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Saturday, April 07, 2018

Gun Rights Groups File Several Lawsuits Against Illinois Town Over New Gun Ban

'This certainly puts the lie to claims by anti-gunners that nobody is coming to take your guns'

Gun rights groups filed two separate lawsuits against an Illinois town this week after it enacted an ordinance banning certain firearms and ammunition magazines.

The National Rifle Association (NRA) announced on Wednesday it would be supporting a lawsuit against the Deerfield, Ill., gun ban brought by an Illinois-based gun rights group named Guns Save Life. The groups said the town's wide-ranging ban, which effects nearly all semi-automatic rifles as well as a large number of handguns and shotguns within city limits and carries a fine of up to $1,000 a day for those who don't remove, destroy, or turn over their affected guns, violates the constitutional rights of its members.

"We are going to fight this ordinance, which clearly violates our members' constitutional rights, and with the help of the NRA I believe we can secure a victory for law-abiding gun owners in and around Deerfield," John Boch, executive director of Guns Save Life, said in a statement.

"Every law-abiding villager of Deerfield has the right to protect themselves, their homes, and their loved ones with the firearm that best suits their needs," Chris W. Cox, executive director of the NRA's Institute for Legislative Action, said. "The National Rifle Association is pleased to assist Gun Save Life in defense of this freedom."

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DNC Quietly Adds Another 160K In Debt, Bringing Total Debt To $6.3 Million

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) reported more than $162,000 in additional debt in an amended FEC report filed this week.

The DNC originally reported $6.1 million in debt in its March 2018 FEC report filed on March 20 but amended that report on Monday to include an additional $162,368.64 in debt, bringing the DNC’s total debt to just under $6.3 million.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) has zero debt, according to the committee’s most recent FEC filings.

DNC chair Tom Perez has struggled to keep up with his Republican counterpart, RNC chair Ronna McDaniel. The RNC doubled the DNC’s fundraising in 2017 and has continued running well ahead of the DNC in 2018.

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NDAs and Confidential Settlements Shake State Capitols and City Halls

People who work for the Trump administration and Congress members aren't the only government employees being asked to sign legally questionable contracts to keep secrets.

It was recently revealed that many of Donald Trump’s top advisers were asked to sign nondisclosure agreements (NDAs), forcing them to keep quiet about what happens in the White House -- even after his presidency ends. Ruth Marcus, deputy editorial editor of The Washington Post labeled these agreements a presidential first and “not just oppressive, but constitutionally repugnant.” Government ethics experts say they are legally questionable.

Meanwhile, confidential settlements -- which are often used to close the books (and keep them shut) on allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination -- have caused controversy on Capitol Hill, where the #MeToo movement led to the revelation that Congress spent $17 million of taxpayer money to settle these kinds of cases in the last two decades.

These types of secret-keeping contracts, though, are being used in state and local government, too.

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Innovative Infrastructure? Don't Sell the Trump Plan Short.

In its call for 'transformative' projects, it has some ideas that are worth paying attention to.
There is plenty to debate about the Trump administration's $1.5 trillion, 10-year infrastructure plan. What form it might take when -- and if -- it emerges from Congress is anyone's guess. But one of the more forward-leading aspects of the White House proposal, the Transformative Projects Program (TPP), deserves special attention. That's because TPP has the potential to foster stronger financial cooperation between the private and public sectors, create processing efficiencies, and increase innovation for service-related infrastructural projects.

The White House plan would allocate $20 billion under TPP to what it describes as "bold, innovative, and transformative infrastructure projects" that pose "significantly more risk than standard infrastructure projects, but offer a much larger reward profile."

In primarily targeting the transportation, water, energy, space and broadband sectors, the Trump plan says the projects must be "commercially viable" while also "significantly improving performance, from the perspective of availability, safety, reliability, frequency, and service speed" and "substantially reducing user costs for services."

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McCabe's Wife Blames Trump for His Firing

She completely ignores the actual reason her husband was fired from the FBI — he lied.

The Washington Post ran an opinion piece this week by Jill McCabe, pediatrician and wife of disgraced former FBI Director Andrew McCabe, entitled, “The president attacked my reputation. It’s time to set the record straight.” In the article, Dr. McCabe made it clear that she lays the blame for her husband’s firing squarely on President Donald Trump. She makes no mention of the fact that the actual reason her husband was fired was due to the recommendation Attorney General Jeff Sessions received from Inspector General Michael Horowitz, a Barack Obama appointee, who found that Andrew McCabe had repeatedly lied to investigators. In truth, McCabe was fired for cause, not because Trump raised questions over his impartiality.

While it is true that Trump questioned McCabe’s impartiality in noting that his wife had received a significant amount of campaign funding from Hillary Clinton’s longtime friend and former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), it is not at all an unreasonable or illegitimate question. Dr. McCabe received quite the haul from McAuliffe’s Common Good VA PAC — over $450,000 — which, contrary to her claims, was not “on par with what other candidates … on both sides of the aisle received.” McAuliffe’s PAC had only ever granted two other candidates greater amounts of funding, with other candidates receiving an average donation of $2,500.

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A Key New Law to Combat Online Sex Trafficking

The FOSTA-SESTA package is already disrupting the online trafficking industry for the better.

The U.S. House and Senate last month passed an important bill, known as SESTA (Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act), which targets online human trafficking. Now awaiting President Donald Trump’s signature, the bill “amends the federal criminal code to add a new section that imposes penalties — a fine, a prison term of up to 10 years, or both — on a person who, using a facility or means of interstate commerce, owns, manages, or operates an interactive computer service (or attempt or conspires to do so) to promote or facilitate the prostitution of another person.” The law empowers attorneys general to prosecute websites promoting sex trafficking.

