White House Reporters Do Their Best To Race Bait — Sarah Sanders Makes Them Instantly Regret It

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders batted away reporters’ best attempts at race baiting Wednesday.

WATCH:

Lawyers Cite Race In Defense Of Black FBI Agent Who Leaked Classified Info

A former FBI agent in Minnesota was motivated to leak classified information to The Intercept website, in part, because he is black. That’s according to lawyers for Terry James Albury, a former special agent who was charged in the leak case on Wednesday.

“Terry Albury served the U.S. with distinction both here at home and abroad in Iraq,” Albury attorneys JaneAnne Murray and Joshua Dratel said in a statement provided to the Star Tribune in Minneapolis.

“He accepts full responsibility for the conduct set forth in the Information. We would like to add that as the only African-American FBI field agent in Minnesota, Mr. Albury’s actions were driven by a conscientious commitment to long-term national security and addressing the well-documented systemic biases within the FBI.”

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Ivy league university institutes new ‘human difference’ requirement

Cornell University’s arts and sciences department may soon change its course requirements in favor of more diversity. Its committee on curriculum is advising for the implementation of a “human difference” course requirement in a recent report.

Other requirements will include courses in arts and literature, biological sciences, ethics and the mind, global citizenship, historical analysis, physical sciences, science of society, statistics and data science, symbolic and mathematical reasoning.

The study of "human difference" is the exploration of what makes certain humans different from others, such as race, culture, gender, and more. The change is meant to reshape and innovate Cornell’s curriculum in an effort to utilize graduation requirements to their highest potential, according to Cornell.

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A frivolous lawsuit against Trump's census question

A new lawsuit by liberal state attorneys general is trying to stop the Trump administration asking people whether they are citizens on the 2020 census.

This was as inevitable as night following day. But can this case be taken seriously, and should it be?

It may be that the citizenship question simply encourages people to lie. But it cannot be reasonably claimed to violate anyone's constitutional powers or rights. If you don't like it, pass a law. If you can't pass a law, too bad.

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FBI agent charged with leaking covert documents to reporter, news outlet

An FBI agent has been charged by the Justice Department for allegedly leaking covert documents to a news organization, according to a complaint filed in Minnesota.

Terry Albury, a Minneapolis-based agent, is accused of providing information on FBI informants with an unidentified reporter with a national media outlet. Albury also allegedly disclosed a document “relating to threats posed by certain individuals from a particular Middle Eastern country.”

Although the reporter and outlet are not identified, the filing says Albury had unauthorized access to the content from February 2016 to Jan. 31, 2017.

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Former UN ambassador praises Trump: Kim Jong Un 'was only talking to Dennis Rodman before'

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson lauded President Trump on Wednesday for improving diplomatic relations with Pyongyang, but warned administration officials to beware of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's "end game."

"You want Kim Jong Un to talk to foreign leaders," Richardson told CNN after Kim met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing this week, his first foreign trip since ascending to power in 2011.

"He was only talking to Dennis Rodman before, so this is a good move. This is positive. This may lead to something decent," he added, referring to the former NBA star who has made multiple trips to North Korea in recent years and has called Kim "a friend for life."

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North, South Korea fix April date for first summit in years

SEOUL (Reuters) - North and South Korea will hold their first summit in more than a decade on April 27, South Korean officials said on Thursday, after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged his commitment to denuclearization as tensions ease between the old foes.

South Korean officials, who announced the date after high-level talks with North Korean counterparts, said the agenda would largely be denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and improving inter-Korean relations.

The two Koreas had agreed to hold the summit at the border truce village of Panmunjom when South Korean President Moon Jae-in sent a delegation to Pyongyang this month to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Thursday’s meeting was the first high-level dialogue between the two Koreas since the delegation returned from the North.

The two sides said in a joint statement they would hold a working-level meeting on April 4 to discuss details of the summit, such as staffing support, security and news releases.

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Poland signs $4.75 billion deal for U.S. Patriot missile system facing Russia

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland signed the largest arms procurement deal in its history on Wednesday, agreeing with the United States to buy Raytheon Co’s (RTN.N) Patriot missile defense system for $4.75 billion in a major step to modernize its forces against a bolder Russia.

“It is an extraordinary, historic moment; it is Poland’s introduction into a whole new world of state-of-the-art technology, modern weaponry, and defensive means,” President Andrzej Duda said during the signing ceremony.

NATO member Poland has accelerated efforts to overhaul its ageing weaponry following Moscow’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula in 2014. Two-thirds of Poland’s weaponry dates from the Cold War era when it was in the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov told state-run Sputnik news website in November that Patriot deployments were part of a U.S. plot to surround Russia with missile defense systems “under the pretext of mythical threats to security”.

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Calls Grow for Second Special Counsel to Probe Justice Department Conduct

Lying to Congress, misleading a special surveillance court, and failing to disclose conflicts of interest are among possible wrongdoing that a second special counsel could investigate in connection with allegations of a politicized, partisan Justice Department.

As special counsel Robert Mueller continues his investigation of alleged collusion with Russia by Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, congressional Republicans are increasing pressure on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to probe aspects of the Justice Department’s disparate conduct toward the 2016 presidential candidates.

“The question is whether Sessions thinks crimes may have been committed,” J. Christian Adams, president of the Public Interest Legal Foundation and a former Justice Department lawyer, told The Daily Signal.

The Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General already was probing possible bias by Justice Department and FBI investigators during investigations of Trump and Hillary Rodham Clinton, who would become his vanquished rival, in the lead-up to the 2016 election.

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Policy Watchdog Asks Probe of Labor Board Member Over Leak

Allegations that a member of the National Labor Relations Board improperly disclosed internal deliberations should be investigated, a Washington labor policy analyst says in a letter to the board’s inspector general.

