The House Ethics Committee concluded its investigation of Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-CA) Thursday, clearing him of all misconduct when he revealed surveillance and “unmasking” of Donald Trump’s transition team.
Nunes had recused himself from his role as chairman for purposes of the Intelligence Committee’s Russia investigation since April. He did so after publicly revealing the wiretap intercepts of Trump campaign officials and their “unmasking” by Obama administration officials in March.
What Nunes termed “leftwing activist groups” filed complaints with the Office of Congressional Ethics, claiming Nunes had released classified information.
In a statement Thursday, the Ethics Committee explained they had categorically ruled against these complaints..
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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
Saturday, December 09, 2017
Data: Every 2 New Immigrants to the U.S. Bring 7 Foreign Relatives with Them
Every two new immigrants to the United States bring roughly seven foreign relatives with them, creating an enormous, never-ending flow of family-based immigration.
Previously unreleased data from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reveals the number of foreign relatives who enter the U.S. simply because their family member is an immigrant, in a process known as “chain migration.”
According to the data, chain migration is the largest driver of legal immigration, with every two new immigrants bringing seven foreign relatives with them to the U.S., making up more than 70 percent of the current immigration system.
Currently, only one in 15 foreign nationals admitted to the U.S. come to the country based on skills and employment.
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Previously unreleased data from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reveals the number of foreign relatives who enter the U.S. simply because their family member is an immigrant, in a process known as “chain migration.”
According to the data, chain migration is the largest driver of legal immigration, with every two new immigrants bringing seven foreign relatives with them to the U.S., making up more than 70 percent of the current immigration system.
Currently, only one in 15 foreign nationals admitted to the U.S. come to the country based on skills and employment.
More here
DOJ Launches Federal Investigation into Planned Parenthood
The Department of Justice is launching a federal investigation into Planned Parenthood’s practices and its alleged involvement in the sale of body parts of aborted babies.
Justice Department Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs Stephen Boyd has formally requested unredacted documents from the Senate Judiciary Committee, reports Fox News. According to the news report, the letter requesting the documents – sent to committee chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and ranking member Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) – “is a rare confirmation of a federal investigation.”
“The Department of Justice appreciates the offer of assistance in obtaining these materials, and would like to request the Committee provide unredacted copies of records contained in the report, in order to further the Department’s ability to conduct a thorough and comprehensive assessment of that report based on the full range of information available,” Boyd wrote in the letter obtained by Fox News.
“At this point, the records are intended for investigative use only—we understand that a resolution from the Senate may be required if the Department were to use any of the unredacted materials in a formal legal proceeding, such as a grand jury,” he added.
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Justice Department Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs Stephen Boyd has formally requested unredacted documents from the Senate Judiciary Committee, reports Fox News. According to the news report, the letter requesting the documents – sent to committee chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and ranking member Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) – “is a rare confirmation of a federal investigation.”
“The Department of Justice appreciates the offer of assistance in obtaining these materials, and would like to request the Committee provide unredacted copies of records contained in the report, in order to further the Department’s ability to conduct a thorough and comprehensive assessment of that report based on the full range of information available,” Boyd wrote in the letter obtained by Fox News.
“At this point, the records are intended for investigative use only—we understand that a resolution from the Senate may be required if the Department were to use any of the unredacted materials in a formal legal proceeding, such as a grand jury,” he added.
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Delaware Police shoot dead 16-year-old in gunfire exchange
Delaware State Police say a 16-year-old boy was shot and killed by a trooper in an exchange of gunfire during a traffic stop.
Police said a trooper stopped a vehicle in Dover shortly after 3am Saturday. According to police, the front seat passenger of the car pulled out a gun as the trooper approached the vehicle.
They said the 16-year-old was killed when he and the trooper exchanged gunfire. The boy died after being taken to an area hospital.
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Police said a trooper stopped a vehicle in Dover shortly after 3am Saturday. According to police, the front seat passenger of the car pulled out a gun as the trooper approached the vehicle.
They said the 16-year-old was killed when he and the trooper exchanged gunfire. The boy died after being taken to an area hospital.
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Trump, Mattis turn military loose on ISIS, leaving terror caliphate in tatters
BAGHDAD – Hundreds of ISIS fighters had just been chased out of a northern Syrian city and were fleeing through the desert in long convoys, presenting an easy target to U.S. A-10 "warthogs."
But the orders to bomb the black-clad jihadists never came, and the terrorists melted into their caliphate -- living to fight another day. The events came in August 2016, even as then-Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump was vowing on the campaign trail to let generals in his administration crush the organization that, under President Obama, had grown from the “jayvee team” to the world’s most feared terrorist organization.
“I will…quickly and decisively bomb the hell out of ISIS,” Trump, who would name legendary Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis as secretary of defense, promised. “We will not have to listen to the politicians who are losing the war on terrorism."
“I will…quickly and decisively bomb the hell out of ISIS,” Trump, who would name legendary Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis as secretary of defense, promised. “We will not have to listen to the politicians who are losing the war on terrorism."
Just over a year later, ISIS has been routed from Iraq and Syria with an ease and speed that's surprised even the men and women who carried out the mission. Experts say it's a prime example of a campaign promise kept. President Trump scrapped his predecessor’s rules of engagement, which critics say hamstrung the military, and let battlefield decisions be made by the generals in the theater, and not bureaucrats in Washington.
“The leadership team that is in place right now has certainly enabled us to succeed,” Brig. Gen. Andrew Croft, the ranking U.S. Air Force officer in Iraq, told Fox News. “I couldn’t ask for a better leadership team to work for, to enable the military to do what it does best.”
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But the orders to bomb the black-clad jihadists never came, and the terrorists melted into their caliphate -- living to fight another day. The events came in August 2016, even as then-Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump was vowing on the campaign trail to let generals in his administration crush the organization that, under President Obama, had grown from the “jayvee team” to the world’s most feared terrorist organization.
“I will…quickly and decisively bomb the hell out of ISIS,” Trump, who would name legendary Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis as secretary of defense, promised. “We will not have to listen to the politicians who are losing the war on terrorism."
“I will…quickly and decisively bomb the hell out of ISIS,” Trump, who would name legendary Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis as secretary of defense, promised. “We will not have to listen to the politicians who are losing the war on terrorism."
Just over a year later, ISIS has been routed from Iraq and Syria with an ease and speed that's surprised even the men and women who carried out the mission. Experts say it's a prime example of a campaign promise kept. President Trump scrapped his predecessor’s rules of engagement, which critics say hamstrung the military, and let battlefield decisions be made by the generals in the theater, and not bureaucrats in Washington.
“The leadership team that is in place right now has certainly enabled us to succeed,” Brig. Gen. Andrew Croft, the ranking U.S. Air Force officer in Iraq, told Fox News. “I couldn’t ask for a better leadership team to work for, to enable the military to do what it does best.”
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Howie Carr: Al Franken's Resignation May Be Fake News
Howie Carr says he doesn't believe Sen. Al Franken's announcement that he's quitting Capitol Hill.
"Al Franken-slime still doesn't think he did anything wrong," the Newsmax personality wrote Friday in his column for The Boston Herald.
"Which is why I won't believe the vile Democrat pervert is really gone until he actually resigns, rather than just vaguely claiming he's going to do the right thing, sometime in 'the coming weeks.'''
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"Al Franken-slime still doesn't think he did anything wrong," the Newsmax personality wrote Friday in his column for The Boston Herald.
"Which is why I won't believe the vile Democrat pervert is really gone until he actually resigns, rather than just vaguely claiming he's going to do the right thing, sometime in 'the coming weeks.'''
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LePage: 'Fake' Report That Trump Wants Me to Challenge Sen. Angus King
Maine Gov. Paul LePage has blasted a Washington Post report that says President Donald Trump is eyeing him to try to unseat Sen. Angus King next year.
"That's fake news . . . A man has to know his limitations. And I'm a doer. The Senate does nothing," the two-term, lame-duck governor told the Lewiston Sun Journal.
And, quipped LePage, "I like being married."
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"That's fake news . . . A man has to know his limitations. And I'm a doer. The Senate does nothing," the two-term, lame-duck governor told the Lewiston Sun Journal.
And, quipped LePage, "I like being married."
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FBI Investigating Cuomo’s Office for Hiring, Pay Practices
The FBI is investigating New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's (D.) administration after it was revealed that multiple employees were hired to work in the governor's office and paid through various state agencies and public authorities, according to a new report.
By hiring political appointees to work for the Executive Chamber, but paying them through various other state entities, Cuomo and other governors have been able to increase their staff sizes while they avoid inflating the Executive Chamber budget, the Times Union reported.
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By hiring political appointees to work for the Executive Chamber, but paying them through various other state entities, Cuomo and other governors have been able to increase their staff sizes while they avoid inflating the Executive Chamber budget, the Times Union reported.
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What Is Leandra English Doing All Day?
Leandra English is still coming to work at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, but it remains unclear what she actually does there.
Multiple requests for comment from English's lawyer and the CFPB were not returned regarding English's daily work activities and schedule. Aside from working on her lawsuit against the government and meeting with the Democratic leadership in Congress, little is known about English's current role as deputy director.
Acting Director Mick Mulvaney has sent numerous emails instructing English to stop calling herself acting director and return to duties "customarily performed by a deputy director." Those emails have gone unanswered.
Even still, Mulvaney told reporters earlier this week that he is "absolutely not" considering firing English.
English is working on her legal fight to preserve Democratic leadership at the CFPB under a Republican administration. After being rejected by the courts in her first attempt at blocking President Trump from appointing Mulvaney as acting director, English filed a second lawsuit Wednesday.
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Multiple requests for comment from English's lawyer and the CFPB were not returned regarding English's daily work activities and schedule. Aside from working on her lawsuit against the government and meeting with the Democratic leadership in Congress, little is known about English's current role as deputy director.
Acting Director Mick Mulvaney has sent numerous emails instructing English to stop calling herself acting director and return to duties "customarily performed by a deputy director." Those emails have gone unanswered.
Even still, Mulvaney told reporters earlier this week that he is "absolutely not" considering firing English.
English is working on her legal fight to preserve Democratic leadership at the CFPB under a Republican administration. After being rejected by the courts in her first attempt at blocking President Trump from appointing Mulvaney as acting director, English filed a second lawsuit Wednesday.
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Leftist Group that Gets Millions from U.S. Offers to Pay Legal Fees of Arrested Tax Reform Protestors
A leftist nonprofit that offered to pay the legal and transportation expenses of tax reform protestors receives tens of millions of dollars from the government, according to records obtained by Judicial Watch. The New York City-based group, Housing Works, describes itself as a “healing community of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.” Its mission is to end homelessness and AIDS through advocacy, lifesaving services and businesses that sustain the efforts.
Last week, Housing Works organized a big demonstration in Washington D.C. to protest the Republican tax overhaul and the group plans to return to the Capitol this week to try to keep the measure from passing. A D.C.-based news publication obtained an internal email that reveals Housing Works encouraged supporters to commit illegal behavior.
