In a hopeful sign for post-Mugabe Zimbabwe, his successor President Emmerson Mnangagwa has decided to stop seizing land from white farmers, offering them 99-year leases on their property instead.
The Associated Press reviewed a copy of the Mnangagwa directive that said it would go into effect immediately. Mnangagwa has also said black farmers could invite white farmers into partnerships, and whites would be allowed to apply for new farm leases.
In Zimbabwe, all farmland is owned by the government and merely leased by the farmers who work it. Beginning around the year 2000, former President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party began driving white farmers away, claiming it was necessary to correct injustices from the colonial era.
“Land ownership is an emotional issue with political and racial overtones in this southern African country where under colonial Rhodesian rule whites were allocated the best agricultural land and blacks were pushed out to mostly arid land with poor soil,” the Associated Press explains, noting that whites owned most of the best farmland before Mugabe despite making up less than one percent of Zimbabwe’s population.
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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
Friday, February 02, 2018
Joe Kennedy’s SOTU Response Wasn’t Just Bad, It Was Delusional Nonsense
Although State of the Union Addresses are typically too slow-moving for many Americans, they remain one of the most watched political events of the year, and the response to the State of the Union is the minority party’s opportunity to provide an alternative vision for the future of the country.
What we learned in Kennedy’s SOTU response last night is that Democrats don’t appear to have a vision for America — or even a coherent policy proposal to offer. There’s plenty of charisma, sure, but nothing of substance.
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Trump extends ‘open hand’ to Dems, but is met with glum stares, scant applause
While Trump held firm on his demands for border security and used the grand setting to tout his first-year accomplishments, his call for bipartisanship on the thorny immigration debate met with stonefaced stares from top Democrats such as House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
"Tonight, I am extending an open hand to work with members of both parties -- Democrats and Republicans -- to protect our citizens of every background, color, religion and creed," he said.
"If I could unite this country, I would consider it a tremendous success,” Trump said. “I would love to be able to bring back our country in a great form of unity, without a major event -- very tough to do. I would like to do it without a major event, because that major event is usually a bad thing.”
Members of the Congressional Black Caucus wore traditional kente cloth in protest of Trump's reported comments about immigration from “s---hole countries.”
During the speech, some caucus members declined to stand even to honor a 12-year-old guest of the first family who was recognized for gathering flags for veterans' graves.
More here
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/01/30/state-union-trump-extends-open-hand-to-dems-but-is-met-with-glum-stares-scant-applause.html
‘Gangster’ Baltimore Cops Were Robbing Citizens In Their Homes
Members of a disbanded Baltimore Gun Task Force were frequently abusing their powers to rob citizens in their homes, according to Monday court testimony from former police detectives.
Jemell Rayam and Evodio Hendrix, former members of the infamous Gun Task Force themselves, testified against other officers facing charges in the corruption scandal, reports the Associated Press. Currently, six officers have pleaded guilty, while four of them are working with the government.
During his court testimony, Hendrix told of an incident where the task force allegedly robbed $100,000 from a safe after a home was invaded. According to Hendrix, Detective Marcus Taylor, accused of racketeering and robbery, helped stage the scenario with a body camera to make it appear that it was proper police conduct.
Taylor, who has pleaded not guilty to his charges, used his share of the robbery to build a deck at his house, Hendrix told the court.
Rayam also said the Gun Task Force reportedly robbed a married couple after officers brought them handcuffed to a police station. When the husband told officers they had about $40,000 in their house, a group of officers drove to their house and took $20,000 from them, according to Rayam.
“Pretty much any individuals we came across, if they had large sums of money, money was being taken,” Rayam said.
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Jemell Rayam and Evodio Hendrix, former members of the infamous Gun Task Force themselves, testified against other officers facing charges in the corruption scandal, reports the Associated Press. Currently, six officers have pleaded guilty, while four of them are working with the government.
During his court testimony, Hendrix told of an incident where the task force allegedly robbed $100,000 from a safe after a home was invaded. According to Hendrix, Detective Marcus Taylor, accused of racketeering and robbery, helped stage the scenario with a body camera to make it appear that it was proper police conduct.
Taylor, who has pleaded not guilty to his charges, used his share of the robbery to build a deck at his house, Hendrix told the court.
Rayam also said the Gun Task Force reportedly robbed a married couple after officers brought them handcuffed to a police station. When the husband told officers they had about $40,000 in their house, a group of officers drove to their house and took $20,000 from them, according to Rayam.
“Pretty much any individuals we came across, if they had large sums of money, money was being taken,” Rayam said.
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Somerset County Sheriff's Office reports most recent arrests
Jerry Franklin Burns Jr. of Crisfield, arrested 1-13-18 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Burns was later released on personal recognizance
Kyle Coleman Kirkendall of Princess Anne, criminal summons served 1-15-18 for malicious destruction of property. Kirkendall was later released on signature pending court actions.
John Robert Airey of Crisfield, criminal summons served 1-15-18 for 5 counts of bad checks / utter under $500, Airey was later released on signature pending court actions.
Humphrey Dewayne Maddox of Westover, arrested 1-19-18 for driving under the influence of alcohol, driving impaired by alcohol, and negligent driving. Maddox was later released on citations pending court actions. The arrest was the result of a traffic stop conducted by Deputies in the area of Crisfield Highway, and Sign Post Rd.
Michael Christopher Ward of Crisfield, arrested 1-22-18 on warrants for failing to appear in court. Ward was later held on bond.
Tuesday Linton Thornes of Princess Anne, arrested 1-25-18 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Thornes was later held on a $1,500.00 bond.
Michael Shawn Thomas of Crisfield, arrested 1-30-18 on a warrant for possession of CDS with the intent to deliver , and possession of marijuana. Thomas was later released on personal recognizance.
Jonathan Charles Vansant, and Leah Jerez of Crisfield, arrested 1-30-18 on warrants for CDS possession with the intent to deliver, manufacturing CDs, common nuisance, administer CDS, CDS production equipment, possession of marijuana, and disorderly house. Deputies were called to the area of Sackertown Rd, Crisfield for a home invasion investigation. During their investigation, Deputies discovered a suspected marijuana grow located in the second floor of the house. Both subjects were later released on personal recognizance.
Josua Brandon Thomas of Crisfield, arrested 1-31-18 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Thomas was later held on a $20,000 bond.
Devin Michael White of Laurel Delaware, arrested 1-31-18 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. White was later held without bond.
Kyle Coleman Kirkendall of Princess Anne, criminal summons served 1-15-18 for malicious destruction of property. Kirkendall was later released on signature pending court actions.
John Robert Airey of Crisfield, criminal summons served 1-15-18 for 5 counts of bad checks / utter under $500, Airey was later released on signature pending court actions.
Humphrey Dewayne Maddox of Westover, arrested 1-19-18 for driving under the influence of alcohol, driving impaired by alcohol, and negligent driving. Maddox was later released on citations pending court actions. The arrest was the result of a traffic stop conducted by Deputies in the area of Crisfield Highway, and Sign Post Rd.
Michael Christopher Ward of Crisfield, arrested 1-22-18 on warrants for failing to appear in court. Ward was later held on bond.
Tuesday Linton Thornes of Princess Anne, arrested 1-25-18 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Thornes was later held on a $1,500.00 bond.
Michael Shawn Thomas of Crisfield, arrested 1-30-18 on a warrant for possession of CDS with the intent to deliver , and possession of marijuana. Thomas was later released on personal recognizance.
Jonathan Charles Vansant, and Leah Jerez of Crisfield, arrested 1-30-18 on warrants for CDS possession with the intent to deliver, manufacturing CDs, common nuisance, administer CDS, CDS production equipment, possession of marijuana, and disorderly house. Deputies were called to the area of Sackertown Rd, Crisfield for a home invasion investigation. During their investigation, Deputies discovered a suspected marijuana grow located in the second floor of the house. Both subjects were later released on personal recognizance.
Josua Brandon Thomas of Crisfield, arrested 1-31-18 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Thomas was later held on a $20,000 bond.
Devin Michael White of Laurel Delaware, arrested 1-31-18 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. White was later held without bond.
Good Sports Awards honor Wicomico’s players, coaches
SALISBURY, Md. – Players and coaches from 18 Wicomico County youth-based sports organizations were recognized at the inaugural Good Sports Awards on Wednesday, Jan. 31.
The Good Sports Awards honored community members who demonstrate the four core values supported by Wicomico County Recreation, Parks & Tourism: fun, community, sportsmanship and skill development.
Eligible youth-based sports organizations were invited to recognize one youth player and one coach who best demonstrate these core values. Representatives of these organizations could also make nominations for four additional awards.
Those awards were the Administrator of the Year, which went to Jared Willemin of Upward Sports; Official of the Year, which went to Mike Ingley of Fruitland Falcons; the Community Impact Award, which went to Doverdale Hawks Lacrosse; and the Lorne C. Rickert Lifetime Volunteer Award, which went to Norman Francis of East Wicomico Little League.
The award ceremony was held in the Midway Room of the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center and included a buffet dinner and silent auction.
“We were thrilled with the turnout for our inaugural Good Sports Awards,” said James Simmons, recreation superintendent for Wicomico County Recreation, Parks & Tourism. “It was a great night to recognize so many from around our community and bring everyone together who is doing great things in youth sports. The impact of sports in a child’s life can be tremendous and we wanted to really celebrate those who have been teaching life lessons through sports and those who have been learning those life lessons. We plan to make this an annual event and hope that it continues to grow and be a staple for our youth sports community.”
Congratulations to the winners listed above and the following Youth Sportsmanship Award and Outstanding Coach Award winners:
The Good Sports Awards honored community members who demonstrate the four core values supported by Wicomico County Recreation, Parks & Tourism: fun, community, sportsmanship and skill development.
Eligible youth-based sports organizations were invited to recognize one youth player and one coach who best demonstrate these core values. Representatives of these organizations could also make nominations for four additional awards.
Those awards were the Administrator of the Year, which went to Jared Willemin of Upward Sports; Official of the Year, which went to Mike Ingley of Fruitland Falcons; the Community Impact Award, which went to Doverdale Hawks Lacrosse; and the Lorne C. Rickert Lifetime Volunteer Award, which went to Norman Francis of East Wicomico Little League.
The award ceremony was held in the Midway Room of the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center and included a buffet dinner and silent auction.