Board member Mark Gaston Pearce “allegedly discussed information from documents involving internal Board deliberations” at a meeting of the American Bar Association last month, Competitive Enterprise Institute analyst Trey Kovacs tells the inspector general in the letter.

Pearce “reportedly provided advance notice of an NLRB decision to issue an order to vacate the Board’s decision in Hy-Brand Industrial Contractors Ltd. and Brandt Construction Co.,” Kovacs writes in the letter to Inspector General David Berry, dated Wednesday.

The board’s pro-union actions demonstrate how it operates as though Barack Obama were still president, and not Donald Trump, the Competitive Enterprise Institute analyst says.

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Tax Reform Is Boosting Take-Home Pay for Millions of Americans. Here’s the Proof.

For a nation accustomed to instant gratification, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is a winner.

Before President Donald Trump even signed the bill, companies were announcing employee pay raises, bonuses, and increased investments to grow their businesses and bring operations back from overseas.

Among the first out of the gate was AT&T, which said it would give $1,000 bonuses to more than 200,000 nonmanagement employees and make an additional $1 billion investment in the United States. Boeing put $100 million toward training, education, and other workforce development. Walmartexpanded paid parental leave and boosted starting wages to $11 an hour.

Then in January, the happiest place on earth got a little happier as The Walt Disney Co. announced it would invest $50 million in an education program that covers tuition costs for hourly employees and would distribute $1,000 cash bonuses to more than 125,000 employees.

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Obama Judges Rule Cross Monument Must Go, Showing Elections Do Have Consequences

When Republican congressional leaders went to the White House on Jan. 23, 2009—just three days into Barack Obama’s presidency—to discuss legislation, he helpfully reminded them that his policy preferences necessarily had to prevail because “elections have consequences, and at the end of the day, I won.”

Obama is out of office now, but the regrettable consequences of his election remain strewn across the political landscape. Perhaps nowhere is that more consequential than in the makeup of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The 4th Circuit handles cases originating from the states of Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Obama appointed six of the eight judges who, on March 1, refused to reconsider a wrongheaded 2-1 ruling of a 4th Circuit panel last fall. That ruling found the World War I memorial Peace Cross in Bladensburg, Maryland, suddenly “unconstitutional” after more than 90 years without controversy.

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25 of the Most Influential Women in American History

Women’s History Month, established in 1987, is a celebration of women’s efforts across the nation to make the world a better place for females.

Before the month is out, let’s not forget our female forefathers, um, that is foremothers. These are the ladies who paved the way for women to have a place not only in the house, but the Senate.

Here are 25 influential American women who continue to inspire us here at The Daily Signal, along with some recommended reading.

Except for a certain former Supreme Court justice, none of our choices are still alive. With one exception, we also have omitted the nation’s first ladies.

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Gun Rights Actually Are a Civil Rights Issue

It is becoming increasingly fashionable for those who support gun control tocompare the post-Parkland, student-driven movement to the civil rights movements of earlier generations.

“Young people said, ‘We will not tolerate what our ancestors have tolerated. We’ve had enough and we’re willing to fight for it and we’re willing to march in the streets for it and, if necessary, die for it,’” TV personality Oprah said in comparing the student marches to civil rights demonstrations.

One writer in The New Yorker wrote of the pro-gun control March for Our Lives protest: “The Parkland students seem to instinctively understand that their fight not only crosses racial and class lines but also exists on a historical continuum, as an extension of the civil-rights movement.”

Another recent article in The Washington Post, headlined “Gun rights are about keeping white men on top,” even tried to connect American gun culture and support for gun rights to racism.

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Orange County Votes to Join Trump and Sue Its Own State Over Immigration

The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday, March 27 to join a Trump administration lawsuit against California's controversial sanctuary law.

The board's vote may mark the biggest maneuver yet in a nascent local movement against California's law to protect people residing illegally in the country. The board announced its unanimous decision after discussing the matter during a closed session Tuesday.

Orange County, they said, plans to join a lawsuit filed earlier this month by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions that alleges three of California's laws are unconstitutional.

The supervisors' vote follows a move by the Los Alamitos City Council last week to adopt an ordinance that would exempt the small northern Orange County city from SB-54, a California law that limits cooperation between local and state agencies.

Yorba Linda's council, meanwhile, agreed last week to file an amicus brief to the federal lawsuit, and several other cities are considering taking some kind of action to voice opposition to California measures that protect residents living in the country illegally.

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Court Gives Florida 1 Month to Revamp System for Restoring Felons' Voting Rights

A judge on Tuesday ordered Gov. Rick Scott and the Cabinet to dismantle Florida’s “fatally flawed” system of arbitrarily restoring voting rights to felons and to replace it by April 26.

U.S. District Judge Mark Walker in Tallahassee issued a permanent injunction in support of the Fair Elections Legal Network, which sued the state a year ago. The group successfully challenged the constitutionality of the state’s 150-year-old voting rights restoration process for felons in the nation’s third-largest state.

“This is a victory for the principle that the right to vote cannot be subjected to officials’ gut instincts and whims,” said Jon Sherman, senior counsel for the nonprofit voting rights group. “We are also heartened that the court prevented Florida from following through on its threat to be the only state in the nation with an irrevocable lifetime ban on voting for all former felons — what the court called ‘the ultimate arbitrary act.’ ”

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Medical Marijuana Expanded to More People and Places in New Jersey

Gov. Murphy greatly expanded New Jersey's medical marijuana program Tuesday, opening the door to tens of thousands of new patients and allowing the five dispensaries spread across the state to add satellite retail centers and cultivation facilities.

The governor added to the list of ailments that qualify for a cannabis prescription. He also cleared the way for any doctor in the state to prescribe cannabis, ending a system in which only those physicians who registered -- and thus, joined a publicly available list of providers -- could do so. He said some doctors had been reluctant to participate in the program because they viewed joining the list as a stigma.