“We will transport, house and feed you, and deal with all legal support,” reads the email to supporters. “Caveat: if you are far away from DC and expensive to transport, we can probably only fly you if you can risk arrest.” Next to the message is a link to sign up.
The group described the protests like this: “The Rs voted and fled the room, but were snagged by reporters in the hallway, surrounded by bird-doggers, and shamed for their disgraceful votes.”
Undoubtedly, the measure has ignited controversy because it would be the most sweeping reform of the nation’s tax code in three decades. Americans from all walks of life and groups such as Housing Works have the right to express their opinion and rally supporters to make an impact. But it’s outrageous for a group that receives millions of taxpayer dollars to, not only embolden law breakers, but offer to pay for their legal and transportation expenses.
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Last week, Housing Works organized a big demonstration in Washington D.C. to protest the Republican tax overhaul and the group plans to return to the Capitol this week to try to keep the measure from passing. A D.C.-based news publication obtained an internal email that reveals Housing Works encouraged supporters to commit illegal behavior.
“We will transport, house and feed you, and deal with all legal support,” reads the email to supporters. “Caveat: if you are far away from DC and expensive to transport, we can probably only fly you if you can risk arrest.” Next to the message is a link to sign up.
The group described the protests like this: “The Rs voted and fled the room, but were snagged by reporters in the hallway, surrounded by bird-doggers, and shamed for their disgraceful votes.”
Undoubtedly, the measure has ignited controversy because it would be the most sweeping reform of the nation’s tax code in three decades. Americans from all walks of life and groups such as Housing Works have the right to express their opinion and rally supporters to make an impact. But it’s outrageous for a group that receives millions of taxpayer dollars to, not only embolden law breakers, but offer to pay for their legal and transportation expenses.
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Doug Jones Ad Targeting Roy Moore Slammed as ‘Racist’
The black-centric website The Root was also incensed by the ad.
The Root’s Michael Harriot tore into the ad:
“Part of the reason the Democratic Party has been marginalized as a party that only exists on the coasts and in urban areas is whitemannery like this,” Harriot added. “The Democratic Party is trash. It is the reason Hillary Clinton lost. It is the reason Donald Trump is president.”
Black voters on social media are no happier over the metrics of the ad.
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Univ. of Maryland May Be Producing Teachers Unprepared for Classroom
The University of Maryland (UMD) College of Education (COE) undergraduate elementary education program may be producing graduates unprepared for the classroom, as a rudderless re-design of the literacy program to improve diversity training has dragged on for years, sowing confusion among students and lecturers, according to documents obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
According to internal emails and individuals involved in the overhauling of the curriculum, new courses have been developed and taught by graduate students with little guidance by their superiors, and a crucial course on how to assess students' reading ability was done away with, replaced with another diversity class.
The plan was to reorganize five existing courses into a four-course block that would "prepare our teacher candidates with the skills and knowledge to teach reading and language arts within the framework of a child's background of experience, ethnicity, language, and culture," according to the initial proposal in 2013.
In a letter dated May 8 addressed to John Bertot, associate provost for faculty affairs, and Benjamin Bederson, associate provost of learning initiatives and executive director of the Teaching and Learning Transformation Center, five soon-to-be graduates wrote they were "worried that we are not completely prepared for the coming fall when we take over our own classrooms."
"Over the past two years most of our elementary education professors have not practiced the things that they have preached to us. They have told us that teaching is not just skin deep," wrote the students. "However, we feel as though their courses are unhelpful and very flimsy. Two years have gone by and we have learned the same topics over and over again."
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According to internal emails and individuals involved in the overhauling of the curriculum, new courses have been developed and taught by graduate students with little guidance by their superiors, and a crucial course on how to assess students' reading ability was done away with, replaced with another diversity class.
The plan was to reorganize five existing courses into a four-course block that would "prepare our teacher candidates with the skills and knowledge to teach reading and language arts within the framework of a child's background of experience, ethnicity, language, and culture," according to the initial proposal in 2013.
In a letter dated May 8 addressed to John Bertot, associate provost for faculty affairs, and Benjamin Bederson, associate provost of learning initiatives and executive director of the Teaching and Learning Transformation Center, five soon-to-be graduates wrote they were "worried that we are not completely prepared for the coming fall when we take over our own classrooms."
"Over the past two years most of our elementary education professors have not practiced the things that they have preached to us. They have told us that teaching is not just skin deep," wrote the students. "However, we feel as though their courses are unhelpful and very flimsy. Two years have gone by and we have learned the same topics over and over again."
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Baltimore Students Create An App To Detect If Their Heroin Is Laced With Fentanyl
If you have a smartphone, you’ve probably heard the distinct sound of an AMBER alert and or perhaps weather notifications.These notifications are free and great, alerting us to potential danger, and what we need to do to prepare.
With the help of student programmers, Baltimore health officials have launched a similar notification service, but it’s to warn residents in the city when a deadly batch of drugs enters their neighborhood. Mike LeGrand, co-founder of the nonprofit Code in the Schools, worked with a team of student programmers around Baltimore to develop ‘Bat Batch Alert‘, an anonymous free text messaging service aimed at helping those struggling with heroin addiction to stay alive.
LeGrand got the idea of ‘Bad Batch Alert’, after he lost a close friend in Florida to an opioid overdose. With a grant from Baltimore City’s health department and data feeds from Emergency medical services (EMS), LeGrand was able to track the “hot spots of fentanyl overdoses” across the city.
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With the help of student programmers, Baltimore health officials have launched a similar notification service, but it’s to warn residents in the city when a deadly batch of drugs enters their neighborhood. Mike LeGrand, co-founder of the nonprofit Code in the Schools, worked with a team of student programmers around Baltimore to develop ‘Bat Batch Alert‘, an anonymous free text messaging service aimed at helping those struggling with heroin addiction to stay alive.
LeGrand got the idea of ‘Bad Batch Alert’, after he lost a close friend in Florida to an opioid overdose. With a grant from Baltimore City’s health department and data feeds from Emergency medical services (EMS), LeGrand was able to track the “hot spots of fentanyl overdoses” across the city.
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God Bless These Students From Wicomico High School
MALKIN: Nancy Pelosi: Sham 'Shero'
Finally, Nancy Pelosi's faux feminist veneer has fully cracked.
The Democratic "shero" is, and always has been, a sham. But after Pelosi's incoherent babblefest on "Meet the Press" defending accused groper John Conyers and clown-cad Al Franken, the progressive left can no longer mask her partisan perv apologism.
Pelosi milked her XX chromosomes for all their electoral worth. Her official biography brags about her role as "the most powerful woman in American politics" and her induction into the National Women's Hall of Fame. Over three decades on Capitol Hill, she has scooped up Ms. Magazine's Woman of the Year award, Glamour Magazine's Woman of the Year designation, Planned Parenthood's Margaret Sanger award (named after the abortion godmother and notorious eugenics champion), and the Alice Award (named after suffragette Alice Paul).
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The Democratic "shero" is, and always has been, a sham. But after Pelosi's incoherent babblefest on "Meet the Press" defending accused groper John Conyers and clown-cad Al Franken, the progressive left can no longer mask her partisan perv apologism.
Pelosi milked her XX chromosomes for all their electoral worth. Her official biography brags about her role as "the most powerful woman in American politics" and her induction into the National Women's Hall of Fame. Over three decades on Capitol Hill, she has scooped up Ms. Magazine's Woman of the Year award, Glamour Magazine's Woman of the Year designation, Planned Parenthood's Margaret Sanger award (named after the abortion godmother and notorious eugenics champion), and the Alice Award (named after suffragette Alice Paul).
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‘Truly terrifying’: Chinese suppliers flood US and Canada with deadly fentanyl
A dozen packages were shipped from China to mail centers and residences in Southern California. One box was labeled as a “Hole Puncher.”
In fact, it was a quarter-ton pill press, which federal investigators allege was destined for a suburban Los Angeles drug lab. The other packages, shipped throughout January and February, contained materials for manufacturing fentanyl, an opioid so potent that in some forms it can be deadly if touched.
When it comes to the illegal sale of fentanyl, most of the attention has focused on Mexican cartels that are adding the drug to heroin smuggled into the United States. But Chinese suppliers are providing both raw fentanyl and the machinery necessary for the assembly-line production of the drug powering a terrifying and rapid rise of fatal overdoses across the United States and Canada, according to drug investigators and court documents.
“We have seen an influx of fentanyl directly from China,” said Carole Rendon, the acting US attorney for the northern district of Ohio in Cleveland. “It’s being shipped by carrier. It’s hugely concerning because fentanyl is so incredibly deadly.”
The China connection is allowing local drug dealers in North America to mass produce fentanyl in pill form, in some cases producing tablets that look identical to an oft-abused version of the prescription painkiller OxyContin. It also has been added to Xanax pills. And last week, fentanyl pills made to resemble the painkiller hydrocodone were blamed for a wave of overdoses in the Sacramento area, including nine deaths.
“We have tracked the import from China,” Calgary Police Sergeant Martin Schiavetta said of fentanyl sold in the Canadian city. “The dealers ask for fentanyl powder and there are websites that guarantee delivery. If it is stopped at the border, they will send you a new one.” He said the packages are labeled as different products, such as car parts.
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In fact, it was a quarter-ton pill press, which federal investigators allege was destined for a suburban Los Angeles drug lab. The other packages, shipped throughout January and February, contained materials for manufacturing fentanyl, an opioid so potent that in some forms it can be deadly if touched.
When it comes to the illegal sale of fentanyl, most of the attention has focused on Mexican cartels that are adding the drug to heroin smuggled into the United States. But Chinese suppliers are providing both raw fentanyl and the machinery necessary for the assembly-line production of the drug powering a terrifying and rapid rise of fatal overdoses across the United States and Canada, according to drug investigators and court documents.
“We have seen an influx of fentanyl directly from China,” said Carole Rendon, the acting US attorney for the northern district of Ohio in Cleveland. “It’s being shipped by carrier. It’s hugely concerning because fentanyl is so incredibly deadly.”
The China connection is allowing local drug dealers in North America to mass produce fentanyl in pill form, in some cases producing tablets that look identical to an oft-abused version of the prescription painkiller OxyContin. It also has been added to Xanax pills. And last week, fentanyl pills made to resemble the painkiller hydrocodone were blamed for a wave of overdoses in the Sacramento area, including nine deaths.
“We have tracked the import from China,” Calgary Police Sergeant Martin Schiavetta said of fentanyl sold in the Canadian city. “The dealers ask for fentanyl powder and there are websites that guarantee delivery. If it is stopped at the border, they will send you a new one.” He said the packages are labeled as different products, such as car parts.
More here
Czech President hints: We could move embassy to Jerusalem
Czech President Milos Zeman hinted on Thursday that his country could follow the United States and move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem “sooner or later”.
"[President] Trump's decision makes me happy because when I visited Israel four years ago, I said that I would like to transfer the embassy, and that if that happens, we will be the first to do so,” said the Czech president in a television interview.