In combination with an earlier measure, known as FOSTA (Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act), which passed the Senate in late February, the FOSTA-SESTA package is alreadydisrupting the online trafficking industry for the better.

As a result of the impending law, several online trafficking websites have already shut down. Craigslist removed its “Personals” section that was used for trafficking. The Erotic Review removed its prostitution ads. Reddit removed its “Hookers” forum webpage and instituted policies banning the sale of sexual acts and drugs. Cityvibe has shut down. Microsoft plans to issue new Terms of Service, taking effect May 1, urging users not use their platforms (including Skype and Xbox) to share pornography or criminal acts.

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At Last — A Military Religious Liberty Win

"Colonel Bohannon had the right to exercise his sincerely held religious beliefs and did not unlawfully discriminate."

A win for religious liberty in the military is not something we hear much of these days, but alas, miracles occasionally do happen. Leland Bohannon is a colonel in the Air Force who was unfairly denied the rank of one-star general last year. A longtime friend of hisexplains in a blog post the events that led to “Bo’s” being denied a promotion:

Last May, Bo declined to sign a spouse appreciation certificate for a retiring master sergeant’s same-sex spouse, claiming he could not in all good conscience do it. As a committed Christian, he does not believe in same-sex marriage. Instead, he asked a superior officer to sign the certificate and that superior officer did. Case closed. Except it wasn’t. The retiring master sergeant took offense at Bo’s actions and filed an Equal Opportunity discrimination complaint. Even though Bo had sought every opportunity and used every proper channel to create a solution for all parties, it wasn’t good enough and when the Equal Opportunity investigators ruled against Bo, he was relieved of command and his promotion halted.

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Experts Warn of Emerging ‘Stimulant Epidemic’

With the nation still reeling from the opioid crisis, drug forecasting experts say a new wave of addiction is coming and the United States isn’t ready for it.

Abuse of stimulants like methamphetamine, cocaine, and evenprescription drugs like Adderall and Ritalin is surging across the country, fed by cheap, potent, and plentiful supplies.

“No one is paying attention to this,” said John Eadie, coordinator for the National Emerging Threat Initiative, which provides research to the government’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program.

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Dems' Goal: Make Illegals a Legal Voting Block

Democrats in California are seeking to lead the way in working to eventually legalize all illegal aliens.

The Democrat party used to tout itself as the party most concerned with representing the working middle class, blue-collar America, the little guy. Under this guise, Democrat candidates would embrace trade unions while regularly preaching against the abuses of big business. However, over the last few years Democrats have taken a harder turn to the Left. A radical leftism has grown within the party ranks, and the party of the “little guy” has turned up its nose at middle America. In stead of seeking to advocate for the rights of everyday Americans, Democrats are now mocking them and labeling them as the problem.

The politics of class warfare has long been a staple of the Democrat party and it has always been home to an elitist class desiring to force its socialist ideology upon the rest of America. However, this elitism has never been so pronounced or so out of touch with everyday Americans as it is today. Democrats, it can be argued, are campaigning against America and its history. And nowhere is this reality more evident than in thesanctuary state of California — a state long controlled by Democrats.

In 2013, California passed Assembly Bill 60, which granted illegal aliens the right to obtain legal driver’s licenses. Since the bill’s passage, more than one million illegals have obtained licenses. Investor’s Business Daily explains, “Providing documents to ‘undocumented immigrants,’ of course, merely makes them ‘immigrants.’ That’s the intent, we suppose, of a law that makes it not only legal but easy to remain in California, even if you commit felonies once you are here. All they have to do, thanks to that 2013 law, is ‘prove their identity and residence within the state.’”

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Correction: Turns Out Liberals ARE Crazy

The American Journal of Political Science corrects a major error in its 2012 study.

The American Journal of Political Science recently issued a correction to a 2012 study that contained “an error.” And what was this error? Well, to put it succinctly, the Journal reversed its conclusion that politically conservative individuals exhibited traits most associated with “psychoticism,” whereas those of a liberal bent did not. The Journal explained, “The interpretation of the coding of the political attitude items in the descriptive and preliminary analyses portion of the manuscript was exactly reversed. The descriptive analyses report that those higher in Eysenck’s psychoticism are more conservative, but they are actually more liberal; and where the original manuscript reports those higher in neuroticism and social desirability are more liberal, they are, in fact, more conservative.”

That’s one heck of an “oops.”

The Journal insists that the correction matters little to the paper’s overall conclusion and downplays the new results, stating, “Personality traits do not cause people to develop political attitudes.” But professor Steven Ludeke of the University of Southern Denmark argues that the error “matters quite a lot.” Ludeke says, “The erroneous results represented some of the larger correlations between personality and politics ever reported; they were reported and interpreted, repeatedly, in the wrong direction.” We’ll go out on a limb and predict that the correction gets swept under the rug or ignored entirely by the mainstream media.

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Senator Eckardt Weekly Wrap Up

This Week In Annapolis 

We have officially reached the end of the 2018 legislative session, with only one day left; April 9, 2018 is the 90th day of Session in which all of the legislation needs to have made it through both the Senate and the House of Delegates in order to become law. I am looking forward to seeing the success of many of my bills, as well as many others that will directly benefit District 37 and all of Maryland.

