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Saturday, October 07, 2017

Mom’s March Launches National Movement to Counter ‘Women in the Pink Hats’

Celebrating motherhood and family, Mom’s March has launched a national movement designed to take back America’s culture.

Mom’s March for America held its inaugural event on September 23 at the Ralston Arena, outside of Omaha, Nebraska. But, Kimberly Fletcher – who heads up the movement – says that was just the beginning.

During an interview with Breitbart News, Fletcher – the founder of HomeMakers for America, the group that organized Mom’s March – said the mothers are organizing events for each month and will show their presence.

“We wanted to set a very clear standard, a clear message of what it was about,” Fletcher says. “We’re all a bunch of volunteer moms, sharing our own talents. We don’t have a George Soros pocketbook.”

More here

Trump DOJ and HHS Issue Major Religious Liberty, Pro-Life Protections

President Donald Trump’s administration kept a major campaign promise on Friday, implementing his Executive Order 13798 by issuing key protections for religious liberty, as well as protecting the unborn.

President Trump signed Executive Order 13798 on May 4 to declare the policy of the United States government regarding religious liberty under the U.S. Constitution and federal law, the first such order in American history.

“The Founders envisioned a Nation in which religious voices and views were integral to a vibrant public square, and in which religious people and institutions were free to practice their faith without fear of discrimination or retaliation by the Federal Government,” the executive order says in Section 1.

Going on to explain that the Constitution’s First Amendment enshrines fundamental rights to religious liberty, Section 1 continues, “Federal law protects the freedom of Americans and their organizations to exercise religion and participate fully in civic life without undue interference by the Federal Government.”

Later in the document, Section 4 of that executive order provides, “In order to guide all agencies in complying with relevant Federal law, the Attorney General shall, as appropriate, issue guidance interpreting religious liberty protections in Federal law.”

Attorney General Jeff Sessions acted Friday upon Section 4’s mandate, issuing guidance that declares 20 separate protections under federal law.

They include:

EPA Document Proposes to Eliminate Clean Power Plan ‘in Its Entirety’

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to repeal the agency’s Obama-era climate change program, the Clean Power Plan (CPP), “in its entirety,” according to a document obtained by Breitbart News.

The 43-page document, titled, “Repeal of Carbon Pollution Emission Guidelines for Existing Stations Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units” details how the EPA plans to repeal CPP through a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). This version of the document obtained by Breitbart News remains subject to change through inter-agency review.

The agency contends that the EPA, under former Administrator Gina McCarthy, exceeded its authority to regulate carbon emissions as stipulated by the Clean Air Act. The document proposes to eliminate the Clean Power Plan, and then suggested that they might release an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) that will reflect a more thoughtful and modest approach to regulating air pollution given the EPA’s limited statutory authority.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order in March ordering a review of the Clean Power Plan as well as other environmental regulations. Instead of Obama’s stifling energy regulations, the Trump administration will promote policies that favor American “energy dominance.”

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Hugh Hefner's Real Legacy: Disease, Despair, and Death

A timely and stunning statistic befitting the recent death of America’s patriarch of pornography: a shocking 110 million Americans -- over one-third of our population -- are saddled with a sexually transmitted disease. According to the New York Times,

The incidence of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis is increasing, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An estimated 110 million Americans now are infected with a sexually transmitted disease.

Chlamydia is the most common S.T.D., and the number of cases rose 4.7 percent from 2015 to 2016… Adolescents and young adult women have the highest rates of chlamydia: one survey found that 9.2 percent of girls aged 15 to 19 were infected… The rate of primary and secondary syphilis in 2016 is the highest it has been since 1993, and it increased among both men and women from 2015 to 2016. Men account for almost 90 percent of cases, and most are among men who have sex with men.

Rates of syphilis increased in every age group and all races, and they were highest among people in their twenties.

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Which American Cities Will File Bankruptcy Next?

We harp on the massive, unsustainable, yet largely unnoticed, debt burdens of American cities, counties and states fairly regularly because, well, it's a frightening issue if you spend just a little time to understand the math and ultimate consequences. Here is some of our recent posts on the topic:

Luckily, for those looking to escape the trauma of being taxed into oblivion by their failing cities/counties/states, JP Morgan has provided a comprehensive guide on which municipalities haven't the slightest hope of surviving their multi-decade debt binge and lavish public pension awards.

If you live in any of the 'red' cities below, it just might be time to start looking for another home...

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Migration Of The Tax Donkeys

Dear local leadership: here's the formula for long-term success.

A Great Migration of the Tax Donkeys is underway, still very much under the radar of the mainstream media and conventional economists. If you are confident no such migration of those who pay the bulk of the taxes could ever occur, please consider the long-term ramifications of these two articles:

Allow me to summarize for those who aren't too squeamish: a lot of cities and counties are going to go broke, slashing services and jacking up taxes, all to no avail. The promises made by corrupt politicos cannot possibly be kept, despite constant assurances to the contrary, and those expecting services and taxes to remain untouched will be shocked by the massive cuts in services and the equally massive tax increases that will be imposed in a misguided effort to "save" politically powerful constituencies and fiefdoms.

These dynamics will power a Great Migration of the Tax Donkeys from failing cities, counties and states to more frugal, well-managed and small business-friendly locales. I've sketched out the migration in this graphic: the move by those who can from incompetently managed and/or corrupt cities/counties/states to more innovative, open, frugal and better managed locales.

