how much is being spent to be the state’s defense attorney in the ongoing Gerrymandering Case, see Shapiro V State of Maryland. How does this Help Save Maryland?
When will his obsession end? Listed is some of the cases he has brought against President Trump and his Administration. You can also view the cases on the website. If I am a Maryland Tax payer, don’t you believe you have a say in how you’re hard-earned money is being spent? Brian Frosh is ubber liberal who also has promoted his personal GuidanceMemorandum to notify all of Maryland Law Enforcement not to work with ICE/DHS on detainers, but to get warrants. This is an Attorney General who also supports Casa De Maryland and their pro illegal immigrant advocacy and has the backs of illegal alien criminals in Maryland. Don’t you find it odd, that the top attorney in Maryland has not focused on getting rid of MS13 criminal gang bangers?
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Alcohol withdrawal: Here’s how you can die from it
Alcohol withdrawal has been linked to organ failure. Can withdrawal be fatal? (Reuters)
“True Blood” actor Nelsan Ellis died Saturday from heart failure, due to complications from a “withdrawal from alcohol,” his family said.
Ellis’ family released a statement describing how the 39-year-old actor “attempted to withdraw from alcohol on his own.” Ellis then suffered from a blood infection, kidney failure, a swollen liver, low blood pressure and heart failure, his family said.
But can you die from alcohol withdrawal?
According to American Addiction Centers, “attempting a cold-turkey or at-home detox from alcohol” can be risky and “even life-threatening.”
The withdrawal occurs when heavy drinkers cut back their alcohol intake.
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http://www.foxnews.com/health/2017/07/10/alcohol-withdrawal-here-s-how-can-die-from-it.html
Shoemaker leads Republicans chastising attorney general
Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, a Democrat, has sued the federal government over the Trump administration's travel ban as well as foreign payments made to Trump businesses, arguing they violate the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
On Monday, Maryland Del. Haven Shoemaker, R-District 5, and 35 of his House and Senate colleagues — all Republicans — asked Frosh to dial it back. In a letter addressed to Frosh and sent to the media, Shoemaker and his colleagues questioned the legal merits of the lawsuits and asked Frosh to consider deferring to Maryland Republican Gov. Larry Hogan before taking further legal action.
"Every week, sometimes twice a week it seems, the attorney general is having some kind of press conference touting his latest and greatest lawsuit against the Trump administration," Shoemaker said in an interview. "He is tilting at political windmills and grandstanding for the benefit of folks in Montgomery County."
Prior to February, it was the Maryland General Assembly, which is currently controlled by Democrats in both the Senate and the House of Delegates, and the governor who decided when the state could sue the federal government, a state of affairs Maryland shared with eight other states.
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On Monday, Maryland Del. Haven Shoemaker, R-District 5, and 35 of his House and Senate colleagues — all Republicans — asked Frosh to dial it back. In a letter addressed to Frosh and sent to the media, Shoemaker and his colleagues questioned the legal merits of the lawsuits and asked Frosh to consider deferring to Maryland Republican Gov. Larry Hogan before taking further legal action.
"Every week, sometimes twice a week it seems, the attorney general is having some kind of press conference touting his latest and greatest lawsuit against the Trump administration," Shoemaker said in an interview. "He is tilting at political windmills and grandstanding for the benefit of folks in Montgomery County."
Prior to February, it was the Maryland General Assembly, which is currently controlled by Democrats in both the Senate and the House of Delegates, and the governor who decided when the state could sue the federal government, a state of affairs Maryland shared with eight other states.
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Teen dies from using cellphone while taking a bath
A Texas teen died Sunday morning while using her cellphone in a bathtub, according to reports.
Madison Coe, 14, was electrocuted taking a bath at her father’s home in Lovington, New Mexico, news station KCBD reported.
Relatives told KCBD that the accident was caused either when she plugged in her phone while in the bathtub or grabbing the phone as it was being charged.
The 14-year-old, who is from Lubbock, Texas, had recently graduated from eighth grade at Terra Vista Middle School.
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Madison Coe, 14, was electrocuted taking a bath at her father’s home in Lovington, New Mexico, news station KCBD reported.
Relatives told KCBD that the accident was caused either when she plugged in her phone while in the bathtub or grabbing the phone as it was being charged.
The 14-year-old, who is from Lubbock, Texas, had recently graduated from eighth grade at Terra Vista Middle School.
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Zapping Noxious Weeds On Organic Farms Is Harder Than You Think
This spring has been strange in Oregon's Lane County.
"It rained every day. I'm exaggerating, but only by two days," says farmer Jason Hunton.
When Mother Nature rears her ugly head, Hunton watches his fields. He farms both organic and conventional land in Junction City, Ore.
"We're struggling. We've got a couple of [organic] fields that have some real thistle problems. I want to get some tarps and solarize it — cover it up and see if we can get that to cook itself in some of the thicker areas," Hunton says.
Several fields down the road, a tine weeder runs through one of Hunton's organic wheat crops. It's like a giant comb, scraping up weeds and bits of wheat along with it.
This is the third time this year that Hunton has tine-weeded this field. It's an all-day job. In his conventional wheat fields, he can spray once and be done with it.
"We use a lot of steel and diesel to control weeds," Hunton says. "It's not easy being a farmer, but it's easier being a conventional farmer."
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"It rained every day. I'm exaggerating, but only by two days," says farmer Jason Hunton.
When Mother Nature rears her ugly head, Hunton watches his fields. He farms both organic and conventional land in Junction City, Ore.
"We're struggling. We've got a couple of [organic] fields that have some real thistle problems. I want to get some tarps and solarize it — cover it up and see if we can get that to cook itself in some of the thicker areas," Hunton says.
Several fields down the road, a tine weeder runs through one of Hunton's organic wheat crops. It's like a giant comb, scraping up weeds and bits of wheat along with it.
This is the third time this year that Hunton has tine-weeded this field. It's an all-day job. In his conventional wheat fields, he can spray once and be done with it.
"We use a lot of steel and diesel to control weeds," Hunton says. "It's not easy being a farmer, but it's easier being a conventional farmer."
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Congressman: 'So you're upset I blocked you on Facebook. Here's why I don't care'
In a 400-word post reflecting anger and frustration, four-term Republican Rep. Paul Gosar unloaded on those who express "hostile, crass and inappropriate rhetoric."
"Commenting on my Facebook is a privilege, not a right," Gosar wrote Friday.
"Quite frankly, we don’t care if a Facebook 'block' offends you," he later added.
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ACLU Sues White House Election Fraud Commission
The American Civil Liberties Union is suing President Trump's vote fraud commission, charging that the body isn't following federal law requiring it to be open to the public. The lawsuit joins a growing number concerning the commission that have been filed by civil liberties groups in recent days.
It also comes as an email was sent by Vice President Mike Pence's office to states telling them to hold off on sending voter data requested last month.
Although the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, led by Pence and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, has held only an initial meeting by telephone since it was created two months ago, that first meeting was not open to the public, the ACLU charges. "Since the [law] applies to all meetings, even telephonic meetings, the commission has already violated [the Federal Advisory Committee Act]," ACLU staff attorney Theresa Lee tells NPR.
The commission is planning a meeting on July 19 that would be available to the public only by video link. However, that doesn't count as "open," Lee says, "because it does not provide the opportunity for sufficient public oversight as required by law, and is notably inaccessible to any citizens without a computer and a broadband internet connection."
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It also comes as an email was sent by Vice President Mike Pence's office to states telling them to hold off on sending voter data requested last month.
Although the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, led by Pence and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, has held only an initial meeting by telephone since it was created two months ago, that first meeting was not open to the public, the ACLU charges. "Since the [law] applies to all meetings, even telephonic meetings, the commission has already violated [the Federal Advisory Committee Act]," ACLU staff attorney Theresa Lee tells NPR.