On April 4, 2018, Governor Hogan vetoed HB 1783 – 21st Century School Facilities Act; this veto was overridden by the legislative body on April 5, 2018. This legislation transforms the Interagency Committee on School Construction to a Commission (IAC), requires periodic public school facilities assessments, streamlines the State approval process for school construction projects, and provides at least $400 million for public school construction annually as soon as possible, as well as allocating $10 million for school safety improvements. This legislation removes the Board of Public Works’ (BPW) authority to adopt regulations and grant final approval with respect to public school construction projects and transfers this power to the IAC. By the removal of the historic oversight of the BPW, which is comprised of the governor, comptroller, and treasurer, the power is now given to an unelected and unaccountable IAC, which historically has included individuals with potential conflicts of interest.

Governor Hogan also vetoed SB 639 – Education – Public School Personnel on April 4, 2018, which was overridden by the legislative body on April 5, 2018; this legislation makes it more difficult for public school staff to be dismissed or suspended from their position if they have been identified for misconduct. Through this bill, the power of these decisions is removed from local school boards and is now given to an arbitrator who may or may not be a Maryland resident. Local school boards are directly involved in the community and know the dynamics of the school system and what is best for students and families; the arbitrator will not necessarily have the same relationship and knowledge.   

On April 5, 2018, SB 1265 – Maryland Safe to Learn Act of 2018 was moved out of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee and was presented on the Senate floor. This bill, which was amended to be a compilation of many school safety bills, addresses the organizations involved in school safety, funding, mental and behavioral health, and security throughout Maryland’s schools. This legislation was heard in the House of Delegates Ways and Means Committee on April 6, 2018.

HB 1302 – Public Safety – Extreme Risk Prevention Orders was reported favorably with amendments by Senate Judicial Proceedings on April 5, 2018. Prior to amendments, this legislation would have allowed for any interested individual to report someone that is of extreme risk and a judge would then be able to issue an extreme risk prevention order, requiring the reported individual to relinquish all firearms. Senate Judicial Proceedings amended the legislation to now only allow licensed health officials, law enforcement officers, a spouse, a cohabitant, a relative, someone with a shared child, a current partner, or a legal guardian the ability to report. Despite the red votes of me and my colleagues, on  April 6, 2018, this legislation passed the Senate body.
Pharmacy Benefit Manager Legislation

Many years ago, the legislature established Pharmacy Benefit Mangers (PBMs) to monitor the cost of prescription drugs and reimbursement rates for small and local pharmacies. However, it has recently come to my attention that PBMs, specifically CVS Caremark, have been taking advantage of these pharmacies, began to lower the reimbursement rates to make it nearly impossible for them to continue their work. We then appealed to the Maryland Insurance Agency and the Department of Health to create stronger regulation over the PBMs. Through bipartisan efforts, the Maryland General Assembly has been passing legislation to address this issue:  SB 1079 – Pharmacy Benefits Managers – Revisions authorizes the Insurance Commissioner to adopt regulations to govern PMBs and to establish a complaint process to address recent grievances and appeals. This bill is effective beginning on June 1, 2018 and applies to contracts between a PBM and a pharmacy established through January 1, 2019.
My Bill Hearings This Week

On April 4, 2018, I presented SB 1248 – Small, Minority, and Women-Owned Businesses Account – Funding to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee. This legislation would restore the 1.5% of video lottery terminal funding to the Small, Minority, and Women-Owned Businesses Account, which is used to spark the development of these businesses.
District News

Thank you to Maryland Secretary of Agriculture, Joe Bartenfelder, for hosting another successful Egg Hunt and Easter celebration on March 31, 2018.

'Colored people' remark prompts DNC member's departure

A member of the Democratic National Committee resigned Wednesday after referring to African-Americans as “colored people” during a party meeting.

John Parker, a Duval County (Fla.) Democratic state committeeman, apologized for what he described as a “hurtful” term and announced his immediate resignation.

“I understand my error perpetuates divisiveness and does not allow us an opportunity for the important types of meaningful discourse — a conversation our party must engage in sooner rather than later — that help us grow as individuals and a party protecting the dignity of all people,” he said in a statement, Politico reported.

“I take responsibility for my mistake and as such is the impetus of my decision,” he added. “I resign for the good of my Party and all those who are fighting so hard for a better world than the one we are in now.”

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http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/04/05/colored-people-remark-prompts-dnc-members-departure.html

Jimmy Kimmel and Joss Whedon Sure Are Brave to Criticize the Trumps

I'm old enough to remember when criticizing the president of the United States and his family, for any reason and no matter how mildly, was just about the worst thing you could do. You couldn't disagree with Obama's policies, you couldn't point out his numerous factual errors and outright lies, you couldn't mock his gaffes, and you certainly couldn't crack any jokes about his personal appearance. If you did, that meant you were a racist. On Nov. 4, 2008, Utopia dawned, and suddenly dissent was treason.

Thankfully, those days are over! Once more, it's socially acceptable to say mean things about the POTUS. And you can bet that our moral, ethical, and intellectual betters are making the most of the opportunity.

Take Joss Whedon. (Please!) He created TV shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer andFirefly, and he wrote and directed the first two Avengers movies. He seemed to be doing really well for himself. Then he tried to salvage what was left of the Justice League movie, and his ex-wife accused him of sleeping with a bunch of actresses who worked for him, and Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 presidential election. I'm not sure which of those traumatic events hit him hardest, but clearly, he is now a broken man.

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Jay-Z: Trump Forcing Us to ‘Talk About Why White Men are So Privileged in this Country’

Rap mogul Jay-Z sat down with David Letterman for his Netflix series My Next Guest Needs No Introduction and told the former late-night host that the election of Donald Trump is a “great thing” because it’s “bringing out an ugly side of America that we wanted to believe was gone.”

“I’ll be honest with you,” Letterman began, “I’m beginning to lose confidence in the Trump administration.”

After some nervous laughter, Jay-Z replied, “I think it’s actually a great thing.”

