If Your Family Makes $52,000 or More Per Year, You Are the Global 1 Percent
When I first penned this article, my goal was to talk about the American middle class, especially in light of the global picture. It was originally published on August 31st, 2012 after my husband and I had gone to dinner with some people in our inner circle. As we enjoyed steak and potatoes, the discussion turned to an area it so often does give our careers in finance, economics, and investing: Money.
Specifically, our dining companions were interested in discussing the state of the middle class and middle-class incomes; what has happened to working families, to middle-class jobs, and to the opportunity to enjoy a good standard of living for millions of hardworking American men and women.
Before we revisit that discussion about the condition in which the middle class now finds itself, many of you know that this is a topic dear to my heart. We've discussed class and household income in the United States here at Investing for Beginners. I've also delved into some of the more interesting, advanced data sets on my personal blog for those like to know what is really going on with their friends, family members, neighbors, and coworkers. In those posts, we:
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Tuesday, October 03, 2017
Google Drops 'First Click Free' Policy
Google is ending its so-called "first click free," a policy loathed by many publishers and media because it required them to provide a limited amount of free content before readers could be subjected to a paywall.
Publishers now will be allowed to decide how many, if any, free articles they want to offer readers before charging a fee, Richard Gingras, vice president of news at Google Inc., wrote Monday in a company blog post.
Publishers had been required to provide at least three free items under the previous policy created by the search engine.
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Publishers now will be allowed to decide how many, if any, free articles they want to offer readers before charging a fee, Richard Gingras, vice president of news at Google Inc., wrote Monday in a company blog post.
Publishers had been required to provide at least three free items under the previous policy created by the search engine.
More
The Globalists Are Systematically Destroying America’s Middle Class
When people are dependent on the government they are much easier to control. We are often told that we are not “compassionate” when we object to the endless expansion of government social programs, but that is not how the debate should be framed. In America today, well over 100 million people receive money from the federal government each month, and the number of Americans that are truly financially independent is continually shrinking. In fact, only 25 percent of all Americans have more than $10,000 in savings right now according to one survey. If we eventually get to the point where virtually all of us are dependent on the government for our continued existence, that would give the globalists a very powerful tool of control. In the end, they want as many of us dependent on the government as possible, because those that are dependent on the government are a lot less likely to fight against their agenda.
Back in 1992, the bottom 90 percent of American income earners brought in more than 60 percent of the country’s income. But last year that figure slipped to just 49.7 percent. The wealth of our society is increasingly being concentrated at the very top, and the middle class is steadily being eroded. Surveys have found that somewhere around two-thirds of the country is living paycheck to paycheck at least part of the time, and so living on the edge has become a way of life for most Americans.
Earlier today, I came across a Business Insider article that was bemoaning the fact that the U.S. economy seems to be rather directionless at this point…
We do not have a real plan for health care, and costs continue to gobble up American wages.
We do not have a plan for dealing with globalization and economic change, but that change continues to shape our economy.
We don’t have a plan to update our decrepit infrastructure.
The one plan we did have — the Federal Reserve’s post-financial crisis program — is about to be unwound, marking the end of the last clear, executable plan to bolster America’s economy.
Back in 1992, the bottom 90 percent of American income earners brought in more than 60 percent of the country’s income. But last year that figure slipped to just 49.7 percent. The wealth of our society is increasingly being concentrated at the very top, and the middle class is steadily being eroded. Surveys have found that somewhere around two-thirds of the country is living paycheck to paycheck at least part of the time, and so living on the edge has become a way of life for most Americans.
Earlier today, I came across a Business Insider article that was bemoaning the fact that the U.S. economy seems to be rather directionless at this point…
We do not have a real plan for health care, and costs continue to gobble up American wages.
We do not have a plan for dealing with globalization and economic change, but that change continues to shape our economy.
We don’t have a plan to update our decrepit infrastructure.
The one plan we did have — the Federal Reserve’s post-financial crisis program — is about to be unwound, marking the end of the last clear, executable plan to bolster America’s economy.
NFL Players Association Head Echoes Trump: ‘Owners Are Afraid of the Players’
Comment viewed as 'racist dog whistle' when Trump said it
DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association, told ESPN last week that "for the first time, the owners are afraid of the players," echoing comments made last week by President Donald Trump that were criticized by the league office.
"For the first time, the owners are afraid of the players," Smith told ESPN's Outside the Lines during a Friday interview. "The owners are used to being in control—and they aren't on this. They know it. They hate it."
Smith's statement is almost identical to comments made to Fox News the day before by Trump, who said owners were "afraid of their players." He further commented that the league was "in a box."
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DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association, told ESPN last week that "for the first time, the owners are afraid of the players," echoing comments made last week by President Donald Trump that were criticized by the league office.
"For the first time, the owners are afraid of the players," Smith told ESPN's Outside the Lines during a Friday interview. "The owners are used to being in control—and they aren't on this. They know it. They hate it."
Smith's statement is almost identical to comments made to Fox News the day before by Trump, who said owners were "afraid of their players." He further commented that the league was "in a box."
More
FDA Delays New Nutrition Facts Label Unveiled by Michelle Obama
Feds regulate serving sizes of breath mints
The Trump administration is delaying a regulation championed by former first lady Michelle Obama to redesign the Nutrition Facts label.
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday issued a rule delaying until 2020 the compliance date for regulations that will make listed calories on food larger in an attempt to fight obesity.
Mrs. Obama unveiled the new label in May 2016 as part of her anti-obesity "Let's Move" campaign. Aside from increasing the font size of calories and the addition of "added sugars" on the label, the regulations even dealt with how to label dinner mints. The regulations will cost food manufacturers an estimated $640 million.
"The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing to extend the compliance dates by approximately 1.5 years for the final rules providing updated nutrition information on the label of food, including dietary supplements; defining a single-serving container; requiring dual-column labeling for certain containers; updating, modifying, and establishing certain reference amounts customarily consumed (RACCs); and amending the label serving size for breath mints," the agencyannounced.
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The Trump administration is delaying a regulation championed by former first lady Michelle Obama to redesign the Nutrition Facts label.
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday issued a rule delaying until 2020 the compliance date for regulations that will make listed calories on food larger in an attempt to fight obesity.
Mrs. Obama unveiled the new label in May 2016 as part of her anti-obesity "Let's Move" campaign. Aside from increasing the font size of calories and the addition of "added sugars" on the label, the regulations even dealt with how to label dinner mints. The regulations will cost food manufacturers an estimated $640 million.
"The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing to extend the compliance dates by approximately 1.5 years for the final rules providing updated nutrition information on the label of food, including dietary supplements; defining a single-serving container; requiring dual-column labeling for certain containers; updating, modifying, and establishing certain reference amounts customarily consumed (RACCs); and amending the label serving size for breath mints," the agencyannounced.
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Former Abortion Workers Speak Out
Video critical of Planned Parenthood released as Congress takes up 20-week ban
As Congress takes up a bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks, a group of former clinic employees are speaking out against Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry.
Four former workers—two managers and one health educator at Planned Parenthood and a former nurse at a Louisiana abortion clinic—spoke out against what they say are common practices inside the industry. The group argued abortion providers are motivated by profit and lacked the counseling capacity to serve patients.
"If [a] pregnancy test was positive, the following morning she was scheduled to come in for counseling. We didn't tell her we were scheduling her in to come and get an abortion, but when she came in that morning, she was scheduled for an abortion," nurse Shelley Guillory says in the three-minute video. "The counseling was done by a phlebotomist—it was never ever done by a licensed professional. Usually by the time myself or the doctor arrived, the counseling was already completed."
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As Congress takes up a bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks, a group of former clinic employees are speaking out against Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry.
Four former workers—two managers and one health educator at Planned Parenthood and a former nurse at a Louisiana abortion clinic—spoke out against what they say are common practices inside the industry. The group argued abortion providers are motivated by profit and lacked the counseling capacity to serve patients.