The commission is planning a meeting on July 19 that would be available to the public only by video link. However, that doesn't count as "open," Lee says, "because it does not provide the opportunity for sufficient public oversight as required by law, and is notably inaccessible to any citizens without a computer and a broadband internet connection."
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A Knoxville man learns his wife is a kidney match for him in a pack of baseball cards
More information about this couple can be found on their blog by clicking HERE
Christie Blasts Caller: 'I Love Getting Calls From Communists In Montclair'
It was a "Did I really hear that?" moment, even by the standards of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who always seems ready to pick a fight.
There were plenty of choice words and insults hurled back and forth when the Republican lawmaker appeared on a live sports-talk radio show on WFAN and sparred with Garden State constituents.
After all, this conversation takes place just a week after Christie's latest controversy, in which he and his family were photographed enjoying a sunny holiday weekend day on a New Jersey beach, which had otherwise been closed to the public due to a budget impasse between the governor and the state Legislature.
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There were plenty of choice words and insults hurled back and forth when the Republican lawmaker appeared on a live sports-talk radio show on WFAN and sparred with Garden State constituents.
After all, this conversation takes place just a week after Christie's latest controversy, in which he and his family were photographed enjoying a sunny holiday weekend day on a New Jersey beach, which had otherwise been closed to the public due to a budget impasse between the governor and the state Legislature.
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EVERYBODY IS FORGETTING THAT CLINTON ALLIES DID THE SAME THING AS DON JR.
“Obviously I’m the first person on a campaign to ever take a meeting to hear info about an opponent.”
Many journalists reacted breathlessly to a New York Times report on Sunday revealing that President Trump’s oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., met with a Russian lawyer who indicated she had damaging information about Hillary Clinton.
Donald Jr. admitted to the June 2016 meeting — to which he brought campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Trump adviser Jared Kushner — but downplayed its significance. “Obviously I’m the first person on a campaign to ever take a meeting to hear info about an opponent,” he wrote on Twitter Monday morning, adding that the meeting “went nowhere” but that he “had to listen.”
Many Trump critics claimed that the NYT report supported the theory that members of the Trump campaign were somehow involved in the Russian government’s hacking of Clinton campaign chair John Podesta and the Democratic National Committee.
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Many journalists reacted breathlessly to a New York Times report on Sunday revealing that President Trump’s oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., met with a Russian lawyer who indicated she had damaging information about Hillary Clinton.
Donald Jr. admitted to the June 2016 meeting — to which he brought campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Trump adviser Jared Kushner — but downplayed its significance. “Obviously I’m the first person on a campaign to ever take a meeting to hear info about an opponent,” he wrote on Twitter Monday morning, adding that the meeting “went nowhere” but that he “had to listen.”
Many Trump critics claimed that the NYT report supported the theory that members of the Trump campaign were somehow involved in the Russian government’s hacking of Clinton campaign chair John Podesta and the Democratic National Committee.
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Opioid Overdoses Swamp Medical Examiners
BALTIMORE — Dr. David Fowler’s staff is scrambling to keep up with the surging stream of corpses flowing through the doors.
In his 15 years as Maryland’s chief medical examiner, Fowler has seen natural disasters, train crashes and mass shootings. Heroin- and cocaine-related homicides have plagued this city for decades. But he says he’s never seen anything that compares to the opioid epidemic’s spiraling death toll. As fentanyl, carfentanil and other deadly synthetic opioids seep into the illicit drug supply, it’s only getting worse.
The recent surge in drug overdose deaths has created an unprecedented nationwide demand for autopsies and toxicology examinations, said Brian Peterson, president of the National Association of Medical Examiners, which accredits the forensic pathologists who perform death investigations.
Many medical examiners are working overtime and, in some places, they’re running out of refrigerated storage for bodies. When that happens, local officials typically borrow additional space at local funeral homes and hospitals, and in some cases, rent refrigerated trucks, he said. “Virtually every medical examiner’s office and toxicology laboratory in the U.S. has felt the impact of the opioid tsunami.”
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In his 15 years as Maryland’s chief medical examiner, Fowler has seen natural disasters, train crashes and mass shootings. Heroin- and cocaine-related homicides have plagued this city for decades. But he says he’s never seen anything that compares to the opioid epidemic’s spiraling death toll. As fentanyl, carfentanil and other deadly synthetic opioids seep into the illicit drug supply, it’s only getting worse.
The recent surge in drug overdose deaths has created an unprecedented nationwide demand for autopsies and toxicology examinations, said Brian Peterson, president of the National Association of Medical Examiners, which accredits the forensic pathologists who perform death investigations.
Many medical examiners are working overtime and, in some places, they’re running out of refrigerated storage for bodies. When that happens, local officials typically borrow additional space at local funeral homes and hospitals, and in some cases, rent refrigerated trucks, he said. “Virtually every medical examiner’s office and toxicology laboratory in the U.S. has felt the impact of the opioid tsunami.”
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Oregon Passes Bill That Allows For Gun Confiscation Order Without Owner’s Knowledge
Two bills recently passed in that bat shite crazy state, and neither of them are good for conservatives or anyone who respects live and our God-given rights.
One of them provided free abortions for everyone, regardless of whether or not they are American citizens.
The other one allows a judge to issue an order for the confiscation of an individual’s firearms without their knowledge, let alone permission.
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Md. Gubernatorial Candidate Ben Jealous Says Senator Bernie Sanders Will Endorse Him
Jealous announced his candidacy in late May.
Sanders is set to appear at a Thursday morning event in Silver Spring to make the announcement, but Jealous has already posted a statement from Sanders on his campaign Facebook page:
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Twitter Is A Hotbed Of Inequality and White Male Privilege Or Something
(Daily Caller) The MIT Technology Review is pushing a study that claims Twitter has a white male problem, and that it’s keeping women and ethnic minorities down with what it calls a “glass ceiling.”
In a newly published article, the MIT Technology Review claims that social media plays an important role in “reversing inequality of various kinds.” Fair play to sites like Twitter and Facebook for bridging the class gap by enabling people to openly communicate to each other, but the study claims that a preexisting inequality exists, which works against efforts to end inequality.
The did a ton of research, looking at hundreds of millions of tweets and 50 million users over a 3 month time period, looking a race and sex using an algorithm that detects those from the faces of the user photos (what of those who use something different?), and have determined that 57% of users are males, 43% female (which will probably set the snowflakes off in rants about some being transgender and sexless). 68% are white. Which means
Messias and his group say that of the top percentile of Twitter users with the most followers they collected, 57 percent of them were men and 43 percent were women. The 15 percent swing represents the inequality in society, which they claim exists. “The results reflect the general idea that higher positions are usually taken by males,” Messias said.
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CNN slides to #13 in Cable Rankings
CNN has fallen to #13 in cable TV rankings, according to weekly numbers posted on Thursday by TV Newser.
The ratings slide comes as the network has come under heavy scrutiny for a variety of journalistic missteps, including the retraction of an article alleging that a Trump associate had illicit Russian business ties.
Fox News and MSNBC are listed as first and second, respectively, in the cable rankings, which measured average audience sizes for the period between June 26 and July 2. Fox News drew an audience of around 1.82 million while MSNBC drew an audience of 1.34 million. CNN had only 711,000 viewers on an average day during the measurement period.
Fox News has maintained the top spot over the past five TV Newser rankings analyzed by The Daily Caller. MSNBC has bounced between the second and third position while CNN has steadily fallen from sixth to thirteenth over the past month.
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The ratings slide comes as the network has come under heavy scrutiny for a variety of journalistic missteps, including the retraction of an article alleging that a Trump associate had illicit Russian business ties.