“We were thrilled with the turnout for our inaugural Good Sports Awards,” said James Simmons, recreation superintendent for Wicomico County Recreation, Parks & Tourism. “It was a great night to recognize so many from around our community and bring everyone together who is doing great things in youth sports. The impact of sports in a child’s life can be tremendous and we wanted to really celebrate those who have been teaching life lessons through sports and those who have been learning those life lessons. We plan to make this an annual event and hope that it continues to grow and be a staple for our youth sports community.”
Congratulations to the winners listed above and the following Youth Sportsmanship Award and Outstanding Coach Award winners:
Big Banks Punish Savers With Pathetic Interest Rates Despite Fed Hikes
Big banks such as JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and Bank of America have been shafting depositors with terrible interest rates - refusing to keep pace with the Federal Reserve's rate hikes.
That's why he is richer than you .
JPMorgan, for example, has only raised its average deposit rate by 0.21 of a percentage point, despite the Federal Reserve raising rates by 1.25% over the same period - effectively punishing customers by locking them into historically low rates required to bail out the same banks which caused the financial crisis a decade ago.
The trend is so remarkable that analysts at Goldman Sachs Group Inc., a rival Wall Street firm with a comparatively tiny banking franchise, published a report on the matter earlier this month, noting that rates on savings were "virtually untouched" in 2017, even as banks charged fatter payments on loans and other assets whose rates jumped along with the Fed's increases.
Consequently, a decade after the 2008 crisis, retirees and others who shun stocks and choose less volatile, government-insured savings accounts at big banks are still getting meager returns. -TheStreet
"Some of the big banks literally have not moved deposit yields higher at any time during this cycle of Fed rate hikes," said Greg McBride, the chief financial analyst at BankRate.com, which tracks the savings and lending industry.
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That's why he is richer than you .
JPMorgan, for example, has only raised its average deposit rate by 0.21 of a percentage point, despite the Federal Reserve raising rates by 1.25% over the same period - effectively punishing customers by locking them into historically low rates required to bail out the same banks which caused the financial crisis a decade ago.
The trend is so remarkable that analysts at Goldman Sachs Group Inc., a rival Wall Street firm with a comparatively tiny banking franchise, published a report on the matter earlier this month, noting that rates on savings were "virtually untouched" in 2017, even as banks charged fatter payments on loans and other assets whose rates jumped along with the Fed's increases.
Consequently, a decade after the 2008 crisis, retirees and others who shun stocks and choose less volatile, government-insured savings accounts at big banks are still getting meager returns. -TheStreet
"Some of the big banks literally have not moved deposit yields higher at any time during this cycle of Fed rate hikes," said Greg McBride, the chief financial analyst at BankRate.com, which tracks the savings and lending industry.
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Democratic congresswoman caught playing 'Candy Crush' during SOTU
You’re deep into a game, maybe rescuing Princess Peach in “Super Mario Bros.” or stopping your family from drowning in “The Sims.” But then you have to stop gaming and go to work.
Well, one Democratic congresswoman has come up with a solution -- just keep gaming. Rep. Brenda Lawrence, D-Mich., was caught doing exactly that on her phone during President Trump’s State of the Union on Tuesday.
A photo, from Getty Images, appears to show Lawrence playing the addictive match-three game “Candy Crush Saga.”
Fox News reached out to King, the developers of “Candy Crush,” to confirm whether it was one of the many Candy Crush spinoffs, or a competitor. They did not respond to that request for comment.
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http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/02/01/democratic-congresswoman-caught-playing-candy-crush-during-sotu.html
Magloughlin: Proof that the Renewable Fuel Standard Is Corporate Welfare
President Trump’s economic boom is repairing forgotten America. Deregulation and tax reform are spawning jobs and wages for the middle class.
But beneath good news, swamp creatures still swindle working America with Wall Street scams. We call these scams the “Renewable Fuel Standard” (RFS).
The Trump administration has dutifully drained parts of the swamp, but there’s work to be done with the RFS. And it needs to happen fast.
This week, Philadelphia Energy Solutions, the largest refinery on the East Coast (where relatively few refineries operate), filed for bankruptcy as it owes the EPA $100 million in overdue RINS credits. If the company goes under, 1,100 jobs will be lost and thousands more are at risk elsewhere at refineries struggling to comply with the RFS.
The RFS is a Wall Street subsidy masquerading as clean energy. It’s a disastrous provision of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, a bipartisan attempt to lower gasoline consumption. This Bush-Pelosi monstrosity forces oil refineries to blend 15 billion gallons of biofuels, mainly ethanol, into annual gasoline production. President Obama’s activist Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) heightened this requirement.
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But beneath good news, swamp creatures still swindle working America with Wall Street scams. We call these scams the “Renewable Fuel Standard” (RFS).
The Trump administration has dutifully drained parts of the swamp, but there’s work to be done with the RFS. And it needs to happen fast.
This week, Philadelphia Energy Solutions, the largest refinery on the East Coast (where relatively few refineries operate), filed for bankruptcy as it owes the EPA $100 million in overdue RINS credits. If the company goes under, 1,100 jobs will be lost and thousands more are at risk elsewhere at refineries struggling to comply with the RFS.
The RFS is a Wall Street subsidy masquerading as clean energy. It’s a disastrous provision of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, a bipartisan attempt to lower gasoline consumption. This Bush-Pelosi monstrosity forces oil refineries to blend 15 billion gallons of biofuels, mainly ethanol, into annual gasoline production. President Obama’s activist Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) heightened this requirement.
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ICE chief warns illegal immigration 'not going to be OK anymore': report
In a fiery speech to hundreds of law enforcement officers, the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement excoriated the political enablers of illegal immigration on Wednesday, saying he’ll “never back down” from safeguarding the border.
Speaking at the Border Security Expo in San Antonio, Thomas Homan singled out sanctuary cities and the ongoing congressional debate over so-called “Dreamers.”
“If we get a clean DACA bill, shame on all of us,” Homan said, referring to the Obama administration’s contentious Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. "You can’t address DACA and reward people that brought children here illegally and not address underlying reasons of DACA.”
More/Video
Speaking at the Border Security Expo in San Antonio, Thomas Homan singled out sanctuary cities and the ongoing congressional debate over so-called “Dreamers.”
“If we get a clean DACA bill, shame on all of us,” Homan said, referring to the Obama administration’s contentious Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. "You can’t address DACA and reward people that brought children here illegally and not address underlying reasons of DACA.”
More/Video
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/02/01/ice-chief-warns-illegal-immigration-not-going-to-be-ok-anymore-report.html
Nancy Pelosi is a big part of GOP plans to win the midterms
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — House Republicans will lean heavily on Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and her comment that the GOP tax cut amounts to just "crumbs" for people in their quest to retain the majority this year.
In an interview with reporters on Thursday, National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Steve Stivers, R-Ohio, who runs the House campaign arm, said the top Democrat is helping Republicans politically with her own well-publicized criticisms of the GOP.
Most recently, she called the Republican tax reform plan “Armageddon,” and said the $1,000 bonuses some companies awarded as a result of corporate tax cuts are “crumbs.”
“Her crumbs comment,” Stivers said. “That’s something I think we can use pretty effectively.”
Stivers echoed President Trump, who talked about Pelosi when he addressed the Republicans at the Greenbrier Resort Thursday during their annual retreat.
Trump told Republicans Thursday that the “crumbs” comment could hurt Democrats in the same way many believe Hillary Clinton by saying, during a campaign speech, that Trump supporters belong in “a basket of deplorables.”
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In an interview with reporters on Thursday, National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Steve Stivers, R-Ohio, who runs the House campaign arm, said the top Democrat is helping Republicans politically with her own well-publicized criticisms of the GOP.
Most recently, she called the Republican tax reform plan “Armageddon,” and said the $1,000 bonuses some companies awarded as a result of corporate tax cuts are “crumbs.”
“Her crumbs comment,” Stivers said. “That’s something I think we can use pretty effectively.”
Stivers echoed President Trump, who talked about Pelosi when he addressed the Republicans at the Greenbrier Resort Thursday during their annual retreat.
Trump told Republicans Thursday that the “crumbs” comment could hurt Democrats in the same way many believe Hillary Clinton by saying, during a campaign speech, that Trump supporters belong in “a basket of deplorables.”
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Trump: Calling Illegal Immigrants ‘Dreamers’ Is A ‘Trap’ — All Americans Are Dreamers
Donald Trump pledged to take back the illegal immigration narrative from Democrats Thursday at the GOP retreat in West Virginia.
While speaking about DACA and illegal immigration legislation, the president echoed his remark at the State of the Union, when he said “Americans are DREAMers, too.” The comment received broad praise from conservatives andcondemnation from liberals.
At Thursday’s speech, Trump said “Some people call it DREAMers. It’s not DREAMers. Don’t fall into that trap. It’s much different than DREAMers.”
Trump went on to say that he has “DREAMers” to take care of in America, too.
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While speaking about DACA and illegal immigration legislation, the president echoed his remark at the State of the Union, when he said “Americans are DREAMers, too.” The comment received broad praise from conservatives andcondemnation from liberals.
At Thursday’s speech, Trump said “Some people call it DREAMers. It’s not DREAMers. Don’t fall into that trap. It’s much different than DREAMers.”
Trump went on to say that he has “DREAMers” to take care of in America, too.
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Confused Nancy Pelosi Stutters - Forgets Who's President - Calls Trump "Bush" Again
She did it again!
Democrat leader Nancy Pelosi called President Trump “President Bush” at least five times in 2017.
Democrat leader Nancy Pelosi called President Trump “President Bush” at least five times in 2017.
Texas man executed for 2001 murders of young daughters
A former Dallas accountant condemned for fatally shooting his two young daughters while their mother listened helplessly on the phone was put to death Thursday night in Texas but not before taunting her one last time.
John David Battaglia was executed for the May 2001 killings of his 9-year-old daughter, Faith, and her 6-year-old sister, Liberty. Battaglia and his wife had separated, and he shot the girls at his Dallas apartment during a scheduled visit.
Battaglia smiled as the mother of his slain children, Mary Jean Pearle, and other witnesses to his execution walked into the death chamber viewing area.
Asked by the warden if he had a final statement, the inmate replied: "No," then changed his mind. "Well, hi, Mary Jean," he said, looking and smiling at his ex-wife. "I'll see y'all later. Bye."