He added that “every country has the right to decide which city will serve as its capital, and by the same token, every country has the right to decide where its embassy will be located.”
“Trump's move was meant to demonstrate the self-confidence of the United States, and that's very positive," continued Zeman.
The Czech Republic followed in the footsteps of U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday and said it recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel.
“The Czech Republic currently, before the peace between Israel and Palestine is signed, recognizes Jerusalem to be in fact the capital of Israel in the borders of the demarcation line from 1967,” said a statement issued by the Czech foreign ministry.
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"[President] Trump's decision makes me happy because when I visited Israel four years ago, I said that I would like to transfer the embassy, and that if that happens, we will be the first to do so,” said the Czech president in a television interview.
He added that “every country has the right to decide which city will serve as its capital, and by the same token, every country has the right to decide where its embassy will be located.”
“Trump's move was meant to demonstrate the self-confidence of the United States, and that's very positive," continued Zeman.
The Czech Republic followed in the footsteps of U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday and said it recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel.
“The Czech Republic currently, before the peace between Israel and Palestine is signed, recognizes Jerusalem to be in fact the capital of Israel in the borders of the demarcation line from 1967,” said a statement issued by the Czech foreign ministry.
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America's Military-Industrial Addiction
Polls show that Americans are tired of endless wars in faraway lands, but many cheer President Trump’s showering money on the Pentagon and its contractors, a paradox that President Eisenhower foresaw...
The Military-Industrial Complex has loomed over America ever since President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned of its growing influence during his prescient farewell address on Jan. 17, 1961. The Vietnam War followed shortly thereafter, and its bloody consequences cemented the image of the Military-Industrial Complex (MIC) as a faceless cadre of profit-seeking warmongers who’ve wrested control of the foreign policy. That was certainly borne out by the war’s utter senselessness … and by tales of profiteering by well-connected contractors like Brown & Root.
Over five decades, four major wars and a dozen-odd interventions later, we often talk about the Military-Industrial Complex as if we’re referring to a nefarious, flag-draped Death Star floating just beyond the reach of helpless Americans who’d generally prefer that war was not, as the great Gen. Smedley Darlington Butler aptly put it, little more than a money-making “racket.”
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The Military-Industrial Complex has loomed over America ever since President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned of its growing influence during his prescient farewell address on Jan. 17, 1961. The Vietnam War followed shortly thereafter, and its bloody consequences cemented the image of the Military-Industrial Complex (MIC) as a faceless cadre of profit-seeking warmongers who’ve wrested control of the foreign policy. That was certainly borne out by the war’s utter senselessness … and by tales of profiteering by well-connected contractors like Brown & Root.
Over five decades, four major wars and a dozen-odd interventions later, we often talk about the Military-Industrial Complex as if we’re referring to a nefarious, flag-draped Death Star floating just beyond the reach of helpless Americans who’d generally prefer that war was not, as the great Gen. Smedley Darlington Butler aptly put it, little more than a money-making “racket.”
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Gowdy Slams Anti-Trump FBI Agent Strzok
Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, questioned why an anti-Trump FBI agent had supervision over the Clinton email investigation.
During a Thursday interview with Fox News, Gowdy pointed out the various problematic things that Agent Peter Strzok had done while overseeing the Clinton and Trump-Russia investigations.
Gowdy blasted Strozk’s decision to change the wording of Clinton’s behavior with her private email server from “grossly negligent” to “extremely careless.”
“It’s really difficult to say, ‘we’re not gonna prosecute you’ when we use the precise words, so he changed it to extremely careless,” he explained. “There is no difference–the only difference is they didn’t want to use the wording in the statute.”
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During a Thursday interview with Fox News, Gowdy pointed out the various problematic things that Agent Peter Strzok had done while overseeing the Clinton and Trump-Russia investigations.
Gowdy blasted Strozk’s decision to change the wording of Clinton’s behavior with her private email server from “grossly negligent” to “extremely careless.”
“It’s really difficult to say, ‘we’re not gonna prosecute you’ when we use the precise words, so he changed it to extremely careless,” he explained. “There is no difference–the only difference is they didn’t want to use the wording in the statute.”
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Only One In Five Rapes Reported In 2016
Nearly 60 percent of violent crimes and 80 percent of rapes and sexual assaults went unreported to police in 2016, according to a Thursday Justice Department report.
The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) estimated that there were 5.7 million violent victimizations against Americans in 2016, including rape or sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated and simple assault. While the crimes affected roughly 1.3 percent of the population, only 42 percent of the total crimes and 23 percent of the sex crimes went reported. One in ten American households were victimized when taking property crime into account as well.
The report comes two months after the BJS released its official tally of reported 2016 violent crimes in September. The Bureau found that violent crime rose for the second year in a row, spiking by more than 4 percent.
The FBI found that aggravated assaults counted for more than 64 percent of all violent crimes in 2016. Murders made up roughly 1.4 percent of violent crimes, with nearly 17,500 killed last year. The Bureau also noted that, while 2016 represents a four-year high in violent crime, it is still 12.3 percent lower than crime rates in 2007.
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The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) estimated that there were 5.7 million violent victimizations against Americans in 2016, including rape or sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated and simple assault. While the crimes affected roughly 1.3 percent of the population, only 42 percent of the total crimes and 23 percent of the sex crimes went reported. One in ten American households were victimized when taking property crime into account as well.
The report comes two months after the BJS released its official tally of reported 2016 violent crimes in September. The Bureau found that violent crime rose for the second year in a row, spiking by more than 4 percent.
The FBI found that aggravated assaults counted for more than 64 percent of all violent crimes in 2016. Murders made up roughly 1.4 percent of violent crimes, with nearly 17,500 killed last year. The Bureau also noted that, while 2016 represents a four-year high in violent crime, it is still 12.3 percent lower than crime rates in 2007.
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EU Suing Countries Refusing to Accept Third World Migrants
The EU is to sue Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic over their refusal to take in third world migrants, the European Commission announced on Thursday.
They will be referred to the European Court of Justice for “non-compliance with their legal obligations on relocation”, the commission said in a statement, referring to the three countries’ staunch refusal to take part in an EU scheme forcing migrants on unwilling nations.
Passed at the height of the migrant crisis in 2015, the controversial rule dictates that asylum seekers who illegally breach Europe’s borders be “fairly” redistributed across the bloc through a quota system.
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They will be referred to the European Court of Justice for “non-compliance with their legal obligations on relocation”, the commission said in a statement, referring to the three countries’ staunch refusal to take part in an EU scheme forcing migrants on unwilling nations.
Passed at the height of the migrant crisis in 2015, the controversial rule dictates that asylum seekers who illegally breach Europe’s borders be “fairly” redistributed across the bloc through a quota system.
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Hillary Clinton could still be charged over secret server
The FBI Director dramatically raised the possibility on Thursday of Hillary Clintonbeing charged with mis-handling classified material despite being cleared by his predecessor.
Chris Wray told the House Judiciary Committee that the FBI Inspector General was looking into whether 'improper political considerations' led to Clinton not being prosecuted, a decision made by James Comey who was later fired by PresidentDonald Trump.
'If he were to conclude that that’s what happened, then I think at that point we’re in a situation where we have to assess what else might need to be done to un-ring that bell if you will,' Wray told members of Congress.
The possibility of a re-consideration of the Clinton probe would be a bombshell which could only be built on a damning verdict on James Comey and those around him.
But this week it was revealed that the top counter-intelligence agent who was involved in the Clinton probe, Peter Strzok, had exchanged anti-Trump and pro-Clinton texts with his lover Lisa Page, another FBI lawyer.
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Chris Wray told the House Judiciary Committee that the FBI Inspector General was looking into whether 'improper political considerations' led to Clinton not being prosecuted, a decision made by James Comey who was later fired by PresidentDonald Trump.
'If he were to conclude that that’s what happened, then I think at that point we’re in a situation where we have to assess what else might need to be done to un-ring that bell if you will,' Wray told members of Congress.
The possibility of a re-consideration of the Clinton probe would be a bombshell which could only be built on a damning verdict on James Comey and those around him.
But this week it was revealed that the top counter-intelligence agent who was involved in the Clinton probe, Peter Strzok, had exchanged anti-Trump and pro-Clinton texts with his lover Lisa Page, another FBI lawyer.
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Potent Heroin Strain Invades Virginia
Police are issuing a warning over a potent strain of heroin mixed with deadly synthetic opioids that has killed six people over the past week in Northern Virginia.
Authorities in Fairfax County say the community has never seen an illicit opioid mixture this potent, calling the bad batch of heroin a threat to the “general public.” Officials say the heroin appears to be cut with both fentanyl, a synthetic opioid roughly 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine, and carfentanil, a fentanyl analog roughly 10,000 times more powerful than morphine used largely as an elephant tranquilizer, reports Inside Nova.
The Chris Atwood Foundation, a local nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness about addiction, is giving out free kits of the overdose reversal drug Narcan in Reston, Va., Friday evening to help residents guard against the threat. Fentanyl and carfentanil can be deadly to bystanders who accidentally breathe it in if the substance goes airborne.
“In my 20 years in narcotics, I have never seen anything like this,” said Second Lt. James Cox of the Organized Crime and Narcotics Division, according to Inside Nova. “Before this week, the highest number of opioid overdoses we had in a weekend was five, and fortunately, everyone lived.”
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Authorities in Fairfax County say the community has never seen an illicit opioid mixture this potent, calling the bad batch of heroin a threat to the “general public.” Officials say the heroin appears to be cut with both fentanyl, a synthetic opioid roughly 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine, and carfentanil, a fentanyl analog roughly 10,000 times more powerful than morphine used largely as an elephant tranquilizer, reports Inside Nova.
The Chris Atwood Foundation, a local nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness about addiction, is giving out free kits of the overdose reversal drug Narcan in Reston, Va., Friday evening to help residents guard against the threat. Fentanyl and carfentanil can be deadly to bystanders who accidentally breathe it in if the substance goes airborne.
“In my 20 years in narcotics, I have never seen anything like this,” said Second Lt. James Cox of the Organized Crime and Narcotics Division, according to Inside Nova. “Before this week, the highest number of opioid overdoses we had in a weekend was five, and fortunately, everyone lived.”
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Engelhard: Trump Delivers
Yes of course President Trump came through and delivered as promised on Jerusalem. He said he would.
He said he would name Jerusalem the capital of Israel (later the Embassy, but that’s just detail)…and skeptics beware. This man, this president, means what he says.
He’s a New Yorker. New Yorkers do not welch on a bet.
Speaking of which – I am owed. I intend to become rich from all the skeptics who bet against him…and me. I kept saying he’d do the right thing.
No one said it as often, nor as emphatically, as reporters and columnists throughout the pages of Arutz Sheva.
We knew it was coming, and it did. Indeed, mark Wednesday, December 6, 2017, 1 p.m., as a date that will live in glory between the two great powers of Liberty; the United States and Israel…owed largely through the grit and courage of this singular president, Donald Trump.