"If [a] pregnancy test was positive, the following morning she was scheduled to come in for counseling. We didn't tell her we were scheduling her in to come and get an abortion, but when she came in that morning, she was scheduled for an abortion," nurse Shelley Guillory says in the three-minute video. "The counseling was done by a phlebotomist—it was never ever done by a licensed professional. Usually by the time myself or the doctor arrived, the counseling was already completed."
More
The Las Vegas lesson about guns
Mass public killings are too common in America, but the murder of dozens of concert-goers in Las Vegas Sunday night had a unique factor. The shooter used a fully-automatic rifle to mow down the victims, of whom there were more than 500.
Reporting and commentary on guns, especially in the harrowing aftermath of mass shootings, is regularly muddled, and the press often conflates automatic weapons and semi-auto weapons. Semi-automatic weapons fire one round per trigger pull, while an automatic weapon can spray many rounds per second as long as the shooter squeezes the trigger.
While semi-automatic weapons are regulated mostly on a state-by-state basis, automatic weapons are mostly illegal, banned by a handful of federal laws. Yet the shooter in Las Vegas appears to have used an automatic weapon, according to law enforcement sources and the video of the event.
As gun control advocates yell that guns like this need to outlawed, it's crucial to remember that guns like this already are, for the most part, outlawed.
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Reporting and commentary on guns, especially in the harrowing aftermath of mass shootings, is regularly muddled, and the press often conflates automatic weapons and semi-auto weapons. Semi-automatic weapons fire one round per trigger pull, while an automatic weapon can spray many rounds per second as long as the shooter squeezes the trigger.
While semi-automatic weapons are regulated mostly on a state-by-state basis, automatic weapons are mostly illegal, banned by a handful of federal laws. Yet the shooter in Las Vegas appears to have used an automatic weapon, according to law enforcement sources and the video of the event.
As gun control advocates yell that guns like this need to outlawed, it's crucial to remember that guns like this already are, for the most part, outlawed.
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Hillary Clinton urged America to put politics aside -- then she took a cheap shot at the NRA
Hillary Clinton urged America not to politicize the Las Vegas shooting. Then Hillary Clinton immediately turned around and politicized the Las Vegas shooting. With 50 dead and more than 400 wounded, the failed Democrat presidential nominee took a cheap shot at the NRA.
Maybe America should have another discussion about the role the NRA plays in our public life. But it shouldn't happen in the immediate 24-hour aftermath and Clinton, a presidential candidate twice rejected, certainly isn't the one to lead it.
Maybe America should have another discussion about the role the NRA plays in our public life. But it shouldn't happen in the immediate 24-hour aftermath and Clinton, a presidential candidate twice rejected, certainly isn't the one to lead it.
Oklahoma teenager arrested in fatal shooting sex assault
Police have arrested a 16-year-old boy accused of kidnapping and robbing an elderly couple in Oklahoma, then fatally shooting a 44-year-old man at his home.
Tulsa Police Sgt. Dave Walker says the teenager forced the elderly couple to drive to an ATM and withdraw cash Sunday, then forced the couple back to their home where he sexually assaulted the woman.
Walker says the teen, identified as 16-year-old Deonte Green then ran to a nearby home, where a woman and her two daughters were in the garage and preparing to leave.
Police say the Green forced the woman and children back into the home, where he encountered and fatally shot the woman's 44-year-old husband, Broken Arrow Public Schools geography teacher Shane Anderson.
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Tulsa Police Sgt. Dave Walker says the teenager forced the elderly couple to drive to an ATM and withdraw cash Sunday, then forced the couple back to their home where he sexually assaulted the woman.
Walker says the teen, identified as 16-year-old Deonte Green then ran to a nearby home, where a woman and her two daughters were in the garage and preparing to leave.
Police say the Green forced the woman and children back into the home, where he encountered and fatally shot the woman's 44-year-old husband, Broken Arrow Public Schools geography teacher Shane Anderson.
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NYT’s Columnist Blames Trump for Non-Existent Cholera Outbreak in Puerto Rico
Paul Krugman, one of the sitting emperors among our media elite, and who is both a New York Times columnist and Nobel Prize winner, decided to use his verified Twitter account over the weekend to falsely hold President Trump responsible for a horrible outbreak of cholera in Puerto Rico.
There is just one problem…
There is no outbreak of cholera in Puerto Rico.
Nevertheless, despite the fact he tweeted a blatantly false piece of fake news, Krugman has so far refused to delete the tweet. With its 14,000-plus re-tweets, Krugman’s lie remains published and viral:
More here
There is just one problem…
There is no outbreak of cholera in Puerto Rico.
Nevertheless, despite the fact he tweeted a blatantly false piece of fake news, Krugman has so far refused to delete the tweet. With its 14,000-plus re-tweets, Krugman’s lie remains published and viral:
More here
The Bonds That Unite
Humanity comes together in the face of evil at Las Vegas shooting
"It was awful," my aunt, Mary Sylvester—who was in Las Vegas for the Route 91 Harvest Festival—told me when I called her to make sure she was okay. "We just wanted to get inside somewhere where there were walls."
My aunt and her two friends were not the average 20- to 30-something concert-goers. All country-music fans in their 50s or 60s who live in California's Central Valley, the trio had decided to take time off work and spring for VIP tickets to the three-day event for a girls-only weekend getaway.
One of her friends had recently had knee replacement surgery—a reason they had paid extra money to sit in the VIP section so she could watch the singers without having to compete for space with the crowd.
They were enjoying the evening and had stayed to hear the final act, headliner Jason Aldean. He was singing when the shots rang out like firecrackers, my aunt said.
Like everyone else, my aunt and her friends didn't realize right away what was happening but soon figured out that bullets were flying and shots were hitting people located closest to the stage.
As they were realizing that the concert was under attack, people around were shouting, telling everyone to hit the ground and not get up.
More here
"It was awful," my aunt, Mary Sylvester—who was in Las Vegas for the Route 91 Harvest Festival—told me when I called her to make sure she was okay. "We just wanted to get inside somewhere where there were walls."
My aunt and her two friends were not the average 20- to 30-something concert-goers. All country-music fans in their 50s or 60s who live in California's Central Valley, the trio had decided to take time off work and spring for VIP tickets to the three-day event for a girls-only weekend getaway.
One of her friends had recently had knee replacement surgery—a reason they had paid extra money to sit in the VIP section so she could watch the singers without having to compete for space with the crowd.
They were enjoying the evening and had stayed to hear the final act, headliner Jason Aldean. He was singing when the shots rang out like firecrackers, my aunt said.
Like everyone else, my aunt and her friends didn't realize right away what was happening but soon figured out that bullets were flying and shots were hitting people located closest to the stage.
As they were realizing that the concert was under attack, people around were shouting, telling everyone to hit the ground and not get up.
More here
IRS Involved in Push to Pressure Americans to Buy Obamacare
The Internal Revenue Service was involved in a $5 million push to pressure Americans to buy Obamacare coverage, according to documents obtained from the watchdog group Judicial Watch.
Under former president Obama, the Department of Health and Human Services and the White House's Behavioral Sciences Team created a $5 million program to target and pressure those who refused Obamacare and either decided to pay a penalty instead or were exempt from being forced to purchase coverage.
"Attached are drafts of the letters that IRS will send to selected taxpayers who paid a penalty for failure to have coverage or who claimed an exemption from the coverage requirement for tax year 2015," said Janet McCubbin, director of individual taxation at the IRS. "As you know, we are planning to send several different versions of the letter to see which types of messages work best."
To craft and develop these letters, the IRS spent an estimated $5 million..
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Under former president Obama, the Department of Health and Human Services and the White House's Behavioral Sciences Team created a $5 million program to target and pressure those who refused Obamacare and either decided to pay a penalty instead or were exempt from being forced to purchase coverage.