Unlike Communist regimes which strictly control who has permission to transfer residency, Americans are still free to move about the nation. This creates a very Darwinian competition between sclerotic, corrupt, overpriced one-party-dictatorships whose hubris-soaked political class is convinced the insane housing prices, tech unicorns, abundant services, and a high-brow culture ruled by an artsy elite are irresistible to everyone, and locales that are low-cost, responsive to their Tax Donkey class, welcoming to new small businesses, employers and talent, unbeholden to a politically-correct dictatorship and conservatively managed, i.e. not headed for insolvency.

Not everyone can move. Many people find it essentially impossible to move due to family roots and obligations, poverty, secure employment, kids in school, and numerous other compelling reasons.

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Baltimore Racks Up DOUBLE Chicago’s Gun Homicide Rate In 2017

Baltimore’s skyrocketing gun violence has made residents more than twice as likely to be shot to death than Chicagoans, according to current 2017 crime statistics.

Chicago has suffered 503 gun homicides so far in 2017. With a population of over 2.7 million, the gun homicide rate is at just over 18 people per 100,000 residents.

Baltimore, however, has suffered 275 gun homicides with a population of just over 621,000, putting the homicide rate at more than 44 per 100,000. The city is on track to break its all-time murder record originally set in 1992, when Baltimore had 100,000 more residents.

Both cities are long-standing Democratic strongholds. Baltimore hasn’t had a Republican mayor since 1947 and hasn’t voted Republican in a presidential election since 1956. All of the city’s state senators and delegates are Democrats as well.

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Virginia governor race: Who are Ed Gillespie and Ralph Northam?

President Donald Trump expressed his support for the Republican candidate for Virginia governor on Thursday night – and accused the Democratic candidate of "fighting for the violent MS-13" gang.

Republican Ed Gillespie and Democrat Ralph Northam are duking it out in next month’s gubernatorial race in the Old Dominion commonwealth. Just one of two states electing governors this year, Virginia is a swing state contest viewed as a possible referendum on Trump's first year in office.

Northam leads Gillespie by more than 5 percentage points in Real Clear Politics’ latest polling average. Trump lost to opponent Hillary Clinton by about 5 points in Virginia during the 2016 presidential election.

Here’s a look at the candidates.

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BREAKING NEWS: A lawyer advising Harvey Weinstein has stepped down.

Her defense strategy was harshly criticized, company emails viewed by The Times show.


Lisa Bloom, the lawyer advising Harvey Weinstein, the high-powered film producer facing allegations of rampant sexual harassment, announced her resignation on Twitter without explanation.
In one of the emails viewed by The New York Times, a board member of the Weinstein Company scolded Ms. Bloom for “fanning the flames and compounding the problem” and asked that she step away from the company.
Read More »

'Forcing Migrants on Nations Will Mean the End of the EU': Polish President

Brussels’ insistence on ordering European Union (EU) nations to accept third world migrants could lead to the bloc’s break-up, Poland’s president Andrzej Duda has warned.

The EU principle of unity, Duda told a press conference Thursday, “must come down to the fact that we work together … we do not try to force other states to act against their own interests and against the interests of their people.”

“Therefore, we don’t agree to being dictated to, with regards to the quota system and forcing migrants to move to Poland, against our people’s will,” he stressed, speaking after talks with Bulgarian president Rumen Radev.

Duda added that Poland and Bulgaria share the “same and unequivocal” position on how Europe should deal with the migrant crisis, stating both countries believe the bloc should protect its borders, and provide aid to refugees close to their homelands.

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'Our minds can be hijacked': the tech insiders who fear a smartphone dystopia

Justin Rosenstein had tweaked his laptop’s operating system to block Reddit, banned himself from Snapchat, which he compares to heroin, and imposed limits on his use of Facebook. But even that wasn’t enough. In August, the 34-year-old tech executive took a more radical step to restrict his use of social media and other addictive technologies.

Rosenstein purchased a new iPhone and instructed his assistant to set up a parental-control feature to prevent him from downloading any apps.

He was particularly aware of the allure of Facebook “likes”, which he describes as “bright dings of pseudo-pleasure” that can be as hollow as they are seductive. And Rosenstein should know: he was the Facebook engineer who created the “like” button in the first place.

A decade after he stayed up all night coding a prototype of what was then called an “awesome” button, Rosenstein belongs to a small but growing band of Silicon Valley heretics who complain about the rise of the so-called “attention economy”: an internet shaped around the demands of an advertising economy.

These refuseniks are rarely founders or chief executives, who have little incentive to deviate from the mantra that their companies are making the world a better place. Instead, they tend to have worked a rung or two down the corporate ladder: designers, engineers and product managers who, like Rosenstein, several years ago put in place the building blocks of a digital world from which they are now trying to disentangle themselves. “It is very common,” Rosenstein says, “for humans to develop things with the best of intentions and for them to have unintended, negative consequences.”

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Major Clues Indicate There Was Someone Else In Vegas Shooter’s Hotel Suite

There’s a lot of rumors swirling around.

HOWEVER –

This information is coming from investigators, so it’s significantly more credible.

The Las Vegas sheriff said “he had to have help”…

It looks more and more like that was indeed the case.

According to this:

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West Virginia woman set on fire last month dies

A West Virginia woman who police say was set on fire by her boyfriend last month has died.

