More information about the Congressional probes into the Obama-era Uranium One deal leaked out Thursday when Reuters reported thatSenate Republicans say their investigation into the Clinton’s role in approving the deal largely hinges on the testimony of a secret informant who was until recently the subject of a federal gag order.
But a month after Trump asked the DOJ to lift the gag order - a command that the DOJ promptly obeyed - the man has decided to speak out publicly for the first time in an interview with Reuters.
His name is Christopher Campbell, and was formerly a lobbyist for Tenex, the US-based arm of Rosatom, the Russian government’s nuclear agency.
At the time the Uranium One deal was approved, Campbell was a confidential source for the FBI in a Maryland bribery and kickback investigation that eventually led to the conviction of the head of the US unit of Rosatom, the Russian state-owned nuclear power company that received permission to buy Uranium One from a US strategic-resources panel, on bribery and corruption charges. Campbell was identified as an FBI informant by prosecutors in open court and by himself in a publicly available lawsuit he filed last year, but his identity as the informant was somehow not widely known, Reuters noted.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
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Friday, November 17, 2017
Morris & McGann: Was Trump Tower Meeting with Don Jr. a Setup?
Associates of Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya arranged a June 9, 2016, meeting with President Trump’s son, Donald Jr., luring him to attend by promising “dirt” on Hillary Clinton.
But there was no dirt whatsoever produced at the meeting. Instead, the Russians’ chief concern appeared to be seeking support for canceling American sanctions against certain Russians, a major obsession of the Kremlin.
There were some curious circumstances surrounding the appointment. Right before the meeting with Trump Jr., Veselnitskaya huddled with Glenn Simpson, the head of Fusion GPS, the opposition research firm hired by the Clinton campaign. After the meeting, they apparently met once again, perhaps to debrief Simpson.
Fusion had also been working on Veselnitskaya’s Kremlin-supported team to repeal the Magnitsky Act, which originally imposed the sanctions.
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But there was no dirt whatsoever produced at the meeting. Instead, the Russians’ chief concern appeared to be seeking support for canceling American sanctions against certain Russians, a major obsession of the Kremlin.
There were some curious circumstances surrounding the appointment. Right before the meeting with Trump Jr., Veselnitskaya huddled with Glenn Simpson, the head of Fusion GPS, the opposition research firm hired by the Clinton campaign. After the meeting, they apparently met once again, perhaps to debrief Simpson.
Fusion had also been working on Veselnitskaya’s Kremlin-supported team to repeal the Magnitsky Act, which originally imposed the sanctions.
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Breaking News: Elephant trophies from Zimbabwe will remain banned
President Trump reversed an administration decision to permit them, pending a review.
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GOP: We’ll Ignore Election In Alabama If Moore Wins
Establishment Republicans have waged war on pro-Trump candidates
Gloria Allred is representing a client who claims Roy Moore sexually assaulted her as a young girl, this coming out just before Moore’s Alabama Senate election is set to take place.
Three weeks before the 2016 presidential election Allred represented a woman who said Trump made unwanted sexual advances toward her, but the claims were refuted when Trump officials released an email from the woman proving her desire to reconnect with Trump six months earlier.
Despite the suspicious timing of the allegations and the fact that previous Allred accusers have lied for political gain, Mitch McConnell and the GOP establishment say they will overrule the decision of voters if Moore is elected.
Could there be more to this story than meets the eyes?
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Gloria Allred is representing a client who claims Roy Moore sexually assaulted her as a young girl, this coming out just before Moore’s Alabama Senate election is set to take place.
Three weeks before the 2016 presidential election Allred represented a woman who said Trump made unwanted sexual advances toward her, but the claims were refuted when Trump officials released an email from the woman proving her desire to reconnect with Trump six months earlier.
Despite the suspicious timing of the allegations and the fact that previous Allred accusers have lied for political gain, Mitch McConnell and the GOP establishment say they will overrule the decision of voters if Moore is elected.
Could there be more to this story than meets the eyes?
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Jeff Sessions continues to prove he’s Trump’s biggest mistake
Jeff Sessions is a man in search of a banana peel. When he can’t find one to step on, he supplies his own.
Sessions is not a bad man, but he is a bad attorney general, as he demonstrated again Tuesday.
By writing to Republicans in Congress just hours before he was scheduled to testify that he was open to appointing a special prosecutor to examine former FBI Director James Comey’s handling of Hillary Clinton’s email case and the notorious Uranium One deal, Sessions primed the pump for a really big show.
Democrats arrived furious and Republicans gleefully expected an aha moment. Both came away unsatisfied and unhappy.
Unfortunately for Sessions, the old conceit in journalism — that if both sides are angry at your story, you’ve done something right — doesn’t apply to being attorney general. When nobody’s happy, including your boss, you’re failing.
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Sessions is not a bad man, but he is a bad attorney general, as he demonstrated again Tuesday.
By writing to Republicans in Congress just hours before he was scheduled to testify that he was open to appointing a special prosecutor to examine former FBI Director James Comey’s handling of Hillary Clinton’s email case and the notorious Uranium One deal, Sessions primed the pump for a really big show.
Democrats arrived furious and Republicans gleefully expected an aha moment. Both came away unsatisfied and unhappy.
Unfortunately for Sessions, the old conceit in journalism — that if both sides are angry at your story, you’ve done something right — doesn’t apply to being attorney general. When nobody’s happy, including your boss, you’re failing.
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Schweizer: Recordings Will Show Russian Officials Willing to Bribe Clintons, 'Body of Evidence' Warrants Investigations
In an appearance Tuesday on Fox News Channel’s “Hannity,” Breitbart editor at Large Peter Schweizer, president of the Government Accountability Institute and author of “Clinton Cash,” revealed there were audio recordings of Russian officials demonstrating they were willing to use “bribery” to get favors from the former President Bill Clinton and his wife former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
According to Schweizer, that included giving donations to the Clinton Foundation.
He added that had there been this body of evidence compiled on anyone else in an elected office, from President Donald Trump on down, they under investigation.
More/Video
According to Schweizer, that included giving donations to the Clinton Foundation.
He added that had there been this body of evidence compiled on anyone else in an elected office, from President Donald Trump on down, they under investigation.
More/Video
Anti-White Hate Crimes Are The Fastest Growing Racial Crimes In America
The FBI report on 2016 Hate Crime Statistics shows that in 2016, there were 876 reported anti-white hate crime offenses in the United States. In 2015, this number was 734, indicating a 19.34 percent increase.
There were more racial hate crime offenses altogether in 2016 compared to 2015 - the total tally of hate crimes in 2016 was 6,121, compared to 5,850 in 2015. More than half of those incidents were motivated by the victim's race.
There were 4,029 single-bias incidents that targeted “Race/Ethnicity/Ancestry” in 2015, compared to 4,229 in 2016.
Anti-Hispanic or Latino hate crimes also increased in 2016. In 2015, the number of offenses targeting Hispanic/Latino Americans was 379. In 2016, that increased to 449, an increase of 18.46 percent. Anti-Black hate crimes actually declined by three offenses.
Within religious hate crimes, there were also increases.
Anti-Jewish hate crimes increased by 20 percent and anti-Islamic hate crimes increased by 26.57 percent. Anti-Catholic hate crimes also slightly increased.
More/Video
There were more racial hate crime offenses altogether in 2016 compared to 2015 - the total tally of hate crimes in 2016 was 6,121, compared to 5,850 in 2015. More than half of those incidents were motivated by the victim's race.
There were 4,029 single-bias incidents that targeted “Race/Ethnicity/Ancestry” in 2015, compared to 4,229 in 2016.
Anti-Hispanic or Latino hate crimes also increased in 2016. In 2015, the number of offenses targeting Hispanic/Latino Americans was 379. In 2016, that increased to 449, an increase of 18.46 percent. Anti-Black hate crimes actually declined by three offenses.
Within religious hate crimes, there were also increases.
Anti-Jewish hate crimes increased by 20 percent and anti-Islamic hate crimes increased by 26.57 percent. Anti-Catholic hate crimes also slightly increased.
More/Video
Catch-and-release of illegals restarted in Texas, border patrol agents say
The Trump administration reinstated a de facto catch-and-release policy for illegal immigrants nabbed crossing the border in Texas, with Border Patrol agents being told Wednesday not to even bother turning them over for speedy deportation because there was no bed space, a top agent said.
The problem, said Brandon Judd, an agent and president of the National Border Patrol Council, is that illegal immigration has surged once again after dipping during the early months of President Trump’s tenure.
That has left the deportation agency, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, struggling to find beds to hold the illegal immigrants. As a result, Border Patrol agents who bring apprehended people to ICE are turned away.
“We’re going to have to release them out our front door,” Mr. Judd said. “Even if we try to turn them over to them, they’re just not going to take them.”
More here
[Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121)
The problem, said Brandon Judd, an agent and president of the National Border Patrol Council, is that illegal immigration has surged once again after dipping during the early months of President Trump’s tenure.
That has left the deportation agency, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, struggling to find beds to hold the illegal immigrants. As a result, Border Patrol agents who bring apprehended people to ICE are turned away.
“We’re going to have to release them out our front door,” Mr. Judd said. “Even if we try to turn them over to them, they’re just not going to take them.”
More here
[Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121)
Biohackers Edit Their Own DNA Using Basic Tools
A new technology allows people to alter their own DNA, raising questions about ethics and whether the practice should be regulated.