"Attached are drafts of the letters that IRS will send to selected taxpayers who paid a penalty for failure to have coverage or who claimed an exemption from the coverage requirement for tax year 2015," said Janet McCubbin, director of individual taxation at the IRS. "As you know, we are planning to send several different versions of the letter to see which types of messages work best."
To craft and develop these letters, the IRS spent an estimated $5 million..
More
Jared and Ivanka Scale Back Roles Amid Increasing Pressure
Jared Kushner, President Trump’s senior adviser, and daughter Ivanka Trump are reportedly shrinking their West Wing roles as the pair comes under increasing pressure and annoy top officials with their presence and terrible advice to the president.
According to Axios, the couple is making more of an effort to “stay in their lane” due to their creating “periodic confusion and resentment” by their presence. White House counsel Don McGahn has reportedly complained about the couple’s presence, while Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is rumored to have nicknamed them “the royal family,” according to the outlet.
The decision comes after Trump’s decision to back Sen. Luther Strange in the Alabama Senate primary backfired spectacularly and Strange was crushed by conservative challenger Judge Roy Moore. Kushner is widely believed to have been a key voice in urging Trump to get involved in the race and back Strange — a decision Trump himself admitted may have been a “mistake.”
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According to Axios, the couple is making more of an effort to “stay in their lane” due to their creating “periodic confusion and resentment” by their presence. White House counsel Don McGahn has reportedly complained about the couple’s presence, while Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is rumored to have nicknamed them “the royal family,” according to the outlet.
The decision comes after Trump’s decision to back Sen. Luther Strange in the Alabama Senate primary backfired spectacularly and Strange was crushed by conservative challenger Judge Roy Moore. Kushner is widely believed to have been a key voice in urging Trump to get involved in the race and back Strange — a decision Trump himself admitted may have been a “mistake.”
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Disaster Expert: FEMA’s Response in Puerto Rico Even Better Than in Texas and Florida
Former Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Tevi Troy told Breitbart News: Sunday Edition that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had actually done an even better job managing Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico than it had in dealing with Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Hurricane Irma in Florida recently.
“I’ve been looking into this pretty carefully,” Troy said. “The truth is that FEMA — if you look at this in retrospect, we may find that FEMA did a more Herculean task, in some ways in Maria, in terms of the distance they had to travel, the amount of logisitcs they had to bring, and the propping up of the local response effort. So I think in time we may actually praise FEMA to some degree because they had to do more here than in the Harvey situation.”
Troy, who served in the White House under President George W. Bush, is an expert on the history of presidential responses to disasters. He is the author of Shall We Wake the President?: Two Centuries of Disaster Management from the Oval Office, and wrote an op-ed in late August in which he praised President Donald Trump’s response to Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Louisiana. “Mr. Trump’s handling of the hurricane response thus far is to be commended,” he wrote, adding — prophetically, given the storms that followed — “this is no time for complacency.”
With Hurricane Maria, Troy noted, FEMA faced additional hurdles. One was that Maria was only the latest in a string of devastating storms, so that the agency was suffering from some amount of “exhaustion.” In addition, FEMA faced several unique challenges in Puerto Rico:
More here
“I’ve been looking into this pretty carefully,” Troy said. “The truth is that FEMA — if you look at this in retrospect, we may find that FEMA did a more Herculean task, in some ways in Maria, in terms of the distance they had to travel, the amount of logisitcs they had to bring, and the propping up of the local response effort. So I think in time we may actually praise FEMA to some degree because they had to do more here than in the Harvey situation.”
Troy, who served in the White House under President George W. Bush, is an expert on the history of presidential responses to disasters. He is the author of Shall We Wake the President?: Two Centuries of Disaster Management from the Oval Office, and wrote an op-ed in late August in which he praised President Donald Trump’s response to Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Louisiana. “Mr. Trump’s handling of the hurricane response thus far is to be commended,” he wrote, adding — prophetically, given the storms that followed — “this is no time for complacency.”
With Hurricane Maria, Troy noted, FEMA faced additional hurdles. One was that Maria was only the latest in a string of devastating storms, so that the agency was suffering from some amount of “exhaustion.” In addition, FEMA faced several unique challenges in Puerto Rico:
More here
What New Orleans, Houston and Puerto Rico have in common.
We’ve seen this show before.
When there’s a national disaster, neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble, shelters are filled with crying families, and a Republican is in the White House, the Democrats jump into action.
Not to help, but to make political capital from a disaster that they helped cause.
After Hurricane Katrina, the media shrieked that survivors inside the New Orleans Superdome were murdering each other. But there actually wasn’t a single murder in the Superdome. And no, NBC’s Brian Williams, never saw any corpses floating past the Ritz-Carlton. The media exaggerated and lied.
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin was all over the news shouting, “Get off your asses” and accusing the Bush administration of “spinning” while “people are dying”. The dirty Democrat demanded more resources while claiming that everything that the Federal government was doing wasn’t good enough. He called for Greyhound buses, when there were plenty of school buses in New Orleans that weren’t being used.
Much of the disaster was actually Nagin’s fault. And Ray Nagin has been convicted of his crimes.
Puerto Rico is the new New Orleans. San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz is the new Nagin.
While media types claim that there’s a cholera outbreak in Puerto Rico (there isn’t), Yulin Cruz hops from CNN to MSNBC to accuse, demand aid, taunt Trump and throw around claims of “genocide”.
More here
When there’s a national disaster, neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble, shelters are filled with crying families, and a Republican is in the White House, the Democrats jump into action.
Not to help, but to make political capital from a disaster that they helped cause.
After Hurricane Katrina, the media shrieked that survivors inside the New Orleans Superdome were murdering each other. But there actually wasn’t a single murder in the Superdome. And no, NBC’s Brian Williams, never saw any corpses floating past the Ritz-Carlton. The media exaggerated and lied.
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin was all over the news shouting, “Get off your asses” and accusing the Bush administration of “spinning” while “people are dying”. The dirty Democrat demanded more resources while claiming that everything that the Federal government was doing wasn’t good enough. He called for Greyhound buses, when there were plenty of school buses in New Orleans that weren’t being used.
Much of the disaster was actually Nagin’s fault. And Ray Nagin has been convicted of his crimes.
Puerto Rico is the new New Orleans. San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz is the new Nagin.
While media types claim that there’s a cholera outbreak in Puerto Rico (there isn’t), Yulin Cruz hops from CNN to MSNBC to accuse, demand aid, taunt Trump and throw around claims of “genocide”.
More here
Uninformed Hillary shamelessly politicizes Nevada tragedy
Hillary Clinton never misses a chance to exploit a tragedy for her own personal and political gain.
Ever the hypocrite, she urged Americans to “put politics aside.” Then she proceeded to immediately inject politics into the catastrophic shooting in Las Vegas.
Clinton knew she could not call for a ban of a weapon already banned by law. The fully automatic weapon allegedly used by gunman, Stephen Paddock, was made illegal under federal law back in 1986.
So Clinton invented an ancillary argument that more people would have died if Paddock had used a “silencer.” Survivors were still being treated when she began condemning the National Rifle Association and attacking the law on “silencers.”
More here
Ever the hypocrite, she urged Americans to “put politics aside.” Then she proceeded to immediately inject politics into the catastrophic shooting in Las Vegas.
Clinton knew she could not call for a ban of a weapon already banned by law. The fully automatic weapon allegedly used by gunman, Stephen Paddock, was made illegal under federal law back in 1986.
So Clinton invented an ancillary argument that more people would have died if Paddock had used a “silencer.” Survivors were still being treated when she began condemning the National Rifle Association and attacking the law on “silencers.”
More here
Great news - Mayor removes statues, happy day oh happy day...
Praise needs to be given to the Mayor of Baltimore. For years the Black community has been under assault by 4 Confederate Monuments.
These monuments were relentless in their destruction of the Black family as over 70% of Black children were born out of wedlock . So terrified by the presence of these monuments, over 60% of Black men in the city could not work a job and found comfort in fathering numerous children with numerous women that they could not feed.