He is also calling for legislation to double the amount that patients could purchase in a month, to 4 ounces.

Patients enrolled in the state's eight-year-old medical marijuana program were quick to praise the governor's announcement and said it was long overdue after years of inaction by Gov. Chris Christie, who imposed strict regulations and promised to veto any expansion of the program.

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Where Opioids Are Deadliest, the State Limits Prescriptions

The Opioid Reduction Act, which passed nearly unanimously in both chambers, limits initial opioid prescriptions to a seven-day supply. Prescribers are also encouraged to prescribe the lowest effective dose for treatment.

The Act also requires practitioners, before issuing an initial prescription, to take a thorough medical history, including substance misuse; to develop a treatment plan, with particular attention focused on determining the cause of the patient's pain; and to access relevant drug monitoring information on the Controlled Substances Monitoring Program database.

For adults seeking treatment in an emergency room or urgent care facility, practitioners are limited to four-day prescriptions.

A Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study has shown the probability of long-term opioid use increases most sharply in the first days of therapy, particularly after five days or one month of opioids have been prescribed, and levels off after approximately 12 weeks of therapy.

The study was published in March 2017 in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

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On Redistricting, Supreme Court Not Quite Ready to Change the Rules

The justices heard arguments on Wednesday in a Maryland case that could, for the first time, limit partisan gerrymandering. They didn't appear to have a consensus on how to address the problem.

Multiple courts around the country have determined this year that redistricting efforts can be so partisan that they violate the Constitution. The U.S. Supreme Court doesn't appear to be in a hurry to issue such a finding.

The court has now heard two partisan gerrymandering cases this term, with a third waiting in the wings. Although the first case, involving Assembly maps in Wisconsin, was heard in October, the court has yet to issue a ruling. The court heard an oral argument in the second case, which involves Maryland's congressional map, on Wednesday. The court may also consider North Carolina's congressional map.

The Maryland case, known as Benisek v. Lamone, turns on the question of whether Maryland's redistricting process, which eliminated the Republican advantage in one of the two congressional seats the party had controlled, violated the First Amendment rights of GOP voters who were being discriminated against because of their past voting history.

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A Census Citizenship Question Wouldn't Just Impact Blue States

Blue states are suing to block the question, but they aren't the only areas particularly vulnerable to losing money and political power if the Trump administration's plan lowers immigrants' participation.

The U.S. Department of Commerce's decision this week to add a citizenship status question to the 2020 Census has prompted widespread concern from state and local officials.

At a time of heightened fears in immigrant communities, lawmakers and civil rights groups worry that inclusion of the question will discourage participation, altering the accuracy of Census counts. States and municipalities have a lot to lose if immigrants are undercounted. The decennial Census dictates political representation at all levels of government and guides the allocation of billions of dollars in federal funding each year.

The announcement set off a legal battle, with California Attorney General Xavier Becerra immediately filing a lawsuit and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman saying he would lead multistate litigation. Prince George’s County, Md., similarly joined the NAACP in filing a lawsuit Wednesday.

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NEWS IN NUMBERS

20 to 35%

MARCH 30, 2018

Rate at which researchers say opioid-related overdose deaths are undercounted in America.

Source: Kaiser Health News

$1,091

MARCH 29, 2018

Federal health and human services funding that 37 states lost in 2015 for each person missed in the 2010 Census. With the Trump administration planning to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census, many officials are worried immigrants will not take the survey.

Source: Governing

$50 to $300 and up

MARCH 28, 2018

Retail price of bulletproof backpacks, which a Louisiana Senate committee voted this week to allow in public schools.

Source: the Louisiana Advocate

1990s

MARCH 27, 2018

Last time the Community Development Block Grant program received a significant increase in funding until last week. Despite President Trump's proposal to eliminate the program, the federal spending bill gives it $300 million more.

Source: Governing

$70,000

MARCH 26, 2018

Salary for the governor of Maine, which is the lowest in the country. The current one, Paul LePage, has proposed doubling it -- to $150,000.

Source: the Portland Press Herald

More than 600 of 1,222

MARCH 23, 2018

Municipal governments that didn't disclose any revenue lost to tax incentives on their annual financial report. A new rule requires them to reveal that information but gives governments the power to decide what's worth reporting.

Source: Governing

$5,000

MARCH 22, 2018

Fine facing public officials in Florida if they enforce a local gun ordinance. They could also be removed from office. In the wake of the Parkland shooting, some cities are planning to sue the state over that preemption law.

Source: Governing

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Seattle's Anti-Discrimination Rental Law Ruled Unconstitutional

Adopted by the City Council in 2016 and in effect since last year, the groundbreaking law "has a laudable goal of eliminating the role of implicit bias in tenancy decisions," King County Superior Court Judge Suzanne Parisien said in a written ruling.

But choosing a tenant "is a fundamental attribute of property ownership," Parisien said in striking down the law.

The decision is a victory for landlords represented by an attorney from the Bellevue office of the Pacific Legal Foundation.

The law allows initial screening of applicants based on standards such as credit scores.

But the plaintiffs claimed forcing landlords to accept the first qualified applicant violated their property, due-process and free-speech rights, and the judge sided with them on each point.

"While landlords are permitted to set their own rental criteria," Parisien said, "this preliminary, general rental criteria does not substitute for the discretion to choose a specific tenant."

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Tonight At OC Billiards @ Trader Lee's: NO COVER CHARGE

Hillary Clinton: I Am a 'Rorschach Test' for Women Worldwide

Failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton believes her experience in politics serves as a model for women around the world.

“I have often thought that I am a kind of a Rorschach test for people who are trying to make sense, not just of me personally, but of women’s roles and women’s expanded opportunities, in not only America but around the world,” she said during a paid college speech at Rutgers University.