New Scientist reported on the use of CRISPR, a process that can change DNA and, therefore, alter human genes.
Former NASA fellow Josiah Zayner is one of the world's prominent biohackers and has altered his DNA several times. A biochemist by trade, he has injected himself with new DNA that excluded a gene that regulates muscle growth, a jellyfish protein that makes things glow, and even a concoction of a donor's DNA to help get rid of his irritable bowel syndrome.
CRISPR researcher Robin Lovell-Badge of London's Francis Crick Institute told New Scientist Zayner's homemade gene editing is "foolish" and could lead to long-term problems.
More here
New Scientist reported on the use of CRISPR, a process that can change DNA and, therefore, alter human genes.
Former NASA fellow Josiah Zayner is one of the world's prominent biohackers and has altered his DNA several times. A biochemist by trade, he has injected himself with new DNA that excluded a gene that regulates muscle growth, a jellyfish protein that makes things glow, and even a concoction of a donor's DNA to help get rid of his irritable bowel syndrome.
CRISPR researcher Robin Lovell-Badge of London's Francis Crick Institute told New Scientist Zayner's homemade gene editing is "foolish" and could lead to long-term problems.
More here
Man pulled into wood chipper dies 'within seconds'
A man trying to do a favor for a family friend ended up dead in a tragic accident in Australia Sunday night that local authorities are calling one of the worst scenes they've come across.
Emergency services were called to a rural property in Queensland, where they found the 54-year-old with fatal injuries after having fallen into a wood chipper, 9 News reports.
He and three others were clearing trees on the property when he was somehow pulled into the machine. Authorities are investigating exactly how the accident occurred.
"They are all friends and they were doing a favor for the lady [who] owns the property, sadly," says one inspector. Another inspector says the men had been out there working for the past three weekends, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
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Emergency services were called to a rural property in Queensland, where they found the 54-year-old with fatal injuries after having fallen into a wood chipper, 9 News reports.
He and three others were clearing trees on the property when he was somehow pulled into the machine. Authorities are investigating exactly how the accident occurred.
"They are all friends and they were doing a favor for the lady [who] owns the property, sadly," says one inspector. Another inspector says the men had been out there working for the past three weekends, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
More
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/11/15/man-pulled-into-wood-chipper-dies-within-seconds.html
Museum of the Bible, Built by Hobby Lobby Owner, Opens in DC
Eight years ago, Hobby Lobby president Steve Green found a new way to express his Christian faith. His family's $4 billion arts and craft chain was already known for closing stores on Sundays, waging a Supreme Court fight over birth control and donating tens of millions of dollars to religious groups.
Now, Green would begin collecting biblical artifacts that he hoped could become the starting point for a museum.
On Friday, that vision will be realized when the 430,000-square-foot Museum of the Bible opens three blocks from the U.S. Capitol in what marks the most prominent public display of the family's deep religious commitment. The $500 million museum includes pieces from the family's collection from the Dead Sea Scrolls, towering bronze gates inscribed with text from the Gutenberg Bible and a soundscape of the 10 plagues, enhanced by smog and a glowing red light to symbolize the Nile turned to blood.
It is an ambitious attempt to appeal simultaneously to people of deep faith and no faith, and to stand out amid the impressive constellation of museums in Washington. The Bible exhibits are so extensive, administrators say it would take days to see everything.
Green says the institution he largely funded is meant to educate, not evangelize, though critics are dubious. Museum administrators have taken pains to hire a broad group of scholars as advisers. Lawrence Schiffman, a New York University Jewish studies professor and Dead Sea Scrolls expert, called the museum a "monument" to interfaith cooperation. Exhibits are planned from the Vatican Museum and the Israel Antiquities Authority.
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Now, Green would begin collecting biblical artifacts that he hoped could become the starting point for a museum.
On Friday, that vision will be realized when the 430,000-square-foot Museum of the Bible opens three blocks from the U.S. Capitol in what marks the most prominent public display of the family's deep religious commitment. The $500 million museum includes pieces from the family's collection from the Dead Sea Scrolls, towering bronze gates inscribed with text from the Gutenberg Bible and a soundscape of the 10 plagues, enhanced by smog and a glowing red light to symbolize the Nile turned to blood.
It is an ambitious attempt to appeal simultaneously to people of deep faith and no faith, and to stand out amid the impressive constellation of museums in Washington. The Bible exhibits are so extensive, administrators say it would take days to see everything.
Green says the institution he largely funded is meant to educate, not evangelize, though critics are dubious. Museum administrators have taken pains to hire a broad group of scholars as advisers. Lawrence Schiffman, a New York University Jewish studies professor and Dead Sea Scrolls expert, called the museum a "monument" to interfaith cooperation. Exhibits are planned from the Vatican Museum and the Israel Antiquities Authority.
More
MSM Agrees With Infowars: Bill Clinton Is A Rapist
Establishment throwing the Clintons overboard to preserve their reputation
The mainstream liberal media is finally beginning to condemn former President Bill Clinton’s past sexual allegations in light of the current climate of sexual harassment being called out in Hollywood and Washington DC, proving once again that Infowars brings you next year’s and even the next decade’s news today.
At least four major liberal outlets, including The New York Times, The Atlantic, Vox, and The Washington Post have all published scathing articles in the last few days about how the time has finally come for Bill Clinton to answer for his predatory behavior.
The political and cultural fallout from the disturbing revelations surrounding Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has triggered a domino effect, with more high profile figures like Kevin Spacey, Mark Halperin, and Louis C.K. being outed by their female (and male) colleagues for their perversions in a movement that’s gained attention on Twitter called “#MeToo.”
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The mainstream liberal media is finally beginning to condemn former President Bill Clinton’s past sexual allegations in light of the current climate of sexual harassment being called out in Hollywood and Washington DC, proving once again that Infowars brings you next year’s and even the next decade’s news today.
At least four major liberal outlets, including The New York Times, The Atlantic, Vox, and The Washington Post have all published scathing articles in the last few days about how the time has finally come for Bill Clinton to answer for his predatory behavior.
The political and cultural fallout from the disturbing revelations surrounding Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has triggered a domino effect, with more high profile figures like Kevin Spacey, Mark Halperin, and Louis C.K. being outed by their female (and male) colleagues for their perversions in a movement that’s gained attention on Twitter called “#MeToo.”
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Rumor: Over a Thousand Sealed Indictments Suggest Mass Arrests May Occur
The internet is buzzing over the recent Saudi purge, hundreds over a thousand sealed indictments in 24 50 US districts, as well as the curious/cryptic intel drop on 4CHAN. What does any of this mean? Does it relate to Trump’s cryptic message: “Maybe it’s the calm before the Storm.” We may have to wait to find out.
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Stop saying 13 million people will lose coverage if the individual mandate is repealed
Now that Senate Republicans have formally decided to add repeal of Obamacare's individual mandate penalties to the tax bill, we're going to be hearing a lot more about the Congressional Budget Office's estimate that 13 million more Americans would be uninsured. But it's important to keep in mind that this doesn't mean that all 13 million will lose coverage.
The 13 million cited by the CBO fit into several different categories. Among them are 5 million Medicaid beneficiaries and 2 million workers who would decline offers of employer coverage. Because repealing mandate penalties would not change Medicaid eligibility, meaning that anybody who didn't sign up would still qualify, and could be signed up if they ever needed medical care. Similarly, repealing the mandate penalties would not mean that those employees would lose their offer of coverage. So, right off the bat, at least 7 million of the 13 million would not really be losing any coverage.
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The 13 million cited by the CBO fit into several different categories. Among them are 5 million Medicaid beneficiaries and 2 million workers who would decline offers of employer coverage. Because repealing mandate penalties would not change Medicaid eligibility, meaning that anybody who didn't sign up would still qualify, and could be signed up if they ever needed medical care. Similarly, repealing the mandate penalties would not mean that those employees would lose their offer of coverage. So, right off the bat, at least 7 million of the 13 million would not really be losing any coverage.
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Ex-Secret Service Agent Claims Biden Engaged in "Weinstein-Level" Groping
“He would mess with every single woman or teen. It was horrible”
An ex-Secret Service agent is claiming that former Vice President Joe Biden engaged in “Weinstein-level” sexual assault and that he would walk around the VP residence late at night completely naked.
According to Big League Politics’ Cassandra Fairbanks, a Secret Service agent who spoke on condition of anonymity revealed that Biden “would mess with every single woman or teen,” and that a Christmas get-together at the VP’s house had to be canceled “because Biden would grope all of our wives and girlfriend’s asses.”
He also said that the Service often had to protect female agents from him and that Biden was prone to parading around the VP residence late at night with no clothes on.
“I mean, Stark naked… Weinstein level stuff,” said the agent.
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An ex-Secret Service agent is claiming that former Vice President Joe Biden engaged in “Weinstein-level” sexual assault and that he would walk around the VP residence late at night completely naked.
According to Big League Politics’ Cassandra Fairbanks, a Secret Service agent who spoke on condition of anonymity revealed that Biden “would mess with every single woman or teen,” and that a Christmas get-together at the VP’s house had to be canceled “because Biden would grope all of our wives and girlfriend’s asses.”
He also said that the Service often had to protect female agents from him and that Biden was prone to parading around the VP residence late at night with no clothes on.
“I mean, Stark naked… Weinstein level stuff,” said the agent.