Just knowing that the monuments were there made Black school children have the lowest test scores in the Nation and many turned to drugs to relieve the sting of the monuments' presence.
Worst of all, the mere presence of the monuments caused death. Not being able to handle the hate and violence that the monuments represented , the Black males in the city took to killing each other by the thousands. Just in the last 2 years they have murdered 500 of their own.
Praise be to God and the Wisdom of the Mayor.....It is a new dawn for Black Baltimoreans!... The shackles have been removed and all that can be said is... Free at last, free at last, Lord God Almighty, we're free at last"
These monuments were relentless in their destruction of the Black family as over 70% of Black children were born out of wedlock . So terrified by the presence of these monuments, over 60% of Black men in the city could not work a job and found comfort in fathering numerous children with numerous women that they could not feed.
Just knowing that the monuments were there made Black school children have the lowest test scores in the Nation and many turned to drugs to relieve the sting of the monuments' presence.
Worst of all, the mere presence of the monuments caused death. Not being able to handle the hate and violence that the monuments represented , the Black males in the city took to killing each other by the thousands. Just in the last 2 years they have murdered 500 of their own.
Praise be to God and the Wisdom of the Mayor.....It is a new dawn for Black Baltimoreans!... The shackles have been removed and all that can be said is... Free at last, free at last, Lord God Almighty, we're free at last"
Report: ISIS Is Claiming Responsibility For Las Vegas Attack
Officials have identified the shooter as Stephen Paddock, a 64-year-old American who had multiple weapons on the 32nd floor of a nearby hotel, where he is believed to have killed himself.
A statement published by the group’s Amaq propaganda agency claimed the attacker was a “soldier of the Islamic State”.
“The Las Vegas attacker is a soldier of the Islamic State in response to calls to target coalition countries,” it said.
Isis also claimed the gunman “converted to Islam several months ago”, without providing more details.
The wording of the release is similar to other attacks that have been inspired, rather than directed, by Isis.
The claim, which cannot be independently verified, came days after Isis released a speech purporting to be from the group’s leader.
A 46-minute audio recording appeared to show Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi praise the jihadis killed in the battle to retake Mosul and other former Isis territories.
He urged followers to “intensify one attack after another against the infidels”, following a spike in global terror attacks.
Security officials and experts have long warned that Isis will seek to maintain momentum and legitimacy through terror as its so-called “caliphate” dwindles in Iraq and Syria.
Keep in mind that while an ISIS group is claiming this, there is no evidence yet that it is true.
Multiple sources are reporting this:
More/Video
A statement published by the group’s Amaq propaganda agency claimed the attacker was a “soldier of the Islamic State”.
“The Las Vegas attacker is a soldier of the Islamic State in response to calls to target coalition countries,” it said.
Isis also claimed the gunman “converted to Islam several months ago”, without providing more details.
The wording of the release is similar to other attacks that have been inspired, rather than directed, by Isis.
The claim, which cannot be independently verified, came days after Isis released a speech purporting to be from the group’s leader.
A 46-minute audio recording appeared to show Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi praise the jihadis killed in the battle to retake Mosul and other former Isis territories.
He urged followers to “intensify one attack after another against the infidels”, following a spike in global terror attacks.
Security officials and experts have long warned that Isis will seek to maintain momentum and legitimacy through terror as its so-called “caliphate” dwindles in Iraq and Syria.
Keep in mind that while an ISIS group is claiming this, there is no evidence yet that it is true.
Multiple sources are reporting this:
More/Video
2 Texas High School Football Players Booted Off Team for Anthem Protest
Two Texas high school players have been thrown off their team after protesting during the national anthem, the Houston Chronicle reports.
Cedric Ingram-Lewis held his fist in the air while his cousin Larry McCullough took a knee during the playing of the anthem before the Victory & Praise Christian Academy took to the field on Friday night.
Head Coach Ronnie Mitchem, a former Marine and pastor, ordered them to take off their uniforms and threw them off the team when the anthem had ended, according to the Chronicle.
The coach had warned players he did not want anyone to kneel.
"He told us that disrespect will not be tolerated," Lewis said. "He told us to take off our uniform and leave it there."
More
Cedric Ingram-Lewis held his fist in the air while his cousin Larry McCullough took a knee during the playing of the anthem before the Victory & Praise Christian Academy took to the field on Friday night.
Head Coach Ronnie Mitchem, a former Marine and pastor, ordered them to take off their uniforms and threw them off the team when the anthem had ended, according to the Chronicle.
The coach had warned players he did not want anyone to kneel.
"He told us that disrespect will not be tolerated," Lewis said. "He told us to take off our uniform and leave it there."
More
Bombshell: Dems/Teamsters Order Puerto Rican Stand-Down To Embarrass Trump
Only 20% of truck drivers showing up as essential aid backed up for miles
Democrats and Puerto Rican teamsters have orchestrated a stand-down of essential supply distribution throughout Puerto Rico in an effort to make President Trump appear ineffective at responding to the humanitarian crisis.
The Puerto Rico teamsters Union called “Frente Amplio,” a group of private contractors working for the federal government, are refusing to distribute key supplies throughout Puerto Rico because they’re seeking revenge over policies they view as hurtful to their industry set by the Puerto Rican governor.
More
Democrats and Puerto Rican teamsters have orchestrated a stand-down of essential supply distribution throughout Puerto Rico in an effort to make President Trump appear ineffective at responding to the humanitarian crisis.
The Puerto Rico teamsters Union called “Frente Amplio,” a group of private contractors working for the federal government, are refusing to distribute key supplies throughout Puerto Rico because they’re seeking revenge over policies they view as hurtful to their industry set by the Puerto Rican governor.
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Cold War Radiation Testing in US Widespread, Author Claims
Three members of Congress are demanding answers after a St. Louis scholar's new book revealed details of how the U.S. government sprayed, injected and fed radiation and other dangerous materials to countless people in secret Cold War-era testing.
The health ramifications of the tests are unknown. Lisa Martino-Taylor, an associate professor of sociology at St. Louis who wrote "Behind the Fog: How the U.S. Cold War Radiological Weapons Program Exposed Innocent Americans," acknowledged that tracing diseases like cancer to specific causes is difficult.
Her book, published in August, was a follow-up to her 2012 dissertation that found the government conducted secret testing of zinc cadmium sulfide in a poor area of St. Louis in the 1950s and 1960s. The book focuses on the mid-1940s to the mid-1960s.
Among those who recall the testing is Mary Helen Brindell, 73. She was playing baseball in a St. Louis street in the mid-1950s when a squadron of green planes flew so low overhead that she could see the face of the lead pilot. Suddenly, the children were covered in a fine powdery substance that stuck to skin moistened by summer sweat.
Brindell has suffered from breast, thyroid, skin and uterine cancers. Her sister died of a rare form of esophageal cancer.
"I just want an explanation from the government," Brindell said. "Why would you do that to people?"
More here
The health ramifications of the tests are unknown. Lisa Martino-Taylor, an associate professor of sociology at St. Louis who wrote "Behind the Fog: How the U.S. Cold War Radiological Weapons Program Exposed Innocent Americans," acknowledged that tracing diseases like cancer to specific causes is difficult.
Her book, published in August, was a follow-up to her 2012 dissertation that found the government conducted secret testing of zinc cadmium sulfide in a poor area of St. Louis in the 1950s and 1960s. The book focuses on the mid-1940s to the mid-1960s.
Among those who recall the testing is Mary Helen Brindell, 73. She was playing baseball in a St. Louis street in the mid-1950s when a squadron of green planes flew so low overhead that she could see the face of the lead pilot. Suddenly, the children were covered in a fine powdery substance that stuck to skin moistened by summer sweat.
Brindell has suffered from breast, thyroid, skin and uterine cancers. Her sister died of a rare form of esophageal cancer.