On capturing Jerusalem, King David did it his way, through might and through prayer; Trump did it his way, overcoming every obstacle in his path.
Oh how they whine…and what hypocrites!
Abbas says this move from Trump is an impediment to “the peace process.” Ditto some Muslim leaders as from Jordan and from Turkey…likewise France and the Europeans…and from the United States the Democrats and the Democratic-led news media. What a joke! There never was a peace process.
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He said he would name Jerusalem the capital of Israel (later the Embassy, but that’s just detail)…and skeptics beware. This man, this president, means what he says.
He’s a New Yorker. New Yorkers do not welch on a bet.
Speaking of which – I am owed. I intend to become rich from all the skeptics who bet against him…and me. I kept saying he’d do the right thing.
No one said it as often, nor as emphatically, as reporters and columnists throughout the pages of Arutz Sheva.
We knew it was coming, and it did. Indeed, mark Wednesday, December 6, 2017, 1 p.m., as a date that will live in glory between the two great powers of Liberty; the United States and Israel…owed largely through the grit and courage of this singular president, Donald Trump.
On capturing Jerusalem, King David did it his way, through might and through prayer; Trump did it his way, overcoming every obstacle in his path.
Oh how they whine…and what hypocrites!
Abbas says this move from Trump is an impediment to “the peace process.” Ditto some Muslim leaders as from Jordan and from Turkey…likewise France and the Europeans…and from the United States the Democrats and the Democratic-led news media. What a joke! There never was a peace process.
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Trooper Involved Shooting with Suspect Fatally Wounded-Dover
Dover - The Delaware State Police Homicide Unit is currently investigating a Trooper involved shooting in which a suspect was fatally wounded.
The initial investigation has determined that at approximately 3:11 a.m., Saturday, December 9, 2017, a Trooper assigned to Troop 3 in Camden, stopped a vehicle, on Fieldstone Court, in the area of Kenton Road, Dover.
The Trooper approached the vehicle, at which time the front seat passenger displayed a weapon, with an exchange of gunfire ensuing. The 16 year old, male suspect, was shot during the exchange, and succumbed to his injuries after being transported to an area hospital. The 18 year old male driver of the vehicle, sustained a gun shot wound to his leg and was treated and released from the hospital. A 15 year old rear seat passenger in the vehicle was uninjured as a result of the incident. The Trooper was also not injured.
The investigation is active and ongoing, with further details being released as they become available.
The initial investigation has determined that at approximately 3:11 a.m., Saturday, December 9, 2017, a Trooper assigned to Troop 3 in Camden, stopped a vehicle, on Fieldstone Court, in the area of Kenton Road, Dover.
The Trooper approached the vehicle, at which time the front seat passenger displayed a weapon, with an exchange of gunfire ensuing. The 16 year old, male suspect, was shot during the exchange, and succumbed to his injuries after being transported to an area hospital. The 18 year old male driver of the vehicle, sustained a gun shot wound to his leg and was treated and released from the hospital. A 15 year old rear seat passenger in the vehicle was uninjured as a result of the incident. The Trooper was also not injured.
The investigation is active and ongoing, with further details being released as they become available.
Recent ICE Arrests
ICE arrests 22 in northern Kentucky during an operation targeting criminal aliens and immigration fugitives
During this operation which ended Dec. 7, ERO deportation officers made arrests in the following Kentucky cities: Covington (9), Erlanger (1), Florence (6), Newport (4) and Walton (2). Of those arrested, 20 are men; two are women.
ICE arrests 27 in western Michigan operation targeting criminal aliens, illegal re-entrants and immigration violators
Criminal convictions of those arrested during the Michigan enforcement actions included, but are not limited to assault on a police officer or probation officer, larceny, assault and battery DUI, operating while intoxicated, domestic violence, disorderly person, failure to stop at the scene of an accident, public indecency, indecent exposure, retail fraud and welfare fraud.
During this operation which ended Dec. 7, ERO deportation officers made arrests in the following Kentucky cities: Covington (9), Erlanger (1), Florence (6), Newport (4) and Walton (2). Of those arrested, 20 are men; two are women.
ICE arrests 27 in western Michigan operation targeting criminal aliens, illegal re-entrants and immigration violators
Criminal convictions of those arrested during the Michigan enforcement actions included, but are not limited to assault on a police officer or probation officer, larceny, assault and battery DUI, operating while intoxicated, domestic violence, disorderly person, failure to stop at the scene of an accident, public indecency, indecent exposure, retail fraud and welfare fraud.
Did Democrats force Franken out to ramp up their strategy to bring down Trump?
In the comedy movie “Anchorman,” comedian Will Farrell advises his TV audience to “stay classy.” On Thursday, former “Saturday Night Live” comedian Al Franken didn’t follow that advice and resigned from the U.S. Senate in a particularly classless way.
Even after eight women told reporters that the Minnesota Democrat had groped or forcibly kissed them, Franken denied he had done anything wrong.
Franken said from the Senate floor that “some of the allegations are simply not true” and that he remembered other accusations differently. He then tried to wrap himself in a feminist flag by vowing he had always been a “champion of women” and saying “I respect women. I don’t respect men who don’t.”
Nonetheless, Franken announced he would resign from the Senate seat he’d held for eight years in coming weeks because he couldn’t defend himself before the Ethics Committee and at the same time focus on being a senator.
Pardon me for saying it, but that’s horsepucky.
What forced him into his sudden departure was the decision by his party’s leadership to sacrifice him so they could spend the next year before the midterm elections painting Republicans as waging a “war on women.”
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Even after eight women told reporters that the Minnesota Democrat had groped or forcibly kissed them, Franken denied he had done anything wrong.
Franken said from the Senate floor that “some of the allegations are simply not true” and that he remembered other accusations differently. He then tried to wrap himself in a feminist flag by vowing he had always been a “champion of women” and saying “I respect women. I don’t respect men who don’t.”
Nonetheless, Franken announced he would resign from the Senate seat he’d held for eight years in coming weeks because he couldn’t defend himself before the Ethics Committee and at the same time focus on being a senator.
Pardon me for saying it, but that’s horsepucky.
What forced him into his sudden departure was the decision by his party’s leadership to sacrifice him so they could spend the next year before the midterm elections painting Republicans as waging a “war on women.”
More
Justices to hear Maryland partisan gerrymander dispute
The Supreme Court is adding a dispute over Maryland’s congressional map to its consideration of partisan gerrymandering.
The justices on Friday agreed to hear an appeal from Republican voters who complained that majority Democrats unfairly drew one of the state’s eight congressional districts to favor their party. The high court already is weighing a statewide challenge to legislative districts in Wisconsin.
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The justices on Friday agreed to hear an appeal from Republican voters who complained that majority Democrats unfairly drew one of the state’s eight congressional districts to favor their party. The high court already is weighing a statewide challenge to legislative districts in Wisconsin.
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Franken's Real Resignation Strategy
Adding yet another classic episode to that long-running dog-and-donkey show known as the Democrat Party, yesterday Sen. Al Franken announced his resignation in a Senate floor speech. Franken both hinted at accepting blame and yet absolved himself of any guilt. He was railroaded, you see, a victim of the current cultural and political climate. Franken said, “I know in my heart that nothing I have done as a senator — nothing — has brought dishonor on this institution.” He intended the key words to be “as a senator,” but really, nothing dishonorable? Please. There was no mention of the fact that it was his own party calling for his head.
Franken also opined about the need to “believe women” while insisting that the accusations made against him by several women were “not true,” or that he remembered the encounters “very differently.” Ironically, he sought to paint himself as a champion of women, stating, “I am proud that, during my time in the Senate, I have used my power to be a champion for women — and that I have earned a reputation as someone who respects the women I work alongside every day. I know there’s been a very different picture of me painted over the last few weeks. But I know who I really am.”
So if this was true, then why resign?
More here
Franken also opined about the need to “believe women” while insisting that the accusations made against him by several women were “not true,” or that he remembered the encounters “very differently.” Ironically, he sought to paint himself as a champion of women, stating, “I am proud that, during my time in the Senate, I have used my power to be a champion for women — and that I have earned a reputation as someone who respects the women I work alongside every day. I know there’s been a very different picture of me painted over the last few weeks. But I know who I really am.”
So if this was true, then why resign?
More here
Deep State Drained: Top DOJ Official "Demoted" After Working With Fusion GPS To Push Trump Disinformation-Dossier
Another day, another startling revelation about operatives within the federal government who have specifically worked against the elected president, this one coming in the form of a top official at the Department of Justice being demoted after numerous “contacts” with the opposition research firm that was paid by the Clinton machine to dig up dirt on Donald Trump.
According to an exclusive Fox News report, Bruce G. Ohr held two titles at the DOJ before his demotion Wednesday morning which included associate deputy attorney general as well as director of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. As associate deputy attorney general his office was “four doors” down from his boss and allowed Ohr to be directly involved in the Trump-Russia investigation.
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According to an exclusive Fox News report, Bruce G. Ohr held two titles at the DOJ before his demotion Wednesday morning which included associate deputy attorney general as well as director of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. As associate deputy attorney general his office was “four doors” down from his boss and allowed Ohr to be directly involved in the Trump-Russia investigation.
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Fed’s Proposed Tip Sharing Changes Spark Concerns
OCEAN CITY — Under a federal rule change proposed this week by the Department of Labor (DOL), tipped employees could be required to pool their tips with their back-of-the-house co-workers or even their employers, a proposal that could have long-reaching repercussions in the resort area.
The Trump Administration’s DOL on Tuesday announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding the tip regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Under the proposed rule change, employers would essentially have the freedom to collect tips earned by front-line staff such as servers and bartenders and redistribute the tips to other workers such as cooks and dish washers, for example.
In simplest terms, an employer would be able to collect all of the tips earned by front-of-the-house staff and after ensuring the front-line servers are paid the federal minimum wage of $7.25, redistribute the rest of the tips to other workers. Essentially, the rule would allow employers to subsidize the pay of traditionally non-tipped employees on the backs of the tipped employees.
Proponents of the rule change applaud it as a means to reduce or eliminate disparity in wages that often exists between the tipped employees and non-tipped employees. Critics, however, call the proposed rule change a means for employers to pay non-tipped workers more and tipped workers less. Perhaps even more sinister, the rule change could allow employers to collect the tips and not appropriately distribute them to all employees but rather keep the earnings above minimum wage for themselves, some critics claim.
In either case, the proposed rule change could have long-ranging effects in resort communities such as Ocean City and its hospitality-based economy. With hundreds of restaurants, bars, hotels and other hospitality-based businesses, tips are flowing throughout the summer in Ocean City and the DOL’s proposed rule change announced this week could dramatically change how the earnings are redistributed.
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The Trump Administration’s DOL on Tuesday announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding the tip regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Under the proposed rule change, employers would essentially have the freedom to collect tips earned by front-line staff such as servers and bartenders and redistribute the tips to other workers such as cooks and dish washers, for example.