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John David Battaglia was executed for the May 2001 killings of his 9-year-old daughter, Faith, and her 6-year-old sister, Liberty. Battaglia and his wife had separated, and he shot the girls at his Dallas apartment during a scheduled visit.
Battaglia smiled as the mother of his slain children, Mary Jean Pearle, and other witnesses to his execution walked into the death chamber viewing area.
Asked by the warden if he had a final statement, the inmate replied: "No," then changed his mind. "Well, hi, Mary Jean," he said, looking and smiling at his ex-wife. "I'll see y'all later. Bye."
More
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/02/01/texas-man-executed-for-2001-murders-young-daughters.html
Survey: 10 Most Popular Governors of 2017 Are All Republicans
The 10 most popular governors in the U.S. are all Republicans, according to a newly released survey.
Morning Consult's rankings of governors' approval ratings in the fourth quarter of 2017 showed Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R.) retaining the top spot with 69 percent approval, while no Democrats made the top 10. For each quarter of 2017, only Republicans appeared in Morning Consult's top 10 for approval ratings in their home states.
Republicans also accounted for many of the least popular governors as well, with Chris Christie (R.) finishing his tenure in New Jersey as the country's most unpopular governor at 76 percent disapproval. Eight of the 10 least popular governors in the study were Republicans, although the least popular sitting governor is Democrat Dan Malloy of Connecticut with 68 percent disapproval.
Republicans in blue states constitute a majority of the top five, with Larry Hogan (Md.) and Phil Scott (Vt.) just behind Baker in the second and fourth spots, respectively.
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Morning Consult's rankings of governors' approval ratings in the fourth quarter of 2017 showed Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R.) retaining the top spot with 69 percent approval, while no Democrats made the top 10. For each quarter of 2017, only Republicans appeared in Morning Consult's top 10 for approval ratings in their home states.
Republicans also accounted for many of the least popular governors as well, with Chris Christie (R.) finishing his tenure in New Jersey as the country's most unpopular governor at 76 percent disapproval. Eight of the 10 least popular governors in the study were Republicans, although the least popular sitting governor is Democrat Dan Malloy of Connecticut with 68 percent disapproval.
Republicans in blue states constitute a majority of the top five, with Larry Hogan (Md.) and Phil Scott (Vt.) just behind Baker in the second and fourth spots, respectively.
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*Update* Suspect Arrested For Meth Lab Operation-Millsboro
Elijah L. Cantrell
Millsboro - The Delaware State Police has arrested a suspect in connection with the manufacturing of methamphetamine (meth) in a residence.
On Monday, January 29, 2018, Troop 4 patrol units responded to the 30000 block of Millsboro Highway for a domestic related complaint. Upon arrival, contact was made with a resident who advised that she believed her son, 39-year-old Elijah L. Cantrell of Millsboro was manufacturing methamphetamine within the residence. Further investigation revealed that items believed to be consistent with manufacturing methamphetamine were located in a trash container in the garage. Members of the Sussex County Governor's Task Force (GTF) and Sussex Drug Unit (SDU) responded to the scene and confirmed that a meth lab was present.
A hazmat response was coordinated with DNREC, Millsboro Fire Company and Emergency Medical Services. The residence was searched and numerous items consistent with the manufacturing of methamphetamine and additional drug paraphernalia were located and disposed of by DNREC. No evacuations were ordered as it was determined that there was no immediate hazard to nearby residents.
Elijah Cantrell fled the residence prior to the arrival of the police. Cantrell was later located at an apartment in Salisbury, MD. He was taken into custody and extradited back to Delaware on Friday, February 2, 2018. He was charged with Operating a Clandestine Laboratory and two counts of Drug Paraphernalia. Cantrell was arraigned out of the Justice of the Peace Court 2 and committed to the Sussex Correctional Institution on $15,000.00 secured bond.
'Leaker' Comey Blasts GOP "Weasels & Liars" In Confusing Tweet
Not The Onion.
Former FBI Director and admitted document-leaker James Comey took to Twitter this afternoon to apparently confuse and condemn those who dare to cross his or his old establishment buddies' paths.
In an apparent show of support for the current (and former) FBI leadership, who, among others, face alleged exposure from Nunes' memo for their anti-Trump bias and abuse of FISA in surveiling Trump campaign officials, Comey tweeted the following 'riddle'...
“All should appreciate the FBI speaking up,” Comey said Thursday in a tweet. “But take heart: American history shows that, in the long run, weasels and liars never hold the field, so long as good people stand up. Not a lot of schools or streets named for Joe McCarthy.”
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Former FBI Director and admitted document-leaker James Comey took to Twitter this afternoon to apparently confuse and condemn those who dare to cross his or his old establishment buddies' paths.
In an apparent show of support for the current (and former) FBI leadership, who, among others, face alleged exposure from Nunes' memo for their anti-Trump bias and abuse of FISA in surveiling Trump campaign officials, Comey tweeted the following 'riddle'...
“All should appreciate the FBI speaking up,” Comey said Thursday in a tweet. “But take heart: American history shows that, in the long run, weasels and liars never hold the field, so long as good people stand up. Not a lot of schools or streets named for Joe McCarthy.”
More
MSNBC's Joy Reid Triggered by Trump Using the Word "Family"
Imagine being triggered by the word “family”.
You’ve just imagined how MSNBC host Joy Reid felt after President Trump’s State of the Union speech last night.
“Church … family … police … military … the national anthem … Trump trying to call on all the tropes of 1950s-era nationalism. The goal of this speech appears to be to force the normalization of Trump on the terms of the bygone era his supporters are nostalgic for,” tweeted Reid.
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David Horowitz: Democrats’ Hatred of Trump Is Going to Bring Them Down
Donald Trump’s State of the Union address was perfectly pitched for the political moment.
He spoke to and for the American people – for all Americans of whatever race, color or creed. He spoke for the poorest and most vulnerable among us, who are the chief victims of the Democrats’ determination to welcome millions upon millions of illegal aliens, who are mainly low wage laborers and who include predatory criminals, to pour into our country; to defy federal law with their “sanctuary” states and cities, and to effectively declare our border and immigration policies null and void.
Trump did not use the word “sedition” to describe the law-breaking and Constitution-negating actions of his Democratic predecessor or the Democrats assembled in the chamber of the House. He provided instead an opening to them to abandon their “resistance” – resistance to the expressed will of the American voting public which has led to a relentless sabotage of the democratic process. In sum, he offered a hand to his Democratic haters, and they slapped it away.
When Trump summarized the successes of his first year in office, he emphasized how the prosperity of his first twelve months impacted the lives and hopes of ordinary Americans, wage laborers and others whom the eight years of the Obama presidency had left behind. In doing so he exposed the Democrats in the most dramatic way imaginable.
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He spoke to and for the American people – for all Americans of whatever race, color or creed. He spoke for the poorest and most vulnerable among us, who are the chief victims of the Democrats’ determination to welcome millions upon millions of illegal aliens, who are mainly low wage laborers and who include predatory criminals, to pour into our country; to defy federal law with their “sanctuary” states and cities, and to effectively declare our border and immigration policies null and void.
Trump did not use the word “sedition” to describe the law-breaking and Constitution-negating actions of his Democratic predecessor or the Democrats assembled in the chamber of the House. He provided instead an opening to them to abandon their “resistance” – resistance to the expressed will of the American voting public which has led to a relentless sabotage of the democratic process. In sum, he offered a hand to his Democratic haters, and they slapped it away.
When Trump summarized the successes of his first year in office, he emphasized how the prosperity of his first twelve months impacted the lives and hopes of ordinary Americans, wage laborers and others whom the eight years of the Obama presidency had left behind. In doing so he exposed the Democrats in the most dramatic way imaginable.
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INFORMATION ON RECOMMENDED MIDDLE SCHOOL BOUNDARY CHANGES
The boundary adjustments under discussion would be for middle schools only; students would continue to attend the high school to which they are currently assigned. With the relocation of Bennett Middle School to Fruitland, these two areas are closer to Salisbury Middle and Wicomico Middle schools. The students in these two areas would benefit from a much shorter commute to their newly assigned school.
One proposed change involves the middle school for students who reside in an area at the northwestern edge of the Bennett Middle attendance area. This area is located on the other side of the Wicomico River from the rest of the Bennett Middle attendance area, and is situated much closer to Salisbury Middle. Approximately 90 students live in this area.
The other proposed change involves the middle school for students who reside in an area at the northeastern edge of the Bennett Middle attendance area. This area is bordered on the west by Snow Hill Road, on the south by the Salisbury Bypass, and on the north by the existing Wicomico Middle attendance area boundary. Approximately 60 students live in this area.
The proposed boundary adjustments are designed to ease overcrowding at Bennett Middle School, which is anticipated to increase to an enrollment well over capacity for the next several years. While Bennett Middle is near capacity now, Salisbury Middle and Wicomico Middle are both under capacity and could serve more students. The adjustments would ease the enrollment impact on Bennett Middle while also improving instruction for students by creating more balanced teacher-student ratios. Due to its larger student population, Bennett Middle’s student-teacher ratio is much higher than the average class sizes at both Salisbury Middle and Wicomico Middle. “These boundary changes would have a positive effect on instruction and school climate for all students,” Dr. Hanlin said.
American University Rolls Out $121 Million Diversity and Inclusion Plan
American University rolled out a $121 million diversity and inclusion plan Tuesday, which includes the creation and implementation of a MANDATORY two-semester race and social identity course.
American has allocated $60 million for FY 2018, though it began spending the $121 million last spring, and intends to keep spending through next year.
The majority of the funds have been earmarked for scholarships to minority applicants, but $7 million has already gone toward the creation of the American University Experience course.
The first section of AUx, taken in the first semester of freshman year, is built as a psychological, social, cultural, and academic transition into college life. Topics covered include "exploring and expressing identities," as well as "diversity, bias, and privilege," in addition to mental health maintenance.
The sole focus of the second semester is "race and social identity." Students will be instructed in identifying and countering the "coded, contentious, or uncomfortable ways" in which "ethnicity, gender and sexual expression, class, disability, and religion are often discussed."
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American has allocated $60 million for FY 2018, though it began spending the $121 million last spring, and intends to keep spending through next year.
The majority of the funds have been earmarked for scholarships to minority applicants, but $7 million has already gone toward the creation of the American University Experience course.