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The left turns on Bill Clinton, Biden over behavior toward women
In the wake of an outpouring of sexual misconduct allegations hitting the world of media and politics, the left is slowly but steadily turning on former President Bill Clinton -- and even former Vice President Joe Biden -- over their behavior toward women.
The former veep is taking some heat in liberal publications over past claims of inappropriate touching. The allegations against Clinton, though, are far more serious and longstanding -- but while Clinton family allies brushed them off during the heated 2016 presidential race, liberal writers and commentators suddenly have gained an appetite for revisiting them.
“As gross and cynical and hypocritical as the right’s ‘what about Bill Clinton’ stuff is, it’s also true that Democrats and the center left are overdue for a real reckoning with the allegations against him,” MSNBC host Chris Hayes tweeted Friday, touching off a series of columns from typically left-wing outlets.
More
The former veep is taking some heat in liberal publications over past claims of inappropriate touching. The allegations against Clinton, though, are far more serious and longstanding -- but while Clinton family allies brushed them off during the heated 2016 presidential race, liberal writers and commentators suddenly have gained an appetite for revisiting them.
“As gross and cynical and hypocritical as the right’s ‘what about Bill Clinton’ stuff is, it’s also true that Democrats and the center left are overdue for a real reckoning with the allegations against him,” MSNBC host Chris Hayes tweeted Friday, touching off a series of columns from typically left-wing outlets.
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Hillary: Investigation Threats an 'Abuse of Power'
Hillary Clinton called the intimations earlier this week from the Justice Department that its considering deploying a special counsel to investigate her a "politicization" of the justice system and an "abuse of power" if carried out.
In an interview with the left-wing outlet Mother Jones, Clinton decried the Uranium One story as a "false charge" and a diversion tactic by President Donald Trump's administration.
"Taking myself out of it, this is such an abuse of power. And it goes right at the rule of law," Clinton told the liberal outlet.
"This appears to be the politicization of the Justice Department and our justice system," Clinton told Mother Jones. "This Uranium One story has been debunked countless times.."
More ducking and weaving here..
In an interview with the left-wing outlet Mother Jones, Clinton decried the Uranium One story as a "false charge" and a diversion tactic by President Donald Trump's administration.
"Taking myself out of it, this is such an abuse of power. And it goes right at the rule of law," Clinton told the liberal outlet.
"This appears to be the politicization of the Justice Department and our justice system," Clinton told Mother Jones. "This Uranium One story has been debunked countless times.."
More ducking and weaving here..
Trump’s Health Secretary Nominee is an Establishment Big Pharma Exec
President Trump has nominated a former lobbyist and executive of a major pharmaceutical company to be U.S. Health Secretary.
On Monday, Trump announced his pick for Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. “Happy to announce, I am nominating Alex Azar to be the next HHS Secretary. He will be a star for better healthcare and lower drug prices,” Trump tweeted. The nominee immediately came under scrutiny for his former connections to the pharmaceutical industry.
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On Monday, Trump announced his pick for Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. “Happy to announce, I am nominating Alex Azar to be the next HHS Secretary. He will be a star for better healthcare and lower drug prices,” Trump tweeted. The nominee immediately came under scrutiny for his former connections to the pharmaceutical industry.
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Update On Lacee Griffith & Baby
Journey update!
She's doing great... in a crib and starting to eat on her own...
Hoping she'll be home in the next few weeks.
The Nicu nurses are taking incredible care of her.
She's doing great... in a crib and starting to eat on her own...
Hoping she'll be home in the next few weeks.
The Nicu nurses are taking incredible care of her.
Woman kicked off flight after emotional support PIG became rowdy
The woman was given her marching orders after her havoc-wreaking hog began walking up and down the aisles. Even attempts to strap it to an arm rest failed to settle the farmyard animal on the flight from Connecticut.
Even attempts to strap the farmyard animal to an arm rest failed.
One shocked onlooker said the brown swine looked around five stone as it was tossed over the unidentified woman's shoulder and marched off.
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Even attempts to strap the farmyard animal to an arm rest failed.
One shocked onlooker said the brown swine looked around five stone as it was tossed over the unidentified woman's shoulder and marched off.
More
Upcoming Boat Parade
The 30th annual Wicomico Yacht Club Toys For Tots Christmas Boat Parade will be held Saturday evening November 25th. The decorated fleet will leave WYC at approximately 5:00 PM, pass Upper Ferry around 6:00 PM and arrive in downtown Salisbury at 7:00. Several boats will stop at the Port Of Salisbury Marina and unload collected Toys to the Marine Corp Toys For Tots representatives. The lighted boats immediately go back down river to WYC. The parade will be visible anyplace along the Wicomico River from Wicomico Yacht Club to down town Salisbury. For additional information on the parade or to assist in our Toys For Tots collection efforts please call 410-430-2282 or 410-726-7744.
Thanksgiving outlook: Brutal cold, snow to blast Midwest as a storm may eye the East
While warmth builds in the Southwest, re-surging cold air may trigger frequent snow in the Great Lakes and help spin up a storm along the East Coast around Thanksgiving Day.
Following a storm and shot of cold air that sweeps across the northern part of the nation into this weekend, there is the potential for very cold air with a punishing wind to take root over the Midwest and Northeast during the long Thanksgiving weekend.
"If indications are correct, some locations may be hit by up to one foot of snow, while gusty winds sweep cold air from the northern Plains to the Gulf Coast, Appalachians and eventually the Atlantic Seaboard," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson.
More here
Following a storm and shot of cold air that sweeps across the northern part of the nation into this weekend, there is the potential for very cold air with a punishing wind to take root over the Midwest and Northeast during the long Thanksgiving weekend.
"If indications are correct, some locations may be hit by up to one foot of snow, while gusty winds sweep cold air from the northern Plains to the Gulf Coast, Appalachians and eventually the Atlantic Seaboard," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson.
More here
The left turns on Bill Clinton, Biden over behavior toward women
In the wake of an outpouring of sexual misconduct allegations hitting the world of media and politics, the left is slowly but steadily turning on former President Bill Clinton -- and even former Vice President Joe Biden -- over their behavior toward women.
The former veep is taking some heat in liberal publications over past claims of inappropriate touching. The allegations against Clinton are far more serious and longstanding -- but while Clinton family allies brushed them off during the heated 2016 presidential race, liberal writers and commentators suddenly have gained an appetite for revisiting them.
“As gross and cynical and hypocritical as the right’s ‘what about Bill Clinton’ stuff is, it’s also true that Democrats and the center left are overdue for a real reckoning with the allegations against him,” MSNBC host Chris Hayes tweeted Friday, touching off a series of columns from typically left-wing outlets.
More
The former veep is taking some heat in liberal publications over past claims of inappropriate touching. The allegations against Clinton are far more serious and longstanding -- but while Clinton family allies brushed them off during the heated 2016 presidential race, liberal writers and commentators suddenly have gained an appetite for revisiting them.
“As gross and cynical and hypocritical as the right’s ‘what about Bill Clinton’ stuff is, it’s also true that Democrats and the center left are overdue for a real reckoning with the allegations against him,” MSNBC host Chris Hayes tweeted Friday, touching off a series of columns from typically left-wing outlets.
More
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/11/16/left-turns-on-bill-clinton-biden-over-behavior-toward-women.html
North Korea-linked 'fallchill' malware draws scrutiny from the feds
The US government is warning that North Korean state-sponsored hackers have been targeting the aerospace, telecommunications, and finance sectors since 2016 with malware that can secretly take over a computer.
The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI issued a joint alert Tuesday, which includes technical details about Fallchill, a Remote Administration Tool (RAT) that can give a hacker full control over a victim's computer, allowing them to search, read, write and move files, modify file timestamps, and delete any trace of an infection.
North Korean hackers spread Fallchill in two ways:
The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI issued a joint alert Tuesday, which includes technical details about Fallchill, a Remote Administration Tool (RAT) that can give a hacker full control over a victim's computer, allowing them to search, read, write and move files, modify file timestamps, and delete any trace of an infection.
North Korean hackers spread Fallchill in two ways:
California proposal: No kids? Then don't pay school taxes
A California man has proposed a ballot measure to exempt residents who don’t have kids in state public schools from paying the taxes to fund them.
The “California Education Tax Relief Act,” proposed by Lee Olson of Huntington Beach, would allow California residents with no children in the public school system to avoid paying taxes and fees designated for state school funding, KTVU reports.
Last week, the state Attorney General’s Office gave approval for circulation of the initiative, allowing proponents to start collecting the signatures necessary to get a spot on the November 2018 ballot.
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The “California Education Tax Relief Act,” proposed by Lee Olson of Huntington Beach, would allow California residents with no children in the public school system to avoid paying taxes and fees designated for state school funding, KTVU reports.
Last week, the state Attorney General’s Office gave approval for circulation of the initiative, allowing proponents to start collecting the signatures necessary to get a spot on the November 2018 ballot.
More
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/11/16/california-proposal-no-kids-then-dont-pay-school-taxes.html
Previously Suspended NLRB Official Forces Workers Into Union
A regional labor arbiter previously suspended for fundraising with labor unions is forcing Pennsylvania hospital workers to join a union, sparking protest from a group of employees.
Dennis Walsh, the regional director for the National Labor Relations Board's fourth district, approved a request to roll 160 non-union nurses, technical workers, and other employees at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill East into Service Employees International Union Healthcare Pennsylvania, which represents workers at the Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill South.