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Utterly Insane Video by YouTube Shooter Nasim Aghdam

It is true that Google/YouTube is not above choking off traffic to people it disfavors. But YouTube shooter Nasim Aghdam should not have blamed it for people not watching her videos. As mentioned earlier, Nasim Aghdam was a moonbat. Worse, she was totally out of her mind, even by the standards of attempted homicidal maniacs and beyond that, even by the standards of moonbats. Here she makes the funny farmer case for animal rights:

Texas councilwoman charged with disorderly conduct for 'screaming at teenage girl in MAGA shirt

A Texas councilwoman is accused of screaming obscenities at a teenage girl who was wearing a MAGA shirt and waiting in line along with her friends to get cookies.

West University Place Democratic Councilwoman Kelly Burke had approached the group of teens on Saturday and reportedly shouted 'Grab 'em by the p***y girls!'

The father of the girl wearing the Make America Great Again shirt said they tried to ignore the woman, who they did not know was an elected official, however Burke kept shouting.

'At that point the girls were getting kind of scared, and then the woman starts going, 'MAGA! MAGA! MAGA!' while shaking her fist,' the father told KPRC.

The father said the girls left without responding, however the teen in the MAGA shirt noticed Burke had taken a picture of her.

'They were scared,' the father said. 'They were absolutely scared. My little girl essentially wanted to know if this woman was going to hurt her.'

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They Take the Second Amendment First and the First Amendment Second

We have talked a lot about the liberal assault on our right as American citizens to keep and bear arms for the defense of ourselves, our families, our communities, and our Constitution, but it is a mistake to think of a disarmed population as their desired end-state. No, that’s merely the first step toward the subjugation of the Normals. What they want is not only for us to be disarmed, but to be silenced.

They are not going to stop with the Second Amendment. Next, they are going to move to finish off the First Amendment.

They don’t want you to speak freely.

They don’t want you to have access to a free press.

They don’t want you to practice your religion as you see fit.

And when you are disarmed and silenced, and you are stripped of any god but government – the government they control absolutely and forever – then they will have achieved their dream. You will no longer be a citizen; you will be a serf.

We can imagine what an America without our rights would look like,and it is really bad.

Oh, that’s crazy talk.

Really? Let’s look across the ocean and see what’s happening there. The British have kindly given us a preview. They allowed themselves to be disarmed, but why would they need guns? Britain is totally safe – except London just stumbled past New York in terms of violent crime. Oh, and it has an epidemic of knife violence. And acid attacks. But on the plus side, the decent people are helpless.

In the view of the elite, that is a plus. When you are helpless, you need them, and you are compliant.

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Nancy Pelosi Vows To Rework GOP Tax Plan

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi vowed Wednesday that Democrats will rework the GOP tax bill if they successfully retake the House in the 2018 midterm elections.

Speaking at a Culver City town hall event as part of the “Repeal the Trump Tax” tour, Pelosi pledged that Democrats would overhaul the tax bill into one that “creates growth, creates good-paying jobs, as it reduces the deficit.”

“Over 80 percent of the benefits go to the top 1 percent,” Pelosi said of the GOP tax cuts. “Eighty-six million middle-class families will see a tax increase while they advertise it as a middle-class bill.”

According to the non-partisan Tax Policy Center, the average household will receive a tax cut of $1,610 in 2018. Only 5 percent of taxpayers will see increased taxes in 2018.

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Michelle Obama likens Trump to bad parent who lets kids 'eat candy all day'

Former first lady Michelle Obama drew some unflattering comparisons between her husband's presidency and that of his successor, likening Donald Trump to an irresponsible parent who lets his kids 'eat candy and stay up late and not follow the rules'.

Mrs Obama made the parenting analogy while speaking to a cheering crowd of supporters at the 39th annual Simmons Leadership Conference in Boston on Thursday.

The mother-of-two said Barack Obama's eight-year presidency 'was like having the "good parent" at home, the responsible parent, the one who told you to eat your carrots and go to bed on time'.

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Andrew Dorogi found dead in Mexico was murdered, say police

An Amherst College football player who was found dead on train tracks at a MexicoCity subway station last month was murdered, according to local officials.

Andrew Dorogi was found dead on the tracks at Camarones Metro train station on March 15 at 11pm.

His death had been unexplained until Friday when Mexico's Attorney General confirmed the 21-year-old was murdered.

It is not yet clear if any suspects have been identified. Amherst's school said he was on spring break at the time but it is not clear how large the group he was in Mexico with was.

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Avoiding Facebook Lowers Stress Hormones

Ditching Facebook may lower your stress levels, a new study suggests.

The 138 participants had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol when they took a 5-day-break from Facebook, even if it was for less than a week, Newsweek reported.

However, the participants -- described as active Facebook users -- also experienced lower levels of well-being while staying away from Facebook, according to the University of Queensland, Australia study in The Journal of Social Psychology.

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"We May Take A Hit": Trump Warns Investors To Prepare For "Pain" In The Market

Two days ago, when we commented on the early morning plunge in stocks (which was subsequently fully reversed by the close in a historic 800 point Dow reversal), we said that a long-standing question - will Trump pick plunging stocks or trade war - had finally gotten its answer when CNBC's Eamon Javers said that a "White House official said the the WH recognizes that Trump’s actions are hitting the stock market, but this is “a longer term thing,” and the president has to follow through on a key campaign promise."

Moments ago, Trump himself confirmed that when in a radio interview on Friday morning, the president said that U.S. markets could face some “pain’’ from the trade standoff with China and other countries, but - like on Wednesday - asserted that in the long-run, Americans would be better off due to his protectionist actions.