Belinda Cox, 48, succumbed to her injuries on Wednesday night at West Penn Burn Center in Pittsburgh, according to Beckley Police Department.

Authorities say her boyfriend Dwayne Michael Lane, 47, set her on fire at their Earle Street home on September 17 after an argument.

Doctors had given Cox a 17 per cent chance of survival, saying that it would be a 'miracle' if she pulled through after 70 per cent of her body was burned - with 61 per cent being 3rd degree burns.

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Football's decline has some high schools disbanding teams

On a cool and rainy afternoon during the first week of classes at Centennial High School in this well-to-do Baltimore suburb, about 50 members of the boys' cross-country team sauntered across the parking lot for their after-school run.

Meanwhile, about 30 kids in helmets and pads were going through drills on the pristine artificial turf field at the school's hillside football stadium in Ellicott City, Maryland.

'It used to be the other way around,' said Al Dodds, Centennial's cross-country coach, who has 64 boys on his team this year.

'Now, there's a small turnout in football and cross-country is huge.'.

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Senate Intel Chair: Some News Outlets Will Have ‘Egg On Their Face’ For False Russia Reporting

The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said Thursday that some news outlets will be left “with egg on their face” over their reporting on the Russia investigation.

North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr issued the warning in an interview with CNN. He had been asked to respond to a tweet from President Trump calling on the committee to look into “Fake News Networks” in order to “see why so much of our news is just made up.”

“FAKE!” Trump wrote on Twitter.

That tweet was an apparent response to a status update provided by Burr and Senate Intelligence Committee vice-chairman Mark Warner on Wednesday regarding the panel’s investigation into Russian interference in the presidential campaign.

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Now This Is An Honest Coach

Gubernatorial candidate takes her candidacy to court

Maryland gubernatorial candidate Krish Vignarajah has filed a declaratory judgment action earlier today in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court, seeking a Court judgment to confirm her eligibility to run for governor and listing several defendants – including Gov. Larry Hogan’s campaign committee, among others.

A Miner Detail is the first Maryland media outlet to report on Vignarajah’s legal action. Court documents will follow.

Just how many federal employees work in government, anyway?

The Trump administration is breathing new life into the age-old question about the size of the federal workforce, as agencies prepare to reorganize, shift resources and cut personnel in the name of efficiency.

The question came up on day one, when President Donald Trump introduced a temporary hiring freeze to “counter the dramatic expansion of the federal workforce in recent years,” as the new administration described it in January.

But according to Paul Light, a public policy professor at New York University, and a special adviser to the chairman of the Volcker Alliance, the number of federal employees has remained more or less the same over the past several decades. Rather, it’s the number of contractors and grant employees supporting government work that’s trended upward over the years.

About 2 million federal employees, 3.7 million contractors, nearly 1.6 million grant employees, 1.3 million active-duty military members and 492,000 postal workers all make up the “blended federal workforce,” Light said in his latest reporton the topic.

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Md. casino revenue jumps 39 percent from year ago

WASHINGTON — Maryland’s six casinos are generating more gaming revenue for the state, and MGM National Harbor remains the casino revenue king.

All six casinos generated $134.5 million in revenue in September, up 38.6 percent from a year ago.

MGM National Harbor accounted for $49.4 million of that. There is no year-over-year comparison for MGM National Harbor, which opened in December, but it appears to be the revenue driver for the state’s casino industry.

Excluding MGM National Harbor’s September numbers, gaming revenue from the state’s five other casinos was down 12.3 percent from a year ago.

Maryland Live! Casino at Arundel Mills brought in $46.9 million in September, down 12.9 percent from a year ago.

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Oasis Country Show Changes For Tomorrow

We are SOOOOO excited to have the Reunion of Haleytown tomorrow for our "Day in the Country" Country Music show. Due to unforeseen circumstances, we have had to shorten our bands. Haleytown will take the stage at 2 PM and right after, Pistol Whipped will take the stage. 

There will be NO COVER CHARGE for this event. 

Slip on down for a "Country" version of Sunday Funday...

Elon Musk Says Tesla Could Get Puerto Rico's Lights Back On

Elon Musk may be about to add humanitarian relief worker to his already-impressive resume.

Musk tweeted Thursday that Tesla (TSLA, -0.48%) could help provide a long-term solution to rebuilding Puerto Rico’s electrical grid, which was devastated when Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico on Sept. 20, causing widespread damage and island-wide blackouts. Two weeks after the storm hit, only 9.2% of Puerto Ricans have seen service resume, according to Puerto Rican authorities.

The notion was set off when Scott Stapf of consulting firm The Hastings Group wondered on Twitter (TWTR, -1.86%) whether Musk could help rebuild Puerto Rico’s power infrastructure “with independent solar & battery systems.”

Perhaps to Stapf’s surprise, the billionaire investor and entrepreneur responded in the affirmative:

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These Are the Most Popular Beers at the 2017 Great American Beer Festival

On Saturday, Oct. 7, the Brewers Association will hand out the formal awards for the best beers of the 2017 Great American Beer Festival. But the people sampling the more than 3,800 offerings have already spoken.

Before the awards, beer lovers have two days to sample the wares of the 780 breweries attending the show. And in a cavernous convention center that’s the size of more than two football fields, word of mouth is critical.