In simplest terms, an employer would be able to collect all of the tips earned by front-of-the-house staff and after ensuring the front-line servers are paid the federal minimum wage of $7.25, redistribute the rest of the tips to other workers. Essentially, the rule would allow employers to subsidize the pay of traditionally non-tipped employees on the backs of the tipped employees.
Proponents of the rule change applaud it as a means to reduce or eliminate disparity in wages that often exists between the tipped employees and non-tipped employees. Critics, however, call the proposed rule change a means for employers to pay non-tipped workers more and tipped workers less. Perhaps even more sinister, the rule change could allow employers to collect the tips and not appropriately distribute them to all employees but rather keep the earnings above minimum wage for themselves, some critics claim.
In either case, the proposed rule change could have long-ranging effects in resort communities such as Ocean City and its hospitality-based economy. With hundreds of restaurants, bars, hotels and other hospitality-based businesses, tips are flowing throughout the summer in Ocean City and the DOL’s proposed rule change announced this week could dramatically change how the earnings are redistributed.
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Collusion Conspiracy Continues To Collapse - Rep. Nunes Cleared In Russian Leak Probe
Nunes - chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, recused himself from the House investigation into Russian interference and alleged collusion with the Trump campaign, after he announced in March that President Trump's transition team was monitored by U.S. intelligence officials. Nunes immediately came under fire from Democrats who claimed he coordinated the bombshell announcement with the Trump campaign.
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Salary Increases Advised For Wicomico Elected Officials
SALISBURY – A countywide commission presented recommendations to the Wicomico County Council this week that would increase the salary of elected officials.
On Tuesday, the Wicomico County Compensation and Allowance Commission presented a report to the Wicomico County Council outlining a suggested salary increase for county executive, Wicomico County sheriff and county council positions.
Memo Diriker, chair of the commission, said the commission meets every four years to discuss and recommend potential salary changes for elected positions.
Currently, the county executive position is paid $85,000 a year, the sheriff is paid $95,000 a year, the council president is paid $18,000 a year, the council vice president is paid $17,000 a year and the remaining councilmembers are paid $16,000 a year.
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On Tuesday, the Wicomico County Compensation and Allowance Commission presented a report to the Wicomico County Council outlining a suggested salary increase for county executive, Wicomico County sheriff and county council positions.
Memo Diriker, chair of the commission, said the commission meets every four years to discuss and recommend potential salary changes for elected positions.
Currently, the county executive position is paid $85,000 a year, the sheriff is paid $95,000 a year, the council president is paid $18,000 a year, the council vice president is paid $17,000 a year and the remaining councilmembers are paid $16,000 a year.
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NAACP to Hold Separate Event in Mississippi to Avoid Trump
The NAACP announced Friday night it would hold a separate event in Mississippi Saturday while President Donald Trump goes to the opening of a civil rights museum.
NAACP head Derrick Johnson, Jackson's Democratic Mayor Chokwe Lumumba and Rep. Bernie Thompson, D-Miss., plan to hold a news conference Saturday morning in Jackson ahead of the president's museum visit, The Hill reported.
The civil rights advocates said their event was meant "to pay homage and recognition to those individuals who have dedicated their lives to the civil and human rights of Mississippians minus the presence of President Donald Trump," The Hill reported.
Johnson and Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., have already said they'd skip the opening event for the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum after Trump said he'd attend.
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NAACP head Derrick Johnson, Jackson's Democratic Mayor Chokwe Lumumba and Rep. Bernie Thompson, D-Miss., plan to hold a news conference Saturday morning in Jackson ahead of the president's museum visit, The Hill reported.
The civil rights advocates said their event was meant "to pay homage and recognition to those individuals who have dedicated their lives to the civil and human rights of Mississippians minus the presence of President Donald Trump," The Hill reported.
Johnson and Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., have already said they'd skip the opening event for the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum after Trump said he'd attend.
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Judge recuses in Michael Flynn case
The former Trump national security adviser will be sentenced by Clinton appointee Emmet Sullivan.
President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, will face a different judge to be sentenced than the one who took Flynn’s guilty plea to a felony false statement charge last week, court records show.
Judge Emmet Sullivan was randomly assigned to take over the case after Judge Rudolph Contreras recused himself.
A court spokeswoman confirmed to POLITICO that the reassignment was due to Contreras' recusal, but said the court generally does not disclose the reason that a judge begged off the case.
Sullivan is an appointee of President Bill Clinton, and Contreras was appointed by President Barack Obama.
Flynn pleaded guilty last Friday to a false statement charge brought by prosecutors from the office of special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating whether there was collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.
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President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, will face a different judge to be sentenced than the one who took Flynn’s guilty plea to a felony false statement charge last week, court records show.
Judge Emmet Sullivan was randomly assigned to take over the case after Judge Rudolph Contreras recused himself.
A court spokeswoman confirmed to POLITICO that the reassignment was due to Contreras' recusal, but said the court generally does not disclose the reason that a judge begged off the case.
Sullivan is an appointee of President Bill Clinton, and Contreras was appointed by President Barack Obama.
Flynn pleaded guilty last Friday to a false statement charge brought by prosecutors from the office of special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating whether there was collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.
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Nolte -- Flashback: WaPo Document Expert Said Forged Roy Moore Yearbook 'Consistent with One Writer'
Three weeks ago, in a partisan effort to dismiss what is now an admitted forgery, and what at the time was an obvious forgery, the left-wing Washington Post’s Philip Bump (already a provenliar) consulted former FBI agent Mark Songer, a forensics documents examiner, to examine a yearbook produced by one of Roy Moore’s accusers as evidence he assaulted her. The expertconcluded that the “writing seems consistent with one writer.”
The context of when Bump published this piece is important. If you recall, the Washington Post was the news outlet that first broke the story of the Moore allegations, and it was during this time that outside fact-checking of the Post‘s reporting revealed serious lapses, all them pointing to a Moore accuser who manufactured a false narrative.
But in a Friday morning interview on ABC’s Good Morning America, Beverly Young Nelson admitted that she had forged a portion of what she still claims (with no credibility) is truly Moore’s signature. The following exchange is crucially important if you are to understand just how dishonest the Washington Post is:
“Beverly, he signed your yearbook,” ABC News reporter Tom Llamas says.
“He did sign it,” she replies.
“And you made some notes underneath.”
“Yes,” Nelson admits.
The “notes underneath” she references are the following:
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The context of when Bump published this piece is important. If you recall, the Washington Post was the news outlet that first broke the story of the Moore allegations, and it was during this time that outside fact-checking of the Post‘s reporting revealed serious lapses, all them pointing to a Moore accuser who manufactured a false narrative.
But in a Friday morning interview on ABC’s Good Morning America, Beverly Young Nelson admitted that she had forged a portion of what she still claims (with no credibility) is truly Moore’s signature. The following exchange is crucially important if you are to understand just how dishonest the Washington Post is:
“Beverly, he signed your yearbook,” ABC News reporter Tom Llamas says.
“He did sign it,” she replies.
“And you made some notes underneath.”
“Yes,” Nelson admits.
The “notes underneath” she references are the following:
More
Tidalgate: Climate Alarmists Caught Faking Sea Level Rise
Alarmist scientists have been caught red-handed tampering with raw data in order to exaggerate sea level rise.
The raw (unadjusted) data from three Indian Ocean gauges – Aden, Karachi and Mumbai – showed that local sea level trends in the last 140 years had been very gently rising, neutral or negative (ie sea levels had fallen).
But after the evidence had been adjusted by tidal records gatekeepers at the global databank Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL) it suddenly showed a sharp and dramatic rise.
The whistle was blown by two Australian scientists Dr. Albert Parker and Dr. Clifford Ollier in a paper for Earth Systems and Environment.
The paper – Is the Sea Level Stable at Aden, Yemen? – examines the discrepancies between raw and adjusted sea level data in Aden, Karachi and Mumbai.
Kenneth Richard at No Tricks Zone reports:
The raw (unadjusted) data from three Indian Ocean gauges – Aden, Karachi and Mumbai – showed that local sea level trends in the last 140 years had been very gently rising, neutral or negative (ie sea levels had fallen).
But after the evidence had been adjusted by tidal records gatekeepers at the global databank Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL) it suddenly showed a sharp and dramatic rise.
The whistle was blown by two Australian scientists Dr. Albert Parker and Dr. Clifford Ollier in a paper for Earth Systems and Environment.
The paper – Is the Sea Level Stable at Aden, Yemen? – examines the discrepancies between raw and adjusted sea level data in Aden, Karachi and Mumbai.
Kenneth Richard at No Tricks Zone reports:
Sex scandal storm about to get worse for Congress, amid calls to nix 'hush fund': 'It's coming'
The resignation of two powerful Democratic lawmakers and a socially conservative Republican this week is unlikely to stop the wave of sexual misconduct allegations crashing against the U.S. Capitol – in fact, more names could soon emerge as pressure mounts to nix the secret settlements that have kept these incidents under wraps for years.
Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-Va., said she was surprised at how many allegations are just now surfacing but hinted to Fox News that there could be more -- many more -- coming in the next few weeks.
“The seriousness of it is different now. I do think this is a watershed moment,” she told Fox News. “It didn’t matter where you came down politically, a predator is a predator.”
“Shame on us for not having addressed this sooner.”- Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif.
The allegations and repercussions are coming at a rapid clip, as the post-Weinstein reckoning rips through Congress.
On Thursday, Minnesota Democratic Sen. Al Franken said he was stepping down after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct. In Franken’s case, three-dozen members of his own party demanded he leave.
Later that night, Arizona Republican Rep. Trent Franks announced he would resign, reportedly following a backlash for asking two female staffers to be a surrogate to bear his child.
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Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-Va., said she was surprised at how many allegations are just now surfacing but hinted to Fox News that there could be more -- many more -- coming in the next few weeks.
“The seriousness of it is different now. I do think this is a watershed moment,” she told Fox News. “It didn’t matter where you came down politically, a predator is a predator.”
“Shame on us for not having addressed this sooner.”- Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif.
The allegations and repercussions are coming at a rapid clip, as the post-Weinstein reckoning rips through Congress.
On Thursday, Minnesota Democratic Sen. Al Franken said he was stepping down after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct. In Franken’s case, three-dozen members of his own party demanded he leave.
Later that night, Arizona Republican Rep. Trent Franks announced he would resign, reportedly following a backlash for asking two female staffers to be a surrogate to bear his child.
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http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/12/08/sex-scandal-storm-about-to-get-worse-for-congress-amid-calls-to-nix-hush-fund-its-coming.html
Blackwater Founder Erik Prince: Obama Put Me Under "Illegal" Surveillance and Leaked It To WaPo
Blackwater USA founder Erik Prince blasted the US Intelligence community for a "political abuse of the intelligence infrastructure" after leaking information on his whereabouts to the Washington Post. The former Navy SEAL and brother of Trump's Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos, made the comments during his November 30 testimony in front of the House Intelligence Committee, according to transcriptsreleased Wednesday.