Speaking on WABC Radio's “Bernie & Sid in the Morning’’ program, Trump said "I’m not saying there won’t be a little pain so we might lose a little of it but we’re going to have a much stronger country when we’re finished, and that’s what I’m all about.’

"We have to do things that other people wouldn’t do. So we may take a hit, but you know what, ultimately we’re going to be much stronger for it,’’ Trump said during the radio interview on Friday. “It’s something we had to do, and ultimately if you take a look it’s not only trade with China - it’s everybody."

To be sure, stocks have fluctuated dramatically in the past few weeks when Trump drastically intensified trade actions and jawboning against several countries, mostly China. Indicating that he is willing to accept some notable losses in the S&P, Trump said in the interview Friday that “the market’s gone up 40% or 42%.” Which suggests that the president would be ok with a drop of 20% or so if it means winning trade war against China.

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Citizen's Righteous Rant Defending 2nd Amendment Goes Viral

A North Carolina gun rights advocate gave an impassioned speech defending the Second Amendment earlier this week, and the video of his speech quickly went viral. His passion was especially impressive considering the Greensboro resident isn't even a gun owner.

Mark Robinson's unplanned and unscripted comments came during a city council meeting Tuesday evening, where residents were debating whether a gun show should be canceled in the wake of the Parkland high school massacre. Although he does not currently own a firearm, Robinson passionately supports the rights of others to bear arms.

"I've heard a whole lot of people in here talking tonight about this group and that group, domestic violence and blacks, this minority and that minority," Robinson began. "What I want to know is -- when are you all gonna start standing up for the majority? Here's who the majority is -- I'm the majority! I'm a law-abiding citizen who's never shot anybody. I've never committed a serious crime -- never committed a felony," he added.

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A Viewer Writes: WBOC Calls TCBY, "Toby"

At about 1:30 in is where the reporter says "Toby" frozen yogurt, with the sign TCBY right in front of him!

GO HERE to view.

Dr. Charles Wight Named New President of Salisbury University

The University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents has appointed Charles Wight president of Salisbury University (SU), beginning July 1, 2018. Wight will succeed Janet Dudley-Eshbach, who announced last fall her plans to step down from the position after 18 years.

Wight has served since 2013 as president of Weber State University (WSU) in Ogden, Utah, a public regional institution of higher education with 28,000 students. At Weber State, he pursued five priorities: college affordability; diversity and inclusion; maintaining a beautiful and sustainable campus; improving student success; and building mutually positive relationships with the host community.

“On behalf of the Board of Regents, I’m delighted that Charles Wight is bringing his breadth of experience to lead Salisbury University as its next president,” said USM Board of Regents Chair James Brady. “His list of accomplishments at Weber State University reflects a visionary style that helped his institution attain the kinds of successes that align with current priorities at Salisbury. We look forward to having Dr. Wight become a part of the USM family.”

“In an era of competing pressures on higher education, Charles Wight realized an impressive number of milestones during roughly five years of leading Weber State,” said USM Chancellor Robert L. Caret. “His acumen in fundraising, growing student enrollment, and working seamlessly with state and private funding sources position him well to continue Salisbury University’s strong tradition of success.”

WHAT IF ALL ILLEGALS LEFT THE STATES...

Considering the Denver Post is a very liberal paper I'm surprised they published this. This really shows how the hiring of illegal's is a false economic practice.

Tina Griego is a Free-Lance reporter for the Denver Post. She writes some really good stuff and she is a strong advocate for LEGAL Immigration homework on issues is part of her make-up and fabric.

What if they left?

Not Democratic, not Republican, not liberal and not conservative. Just the facts by a good reporter!

What if 20 Million Illegal Aliens Vacated America? I, Tina Griego,
journalist for the Denver Rocky Mountain News wrote a column titled, "Mexican Visitor's Lament."

I interviewed Mexican journalist Evangelina Hernandez while visiting Denver last week. Hernandez said, "Illegal aliens pay rent, buy groceries, buy clothes. What happens to your country's economy if 20 million people go away?"

Hmmm, I thought, what would happen?

So I did my due diligence, buried my nose as a reporter into the FACTS I found below.

It's a good question... it deserves an honest answer. Over 80% of
Americans demand secured borders. What would happen if all 20 million or more vacated America? This may surprise you!

In California, if 3.5 million illegal aliens moved back to Mexico, it would leave an extra $10.2 billion to spend on overloaded school systems, bankrupt hospitals and overrun prisons. It would leave highways cleaner, safer and less congested. Everyone could understand one another as English became the dominant language again.

It means 12,000 gang members would vanish out of Denver alone. Colorado would save more than $20 million in prison costs, and the terror that those 7,300 alien criminals set upon local citizens. Denver Officer Don Young and hundreds of Colorado victims would not have suffered death, accidents, rapes and other crimes by illegals.

Denver Public Schools would not suffer a 67% dropout/flunk rate because of thousands of illegal alien students speaking 41 different languages. Denver's 4% unemployment rate would vanish as our working poor would gain jobs at a living wage.

In Chicago, Illinois, 2.1 million illegals would free up hospitals,
schools, prisons and highways for a safer, cleaner and more crime-free experience.

If 20 million illegal aliens returned 'home,' the U.S. economy would
return to the rule of law. Employers would hire legal American citizens at a living wage. Everyone would pay their fair share of taxes because they wouldn't be working off the books. That would result in an additional $401 billion in IRS income taxes collected annually, and an equal amount for local, state and city coffers.

No more confusion in American schools that now must contend with over 100 languages that degrade the educational system for American kids. Our overcrowded schools would lose more than two million illegal alien kids at a cost of billions in ESL and free breakfasts and lunches.