Some breweries known for their whales (hard to get beers), like Russian River or The Lost Abbey, always have a line of 40 people or more (often topping 100). Other well-known brewers with special offerings, like Dogfish Head or Avery Brewing, are reliably crowded as well.

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Trump Administration Says They’re Open To “Thoughtful Discussion” On Gun Control

Following the tragic Las Vegas shooting, the predictable calls for gun control have issued from the left like clockwork. What is perhaps more surprising is the fact that the Trump administration is actually willing to sit down with Democrats and consider their proposals on the matter. Keep in mind that congressional Dems don’t exactly have a stellar, constitutionally-consistent track record on the matter.

This should concern everyone, including Trump’s most ardent supporters. The Second Amendment is the one that protects our government from usurping all of the others, so why would Trump be willing to sit down and entertain their opinions?

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NFL Makes An Announcement: Fans Who Use Racial Slurs Will Be BANNED

Redskins receiver Terrelle Pryor was reported to have screamed “F*** you!” into a crowd of National Football League fans during their game in Kansas City. When asked why he had done something that seemed so off the wall and hostile, he claimed that of the people in the stands had yelled a racial slur at him several times during the game.

The NFL is now investigating the incident, telling fans that the use of racial slurs will get them banned. (And rightfully so.)

“We have no tolerance for racial comments directed to anyone. Those fans are not welcome to come back this week, next week, or any time,” said Joe Lockhard, NFL spokesman.

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North Korea 'ready to test new high range missile capable of hitting US west coast'

North Korea is set to test-fire a new "high range" missile capable of hitting the US mainland, a Russian lawmaker claims.

Anton Morozov revealed Pyongyang's plans as he returned from a five-day visit to the hermit state - where the mood is "rather belligerent" - with a Russian delegation.

He claims North Korean officials gave the Russians mathematical calculations showing that the intercontinental ballistic missile could reach targets on the US west coast.

It comes just days after a CIA official revealed that Kim Jong-un's regime could launch a new missile or carry out another nuclear test next week.

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Marco Rubio FIRES Back At Michelle Obama For “White Men” Comment- Liberal MELTDOWN

If you haven’t had enough of Michelle Obama’s wonderful speeches, don’t cry. She is back in the news, or at least on Twitter with a brand new racist, divisive comment to spread around to her adorning fans to defend. After you read about what she had to say about race, be sure to put the shoes on the other feet and place a conservative in her shoes, saying something similar…

You’ll find that the left would scream racism for the right, but not for their precious ex-First Lady. Here’s what Michelle had to say:

“We should be working actively to mix it up, so we’re getting a real broad range of perspectives on every issue. Shoot, I would see that in Congress.”

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Trump Admin Announces Relief From Contraceptive Mandate for Religious Objectors

The Department of Health and Human Services announced new rules governing enforcement of the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive mandate on Friday, expanding exemptions for insurance providers with religious or moral objections to contraception.

One new rule, which will take effect immediately, exempts a broad list of entities with religious objections to contraception from the law’s mandate. These include: nonprofits, employers, plan sponsors, and institutions of higher education. They also include exemptions for objecting individuals who do not wish to be covered by plans which provide contraception, even if their employer willfully provides it. Also exempt are certain insurance companies that provide insurance to these newly exempt groups.

A separate rule permits certain exemptions for "moral convictions" that are not religious in character, a practice HHS said comports with "Congress’s long history of providing or supporting conscience protections in the regulation of sensitive health-care issues."

The new rules substantially expand the kinds of entities that are exempt from the contraceptive mandate.

Obamacare’s rules initially required all employers to cover women’s contraception in the insurance they provided to employees, only carving out exemptions for churches and houses of worship. In response to objection from religious businesses, nonprofits, hospitals, colleges, and individuals, the administration created an "accommodation" through which religious entities could notify the insurance company with which they contract that they have religious objections; the insurance company would then be required to cover contraception for female employees directly.

This accommodation was deemed insufficient by many religious organizations, which argued that they were still responsible for sponsoring the plans as a whole,

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DISASTER! CA Gov. Jerry Brown Signs Bill, California Is A Sanctuary State- It’s All Over

The left coast state of California is bonkers. And we have proof!

California Democratic Governor Jerry Brown has now confirmed that they are a “sanctuary state” after signing Bill 54. That means they’re so happy to flaunt federal law that they’re risking going bankrupt.

Last November after winning the election, Trump announced a plan to pull federal funding for sanctuary cities. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said that losing their funding would end in bankruptcy. Imagine a child telling you that you’d better keep the allowance coming, but they can’t afford the lifestyle you disapprove of without your cash handouts. In 2015, California was getting $93.6 billion from the federal government. And they’ll keep getting those massive handouts if they just follow the law of the land and stop supporting illegal aliens. The findings of the Inspector General empowers Jeff Sessions to cut funding to cities including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, D.C. if they do not comply with federal law.

Since this is such a fresh signing, we still don’t know how the Trump administration plans to react, but I’m sure they’ve been waiting with a response in the wings. We’ve still got a few hours left before the Press Secretary signs out for the day.

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Vegas Survivors on Trump, Melania: 'They're Real People'

Survivors of the massacre in Las Vegas who had a chance to meet with President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump said they were touched at how "caring" and "sympathetic" they both were.

Stephanie Melanson, whose mother is on life support after being shot Sunday, told CNN's "New Day" that the meeting was overwhelming.