"I just want an explanation from the government," Brindell said. "Why would you do that to people?"
More here
Gov. Rick Scott Declares State Of Emergency As 100,000s Of Puerto Ricans Flee To Florida
As mayors of cities with large Puerto Rican populations continue to advocate for federal assistance to help with the resettlement of hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans who are expected to temporarily seek shelter with friends and families in the US, Florida Gov. Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency in Florida, allowing state agencies to take extraordinary measures to assist families that will soon be arriving in droves to cities like Orlando and Miami, both of which feature large Puerto Rican populations.
The Orlando Sentinel reports that Scott announced that disaster relief centers will be set up at Orlando International Airport and in Miami to help those seeking refuge in Florida.
“Puerto Rico is absolutely devastated and so many families have lost everything,” Scott said in a released statement. “Our goal is to make sure that while [Puerto Rican] Governor [Ricardo] Rosselló is working to rebuild Puerto Rico, any families displaced by Maria that come to Florida are welcomed and offered every available resource from the state.”
The relief center at OIA, and two others at Miami International Airport and the Port of Miami, open Tuesday, according to a release from Scott’s office, just days after Puerto Rican airports reopened following the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria.
“These Disaster Relief Centers will help Puerto Ricans coming into Florida get matched with all the available state resources they may need and ensure that as families come into Florida, they are given the tools they need to work and provide their children with a great education,” Scott stated.
More
The Orlando Sentinel reports that Scott announced that disaster relief centers will be set up at Orlando International Airport and in Miami to help those seeking refuge in Florida.
“Puerto Rico is absolutely devastated and so many families have lost everything,” Scott said in a released statement. “Our goal is to make sure that while [Puerto Rican] Governor [Ricardo] Rosselló is working to rebuild Puerto Rico, any families displaced by Maria that come to Florida are welcomed and offered every available resource from the state.”
The relief center at OIA, and two others at Miami International Airport and the Port of Miami, open Tuesday, according to a release from Scott’s office, just days after Puerto Rican airports reopened following the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria.
“These Disaster Relief Centers will help Puerto Ricans coming into Florida get matched with all the available state resources they may need and ensure that as families come into Florida, they are given the tools they need to work and provide their children with a great education,” Scott stated.
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Faux Feminism
In the last two weeks, a couple of prominent women inadvertently revealed the insufferably presumptive arrogance that forms the heart of progressive ideology.
“Any woman who voted against Hillary Clinton voted against their [sic] own voice,” declared former First Lady Michelle Obama last Wednesday during a conversation with author Roxane Gay at the Inbound conference in Boston.
Mrs. Obama kept digging, insisting the 41% of women who voted for Donald Trump weren’t aware enough to think for themselves.
“It doesn’t say as much about Hillary, and everybody’s trying to worry about what it means for Hillary and no, no, no, what does this mean for us, as women?” she asked. “That we look at those two candidates, as women, and many of us said, ‘He’s better for me. His voice is more true to me.’ To me that just says, you don’t like your voice. You like the thing you’re told to like.”
Got that? If you’re a woman who didn’t vote for Hillary it wasn’t about the possibility that she’s eminently unlikeable, is a congenital liar, possesses a gargantuan sense of self-entitlement, or is an un-convicted felon who likely compromised national security. It’s all about the inability to like oneself enough — or be smart enough — to transcend such “petty” concerns..
More here
“Any woman who voted against Hillary Clinton voted against their [sic] own voice,” declared former First Lady Michelle Obama last Wednesday during a conversation with author Roxane Gay at the Inbound conference in Boston.
Mrs. Obama kept digging, insisting the 41% of women who voted for Donald Trump weren’t aware enough to think for themselves.
“It doesn’t say as much about Hillary, and everybody’s trying to worry about what it means for Hillary and no, no, no, what does this mean for us, as women?” she asked. “That we look at those two candidates, as women, and many of us said, ‘He’s better for me. His voice is more true to me.’ To me that just says, you don’t like your voice. You like the thing you’re told to like.”
Got that? If you’re a woman who didn’t vote for Hillary it wasn’t about the possibility that she’s eminently unlikeable, is a congenital liar, possesses a gargantuan sense of self-entitlement, or is an un-convicted felon who likely compromised national security. It’s all about the inability to like oneself enough — or be smart enough — to transcend such “petty” concerns..
More here
UK leader says the weight of immigration and the rise of Islam is ‘burying British culture’
THE weight of immigration and the rise of Islam is leading to British culture being “buried”, according to Ukip’s new leader.
Henry Bolton said there is a concern amongst people that their way of life is being “pushed aside”, and vowed to “address it” as he spoke to The Sun a day after his shock election.
The 54-year-old ex-Army officer had said he wanted to move the party away from focusing on Islam after their manifesto earlier this year contained an "integration agenda" which was almost entirely about Muslims.
And the issue had been brought back to the fore when the controversial anti-Islam campaigner Anne-Marie Waters was the favourite to win the leadership election.
Mr Bolton, who pushed her into second place yesterday, signalled a softening stance on the issue when he spoke to the media, saying he had a “broad platform” and wanted to “move away from the focus on Islam”.
But he swung the focus right back to the religion this morning, when asked if he stood by his comments during the campaign that he was proud of “fighting Islam”.
More
Henry Bolton said there is a concern amongst people that their way of life is being “pushed aside”, and vowed to “address it” as he spoke to The Sun a day after his shock election.
The 54-year-old ex-Army officer had said he wanted to move the party away from focusing on Islam after their manifesto earlier this year contained an "integration agenda" which was almost entirely about Muslims.
And the issue had been brought back to the fore when the controversial anti-Islam campaigner Anne-Marie Waters was the favourite to win the leadership election.
Mr Bolton, who pushed her into second place yesterday, signalled a softening stance on the issue when he spoke to the media, saying he had a “broad platform” and wanted to “move away from the focus on Islam”.
But he swung the focus right back to the religion this morning, when asked if he stood by his comments during the campaign that he was proud of “fighting Islam”.
More
Superintendent: Bible Verse on Student Memorial Bench Must Be Removed
Charlotte County School Superintendent Nancy Leonard said that the school board determined that the engraving on the bench was illegal because it violated the U.S. Constitution’s Establishment Clause, which states that the government cannot “establish” a state-sponsored religion.
“We found that the memorial bench that we currently have is not legally compliant because of the Establishment Clause (in Constitution), because of the Bible verse,” Leonard told WAFF.
Leonard stresses that the push to remove the verse was not because of complaints from the community and stated that officials were just trying to follow the law.
More here
CNN Finally Proves Russian ‘Collusion’… with Black Lives Matter
At long last, we appear to finally have some proof that the Russians interfered in American democracy. Before some of you get too excited, there is still zero proof of any collusion between the Russians and the Trump campaign. There is still zero proof the Russians in any way “hacked the 2016 election.” There is still zero proof the Russians changed a single vote in 2016.
According to CNN, though, what we do have proof of is that in late 2015 and early 2016, the Russians used Facebook ads to promote Black Lives Matter.
Moreover, the report also says that the Russians’ overall goal in Ferguson and Baltimore was pretty much the same as CNN’s overall goal in Ferguson and Baltimore — to stir up division and chaos.
Here is CNN’s own Wednesday night report (emphasis added):
According to CNN, though, what we do have proof of is that in late 2015 and early 2016, the Russians used Facebook ads to promote Black Lives Matter.
Moreover, the report also says that the Russians’ overall goal in Ferguson and Baltimore was pretty much the same as CNN’s overall goal in Ferguson and Baltimore — to stir up division and chaos.
Here is CNN’s own Wednesday night report (emphasis added):
A Viewer Writes: Local school bus
FBI Stats Demolish NFL Protest Narrative
Yet another surge in black homicides -- and police had nothing to do with it.
The Black Lives Matter fairy tale that police use black Americans for target practice took another hit as new FBI statistics showed the black homicide rate is skyrocketing and that cops had nothing to do with it.