The first section of AUx, taken in the first semester of freshman year, is built as a psychological, social, cultural, and academic transition into college life. Topics covered include "exploring and expressing identities," as well as "diversity, bias, and privilege," in addition to mental health maintenance.
The sole focus of the second semester is "race and social identity." Students will be instructed in identifying and countering the "coded, contentious, or uncomfortable ways" in which "ethnicity, gender and sexual expression, class, disability, and religion are often discussed."
More
SOTU: WE Make America Great Again
“Over the last year, we have made incredible progress and achieved extraordinary success,” President Donald Trump stated early in his State of the Union address last night. “We have faced challenges we expected, and others we never have imagined. We have shared in the heights of victory and the pains of hardship. We endured floods and fires and storms. But through it all, we have seen the beauty of America’s soul, and the steel in America’s spine.” The president maintained this unified theme throughout his speech, which was more impressive than his speech last year to Congress. He used the pronouns “we” 129 times and “our” 104 times, while referencing “I” only 29 times — that’s essentially the opposite of what Barack Obama practiced — and the unifying optimism was palpable.
Trump’s speech was also well received by the American public, with a CBS News poll showing an approval rating of 75% among viewers. However, congressional Democrats were clearly having none of it. While historically Republicans don’t stand and applaud statist policies and Democrats don’t stand and applaud free enterprise and individual liberty policies, generally both will stand and applaud clearly bipartisan issues such as good employment numbers and a growing economy. But it appears that Trump Derangement Syndrome has so infected congressional Democrats that it precludes them from even acknowledging objectively good news. They simply sat on their hands and pouted like little children who didn’t get their own way.
More here
Trump’s speech was also well received by the American public, with a CBS News poll showing an approval rating of 75% among viewers. However, congressional Democrats were clearly having none of it. While historically Republicans don’t stand and applaud statist policies and Democrats don’t stand and applaud free enterprise and individual liberty policies, generally both will stand and applaud clearly bipartisan issues such as good employment numbers and a growing economy. But it appears that Trump Derangement Syndrome has so infected congressional Democrats that it precludes them from even acknowledging objectively good news. They simply sat on their hands and pouted like little children who didn’t get their own way.
More here
BREAKING NEWS ALERT: Senate Finance Committee Votes To Delay Implementation Of Burdensome Paid Sick Leave Measure
“Our administration continues to remain ready and willing to meet with them at any time, to engage in open and honest dialogue in order to reach a compromise on this critical issue. The issue of paid sick leave is much too important, and the impact is too far-reaching for us to risk getting it wrong.” - Governor Larry Hogan, November 28, 2017
Legislators Voted To Delay Implementation Of Paid Sick Leave Legislation
Senate Finance Committee Voted To Advance Legislation To Delay The Implementation Of Burdensome Paid Sick Leave Measure Until July 1, 2018.
Governor Hogan Calls On Legislators To Focus Their Attention On Passing His Small Business Relief Tax Credit To Ease The Burden On Small Businesses
Governor Hogan’s Proposed Legislation Provides $100 Million Over Five Years In Tax Credits To Businesses With Fewer Than 50 Employees That Provide Paid Leave Benefits To Their Employees. “The Department shall: approve all applications that qualify for a tax credit certificate under this subsection on a first-come, first-served basis… The total amount of credit certificates issued by the Department under this subsection may not exceed: for taxable year 2018, $5,000,000; for taxable year 2019, $15,000,000; for taxable year 2020, $35,000,000; for taxable year 2021, $75,000,000; and for taxable year 2022 and each taxable year thereafter, $100,000,000.” (“Senate Bill 134,” Maryland General Assembly, 1/11/18)
The Governor’s Proposal Provides A Tax Credit Up To $1,000 Per-Employee To Small Businesses Employing Less Than 50 Workers. “A small business that hires a qualified employee may claim a credit against the State income tax in the amount stated on the tax credit certificate issued under subsection (d) of this section. For each taxable year, the credit allowed under this section may not exceed the lesser of: an amount that equals $1,000 for each qualified employee; or an amount that equals the total amount of qualified employer benefits accrued by all qualified employees of the small business.” (“Senate Bill 134,” Maryland General Assembly, 1/11/18)
FISA Memo: Dossier Used For Warrant
The White House on Friday released a highly-anticipated memo alleging that the Justice Department left crucial information out of an application for a spy warrant against a former Trump campaign adviser.
The three-and-a-half page memo, which was written by Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee, says that FBI and DOJ knew that the infamous Steele dossier had been financed by the Clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee when the agencies applied for a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant in order to spy on Carter Page.
But that information was left out of the September 2016 application for the warrant.
WATCH:
The three-and-a-half page memo, which was written by Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee, says that FBI and DOJ knew that the infamous Steele dossier had been financed by the Clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee when the agencies applied for a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant in order to spy on Carter Page.
But that information was left out of the September 2016 application for the warrant.
WATCH:
FISA Memo Released: Here's What It Says
Update:
The just released FISA memo accuses senior officials at the DOJ of inappropriately using biased opposition research into then-candidate Trump to obtain surveillance warrants on transition team members as part of the federal investigation into the Trump campaign and Russia.
According to the document, information from the the so-called Steele dossier was "essential" to the acquisition of surveillance warrants on Trump campaign aide Carter Page. It claims that then-deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe told the committee in December that without the information from the Steele dossier, no surveillance warrant for Page would have been sought.
The memo alleges that the political origins of the dossier — paid for by Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) — were not disclosed to the clandestine court that signed off on the warrant request.
The document claims that although the FBI had "clear evidence" that the author of the dossier, former British spy Christopher Steele, was biased against Trump, it did not convey that to the surveillance court when making its warrant applications. Steele told then-associate deputy attorney general Bruce Ohr that he was "desperate that Donald Trump not get elected and was passionate about him not being president," the memo says.
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The just released FISA memo accuses senior officials at the DOJ of inappropriately using biased opposition research into then-candidate Trump to obtain surveillance warrants on transition team members as part of the federal investigation into the Trump campaign and Russia.
According to the document, information from the the so-called Steele dossier was "essential" to the acquisition of surveillance warrants on Trump campaign aide Carter Page. It claims that then-deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe told the committee in December that without the information from the Steele dossier, no surveillance warrant for Page would have been sought.
The memo alleges that the political origins of the dossier — paid for by Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) — were not disclosed to the clandestine court that signed off on the warrant request.
The document claims that although the FBI had "clear evidence" that the author of the dossier, former British spy Christopher Steele, was biased against Trump, it did not convey that to the surveillance court when making its warrant applications. Steele told then-associate deputy attorney general Bruce Ohr that he was "desperate that Donald Trump not get elected and was passionate about him not being president," the memo says.
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FISA Memo Described By Source
The four-page memo written by Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee contends that FBI officials used the unverified Steele dossier to obtain a secret warrant to spy on a Trump associate, according to a source with direct knowledge of the document.
The memo, based on information provided by the FBI and the Department of Justice, may be released Friday, with White House approval. It asserts that the FBI used the dubious dossier to obtain a warrant to spy on Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. Other Trump campaign associates were also spied on during the campaign.
The Daily Caller’s source made clear that the dossier was used to procure a warrant even after it was clear that the document was paid for by the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.
WATCH:
The memo, based on information provided by the FBI and the Department of Justice, may be released Friday, with White House approval. It asserts that the FBI used the dubious dossier to obtain a warrant to spy on Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. Other Trump campaign associates were also spied on during the campaign.
The Daily Caller’s source made clear that the dossier was used to procure a warrant even after it was clear that the document was paid for by the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.
WATCH:
Trump: 'Remove Federal Employees Who Undermine the Public Trust or Fail the American People'
President Donald Trump says his Cabinet secretaries should be able to fire federal workers who "undermine the public trust or fail the American people."
He made the comment in connection with the Veterans Affairs Administration, while discussing "what kind of future we are going to have and what kind of nation we are going to be."
"Last year, the Congress passed, and I signed, the landmark VA Accountability Act. Since its passage, my Administration has already removed more than 1,500 VA employees who failed to give our veterans the care they deserve -- and we are hiring talented people who love our vets as much as we do."
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He made the comment in connection with the Veterans Affairs Administration, while discussing "what kind of future we are going to have and what kind of nation we are going to be."
"Last year, the Congress passed, and I signed, the landmark VA Accountability Act. Since its passage, my Administration has already removed more than 1,500 VA employees who failed to give our veterans the care they deserve -- and we are hiring talented people who love our vets as much as we do."
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This Is How February Became Black History Month
It was in 1964 when the author James Baldwin reflected on the shortcomings of his education. “When I was going to school,” he said, “I began to be bugged by the teaching of American history because it seemed that that history had been taught without cognizance of my presence.”
Baldwin’s thoughts echoed those of many before and after him. Half a century earlier, when Carter G. Woodson had the same frustration, he set the foundation for what would become today’s national Black History Month, observed each February.
In the early 20th century, while he earned a Masters degree from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. from Harvard, both in history, Woodson witnessed how black people were underrepresented in the books and conversations that shaped the study of American history. According to the way many historians taught the nation’s past, African Americans were barely part of the story—a narrative that Woodson knew was not true. So in 1915, he and Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, or the ASALH). The organization would promote studying black history as a discipline and celebrate the accomplishments of African Americans.
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Baldwin’s thoughts echoed those of many before and after him. Half a century earlier, when Carter G. Woodson had the same frustration, he set the foundation for what would become today’s national Black History Month, observed each February.
In the early 20th century, while he earned a Masters degree from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. from Harvard, both in history, Woodson witnessed how black people were underrepresented in the books and conversations that shaped the study of American history. According to the way many historians taught the nation’s past, African Americans were barely part of the story—a narrative that Woodson knew was not true. So in 1915, he and Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, or the ASALH). The organization would promote studying black history as a discipline and celebrate the accomplishments of African Americans.
More
'Operation Team Player’ nets over $15 million in fake sports merchandise
MINNEAPOLIS – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) representatives announced today that enforcement actions led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection resulted in the seizure of over 171,926 counterfeit sports- and entertainment-related items worth an estimated $15.69 million, and joint investigative efforts led to 65 arrests with 24 convictions.
The results from Operation Team Player, a year-round effort developed by the HSI-led National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) to crackdown on the illegal importation of counterfeit sports apparel and entertainment merchandise, were revealed at a press conference hosted by the NFL with participation from ICE, CBP and the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD).