"They're real people. He's a real human. She's a real human. They had a heart. They were caring. They were sympathetic. They had a listening ear. He sends his condolences … it was hard to take in," Melanson told CNN.

More here

DISTURBING Turn Of Events: County Sheriff Says We Have To Assume Las Vegas Shooter “Had Help”

I watched Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo give this press conference on TV. He’s certainly right when he says the guy would have had to have been a super-villain to pull this off himself. And he’s right to assume he had help. I don’t see how he couldn’t have had assistance in all this and there are far too many unanswered questions still floating around. Yep, they are talking to the Filipino girlfriend, but there’s another woman that spent time with Paddock right up until the shooting. There’s even a receipt showing two people ate in his room and there are reports of a woman who was telling people they were all going to die.

And I also just don’t believe this guy could move this many guns, tons of ammo and explosive material and the Filipino girlfriend not ever see any of it. He had to train frequently as well. Something is just way off here and I have no idea what it is yet. Lombardo said, “Look at this. You look at the weapon obtaining the different amounts of tannerite available, do you think this was all accomplished on his own, face value? You got to make the assumption he had to have help at some point, and we want to insure that’s the answer. Maybe he’s a super guy, super hero–not a hero, super–I won’t use the word. Maybe he’s super — that was working out this out on his own, but it will be hard for me to believe that.”

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IRS Malfeasance Meets Equifax Ineptitude

It was just a few weeks ago when Equifax finally came clean about a staggering security breach that imperiled the data of some 145 million Americans. Earlier this year, hackers infiltrated the company’s database and retrieved troves of intimate consumer data, including Social Security and credit card numbers. Security breaches happen, but this case was particularly infuriating due to some company officials’ lackluster — perhaps even criminal — response and the preventable way in which the breach occurred.

Another agency that retains some of your most personal information is the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS isn’t exactly trustworthy either, as demonstrated through the actions of Lois Lerner, who walked away with impunity after targeting conservative groups. The last thing consumers and taxpayers want these two agencies doing in teaming up. So guess what? That’s exactly what they’re doing. What could possibly go wrong?

On Sept. 29, the IRS awarded a $7.25 million contract “to establish an order for third party data services from Equifax to verify taxpayer identity and to assist in ongoing identity verification and validations needs of the Service.” How ironic — and damning — it will be when some untold number of IRS applications are flagged for fraud by Equifax due to the leaking of information … by Equifax. At this point it’s basically inevitable.

More here

Republicans And Democrats Don't Agree, Or Like Each Other — And It's Worse Than Ever

The partisan split in America is the highest it has been in two decades, with Republicans and Democrats holding vastly disparate views on race, immigration and the role of government, according to a new study from the Pew Research Center.

Pew has been measuring attitudes on policy issues and political values going back to 1994, and its latest check-in finds — perhaps unsurprisingly — that Americans are more divided than ever.

"The fact that Republicans and Democrats differ on these fundamental issues is probably not a surprise, but the magnitude of the difference is striking, and particularly how the differences have grown in recent years and where they've grown," Carroll Doherty, Pew's director of political research and one of the authors of the study, told NPR.

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Trump: Filibuster Is 'Death Sentence' for Republicans

President Donald Trump renewed a call for the Senate to remove the filibuster rule, calling it a "death sentence" for Republican policy.

"It's a disaster, OK. It's a disaster for the Republicans. They have to get rid of it. If they don't get rid of it, it's just a death sentence," Trump said in an interview clip with Mike Huckabee released Friday.

The filibuster is "absolutely crazy," the president said.

The filibuster imposes a 60-vote requirement for many bills to pass in the Senate. Trump has called for it to be done away with before, including in August, when he said "few bills will be passed" if Republicans do not remove the rule.

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Report: Amazon Piloting New Delivery Service To Reduce Reliance On UPS, FedEx

It’s no secret that Amazon has long been lusting after the chance to unfetter itself from the delivery ties that bind it to companies like FedEx and UPS — with its own branded freight plane, plans for self-driving delivery vehicles, and of course, drone delivery — and now it sounds like the company is one step closer to its dream of independence, with a new test of its own delivery service. 

Libresco: I used to think gun control was the answer. My research told me otherwise.

Before I started researching gun deaths, gun-control policy used to frustrate me. I wished the National Rifle Association would stop blocking common-sense gun-control reforms such as banning assault weapons, restricting silencers, shrinking magazine sizes and all the other measures that could make guns less deadly.

Then, my colleagues and I at FiveThirtyEight spent three months analyzing all 33,000 lives ended by guns each year in the United States, and I wound up frustrated in a whole new way. We looked at what interventions might have saved those people, and the case for the policies I’d lobbied for crumbled when I examined the evidence. The best ideas left standing were narrowly tailored interventions to protect subtypes of potential victims, not broad attempts to limit the lethality of guns.

I researched the strictly tightened gun laws in Britain and Australia and concluded that they didn’t prove much about what America’s policy should be. Neither nation experienced drops in mass shootings or other gun related-crime that could be attributed to their buybacks and bans.

More here


[Leah Libresco is a statistician and former news writer at FiveThirtyEight, a data journalism site. She is the author of “Arriving at Amen.”]

Firefighters In Michigan Delivering Free Pizza To Folks With Working Smoke Alarms

Sure, we all put off certain household tasks like changing the battery in the smoke alarm — but what if you could score a free pizza just for keeping things in working order?