Apart from the FBI data, four separate studies were published last year refuting the claim that police shootings are racially-biased, but facts often have little effect on committed left-wingers who hate America. Democrats, whose party officially endorsed the violent, subversive Black Lives Matter movement, won’t allow their bubbles to be burst by hard evidence, no matter how persuasive.
Although police, who are routinely demonized by left-wingers nowadays, don’t run extra-judicial anti-black death squads, as the radicals claim, the Left will no doubt find creative ways to dismiss the new FBI study.
“Contrary to the Black Lives Matter narrative, the police have much more to fear from black males than black males have to fear from the police,” writes Heather Mac Donald, Thomas W. Smith Fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor at City Journal.
The data in the FBI’s newly released official report on crime for 2016 undermines the virulently anti-cop rhetoric that is increasingly flowing from overpaid, under-educated professional athletes who signal their contempt for America by kneeling during the playing of the national anthem.
More here
The Black Lives Matter fairy tale that police use black Americans for target practice took another hit as new FBI statistics showed the black homicide rate is skyrocketing and that cops had nothing to do with it.
Apart from the FBI data, four separate studies were published last year refuting the claim that police shootings are racially-biased, but facts often have little effect on committed left-wingers who hate America. Democrats, whose party officially endorsed the violent, subversive Black Lives Matter movement, won’t allow their bubbles to be burst by hard evidence, no matter how persuasive.
Although police, who are routinely demonized by left-wingers nowadays, don’t run extra-judicial anti-black death squads, as the radicals claim, the Left will no doubt find creative ways to dismiss the new FBI study.
“Contrary to the Black Lives Matter narrative, the police have much more to fear from black males than black males have to fear from the police,” writes Heather Mac Donald, Thomas W. Smith Fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor at City Journal.
The data in the FBI’s newly released official report on crime for 2016 undermines the virulently anti-cop rhetoric that is increasingly flowing from overpaid, under-educated professional athletes who signal their contempt for America by kneeling during the playing of the national anthem.
More here
Breaking News: The U.S. expelled 15 Cuban diplomats in an escalating response to a mysterious illness that afflicted 22 Americans in Havana
| The expulsions were intended to force the Cubans to operate their embassy in Washington under the same emergency conditions that the United States is now operating under in Havana. The Trump administration decided last week to pare its staff in Havana down to a skeletal group of just 27 people who can carry out emergency services. |
| Read More » |
Dorchester County Receives Additional Federal Aid to Fight Drug Abuse and Trafficking
Congressman Andy Harris (MD-01) issued the following statement following Dorchester County’s designation:
“The heroin and opioid epidemic claims thousands of lives every year in Maryland. Ending this public health crisis is a top priority for me, as I know it is for Governor Hogan and President Trump. Governor Hogan and Maryland’s first responders have made great strides to curb this epidemic, but there’s still work to be done. I applaud the Administration’s inclusion of Dorchester County into the HIDTA program, and I have no doubt that this additional assistance will save lives.”
For more information about the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program, please visit WhiteHouse.Gov
HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION DAY SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2017
8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Salisbury, MD …Wicomico County Executive Bob Culver is pleased to announce that County residents will have an opportunity to dispose of hazardous household waste at no charge on Saturday, October 14, 2017, at the Newland Park Landfill. The hours for “Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day” are 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The event is open to residents of Wicomico County and participants should bring a valid proof of residence such as a driver’s license. The Landfill will be accepting the following:
Gasoline
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Gas/Oil mixes
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Fuels
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Acid Cleaners
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Solvents
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Automotive Fluids
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Bleach
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Ammonia
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Batteries (all types)
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Household Smoke Detectors
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Asbestos
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Pool Chemicals
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Dark Room Chemicals
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Household & Lawn & Garden Pesticides
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Insecticides & Herbicides
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Painting Products
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Compressed Gas Propane cylinders (30 gallons and under)
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Oil Based Paint
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Paint Thinner
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Thermometer (mercury)
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Turpentine
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Wood Preservatives
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Wood Stripping Chemicals
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The Landfill will not be accepting the following:
Business Industrial or Commercial Farm Waste
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Explosives
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Ammunition (handled by Fire Marshall)
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Medical Waste
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Radioactive Material
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Landfill officials suggest that participants pre-arrange large loads.
Empty fuel containers may be returned upon request and the staff will assist to unload vehicles.
For more information, please contact the Newland Park Landfill at 410-548-4935.
EPIC! Entire high school football team runs onto field with American flags!
At the start of Friday night's football game the ENTIRE team ran onto the field waving American flags. A number of people in attendance at the game sent us photos and videos of the incredibly patriotic moment.
More/Video
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/10/01/epic-entire-high-school-football-team-runs-onto-field-with-american-flags.html
West Point Professor Who Mentored Antifa Soldier on Administrative Leave
The West Point mentor of a soldier now under investigation by the Army for engaging in political activity while in uniform is on administrative leave, Breitbart News has learned.
The adviser is Rasheed Hosein, a professor of Middle East history, who was in charge of Second Lieutenant Spenser Rapone’s development at West Point.
At West Point, Hosein had mentored Rapone. The two apparently traveled together to India together in 2014 and maintained a close relationship until Rapone graduated in May 2016.
Also during that time, Rapone’s Facebook posts grew increasingly radical and leftist.
More here
The adviser is Rasheed Hosein, a professor of Middle East history, who was in charge of Second Lieutenant Spenser Rapone’s development at West Point.
At West Point, Hosein had mentored Rapone. The two apparently traveled together to India together in 2014 and maintained a close relationship until Rapone graduated in May 2016.
Also during that time, Rapone’s Facebook posts grew increasingly radical and leftist.
More here
‘No Greater Love’ — Sarah Sanders Hails Heroes of Las Vegas Shooting
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders opened up the daily press briefing by hailing the heroes on the ground who helped victims of the Las Vegas shooting at a country music festival.
“What those people did for each other says far more about who we are as Americans than the cowardly acts of a killer ever could,” Sanders said.
She told the stories of 29-year-old Sonny Melton who was killed saving his wife Heather from the bullets, 53-year-old Mike McGarry who shielded young students with his body after the shots began, concert attendees who transported the wounded in their pickup trucks, and the police officer who shielded witness Gail Davis and led her out of danger.
“The Gospel of John reminds us that there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for a friend,” she said, quoting John 15:13.
More here
“What those people did for each other says far more about who we are as Americans than the cowardly acts of a killer ever could,” Sanders said.
She told the stories of 29-year-old Sonny Melton who was killed saving his wife Heather from the bullets, 53-year-old Mike McGarry who shielded young students with his body after the shots began, concert attendees who transported the wounded in their pickup trucks, and the police officer who shielded witness Gail Davis and led her out of danger.
“The Gospel of John reminds us that there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for a friend,” she said, quoting John 15:13.
More here
Trump’s Right: His Media Coverage Is Mostly Negative
President Donald Trump frequently complains about media coverage of his administration, and a study released Monday confirms his suspicion: Most of it has been negative.
The Pew Research Center, in a content analysis of the early days of the Trump presidency, found that 62 percent of the coverage was negative and only 5 percent was positive.
In contrast, President Barack Obama's coverage in early 2009 was 42 percent positive and 20 percent negative, the study said.
“It certainly shows that where people turn for news has implications for what they’re hearing about President Trump,” said Amy Mitchell, Pew’s director of journalism research.
More
The Pew Research Center, in a content analysis of the early days of the Trump presidency, found that 62 percent of the coverage was negative and only 5 percent was positive.
In contrast, President Barack Obama's coverage in early 2009 was 42 percent positive and 20 percent negative, the study said.
“It certainly shows that where people turn for news has implications for what they’re hearing about President Trump,” said Amy Mitchell, Pew’s director of journalism research.