Committee members asked Prince about a business trip to the Indian Ocean country of Seychelles for a summit with United Arab Emirates business associates, with Congressman Tom Rooney (R-FL) claiming "there's an inference that you are acting on behalf of the Russian -- or the Trump campaign and meeting with Russian people."
During the January 11, 2017 Sychelles meeting, Prince said he was introduced to Russian fund manager, Kirill Dmitriev, who he spoke with for approximately 30 minutes at the bar. Prince made it clear that he has had very little to do with the Trump campaign aside from donating money, attending fundraisers, and writing "some papers on different foreign policy positions" which he gave to Steve Bannon.
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Committee members asked Prince about a business trip to the Indian Ocean country of Seychelles for a summit with United Arab Emirates business associates, with Congressman Tom Rooney (R-FL) claiming "there's an inference that you are acting on behalf of the Russian -- or the Trump campaign and meeting with Russian people."
During the January 11, 2017 Sychelles meeting, Prince said he was introduced to Russian fund manager, Kirill Dmitriev, who he spoke with for approximately 30 minutes at the bar. Prince made it clear that he has had very little to do with the Trump campaign aside from donating money, attending fundraisers, and writing "some papers on different foreign policy positions" which he gave to Steve Bannon.
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Tickets to NFL games going for under $5
But temperature at Buffalo stadium supposed to be about 30 degrees
(CBS Sports) If you’ve ever wanted to go to an NFL game and you have five dollars in your pocket, then this is the perfect week to do it.
As of Thursday afternoon, there are actual NFL tickets that are selling on the secondary market for under five dollars. Of course, like all good deals, these tickets do come with a catch: You need to live near Buffalo, have a high tolerance for cold weather and be willing to sit through three hours of a Colts-Bills game.
Source
(CBS Sports) If you’ve ever wanted to go to an NFL game and you have five dollars in your pocket, then this is the perfect week to do it.
As of Thursday afternoon, there are actual NFL tickets that are selling on the secondary market for under five dollars. Of course, like all good deals, these tickets do come with a catch: You need to live near Buffalo, have a high tolerance for cold weather and be willing to sit through three hours of a Colts-Bills game.
Source
FBI: Deep State Collusion
If you thought it was bad that an FBI agent involved in the Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump and Michael Flynn investigations was sending pro-Hillary texts to his mistress, an FBI lawyer, while editing legally vital language regarding Clinton’s email scandal, the latest revelation may be even worse.
Fox News’ James Rosen reports that the FBI’s Bruce Ohr “was demoted this week amid an ongoing investigation into his contacts with the opposition research firm responsible for the anti-Trump ‘dossier.’” That would be the fake Clinton-funded dossier that got the ball rolling with the whole Trump/Russia collusion nonsense, which in turn led to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. The same dossier the FBI considered underwriting.
Rosen adds, “Ohr met during the 2016 campaign with Christopher Steele, the former British spy who authored the ‘dossier.’ … Additionally, House investigators have determined that Ohr met shortly after the election with Glenn Simpson, the founder of Fusion GPS — the opposition research firm that hired Steele to compile the dossier with funds supplied by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee.”
Who is Ohr? Byron York notes, “The department’s Bruce Ohr, a career official, served as associate deputy attorney general at the time of the campaign.
More here
Fox News’ James Rosen reports that the FBI’s Bruce Ohr “was demoted this week amid an ongoing investigation into his contacts with the opposition research firm responsible for the anti-Trump ‘dossier.’” That would be the fake Clinton-funded dossier that got the ball rolling with the whole Trump/Russia collusion nonsense, which in turn led to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. The same dossier the FBI considered underwriting.
Rosen adds, “Ohr met during the 2016 campaign with Christopher Steele, the former British spy who authored the ‘dossier.’ … Additionally, House investigators have determined that Ohr met shortly after the election with Glenn Simpson, the founder of Fusion GPS — the opposition research firm that hired Steele to compile the dossier with funds supplied by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee.”
Who is Ohr? Byron York notes, “The department’s Bruce Ohr, a career official, served as associate deputy attorney general at the time of the campaign.
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Retiring Dem Rep. Gutierrez Paid Wife $430,000 From Campaign Funds Over Past Seven Years
Democratic Rep. Luis Gutierrez (Ill.), who announced last week that he will not seek reelection after spending 24 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, will no longer be able to pay his wife hundreds of thousands of dollars from campaign funds once he officially departs from Congress.
Soraida Gutierrez, his wife, has collected more than $430,000 from Gutierrez for Congress, Luis's campaign committee, since 2010. Soraida is the top recipient of expenditures this year.
Soraida, who was a registered lobbyist in Illinois prior to appearing on the campaign's payroll, has been listed as the campaign's office manager, fundraiser, and treasurer for the past seven years.
Gutierrez's campaign committee has reported $77,838.69 in operating expenditures from the beginning of January to the end of September. Soraida has received seven checks for $6,000 each—or $42,000 total—during this time, meaning that she has collected more than half of his campaign's disbursements.
Despite Soraida being paid generously for fundraising services from the campaign, the committee has raised only $2,812.86 in total individual contributions this year.
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Soraida Gutierrez, his wife, has collected more than $430,000 from Gutierrez for Congress, Luis's campaign committee, since 2010. Soraida is the top recipient of expenditures this year.
Soraida, who was a registered lobbyist in Illinois prior to appearing on the campaign's payroll, has been listed as the campaign's office manager, fundraiser, and treasurer for the past seven years.
Gutierrez's campaign committee has reported $77,838.69 in operating expenditures from the beginning of January to the end of September. Soraida has received seven checks for $6,000 each—or $42,000 total—during this time, meaning that she has collected more than half of his campaign's disbursements.
Despite Soraida being paid generously for fundraising services from the campaign, the committee has raised only $2,812.86 in total individual contributions this year.
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Report: Never Trump Ex-Jeb Bush Staffer Admits Planting Anti-Roy Moore Story in Washington Post
A Friday Big League Politics report claims Tim Miller, a Republican operative prominent in the “Never Trump” movement, helped pitch the Washington Post story in which the first allegations of sexual misconduct nearly 40 years ago were made against Alabama GOP senatorial nominee Roy Moore.
The report contains screenshots of what are alleged to be text messages between Miller and conservative publisher Charles C. Johnson of GotNews.com. The texts show Miller insulting Judge Moore’s fitness for office and bragging about how “Beth” is “good to work with.” He is implied to be referring to Beth Reinhard, one of the two authors of the original Washington Post story.
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The report contains screenshots of what are alleged to be text messages between Miller and conservative publisher Charles C. Johnson of GotNews.com. The texts show Miller insulting Judge Moore’s fitness for office and bragging about how “Beth” is “good to work with.” He is implied to be referring to Beth Reinhard, one of the two authors of the original Washington Post story.
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LEGENDARY COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER 12-9-17
The Country House/Manhattan Shirt Factory
Shortly after building his own house and showcasing his talents, my grandfather began to establish himself as someone who could build a fine building. By 1929, he was finished with residential construction and formed a company that employed about 10 men. This figure surged occasionally if the size of the job warranted hiring extra men. He had very definite ideas about just how things were to be done and this was never more in evidence than in the following chain of events.
Only once did he attempt to grow large enough to have two crews and attempt to undertake the construction of two buildings at once. One of the two new projects was the Manhattan Shirt Factory on East Main Street in Salisbury. This is now the home of The Country House and is a rather sizable structure.
He started out on this job early one Friday morning. The footer had been put down and construction of the wall was ready to begin. Once he had given his foreman his instructions, he proceeded on to the second job site. Having worked on this all morning and seeing things were progressing as he wished; he went home for lunch and afterwards went back to the Manhattan building.
At this point things went steadily downhill. Apparently the foreman had decided on his own to make a change in the way the wall was constructed. My grandfather asked why he had done this and the foreman said that he thought it should be done differently than the way my grandfather had instructed him. At this juncture my grandfather told him that he didn’t pay him to think – just to do what he was told. One word led to another and my grandfather ended up by firing him and paying him off for the week. Some of the other workers took sides with the foreman and he repeated the scenario of firing the dissenters and paying them off – in cash out of his pocket, all the while kicking down the offending wall. Like some kind of wildfire, the remaining men saw that this was the opportunity to get off work early, get their money, spend a couple of hours in the bar, and still be home on time. The pervasive thought was that since there were a limited number of qualified men in the construction field, he would have to hire them back on Monday morning. He got down to one man who hadn’t said a word. My grandfather asked him, “How about you?”. To which the man replied, “You’s de boss, Capt. Albert”. At that, my grandfather said he’d see him Monday morning.
Now he was left with quite a dilemma. But with the same determination that had gotten him into this situation, he set out to solve it. He told me that he spent the next 48 hours going to every outlying community around Salisbury and finally finding enough men to finish the job. It should be pointed out here that he had fired 63 out of 64 men that worked for him and paid every one of them a week’s wages out of his pocket. Some of the 63 straggled back to the job on Monday morning, but he never flinched and finished the job without hiring any of them back. He did say that he used some of them on later jobs, but not on the Manhattan Shirt Factory.
Supreme Court to take up Maryland redistricting case
The Supreme Court's decision to take up Benisek v. Lamone marks the second time it has added a partisan gerrymandering case to this term's calendar.
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Boston Herald declares Bankruptcy, to be Sold ?
BOSTON — The Boston Herald is declaring bankruptcy and has agreed to be sold to GateHouse Media.
Amid teary eyes in the newsroom, the daily newspaper founded in 1846 announced Friday it filed a voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition in Delaware. Publisher Patrick Purcell didn’t disclose the sale price but said the purchase is subject to court approval.
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Amid teary eyes in the newsroom, the daily newspaper founded in 1846 announced Friday it filed a voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition in Delaware. Publisher Patrick Purcell didn’t disclose the sale price but said the purchase is subject to court approval.
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TRIGGERED! Liberals To BAN Cheering And Clapping Because Of Who It Offends
Liberals like to think that the are helping marginalized communities with the rules and laws and bans, but the reality is that they have solutions that are in search of problems. They have some of the worst ideas regarding how to make people feel included, and it makes the rest of us roll our eyes so hard that it hurts.
Now, “whooping” and “clapping” are up for debate at the National Union of Student, who feel like actions “exclude deaf people.” Because apparently deaf people don’t have hands? Perhaps I’m incorrect on what being deaf actually entails.
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Juanita Broaddrick rips Time's 'silence breakers' snub: 'I didn't fit in their liberal victim mold'
Juanita Broaddrick will not stay quiet regarding Time magazine’s “silence breakers” piece on the #MeToo movement.
Time featured a slew of famous faces for its annual “Person of the Year” issue — those who bring awareness to sexual assault collectively captured the distinction — but Ms. Broaddrick says her contributions were conspicuously left out.
The woman who has maintained for decades that former President Bill Clinton raped her in Arkansas when she was 35 years old says her message for Time’s editors veered from the “liberal victim mold.”
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Time featured a slew of famous faces for its annual “Person of the Year” issue — those who bring awareness to sexual assault collectively captured the distinction — but Ms. Broaddrick says her contributions were conspicuously left out.