Firefighters in Flint, MI, and about an hour north in Bangor Township (Bay County) have each teamed up with their local Domino’s stores, selecting random customers to have their pizzas delivered by firetruck.

MLive.com notes that the promotion isn’t just about the sight of having your pie delivered on a big red fire engine; it’s also intended to promote fire safety practices. Firefighter pizza deliverers will check the smoke alarms in the houses they go to. If they’re in working order, the pizza is free.

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Rev. Graham: 'Real Object of Hate in Our Nation' is 'God Himself'

Commenting on the rise of social division and hatred in America, evangelist Franklin Graham said that, overall, what is happening "is an increasing hatred of God" and "His Word," and that the primary target of hate, when all is said and done, is "none other than God Himself."

Franklin Graham, who is the son of world-renowned pastor Billy Graham, made his remarks in the October issue of Decision magazine, which is published by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA).

"America has flaunted its sexual immorality to the world," said Rev. Franklin Graham. "We’ve neglected many of the poor and suffering and are guilty of much injustice, pride and self-indulgence. We are broken spiritually, adrift morally and divided politically and racially—following whichever direction the bankrupt culture seems to drive us."

"In my lifetime, I have never seen such blatant and incessant animosity toward Christ and His followers," said Rev. Graham.

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High-Tech Features Distract Drivers for Dangerously Long Periods, AAA Study Finds

High-tech infotainment systems—the ones that allow drivers access to navigation, audio, and phone features—are distracting drivers for dangerously long periods of time, a new study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has found.

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Shoelace mistaken for noose causes racial uproar at Michigan State University

A lost shoelace at Michigan State University caused a racial uproar Wednesday after someone mistook it for a noose.

MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon released a statement Wednesday morning saying she was “distressed” after finding out “a student reported a noose was hung outside of her room.” Simon commended the student’s “courage” for reporting the “racial incident” and put out a clear message.

“This type of behavior is not tolerated on our campus,” Simon said. “No Spartan should ever feel targeted based on their race, or other ways in which they identify.”

But by Wednesday afternoon, the investigation by MSU Police revealed there was no noose.

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http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/10/06/shoelace-mistaken-for-noose-causes-racial-uproar-at-michigan-state-university.html

Netflix is Raising its Prices

Get ready to pay just a bit more for your Netflix subscription.

The streaming video service will be raising prices on its middle and top tier plans in the U.S. starting in November. Subscribers who currently pay for the standard $9.99 service will be charged $10.99. The price of the premium tier will rise from $11.99 to $13.99.

Good news for people on the basic $7.99 plan—that price is staying put, for now.

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The NRA Responds to Leftist Hypocrisy

As the investigation into Las Vegas mass murderer Stephen Paddock continues, authorities have yet to determine his motivation. This fact hasn’t stopped Democrats, leftist celebrities and the anti-gun lobby from laying the blame on America’s “gun culture” and specifically the National Rifle Association. Thursday evening, NRA executive director Chris Cox responded in an interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, calling for Americans to have an honest conversation about what problems motivate murderous actions like those seen in Las Vegas.

Cox noted that Paddock was not a NRA member, but that NRA members were murdered and wounded in his shooting rampage. He emphasized that the NRA exists “so that good honest people aren’t left defenseless.” He also pointed to a simple fact: “Gun control is a failed policy. And it’s safe to say that it doesn’t keep people safe.”

In what was his most poignant defense of the NRA, Cox said, “The NRA spends millions of dollars each year teaching safe and responsible gun ownership, and Hollywood makes billions promoting and glorifying gun violence. And then the same hypocrites come in and say that we’re to blame for this...”

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Fact check: No, there was not more than one gunman in the Las Vegas shooting

A Facebook post that claims the shooting was a “false flag” has been shared more than 350,000 times. A similar report from the conspiracy-focused website Your News Wire has racked up more than 200,000 interactions, according to CrowdTangle, which tracks social media engagement.

A pattern often emerges as the authorities investigate a mass shooting: speculation in online forums that one person could not have possibly committed this act alone.

Law enforcement officials have stated multiple times that, at this point, they believe that the gunman who killed at least 59 including himself and wounded more than 500 on Sunday night in Las Vegas acted alone.

Assistant Sheriff Todd Fasulo of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department explicitly addressed the confusion online, saying on Monday night: “I want to emphasize we believe Paddock is solely responsible for this heinous act. We are aware of the rumors outside of the media and also on social media that there was more than one assailant. We have no information or evidence to support that theory or that rumor. We believe there was only one shooter and that was Stephen Paddock.”

A history of speculation
Similar rumor-mongering has emerged in the wake of previous mass shootings.

The morning after a gunman opened fire at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, the police dispelled the rumor that he had accomplices. Some falsely believe the Sandy Hook shooting was staged and seized upon a mysterious “man in the woods” as proof of an additional conspirator. The man was searching for his daughter, a student at the elementary school.

In fact, mass shootings have historically been solo acts, with some exceptions like Columbine and San Bernardino.

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Pop Goes the Liberal Media Bubble

For years, reporters were content to obscure their ideological dogmas and partisan goals behind the pretense of objectivity and detachment. Though the Washington Post, New York Times, and CNN practiced combat journalism against conservatives and Republicans, they did so while aspiring to professional standards of facticity and fairness, and applying, every now and then, scrutiny to liberals and Democrats worthy of investigation.