Fox News and MSNBC are listed as first and second, respectively, in the cable rankings, which measured average audience sizes for the period between June 26 and July 2. Fox News drew an audience of around 1.82 million while MSNBC drew an audience of 1.34 million. CNN had only 711,000 viewers on an average day during the measurement period.
Fox News has maintained the top spot over the past five TV Newser rankings analyzed by The Daily Caller. MSNBC has bounced between the second and third position while CNN has steadily fallen from sixth to thirteenth over the past month.
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What Happens When Walmart Decides To Close A Store?
US tourists tear gassed by masked men in Paris
Masked men armed with tear gas robbed around 20 tourists who were waiting for shuttle buses outside a Paris airport hotel at the weekend.
The black-clad thieves arrived in at least two vehicles at the hotel near Charles de Gaulle airport and robbed the French, American and Moroccan tourists of their luggage and personal belongings on Saturday.
Hotels around the airport as well as the motorway leading to Charles de Gaulle and Le Bourget - Europe's busiest private jet airport - are frequently targeted by thieves.
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The black-clad thieves arrived in at least two vehicles at the hotel near Charles de Gaulle airport and robbed the French, American and Moroccan tourists of their luggage and personal belongings on Saturday.
Hotels around the airport as well as the motorway leading to Charles de Gaulle and Le Bourget - Europe's busiest private jet airport - are frequently targeted by thieves.
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Ghoulish online game urges young people to end their lives
The family of a Texas teen who hanged himself says their son was involved in a ghoulish online game that calls on participants to complete a series of tasks before taking their own lives, and some schools are warning parents about the so-called Blue Whale Challenge.
Jorge Gonzalez told San Antonio television station WOAI ( http://bit.ly/2ufDDhG ) that he wanted to caution others after his son, Isaiah, was found hanging in his bedroom closet Saturday in the family's home with his cellphone propped up on a shoe to record his death.
A report on the boy's death from the San Antonio Police Department does not mention the challenge. But Gonzalez' family said in the days after the teen died, they pieced together from his social media and communication with friends that he had participated in the game.
In Connecticut, Danbury Public Schools Superintendent Sal Pascarella sent a short note to parents around May after administrators from the district's 19 schools started hearing about the challenge from kids as young as elementary schoolers.
More here
Jorge Gonzalez told San Antonio television station WOAI ( http://bit.ly/2ufDDhG ) that he wanted to caution others after his son, Isaiah, was found hanging in his bedroom closet Saturday in the family's home with his cellphone propped up on a shoe to record his death.
A report on the boy's death from the San Antonio Police Department does not mention the challenge. But Gonzalez' family said in the days after the teen died, they pieced together from his social media and communication with friends that he had participated in the game.
In Connecticut, Danbury Public Schools Superintendent Sal Pascarella sent a short note to parents around May after administrators from the district's 19 schools started hearing about the challenge from kids as young as elementary schoolers.
More here
Housing Sample Finds 84% Of OC Short-Term Rentals Properly Licensed But Whether Paying Room Tax Needs Further Study
For about two years, Ocean City officials have been monitoring the proliferation of short-term vacation rentals in the resort brokered by on-line platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO, for example. The concern has largely been on two fronts including the apparent lack of room tax collection on one hand and the sanctity of the neighborhoods in which the short-term rentals were located.
Airbnb, VRBO and similar Internet sites enable property owners to rent homes, apartments and even single rooms to visitors searching for accommodations by bypassing the traditional rental companies. Just as Uber and similar companies have transformed the public transportation industry, Airbnb, VRBO and similar companies have rocked the traditional rental industry with millions of available vacation accommodations in thousands of cities across the U.S. including Ocean City.
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Mo Brooks: Republican Congress Has Ceded Building Border Wall to Democrats
Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) joined SiriusXM host Alex Marlow on Tuesday’s Breitbart News Daily to talk about his run for the Senate, which includes a campaign ad that threatens a government shutdown if President Trump’s proposed border wall is not funded.
Marlow complimented Brooks on the craftsmanship of the ad, which is upbeat rather than angry as it sends what he called “a very tough message Washington needs to hear.”
“We’ve had promise after promise to build a border security wall,” Brooks said. “Congress has authorized it long ago, but Congress has refused to appropriate the money. Most recently in April, there was an opportunity to fund the border wall, but the United States Congress, in particular, the Senate, refused to come up with that funding that was necessary.”
“In effect, our Senate leadership, our Republican senators, have ceded to the Democrats the ability to block funding for the border wall,” he charged. “That was a keystone of President Trump’s campaign back in 2016. We need to keep our promises to the American people, and we need to start fighting back.”
“We should not be on bended knee, groveling and asking Chuck Schumer and the Democrats if we can please have the money to fund that wall,” said Brooks. “We’re the majority in the United States Senate, and the majority should rule, but right now, our Republican Senate has ceded to the Democrats the power over our agenda, the power over what we can vote on.”
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Marlow complimented Brooks on the craftsmanship of the ad, which is upbeat rather than angry as it sends what he called “a very tough message Washington needs to hear.”
“We’ve had promise after promise to build a border security wall,” Brooks said. “Congress has authorized it long ago, but Congress has refused to appropriate the money. Most recently in April, there was an opportunity to fund the border wall, but the United States Congress, in particular, the Senate, refused to come up with that funding that was necessary.”
“In effect, our Senate leadership, our Republican senators, have ceded to the Democrats the ability to block funding for the border wall,” he charged. “That was a keystone of President Trump’s campaign back in 2016. We need to keep our promises to the American people, and we need to start fighting back.”
“We should not be on bended knee, groveling and asking Chuck Schumer and the Democrats if we can please have the money to fund that wall,” said Brooks. “We’re the majority in the United States Senate, and the majority should rule, but right now, our Republican Senate has ceded to the Democrats the power over our agenda, the power over what we can vote on.”
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Man held without bail in engaged doctors' double murder
A former security guard charged with killing two engaged doctors in their luxury Boston condominium snuck into the building through the garage and lay in wait for the victims, whom he restrained with duct tape and then used a large carving knife to slit their throats, a prosecutor revealed on Monday.
A grinning Bampumim Teixeira was ordered held without bail after pleading not guilty in Suffolk Superior Court to charges including two counts of murder.
Teixeira, 30, of Chelsea, tied up and stabbed 38-year-old Dr. Lina Bolanos and 49-year-old Dr Richard Field in their home on May 5, prosecutor John Pappas said in summarizing details of the case.
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A grinning Bampumim Teixeira was ordered held without bail after pleading not guilty in Suffolk Superior Court to charges including two counts of murder.
Teixeira, 30, of Chelsea, tied up and stabbed 38-year-old Dr. Lina Bolanos and 49-year-old Dr Richard Field in their home on May 5, prosecutor John Pappas said in summarizing details of the case.
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Trump should cancel Congress’ 38-day vacation
Congress will take 218 days off this year. In 30-day months, that’s 7.2 months off.
And President Trump has had quite enough of that.
In several pointed tweets on Tuesday morning, Trump expressed his frustration with the obstructionist Democrats in the House and Senate — as well as his own Republicans, who are thinking about just packing it in and rolling home before passing a health care overhaul bill.
A clearly miffed Mr. Trump tweeted: “The Senate Democrats have only confirmed 48 of 197 Presidential Nominees. They can’t win so all they do is slow things down & obstruct!”
How bad is it? Read this passage from a Wall Street Journal piece from Tuesday:
“Democratic obstruction against nominees is nearly total, most notably including a demand for cloture filings for every nominee — no matter how minor the position. This means a two-day waiting period and then another 30 hours of debate. The 30-hour rule means Mr. Trump might not be able to fill all of those 400 positions in four years. The cloture rule also allows the minority to halt other business during the 30-hour debate period, which helps slow the GOP policy and oversight agenda.