The SEIU asked the agency to declare all workers at the non-union facility to be unionized after the hospital network allowed union employees to transfer there. Walsh used the doctrine of accretion in which non-union employees bearing "little or no separate group identity" from a company's unionized workforce are absorbed into a union without a traditional secret ballot election or card-check campaign.
More here
Dennis Walsh, the regional director for the National Labor Relations Board's fourth district, approved a request to roll 160 non-union nurses, technical workers, and other employees at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill East into Service Employees International Union Healthcare Pennsylvania, which represents workers at the Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill South.
The SEIU asked the agency to declare all workers at the non-union facility to be unionized after the hospital network allowed union employees to transfer there. Walsh used the doctrine of accretion in which non-union employees bearing "little or no separate group identity" from a company's unionized workforce are absorbed into a union without a traditional secret ballot election or card-check campaign.
More here
Fox News Viewers Demand Shep Smith be Fired
In the wake of Fox News anchor Shepard Smith’s six-minute fallacy-filled Uranium One “fact check” rant on Tuesday, social media is brimming with enraged Fox viewers calling for the network to dump the longtime host and “send him to CNN.”
Several left-wing and establishment media outlets reported some of the more searing social media screeds from fans of Fox, many of whom wished the cabler would part ways with its liberal broadcaster.
Breitbart News has debunked the myths peddled in Smith’s monologue.
Here is a roundup of some of the best headlines and social media posts from angry and disappointed Fox fans..
Several left-wing and establishment media outlets reported some of the more searing social media screeds from fans of Fox, many of whom wished the cabler would part ways with its liberal broadcaster.
Breitbart News has debunked the myths peddled in Smith’s monologue.
Here is a roundup of some of the best headlines and social media posts from angry and disappointed Fox fans..
Defense One: US Airstrikes in Somalia on Exponential Rise
The U.S. military has increased its airstrikes on terrorists in Somalia more than four times the average over the previous seven years, Defense One reported.
According to Defense One, the U.S. Africa Command reported 14 strikes since August have brought the year's total to 18. The strikes have largely been carried out by drones, and no official number of fatalities has been released, the outlet reported.
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According to Defense One, the U.S. Africa Command reported 14 strikes since August have brought the year's total to 18. The strikes have largely been carried out by drones, and no official number of fatalities has been released, the outlet reported.
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GOP Rep Feuds With Gallego Over Dem’s Refusal to Support Hispanic Caucus Membership
In the midst of a heated debate over whether Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo (Fla.) will be permitted to join the all-Democrat Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), his communications director tweeted out that a member who opposes Curbelo joining, Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego (Ariz.), once "rubbed his earwax" on her shoulder.
A feud between Curbelo and the all-Democratic caucus has developed because the current members believe his interest in joining the caucus is based on his desire to boost his reelection chances in a Latino-heavy district, Politico reported. They have also been clashing because Curbelo refuses to sign the caucus' signature bill, the DREAM Act.
"They think I have some magical wand or something. Me signing onto that bill is going to have little, if any, effect," Curbelo said in an interview. "A lot of them are taking the approach it has to be this or nothing. I also don’t want to be a part of that message because I don’t agree with that."
Washington Examiner reporter Laura Barrón-López tweeted on Tuesday that Gallego said he was "voting no" on Curbelo's upcoming CHC vote.
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A feud between Curbelo and the all-Democratic caucus has developed because the current members believe his interest in joining the caucus is based on his desire to boost his reelection chances in a Latino-heavy district, Politico reported. They have also been clashing because Curbelo refuses to sign the caucus' signature bill, the DREAM Act.
"They think I have some magical wand or something. Me signing onto that bill is going to have little, if any, effect," Curbelo said in an interview. "A lot of them are taking the approach it has to be this or nothing. I also don’t want to be a part of that message because I don’t agree with that."
Washington Examiner reporter Laura Barrón-López tweeted on Tuesday that Gallego said he was "voting no" on Curbelo's upcoming CHC vote.
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Afghanistan Nearly Doubles Opium Production in One Year
The estimated production of opium and area under poppy cultivation has already reached unprecedented levels this year in Afghanistan, according to the United Nations.
The illicit drug and its deadly heroin derivative are fueling the Taliban’s strength and helping expand the group’s reach.
In its Afghanistan Opium Survey 2017, the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reports:
The 2017 record levels of opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan create multiple challenges for the country, its neighbours and the many other countries that are transit for or destination of Afghan opiates. The significant levels of opium poppy cultivation and illicit trafficking of opiates will probably further fuel instability, insurgency and increase funding to terrorist groups in Afghanistan. More high quality, low cost heroin will reach consumer markets across the world, with increased consumption and related harms as a likely consequence.
When compared to 2016, production nearly doubled (87 percent increase) from 4,800 metric tons to 9,000 metric tons.
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The illicit drug and its deadly heroin derivative are fueling the Taliban’s strength and helping expand the group’s reach.
In its Afghanistan Opium Survey 2017, the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reports:
The 2017 record levels of opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan create multiple challenges for the country, its neighbours and the many other countries that are transit for or destination of Afghan opiates. The significant levels of opium poppy cultivation and illicit trafficking of opiates will probably further fuel instability, insurgency and increase funding to terrorist groups in Afghanistan. More high quality, low cost heroin will reach consumer markets across the world, with increased consumption and related harms as a likely consequence.
When compared to 2016, production nearly doubled (87 percent increase) from 4,800 metric tons to 9,000 metric tons.
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Walter Becker's Wife Says He Died from Esophageal Cancer
The wife of Walter Becker says the Steely Dan guitarist died while being treated for esophageal cancer.
Becker died at age 67 in September, but no details were revealed at the time.
Delia Becker says in a statement Wednesday that he "died in the course of being treated" for esophageal cancer. She added that the cancer "seemed to have come out of nowhere and had spread with terrifying speed."
More here
Becker died at age 67 in September, but no details were revealed at the time.
Delia Becker says in a statement Wednesday that he "died in the course of being treated" for esophageal cancer. She added that the cancer "seemed to have come out of nowhere and had spread with terrifying speed."
More here
Half of American Colleges Will Be Bankrupt In 10 to 15 Years - Harvard Prof
Online schooling provides cheaper alternative to receiving education
There are over 4,000 colleges and universities in the United States, but Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen says that half are bound for bankruptcy in the next few decades.
Christensen is known for coining the theory of disruptive innovation in his 1997 book, “The Innovator’s Dilemma.” Since then, he has applied his theory of disruption to a wide range of industries, including education.
In his recent book, “The Innovative University,” Christensen and co-author Henry Eyring analyze the future of traditional universities, and conclude that online education will become a more cost-effective way for students to receive an education, effectively undermining the business models of traditional institutions and running them out of business.
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Publishers Notes: I made this exact statement when I ran for Mayor in Salisbury.
There are over 4,000 colleges and universities in the United States, but Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen says that half are bound for bankruptcy in the next few decades.
Christensen is known for coining the theory of disruptive innovation in his 1997 book, “The Innovator’s Dilemma.” Since then, he has applied his theory of disruption to a wide range of industries, including education.
In his recent book, “The Innovative University,” Christensen and co-author Henry Eyring analyze the future of traditional universities, and conclude that online education will become a more cost-effective way for students to receive an education, effectively undermining the business models of traditional institutions and running them out of business.
Read more
Publishers Notes: I made this exact statement when I ran for Mayor in Salisbury.
Mark Levin to Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan: ‘Resign’
Conservative radio star Mark Levin sent a blunt rebuke Republican leadership’s way, calling on Sen. Mitch McConnell and Rep. Paul Ryan to step away from their offices and resign.
It’s not going to happen, of course.
But it’s a message that conservatives around America have been sending Ryan’s way since shortly after he took over the House leadership slot in late 2015 — and McConnell’s way for, hey now, since memory serves.
This time, it’s all about the sexual harassment charges that have surfaced on Capitol Hill — the many, many allegations and accusations that have surfaced by various female congressional members, staffers and interns against seated congressmen and staffers.
Levin blames leadership for the atmosphere.
And he’s taking a blunt approach to what should be done.
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It’s not going to happen, of course.
But it’s a message that conservatives around America have been sending Ryan’s way since shortly after he took over the House leadership slot in late 2015 — and McConnell’s way for, hey now, since memory serves.
This time, it’s all about the sexual harassment charges that have surfaced on Capitol Hill — the many, many allegations and accusations that have surfaced by various female congressional members, staffers and interns against seated congressmen and staffers.
Levin blames leadership for the atmosphere.
And he’s taking a blunt approach to what should be done.
More
The Adventures of Creepy Joe Biden: Serial Young Girl-Toucher
As I wrote on Wednesday, the biggest media hoax going right now is this sudden contrition over the shielding of Bill Clinton for 25 years against numerous allegations that ranged from sexual harassment to flat-out rape.
There are two reasons we know this is just another fake news wave of media BS. The first is that this very same media is right now shielding Democrat Senator Bob Menendez from the allegations he had sex with underage prostitutes. The second is creepy Joe Biden, the serial young girl-toucher.
For just one moment set aside your personal political beliefs and imagine the media reaction if President Trump, or any Republican, was photographed doing this:
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There are two reasons we know this is just another fake news wave of media BS. The first is that this very same media is right now shielding Democrat Senator Bob Menendez from the allegations he had sex with underage prostitutes. The second is creepy Joe Biden, the serial young girl-toucher.