Donald Trump changed that, of course. He is so unusual a figure, and his behavior so outlandish, that his rise precipitated a crisis in a profession already decimated by the collapse of print circulation and advertising dollars. The forces that brought Trump to power are alien to the experience of the men and women who populate newsrooms, his supporters unlike their colleagues, friends, and neighbors, his agenda anathema to the catechism of social liberalism, his career and business empire complex and murky and sensational. Little surprise that journalists reacted to his election with a combination of panic, fear, disgust, fascination, exhilaration, and the self-affirming belief that they remain the last line of defense against an emerging American autocracy. Who has time for dispassionate analysis, for methodical research and reporting, when the president's very being is an assault on one's conception of self, when nothing less than the future of the country is at stake? Especially when the depletion of veteran editors, the relative youth and inexperience of political and congressional reporters, and the proliferation of social media, with its hot takes and quips, its group-think and instant gratification, makes the transition from inquiry to indignation all too easy.

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I've Said It All Along, ALL LIVES MATTER!


Record Number of Americans Employed in September

The number of employed Americans hit a record high of 154,345,000 in September, according to the latest numbers released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

There were 906,000 more Americans who gained employment over the month, and more individuals joined the labor force as well.

There were 575,000 more Americans who joined the labor force in September, while 368,000 fewer left.

The number of Americans not participating in the labor force declined from 94,785,000 in August to 94,417,000 in September. The bureau counts those not in the labor force as people who do not have a job and did not actively seek one in the past four weeks.

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"I think that we need to move towards a certainly more fair, more accurate and frankly a more responsible news media for the American people,"

A Viewer Writes: DAILY CALLS TO THE SPD

JOE- The daily calls to the SPD are still blocked so that the citizens of Salisbury cannot see for themselves the calls to the SPD related to crime, and types of crimes occurring. This is so we cannot question the figures that Chief Duncan gives out, does she not know we can watch the news and per day write down on our own calendars the murders, rapes, and break ins that are occurring daily. Is this not breaking the law when we are not given these figures as tax payers and home owners in this crime infested city? Do they really think were going to trust her figures and buy the Mayors selfies that all is right and we are safe? Who do we contact and where do we sign to have these powers that be removed from office?

LEGENDARY COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER 10-7-17

Sandwich Glass

Benjamin’s department store had two major fires throughout its history. The first was in the 1930’s and destroyed the entire store with the exception of the linen and glassware departments. The second was in 1974. My grandfather entered into an arrangement with Benjamin’s after the first fire that he bought the entire site and contents. He then rebuilt the store and sold it back to them. The Benjamin’s store was where the City Center is located now. Of course, he ended up with a lot of linens and a lot of glassware. I was grown before I knew they made towels in any color other than white. That was the downside. The upside was the many boxes of glassware he brought home. They all contained Duncan Miller sandwich glass. This was the original clear crystal glass with the very ornate sandwich pattern. Throughout the years, I have managed to save many pieces from the original stock and have added many more pieces.

Sandwich glass was started by the Duncan Miller Glass Company in 1924. They continued making the original quality until 1955. Throughout the years, two other companies have put out sandwich pattern glass, and it is hard to distinguish from the original. The Indiana Glass Company manufactured it from the late 1920’s until at least the 1980’s and may continue to this day. The Hocking Glass Company produced the clear crystal sandwich pattern in the 1940’s and 1950’s. The distinguishing feature is on any piece with a ring on the bottom. The original pieces will have a very flat ring whereas any other piece has a more rounded ring.

As with any collectible, you should get a good reference book and get to know what is out there. The original Duncan Miller glass has 138 different pieces listed. Some of them have added to my knowledge of glassware. A flower vase is not a flower vase, but an epergne. They list two different. Live and learn.

Because Benjamin’s sold it, there is a quantity of it around Salisbury and it can be fun to collect. It’s not very practical in this day and age, but it can be a beautiful addition to a corner cupboard or curio cabinet. Sandwich pattern glass is very decorative and, I think, Victorian looking. The adornments of a Victorian home have given way to the electronics of the 21st Century.

Because I drank from so many of the goblets when I was growing up, it is a reminder of my youth. We used the glasses but never used the plates or any of the other pieces. These were preserved in my mother’s and grandmother’s corner cabinets. Now they are preserved in boxes again, except for the few unusual pieces that adorn one shelf in one of my corner cabinets.

What's Your Liberal Answer Now?


North Avenue Administrator: 70% of Baltimore City Schools Change Grades

Grade changing is a systemic problem. That allegation coming from a high-level Baltimore City Public Schools employee who works inside District Headquarters at North Avenue.

This allegation comes after Project Baltimore recently reported on report cards obtained from Calverton Elementary/Middle in west Baltimore. There are two sets. In the first, 13 students from Calverton failed 18 classes. In the second, printed a few weeks later, each failing grade is changed to a 60; the lowest passing score.

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Two Serious Accidents In Ocean City Last Night

Around 11 PM last night Ocean City Fire EMS was dispatched in the area of 85th Street and Coastal Highway for a serious motor vehicle accident involving a scooter. Trooper 4 was requested for a medivac while responding to the scooter accident, a marked Maryland State Police vehicle struck a pedestrian in the area of 75th Street and Coastal Highway. EMS arrived on the scene where the patient was pronounced deceased while en route to Atlantic General Hospital. This investigation is on going.