“Democrats have also refused to return a single ‘blue slip’ to the Judiciary Committee, which has the effect of blocking consideration of judicial nominees from their home states. Senators like Minnesota’s Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar are holding hostage the eminently qualified Minnesota Supreme Court Justice David Stras for the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals for no reason other than politics.”
More here
And President Trump has had quite enough of that.
In several pointed tweets on Tuesday morning, Trump expressed his frustration with the obstructionist Democrats in the House and Senate — as well as his own Republicans, who are thinking about just packing it in and rolling home before passing a health care overhaul bill.
A clearly miffed Mr. Trump tweeted: “The Senate Democrats have only confirmed 48 of 197 Presidential Nominees. They can’t win so all they do is slow things down & obstruct!”
How bad is it? Read this passage from a Wall Street Journal piece from Tuesday:
“Democratic obstruction against nominees is nearly total, most notably including a demand for cloture filings for every nominee — no matter how minor the position. This means a two-day waiting period and then another 30 hours of debate. The 30-hour rule means Mr. Trump might not be able to fill all of those 400 positions in four years. The cloture rule also allows the minority to halt other business during the 30-hour debate period, which helps slow the GOP policy and oversight agenda.
“Democrats have also refused to return a single ‘blue slip’ to the Judiciary Committee, which has the effect of blocking consideration of judicial nominees from their home states. Senators like Minnesota’s Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar are holding hostage the eminently qualified Minnesota Supreme Court Justice David Stras for the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals for no reason other than politics.”
More here
Citing Funding Woes, Feds Cancel Plans For New FBI Headquarters
After months of lobbying by Maryland and local officials to be the new consolidated home of the FBI, the federal government is putting the kibosh on the project.
The federal government is canceling the decade-long project.
The General Services Agency said does not have enough money to move forward with the plans. The Obama administration had sought $1.4 billion for the project, but Congress left it underfunded by about $882 million. The Washington Post first reported the news Monday evening
“Moving forward without full funding puts the government at risk for cost escalations” and a reduction in the value of the current property, the GSA said in a statement. “The cancellation of the project does not lessen the need for a new FBI headquarters. GSA and FBI will continue to work together to address the space requirements of the FBI.”
Greenbelt and Landover, both in Prince George's County, were candidates for the new site, as was Springfield, Va. Prior to this week, the GSA was waiting on the rest of the funding to be secured before making its selection official.
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The federal government is canceling the decade-long project.
The General Services Agency said does not have enough money to move forward with the plans. The Obama administration had sought $1.4 billion for the project, but Congress left it underfunded by about $882 million. The Washington Post first reported the news Monday evening
“Moving forward without full funding puts the government at risk for cost escalations” and a reduction in the value of the current property, the GSA said in a statement. “The cancellation of the project does not lessen the need for a new FBI headquarters. GSA and FBI will continue to work together to address the space requirements of the FBI.”
Greenbelt and Landover, both in Prince George's County, were candidates for the new site, as was Springfield, Va. Prior to this week, the GSA was waiting on the rest of the funding to be secured before making its selection official.
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Stopping Dark Stores: The Fight To Prevent Thriving Retailers From Being Taxed Like Vacant Lots
Texas state Rep. Drew Springer may now get a second chance to close the loophole that allows it, the San Antonio Express-News reports.
How the Dark Store Game Works
This particular chapter in the dark store saga began last year, when Lowe’s challenged its tax bill in several counties in Texas.
To argue it shouldn’t be paying as much in property tax, Lowe’s employed the “dark store” strategy, claiming it should be valued as if it were an empty shell of a big box store instead of a thriving retailer.
The argument goes something like this: Big box stores are a unique use of real estate. If the holder vacates the property, that leaves a big hollow box that it can be extremely challenging to find a new taker for, and that may become a local blighted spot. Empty stores, that have been vacated, are much more literally “dark,” and nobody wants those since they fail to provide revenue, jobs, or anything else of use.
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Ron Paul Jabs Jenet Yellen: She's A False Prophet Of Prosperity
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen recently predicted that, thanks to the regulations implemented after the 2008 market meltdown, America would not experience another economic crisis “in our lifetimes.” Yellen’s statement should send shivers down our spines, as there are few more reliable signals of an impending recession, or worse, than when so-called "experts" proclaim that we are in an era of unending prosperity.
For instance, in the years leading up to the 2008 market meltdown, then-Fed Chair Ben Bernanke repeatedly denied the existence of a housing bubble. In February 2007, Bernanke not only denied that “sluggishness” in the housing market would affect the general economy, but predicted that the economy would expand in 2007 and 2008. Of course, instead of years of economic growth, 2007 and 2008 were marked by a market meltdown whose effects are still being felt.
Yellen’s happy talk ignores a number of signs that the economy is on the verge of another crisis. In recent months, the US has experienced a decline in economic growth and the value of the dollar. The only economic statistic showing a positive trend is the unemployment rate — and that is only because the official unemployment rate does not count those who have given up looking for work. The real unemployment rate is at least 50 percent higher than the manipulated “official” rate.
A recent Treasury Department report’s called for rolling back of bank regulations could further destabilize the economy. This seems counterintuitive, as rolling back regulations usually contributes to economic growth. However, rolling back bank regulations without ending subsidies like deposit insurance that create a moral hazard that incentivizes banks to engage in risky business practices could cause banks to resume the unsound lending practices that were a major contributor to the growth, and collapse, of the housing bubble.
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For instance, in the years leading up to the 2008 market meltdown, then-Fed Chair Ben Bernanke repeatedly denied the existence of a housing bubble. In February 2007, Bernanke not only denied that “sluggishness” in the housing market would affect the general economy, but predicted that the economy would expand in 2007 and 2008. Of course, instead of years of economic growth, 2007 and 2008 were marked by a market meltdown whose effects are still being felt.
Yellen’s happy talk ignores a number of signs that the economy is on the verge of another crisis. In recent months, the US has experienced a decline in economic growth and the value of the dollar. The only economic statistic showing a positive trend is the unemployment rate — and that is only because the official unemployment rate does not count those who have given up looking for work. The real unemployment rate is at least 50 percent higher than the manipulated “official” rate.
A recent Treasury Department report’s called for rolling back of bank regulations could further destabilize the economy. This seems counterintuitive, as rolling back regulations usually contributes to economic growth. However, rolling back bank regulations without ending subsidies like deposit insurance that create a moral hazard that incentivizes banks to engage in risky business practices could cause banks to resume the unsound lending practices that were a major contributor to the growth, and collapse, of the housing bubble.
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Cruz: Congress shouldn't recess until ObamaCare repealed, replaced
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, joined the growing chorus of lawmakers calling on Congress to forego its August recess until it passes legislation to repeal and replace ObamaCare.
"It’s crazy that we would be taking a recess," Cruz told Fox News' "Hannity" Monday night. "There are a bunch of us, myself included, that have been urging leadership back from January [to] not take any recesses.
"Let’s work every day, let’s work weekends, let’s work until we get the job done," Cruz added. "We have a job to do and a short window of time, and so we ought to stop taking recesses, stop taking time off and just keep going until we get it done."
The former presidential candidate has found himself at the center of the Senate GOP's internecine warfare over healthcare legslation after Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., postponed a vote on legislation he had written largely in secret.
Cruz has proposed an amendment letting insurers sell any policies they wish, so long as they also offer polices that cover a list of services required by ObamaCare. Vice President Mike Pence endorsed the amendment Monday on Rush Limbaugh's radio show.