For just one moment set aside your personal political beliefs and imagine the media reaction if President Trump, or any Republican, was photographed doing this:
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Dartmouth professor to donate half of all book proceeds to antifa
A Dartmouth College professor who made national headlines over the summer for his defense of antifa now says half of all proceedings from his new book will be donated to cover protesters’ legal bills.
Mark Bray told NBC’s “Meet the Press” in August that a collection of left-wing activists known as antifa resort to violence as a form of “social revolutionary self defense” against right-wing counterparts and a hypothetical totalitarian future under their rule. Dartmouth officials distanced the institution from his conclusions, but that has not stopped him from defending antifa in a recent interview with the Chronicle of Higher Education.
The educational watchdog Campus Reform first reported Tuesday that half of all proceeds from “Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook” will be funneled into legal, medical and personal expenses of antifa activists.
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Mark Bray told NBC’s “Meet the Press” in August that a collection of left-wing activists known as antifa resort to violence as a form of “social revolutionary self defense” against right-wing counterparts and a hypothetical totalitarian future under their rule. Dartmouth officials distanced the institution from his conclusions, but that has not stopped him from defending antifa in a recent interview with the Chronicle of Higher Education.
The educational watchdog Campus Reform first reported Tuesday that half of all proceeds from “Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook” will be funneled into legal, medical and personal expenses of antifa activists.
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Cards Against Humanity: We Bought Border Land to Stop Trump From Building Wall
In an attempt to stop President Donald Trump from building the southern border wall, the company behind the popular game Cards Against Humanity announced it has bought a plot of vacant land in the Arizona desert along the Mexican border, the Washington Examiner reported on Wednesday.
"Donald Trump is a preposterous golem who is afraid of Mexicans. He is so afraid that he wants to build a $20 billion wall that everyone knows will accomplish nothing," the company said on its website. "So we've purchased a plot of vacant land on the border and retained a law firm specializing in eminent domain to make it as time-consuming and expensive as possible for the wall to get built."
The scheme is part of a holiday promotion the company has launched to "save America," Time reported. The marketing campaign promises six "surprises" during December for those who pay $15.
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"Donald Trump is a preposterous golem who is afraid of Mexicans. He is so afraid that he wants to build a $20 billion wall that everyone knows will accomplish nothing," the company said on its website. "So we've purchased a plot of vacant land on the border and retained a law firm specializing in eminent domain to make it as time-consuming and expensive as possible for the wall to get built."
The scheme is part of a holiday promotion the company has launched to "save America," Time reported. The marketing campaign promises six "surprises" during December for those who pay $15.
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State Police Investigate Home Invasion – Millsboro
Millsboro – The Delaware State Police are investigating a home invasion that occurred in the River winds Development last evening.
The preliminary investigation has determined the incident occurred around 7:00 p.m. Thursday, November 16, 2017 when troopers responded to the 27000 block of Devon Drive for a reported Home Invasion. The investigation revealed that an unknown subject forced his way into the residence and once inside he immediately confronted a 32-year-old female demanding money from her. During the confrontation the subject lunged at the female and attempted to grab her around the neck with his hands. The female was able to escape from the subject and ran towards a rear bedroom to notify her husband and five children. Her 32-year-old husband immediately confronted the subject in the hallway and a scuffle ensued. The subject smacked and punched the male victim on the left side of his face. There was another 21-year-old male victim inside of the residence during the altercation in which he tried to intervene and all three began fighting. During the scuffle the suspect was able to obtain the 21-year-old victim's cell phone in which he took prior to exiting the front door. The suspect took off running towards Oak Orchard Road in an unknown direction.
The suspect was described as a dark complexioned black male, approximately 35 to 40 years old, 5’10" to 6’00" tall, heavy set, and wearing dark colored clothing.
The three adult victims as well as the five children ranging from 9 years old to less than a year old that were inside the residence during this home invasion did not request medical assistance.
If anyone has any information in reference to this incident, they are asked to contact please contact Troop 4 Property Crimes at 302-752-3800. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, via the internet at http://www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com.
The preliminary investigation has determined the incident occurred around 7:00 p.m. Thursday, November 16, 2017 when troopers responded to the 27000 block of Devon Drive for a reported Home Invasion. The investigation revealed that an unknown subject forced his way into the residence and once inside he immediately confronted a 32-year-old female demanding money from her. During the confrontation the subject lunged at the female and attempted to grab her around the neck with his hands. The female was able to escape from the subject and ran towards a rear bedroom to notify her husband and five children. Her 32-year-old husband immediately confronted the subject in the hallway and a scuffle ensued. The subject smacked and punched the male victim on the left side of his face. There was another 21-year-old male victim inside of the residence during the altercation in which he tried to intervene and all three began fighting. During the scuffle the suspect was able to obtain the 21-year-old victim's cell phone in which he took prior to exiting the front door. The suspect took off running towards Oak Orchard Road in an unknown direction.
The suspect was described as a dark complexioned black male, approximately 35 to 40 years old, 5’10" to 6’00" tall, heavy set, and wearing dark colored clothing.
The three adult victims as well as the five children ranging from 9 years old to less than a year old that were inside the residence during this home invasion did not request medical assistance.
If anyone has any information in reference to this incident, they are asked to contact please contact Troop 4 Property Crimes at 302-752-3800. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, via the internet at http://www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com.
Troopers Investigating Fatal Motor Vehicle Crash-Laurel
Laurel – The Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit is investigating a fatal motor vehicle crash that occurred last evening .
The incident occurred at approximately 8:00 p.m. Thursday, November 16, 2017, as a 37-year-old Laurel man was operating a 2000 Dodge Dakota traveling eastbound on Laurel Road (SR 24), approaching the intersection at Jestice Farm Road (CR 449A). A 2013 Infiniti JX35 operated by a 31-year-old Laurel man was traveling westbound, approaching the Dakota.
As the two vehicles converged, the Dakota for unknown reasons left its lane of travel, entering into the westbound lane directly into the path of the Infiniti. In an attempt to avoid a collision, the operator of the Infiniti swerved to the right, exiting the roadway into a field. The Dakota traveled through the westbound lane and shoulder, striking the front center of the Infiniti in the field with its front center. After impact, the Dakota was forced into a clockwise rotation, coming to rest partially on the shoulder. The Infiniti came to rest in the same area as the impact, in the field.
The operator of the Dakota who was not properly restrained, was removed from the scene and transported by EMS to Nanticoke Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead. His name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
The operator of the Infiniti who was properly restrained, was removed from the scene and transported by EMS to Nanticoke Memorial Hospital where he was treated and released for minor injuries.
A 32-year-old female passenger in the Infiniti was also transported to Nanticoke Memorial Hospital where she has been admitted with non-life threatening injuries.
The incident occurred at approximately 8:00 p.m. Thursday, November 16, 2017, as a 37-year-old Laurel man was operating a 2000 Dodge Dakota traveling eastbound on Laurel Road (SR 24), approaching the intersection at Jestice Farm Road (CR 449A). A 2013 Infiniti JX35 operated by a 31-year-old Laurel man was traveling westbound, approaching the Dakota.
As the two vehicles converged, the Dakota for unknown reasons left its lane of travel, entering into the westbound lane directly into the path of the Infiniti. In an attempt to avoid a collision, the operator of the Infiniti swerved to the right, exiting the roadway into a field. The Dakota traveled through the westbound lane and shoulder, striking the front center of the Infiniti in the field with its front center. After impact, the Dakota was forced into a clockwise rotation, coming to rest partially on the shoulder. The Infiniti came to rest in the same area as the impact, in the field.
The operator of the Dakota who was not properly restrained, was removed from the scene and transported by EMS to Nanticoke Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead. His name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
The operator of the Infiniti who was properly restrained, was removed from the scene and transported by EMS to Nanticoke Memorial Hospital where he was treated and released for minor injuries.
A 32-year-old female passenger in the Infiniti was also transported to Nanticoke Memorial Hospital where she has been admitted with non-life threatening injuries.
New Study Finds That 4.2 Million Kids Experience Homelessness Each Year
Marquan Ellis was evicted from his home in Las Vegas, Nevada when he was 18.
His mother battled with a drug and gambling addiction while he stayed at his godmother's house. But he couldn't stay there forever.
He found his way to the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth where he enrolled in the independent living program.
He isn't sure what he would have done if he hadn't found that program: "I would have been on the street looking for someone to help, looking for my next meal, looking for my next shower, looking for my next place to sleep."
Like Ellis, some 4.2 million young people experience unaccompanied homelessness in the course of a year, according to a new study from Chapin Hall a research center at the University of Chicago.
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His mother battled with a drug and gambling addiction while he stayed at his godmother's house. But he couldn't stay there forever.
He found his way to the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth where he enrolled in the independent living program.
He isn't sure what he would have done if he hadn't found that program: "I would have been on the street looking for someone to help, looking for my next meal, looking for my next shower, looking for my next place to sleep."
Like Ellis, some 4.2 million young people experience unaccompanied homelessness in the course of a year, according to a new study from Chapin Hall a research center at the University of Chicago.
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VOA to Fire Three Employees Over Controversial Radio Interview
The Voice of America, the official U.S. government broadcaster, has notified three employees of its Chinese language division that it plans to fire them for conducting a controversial interview with a Chinese dissident.