“Intellectual property theft is a serious crime, and black-market organizations descend on the Super Bowl and other major sporting events to sell counterfeit goods and substandard merchandise to unsuspecting consumers,” said ICE Deputy Director Thomas D. Homan. “ICE agents are committed to investigating the trafficking of counterfeit goods that wreak havoc on local economies, threaten the health and safety of the American public and fund criminal organizations engaged in other illegal activities.”
Special agents from HSI teamed with industry, CBP, FBI, Minneapolis police officers and other partner agencies to identify flea markets, retail outlets and street vendors selling counterfeit goods during the week leading up to Super Bowl LII. They seized fake jerseys, hats, cell-phone accessories and thousands of other bogus items prepared to be sold to unsuspecting consumers.
“The NFL greatly appreciates its partnership with ICE, the IPR Center, and local law enforcement in our coordinated efforts to protect consumers ahead of Super Bowl LII,” said NFL Vice President of Legal Affairs, Dolores DiBella. “Disrupting the sale of counterfeit merchandise and counterfeit tickets helps ensure an authentic gameday experience for all fans. The NFL remains committed to consumer protection efforts year-round, and this collaboration with law enforcement is essential for every organization engaged in the fight against counterfeiting.”
The results from Operation Team Player, a year-round effort developed by the HSI-led National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) to crackdown on the illegal importation of counterfeit sports apparel and entertainment merchandise, were revealed at a press conference hosted by the NFL with participation from ICE, CBP and the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD).
“Intellectual property theft is a serious crime, and black-market organizations descend on the Super Bowl and other major sporting events to sell counterfeit goods and substandard merchandise to unsuspecting consumers,” said ICE Deputy Director Thomas D. Homan. “ICE agents are committed to investigating the trafficking of counterfeit goods that wreak havoc on local economies, threaten the health and safety of the American public and fund criminal organizations engaged in other illegal activities.”
Special agents from HSI teamed with industry, CBP, FBI, Minneapolis police officers and other partner agencies to identify flea markets, retail outlets and street vendors selling counterfeit goods during the week leading up to Super Bowl LII. They seized fake jerseys, hats, cell-phone accessories and thousands of other bogus items prepared to be sold to unsuspecting consumers.
“The NFL greatly appreciates its partnership with ICE, the IPR Center, and local law enforcement in our coordinated efforts to protect consumers ahead of Super Bowl LII,” said NFL Vice President of Legal Affairs, Dolores DiBella. “Disrupting the sale of counterfeit merchandise and counterfeit tickets helps ensure an authentic gameday experience for all fans. The NFL remains committed to consumer protection efforts year-round, and this collaboration with law enforcement is essential for every organization engaged in the fight against counterfeiting.”
Able To Afford Doctor Visit After Winning $1M Scratch-Off, Man Dies 23 Days Later
BINGHAMTON, New York (WJZ) — On January 4, Donald Savastano claimed a $661,800 lump sum after winning a $1 million New York lottery scratch-off ticket.
“This is gonna change our lives, to tell you the truth,” he told local media at the time. He said he wanted to put some money away for retirement, buy a new truck and maybe take a vacation.
“This is gonna change our lives, to tell you the truth,” he told local media at the time. He said he wanted to put some money away for retirement, buy a new truck and maybe take a vacation.
But less than three weeks later, on Jan. 26, he died of cancer.
WBNG-TV, a CBS station in Binghamton, reports that Savastano also used some of his winnings to see a doctor, something he couldn’t afford to do before. His obituary says he was a self-employed carpenter.
The doctor diagnosed him with Stage 4 cancer.
Savastano, 51, was laid to rest Wednesday.
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WBNG-TV, a CBS station in Binghamton, reports that Savastano also used some of his winnings to see a doctor, something he couldn’t afford to do before. His obituary says he was a self-employed carpenter.
The doctor diagnosed him with Stage 4 cancer.
Savastano, 51, was laid to rest Wednesday.
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Breaking News: House Republicans released a secret memo claiming abuses against President Trump in the Russia inquiry
'Media' confused after Trump pushes agenda he was elected to enact
President Trump used his State of the Union address Tuesday to push many of the issues he campaigned on, just as his predecessors have done before him, and yet many in the news media were disappointed and confused about why he brought them up at all.
Trump’s speech was heavy on illegal immigration, one of his defining campaign issues, the threat of Islamic terrorism and international trade.
But on NBC, “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd bemoaned that those themes were so central in the address, and suggested that Trump should have been more conciliatory toward Democrats.
“I expected a lot more actual outreach,” said Todd. “It was a few things at the beginning, but then it was, you know — he didn't lead with a conciliatory tone on immigration. He didn't lead with a conciliatory tone on Gitmo. He didn't lead with a conciliatory tone even on some things like the infrastructure plan. It was — I felt like he spoke more to his base than I expected him to, particularly on immigration and that could be part of his sales pitch.”
Joy Reid of MSNBC, the network’s cable arm, said in a widely criticized tweet, “Church ... family ... police ... military ... the national anthem ... Trump trying to call on all the tropes of 1950s-era nationalism.."
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Trump’s speech was heavy on illegal immigration, one of his defining campaign issues, the threat of Islamic terrorism and international trade.
But on NBC, “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd bemoaned that those themes were so central in the address, and suggested that Trump should have been more conciliatory toward Democrats.
“I expected a lot more actual outreach,” said Todd. “It was a few things at the beginning, but then it was, you know — he didn't lead with a conciliatory tone on immigration. He didn't lead with a conciliatory tone on Gitmo. He didn't lead with a conciliatory tone even on some things like the infrastructure plan. It was — I felt like he spoke more to his base than I expected him to, particularly on immigration and that could be part of his sales pitch.”
Joy Reid of MSNBC, the network’s cable arm, said in a widely criticized tweet, “Church ... family ... police ... military ... the national anthem ... Trump trying to call on all the tropes of 1950s-era nationalism.."
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Donald Trump: Democrats Do Nothing but ‘Resist, Blame, Complain and Obstruct’ on DACA
President Donald Trump unleashed an attack on Democrats for failing to pass amnesty for DACA recipients, as he prepared a speech for the House and Senate Republican Member Conference on Thursday.
“March 5th is rapidly approaching and the Democrats are doing nothing about DACA,” he wrote. “They Resist, Blame, Complain and Obstruct – and do nothing. Start pushing Nancy Pelosi and the Dems to work out a DACA fix, NOW!”
Trump has proposed amnesty for 1.8 million illegal immigrants brought to the United States as children in exchange for wall funding, an end to chain migration, and the end of the visa lottery system.
The president said he would discuss infrastructure spending and an immigration deal on DACA.
“Not easy when we have no support from the Democrats,” he continued. “NOT ONE DEM VOTED FOR OUR TAX CUT BILL! Need more Republicans in ‘18.”
More here
“March 5th is rapidly approaching and the Democrats are doing nothing about DACA,” he wrote. “They Resist, Blame, Complain and Obstruct – and do nothing. Start pushing Nancy Pelosi and the Dems to work out a DACA fix, NOW!”
Trump has proposed amnesty for 1.8 million illegal immigrants brought to the United States as children in exchange for wall funding, an end to chain migration, and the end of the visa lottery system.
The president said he would discuss infrastructure spending and an immigration deal on DACA.
“Not easy when we have no support from the Democrats,” he continued. “NOT ONE DEM VOTED FOR OUR TAX CUT BILL! Need more Republicans in ‘18.”
More here
Inside a Public School Social Justice Factory
For decades, the public schools of Edina, Minnesota, were the gold standard among the state’s school districts. Edina is an upscale suburb of Minneapolis, but virtually overnight, its reputation has changed. Academic rigor is unraveling, high school reading and math test scores are sliding, and students increasingly fear bullying and persecution.
The shift began in 2013, when Edina school leaders adopted the “All for All” strategic plan—a sweeping initiative that reordered the district’s mission from academic excellence for all students to “racial equity.”
“Equity” in this context does not mean “equality” or “fairness.” It means racial identity politics—an ideology that blames minority students’ academic challenges on institutional racial bias, repudiates Martin Luther King, Jr.’s color-blind ideal, and focuses on uprooting “white privilege.”
The Edina school district’s All for All plan mandated that henceforth “all teaching and learning experiences” would be viewed through the “lens of racial equity,” and that only “racially conscious” teachers and administrators should be hired. District leaders assured parents this would reduce Edina’s racial achievement gap, which they attributed to “barriers rooted in racial constructs and cultural misunderstandings.”
As a result, the school system’s obsession with “white privilege” now begins in kindergarten.
Highlands Elementary’s new “racially conscious” elementary school principal runs a blog for the school’s community. On it, she approvingly posted pictures of Black Lives Matter propaganda and rainbow gay-pride flags—along with a picture of protesters holding a banner proclaiming “Gay Marriage Is Our Right.”
More here
The shift began in 2013, when Edina school leaders adopted the “All for All” strategic plan—a sweeping initiative that reordered the district’s mission from academic excellence for all students to “racial equity.”
“Equity” in this context does not mean “equality” or “fairness.” It means racial identity politics—an ideology that blames minority students’ academic challenges on institutional racial bias, repudiates Martin Luther King, Jr.’s color-blind ideal, and focuses on uprooting “white privilege.”
The Edina school district’s All for All plan mandated that henceforth “all teaching and learning experiences” would be viewed through the “lens of racial equity,” and that only “racially conscious” teachers and administrators should be hired. District leaders assured parents this would reduce Edina’s racial achievement gap, which they attributed to “barriers rooted in racial constructs and cultural misunderstandings.”
As a result, the school system’s obsession with “white privilege” now begins in kindergarten.
Highlands Elementary’s new “racially conscious” elementary school principal runs a blog for the school’s community. On it, she approvingly posted pictures of Black Lives Matter propaganda and rainbow gay-pride flags—along with a picture of protesters holding a banner proclaiming “Gay Marriage Is Our Right.”
More here
This ER nurse has some horror stories to tell about the flu
A Florida hospital nurse is mad as heck and she’s not going to take it anymore.
So what has gotten Escambia County nurse Katherine Lockler so frustrated?