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"It’s crazy that we would be taking a recess," Cruz told Fox News' "Hannity" Monday night. "There are a bunch of us, myself included, that have been urging leadership back from January [to] not take any recesses.
"Let’s work every day, let’s work weekends, let’s work until we get the job done," Cruz added. "We have a job to do and a short window of time, and so we ought to stop taking recesses, stop taking time off and just keep going until we get it done."
The former presidential candidate has found himself at the center of the Senate GOP's internecine warfare over healthcare legslation after Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., postponed a vote on legislation he had written largely in secret.
Cruz has proposed an amendment letting insurers sell any policies they wish, so long as they also offer polices that cover a list of services required by ObamaCare. Vice President Mike Pence endorsed the amendment Monday on Rush Limbaugh's radio show.
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Gregg Jarrett: If Comey's in legal jeopardy, will Mueller ride to his rescue?
Sources claim Comey memos contained classified material
Hillary Clinton, thanks to James Comey, escaped criminal prosecution for violating the Espionage Act.
Now it is Comey who may have violated that same law. If he did, will Comey escape prosecution, courtesy of his good friend, Robert Mueller?
The fired FBI Director’s legal predicament comes as The Hill reports that Comey authored seven memorandums reflecting the contents of his conversations with President Trump and that four of the memos “have been determined to contain classified information.”
If this is true and Comey kept these documents in his personal possession upon leaving government service and conveyed some of them to another individual without authorization, then it would appear that he committed multiple felonies under the Espionage Act.
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Hillary Clinton, thanks to James Comey, escaped criminal prosecution for violating the Espionage Act.
Now it is Comey who may have violated that same law. If he did, will Comey escape prosecution, courtesy of his good friend, Robert Mueller?
The fired FBI Director’s legal predicament comes as The Hill reports that Comey authored seven memorandums reflecting the contents of his conversations with President Trump and that four of the memos “have been determined to contain classified information.”
If this is true and Comey kept these documents in his personal possession upon leaving government service and conveyed some of them to another individual without authorization, then it would appear that he committed multiple felonies under the Espionage Act.
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Pence: If We Can't Repeal and Replace, Then Repeal Now, Replace Later
In an interview Monday on "The Rush Limbaugh Show," Pence said President Donald Trump has "made it very clear."
"We believe if they can’t pass this carefully crafted repeal and replace bill — do those two things simultaneously — we ought to just repeal only," he said. "And then have enough time built into that legislation to craft replacement legislation in a way that’s orderly and allows states to adjust to different changes in Medicaid over maybe a three or four-year window that allows the insurance markets to evolve."
In his radio interview, Pence also endorsed an amendment being heavily promoted by Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah that' would give insurance companies the freedom to sell any kind of healthcare plan they want, as long as they also sell at least one plan that qualifies under the regulatory requirements of the Affordable Care Act.
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YOU'RE FIRED: 500 Out at Veterans Affairs
Five hundred and forty-eight Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees have been terminated since President Donald Trump took office, indicating that his campaign pledge to clean up “probably the most incompetently run agency in the United States” by relentlessly putting his TV catch phrase “you’re fired” into action was more than just empty rhetoric.
Another 200 VA workers were suspended and 33 demoted, according to data newly published by the department as part of VA Secretary David Shulkin’s commitment to greater transparency. Those disciplined include 22 senior leaders, more than 70 nurses, 14 police officers, and 25 physicians.
Also disciplined were a program analyst dealing with the Government Accountability Office, which audits the department, a public affairs specialist, a chief of police and a chief of surgery.
Many housekeeping aides and food service workers — lower-level jobs in which the department has employed felons and convicted sex offenders — were also fired.
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Another 200 VA workers were suspended and 33 demoted, according to data newly published by the department as part of VA Secretary David Shulkin’s commitment to greater transparency. Those disciplined include 22 senior leaders, more than 70 nurses, 14 police officers, and 25 physicians.
Also disciplined were a program analyst dealing with the Government Accountability Office, which audits the department, a public affairs specialist, a chief of police and a chief of surgery.
Many housekeeping aides and food service workers — lower-level jobs in which the department has employed felons and convicted sex offenders — were also fired.
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Pet Owners More Likely to Find Ticks on Themselves
Having a pet dog or cat more than doubles the odds that humans will find a tick on themselves, and that could raise the risk of contracting tick-borne diseases like Lyme, researchers say.
“Ticks can transmit disease to people and their pets, particularly in the warmer months when they are most active,” said lead study author Erin Jones of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in Baltimore.
Lyme disease is the most common such disease in the U.S.; the risk of exposure is highest in northeastern states, the researchers write in Zoonoses and Public Health.
“Preventing tick bites by avoiding wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter, appropriately using repellents on skin and clothing, and checking for ticks after going outside are effective prevention methods,” Jones said in an email.
The researchers surveyed 2,727 households in three states where Lyme disease is endemic: Connecticut, Maryland and New York. More than half of the households, 1,526, had a dog, a cat or both. About 88 percent of these households reported using some form of tick control on their pets.
Overall, about 31 percent of pet owners had found a tick crawling on a human in the household and 19 percent of pet owners had found a tick attached to a human household member.
More here
“Ticks can transmit disease to people and their pets, particularly in the warmer months when they are most active,” said lead study author Erin Jones of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in Baltimore.
Lyme disease is the most common such disease in the U.S.; the risk of exposure is highest in northeastern states, the researchers write in Zoonoses and Public Health.
“Preventing tick bites by avoiding wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter, appropriately using repellents on skin and clothing, and checking for ticks after going outside are effective prevention methods,” Jones said in an email.
The researchers surveyed 2,727 households in three states where Lyme disease is endemic: Connecticut, Maryland and New York. More than half of the households, 1,526, had a dog, a cat or both. About 88 percent of these households reported using some form of tick control on their pets.
Overall, about 31 percent of pet owners had found a tick crawling on a human in the household and 19 percent of pet owners had found a tick attached to a human household member.
More here
China’s Intelligence Networks in United States Include 25,000 Spies
Beijing's spy networks in the United States include up to 25,000 Chinese intelligence officers and more than 15,000 recruited agents who have stepped up offensive spying activities since 2012, according to a Chinese dissident with close ties to Beijing's military and intelligence establishment.
Guo Wengui, a billionaire businessman who broke with the regime several months ago, said in an interview that he has close ties to the Ministry of State Security (MSS), the civilian intelligence service, and the military spy service of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).
"I know the Chinese spy system very, very well," Guo said, speaking through an interpreter, in his first American interview. "I have information about very minute details about how it operates."
Guo said that Chinese intelligence operations in the United States sharply increased after the 2012 Communist Party Congress that brought current leader Xi Jinping to power.
Around 2012, a decision was made by Chinese leaders to dispatch another 5,000 spies to the United States. "Some of them were sent as students, some as businessmen, and some as immigrants, but all together, 5,000," Guo said.
"In addition to that, they developed between 15,000 to 18,000 other spies, and these are not directly sent but these are developed within the United States."
The recruited agents are not limited to Asians and Chinese-Americans but include all ethnic groups, including Hispanics, Blacks, and Caucasians.
China's intelligence targets included several strategic areas of the United States.
"The first is to obtain military weapons-related technology. This is priority No. 1," Guo said.
There's much more here..
[One must ponder how many Chinese 'students' are getting access to our most sensitive technologies through our university engineering programs.. --Editor]
Guo Wengui, a billionaire businessman who broke with the regime several months ago, said in an interview that he has close ties to the Ministry of State Security (MSS), the civilian intelligence service, and the military spy service of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).
"I know the Chinese spy system very, very well," Guo said, speaking through an interpreter, in his first American interview. "I have information about very minute details about how it operates."
Guo said that Chinese intelligence operations in the United States sharply increased after the 2012 Communist Party Congress that brought current leader Xi Jinping to power.