The three workers, Sasha Gong, Fred Wang, and Robert Li, were notified in letters Nov. 3 that the radio planned to seek their dismissal, allegedly for insubordination and violating the radio's reporting rules.
Four VOA employees were suspended in April amid Chinese government pressure on VOA and the State Department to cancel a live interview with Guo Wengui, an exiled billionaire living in New York who has been targeted by China in a bid to silence his disclosures of high-level corruption and intelligence activities.
The three-hour live interview with Guo was cut short after one hour and twenty minutes on orders from senior VOA leaders.
Gong, who was chief of VOA's China division, said those facing dismissal will appeal the decision.
"VOA cited ‘insubordination' as the reason to fire me," she told the Free Beacon. "There are two facts they never mention. One, my interview plan was approved by the management. It was the management who wanted to change the plan under the pressure of the Chinese government."
"I firmly believe that the VOA management caved into the pressure of the Chinese government," Gong said. "It is absurd that Voice of America, a federal agency, would listen to Beijing, and join forces with the Chinese communists to persecute journalists."
More details here
The three workers, Sasha Gong, Fred Wang, and Robert Li, were notified in letters Nov. 3 that the radio planned to seek their dismissal, allegedly for insubordination and violating the radio's reporting rules.
Four VOA employees were suspended in April amid Chinese government pressure on VOA and the State Department to cancel a live interview with Guo Wengui, an exiled billionaire living in New York who has been targeted by China in a bid to silence his disclosures of high-level corruption and intelligence activities.
The three-hour live interview with Guo was cut short after one hour and twenty minutes on orders from senior VOA leaders.
Gong, who was chief of VOA's China division, said those facing dismissal will appeal the decision.
"VOA cited ‘insubordination' as the reason to fire me," she told the Free Beacon. "There are two facts they never mention. One, my interview plan was approved by the management. It was the management who wanted to change the plan under the pressure of the Chinese government."
"I firmly believe that the VOA management caved into the pressure of the Chinese government," Gong said. "It is absurd that Voice of America, a federal agency, would listen to Beijing, and join forces with the Chinese communists to persecute journalists."
More details here
FCC Plans Dec. Vote to Kill Net Neutrality Rules
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission next month is planning a vote to kill Obama-era rules demanding fair treatment of web traffic and may decide to vacate the regulations altogether, according to people familiar with the plans.
The move would reignite a years-long debate that has seen Republicans and broadband providers seeking to eliminate the rules, while Democrats and technology companies support them. The regulations passed in 2015 bar broadband providers such as AT&T Inc. and Comcast Corp. from interfering with web traffic sent by Google, Facebook Inc.and others.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, chosen by President Donald Trump, in April proposed gutting the rules and asked for public reaction. The agency has taken in more than 22 million comments on the matter.
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The move would reignite a years-long debate that has seen Republicans and broadband providers seeking to eliminate the rules, while Democrats and technology companies support them. The regulations passed in 2015 bar broadband providers such as AT&T Inc. and Comcast Corp. from interfering with web traffic sent by Google, Facebook Inc.and others.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, chosen by President Donald Trump, in April proposed gutting the rules and asked for public reaction. The agency has taken in more than 22 million comments on the matter.
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Rep. Barbara Comstock: Member of Congress Exposed Himself to a Staffer
(CNSNews.com) - Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.) said at a House Administration Committee hearing on Tuesday that a sitting member of the U.S. Congress exposed himself to a young female staffer who delivered papers to his house--at his request.
The committee convened the hearing to discuss House policies on sexual harassment and the need for members and staff to undergo training on the issue.
"This is about a member who is here now. I don't know who it is. But somebody who I trust told me this situation.
"This member asked a staffer to bring them over some materials, to their residence. And the young staffer -- it was a young woman -- went there and was greeted with a member in a towel. It was a male, who then invited her in. And at that point, he decided to expose himself. She left, and then she quit her job. She left, she found another job."
Comstock asked the House Administration Committee, "What are we doing here for women right now, who are dealing with somebody like that?"
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The committee convened the hearing to discuss House policies on sexual harassment and the need for members and staff to undergo training on the issue.
"This is about a member who is here now. I don't know who it is. But somebody who I trust told me this situation.
"This member asked a staffer to bring them over some materials, to their residence. And the young staffer -- it was a young woman -- went there and was greeted with a member in a towel. It was a male, who then invited her in. And at that point, he decided to expose himself. She left, and then she quit her job. She left, she found another job."
Comstock asked the House Administration Committee, "What are we doing here for women right now, who are dealing with somebody like that?"
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Allred on Whether Yearbook Signature Is Forgery: ‘We’re Not Addressing’
Wednesday, on “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer” on CNN, Gloria Allred, the attorney for Roy Moore accuser Beverly Nelson, said that she’s not addressing whether the yearbook signature her client put forward is legitimate, but will allow it to be examined in a professional setting.
Blitzer asked, “Can you say flatly to our viewers right now, Gloria, that the signature, what he wrote in that yearbook in 1977, according to her, can you say flatly that was not a forgery?”
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Blitzer asked, “Can you say flatly to our viewers right now, Gloria, that the signature, what he wrote in that yearbook in 1977, according to her, can you say flatly that was not a forgery?”
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Rep. Speier: Two Sitting Members of Congress Have Engaged in Sexual Harassment
Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), testifying at a congressional hearing Tuesday, said two sitting members of Congress are sexual harassers, but she did not name them.
Speier recently disclosed that she was a victim of sexual abuse when she was a young staffer in her 20s and was forcibly kissed by a male congressional aide with whom she worked.
“In fact there are two members of Congress, Republican and Democrat, right now, who serve -- who have...engaged in sexual harassment.”
Speier said there are three steps Congress must take, including:
-- Requiring sexual harassment prevention and response training every year for both members and staff;
-- Conducting surveys to determine the scope of the problem;
-- And reforming the broken dispute resolution system, which "is not appropriate for the 21st century."
Speier explained the cumbersome process victims must go through when they report abuse..
More here
Speier recently disclosed that she was a victim of sexual abuse when she was a young staffer in her 20s and was forcibly kissed by a male congressional aide with whom she worked.
“In fact there are two members of Congress, Republican and Democrat, right now, who serve -- who have...engaged in sexual harassment.”
Speier said there are three steps Congress must take, including:
-- Requiring sexual harassment prevention and response training every year for both members and staff;
-- Conducting surveys to determine the scope of the problem;
-- And reforming the broken dispute resolution system, which "is not appropriate for the 21st century."
Speier explained the cumbersome process victims must go through when they report abuse..
More here
Baltimore Mayor Reacts To Crime: ‘I Am Deeply Disturbed’
BALTIMORE (WJZ)– Last week the Baltimore police commissioner was fired up at a press conference, Wednesday, the mayor responded to those who are lashing out at her. They say she doesn’t take the violence seriously.
Mayor Catherine Pugh says every time there’s a shooting or murder, her phone rings, and it couldn’t be more disturbing.
Pugh says they’re moving the hiring process along as fast as they can with officers but the City might not feel the impact until next year.
The department said once officers make it through the academy, they are immediately deployed to foot patrol in various communities, including the Inner Harbor.
“Anyone who thinks that I don’t take this seriously or it’s not something alarming to me, this is the most important thing we can do in this city and that’s to reduce the violence,” Pugh said.
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Mayor Catherine Pugh says every time there’s a shooting or murder, her phone rings, and it couldn’t be more disturbing.
Pugh says they’re moving the hiring process along as fast as they can with officers but the City might not feel the impact until next year.
The department said once officers make it through the academy, they are immediately deployed to foot patrol in various communities, including the Inner Harbor.
“Anyone who thinks that I don’t take this seriously or it’s not something alarming to me, this is the most important thing we can do in this city and that’s to reduce the violence,” Pugh said.
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Yes, Virginia, there is vote fraud
If ever there were an election that proved the importance of accurate voter rolls, it was Virginia's on Nov. 7.
With control of the General Assembly hanging in the balance, at least three Democratic candidates demanded recounts of their Republican opponents' razor-thin victory margins. One candidate led by 106 votes, another by 86, and a third by only 10.
Another five races were decided by fewer than 900 votes. The Democrats need to flip only two more seats to take control of the lower chamber.
Every vote counts, and every name listed on a voter registration roll can be voted, legitimately or illegitimately.
People who oppose efforts to clean up voter rolls or to check voter IDs say it could discourage some people from voting. But in the rare instance in which someone is removed from the rolls who is eligible to vote, that person can still vote. He can fill out a provisional ballot and furnish proof of residency later. So there is no justification for inaccurate voter rolls.
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With control of the General Assembly hanging in the balance, at least three Democratic candidates demanded recounts of their Republican opponents' razor-thin victory margins. One candidate led by 106 votes, another by 86, and a third by only 10.
Another five races were decided by fewer than 900 votes. The Democrats need to flip only two more seats to take control of the lower chamber.
Every vote counts, and every name listed on a voter registration roll can be voted, legitimately or illegitimately.
People who oppose efforts to clean up voter rolls or to check voter IDs say it could discourage some people from voting. But in the rare instance in which someone is removed from the rolls who is eligible to vote, that person can still vote. He can fill out a provisional ballot and furnish proof of residency later. So there is no justification for inaccurate voter rolls.