More
Taxpayers Have Spent A ‘Staggering’ Amount Of Money On NFL Stadiums
The 16 NFL stadiums that will host NFL games this weekend have cost taxpayers nearly $3 billion, a new analysis found.
When the NFL season kicks off Thursday night in New England, football fans will file into a stadium built with $72 million in taxpayer money. Compared to fans in other NFL cities, residents of Foxboro, Massachusetts, can thank their team for giving them a bargain.
Taxpayers have spent nearly $3 billion on the 16 stadiums that will host NFL games during the season’s opening weekend, according to figures in a new analysis from the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, a Washington, D.C-based conservative nonprofit group.
All told, 29 of the NFL’s 31 stadiums have received public funds for construction or renovation. In the last two decades, the analysis found, taxpayers across the country have spent nearly $7 billion on stadiums for a league that surpassed $10 billion in revenue last season.
“Unfortunately, beneath all of the glitz and glamour, these venues are nothing more than monuments to corporate welfare and taxpayer handouts,” David Williams, president of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, said in a press release. “These stadiums have been built on the backs of taxpayers who had no or little say in the matter and in many cases have benefitted little or not at all.”
More
When the NFL season kicks off Thursday night in New England, football fans will file into a stadium built with $72 million in taxpayer money. Compared to fans in other NFL cities, residents of Foxboro, Massachusetts, can thank their team for giving them a bargain.
Taxpayers have spent nearly $3 billion on the 16 stadiums that will host NFL games during the season’s opening weekend, according to figures in a new analysis from the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, a Washington, D.C-based conservative nonprofit group.
All told, 29 of the NFL’s 31 stadiums have received public funds for construction or renovation. In the last two decades, the analysis found, taxpayers across the country have spent nearly $7 billion on stadiums for a league that surpassed $10 billion in revenue last season.
“Unfortunately, beneath all of the glitz and glamour, these venues are nothing more than monuments to corporate welfare and taxpayer handouts,” David Williams, president of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, said in a press release. “These stadiums have been built on the backs of taxpayers who had no or little say in the matter and in many cases have benefitted little or not at all.”
More
Vietnam Déjà Vu
Much of America, including yours truly, has been watching the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) series, ‘Vietnam.’ Instead of clarifying that confusing conflict, the series has ignited fiery controversy and a lot of long-repressed anger by soft-soaping Washington’s motives.
This march to folly in Vietnam is particularly painful for me since I enlisted in the US army at the height of the war. Gripped by youthful patriotism, I strongly supported the war. In fact, the TV series even showed a pro-war march down New York’s Fifth Avenue that I had joined. Talk about déjà vu.
At the time, 1967, the Cold War was at full force. We really believed that if the US did not make a stand in Vietnam the Soviets and Chinese would overrun all of South Asia.
No one in Washington seemed to know that China and the Soviet Union had split and become bitter enemies. As ever, our foreign human intelligence was lousy. We didn’t understand that Vietnam deserved independence after a century of French colonialism. Or that what happened in Vietnam was of little importance to the rest of the world.
More
This march to folly in Vietnam is particularly painful for me since I enlisted in the US army at the height of the war. Gripped by youthful patriotism, I strongly supported the war. In fact, the TV series even showed a pro-war march down New York’s Fifth Avenue that I had joined. Talk about déjà vu.
At the time, 1967, the Cold War was at full force. We really believed that if the US did not make a stand in Vietnam the Soviets and Chinese would overrun all of South Asia.
No one in Washington seemed to know that China and the Soviet Union had split and become bitter enemies. As ever, our foreign human intelligence was lousy. We didn’t understand that Vietnam deserved independence after a century of French colonialism. Or that what happened in Vietnam was of little importance to the rest of the world.
More
Nolen found guilty on all counts, case moves to sentencing phase
NORMAN — A Cleveland County jury has found Alton Nolen guilty of first-degree murder for the 2014 beheading death of Colleen Hufford.
“We’re pleased with the outcome thus far,” Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn said. “Justice for Colleen is what we want.”
It took a little over two hours for the jury to decide Nolen’s fate.
Mashburn said the next step will be for the jury to decide punishment on the non-capital offenses, which is set to start Monday, followed by the punishment for the murder.
“The jury will hear evidence and deliberate on the punishment for [the non-murder] counts first,” he said. “After that, they’ll start the punishment phase for the first-degree murder charge.”
More
“We’re pleased with the outcome thus far,” Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn said. “Justice for Colleen is what we want.”
It took a little over two hours for the jury to decide Nolen’s fate.
Mashburn said the next step will be for the jury to decide punishment on the non-capital offenses, which is set to start Monday, followed by the punishment for the murder.
“The jury will hear evidence and deliberate on the punishment for [the non-murder] counts first,” he said. “After that, they’ll start the punishment phase for the first-degree murder charge.”
More
Donald Trump 35- NFL 0
This is the story of the suicide of the NFL.
Are you listening Jim Murren and MGM? This is a case study for how to destroy a billion-dollar business by injecting your offensive leftist politics and alienating your own customer base.
President Trump has done it again. No, I don’t mean he’s offended millions of Americans. I mean he said exactly what was on the mind of tens of millions of middle class Americans. Call us the Silent Majority. Because of Trump, our views now count.
Don’t look now but Trump just kicked the NFL’s ass. Ratings are plummeting. Revenues are plunging. The player’s spokesman deals are being cancelled. Fans are booing. Fans are burning tickets and uniforms. Lifelong NFL zealots are vowing to never watch another game. And the #1 selling jersey in the USA is a Pittsburg Steeler backup- a former Army Ranger with the courage to stand for the national anthem.
The Silent Majority is speaking loudly and clearly.
When you offend 63 million Trump voters, your business suffers, your bottom line plunges. The NFL is going the way of dying dinosaur ESPN. And the Emmys- with the lowest ratings EVER. And Hollywood box office revenues- the worst in 25 years. And NBC’s Megyn Kelly- whose career is finished. And Arnold Schwarzenegger- who flopped as host of “Celebrity Apprentice.” And Actress Jennifer Lawrence- who latest movie bombed after disrespecting Trump. Don’t forget Madonna, who threatened to bomb the White House. Her latest album sold 3,000 copies last week. Guess who got bombed?
My grandfather put it best. He taught me there are only two rules to business:
#1) The customer is always right.
#2) If the customer is wrong, refer back to Rule #1.
All of these athletes, entertainers, CEOs, businesses and leagues like the NFL have free speech. They can say whatever they want. But so can we- the customers. But we always get the last laugh.
Always assume your customers are 50/50 liberal vs conservative.
Of course, the NFL’s audience includes lots of diverse groups. But let’s be honest. The typical NFL fan is a white, middle class, middle aged, meat-eating, testosterone-driven Republican (or certainly center right).
The typical NFL fan is a flag waver. They always stand for the national anthem. They wear flag pins and chant “USA, USA, USA!” They love cops and military. In short, they are middle class Trump voters. Not all of them. But a significant majority.
Doesn’t the NFL Commissioner know this? Don’t the executives at the NFL’s Park Ave. offices know this? What world do they live in?
So, this isn’t about free speech. This is about the survival of your business and destruction of your brand. Why would the NFL be at war with their own fans, viewers and ticket buyers?
Someday this will be a case study in how to destroy a brand in business schools. Just like ESPN. And just like Jim Murren and MGM, if they’re not careful about throwing around their ignorant leftist views. Because casino customers are the same middle class (and above) Trump voters as NFL fans.
Now it’s time to REALLY bring the NFL to its knees.
It’s time for a nationwide boycott. It’s time for 63 million Trump fans to stop watching. Turn off NFL games on your TV for the next month. Watch the owners cry. Watch them panic. Watch them beg. If you’re betting on the games here in Vegas, just watch them online, or on your I-phones. But make TV ratings collapse
It’s time for 63 million Trump voters to stop buying NFL merchandise. Go cold turkey. Write every NFL sponsor and demand they cancel their NFL advertising campaigns, or we’ll stop buying from them. Call our Congressmen and demand the NFL’s anti-trust and tax exempt status be withdrawn immediately. Ouch. This one’s gonna hurt!