Around 2012, a decision was made by Chinese leaders to dispatch another 5,000 spies to the United States. "Some of them were sent as students, some as businessmen, and some as immigrants, but all together, 5,000," Guo said.
"In addition to that, they developed between 15,000 to 18,000 other spies, and these are not directly sent but these are developed within the United States."
The recruited agents are not limited to Asians and Chinese-Americans but include all ethnic groups, including Hispanics, Blacks, and Caucasians.
China's intelligence targets included several strategic areas of the United States.
"The first is to obtain military weapons-related technology. This is priority No. 1," Guo said.
There's much more here..
[One must ponder how many Chinese 'students' are getting access to our most sensitive technologies through our university engineering programs.. --Editor]
U.S. Term Limits Denounces Mullin for Breaking Two Pledges
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Term Limits, the nation’s oldest and largest term limits advocacy organization, today denounced Oklahoma Congressman Markwayne Mullin for disingenuously breaking two term limits pledges he made to voters.
In 2012, Mullin promised voters he would serve no more than six years in Congress. He broke his word this week by announcing he will seek a fourth two-year term in 2018. In addition, Mullin also signed in 2012 the U.S. Term Limits pledge, vowing to co-sponsor and vote for term limits legislation in the House. He also broke that commitment by never sponsoring the bill.
“To our knowledge, Markwayne Mullin is the only member of Congress – Republican or Democrat – to break two separate term limits pledges to his voters,” said Philip Blumel, president of U.S. Term Limits. “Mullin’s decision to mislead constituents and protect his incumbency is exactly why Congress needs term limits.”
The U.S. Term Limits Amendment Pledge is provided to every announced candidate for federal office. It reads, “I pledge that as a member of Congress I will cosponsor and vote for the U.S. Term Limits amendment of three (3) House terms and two (2) Senate terms and no longer limit.” The U.S. Term Limits Constitutional Amendment has been introduced in both the U.S. Senate by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and the House of Representatives by Representative Ron DeSantis (R-FL), with sponsorship from every pledge signer except Mullin.
USTL also took aim at the video Mullin released to explain his broken promise.
“It is unfortunate that Mullin felt that a slickly-produced video could gloss over the fact that he has abandoned term limits,” Blumel added. “There is no greater posterchild for how badly Washington needs term limits than Markwayne Mullin.”
According to a 2016 poll on term limits conducted by Rasmussen, the issue enjoys wide bipartisan support. The poll showed that 74% of Americans support congressional term limits. Rasmussen found that supermajorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents all over America support term limits.
Mullin’s Signed Pledge: http://ustermlimitsamendment.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Mullin-OK-2.pdf
In 2012, Mullin promised voters he would serve no more than six years in Congress. He broke his word this week by announcing he will seek a fourth two-year term in 2018. In addition, Mullin also signed in 2012 the U.S. Term Limits pledge, vowing to co-sponsor and vote for term limits legislation in the House. He also broke that commitment by never sponsoring the bill.
“To our knowledge, Markwayne Mullin is the only member of Congress – Republican or Democrat – to break two separate term limits pledges to his voters,” said Philip Blumel, president of U.S. Term Limits. “Mullin’s decision to mislead constituents and protect his incumbency is exactly why Congress needs term limits.”
The U.S. Term Limits Amendment Pledge is provided to every announced candidate for federal office. It reads, “I pledge that as a member of Congress I will cosponsor and vote for the U.S. Term Limits amendment of three (3) House terms and two (2) Senate terms and no longer limit.” The U.S. Term Limits Constitutional Amendment has been introduced in both the U.S. Senate by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and the House of Representatives by Representative Ron DeSantis (R-FL), with sponsorship from every pledge signer except Mullin.
USTL also took aim at the video Mullin released to explain his broken promise.
“It is unfortunate that Mullin felt that a slickly-produced video could gloss over the fact that he has abandoned term limits,” Blumel added. “There is no greater posterchild for how badly Washington needs term limits than Markwayne Mullin.”
According to a 2016 poll on term limits conducted by Rasmussen, the issue enjoys wide bipartisan support. The poll showed that 74% of Americans support congressional term limits. Rasmussen found that supermajorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents all over America support term limits.
Mullin’s Signed Pledge: http://ustermlimitsamendment.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Mullin-OK-2.pdf
On President Trump's mental health ...
Following President Trump’s Thursday announcement that the USA would withdraw from the Paris accord, former CBS anchor (now with AXS TV) slammed the President with a series of ad hominem (eg based on feeling or prejudice, rather than facts, reason or logic) attacks, that ended with strong suggestions that the President had some serious psychological issues.
Many others have made the same assertion.
Begs the question… What do psychiatrists think?
In the paragraphs below, Dr. Keith Abelow provides his opinions on this subject.
Remarks by Dr. Keith Abelow, Psychiatrist
Let me issue the standard disclaimer of psychiatrists who discuss the mental health of public figures: I have not personally examined President Trump.
Now, let me put to rest the concerns of Sen. Al Franken and political commentators John Oliver and Andrew Sullivan and anyone else who publicly or privately has questioned the president’s sanity: Donald Trump is stone cold sane.
When a man acquires billions of dollars through complex real estate transactions, invests in many countries, goes on to phenomenal success in television and turns his name into a worldwide brand, it is very unlikely that he is mentally unstable.
When the same man obviously enjoys the love and respect of his children and his wife, who seem to rely on him for support and guidance; it is extraordinarily unlikely that he is mentally unstable.
When the same man walks into the political arena and deftly defeats 16 Republican opponents and then the Democratic heir-apparent to a two-term president’s administration, the odds of that man being mentally unstable become vanishingly thin.
And when that very same man attracts to his team the kind of intellect and gravitas represented (to name just a few) by Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Ben Carson, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense James Mattis, a retired Marine Corps general and commander of the U.S. Central Command, he cannot be mentally deranged. Period. It is a statistical impossibility.
Those who assert otherwise are political opportunists, or fools, or both (and I am thinking here, in particular, of Sen. Franken).
President Trump is the first human being to win this nation’s highest office without having held any other political office or serving as a general. Most political pundits thought his quest was pure folly.
Most journalists assessed his chances as zero. So who was laboring under quasi-delusional thinking?
Answer: Not Donald J. Trump.
Many others have made the same assertion.
Begs the question… What do psychiatrists think?
In the paragraphs below, Dr. Keith Abelow provides his opinions on this subject.
Remarks by Dr. Keith Abelow, Psychiatrist
Let me issue the standard disclaimer of psychiatrists who discuss the mental health of public figures: I have not personally examined President Trump.
Now, let me put to rest the concerns of Sen. Al Franken and political commentators John Oliver and Andrew Sullivan and anyone else who publicly or privately has questioned the president’s sanity: Donald Trump is stone cold sane.
When a man acquires billions of dollars through complex real estate transactions, invests in many countries, goes on to phenomenal success in television and turns his name into a worldwide brand, it is very unlikely that he is mentally unstable.
When the same man obviously enjoys the love and respect of his children and his wife, who seem to rely on him for support and guidance; it is extraordinarily unlikely that he is mentally unstable.
When the same man walks into the political arena and deftly defeats 16 Republican opponents and then the Democratic heir-apparent to a two-term president’s administration, the odds of that man being mentally unstable become vanishingly thin.
And when that very same man attracts to his team the kind of intellect and gravitas represented (to name just a few) by Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Ben Carson, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense James Mattis, a retired Marine Corps general and commander of the U.S. Central Command, he cannot be mentally deranged. Period. It is a statistical impossibility.
Those who assert otherwise are political opportunists, or fools, or both (and I am thinking here, in particular, of Sen. Franken).