Clinton expressed disappointment that she was no longer seen as an individual because she had been in the public spotlight for 25 years.

She pointed out that she was “the first woman of my generation” as First Lady who actually had a law degree before going to the White House with her husband, which brought about “assumptions and caricatures.” She also pointed to her “monumental” role in working for health care reform as First Lady.

“I would hope that people would spend a little bit of time actually looking behind the image or the picture, and that is I think is what we hope for all of us, we want to be known as who we are and judged positively and negatively based on what we actually do and not by what people said we did,” she said.

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Hillary Clinton Explains Why She Will Not ‘Get Off the Public Stage and Shut Up’

Former failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said that she would not go away and stop talking about her concerns about President Donald Trump, despite the noise from critics who want her off the public stage.

During a paid speech at Rutgers University, Clinton was asked by the moderator to respond to the critics who wanted her to “get off the public stage and shut up.”

“They never said that to any man who wasn’t elected,” she said, as the audience applauded. She accused the media of leading the charge of asking that question, pointing out that it was sexist. She pointed out that Al Gore continued talking about climate change after he lost the election and John Kerry became Secretary of State and John McCain returned to the Senate after he lost to Obama.

“For heaven’s sake, Mitt Romney is running for Senate,” she added with a laugh.

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Troopers Arrest Millsboro Man For 7th Offense DUI

William A. Bell (Photo 2013)

Millsboro - The Delaware State Police have arrested a Millsboro man after he was involved in a crash and found to be under the influence of alcohol for the 7th time.

The incident occurred on Thursday, March 29, 2018 at approximately 10:17 p.m. when Troopers were dispatched to the intersection of Avenue of Honor and Bethesda Road for a vehicle collision. Upon arrival, Troopers discovered an unoccupied 2000 Ford Explorer on its driver's side. Further investigation revealed that the Explorer was traveling southbound on Bethesda Road north of Avenue of Honor when it exited the roadway and struck a mail box. The Explorer continued southbound on Bethesda Road approaching the intersection at Avenue of Honor. The operator of the Explorer failed to stop at the stop sign and struck a 2016 Honda Odyssey. The operator of the Odyssey remained at the scene and was not injured.

The operator of the Explorer, identified as 53-year-old William A. Bell, fled the scene on foot and a short time later was located by the Delaware State Police Aviation Unit in the woods, less then a quarter of a mile from the collision scene. Bell was subsequently taken into custody when an odor of alcohol was detected and a DUI investigation ensued. A computer check revealed that Bell had six previous DUI convictions, making this his seventh offense. Bell was transported back to Troop 4 where he was charged with his 7th Offense Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Leaving the Scene of a Collision, Driving Without a Valid License, Failure to Stop at a Stop Sign, and other traffic related offenses. He was arraigned before the Justice of the Peace Court 3 and committed to the Sussex Correctional Institute on $27,055.00 cash only bond.

2020 Census: Counting Citizens Likely to Shift Power from Illegal Alien-Flooded Coasts to Middle America

Counting American citizens on the 2020 Census, as President Donald Trump’s administration has announced they will do, is likely to shift power away from coastal states harboring large illegal alien populations and towards middle America.

The addition of the citizenship question to the Census does not come with the mandate that congressional apportionments for each state will be based on the number of citizens, rather than entire populations, including citizens, non-citizens, and illegal aliens.

Down the road, though, should Congress choose to apportion congressional districts based on the number of citizens rather than the entire districts’ population, states with large illegal alien populations would likely lose a few congressional districts, while states with few illegal aliens could gain districts.

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A Viewer Writes: Copy of email I just sent to President Donald Trump....hope he gets it:

Dear Pres. Trump, we voted for you, and while we do not agree with all of your positions, we will probably vote for you again. However, please lay off Amazon! We know you don't like Jeff Bezos, but when is the last time you actually did a lot shopping for daily items? We purchase items from a wide variety of categories from Amazon. We are on a fixed income, and we save a ton of $ by using Amazon.... for example: Just purchased 10 of CR2016 Energizer batteries from Amazon for $5.89, with free shipping, 2-day delivery. One battery at my local store costs $6.00 and I have to use my time and my car/mileage/gasoline. Stores like Amazon are the future. Times do change. FACT: Amazon has helped us save hundreds of dollars each year.

Abbas declares ‘national day of mourning’ as protests seem to subside

At least 14 dead according to Hamas-run Palestinian health ministry, over 1,000 injured in clashes between IDF troops and rioters along Israel-Gaza border

The army does not expect the violent protests along the Gaza security to end shortly and is leaving in place the current number of soldiers along the border, hours after the demonstrations began.

“We are ready for any scenario,” an army official says.

The official says this could include any number of things, including attempts to infiltrate the border, attacks with improvised explosive devices or rocket fire.

According to the army, some 30,000 Palestinians are taking part in the demonstrations. Protesters are throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at the troops on the other side of the border and are trying to damage the security fence with fires and cutting tools, the official says.

The army declines to comment on whether the two Palestinians who shot at IDF troops from along the Gaza border were killed.

Earlier, the IDF said it had thwarted a shooting attack carried out by a “terror cell” in the northern Gaza Strip.

Two Palestinians approached the coastal enclave’s security fence and fired toward IDF troops, the army said.

In response, the soldiers fired back at the terrorists and were joined by tanks and IAF fighter jets who also targeted three nearby military posts belonging to the Hamas terror group, according to the army.

Speaking to reporters during a press conference, the organizers — made up of officials from various Palestinian factions — including the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups — call on the United Nations and the Arab League to establish an international commission of inquiry to investigate Israel for use of “excessive force” against demonstrators.