Parents or coaches who bring their healthy kids to the ER when they really don’t belong there. Don’t you know that the otherwise well-intentioned adults are bringing their toddlers and softball teams into “a cesspool of funky flu at the ER” right now?
If you didn’t know that, Lockler will tell you. Oh, how she’ll tell you.
Lockler lives in Milton and works in several emergency rooms in Northwest Florida, where the flu is running high in numbers not seen since the 2009-10 flu season. She sat down in her car after a 12-hour shift Saturday morning and did a video in which she recounts hospital horror stories.
In the video, she offers tips on how to avoid the flu or treat it yourself. Tamiflu, she said, won’t cure the flu but will limit the time you’ll have it. Better yet, before treating the ER as a first option, get yourself some over-the-counter Tylenol or ibuprofen and take dosages big enough — 400 to 600 milligrams for men or women or 800 for “a big dude” — to wipe out the fever. Drink plenty of fluids like Gatorade, water or Powerade to stay hydrated.
“And wash your stinking hands so you don’t make your babies sick!”
Above all, if you aren’t truly sick, stay home. She notes how 25 to 30 patients are sitting in the ER for hours. “Some [are] walking in with the flu and so guess what? Five flus walk in, 15 flus walk out! And they don’t even know they have it. But they’ll be back!”
More/video
So what has gotten Escambia County nurse Katherine Lockler so frustrated?
Parents or coaches who bring their healthy kids to the ER when they really don’t belong there. Don’t you know that the otherwise well-intentioned adults are bringing their toddlers and softball teams into “a cesspool of funky flu at the ER” right now?
If you didn’t know that, Lockler will tell you. Oh, how she’ll tell you.
Lockler lives in Milton and works in several emergency rooms in Northwest Florida, where the flu is running high in numbers not seen since the 2009-10 flu season. She sat down in her car after a 12-hour shift Saturday morning and did a video in which she recounts hospital horror stories.
In the video, she offers tips on how to avoid the flu or treat it yourself. Tamiflu, she said, won’t cure the flu but will limit the time you’ll have it. Better yet, before treating the ER as a first option, get yourself some over-the-counter Tylenol or ibuprofen and take dosages big enough — 400 to 600 milligrams for men or women or 800 for “a big dude” — to wipe out the fever. Drink plenty of fluids like Gatorade, water or Powerade to stay hydrated.
“And wash your stinking hands so you don’t make your babies sick!”
Above all, if you aren’t truly sick, stay home. She notes how 25 to 30 patients are sitting in the ER for hours. “Some [are] walking in with the flu and so guess what? Five flus walk in, 15 flus walk out! And they don’t even know they have it. But they’ll be back!”
More/video
A 'Well Regulated Militia' the Basis of Private Gun Ownership
When the Second Amendment was ratified in 1791 the phrase, “well regulated militia,” underlined the importance of the words, “shall not be infringed.”
Yet today, due to the breakdown in education wrought by leftist academicians and media talking heads, many Americans presume a “well regulated militia” and “shall not be infringed” are polar opposites; that the former represents a collective right viewpoint while the latter presents the right as an individual one. Such presumptions create a false dichotomy that pits one phrase against another in an amendment where both phrases were meant to be of mutual benefit.
Consider the Second Amendment: “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
At the outset we must understand that the individual right to keep and bear arms is not in spite of the mention of a militia but because of it. In other words, because the militia played a key role in the Founders’ minds, and is intended to play a key role even now, the right to possess arms, with which to gather in militia, “shall not be infringed.”
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Yet today, due to the breakdown in education wrought by leftist academicians and media talking heads, many Americans presume a “well regulated militia” and “shall not be infringed” are polar opposites; that the former represents a collective right viewpoint while the latter presents the right as an individual one. Such presumptions create a false dichotomy that pits one phrase against another in an amendment where both phrases were meant to be of mutual benefit.
Consider the Second Amendment: “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
At the outset we must understand that the individual right to keep and bear arms is not in spite of the mention of a militia but because of it. In other words, because the militia played a key role in the Founders’ minds, and is intended to play a key role even now, the right to possess arms, with which to gather in militia, “shall not be infringed.”
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UH-OH: New Texts From Anti-Trump FBI Agents Show They Tried To Evade Rule To Archive Messages
“Additional text messages suggest that FBI officials used non-official email accounts and messaging programs to communicate about official business.”
New revelations about two anti-Trump and pro-Clinton FBI officials were revealed on Thursday as previously undisclosed text messages between the two show that they were eager to "get around" the bureau's rules for archiving and preserving text messages.
The newly-released texts between FBI agent Peter Strzok and FBI attorney Lisa Page appear to show that they were interested in getting around policies that dictated they had to preserve communications. The Washington Examiner reports:
Committee Chairman Sen. Ron Johnson, in a letter dated January 31 to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said, “According to text messages produced to the committee, Ms. Page and Mr. Strzok make references to communicating with other FBI employees via text message, phone call, email and voicemail. Additional text messages suggest that FBI officials used non-official email accounts and messaging programs to communicate about official business.”
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New revelations about two anti-Trump and pro-Clinton FBI officials were revealed on Thursday as previously undisclosed text messages between the two show that they were eager to "get around" the bureau's rules for archiving and preserving text messages.
The newly-released texts between FBI agent Peter Strzok and FBI attorney Lisa Page appear to show that they were interested in getting around policies that dictated they had to preserve communications. The Washington Examiner reports:
Committee Chairman Sen. Ron Johnson, in a letter dated January 31 to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said, “According to text messages produced to the committee, Ms. Page and Mr. Strzok make references to communicating with other FBI employees via text message, phone call, email and voicemail. Additional text messages suggest that FBI officials used non-official email accounts and messaging programs to communicate about official business.”
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Parole Retake Warrant and Felon in Possession of a Handgun
On February 1, 2018 at approximately 1330 hrs, the Maryland State Police Princess Anne Barrack was alerted of a convicted felon who was in the possession of a firearm and had potentially barricaded himself inside of a residence in Westover, Maryland. The suspect was identified as Jeffrey William Coons, DOB: 2/20/1966. A routine check revealed a parole retake warrant and that Coons is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous conviction for a third degree sex offense. Troopers from the Maryland State Police Princess Anne Barrack along with allied agencies responded to the residence and set-up a perimeter and attempted to call out Coons, after several attempts over a 30 minute period Coons exited the residence and was taken into custody without incident. Coons was charged with possession of a regulated firearm as a convicted felon, possession of ammo for a regulated firearm by a prohibited person, and providing a false statement to a police officer. Coons was seen by a district court commissioner, where he was held with no bond.
Gingrich condemns FBI director for 'open rebellion' against President Trump
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) accused FBI Director Christopher Wray Thursday of being in “open rebellion” against President Donald Trump — by opposing release of the controversial memo detailing surveillance abuses and anti-Trump bias within the Justice Department. Gingrich made his remarks on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom.”
“If you want an example of the deep state, you apparently had the head of the FBI go to the White House with the deputy attorney general, make his case to the White House — they are his superiors in the executive branch — and get turned down,” Gingrich said. “He then goes back and apparently puts out a release — I mean, in effect it’s an open rebellion.”
“You have the director of the FBI putting out a release attacking the president for what the president apparently has decided to do because he didn’t listen to the head of the FBI,” Gingrich continued. “I mean, this is a level of bureaucratic deep state resistance that should be educational for every American.”
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“If you want an example of the deep state, you apparently had the head of the FBI go to the White House with the deputy attorney general, make his case to the White House — they are his superiors in the executive branch — and get turned down,” Gingrich said. “He then goes back and apparently puts out a release — I mean, in effect it’s an open rebellion.”
“You have the director of the FBI putting out a release attacking the president for what the president apparently has decided to do because he didn’t listen to the head of the FBI,” Gingrich continued. “I mean, this is a level of bureaucratic deep state resistance that should be educational for every American.”
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Second Dossier by ‘Creepy Clinton Confidante’ Raises Doubts About FBI’s Trump Probe
TEL AVIV — Reports that the FBI has been utilizing a second dossier in its investigation of unsubstantiated claims of collusion between Russia and Donald Trump’s presidential campaign raise more questions about the credibility of the federal bureau’s already controversial probe.
According to a report in the Guardian citing “multiple sources,” the second memo in question was authored by Cody Shearer, a shadowy former tabloid journalist who has long been closely associated with various Clinton scandals.
National Review previously dubbed Shearer a “Creepy Clinton Confidante” and “the Strangest Character in Hillary’s Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy.”
Shearer’s reported involvement with the FBI’s investigation of Trump marks the second time the agency’s probe has been tied to the Clintons. Fusion GPS, the law firm that hired former British spy Christopher Steele to compile the infamous, largely discredited 35-page anti-Trump dossier, was reportedly retained to conduct the firm’s anti-Trump work on behalf of both Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Steele’s dossier served as some of the basis for the FBI’s investigation into Trump and Russia.
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According to a report in the Guardian citing “multiple sources,” the second memo in question was authored by Cody Shearer, a shadowy former tabloid journalist who has long been closely associated with various Clinton scandals.
National Review previously dubbed Shearer a “Creepy Clinton Confidante” and “the Strangest Character in Hillary’s Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy.”
Shearer’s reported involvement with the FBI’s investigation of Trump marks the second time the agency’s probe has been tied to the Clintons. Fusion GPS, the law firm that hired former British spy Christopher Steele to compile the infamous, largely discredited 35-page anti-Trump dossier, was reportedly retained to conduct the firm’s anti-Trump work on behalf of both Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Steele’s dossier served as some of the basis for the FBI’s investigation into Trump and Russia.
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The Russian Dossier: Enter, Sid
The strange case of the Russian dossier got even stranger this week with a new report from the Guardian raising a name from the seamy side of Clinton past. A “second Trump-Russia dossier” has been turned over to the FBI, the Guardian reported. The second dossier was compiled by Cody Shearer, who the Guardian identifies as a “a controversial political activist and former journalist who was close to the Clinton White House in the 1990s.”
That’s putting it mildly. Shearer in fact has long been linked to the sleaziest aspects of the Clinton operation, mainly through his close relationship with Clinton confidant Sidney Blumenthal. Longtime observers of the Clinton ecosystem know that when Cody appears, Sid Blumenthal is not far behind. A ceaseless schemer, Blumenthal was so offensive to the Obama White House that he was banned from an official role at Mrs. Clinton’s State Department. But that barely slowed him down. As documented by Judicial Watch and others, Blumenthal was a constant presence by Mrs. Clinton’s side during her State Department years.