The woman who has maintained for decades that former President Bill Clinton raped her in Arkansas when she was 35 years old says her message for Time’s editors veered from the “liberal victim mold.”
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Pentagon Announces First-Ever Audit Of The Department Of Defense
"The Defense Department is starting the first agency-wide financial audit in its history," the Pentagon's news service says, announcing that it's undertaking an immense task that has been sought, promised and delayed for years.
Of the tally that is starting this week, chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana W. White said, "It demonstrates our commitment to fiscal responsibility and maximizing the value of every taxpayer dollar that is entrusted to us."
"Beginning in 2018, our audits will occur annually, with reports issued Nov. 15," the Defense Department's comptroller, David L. Norquist, said.
The Defense Department has famously never been audited, despite receiving hundreds of billions of dollars annually and having more than $2.2 trillion in assets.
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Of the tally that is starting this week, chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana W. White said, "It demonstrates our commitment to fiscal responsibility and maximizing the value of every taxpayer dollar that is entrusted to us."
"Beginning in 2018, our audits will occur annually, with reports issued Nov. 15," the Defense Department's comptroller, David L. Norquist, said.
The Defense Department has famously never been audited, despite receiving hundreds of billions of dollars annually and having more than $2.2 trillion in assets.
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University of Baltimore - Rolls out Furlough Plan
Faced with falling enrollment, the University of Baltimore has cut nearly 400 employees’ salaries to save money.
The school made the cuts by furloughing workers — requiring them to take time off without pay — as part of a larger effort to reduce costs that includes a hiring freeze, out-of-state travel restrictions and limits on departmental spending.
The university announced the furlough plan at the start of the fall semester. It requires both faculty and staff members to take a certain number of unpaid days off, based on their salary level. Those making between $80,000 and $100,000, for example, must take six furlough days reducing their pay by 2.3 percent.
“Everybody is upset that we’re having furloughs,” said Stephanie Gibson, vice president of the University Faculty Senate. “Nobody wants to see the university suffer in a way that’s irreparable, but people are irritated and angry that we’re having to give up pay.”
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The school made the cuts by furloughing workers — requiring them to take time off without pay — as part of a larger effort to reduce costs that includes a hiring freeze, out-of-state travel restrictions and limits on departmental spending.
The university announced the furlough plan at the start of the fall semester. It requires both faculty and staff members to take a certain number of unpaid days off, based on their salary level. Those making between $80,000 and $100,000, for example, must take six furlough days reducing their pay by 2.3 percent.
“Everybody is upset that we’re having furloughs,” said Stephanie Gibson, vice president of the University Faculty Senate. “Nobody wants to see the university suffer in a way that’s irreparable, but people are irritated and angry that we’re having to give up pay.”
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I Can't Believe This Quote From An NBC Reporter This Morning
Snow Emergency Lifted
Effective 12-9-17 at 8 am, the Maryland State Police Berlin Barrack in Worcester County in conjunction with local agencies and the State Highway Administration will be lifting the Snow Emergency Plan.
Please use caution on roadways in and around the Worcester County area. Be mindful of black ice at night and try to limit travel after dark.
Please use caution on roadways in and around the Worcester County area. Be mindful of black ice at night and try to limit travel after dark.
‘Fake News’: Provocative billboard claims the Gospel isn’t true
The American Atheists group has continued an annual tradition by putting up billboards in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, that state “Just Skip Church… It’s All Fake News” alongside an image of the Christian nativity scene.
An attempt to put up two of the same signs in Oklahoma was stymied by the billboard company.
Nick Fish, a spokesman for American Atheists, claimed the signs aren’t meant to offend, but to spark a dialogue by adding a topical tag line.
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York: Dossier author was in contact with Obama Justice Department
It's been 10 months since Washington learned that former British spy Christopher Steele, author of the so-called "Trump dossier," took the Hillary Clinton-funded opposition research document to the FBI, which considered sponsoring the anti-Trump work at the height of the 2016 presidential campaign. Now, congressional investigators have made what is perhaps an even more consequential discovery: Knowledge of the dossier project, during the campaign, extended into the highest levels of the Obama Justice Department.
The department's Bruce Ohr, a career official, served as associate deputy attorney general at the time of the campaign. That placed him just below the deputy attorney general, Sally Yates, who ran the day-to-day operations of the department. In 2016, Ohr's office was just steps away from Yates, who was later fired for defying President Trump's initial travel ban executive order and still later became a prominent anti-Trump voice upon leaving the Justice Department.
Unbeknownst to investigators until recently, Ohr knew Steele and had repeated contacts with Steele when Steele was working on the dossier. Ohr also met after the election with Glenn Simpson, head of Fusion GPS, the opposition research company that was paid by the Clinton campaign to compile the dossier.
More here
The department's Bruce Ohr, a career official, served as associate deputy attorney general at the time of the campaign. That placed him just below the deputy attorney general, Sally Yates, who ran the day-to-day operations of the department. In 2016, Ohr's office was just steps away from Yates, who was later fired for defying President Trump's initial travel ban executive order and still later became a prominent anti-Trump voice upon leaving the Justice Department.
Unbeknownst to investigators until recently, Ohr knew Steele and had repeated contacts with Steele when Steele was working on the dossier. Ohr also met after the election with Glenn Simpson, head of Fusion GPS, the opposition research company that was paid by the Clinton campaign to compile the dossier.
More here
Two Off-Duty Law Enforcement Officers Killed At Crash Scene In Montgomery Co.
(ROCKVILLE, MD) – Two off-duty law enforcement officers were killed last night when they were struck while standing on the shoulder of I-270 in Montgomery County at the scene of a traffic crash.
The identifications of the victims and their law enforcement agencies will be released later today, after families have been notified. The Maryland State Police investigation is continuing and details are incomplete at this time.
The preliminary investigation indicates that at about 10:00 p.m. yesterday, an off-duty law enforcement officer called the Maryland State Police Rockville Barrack and reported he was out with what appeared to be a single-vehicle traffic crash in the fast lane of southbound I-270, north of Gude Drive. He requested assistance and blocked the approach to the damaged vehicles with his personal vehicle and activated his emergency flashers. His actions placed him in an official capacity at that time.
Upon contacting the driver of the damaged vehicle, the law enforcement officer learned the driver was also in law enforcement. Both men moved to the shoulder of the fast lane, where they were standing when a southbound vehicle approached the scene.
The investigation indicates the southbound vehicle swerved to the left, apparently to avoid the vehicles in lane one and struck both men on the shoulder. Both men were thrown over the jersey wall to the northbound side of I-270, where it appears at least one of them was struck by a northbound vehicle.
One victim was pronounced dead at the scene. The other was transported to Suburban Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The driver and one passenger in the vehicle that struck the men were taken to Suburban Hospital. A second passenger in that car was taken to Shady Grove Hospital. The driver of the northbound vehicle that struck one of the men reported no injuries.
There is no preliminary indication of alcohol involvement in these crashes. The causes of the initial and subsequent crashes remain under investigation by the Maryland State Police Crash Team.
No charges have been filed at this time. Upon completion of the investigation, it will be presented to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office for review.
The identifications of the victims and their law enforcement agencies will be released later today, after families have been notified. The Maryland State Police investigation is continuing and details are incomplete at this time.
The preliminary investigation indicates that at about 10:00 p.m. yesterday, an off-duty law enforcement officer called the Maryland State Police Rockville Barrack and reported he was out with what appeared to be a single-vehicle traffic crash in the fast lane of southbound I-270, north of Gude Drive. He requested assistance and blocked the approach to the damaged vehicles with his personal vehicle and activated his emergency flashers. His actions placed him in an official capacity at that time.
Upon contacting the driver of the damaged vehicle, the law enforcement officer learned the driver was also in law enforcement. Both men moved to the shoulder of the fast lane, where they were standing when a southbound vehicle approached the scene.
The investigation indicates the southbound vehicle swerved to the left, apparently to avoid the vehicles in lane one and struck both men on the shoulder. Both men were thrown over the jersey wall to the northbound side of I-270, where it appears at least one of them was struck by a northbound vehicle.
One victim was pronounced dead at the scene. The other was transported to Suburban Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The driver and one passenger in the vehicle that struck the men were taken to Suburban Hospital. A second passenger in that car was taken to Shady Grove Hospital. The driver of the northbound vehicle that struck one of the men reported no injuries.
There is no preliminary indication of alcohol involvement in these crashes. The causes of the initial and subsequent crashes remain under investigation by the Maryland State Police Crash Team.
No charges have been filed at this time. Upon completion of the investigation, it will be presented to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office for review.
A summit ‘that will live in infamy’
It’s called the 2017 Factory Farm Summit.
It will convene on Thursday, Dec. 7 — a day in history when the citizens of the United States had truly world-shaking things on their minds — for four days of poultry industry bashing.
The summit will be hosted by an organization called the Socially Responsible Agricultural Project and eight co-sponsors, including the Assateague Coastal Trust.
Socially Responsible Agricultural Project fancies itself, apparently, as the nation’s leading opponent of what are Confined Animal Feeding Operations.
CAFOs translate into “factory farms” and SRAP — the initialization of the name is theirs, not ours — has chosen to book its summit in the poultry heartland of Delmarva.
Its invitation to attend includes this enticement:
“Throughout rural America, factory farms are expanding at an unprecedented rate. As a direct result, the air in rural communities is increasingly polluted, local waterways and wells are fouled, and farmers and rural residents are finding themselves in a position of fighting for their homes, their businesses, and rural quality of life. … The event will be an opportunity to network, workshop, and learn new ways to stop the expansion of factory farms and hold bad-actor operations accountable for their pollution.”
It will convene on Thursday, Dec. 7 — a day in history when the citizens of the United States had truly world-shaking things on their minds — for four days of poultry industry bashing.
The summit will be hosted by an organization called the Socially Responsible Agricultural Project and eight co-sponsors, including the Assateague Coastal Trust.
Socially Responsible Agricultural Project fancies itself, apparently, as the nation’s leading opponent of what are Confined Animal Feeding Operations.
CAFOs translate into “factory farms” and SRAP — the initialization of the name is theirs, not ours — has chosen to book its summit in the poultry heartland of Delmarva.
Its invitation to attend includes this enticement:
“Throughout rural America, factory farms are expanding at an unprecedented rate. As a direct result, the air in rural communities is increasingly polluted, local waterways and wells are fouled, and farmers and rural residents are finding themselves in a position of fighting for their homes, their businesses, and rural quality of life. … The event will be an opportunity to network, workshop, and learn new ways to stop the expansion of factory farms and hold bad-actor operations accountable for their pollution.”
Rep. Jordan: Did FBI Use 'National Enquirer Garbage' Dossier to Spy on Americans?
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein will face tough questioning by the House Judiciary Committee over whether he took "this National Enquirer garbage" dossier about President Donald Trump and used it as a basis of securing warrants to spy on Americans, Rep. Jim Jordan, said Friday, after pressing FBI Director Christopher Wray on the same questions Thursday.