More/updates here

Klein: Here’s Why Hamas Is Stirring Deadly Border Riots with Israel

At least fourteen Gazans were killed and over 1,100 were reportedly wounded in Hamas-instigated mass protests and riots along the Israel-Gaza border. Hamas is singlehandedly responsible for every one of those deaths and injuries.

Israel must use heavy-handed tactics to quell riots in which Gazans attempt to violently storm the border of a sovereign nation. The Times of Israel reported on the deadly tactics used by the so-called protesters: “Rioters threw firebombs and stones at troops, tried to bomb and breach the security fence, and burned tires.” Today’s carnage follows numerous attempted terrorist attacks and infiltrations along the Gaza border during the past six days.

The international news media has largely failed to provide proper context for the “protests” taking place today, framing the events as grassroots demonstrations aiming to secure a Palestinian state.

The AFP, for example, reported:

Tens of thousands of Gazans took to the streets Friday in mass protests calling for Palestinians to be allowed to return to land that their ancestors fled from in the 1948 war but that is now part of Israel.

The AFP, like scores of other news outlets, is seemingly uninterested in asking the simple question: Why the protests now? The shallow coverage misses the fact that the Hamas terrorist organization meticulously planned today’s unrest, and they have been openly calling for a series of upcoming border clashes with Israel slated to peak next month during Israel’s Independence Day celebrations.

Hamas has been selling the mass protest movement as “return rallies”, marketing the fiction that Palestinians have a so-called right of return to the state of Israel.

More here

Feminists quick to decry sexist attacks — unless directed at conservative women

Conservative women are decrying a double standard among many feminists, who have loudly defended liberals and Democrats against perceived misogyny but have been mute about insults and barbs slung at women of Republican or conservative stripes.

“Spewing vitriol at conservative women is sport in the elite media, Hollywood, academia and the leftist cocktail party circuit,” said Amy Cooke, executive vice president of the Independence Institute, a Denver-based free market think tank.

Michelle Balch Lyng, CEO and president of Novitas Communications, said feminism’s double standard has been most apparent with regard to Nikki Haley, South Carolina’s first female governor who now serves as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. “Sons of Anarchy” leading man Ron Perlman on Twitter, and late-night TV hosts James Corden and Stephen Colbert in a skit on the Grammy Awards show, have mocked Mrs. Haley about unproven claims of an affair with President Trump.

“Haley is a great role model for young women and, frankly, all women, unless you believe that women, in order to be valued, must subscribe to a specific viewpoint,” said Mrs. Lyng, whose firm produces political and business messages. “The left would never tolerate the same abuse of a liberal woman, nor should they, but they also should never tolerate this treatment when it’s directed at conservative women.”

More here

New Evidence of Obama's Deep-State Collusion?

New information has emerged from text messages between those two now-infamous FBI lovebirds, Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, suggesting that former Obama White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, former Democrat Senate Leader Harry Reid (NV) and former CIA Director John Brennan were coordinating on the Donald Trump/Russia collusion conspiracy and subsequent FBI investigation.

A GOP congressional source explained to Fox News, “We are not making conclusions. What we are saying is that the timeline is concerning enough to warrant the appointment of an independent investigator to look at whether or not the Obama White House was involved” in the Trump/Russia investigation.

“These texts seem to show FBI officials were briefing the Obama WH on the early stages of the Trump campaign investigation in 2016. How much did the Obama WH know? Were they involved?” tweeted Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC), who chairs the House Freedom Caucus.

Congressional investigators noted the CIA and FBI are supposed to be “independent agencies,” and “coordination between political actors at the White House and investigators would be inappropriate.” As we have long surmised, Barack Obama’s DOJ was involved in both the effort to exonerate Hillary Clinton and apparently in crafting and pressing the whole Trump/Russia collusion conspiracy. Slowly, these deep-state actors’ names are rising to the surface.

Meanwhile,

Police: Bridgeport high school locked down after staffer threatens killing spree

BRIDGEPORT - Harding High School was put in lockdown Wednesday after police said a school employee threatened to go on a killing spree.

Carl Lemon, 63, an in-school suspension coordinator, was charged with second-degree threatening and breach of peace and was later released on $5,000 bond.

Police said shortly after noon officers were dispatched to the high school for a threatening situation.

The school’s principal, Dane Brown, told officer that Lemon had made threatening statements to another teacher.

Police said Lemon stated that he hates white people and couldn’t wait “for the panthers to give the OK and a revolution begins because he will execute every white man he gets his hands on.”

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Leaked Texts Suggest Coordination Between Obama White House, CIA, FBI And Dems To Launch Trump-Russia Probe

Congressional investigators looking into the origins of Special Counsel Mueller's Russia probe believe they've found a smoking gun thatcould justify the appointment of a special counsel to investigate whether the Obama administration exerted undue influence over the FBI.

A series of text messages between FBI Special Agent Peter Strzok and DOJ lawyer Lisa Page have revealed the involvement of Denis McDonough, Obama's chief of staff, John Brennan, Obama's CIA director, and former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in helping create an atmosphere of paranoia that gave them the political cover to launch the Russia probe back in the summer of 2016.

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Fired VA boss Shulkin blasts 'ugliness' of Washington on his way out the door

Ousted Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin is ripping the “toxic, chaotic, disrespectful and subversive” environment of Washington after being canned by President Trump this week.

“As many of you know, I am a physician, not a politician,” Shulkin wrote in a blistering New York Times op-ed published after his firing. “I came to government with an understanding that Washington can be ugly, but I assumed that I could avoid all of the ugliness by staying true to my values.”

On Wednesday, the president announced plans to replace Shulkin with Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, the White House physician.

In February, the VA's internal watchdog found that Shulkin had improperly accepted Wimbledon tennis tickets and his then-chief of staff had doctored emails to justify his wife traveling to Europe with him at taxpayer expense. Shulkin agreed to reimburse the government more than $4,000 in that case.

But in his op-ed, Shulkin claimed to be the victim of “politically-based attacks.”