We would lose 500,000 illegal criminal alien inmates at a cost of more than $1.6 billion annually. That includes 15,000 MS-13 gang members who distribute $130 billion in drugs annually would vacate our country.

In cities like L.A., 20,000 members of the ' 18th Street Gang' would vanish from our nation. No more Mexican forgery gangs for ID theft from Americans! No more foreign rapists and child molesters!

America 's economy is drained. Taxpayers are harmed. Employers get rich. Over $80 billion annually wouldn't return to the aliens' home countries by cash transfers. Illegal migrants earned half that money untaxed, which further drains America's economy which currently suffers a $20 trillion debt. $20 trillion debt!!!

At least 400,000 anchor babies would not be born in our country, costing us $109 billion per year per cycle. At least 86 hospitals in California, Georgia and Florida would still be operating instead of being bankrupt out of existence because illegals pay nothing via the EMTOLA Act.

Americans wouldn't suffer thousands of TB and hepatitis cases rampant in our country - brought in by illegals unscreened at our borders. Our cities would see 20 million less people driving, polluting and grid locking our cities' greenhouse gases.

Over one million of Mexico's poorest citizens now live inside and along our border from Brownsville, Texas, to San Diego, California, in what the New York Times called, 'colonias' or new neighborhoods. Trouble is, those living areas resemble Bombay and Calcutta where grinding poverty, filth, diseases, drugs, crimes, no sanitation and worse. They live without sewage, clean water, streets, roads, electricity, or any kind of sanitation.

The New York Times reported them to be America's new ' Third World ' inside our own country. Within 20 years, at their current growth rate, they expect 20 million residents of those colonias. (I've seen them personally in Texas and Arizona; it's sickening beyond anything you can imagine.)

We already invite a million people into our country legally/annually, more than all other countries combined- with growing anarchy at our borders.

It's time to stand up for our country, our culture, our civilization and
our way of life. Interesting Statistics below!

Here are 13 reasons illegal aliens should vacate America, and I hope they are forwarded over and over again until they are read so many times that the reader gets sick of reading them:

$14 billion to $22 billion dollars are spent each year on welfare to
illegal aliens (that's Billion with a 'B')

$7.5 billion dollars are spent each year on Medicaid for illegal aliens.

$12 billion dollars are spent each year on primary and secondary school education for children here illegally and they still cannot speak a word of English

$27 billion dollars are spent each year for education for the
American-born children of illegal aliens, known as anchor babies.

$3 Million Dollars 'PER DAY' is spent to incarcerate illegal aliens.

That's $1.2 Billion a year.

28% percent of all federal prison inmates are illegal aliens.

$190 billion dollars are spent each year on illegal aliens for welfare & social services by the American taxpayers.

$200 billion dollars per year in suppressed American wages are caused by the illegal aliens.

The illegal aliens in the United States have a crime rate that's two and a half times that of white non-illegal aliens. In particular, their children, are going to make a huge additional crime problem in the US.

During the year 2005, there were 8 to 10 MILLION illegal aliens that crossed our southern border with as many as 19,500 illegal aliens from other terrorist countries. Over 10,000 of those were middle-eastern terrorists. Millions of pounds of drugs, cocaine, meth, heroin, crack, guns, and marijuana crossed into the U.S. from the southern border.

The National Policy Institute, estimates that the total cost of mass
deportation would be between $206 and $230 billion, or an average cost of between $41 and $46 billion annually over a five year period.

In 2006, illegal aliens sent home $65 BILLION in remittances back to their countries of origin, to their families and friends.

The dark side of illegal immigration: Nearly one million sex crimes
are committed by illegal immigrants in the United States!

Total cost a whopping $538.3 BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR!

Robert Epstein: ‘Tech Companies Could Secretly Shift 10% of American Voting Population’

Robert Epstein, a senior research psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology, claimed during Breitbart News’ “Masters of the Universe” town hall that the major tech companies have considerable powers of manipulation in elections.

Speaking at the Breitbart News’ “Masters of the Universe” town hall alongside Ann Coulter, investigative journalist and Breitbart Editor-at-Large Peter Schweizer and Breitbart Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow, Robert Epstein discussed the power that major tech companies have to manipulate their users and the effect that can have on politics. “The more information these companies have about us, the more easily they can manipulate us,” said Epstein.

“That is, shift our opinions, our thinking, our attitudes, our beliefs, our purchases — and our votes,” stated Epstein. “So, if it turns out, I did a piece for the Daily Caller, a piece I wrote with Ben Edelman of the Harvard Business School, we estimated that if these companies were all working together and supporting the same candidate and really pulling out all the stops and using all the methods they have to manipulate, they could shift ten percent of the voting population of America with no one knowing that they have done this and without leaving a paper trail for authorities to track.”

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Justice Department announces 'zero-tolerance' policy on illegal border crossings

The Justice Department announced Friday that it is implementing a “zero-tolerance” policy for prosecuting those attempting to enter the U.S. illegally -- the latest in a series of measures by the Trump administration to combat illegal immigration.

“The situation at our Southwest Border is unacceptable,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement announcing the policy. “Congress has failed to pass effective legislation that serves the national interest -- that closes dangerous loopholes and fully funds a wall along our southern border. "

“As a result, a crisis has erupted at our Southwest Border that necessitates an escalated effort to prosecute those who choose to illegally cross our border,” he said.

The Trump administration says the number of attempted border crossings has increased by 203 percent since March 2017. In response, Trump this week signed a proclamation sending the National Guard to the border. He has said he would like to see 2,000-4,000 members sent to the border.