Blumenthal and Shearer are connected to a global network of intelligence and military freelancers. They played a dangerous game meddling in Libyan affairs after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi. They supplied intelligence to Secretary of State Clinton in the weeks leading up to the Benghazi debacle and pitched deals to make money off the Libyan turmoil. ProPublica reports at length on the Blumenthal and Shearer’s Libyan efforts here. According to Judicial Watch’s reporting, during Mrs. Clinton’s State Department tenure, Blumenthal also promoted African business deals and meddled in European Union elections.
As for Shearer, he has a long history of dirty tricks. He’s been linked to Whitewater-era efforts to dirty up Bill Clinton critics; to shakedown politics involving the Cheyenne-Arapaho Indian tribe; and to fronting for Bosnian Serb butcher Radovan Karadzic. Read more about it here and here.
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That’s putting it mildly. Shearer in fact has long been linked to the sleaziest aspects of the Clinton operation, mainly through his close relationship with Clinton confidant Sidney Blumenthal. Longtime observers of the Clinton ecosystem know that when Cody appears, Sid Blumenthal is not far behind. A ceaseless schemer, Blumenthal was so offensive to the Obama White House that he was banned from an official role at Mrs. Clinton’s State Department. But that barely slowed him down. As documented by Judicial Watch and others, Blumenthal was a constant presence by Mrs. Clinton’s side during her State Department years.
Blumenthal and Shearer are connected to a global network of intelligence and military freelancers. They played a dangerous game meddling in Libyan affairs after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi. They supplied intelligence to Secretary of State Clinton in the weeks leading up to the Benghazi debacle and pitched deals to make money off the Libyan turmoil. ProPublica reports at length on the Blumenthal and Shearer’s Libyan efforts here. According to Judicial Watch’s reporting, during Mrs. Clinton’s State Department tenure, Blumenthal also promoted African business deals and meddled in European Union elections.
As for Shearer, he has a long history of dirty tricks. He’s been linked to Whitewater-era efforts to dirty up Bill Clinton critics; to shakedown politics involving the Cheyenne-Arapaho Indian tribe; and to fronting for Bosnian Serb butcher Radovan Karadzic. Read more about it here and here.
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Democrats' DACA Double-Dealing
“Who shall be admitted to citizenship is the question. Next to that, who we let in to do what looms small. Citizenship determines who shall rule, to what ends, and what life among us will be. Such decisions are quintessential to popular sovereignty.” —Angelo Codevilla
“I’ve already talked to Thom Tillis in person and he looked me in my face and told me that we have until March 5. He told me to my face that undocumented youth are not immigrants, are not priority. I’m not a priority. F—k this conservative! F—k this person!” —an unidentified illegal alien who was part of group of activists that stormed the office of Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), one of the most pro-amnesty Republicans in Congress
If there is one redeeming feature of progressives, it is the almost congenital determination to overplay their hand. Nothing made that clearer than the Democrats’ reflexive rejection of President Donald Trump’s offer to legalize 1.8 million “Dreamers” — nearly triple the number protected by Barack Obama — and grant them full citizenship after 12 years. In exchange, Trump wants a $25 billion trust fund for border security, an end to the “catch-and-release” of illegals caught at the border, faster deportations for visa over-stayers, strict limits on “chain migration” and an end to the Diversity Visa Lottery. E-Verify, arguably the most effective tool for preventing employers from hiring illegals, didn’t even make the cut.
How did Democrats react?
“I’ve already talked to Thom Tillis in person and he looked me in my face and told me that we have until March 5. He told me to my face that undocumented youth are not immigrants, are not priority. I’m not a priority. F—k this conservative! F—k this person!” —an unidentified illegal alien who was part of group of activists that stormed the office of Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), one of the most pro-amnesty Republicans in Congress
If there is one redeeming feature of progressives, it is the almost congenital determination to overplay their hand. Nothing made that clearer than the Democrats’ reflexive rejection of President Donald Trump’s offer to legalize 1.8 million “Dreamers” — nearly triple the number protected by Barack Obama — and grant them full citizenship after 12 years. In exchange, Trump wants a $25 billion trust fund for border security, an end to the “catch-and-release” of illegals caught at the border, faster deportations for visa over-stayers, strict limits on “chain migration” and an end to the Diversity Visa Lottery. E-Verify, arguably the most effective tool for preventing employers from hiring illegals, didn’t even make the cut.
How did Democrats react?
Nancy Pelosi Comes To Cambridge To Rip ‘GOP Tax Scam Bill’ — But Some Like Their ‘Crumbs’
CAMBRIDGE — Soaring rhetoric touching on themes of inequality and corporate private sector political clout dominated Thursday’s “Trump Tax Town Hall” event featuring House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, part of the Democratic Party’s push to make the GOP’s recent tax overhaul a wedge issue ahead of this fall’s midterm elections.
“Think of it this way — there’s a dark cloud hanging over the Capitol — it’s the GOP tax scam bill,” Pelosi said during her opening remarks. “It’s a total rip-off on the American people.”
For Pelosi, Thursday’s appearance in Democrat-friendly Cambridge marked an opportunity to label the GOP-led tax reform as a “handout to donors.” She urged the audience to scrutinize the wave of bonuses, raises, and rate cuts that followed President Donald Trump’s signing of the tax reform bill in December.
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“Think of it this way — there’s a dark cloud hanging over the Capitol — it’s the GOP tax scam bill,” Pelosi said during her opening remarks. “It’s a total rip-off on the American people.”
For Pelosi, Thursday’s appearance in Democrat-friendly Cambridge marked an opportunity to label the GOP-led tax reform as a “handout to donors.” She urged the audience to scrutinize the wave of bonuses, raises, and rate cuts that followed President Donald Trump’s signing of the tax reform bill in December.
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Glick: Israel Built a ‘Wall’ and Is Deporting Illegal Aliens. America Can Learn
In 2006, there were 2,766 illegal migrants in Israel, nearly all of them from Eritrea and Sudan, who had entered Israel through its then-open, 150-mile border with Egypt.
In 2007, the dam of illegal immigration burst.
According to Israel’s Immigration and Population Authority, 5,179 African migrants – predominantly from Eritrea and Sudan — entered Israel from Egypt in 2007. The illegal migration reached its peak in 2011, when 17,281 arrived.
When you consider that in 2011, Israel’s total population stood at 7.7 million, that means that as a portion of its total population, Israel absorbed 95 times more illegal aliens that year than Spain did.
The illegal aliens settled overwhelmingly in poor neighborhoods in Tel Aviv. Violent crime in the areas skyrocketed with their arrival. Sexual offenses in neighborhoods with high percentages of African migrants were 3.5 times higher than in their rates in the general population. Violent crime was 2.5 times higher. Robberies occurred six times more often.
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Trump to Dems: Compromise on Immigration Now or Get Nothing After Election
House and Senate Republican conference leaders held a joint press conference at their annual retreat in West Virginia on Thursday and were asked about a wide range of issues, including immigration.
President Donald Trump has proposed a plan with what he calls four pillars: amnesty for millions of illegal aliens, an end to chain migration and the lottery VISA system, and increased border security. It also involves an eventual pathway to citizenship.
Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Thune (R-SD) told reporters “if we can solve DACA and border security, that may be the best we can hope for.”
CBS reported that Thune also said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) “has indicated his interest in moving forward with debate on immigration in the Senate.”
But House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-NC) called legislation that deals only with DACA — the Obama-era program that protects some illegal aliens from deportation — and border security is a “non-starter” in the House, NPR reported.
Speaking at the conference on Thursday the president called his immigration framework “fair” and “generous” and that now it is up to Democrats to come to the table.
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President Donald Trump has proposed a plan with what he calls four pillars: amnesty for millions of illegal aliens, an end to chain migration and the lottery VISA system, and increased border security. It also involves an eventual pathway to citizenship.
Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Thune (R-SD) told reporters “if we can solve DACA and border security, that may be the best we can hope for.”
CBS reported that Thune also said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) “has indicated his interest in moving forward with debate on immigration in the Senate.”
But House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-NC) called legislation that deals only with DACA — the Obama-era program that protects some illegal aliens from deportation — and border security is a “non-starter” in the House, NPR reported.
Speaking at the conference on Thursday the president called his immigration framework “fair” and “generous” and that now it is up to Democrats to come to the table.
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Obamacare Recruiters Get $1.2 Billion Under Proposed Law
A fraud-infested Obamacare “outreach” program will get an astounding $1.2 billion from American taxpayers if legislation introduced by a veteran congresswoman becomes law. The preposterous measure, introduced by California Democrat Maxine Waters a few week ago, aims to recruit customers for the health insurance exchanges set up under Obama’s disastrous healthcare overhaul. The 14-term congresswoman, investigated by the House Ethics Committee for steering federal funds to her husband’s failing Massachusetts bank, crafted the law because the Trump administration slashed Obamacare outreach funding by more than 90%.
“Our health care system is under attack by a president, administration, and Republican-controlled Congress that – after numerous failed attempts to repeal Obamacare – are sabotaging it for political gain,” Waters said in a statement. “My legislation seeks to reverse their vindictive efforts to undermine and de-stabilize our health care system by ensuring that all consumers are provided with the information they need to make timely and well-informed decisions when purchasing health coverage through the federal and state-run marketplaces.” The bill, Affordable Care Act (ACA) Outreach for the Uninsured, Transformative Recruitment, and Enrollment Action for Compassionate Healthcare (ACA OUTREACH) Act, is cosponsored by 36 other lawmakers. If it passes, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would dole out $300 million annually through 2021 for “navigator” grants. Minority and underserved communities would be especially targeted, according to language in the bill’s text.
The Obamacare navigator program was rife with fraud and corruption and Judicial Watch sued HHS back in 2014 to obtain records that the agency refused to provide under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). In 2013, the Obama administration gave dozens of leftists organizations a whopping $67 million to help people “navigate” health insurance exchanges that weren’t even fully established.