More here

Trump Would Deny Legal Status to Immigrants Who Accept Public Benefits

The Trump administration is mulling a proposal that would penalize immigrants who accept public benefits, including tax credits, and could be used to deny them legal residency, The Washington Post reports.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposal would expand the parameters used to grant citizenship, such as Earned Income Tax Credit, health insurance subsidies and other benefits.

If approved, the policy would be a major barrier to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients who apply for full legal residency, the Post reports.

"The administration is committed to enforcing existing immigration law, which is clearly intended to protect the American taxpayer by ensuring that foreign nationals seeking to enter or remain in the U.S. are self-sufficient," DHS spokeswoman Katie Waldman told the Post in a statement.

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Trump Calls Roseanne Barr to Congratulate Her on Return of Show

President Donald Trump called Roseanne Barr to offer his congratulations on the return of her comedy series and to thank her for supporting him, The New York Times is reporting.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed the call.

Barr has been a defender of Trump and her TV character plays a supporter of the president.

The ABC series, "Roseanne," returned to TV this week after more than two decades, the Times noted. The show, broadcast on Tuesday evening, average 18.2 million viewers, according to the newspaper.

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Delmarva Power Searching For Person Who Sent Us A Recent Complaint

Good Afternoon Mr. Albero,

It has come to our attention of a complaint published against Delmarva Power that we would like to follow up with. The published date was Wednesday March 28, 2018. If at all possible could you please provide me with any contact information you may have on Nana or the person who posted the complaint? If not, I would appreciate if you could kindly forward my contact information to them. We would like to assist the customers concerns immediately as it is essential for Delmarva Power to respond to the needs of all our customers.  

http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2018/03/delmarva-power.html

Sincerely,

Renee Hambor
Senior Regulatory Assessor

Regulatory/Executive Customer Relations

Atlantic City Electric/Delmarva Power

Administration Defends IRS Targeting of American Citizens

Department of Justice Argues in Favor of Lois Lerner and Paves the Way for Future Abuse

In a stunning turn of events involving the True the Vote v. IRS lawsuit, Department of Justice attorneys, representing the Internal Revenue Service, have filed a strident opposition to True the Vote’s petition for consideration of fees, claiming the IRS won.

Despite wholesale admissions of wrongdoing by the IRS and findings by the D.C. District Court that such wrongdoing is unlawful and unconstitutional, the DOJ now claims that conservative groups’ lawsuits did nothing to change the behavior of the Internal Revenue Service.

In their filing, the Department of Justice makes the following claims on behalf of the IRS:

all conservative groups lost
the IRS is legally free to resume its discriminatory practices targeting conservative groups
the IRS’s five-year legal battle against conservative groups was justified

It is impossible to distinguish the current DOJ’s arguments from the Obama DOJ’s actions that led to this litigation battle in the first place.

True the Vote will file our final response with the court on April 12, 2018. We remain hopeful US District Judge Reggie Walton will issue a decision that sets the record straight and holds the IRS accountable for their unlawful actions.

In this video, True the Vote founder Catherine Engelbrecht responds to the IRS’s denial of wrongdoing:

Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office selected as finalist for the 2018 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award

SALISBURY, Md: Maryland Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve is pleased to announce that the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office has been selected as a finalist for the 2018 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award.

The Freedom Award was created in 1996 to publicly recognize employers who provide exceptional support to their Guard and Reserve employees. It is the highest in a series of employer recognition awards given by the Department of Defense to recognize employers who provide the most outstanding support for their Guard and Reserve employees. The award is presented annually by the Secretary of Defense. To date only 250 employers have received this award.

Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office was selected as one of 30 finalists from the 2,350 nominations received from the 50 states, Guam-CNMI, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia. The finalists represent large employers, small employers, and public sector organizations. Fifteen 2018 Secretary of Defense Freedom Award recipients will be selected from the 30 finalists. Recipients are expected to be announced by mid-June.

Activity Detected at North Korean Nuke Site Ahead of Trump-Kim Summit

Satellites have detected increased activity at North Korea’s Yongbyon nuclear test site, possibly indicating that one or two new nuclear reactors are close to coming online. If these findings are verified, the reactors could prove capable of creating weapons-grade nuclear material.

The Associated Press notes that these findings “come at a particularly sensitive time,” as North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un prepares for high-stakes denuclearization summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump. Refraining from nuclear or missile testing has been a vital condition for North Korea to observe as this fragile diplomatic process moves forward.

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Liberty University Opens Gun Range for Student Use

Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, is opening a gun range for its students this week.

Students at Liberty University, a conservative Christian university in Virginia, will be invited this week to enjoy their campus’s new $3.2 million gun range. The gun range, which has been in planning and construction stages for over a year, will also be open to the public following the conclusion of Liberty’s academic year in May.

Brad Butler, the planning coordinator in Liberty’s Planning and Construction department, said in December that Liberty will be the first American college campus that has venues for every Olympic shooting sport.

“We’re very excited and we have a great plan for the future,” Butler said. “What’s unique about this facility is it’s the only range on any college campus that has venues for all Olympic shooting sports. The rest of the world is moving away from the Second Amendment and the shooting sports. Liberty University, thanks to the bold leadership of President (Jerry) Falwell and Vice President (Trey) Falwell, is running to it. We are engaging our students, giving them safe and convenient opportunities to compete, and to learn the right way to handle a firearm.”

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Citizenship Question Has Been Included in Every Census Dating Back to 1965 Except 2010

The White House pushed back on liberal outrage that the Trump administration plans to include a citizenship question on the upcoming 2020 Census, saying that question has been included on every Census since 1965 with the exception of the 2010 Census, during the Obama administration.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked how the administration plans to address critics’ concerns that including the question will discourage immigrants from participating.