"They can give us what they took to the FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) court," the Ohio Republican told Fox News' Harris Faulkner on her "Outnumbered Overtime" program. "Mr. Rosenstein will be there next week, we'll ask him some of the same type of questions ... let the Congress see if, in fact, he took this National Enquirer garbage so-called dossier, if you use that as the basis of securing warrants to spy on Americans. Let us know if that happened or not. I think it did."
The dossier was financed in part, Jordan pointed out, by Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, which paid the law firm connected with a former MI-6 British agent, Christopher Steele, who obtained the document from Russians.
"It's opposition research, paid for by the Democratic National Committee," Jordan said. "Was the FBI working with that Democrat National Committee to take this document, dress it up, take it to the court so they can go after the other party's campaign and other party's nominee. That is as wrong as it gets. Everything points on that. It looks like that's what took place."
More here
"They can give us what they took to the FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) court," the Ohio Republican told Fox News' Harris Faulkner on her "Outnumbered Overtime" program. "Mr. Rosenstein will be there next week, we'll ask him some of the same type of questions ... let the Congress see if, in fact, he took this National Enquirer garbage so-called dossier, if you use that as the basis of securing warrants to spy on Americans. Let us know if that happened or not. I think it did."
The dossier was financed in part, Jordan pointed out, by Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, which paid the law firm connected with a former MI-6 British agent, Christopher Steele, who obtained the document from Russians.
"It's opposition research, paid for by the Democratic National Committee," Jordan said. "Was the FBI working with that Democrat National Committee to take this document, dress it up, take it to the court so they can go after the other party's campaign and other party's nominee. That is as wrong as it gets. Everything points on that. It looks like that's what took place."
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WaPo China Propaganda Insert Ignores ICBM
The Washington Post once again published Chinese propaganda Wednesday, a day after North Korea launched another intercontinental ballistic missile. The “news” China paid to insert in WaPo did not mention the launch.
China Watch, a Chinese-funded publication that pays for newspaper-like inserts in WaPo, has repeatedly ignored major Chinese news to paint a rosy picture of Beijing’s relations with Washington. The supplement doesn’t indicate its deadline.
The insert identifies itself as “an advertising supplement to The Washington Post” that is “prepared by China Daily, People’s Republic of China.” The insert also states the publication “did not involve the news or editorial departments of The Washington Post.”
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China Watch, a Chinese-funded publication that pays for newspaper-like inserts in WaPo, has repeatedly ignored major Chinese news to paint a rosy picture of Beijing’s relations with Washington. The supplement doesn’t indicate its deadline.
The insert identifies itself as “an advertising supplement to The Washington Post” that is “prepared by China Daily, People’s Republic of China.” The insert also states the publication “did not involve the news or editorial departments of The Washington Post.”
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Alcohol Related Collision involving MSP Departmental Vehicle
Type of Incident: Motor Vehicle Collision/ Departmental Collision- Impaired Driver
Date and Time: 12/09/17 at 0035 hrs.
Location: N/B MD Rt. 589 at Gum Point Rd., Berlin, Worcester County, MD
Vehicles: Veh#1 1997 Chevrolet Blazer, Denver Alan Shoemaker (33), Berlin, MD
Veh#2 2014 Chevrolet Caprice (Marked MSP Patrol Vehicle), TFC T. Moore
Accused: Suspect ( At Fault )/ Driver Vehicle #1: Denver Alan Shoemaker (33), Berlin, MD
Narrative: On 12/9/17 at approximately 0035 hrs., TFC Moore of the Maryland State Police Berlin Barrack was investigating a single motor vehicle collision northbound on MD Rt. 589 at Gum Point Rd. Berlin, Worcester County, Maryland. During the course of this investigation, TFC Moore arrested the at fault driver of this collision for DUI related offenses. The suspect was secured via a seatbelt in the right front passenger’s seat of TFC Moore’s assigned marked MSP patrol vehicle. The emergency lights on the marked patrol vehicle were activated as TFC Moore sat in his patrol vehicle and awaited the arrival of a tow vehicle to remove the suspect’s vehicle from a ditch.
During this time, TFC Moore’s assigned patrol vehicle was struck from the rear by a 1997 Chevrolet Blazer owned and operated by Denver Alan Shoemaker of Berlin, MD causing significant damage to both vehicles. During the course of this collision investigation, Shoemaker displayed signs of impairment and after submitting to field sobriety testing was ultimately arrested for DUI/DWI.
Shoemaker was processed and taken before a District Court Commissioner charged with negligent driving and DUI related offenses where he was released on his own recognizance.
All individuals refused medical treatment. Investigation is ongoing.
Disposition: Seen by District Court Commissioner, released on personal recognizance.
Date and Time: 12/09/17 at 0035 hrs.
Location: N/B MD Rt. 589 at Gum Point Rd., Berlin, Worcester County, MD
Vehicles: Veh#1 1997 Chevrolet Blazer, Denver Alan Shoemaker (33), Berlin, MD
Veh#2 2014 Chevrolet Caprice (Marked MSP Patrol Vehicle), TFC T. Moore
Accused: Suspect ( At Fault )/ Driver Vehicle #1: Denver Alan Shoemaker (33), Berlin, MD
Narrative: On 12/9/17 at approximately 0035 hrs., TFC Moore of the Maryland State Police Berlin Barrack was investigating a single motor vehicle collision northbound on MD Rt. 589 at Gum Point Rd. Berlin, Worcester County, Maryland. During the course of this investigation, TFC Moore arrested the at fault driver of this collision for DUI related offenses. The suspect was secured via a seatbelt in the right front passenger’s seat of TFC Moore’s assigned marked MSP patrol vehicle. The emergency lights on the marked patrol vehicle were activated as TFC Moore sat in his patrol vehicle and awaited the arrival of a tow vehicle to remove the suspect’s vehicle from a ditch.
During this time, TFC Moore’s assigned patrol vehicle was struck from the rear by a 1997 Chevrolet Blazer owned and operated by Denver Alan Shoemaker of Berlin, MD causing significant damage to both vehicles. During the course of this collision investigation, Shoemaker displayed signs of impairment and after submitting to field sobriety testing was ultimately arrested for DUI/DWI.
Shoemaker was processed and taken before a District Court Commissioner charged with negligent driving and DUI related offenses where he was released on his own recognizance.
All individuals refused medical treatment. Investigation is ongoing.
Disposition: Seen by District Court Commissioner, released on personal recognizance.
No Live Nativity Scene in Washington, DC this year
The Supreme Court has ruled that there cannot be a Live Nativity Scene on Capitol Hill this Christmas season.
This isn't for any religious reason. They simply have not been able to find Three Wise Men in the Nation's Capital.
A search for a virgin also continues.
There was no problem, however, finding enough asses to fill the stable.
This isn't for any religious reason. They simply have not been able to find Three Wise Men in the Nation's Capital.
A search for a virgin also continues.
There was no problem, however, finding enough asses to fill the stable.
FORMER PEROUTKA CAMPAIGN MANAGER SUES STATE OVER MARYLAND REGISTERED VOTER LIST
Dennis Fusaro, a former campaign manager for Anne Arundel County Councilman Michael Peroutka, has filed a federal lawsuit seeking access to the Maryland voter registration list, saying denial of that list violates his free speech rights. The lawsuit was filed Monday in the United States District Court with help from the Pillar of Law Institute and the Garza Law Firm. The pillar is a free speech advocacy group that represented Fusaro when he was on trial for robocalls made during Peroutka’s campaign for County Council.
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Baltimore City Council considers tax hikes to pay for affordable housing
In a city where many struggle to make monthly rent payments, the Baltimore City Council is considering raising taxes on property sales and inheritances to provide $10 million annually for affordable housing.
City Councilman Bill Henry submitted legislation Thursday to raise the recording fee by 20 percent and and transfer taxes by 17 percent, respectively, to provide a “sustainable revenue source” for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund — a new fund created by the voters that currently has no money in it.
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City Councilman Bill Henry submitted legislation Thursday to raise the recording fee by 20 percent and and transfer taxes by 17 percent, respectively, to provide a “sustainable revenue source” for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund — a new fund created by the voters that currently has no money in it.
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Crackdown Comes To Wall Street: Morgan Stanley Fires Harold Ford Jr Over Alleged Sexual Misconduct
Ten years after leaving Congress, Harold Ford Jr could be the canary in the coal-mine for Wall Street as the global awakening to sexual abuse strikes a bulge-bracket bank.
Harold Ford Jr. “has been terminated for conduct inconsistent with our values and in violation of our policies,” Morgan Stanley spokeswoman Michele Davis said in a statement to Bloomberg News.
Huffington Post reports that the bank’s human resources department investigated claims he harassed a woman he met in a professional capacity.
In two interviews with HuffPost, the woman alleged that Ford engaged in harassment, intimidation, and forcibly grabbed her one evening in Manhattan, leading her to seek aid from a building security guard. The incident took place several years ago when Ford and the woman were supposed to be meeting for professional reasons. Ford continued to contact her after the encounter until she wrote an email asking him to cease contact.
The email, which was reviewed by HuffPost, shows that the woman emailed Ford after he repeatedly asked her to drinks. She asked him not to contact her anymore, citing his inappropriate conduct the evening where he forcibly grabbed and harassed her. Ford replied to the email by apologizing and agreeing not to contact her.
HuffPost is not identifying the woman at her request but has reviewed emails that confirm her interactions with Ford and spoke to two people whom the woman confided in about the incident. One woman heard from Ford’s accuser the night of the incident and described her as “distraught, shocked, and frightened,” and said that she was concerned about any career ramifications should she report the incident.
Perhaps Ford learend all this from his years in Washington where he served for 10 years?
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Harold Ford Jr. “has been terminated for conduct inconsistent with our values and in violation of our policies,” Morgan Stanley spokeswoman Michele Davis said in a statement to Bloomberg News.
Huffington Post reports that the bank’s human resources department investigated claims he harassed a woman he met in a professional capacity.
In two interviews with HuffPost, the woman alleged that Ford engaged in harassment, intimidation, and forcibly grabbed her one evening in Manhattan, leading her to seek aid from a building security guard. The incident took place several years ago when Ford and the woman were supposed to be meeting for professional reasons. Ford continued to contact her after the encounter until she wrote an email asking him to cease contact.
The email, which was reviewed by HuffPost, shows that the woman emailed Ford after he repeatedly asked her to drinks. She asked him not to contact her anymore, citing his inappropriate conduct the evening where he forcibly grabbed and harassed her. Ford replied to the email by apologizing and agreeing not to contact her.
HuffPost is not identifying the woman at her request but has reviewed emails that confirm her interactions with Ford and spoke to two people whom the woman confided in about the incident. One woman heard from Ford’s accuser the night of the incident and described her as “distraught, shocked, and frightened,” and said that she was concerned about any career ramifications should she report the incident.
Perhaps Ford learend all this from his years in Washington where he served for 10 years?
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