President Trump is the first human being to win this nation’s highest office without having held any other political office or serving as a general. Most political pundits thought his quest was pure folly.
Most journalists assessed his chances as zero. So who was laboring under quasi-delusional thinking?
Answer: Not Donald J. Trump.
KIM JONG-UN WARNS DONALD TRUMP HE IS PUSHING NORTH KOREA TO THE BRINK OF NUCLEAR WAR
'Don't play with fire on a powder keg'
Kim Jong-un has warned Donald Trump he is pushing North Korea to the brink of nuclear war after the US and South Korea conducted a life-fire exercise on the peninsula.
The test was in response to North Korea’s successful attempt to fire an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) last week.
The test sparked global alarm as it suggested North Korea now possessed an ICBM capable of reaching Alaska, a major milestone for the reclusive, nuclear-armed state.
Saturday’s drill, designed to ‘sternly respond’ to potential missile launches by the North, saw two US bombers destroy ‘enemy’ missile batteries and South Korean jets mount precision strikes against underground command posts.
The North’s state-run Rodong newspaper accused Washington and Seoul of ratcheting up tensions with the drill, in an editorial titled ‘Don’t play with fire on a powder keg’.
‘The US, with its dangerous military provocation, is pushing the risk of a nuclear war on the peninsula to a tipping point,’ it said, describing the peninsula as the ‘world’s biggest tinderbox.’
Read more
Kim Jong-un has warned Donald Trump he is pushing North Korea to the brink of nuclear war after the US and South Korea conducted a life-fire exercise on the peninsula.
The test was in response to North Korea’s successful attempt to fire an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) last week.
The test sparked global alarm as it suggested North Korea now possessed an ICBM capable of reaching Alaska, a major milestone for the reclusive, nuclear-armed state.
Saturday’s drill, designed to ‘sternly respond’ to potential missile launches by the North, saw two US bombers destroy ‘enemy’ missile batteries and South Korean jets mount precision strikes against underground command posts.
The North’s state-run Rodong newspaper accused Washington and Seoul of ratcheting up tensions with the drill, in an editorial titled ‘Don’t play with fire on a powder keg’.
‘The US, with its dangerous military provocation, is pushing the risk of a nuclear war on the peninsula to a tipping point,’ it said, describing the peninsula as the ‘world’s biggest tinderbox.’
Read more
$50
Recently, while I was working in the flower beds in the front yard, my neighbors stopped to chat as they returned home from walking their dog. During our friendly conversation, I asked their little girl what she wanted to be when she grew up. She said she wanted to be President someday. Both of her parents, Democratic Party members, were standing there so I asked her, "If you were President what would be the first thing you would do?"
She replied.. "I'd give food and houses to all the homeless people." Her parents beamed with pride!
"Wow...what a worthy goal!" I said . . . "But you don't have to wait until you're President to do that!"
"What do you mean?" she replied
So I told her, "You can come over to my house and mow the lawn, pull weeds, and trim my hedge, and I'll pay you $50. Then you can go over to the grocery store where the homeless guy hangs out, and you can give him the $50 to use toward food and a new house."
She thought that over for a few seconds, then she looked me straight in the eye and asked, "Why doesn't the homeless guy come over and do the work, and you can just pay him the $50?"
I said, "Welcome to the Republican Party."
Her parents aren't speaking to me anymore.
She replied.. "I'd give food and houses to all the homeless people." Her parents beamed with pride!
"Wow...what a worthy goal!" I said . . . "But you don't have to wait until you're President to do that!"
"What do you mean?" she replied
So I told her, "You can come over to my house and mow the lawn, pull weeds, and trim my hedge, and I'll pay you $50. Then you can go over to the grocery store where the homeless guy hangs out, and you can give him the $50 to use toward food and a new house."
She thought that over for a few seconds, then she looked me straight in the eye and asked, "Why doesn't the homeless guy come over and do the work, and you can just pay him the $50?"
I said, "Welcome to the Republican Party."
Her parents aren't speaking to me anymore.
WHEN I FOUND OUT HOW MEMBERS OF CONGRESS REALLY SPEND THEIR TIME, I JUST ABOUT THREW UP
Our system is deeply broken and it needs to be fixed
Did you know that many members of Congress spend three or four hours a day “dialing for dollars” in cramped call centers that both parties have set up in Washington?
I promised that I would keep all of you updated on what I am learning as I run for Congress, and what I learned the other day just about had me losing my lunch. I always imagined members of Congress spending long hours in their offices working on legislation and other important matters, but the truth is that most members of Congress are little more than glorified telemarketers at this point. Winning the next election is everything for most of these Congress critters, and so they spend far more time making cold calls to potential donors than doing anything else.
Have you ever had a politician call you up in the middle of the day begging for money? It is an absolutely disgraceful thing to do, but the truth is that money is the number one factor in determining election outcomes, and so our professional politicians have an endless appetite for it.
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Did you know that many members of Congress spend three or four hours a day “dialing for dollars” in cramped call centers that both parties have set up in Washington?
I promised that I would keep all of you updated on what I am learning as I run for Congress, and what I learned the other day just about had me losing my lunch. I always imagined members of Congress spending long hours in their offices working on legislation and other important matters, but the truth is that most members of Congress are little more than glorified telemarketers at this point. Winning the next election is everything for most of these Congress critters, and so they spend far more time making cold calls to potential donors than doing anything else.
Have you ever had a politician call you up in the middle of the day begging for money? It is an absolutely disgraceful thing to do, but the truth is that money is the number one factor in determining election outcomes, and so our professional politicians have an endless appetite for it.
More
Senator Eckardt - Paid Sick Leave Statement
On his first day in office, Governor Larry Hogan pledged he would never support any action that would make it harder for Maryland’s families and small businesses to grow and succeed. By vetoing the paid sick leave initiative passed by my colleagues’ earlier this year, I believe Governor Hogan is once again holding firm on that promise.
House Bill 1 mandates Maryland businesses with fifteen or more employees to offer paid sick leave to their workers. This bill was put through without adequate engagement and discussion with the business community in rural areas. In an attempt to meet everyone’s unique needs, my colleagues drafted a bill that did not reflect all businesses. This initiative will be more costly for those in the long-run due to unintended consequences, as well as additional standards and regulations put forward by the government. The fact is the vast majority of businesses in our area are not large, wealthy corporations, but small, local restaurants, services, and boutiques. I believe it is not the role of the government and state legislature to micromanage businesses. As legislators, we should help to establish simple, broad standards that can be met by all businesses.
A number of small businesses contacted my office this past legislative session to express their concerns over this initiative. I spoke with a local health and human services business regarding the impact this bill may have on their as-need basis employees. This concern was addressed and these agencies were exempt from this mandate. However, minor exemptions still do not address the fear among many businesses in rural areas. Business owners worry they cannot afford to provide paid sick leave to all employees, risking the potential for job loss in our community. Due to the feedback I received, I voted against this initiative and stand with Governor Hogan in support of a more common-sense approach that involves bringing together businesses throughout the state to discuss this further.
House Bill 1 mandates Maryland businesses with fifteen or more employees to offer paid sick leave to their workers. This bill was put through without adequate engagement and discussion with the business community in rural areas. In an attempt to meet everyone’s unique needs, my colleagues drafted a bill that did not reflect all businesses. This initiative will be more costly for those in the long-run due to unintended consequences, as well as additional standards and regulations put forward by the government. The fact is the vast majority of businesses in our area are not large, wealthy corporations, but small, local restaurants, services, and boutiques. I believe it is not the role of the government and state legislature to micromanage businesses. As legislators, we should help to establish simple, broad standards that can be met by all businesses.