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Flashback- Rather on Clinton Rape Charge: 'Happened A Long Time Ago,' 'Let's Move On'
In 1998, Juanita Broaddrick claimed that, in 1978 Bill Clinton, then the Attorney General of Arkansas, raped her in a hotel room. The next year, CBS anchor Dan Rather declared that, even if true, "it happened a long time ago" (21 years) and it was time to "move on."
Noting the media double-standard in covering such allegations, a Newsbusters flashback blog reports:
“Take, for example, our report in 1999 that not-yet-disgraced CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather provided the Exact Opposite of the Matt Dowd philosophy. It was the Don Imus radio show -- then simulcast on MSNBC -- on February 23, 1999. When women cry rape, it doesn't matter whether it's true. It's too dated for the truth to matter, and besides, we think the American people are tired of all these accusations”:
More here
Noting the media double-standard in covering such allegations, a Newsbusters flashback blog reports:
“Take, for example, our report in 1999 that not-yet-disgraced CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather provided the Exact Opposite of the Matt Dowd philosophy. It was the Don Imus radio show -- then simulcast on MSNBC -- on February 23, 1999. When women cry rape, it doesn't matter whether it's true. It's too dated for the truth to matter, and besides, we think the American people are tired of all these accusations”:
More here
"Strong As Steel" Poker Run & Benefit Fundraiser - Join us on Saturday, November 18th for a great cause!
The Poker Run will start and end at the Original Greene Turtle in Ocean City, Maryland and is open to all motorcycles and vehicles. Grand prize will be cash, TBA when registration is complete. Once you arrive back at the starting point there will be a buffet, silent auction items, raffles and more.
This community event "Strong As Steel" is being organized and coordinated to assist a local veteran who is battling cancer - AND it is our chance to now give back to him during a time of need. Please mark your calendars and come out to support this worthy cause, and enjoy the Poker Run and Food & Fellowship back at the Original Greene Turtle in North Ocean City, MD. #StrongAsSteel
T-Shirts will be available for purchase! We will post them here shortly and you can pre-order and pick them up at the event. We will also be holding a bake sale all day at the restaurant. Questions? Would you like to make a donation or contribute an auction item? Please contact one of us at "Steel's Team" via email: strongassteelfundraiser@gmail.com. Thank you for your support of this effort!
Cost: Poker Run: $20 per vehicle, $10 per passenger. Entry fee for the poker run gets you in the door at the follow-up party! Can't make the Poker Run? A $20 donation at the door is requested to join us upstairs for the Buffet and festivities.
Visit the event on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/events/1901427513509749/
This community event "Strong As Steel" is being organized and coordinated to assist a local veteran who is battling cancer - AND it is our chance to now give back to him during a time of need. Please mark your calendars and come out to support this worthy cause, and enjoy the Poker Run and Food & Fellowship back at the Original Greene Turtle in North Ocean City, MD. #StrongAsSteel
T-Shirts will be available for purchase! We will post them here shortly and you can pre-order and pick them up at the event. We will also be holding a bake sale all day at the restaurant. Questions? Would you like to make a donation or contribute an auction item? Please contact one of us at "Steel's Team" via email: strongassteelfundraiser@gmail.com. Thank you for your support of this effort!
Cost: Poker Run: $20 per vehicle, $10 per passenger. Entry fee for the poker run gets you in the door at the follow-up party! Can't make the Poker Run? A $20 donation at the door is requested to join us upstairs for the Buffet and festivities.
Visit the event on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/events/1901427513509749/
Remember This?
Donald Trump was business partners with the Russian government and his company got $53 million from the Russian government investment fund called Rusnano that was started by Vladimir Putin and is referred to as "Putin's Child?”
Oh wait, that wasn't Trump; it was John Podesta.
Remember when Donald Trump received $500,000 for a speech in Moscow and paid for by Renaissance Capital, a company tied to Russian Intelligence Agencies?
Oh wait, that was Bill Clinton.
Remember when Donald Trump approved the sale of 20% of U.S. uranium to the Russians while he was Secretary of State which gave control of it to Rosatom the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation?
Oh wait, that was Hillary Clinton.
Remember when Donald Trump lied about that and said he wasn't a part of approving the deal that gave the Russians 1/5 of our uranium, but then his e-mails were leaked showing he did lie about it?
Oh wait, that was Hillary Clinton and John Podesta.
Remember when Donald Trump got $145 million from shareholders of the uranium company sold to the Russians?
Oh wait, that was Hillary Clinton and the Clinton Foundation.
Remember when Donald Trump accepted millions in donations from Russian oligarchs like the chairman of a company that's part of the Russian Nuclear Research Cluster, the wife of the mayor of Moscow and a close pal of Putin's?
Oh wait, that was the Clinton Foundation.
Remember when Donald Trump failed to disclose all those donations before becoming the Secretary of State, and it was only found out when a journalist went through Canadian tax records?
Oh wait, that was Hillary Clinton
Remember when Donald Trump told Mitt Romney that the '80s called and it wanted its Russian policy back. The Cold War is over?
Oh wait, that was President Obama…WTF!.
Man, Trump's ties to Russia are really "disgusting!"
Oh wait, that wasn't Trump; it was John Podesta.
Remember when Donald Trump received $500,000 for a speech in Moscow and paid for by Renaissance Capital, a company tied to Russian Intelligence Agencies?
Oh wait, that was Bill Clinton.
Remember when Donald Trump approved the sale of 20% of U.S. uranium to the Russians while he was Secretary of State which gave control of it to Rosatom the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation?
Oh wait, that was Hillary Clinton.
Remember when Donald Trump lied about that and said he wasn't a part of approving the deal that gave the Russians 1/5 of our uranium, but then his e-mails were leaked showing he did lie about it?
Oh wait, that was Hillary Clinton and John Podesta.
Remember when Donald Trump got $145 million from shareholders of the uranium company sold to the Russians?
Oh wait, that was Hillary Clinton and the Clinton Foundation.
Remember when Donald Trump accepted millions in donations from Russian oligarchs like the chairman of a company that's part of the Russian Nuclear Research Cluster, the wife of the mayor of Moscow and a close pal of Putin's?
Oh wait, that was the Clinton Foundation.
Remember when Donald Trump failed to disclose all those donations before becoming the Secretary of State, and it was only found out when a journalist went through Canadian tax records?
Oh wait, that was Hillary Clinton
Remember when Donald Trump told Mitt Romney that the '80s called and it wanted its Russian policy back. The Cold War is over?
Oh wait, that was President Obama…WTF!.
Man, Trump's ties to Russia are really "disgusting!"
Former Democratic Congresswoman Who Was Found Guilty In Federal Fraud Trial Is Using ‘Memory Loss’ As An Excuse In Sentencing Hearing
Over the summer, former U.S. congresswoman Corrine Brown (she’s a Democrat who represented Florida’s 5th congressional district) was found guilty on 18 of 22 charges in her federal fraud trial. The case surrounded her involvement with the bogus charity, “One Door for Education.” The charity was supposed to give poor students scholarships, but in reality, it was just one giant slush fund.
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Sylvester Stallone Accused of Sexually Assaulting 16-Year-Old Girl
Veteran actor Sylvester Stallone has been accused of forcing a teenage girl into a threesome with himself and his bodyguard.
According to a police report filed in 1986 and obtained by the Daily Mail, Stallone was accused of “forcing” an unnamed 16-year-old girl into having sex with him and his bodyguard, Michael ‘Mike’ De Luca, at the Las Vegas Hilton hotel, while he was filming the movie Over the Top.
[Warning: Explicit Details]
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According to a police report filed in 1986 and obtained by the Daily Mail, Stallone was accused of “forcing” an unnamed 16-year-old girl into having sex with him and his bodyguard, Michael ‘Mike’ De Luca, at the Las Vegas Hilton hotel, while he was filming the movie Over the Top.
[Warning: Explicit Details]
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SUCKER FOR A STORY
Remember Rachel Dolezal?
She was the white woman that identified as being black and even was heading up a NAACP chapter in Spokane.
So, what is she doing now?
She's selling suckers.
No really, the woman that took everyone as a sucker is now selling suckers.
More
She was the white woman that identified as being black and even was heading up a NAACP chapter in Spokane.
So, what is she doing now?
She's selling suckers.
No really, the woman that took everyone as a sucker is now selling suckers.
More
Flashback: Sessions Slaps Biden’s Hand As He Reaches for Granddaughter
Footage from 2015 shows former Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions appearing to swat Joe Biden’s hand as the ex-vice president reached for his granddaughter.
The incident occurred at a Senate ceremonial swearing-in in January 2015, where the then-vice president – who has become known for his inappropriate touching of female youngsters – visibly groped numerous children as he posed for photos with various lawmakers.
Biden’s creepy behavior is under renewed scrutiny as he’s thrown out the prospect of challenging President Donald Trump in 2020, and as new reports claim the former VP has in the past engaged in “Weinstein-level groping.”
More/Video
The incident occurred at a Senate ceremonial swearing-in in January 2015, where the then-vice president – who has become known for his inappropriate touching of female youngsters – visibly groped numerous children as he posed for photos with various lawmakers.
Biden’s creepy behavior is under renewed scrutiny as he’s thrown out the prospect of challenging President Donald Trump in 2020, and as new reports claim the former VP has in the past engaged in “Weinstein-level groping.”