The latest move by the Justice Department orders U.S. attorneys along the border to adopt a policy of prosecuting all referrals from DHS of illegal entry and attempted illegal entry into the U.S. It comes almost a year after Sessions issued a memo to federal prosecutors directing them to prioritize certain immigration offenses.

More here


http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/04/06/justice-department-announces-zero-tolerance-policy-on-illegal-border-crossings.html

You've been doing it WRONG! Video reveals the VERY simple technique to threading a needle and Twitter hails it as 'magic'

Anyone who has threaded a needle will tell you it is no easy feat - but a new video might just put an end to fraying cotton and pin pricks.

Twitter user John Bick took to the social media site earlier this week where he shared the genius hack.

In the clip a woman can be seen placing a length of thread on her palm and simple rubbing the eye of the needle over the top.

The friction causes the cotton to pass through the eye with ease rather than attempting to push the ends of the thread through the slim hole.

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Trout Stocking: April 6, 2018

Wicomico County
Beaverdam Creek: 650 golden and rainbow trout

Worcester County
Shad Landing Pond: 300 golden and rainbow trout

Biden gearing up to run in 2020 but only if he can take on Trump

Former Vice President Joe Biden is gearing up for a 2020 presidential run – but only if his competition if President Donald Trump.

Fox Business Network reported Thursday that the former veep has been telling possible campaign contributors his plans, saying that he wants to run against Trump because age will be less of a factor.

'If Trump runs, Biden is suggesting he's likely to do it because age won't be a factor,' one Biden insider told Fox Business. 'He also think he can beat Trump.'

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Facebook will require political advertisers to verify their identities. Mark Zuckerberg, who faces Congress next week, cited 2016 election abuses.

Facebook on Friday announced a series of moves meant to improve the transparency of political ads and pages on its social media service. The changes came just days before Mark Zuckerberg, the company’s chief executive, is to testify before Congress.

Comptroller Franchot's FED Agents Seize $32,000 in Untaxed Cigars

Store owners in Prince George’s and Baltimore counties cited

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (April 6, 2018) - Emphasizing his commitment to combat tax cheats of all kinds, Comptroller Peter Franchot today announced that his Field Enforcement Division agents and inspectors seized untaxed other tobacco products (OTP) in separate inspections at two stores in Prince George’s and Baltimore counties. In each case, the OTP was non-premium cigars. A total of 32,772 cigars were confiscated with a value of $32,722 and representing a potential tax loss to the state of $22,940.40. The inspections took place on April 4 and 5.
“Ensuring Maryland’s tax laws are enforced and respected is a top priority on mine. The Field Enforcement Division agents and inspectors are vigilant in catching those who try to cheat the system,” Comptroller Franchot said. “I’m very proud of the work my investigators do each and every day to catch criminals and safeguard citizens from unscrupulous businesses.” 
Each store’s owner faces a criminal citation of willful possession, sale or offer to sell untaxed other tobacco products. They are:
  • Aruna Sharma, 63, of Laurel, owner of Cherry Lane Exxon, 14701 Baltimore Ave., Laurel, MD 20707, Prince George’s County; 7,317 sticks of OTP seized with a retail value of $7,317 and representing a tax loss of $5,121.90.
  • Baljit Singh, 36, of Rosedale, owner of 6-Eleven Stop Convenience Store & Deli Inc., 100 Wise Ave., Dundalk, MD 21222, Baltimore County: 25,455 sticks of OTP seized with a retail value of $25,455 and representing a tax loss of $17,818.50. 
In Maryland, a retailer can only lawfully possess and sell non-premium cigars purchased from a licensed Maryland wholesaler of OTP. Retailers must possess invoices for all OTP inventory indicating that the Maryland excise tax had been paid to the state by the wholesaler.
To date in fiscal year 2018, which started July, 1, 2017, FED agents have arrested and charged 125 individuals for various tobacco violations as a result of discovering 114 instances of violations of Maryland’s tobacco laws. These arrests have resulted in the seizure of 138,347 packs of contraband cigarettes and the seizure of 355,851 sticks of OTP. The seized items are valued at $1,256,044.13 and representing a tax loss to the state of $594,032.92. 

Maryland OKs $8.5 billion in incentives to lure Amazon, biggest offer in nation

Maryland lawmakers approved $6.5 billion in tax incentives for Amazon on Wednesday, pushing through the largest economic development package in state history on the hope the internet retail giant will build a new headquarters here.

The massive tax incentive package comes on top of an additional $2 billion in promised infrastructure and transportation improvements for the White Flint Mall area of Montgomery County, one of the 20 spots across the country Amazon picked as finalists for its so-called HQ2 project.

Maryland’s $8.5 billion package, which is $3.5 billion bigger than originally advertised by Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, would be the largest publicly known incentive offered to Amazon in exchange for building its second headquarters. The next largest offer came from New Jersey, which offered $7 billion for the project to be built in Newark.

Hogan’s administration contends the package will cost less — $5.27 billion with the tax incentives costing $3.27 billion. The governor has called it “the single greatest economic development opportunity in a generation.”

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Mo Brooks: Deployment Will Protect ‘Against Invasion by Foreign Nationals’

Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) says he “fully” supports President Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border to aid Border Patrol agents in stemming an overwhelming flow of illegal aliens to the country.

In a statement to local media, Brooks said the military at the border is necessary to protect American citizens and the country’s “national sovereignty.”

Brooks said:

"I fully support President Trump’s use of our military to secure the border against invasion by foreign nationals. Recent, highly-publicized caravans of thousands of foreigners heading for America’s border emphasize that it is past time for Congress to reform laws that entice and reward foreign nationals who illegally invade America. For too long, illegal aliens have exploited weak laws and then sought and sometimes gained de facto permanent legal status at great cost and damage to American taxpayers.