A number of small businesses contacted my office this past legislative session to express their concerns over this initiative. I spoke with a local health and human services business regarding the impact this bill may have on their as-need basis employees. This concern was addressed and these agencies were exempt from this mandate. However, minor exemptions still do not address the fear among many businesses in rural areas. Business owners worry they cannot afford to provide paid sick leave to all employees, risking the potential for job loss in our community. Due to the feedback I received, I voted against this initiative and stand with Governor Hogan in support of a more common-sense approach that involves bringing together businesses throughout the state to discuss this further.
Shots Fired In Salisbury, One In Custody
Wicomico County Tourism launches 2017 Photo Contest
SALISBURY, Md. – Amateur and professional photographers have the opportunity to submit photos that demonstrate the lifestyle, beauty and assets of Wicomico County for Wicomico County Tourism’s 2017 Photo Contest.
Photos can be of anything taken in Wicomico County in the past two years, although some suggested topics include nature and the outdoors, culture, shopping, food and drink, wineries and breweries, festivals and events, and history. The contest is open to photographers ages 18 and older.
The first place prize is $500 and the winner’s photograph displayed on the Wicomico Tourism website, in a Wicomico Tourism e-newsletter and in Wicomico County Tourism’s 2018 Visitor’s and Relocation Guide. Second and third place winners will be awarded $250 and $100, respectively, with the opportunity for their winning photographs to be displayed on the tourism website and in the guide.
The contest is open now, and entries will be accepted until Sept. 1 at 5 p.m.
Full photo contest rules and an online entry form can be found at www.WicomicoTourism.org. ;
Photos can be of anything taken in Wicomico County in the past two years, although some suggested topics include nature and the outdoors, culture, shopping, food and drink, wineries and breweries, festivals and events, and history. The contest is open to photographers ages 18 and older.
The first place prize is $500 and the winner’s photograph displayed on the Wicomico Tourism website, in a Wicomico Tourism e-newsletter and in Wicomico County Tourism’s 2018 Visitor’s and Relocation Guide. Second and third place winners will be awarded $250 and $100, respectively, with the opportunity for their winning photographs to be displayed on the tourism website and in the guide.
The contest is open now, and entries will be accepted until Sept. 1 at 5 p.m.
Full photo contest rules and an online entry form can be found at www.WicomicoTourism.org. ;
New York state trooper 'shot dead by soldier'
A New York State trooper was shot dead by an active service Army infantryman while responding to reports of a domestic dispute.
Trooper Joel R. Davis, 36, died after he was shot approaching the property in Theresa, Jefferson County.
The suspect, 32-year-old Justin D. Walters, surrendered to other state troopers without incident.
Walters appeared in court on Monday evening. About a dozen troopers stood at the back of LeRay Town Court as he was led into the room in shackles.
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Trooper Joel R. Davis, 36, died after he was shot approaching the property in Theresa, Jefferson County.
The suspect, 32-year-old Justin D. Walters, surrendered to other state troopers without incident.
Walters appeared in court on Monday evening. About a dozen troopers stood at the back of LeRay Town Court as he was led into the room in shackles.
More
Evolution Craft Brewing Expands World Wide
Now Available internationally, for the first time ever, Evolution Craft Brewing Company has partnered with Five Good Inc. to distribute in Tokyo, Japan and then to the broader markets of Japan.
“It’s always been a dream of ours to have our product distributed internationally. Our partnership with Five Good Inc. was a logical fit, as they are industry pioneers in the Japanese craft beer market bringing beer from the US East Coast to Japan.” - John Knorr, co-founder of Evolution Craft Brewing.
The import craft beer market in Japan has grown 26% in the last five years, as the demand for better beer has grown exponentially. Currently the majority of American exports in the Japanese market are from west coast breweries. Five Good Inc.’s choice to collaborate with Evolution came after sampling craft beers from all over the east coast. Evolution is one of the first four chosen breweries from Five Good Inc. to distribute in Japan.In the near future, Evolution anticipates expanding its domestic and international footprint and continuing concentrated growth in existing markets of Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
The Bagpiper
Time is like a river. You cannot touch the water twice, because the flow that has passed will never pass again. Enjoy every moment of life.
As a bagpiper, I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral
director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man. He had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper's cemetery in the Nova Scotia back country.
As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost and, being a
typical man, I didn't stop for directions.
I finally arrived an hour late and saw the funeral guy had evidently
gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight.
There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch. I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late. I went to the side of the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already in place. I didn't know what else to do, so I started to play.
The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends. I played like I've never played before for this homeless man.
And as I played "Amazing Grace", the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept, we all wept together. When I finished, I packed up my bagpipes and started for my car. Though my head was hung low, my heart was full.
As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, "I never seen anything like that before, and I've been putting in septic tanks for twenty years."
Apparently, I'm still lost. It's a man thing.
As a bagpiper, I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral
director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man. He had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper's cemetery in the Nova Scotia back country.
As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost and, being a
typical man, I didn't stop for directions.
I finally arrived an hour late and saw the funeral guy had evidently
gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight.
There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch. I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late. I went to the side of the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already in place. I didn't know what else to do, so I started to play.
The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends. I played like I've never played before for this homeless man.
And as I played "Amazing Grace", the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept, we all wept together. When I finished, I packed up my bagpipes and started for my car. Though my head was hung low, my heart was full.
As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, "I never seen anything like that before, and I've been putting in septic tanks for twenty years."
Apparently, I'm still lost. It's a man thing.
New Research Shows Guccifer 2.0 Files Were Copied Locally - DNC Not "Hacked By Russians"
New meta-analysis has emerged from a document published today by an independent researcher known as The Forensicator, which suggests that files eventually published by the Guccifer 2.0 persona were likely initially downloaded by a person with physical access to a computer possibly connected to the internal DNC network. The individual most likely used a USB drive to copy the information. The groundbreaking new analysis irrevocably destroys the Russian hacking narrative, and calls the actions of Crowdstrike and the DNC into question.
The document supplied to Disobedient Media via Adam Carter was authored by an individual known as The Forensicator. The full document referenced here has been published on their blog. Their analysis indicates the data was almost certainly not accessed initially by a remote hacker, much less one in Russia. If true, this analysis obliterates the Russian hacking narrative completely.
The Forensicator specifically discusses the data that was eventually published by Guccifer 2.0 under the title "NGP-VAN." This should not be confused with the separate publication of the DNC emails by Wikileaks. This article focuses solely on evidence stemming from the files published by Guccifer 2.0, which were previously discussed in depth by Adam Carter.
Disobedient Media previously reported that Crowdstrike is the only group that has directly analyzed the DNC servers. Other groups including Threat Connect have used the information provided by Crowdstrike to claim that Russians hacked the DNC. However, their evaluation was based solely on information ultimately provided by Crowdstrike; this places the company in the unique position of being the only direct source of evidence that a hack occurred.
More
The document supplied to Disobedient Media via Adam Carter was authored by an individual known as The Forensicator. The full document referenced here has been published on their blog. Their analysis indicates the data was almost certainly not accessed initially by a remote hacker, much less one in Russia. If true, this analysis obliterates the Russian hacking narrative completely.
The Forensicator specifically discusses the data that was eventually published by Guccifer 2.0 under the title "NGP-VAN." This should not be confused with the separate publication of the DNC emails by Wikileaks. This article focuses solely on evidence stemming from the files published by Guccifer 2.0, which were previously discussed in depth by Adam Carter.
Disobedient Media previously reported that Crowdstrike is the only group that has directly analyzed the DNC servers. Other groups including Threat Connect have used the information provided by Crowdstrike to claim that Russians hacked the DNC. However, their evaluation was based solely on information ultimately provided by Crowdstrike; this places the company in the unique position of being the only direct source of evidence that a hack occurred.
More
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