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“Our health care system is under attack by a president, administration, and Republican-controlled Congress that – after numerous failed attempts to repeal Obamacare – are sabotaging it for political gain,” Waters said in a statement. “My legislation seeks to reverse their vindictive efforts to undermine and de-stabilize our health care system by ensuring that all consumers are provided with the information they need to make timely and well-informed decisions when purchasing health coverage through the federal and state-run marketplaces.” The bill, Affordable Care Act (ACA) Outreach for the Uninsured, Transformative Recruitment, and Enrollment Action for Compassionate Healthcare (ACA OUTREACH) Act, is cosponsored by 36 other lawmakers. If it passes, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would dole out $300 million annually through 2021 for “navigator” grants. Minority and underserved communities would be especially targeted, according to language in the bill’s text.
The Obamacare navigator program was rife with fraud and corruption and Judicial Watch sued HHS back in 2014 to obtain records that the agency refused to provide under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). In 2013, the Obama administration gave dozens of leftists organizations a whopping $67 million to help people “navigate” health insurance exchanges that weren’t even fully established.
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Colorado Woman w/ CCW Arrested for Carrying Handgun in New York
Another day, another reason to pass the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act.
Local media outlets reported earlier this month that a Colorado woman had been arrested at the Albany International Airport after trying to check in a handgun with airport security.
The woman, Haley Leach, 28, had been vacationing in Hunter, New York, since November and was attempting to fly home. When she tried to declare her handgun to Southwest Airlines representatives, they telephoned the police because she didn’t possess a New York pistol permit.
Despite holding a valid Colorado concealed carry permit, Leach was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and released on bail. She must return to New York in February to appear in court.
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Local media outlets reported earlier this month that a Colorado woman had been arrested at the Albany International Airport after trying to check in a handgun with airport security.
The woman, Haley Leach, 28, had been vacationing in Hunter, New York, since November and was attempting to fly home. When she tried to declare her handgun to Southwest Airlines representatives, they telephoned the police because she didn’t possess a New York pistol permit.
Despite holding a valid Colorado concealed carry permit, Leach was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and released on bail. She must return to New York in February to appear in court.
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70,000 New York Permit Holders Are Now Felons for Failing to Register Handguns
On Thursday of this week, more than 70,000 New York pistol permit holders woke up as felons. Law-breakers.
What was their crime? They didn’t register their handguns with the state. Now, why on God’s green earth would they have to do that?
Emperor Gov. Andrew Cuomo rammed through the NY Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act in 2013. This insidious law requires pistol permit holders to register their handguns and recertify their licenses every five years. Failure to do so is a Class E felony.
The objective was clear. Build a massive central database of every handgun owner in New York. Not only who they are and where they live, but what handguns they have in their possession. Hmmm. Why would a government want to know which citizens are armed? I’ll leave you to answer that.
“We’ll have for the first time a statewide handgun database that will allow the state, allow local officials to check periodically,” Cuomo said while pitching the SAFE Act, adding, “You don’t want criminals and people who are mentally ill to have guns.”
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What was their crime? They didn’t register their handguns with the state. Now, why on God’s green earth would they have to do that?
Emperor Gov. Andrew Cuomo rammed through the NY Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act in 2013. This insidious law requires pistol permit holders to register their handguns and recertify their licenses every five years. Failure to do so is a Class E felony.
The objective was clear. Build a massive central database of every handgun owner in New York. Not only who they are and where they live, but what handguns they have in their possession. Hmmm. Why would a government want to know which citizens are armed? I’ll leave you to answer that.
“We’ll have for the first time a statewide handgun database that will allow the state, allow local officials to check periodically,” Cuomo said while pitching the SAFE Act, adding, “You don’t want criminals and people who are mentally ill to have guns.”
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Rep. Trey Gowdy won’t seek re-election, adding to Republican departures
Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., who has been at the forefront of investigations into both Hillary Clinton and alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election, said Wednesday he would not run for re-election, adding his name to a growing list of Republican lawmakers stepping aside.
In a lengthy statement, Gowdy, a former federal prosecutor, said he would be leaving politics for good to return to a career in the justice system.
"There is a time to come and a time to go. This is the right time, for me, to leave politics and return to the justice system," wrote Gowdy, who was elected in 2010.
"I will not be filing for re-election to Congress nor seeking any other political or elected office; instead I will be returning to the justice system," he added. "Whatever skills I may have are better utilized in a courtroom than in Congress, and I enjoy our justice system more than our political system."
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In a lengthy statement, Gowdy, a former federal prosecutor, said he would be leaving politics for good to return to a career in the justice system.
"There is a time to come and a time to go. This is the right time, for me, to leave politics and return to the justice system," wrote Gowdy, who was elected in 2010.
"I will not be filing for re-election to Congress nor seeking any other political or elected office; instead I will be returning to the justice system," he added. "Whatever skills I may have are better utilized in a courtroom than in Congress, and I enjoy our justice system more than our political system."
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Boil Water Advisory Update For Fruitland Maryland
The City of Fruitland issued a precautionary boil water advisory on January 31st to residents of the City of Fruitland, and Morris Mill vicinity that are connected to Fruitland water service. The City of Fruitland and the Maryland Department of the Environment have determined that it is no longer necessary to boil water prior to consumption. We are pleased to report that all coliform bacteria samples collected after water service was restored on January 31st are negative. Residents and business owners should flush consumption taps such as kitchen faucets for several minutes before resuming consumption of tap water. Residents and business owners should dispose of any ice that was made after 8:00 PM on January 31st. Area food service establishments that were closed are now permitted to reopen to serve the public. This precautionary advisory was issued because of the increased potential contamination risks following an emergency water outage. We apologize for any inconvenience.
For more information, please contact Fruitland City Hall at 410-548-2800 or the Maryland Department of the Environment at (410) 537-3706.
Breaking News: The U.S. economy added 200,000 jobs in January
The Labor Department released its official hiring and unemployment figures for January on Friday morning, providing the latest snapshot of the American economy.
■ 200,000 jobs were added last month. Wall Street economists had expected an increase of about 180,000, according to Bloomberg.
■ The unemployment rate was at 4.1 percent, the same as in January and the lowest since 2000.
Rep. Harris Calls For Resignation of HCEA President
“As a member of the Education Subcommittee on Appropriations, I am appalled by Mr. Burbey’s decision to mock yesterday’s train crash that resulted in Christopher Foley’s death. This type of toxic, blindly partisan rhetoric is counter-productive and hateful, and it has no place in our educational system. Mr. Burbey has clearly disgraced his position as president of the Harford County Education Association. Because blatant partisanship and such stunning lack of compassion have no place in public education, he should resign immediately, and owes a sincere apology to the family of Mr. Foley, the other individual who was critically injured, and to all the citizens of Harford County whose trust he violated.”
Maryland state Dem's 'Jared Kushner Act' would stop some arrests for failing to pay rent
A Maryland state lawmaker in Baltimore has introduced what he calls the “Jared Kushner Act” -- a bill that would ban the state's judges from issuing arrest warrants for tenants being sued for less than $5,000 in unpaid rent.
Delegate Bilal Ali’s measure follows reports that the real estate management company owned by Kushner, a top adviser to President Donald Trump, was among the most forceful companies in Maryland in getting civil arrest warrants against tenants, the Baltimore Sunreported.
The bill aims to prohibit courts in the state from issuing arrest warrants “for a tenant who is a defendant in a landlord-tenant action in which the amount of rent claimed does not exceed $5,000, exclusive of interest and costs.”
The warrants – called “body attachments” – are not issued for owning the money but for failing to show up in court to address the debt. The warrants are a way to encourage tenants to appear.
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Delegate Bilal Ali’s measure follows reports that the real estate management company owned by Kushner, a top adviser to President Donald Trump, was among the most forceful companies in Maryland in getting civil arrest warrants against tenants, the Baltimore Sunreported.
The bill aims to prohibit courts in the state from issuing arrest warrants “for a tenant who is a defendant in a landlord-tenant action in which the amount of rent claimed does not exceed $5,000, exclusive of interest and costs.”
The warrants – called “body attachments” – are not issued for owning the money but for failing to show up in court to address the debt. The warrants are a way to encourage tenants to appear.
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http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/01/31/maryland-state-dems-jared-kushner-act-would-stop-some-arrests-for-failing-to-pay-rent.html
Phil predicts 6 more weeks of winter: Harsh cold, snow likely to persist in midwestern and northeastern US
The forecast aligns with that of AccuWeather's long-range meteorologists, who say cold weather will largely dominate throughout the month of February.
The main storm track from the East Coast will favor the Northeast and mid-Atlantic throughout February, allowing for a few powerful storms to impact the I-95 corridor.
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The Party of Saul Alinsky & Its War on Trump
When Senator Cory Booker delivered his fuming diatribe last week, blasting the “ignorance and bigotry” of President Trump's “vile and vulgar” reference to “s***hole countries,” it was merely the latest installment in the interminable series of assaults against Trump by Congressional Democrats and virtually every member of the mainstream news media. From the day Trump was elected, the Left's principal objective has been to ridicule him variously as a deranged buffoon, a demented menace, a traitorous collaborator with the Kremlin, a congenital racist, a fascist, an Islamophobe, a xenophobe, a homophobe, an anti-Semite, and a misogynist. Every day, every hour, brings a new charge.
Not one iota of this has occurred randomly. Every single fragment of this assault against Trump has been meticulously orchestrated and carried out by the Left with undiluted fidelity to the famous blueprint for political warfare that was first laid out several decades ago by the late Saul Alinsky, who posthumously has re-emerged as the Democratic Party's guiding intellectual light.
Known as the godfather of “community organizing” – a term that serves as a euphemism for fomenting public anger, political hatred, and in some cases, violence – Alinsky was a communist fellow-traveler whose monumental importance to the Democrats is underscored by the fact that both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama became devoted disciples of his political creed. He laid out a set of basic tactics designed to help radical activists and politicians destroy their enemies while gaining power for themselves.
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Not one iota of this has occurred randomly. Every single fragment of this assault against Trump has been meticulously orchestrated and carried out by the Left with undiluted fidelity to the famous blueprint for political warfare that was first laid out several decades ago by the late Saul Alinsky, who posthumously has re-emerged as the Democratic Party's guiding intellectual light.
Known as the godfather of “community organizing” – a term that serves as a euphemism for fomenting public anger, political hatred, and in some cases, violence – Alinsky was a communist fellow-traveler whose monumental importance to the Democrats is underscored by the fact that both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama became devoted disciples of his political creed. He laid out a set of basic tactics designed to help radical activists and politicians destroy their enemies while gaining power for themselves.
More