"Until Congress gives President Trump funding for the physical border wall, his decision to send troops to the border, consistent with his Constitutional power as commander in chief, not only sends a strong message to the world that our borders will be secure, but more importantly preserves America’s national sovereignty. "

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‘Pass The Hat’ Benefit Planned At Decatur Baseball Game

OCEAN CITY — The Stephen Decatur varsity baseball team’s game next Thursday will have a special meaning for one local kid battling leukemia and the players.

During the Seahawks’ scheduled game against Snow Hill at home next Thursday, April 12, the players are holding a fundraiser for four-year-old Max Long, a local boy who is battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia and makes frequent trips to the Children’s Hospital in Washington for continued treatments. During the game, the team will “pass the hat,” encouraging fans, family and parents to make donations to help Long’s family meet the rigorous financial demands.

The “pass the hat” fundraiser is just the latest in series of community outreach projects for Decatur’s varsity baseball team. Just last year, the Seahawks held a similar fundraiser for the grandchild of Decatur head football coach Bob Knox with great success.

Decatur assistant baseball coach Tyler Riley said this week community outreach and charitable efforts are as much a part of the Decatur baseball team regimen as batting practice and fielding drills.

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Wind Turbine Debate Renewed; Councilman Wants OC To Explore Options

OCEAN CITY — The distance of the turbines in a proposed wind energy project off the coast of Ocean City continued to be a hot topic this week with resort officials vowing to explore their options.

Last spring, the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) approved one of two proposed offshore wind energy projects off the coast of Ocean City to US Wind. The US Wind project involves the placement of 32 wind turbines off the resort coast at a distance of 17 miles, or the farthest east area of its federally-designated Wind Energy Area (WEA). Throughout the process, the town of Ocean City has generally supported the US Wind project, but has strongly opposed the placement of any turbines within 26 miles of the resort coast, or the distance from which town officials believe the massive turbines would not be visible from the Ocean City shoreline.

In recent months, the battle over the distance of the wind turbines from the resort coast has been waged on many fronts. The Mayor and Council approved a resolution expressing their displeasure with the distance at 17 miles. Last month, a bill in the General Assembly that would have moved the turbines 26 miles offshore failed to get out of committee.

In between, both sides have engaged in an aggressive letter-writing campaign. Last week, resort officials were disappointed when a significant contract for the US Wind project went to a Louisiana firm and that US Wind had chosen not to renew its membership with the Greater Ocean City Chamber of Commerce.

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Ex-Prosecutor’s Indecent Exposure Conviction Appeal Denied

OCEAN CITY — A former Cecil County prosecutor, convicted in 2016 of indecent exposure and disorderly conduct stemming from an incident at an uptown Ocean City hotel, had his appeal denied last week by the state’s Court of Special Appeals.

In 2016, Cecil County State’s Attorney Edward “Ellis” Rollins III, 61, of Northeast, was found guilty of one count each of indecent exposure and disorderly conduct following an incident in June of that year during which he exposed himself and conducted other lewd acts while standing naked at the sliding glass door of his 10th floor room at an uptown Ocean City hotel in full view of several women in an adjacent hotel.

Rollins ultimately was sentenced to 90 days for the indecent exposure conviction and 60 days for the disorderly conduct conviction, all of which was then suspended. He was then sentenced to 18 months of supervised probation and a $1,000 fine. He was also required to undergo a mental health evaluation as directed by the Department of Parole and Probation and was ordered to have no direct or indirect contact with the victims in the case along with 100 hours of community service.

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High Tech Pizza Order

CALLER:
Is this Gordon's Pizza?
 
GOOGLE:
No sir, it's Google Pizza.
CALLER:
I must have dialed a wrong number. Sorry.
 
GOOGL
E:
No sir, Google bought Gordon’s Pizza last month.
CALLER:
OK. I would like to order a pizza.
 
GOOGLE:
Do you want your usual, sir?
 
 
CALLER: My usual? You know me?
 
GOOGLE:
According to our caller ID data sheet, the last 12 times you called you ordered an extra-large pizza with three cheeses, sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms and meatballs on a thick crust.
CALLER:
OK! That’s what I want …
 
GOOGLE:
May I suggest that this time you order a pizza with ricotta, arugula, sun-dried tomatoes and olives on a whole wheat gluten-free thin crust?
CALLER:
What? I detest vegetables.
 
GOOGLE:
Your cholesterol is not good, sir.
CALLER:
How the hell do you know?
 
GOOGLE:
Well, we cross-referenced your home phone number with your medical records.
We have the result of your blood tests for the last 7 years.
CALLER:
Okay, but I do not want your rotten vegetable pizza!
I already take medication for my cholesterol.
 
GOOGLE:
Excuse me sir, but you have not taken your medication regularly.
According to our database, you only purchased a box of 30 cholesterol tablets once, at Drug RX Network, 4 months ago.
CALLER:
I bought more from another drugstore.
 
GOOGLE:
That doesn’t show on your credit card statement.
CALLER:
I paid in cash.
 
GOOGLE:
But you did not withdraw enough cash according to your bank statement.
CALLER:
I have other sources of cash.
 
GOOGLE:
That doesn’t show on your last tax return unless you bought them using an undeclared income source, which is against the law.
CALLER:
WHAT THE HELL?
 
GOOGLE:
I'm sorry, sir, we use such information only with the sole intention of helping you.
CALLER:
Enough already!
I'm sick to death of Google, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and all the others. I'm going to an island without internet, cable TV, where there is no cell phone service and no one to watch me or spy on me.
 
GOOGLE:
I understand sir, but you need to renew your passport first.  It expired 6 weeks ago…