“This is a question that’s been included in every Census since 1965 with the exception of 2010 when it was removed. We’ve contained this question that’s provided data that’s necessary for the Department of Justice to protect voters and specifically to help us better comply with the Voting Rights Act, which is something that is important and a part of this process,” Sanders said.

“And again this is something that has been part of the Census for decades and something that the Department of Commerce felt strongly needed to be included again,” she added.

More here

Obamacare HHS Mandate Dealt a Lethal Blow in Court

The Obamacare Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate forcing Catholic non-profits to provide coverage for abortion-inducing drugs, contraception, and sterilization, was dealt a lethal blow by U.S. District Court Judge David Russell.

He issued a permanent injunction stopping the federal government from enforcing the mandate against the Catholic Benefits Association (CBA). He also issued a declaratory judgment, holding that the mandate was illegal; it violated the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

The CBA represents over 1,000 Catholic employers, including 60 dioceses and archdioceses, as well as many religious orders, colleges and universities, hospitals, and other ministries. Baltimore Archbishop William Lori chairs the CBA; serving with him are six other archbishops. Douglas G. Wilson is the CEO of the organization.

Judge Russell's ruling not only binds the Trump administration (which was opposed to the HHS mandate anyway), but all future administrations.

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In Nearly 70% Of US Counties, The Average Worker Can't Afford To Buy A Home

Housing, as we've pointed out in the past, is perhaps the most reliable bellwether of widening economic inequality in the US. And in its latest quarterly report on housing affordability in the US, ATTOM discovered that median-priced homes aren't affordable to average wage earners in an astounding 68% of US housing markets.

In its report, the company calculated affordability by incorporating the amount of income needed to make monthly home payments - including mortgage payments, property tax payments and insurance - on a median-priced home, assuming a 3% down payment and a 28% maximum "front-end" debt-to-income ratio.

That required income was then compared with the median home price.

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'Enough Is Enough': Nearly 400 Sheriffs Demand Congress Reduce Immigration, Criminalize Sanctuary Cities

Nearly 400 sheriffs across the country are calling on the Republican-controlled Congress to follow through on President Trump’s popular immigration agenda by securing the nation’s porous borders and criminalizing sanctuary cities.

Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson of Bristol County, Massachusetts, has gathered with about 380 sheriffs from across America, representing 40 states, to ask Congress to push Trump’s agenda that would help decrease and end illegal immigration to the United States.

“Enough is enough,” the sheriffs write. They continue, saying:

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Judge arrested for breaking into home, swiping woman’s panties

It’s first-degree panty larceny.

A Long Island judge got caught with his robes down Thursday after he broke into a neighbor’s house and took off in possession of a pair of women’s panties, a report said.

Suffolk County Judge Robert Cicale snuck into the East Islip home at around 9 a.m. but fled once he realized a 23-year-old women was inside, according to Newsday.

The woman called 911 and gave them a description of Cicale.

Cops then discovered the judge outside the home and with the undies on his person, the paper said.

“He was found with . . . soiled female undergarments. We don’t know if these were the proceeds from the burglary today or a previous break-in,” Acting Commissioner Stuart Cameron told Newsday.

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Want to lose weight? Time your meals

The timing of meals may be key to weight loss - not cutting out all carbs from your diet, researchers claim.

Evidence already shows slashing calories and exercising more can help overweight adults battle their bulging waistlines.

But an array of new trials is delving into the benefits of time-restricted feeding (TRF), which allows people to eat what they want within a time frame.

The process, deemed similar to fasting, has been proven to have a host of benefits for mice, including weight loss and a lower risk of diabetes.

Scientists paving the way now believe it could help humans - despite no such confirmation TRF works.

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DeKalb teacher faces murder charges in 2016 gang retaliation killings

“You’re not prepared to say if White’s the trigger man?” Winne asked Daniel.

“It is still an open and pending investigation at this time,” Daniel said.

“More than one perpetrator, if you will, at the scene?” Winne asked Daniel.

“It appears that there is more than one,” Daniel said.

Daniel said a sketch of a man seen at the murder scene that was drawn by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s forensic artist, Kelly Lawson, helped Clayton police make a case against White.

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DMX gets one year in prison for tax fraud

He couldn’t beat the rap — but at least he got to play some.

Hip-hop icon DMX blared one of his songs for a federal judge Wednesday — before being sentenced to a year in the slammer for evading $1.7 million in taxes.

The 47-year-old rapper, whose real name is Earl Simmons, teared up as his lawyers played his 1998 track “Slippin,’” which talks about his “drama with my Mama” and overall feelings of helplessness.

And the beats may have moved something inside Manhattan federal Judge Jed Rakoff, who rejected the government’s request for five years in federal lockup, calling Simmons “a good man” who is “his own worst enemy.”

But the judge also said the rapper’s fraud was a “brazen and blatant” crime that could not go unpunished, and ordered Simmons to pay $2.3 million in restitution.

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Army Major: The 'March' We Need Is 'A March for Peace'... Or At Least, De-Escalation

Students march for gun control; women march for a variety of causes, and, well, against anything Trump; but who is marching for less American war in the Greater Middle East?

Why? Why isn’t there a passionate coalition willing to combat the American war machine? A machine that is, by now, on autopilot.

This weekend, hundreds of thousands of protesters marched to protest gun violence; in January, hundreds thousands of women – and their supporters – staged a second annual protest against all things Trump. Leaving aside the relative merits of each issue, the sheer number of marchers physically descending on various cities, rather than engaging in far easier social media activism, is impressive. Right or wrong in their convictions, these citizens, exercising their First Amendment rights, made this author proud…and then sad.

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Murder of Jewish woman in Paris flat being treated as anti-Semitic

A man accused of stabbing an 85-year-old Holocaust survivor to death in herParis apartment screamed "Allahu Akbar" during the anti-Semitic attack, it has been claimed.