EU Orders Amazon to Pay Nearly $300 Million for ‘Illegal Tax Advantage’

The European Union has ordered Amazon to pay nearly $300 million over an alleged “illegal tax advantage,” according to a report.

According to the European Commission, Amazon, which was ordered to pay $294 million, “received tax advantages between 2006 and 2014 in the country without any ‘valid justification,'” while “in the period investigated, Amazon was shifting its profits from a company that was subject to tax in Luxembourg to another one that wasn’t subject to tax, known as the ‘holding company,'” according to CNBC.

The company that the profits were moved to reportedly “had no employees, no offices and no business activities.” A spokesperson for Amazon reached out to Breitbart, noting the company has “1,500 employees in Luxembourg.”

In a statement, the European Union’s Commissioner for Competition, Margrethe Vestager, claimed Amazon was able to “pay four times less tax” than other companies.

“Luxembourg gave illegal tax benefits to Amazon. As a result, almost three-quarters of Amazon’s profits were not taxed,” Vestager explained. “In other words, Amazon was allowed to pay four times less tax than other local companies subject to the same national tax rules.”

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How To Calm A Crying Baby

Rep. Marsha Blackburn Announces Bid for GOP Senate Nomination in Tennessee

Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) announced her candidacy for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by retiring Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) on Thursday.

Blackburn explained why she is running for a seat in the U.S. Senate in this three minute video posted on her campaign website:

“The United States Senate . . . it’s totally dysfunctional, and it’s enough to drive you nuts, and that’s why I’ve decided to do something about it,” Blackburn says at the beginning of the video.

Blackburn continues:

Lindsey Graham: After DACA, Bigger Amnesty, More Immigration

GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham promised a group of younger illegal immigrants on Wednesday that Congress will amnesty 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States and increase legal immigration numbers once it approves his “Dream Act” amnesty for younger illegals.

“What will happen next is I think we’ll set down and deal with the rest of the 11 million,” he told a group of roughly 100 young “DACA” illegals at a Wednesday press conference organized by Mark Zuckerberg’s FWD.us pro-amnesty lobby group. He then promised more border security and workplace security so that voters will OK greater inflow of cheap immigrant labor..

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Save The Date


Half of Dementia Patients Get Inappropriate Meds

More than half of elderly patients with dementia are prescribed at least one potentially inappropriate medication, a recent study from eight European countries suggests.

Some medicines are not typically given to older patients because the potential side effects outweigh their clinical benefit and because there are often safer or more effective alternatives available.

Researchers who studied more than 2,000 people with dementia from England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden found that 60 percent had been prescribed at least one potentially inappropriate drug, while over 25 percent had received at least two such medicines.

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Caption This Photo 10-7-17


Man Crossing Coastal Highway Struck By Trooper

(OCEAN CITY, MD) – Maryland State Police are investigating a fatal Worcester County crash that occurred when a man crossed a highway on foot into the path of an oncoming trooper’s patrol car.

The identification of the pedestrian is unknown at this time. He was transported by ambulance to Atlantic General Hospital where he was pronounced deceased. He did not have any identification with him at the time of the incident.

The trooper involved is identified as Master Trooper James Price. He was uninjured in the incident and is a 17-year veteran of the Maryland State Police, assigned to the Princess Anne Barrack. Price was on duty, assisting the Ocean City Police Department with road patrol during the Endless Summer Cruisin’ event. He was operating his agency issued, marked Ford Explorer at the time of the incident.

The preliminary investigation indicates that shortly before 11:30 p.m. last night, Master Trooper Price was on routine patrol assisting OCPD while traveling northbound on Coastal Highway at 76th Street in lane two, the middle lane of the three lane highway. For reasons unknown at this time, a pedestrian reportedly darted into the street into oncoming traffic, directly into the path of the approaching patrol car.

Master Trooper Price attempted to take evasive action, but was unable to avoid striking the pedestrian. He immediately called for emergency medical services. EMS responded and transported the man by ambulance to Atlantic General Hospital.

The trooper did not report any injuries during the incident. He has been placed on administrative leave which is routine whenever a trooper is involved in a departmental incident.

The Maryland State Police CRASH Team is on scene conducting the investigation. Upon completion, the investigation will be presented to the State’s Attorney’s Office for review.

Officers from the Ocean City Police Department responded to assist along with Ocean City Fire Department and EMS personnel. Traffic is getting by in one lane of Coastal Highway at 76thStreet.

Investigators are collecting evidence and seeking anyone who may have witnessed the incident. Witnesses are urged to call the Berlin Barrack at 410-641-3101. The investigation continues…

You Want A Nose Ring, I'll Give You A Nose Ring!


Ruf Ride


Right On!


Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam Will Not Run for Bob Corker's Senate Seat

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam announced on Thursday that he will not run for the Republican nomination to replace retiring Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) in the 2018 election.

“Gov Bill Haslam will not run for the U.S. Senate seat held by retiring Sen. Bob Corker, leaving U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn as the likely frontrunner, if she chooses to run,” The Tennessean reported on Thursday morning:

The governor, who is term-limited, made the announcement Thursday in a news release.

“While Crissy and I will always be grateful for all of the encouragement and support to run for the United States Senate, I am announcing today that I will not be a candidate for Senate in 2018,” Haslam said in a statement.

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