More/Video
Congress Grants Itself Immunity From Paying Sexual Harassment Claims
So if a Congressman gets busted harassing a staffer or an intern guess who pays the monetary penalty? You and me. Not the offender. And that will continue to be the case.
Click here for the video from Dick Morris.
Click here for the video from Dick Morris.
Journalist Accuses Sen. Al Franken of Fondling Her (Photographic Proof)
Leeann Tweeden, a journalist who anchors the morning news at TalkRadio 790 KABC in Los Angeles, California, is accusing Senator Al Franken (D-MN) of fondling her while asleep and shoving his tongue down her throat without her consent.
At the time, December of 2006, Tweeden had a boyfriend (who is now her husband) and was on a two week USO Tour with the then-55-year-old Franken and others. Included in her article is a photograph that clearly shows the Democrat Senator grabbing her breasts while she is asleep.
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At the time, December of 2006, Tweeden had a boyfriend (who is now her husband) and was on a two week USO Tour with the then-55-year-old Franken and others. Included in her article is a photograph that clearly shows the Democrat Senator grabbing her breasts while she is asleep.
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Mall Manager on Roy Moore: ‘To My Knowledge, He Was Not Banned From the Mall’
In an appearance on Birmingham FOX affiliate WBRC6 on Wednesday, Barnes Boyle, who was the manager of the Gadsden Mall from 1981 to 1996, said he had no memory of former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore being banned from that mall.
A report from The New Yorker magazine published earlier this week claimed Moore had been banned while Boyle was the mall’s manager.
More here
A report from The New Yorker magazine published earlier this week claimed Moore had been banned while Boyle was the mall’s manager.
More here
Senator Al Franken Kissed and Groped Me
In December of 2006, I embarked on my ninth USO Tour to entertain our troops, my eighth to the Middle East since the 9/11 attacks. My father served in Vietnam and my then-boyfriend (and now husband, Chris) is a pilot in the Air Force, so bringing a ‘little piece of home’ to servicemembers stationed far away from their families was both my passion and my privilege.
Also on the trip were country music artists Darryl Worley, Mark Wills, Keni Thomas, and some cheerleaders from the Dallas Cowboys. The headliner was comedian and now-senator, Al Franken.
Franken had written some skits for the show and brought props and costumes to go along with them. Like many USO shows before and since, the skits were full of sexual innuendo geared toward a young, male audience.
As a TV host and sports broadcaster, as well as a model familiar to the audience from the covers of FHM, Maxim and Playboy, I was only expecting to emcee and introduce the acts, but Franken said he had written a part for me that he thought would be funny, and I agreed to play along.
When I saw the script, Franken had written a moment when his character comes at me for a ‘kiss’..
More here
Also on the trip were country music artists Darryl Worley, Mark Wills, Keni Thomas, and some cheerleaders from the Dallas Cowboys. The headliner was comedian and now-senator, Al Franken.
Franken had written some skits for the show and brought props and costumes to go along with them. Like many USO shows before and since, the skits were full of sexual innuendo geared toward a young, male audience.
As a TV host and sports broadcaster, as well as a model familiar to the audience from the covers of FHM, Maxim and Playboy, I was only expecting to emcee and introduce the acts, but Franken said he had written a part for me that he thought would be funny, and I agreed to play along.
When I saw the script, Franken had written a moment when his character comes at me for a ‘kiss’..
More here
Sessions: 27 investigations into 'epidemic' of leaks
The Justice Department has a whopping 27 open investigations into leaks of classified information with a “political motive,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions revealed Tuesday — that’s three times more than the agency has had in the three years prior.
The nation's top law enforcement officer gave new details on the active probes during his highly anticipated testimony before the House Judiciary Committee.
“Leaks have reached epidemic proportions,” Sessions said. “We have 27 ongoing investigations, some of those involve leaks before President Trump took office, and some after.”
Sessions added: “But before that, it was only three per year—there were nine. There are three times as many this year as in the entire three years before being investigated.”
Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., pressed Sessions over whether anyone had been held accountable “criminally or administratively” for leaking information against the Trump administration “with a political motive.”
Sessions responded that “the individual in Georgia” had been charged.
More here
The nation's top law enforcement officer gave new details on the active probes during his highly anticipated testimony before the House Judiciary Committee.
“Leaks have reached epidemic proportions,” Sessions said. “We have 27 ongoing investigations, some of those involve leaks before President Trump took office, and some after.”
Sessions added: “But before that, it was only three per year—there were nine. There are three times as many this year as in the entire three years before being investigated.”
Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., pressed Sessions over whether anyone had been held accountable “criminally or administratively” for leaking information against the Trump administration “with a political motive.”
Sessions responded that “the individual in Georgia” had been charged.
More here
Celebs Call On Al Franken to Resign Over Groping Allegations
Celebrities took to social media Thursday to condemn Senator Al Franken (D-MN) over a photo of him groping journalist and talk radio anchor Leeann Tweeden while she was sleeping, with some stars, like actress and liberal activist Alyssa Milano, calling on the Democratic lawmaker to resign from office.
Tweeden posted a 2006 photo to Twitter Thursday showing Franken grabbing her breast during a two week USO Tour. The TalkRadio 790 KABC anchor also detailed how Franken allegedly shoved his tongue down her throat without her consent during a rehearsal for a USO skit.
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Tweeden posted a 2006 photo to Twitter Thursday showing Franken grabbing her breast during a two week USO Tour. The TalkRadio 790 KABC anchor also detailed how Franken allegedly shoved his tongue down her throat without her consent during a rehearsal for a USO skit.
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Moore reacts to Al Franken groping charges
Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore lost no time Thursday jumping on the Al Franken sex-abuse charges to bolster his claim that he is being unjustly treated by the party’s leaders.
In a tweet posted shortly after 1 p.m., he accused Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, of rushing to judgment against him but not the Minnesota Democrat.
“Al Franken admits guilt after photographic evidence of his abuse surfaces. Mitch: ‘Let’s investigate,’” Mr. Moore wrote.
“In Alabama, ZERO evidence, allegations 100% rejected. Mitch: ‘Moore must quit immediately or be expelled,’” the former judge continued.
More here
In a tweet posted shortly after 1 p.m., he accused Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, of rushing to judgment against him but not the Minnesota Democrat.
“Al Franken admits guilt after photographic evidence of his abuse surfaces. Mitch: ‘Let’s investigate,’” Mr. Moore wrote.
“In Alabama, ZERO evidence, allegations 100% rejected. Mitch: ‘Moore must quit immediately or be expelled,’” the former judge continued.
More here
Congresswoman’s top aide resigns over sexual harassment allegations
A top aide to a Democratic lawmaker who has been one of the most outspoken House members on sexual harassment resigned on Thursday after he was accused of sexually harassing women in the office, it was reported.
Rep. Brenda Lawrence of Michigan said she would accept the resignation of her chief of staff Dwayne Duron Marshall who was accused of making inappropriate comments and having physical contact with women, the Detroit News reported.
“No employee should ever be made to feel intimidated, harassed or otherwise discriminated against in their place of work,” Lawrence said in a statement. “Every employee should feel free to present their concerns with the expectation that those concerns will be quickly and directly addressed and resolved.”
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Rep. Brenda Lawrence of Michigan said she would accept the resignation of her chief of staff Dwayne Duron Marshall who was accused of making inappropriate comments and having physical contact with women, the Detroit News reported.
“No employee should ever be made to feel intimidated, harassed or otherwise discriminated against in their place of work,” Lawrence said in a statement. “Every employee should feel free to present their concerns with the expectation that those concerns will be quickly and directly addressed and resolved.”
More
Teen suicide rate suddenly rises with heavy use of smartphones, social media
A study shows that suicide rates among teenagers have risen along with their ownership of smartphones and use of social media, suggesting a disturbing link between technology and teen self-harm.
Citing federal data and two nationally representative surveys of more than 500,000 adolescents, researchers found a strong correlation between the time teens began using smartphones a decade ago and a sharp rise in reports of serious mental health issues.
From 2010 to 2015, a record number of teenagers were reporting depressive symptoms and overloading mental health clinics, while suicide rates climbed for the first time in decades, said psychologist Jean Twenge, lead author of the study, which was published Tuesday in the journal Clinical Psychological Science.
“I’ve never seen such sudden, large changes,” Ms. Twenge said in an interview with The Washington Times, noting that the biggest increase occurred within a single year.
“In this case, we tried to just go systematically through possible explanations and rule them in or out and, at the end of the day, the pronounced increase in smartphone ownership seems like the most logical explanation,” she said. “It was by far the largest change in teens lives between 2012 and 2015.”
More details here
Citing federal data and two nationally representative surveys of more than 500,000 adolescents, researchers found a strong correlation between the time teens began using smartphones a decade ago and a sharp rise in reports of serious mental health issues.
From 2010 to 2015, a record number of teenagers were reporting depressive symptoms and overloading mental health clinics, while suicide rates climbed for the first time in decades, said psychologist Jean Twenge, lead author of the study, which was published Tuesday in the journal Clinical Psychological Science.
“I’ve never seen such sudden, large changes,” Ms. Twenge said in an interview with The Washington Times, noting that the biggest increase occurred within a single year.
“In this case, we tried to just go systematically through possible explanations and rule them in or out and, at the end of the day, the pronounced increase in smartphone ownership seems like the most logical explanation,” she said. “It was by far the largest change in teens lives between 2012 and 2015.”
More details here
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