Two men, one a convicted paedophile and the other a vagrant burglar, have been charged with knifing Mireille Knoll to death at her home in the Frenchcapital then burning her body.

A source close to the investigation has revealed the two arrested men gave conflicting accounts to police. One told interrogators he heard the other shout the words 'God is greatest' in Arabic during the attack.

The pair also allegedly targeted her because her Jewishness meant she had money.

'The terrible thing is that one of the attackers told the other: 'She's a Jew, she must have money',' Interior Minister Gerard Collomb told parliament on Tuesday.

'There are the stereotypes we have to combat,' he said.

Ms Knoll lived at the flat alone, and had treated one of the alleged attackers 'as a son' for more than 20 years, according to a source close to the case.

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Pentagon Admits Billions In US Funds Disappeared in Afghanistan To “Fraud, Waste And Abuse”

A new report from the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD IG) exposes even more fraud, waste and/or corruption in America’s ongoing war in Afghanistan. This latest report reveals that more than $3.1 billion of U.S. taxpayer funds provided to the Afghan Armed Forces from 2014 through 2017 was grossly mismanaged.

According to the DoD IG, U.S. military leaders overseeing operations in Afghanistan "failed to accurately record" some 95,000 vehicles transferred to Afghan Armed Forces, along with fuel expenses and maintenance costs to keep the vehicles operational. The report issued last Wednesday was the last in a series of DoD IG audits that examined the Pentagon for “systemic challenges” in how senior officials oversee U.S. direct funding to the Afghan Armed Forces said the Military Times.

The DoD IG warned the lack of accountability via military leaders overseeing Afghanistan leaves U.S. taxpayer funds vulnerable to "fraud, waste, and abuse."

“Combined Security Transition Command–Afghanistan (CSTC-A) officials did not effectively manage and oversee the U.S. direct funding provided to the Ministries of Defense and Interior, which oversee Afghanistan’s Army and National Police, respectively,” the report stated.

“CSTC-A management and oversight of the direct funding is intended to increase [Afghan security forces] effectiveness and capabilities so the [forces] can become more professional and increasingly self-sustaining.”

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Judicial Watch Sues for Records on Taxpayer-Funded Soros Projects Overseas

State Dept., USAID fail to respond to request for records on spending in Romania, Colombia

The conservative watchdog Judicial Watch has filed a lawsuit to try to obtain records from the State Department about the taxpayer-funded political activities of George Soros's groups in Colombia and Romania.

The watchdog said it took the action because the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) failed to respond to its Freedom of Information Act requests last fall for records relating to contracts, grants and other "allocations/disbursements of funds" by Open Society Foundation offices in Romania and Colombia.

The watchdog is also seeking information about Soros's activities in Macedonia and Albania.

"It is time for Americans to be allowed to see State Department documentation regarding the public funding of Soros' Open Society Foundations," Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said Wednesday. "The billionaire George Soros needs zero assistance from U.S. taxpayers to promote his far-left agenda abroad."

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Scientists find class of drug that can kill the MRSA superbug

A new type of antibiotic that kills hospital superbugs has been developed by scientists.

In experiments, the drugs cured mice of notoriously difficult-to-treat, antibiotic-resistant MRSA infections.

The discovery comes as a scientists raise alarm over a global rise in antibiotic resistance, driven by over-prescription of common antibiotics.

The Brown University researchers' breakthrough medication may be one of a whole new group of compounds that, they hope, will have equal success in treating the dangerous infection in humans.

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Rep. Steve King: If You're Not Responsible Enough to Own Gun Until 21, Don't Vote Until 21 Either

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) observed that teenagers who believe people are not responsible enough to own guns until the age of 21 ought to be willing to wait until 21 before they vote.

King tweeted:

Steve King

✔@SteveKingIA

If you are a teenager & believe you won’t be responsible enough to own a gun until 21, why should you vote before 21?

8:11 PM - Mar 26, 2018

• 22.1K
• 23.3K people are talking about this

Twitter Ads info and privacy

The responses to King’s tweet varied, some of which were marked by vitriol and/or personal attacks too vulgar to print.

Here are some examples of the milder responses:

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Check Out What's Going On In Annapolis

Maryland Republican Party

Senator Mathias just chose the political machine in Annapolis over YOU. He stood against Governor Hogan and Comptroller Franchot and chose to vote to support a backroom deal to give unelected bureaucrats and lobbyists control over billions in school construction funding.

You can learn more about HB 1781 here: https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/…/article_5f734940-32f0-11e…

How do you feel about this?

UPDATE: Senator Jim Mathias and Senator Kathy Klausmeier made the wrong choice. They caved to the peer pressure of their partisan leader and colleagues. In a party-line vote, they and 27 other senators have voted to give the responsibility of billions of school construction dollars - your tax money - to unelected, unaccountable political appointees and lobbyists. Call these senators and tell them that you are disappointed and disgusted with their actions:

THOMAS V. MIKE MILLER, JR., President of Senate
Democrat, District 27, Calvert, Charles & Prince George's Counties
State House, H-107
Annapolis, MD 21401 - 1991
(410) 841-3700, (301) 858-3700
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3700 (toll free)
e-mail: thomas.v.mike.miller@senate.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3910, (301) 858-3910

KATHERINE A. KLAUSMEIER
Democrat, District 8, Baltimore County
James Senate Office Building, Room 103
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3620, (301) 858-3620
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3620 (toll free)
e-mail: katherine.klausmeier@senate.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3085, (301) 858-3085

JAMES N. MATHIAS, JR.
Democrat, District 38, Somerset, Wicomico & Worcester Counties
James Senate Office Building, Room 216
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3645, (301) 858-3645
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3645 (toll free)
e-mail: james.mathias@senate.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3006, (301) 858-3006