It’s time to teach the NFL a lesson. The Silent Majority counts. What we believe in- God, country, Constitution, flag, national anthem, American exceptionalism- matters. Start worrying about offending us.
The NFL is about to learn a bitter lesson. Trump 35-NFL 0.
Are you listening Jim Murren and MGM? This is a case study for how to destroy a billion-dollar business by injecting your offensive leftist politics and alienating your own customer base.
President Trump has done it again. No, I don’t mean he’s offended millions of Americans. I mean he said exactly what was on the mind of tens of millions of middle class Americans. Call us the Silent Majority. Because of Trump, our views now count.
Don’t look now but Trump just kicked the NFL’s ass. Ratings are plummeting. Revenues are plunging. The player’s spokesman deals are being cancelled. Fans are booing. Fans are burning tickets and uniforms. Lifelong NFL zealots are vowing to never watch another game. And the #1 selling jersey in the USA is a Pittsburg Steeler backup- a former Army Ranger with the courage to stand for the national anthem.
The Silent Majority is speaking loudly and clearly.
When you offend 63 million Trump voters, your business suffers, your bottom line plunges. The NFL is going the way of dying dinosaur ESPN. And the Emmys- with the lowest ratings EVER. And Hollywood box office revenues- the worst in 25 years. And NBC’s Megyn Kelly- whose career is finished. And Arnold Schwarzenegger- who flopped as host of “Celebrity Apprentice.” And Actress Jennifer Lawrence- who latest movie bombed after disrespecting Trump. Don’t forget Madonna, who threatened to bomb the White House. Her latest album sold 3,000 copies last week. Guess who got bombed?
My grandfather put it best. He taught me there are only two rules to business:
#1) The customer is always right.
#2) If the customer is wrong, refer back to Rule #1.
All of these athletes, entertainers, CEOs, businesses and leagues like the NFL have free speech. They can say whatever they want. But so can we- the customers. But we always get the last laugh.
Always assume your customers are 50/50 liberal vs conservative.
Therefore, any political statement you make risks offending and alienating half your customers. But what if your specific customer base is 70% conservative or center right? Well then you could ruin your entire brand forever. Enter the NFL.
Of course, the NFL’s audience includes lots of diverse groups. But let’s be honest. The typical NFL fan is a white, middle class, middle aged, meat-eating, testosterone-driven Republican (or certainly center right).
The typical NFL fan is a flag waver. They always stand for the national anthem. They wear flag pins and chant “USA, USA, USA!” They love cops and military. In short, they are middle class Trump voters. Not all of them. But a significant majority.
Doesn’t the NFL Commissioner know this? Don’t the executives at the NFL’s Park Ave. offices know this? What world do they live in?
So, this isn’t about free speech. This is about the survival of your business and destruction of your brand. Why would the NFL be at war with their own fans, viewers and ticket buyers?
Someday this will be a case study in how to destroy a brand in business schools. Just like ESPN. And just like Jim Murren and MGM, if they’re not careful about throwing around their ignorant leftist views. Because casino customers are the same middle class (and above) Trump voters as NFL fans.
Now it’s time to REALLY bring the NFL to its knees.
It’s time for a nationwide boycott. It’s time for 63 million Trump fans to stop watching. Turn off NFL games on your TV for the next month. Watch the owners cry. Watch them panic. Watch them beg. If you’re betting on the games here in Vegas, just watch them online, or on your I-phones. But make TV ratings collapse
It’s time for 63 million Trump voters to stop buying NFL merchandise. Go cold turkey. Write every NFL sponsor and demand they cancel their NFL advertising campaigns, or we’ll stop buying from them. Call our Congressmen and demand the NFL’s anti-trust and tax exempt status be withdrawn immediately. Ouch. This one’s gonna hurt!
It’s time to teach the NFL a lesson. The Silent Majority counts. What we believe in- God, country, Constitution, flag, national anthem, American exceptionalism- matters. Start worrying about offending us.
The NFL is about to learn a bitter lesson. Trump 35-NFL 0.
Mormon Leader Reaffirms Faith's Opposition to Gay Marriage
A top Mormon leader reaffirmed the religion's opposition to same-sex marriage on Saturday during a church conference — and reminded followers watching around the world that children should be raised in families led by a married man and woman no matter what becomes the norm in a "declining world."
The speech by Dallin H. Oaks, a member of a top governing body called the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, followed a push in recent years by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to uphold theological opposition to gay marriage amid widespread social acceptance while trying to foster an empathetic stance toward LGBT people.
The Mormon church is one of many conservative faith groups navigating the challenges that arise from trying to strike the right balance.
"We have witnessed a rapid and increasing public acceptance of cohabitation without marriage and same-sex marriage. The corresponding media advocacy, education, and even occupational requirements pose difficult challenges for Latter-day Saints," Oaks said. "We must try to balance the competing demands of following the gospel law in our personal lives and teachings even as we seek to show love for all."
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The speech by Dallin H. Oaks, a member of a top governing body called the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, followed a push in recent years by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to uphold theological opposition to gay marriage amid widespread social acceptance while trying to foster an empathetic stance toward LGBT people.
The Mormon church is one of many conservative faith groups navigating the challenges that arise from trying to strike the right balance.
"We have witnessed a rapid and increasing public acceptance of cohabitation without marriage and same-sex marriage. The corresponding media advocacy, education, and even occupational requirements pose difficult challenges for Latter-day Saints," Oaks said. "We must try to balance the competing demands of following the gospel law in our personal lives and teachings even as we seek to show love for all."
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Saving Carbs for Last Cuts Blood Sugar Risks
Saving the bread for last at mealtime could help people with diabetes keep their blood sugar under control, new research suggests.
People with type 2 diabetes who ate protein and vegetables before they consumed carbohydrate-heavy bread and orange juice had a significantly lower increase in blood sugar after the meal, compared to when they ate carbs first, Dr. Alpana Shukla and Dr. Louis Aronne of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City found.
The decrease “is comparable to the kind of effect you see with some of the drugs we use to treat diabetes,” Shukla told Reuters Health in a telephone interview. “Eating carbohydrates last may be a simple strategy for regulating post-meal glucose levels.”
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People with type 2 diabetes who ate protein and vegetables before they consumed carbohydrate-heavy bread and orange juice had a significantly lower increase in blood sugar after the meal, compared to when they ate carbs first, Dr. Alpana Shukla and Dr. Louis Aronne of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City found.
The decrease “is comparable to the kind of effect you see with some of the drugs we use to treat diabetes,” Shukla told Reuters Health in a telephone interview. “Eating carbohydrates last may be a simple strategy for regulating post-meal glucose levels.”
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Top US Spymaster Warns American Firms About Deals With China
The top U.S. counterintelligence official said American firms need to be cognizant of the national security risks that could arise from selling to Chinese buyers or entering into joint ventures with them.
William Evanina, the Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, said it’s understandable that executives and owners of American companies want to do the most lucrative deals, but they don’t always understand the potential risks to national security.
Evanina’s comments come as the Trump administration and lawmakers in Washington move to toughen the framework for reviewing acquisitions by foreign investors, especially those from China.
"China is our number one adversary with respect to economic espionage," Evanina said in an interview at Bloomberg in Washington Thursday. "Their ability to steal proprietary information and trade secrets is proficient and it’s aggressive."
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William Evanina, the Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, said it’s understandable that executives and owners of American companies want to do the most lucrative deals, but they don’t always understand the potential risks to national security.
Evanina’s comments come as the Trump administration and lawmakers in Washington move to toughen the framework for reviewing acquisitions by foreign investors, especially those from China.
"China is our number one adversary with respect to economic espionage," Evanina said in an interview at Bloomberg in Washington Thursday. "Their ability to steal proprietary information and trade secrets is proficient and it’s aggressive."
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