Federal government representatives talk about their commitment in hiring veterans, but how well do they really do?
Not bad, actually.
In fiscal 2016 (the latest year for which data is available), roughly one-quarter to one-half of the workers at the largest agencies, such as the departments of Defense and Homeland Security, are military veterans, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
Other agencies, including some of the relatively smaller ones, such as AID and EPA, employ a significantly smaller percentage of veterans.
There’s been relatively little variation from fiscal 2014 to 2016 in the percentages, as demonstrated in the chart below. And overall, 31.1 percent of federal workers were veterans in fiscal 2016, only a slight bump from 2012 when veterans made up 29.7 percent of the workforce.
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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
Monday, April 09, 2018
Homeland Security says it can’t counter a popular spy tool. Really?
To be a human in modern society is to generate data. The things we carry on our bodies — as deliberate as smartwatches or fitness trackers, and as seemingly innocuous as a flip phone — are all collecting and transmitting data.
Most of this is functional data, the bits needed for a machine to work and interact with the other machines that together create a communications network. Yet even that incidental data is meaningful, and personally identifiable. And, as reported by the Associated Press earlier this week, the same tools used by domestic law enforcement and intelligence agencies to collect that data have been used by other, nefarious actors to pick up on that same ambient data.
The devices in question are “StingRays,” small machines that mimic the functions of cellphone towers in order to scoop up the data sent out from nearby phones. Here’s how Ars Technica explained the technology in 2013: It’s a box-shaped portable device, sometimes described as an “IMSI catcher,” that gathers information from phones by sending out a signal that tricks them into connecting to it.
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Most of this is functional data, the bits needed for a machine to work and interact with the other machines that together create a communications network. Yet even that incidental data is meaningful, and personally identifiable. And, as reported by the Associated Press earlier this week, the same tools used by domestic law enforcement and intelligence agencies to collect that data have been used by other, nefarious actors to pick up on that same ambient data.
The devices in question are “StingRays,” small machines that mimic the functions of cellphone towers in order to scoop up the data sent out from nearby phones. Here’s how Ars Technica explained the technology in 2013: It’s a box-shaped portable device, sometimes described as an “IMSI catcher,” that gathers information from phones by sending out a signal that tricks them into connecting to it.
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Trump To Replace Liberal Lion Of The Ninth Circuit
Fearing a conservative jurist would replace Judge Stephen Reinhardt, the liberal lion of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, a prominent progressive legal scholar quietly urged him to retire in the spring of 2014.
U.C. Berkeley School of Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky approached Reinhardt just months before the 2014 midterm elections and suggested he retire, The New York Times reported Saturday.
Reinhardt refused the overtures. Months later, Republicans assumed control of the Senate, effectively ending former President Barack Obama’s judicial confirmations. President Donald Trump’s election forced the judge into an awkward actuarial battle, an increasingly common phenomenon as judicial appointments become highly politicized. He died on March 29 at 87.
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U.C. Berkeley School of Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky approached Reinhardt just months before the 2014 midterm elections and suggested he retire, The New York Times reported Saturday.
Reinhardt refused the overtures. Months later, Republicans assumed control of the Senate, effectively ending former President Barack Obama’s judicial confirmations. President Donald Trump’s election forced the judge into an awkward actuarial battle, an increasingly common phenomenon as judicial appointments become highly politicized. He died on March 29 at 87.
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Dems And EPA Insiders Are Freaking Out Over Trump’s Refusal To Nix Pruitt
Democratic lawmakers and career officials at the EPA are grasping at straws to understand why President Donald Trump is sticking by one of his most effective lieutenants.
There is a virtual civil war happening inside the EPA as negative reports about agency head Scott Pruitt continue stacking up, agency insiders claim. Capitol Hill Democrats are also not sure how to proceed as Trump dismisses calls to fire the former Oklahoma attorney general.
Democratic California Rep. Ted Lieu, for instance, evolved from calling Pruitt a “deeply paranoid” and “unethical” person who must be fired to advocating Trump’s decision might be a good thing for Democrats in the long run.
“So now I’m thinking, please don’t fire @EPAScottPruitt,” Lieu wrote Saturday on Twitter shortly before the president reiterated his support for the beleaguered administrator. “He’s such a great symbol of the corruption and fraud, waste & abuse in your Administration.” More than 64 of his congressional colleagues disagree: they want him gone.
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There is a virtual civil war happening inside the EPA as negative reports about agency head Scott Pruitt continue stacking up, agency insiders claim. Capitol Hill Democrats are also not sure how to proceed as Trump dismisses calls to fire the former Oklahoma attorney general.
Democratic California Rep. Ted Lieu, for instance, evolved from calling Pruitt a “deeply paranoid” and “unethical” person who must be fired to advocating Trump’s decision might be a good thing for Democrats in the long run.
“So now I’m thinking, please don’t fire @EPAScottPruitt,” Lieu wrote Saturday on Twitter shortly before the president reiterated his support for the beleaguered administrator. “He’s such a great symbol of the corruption and fraud, waste & abuse in your Administration.” More than 64 of his congressional colleagues disagree: they want him gone.
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She Got Pregnant at 18 and Did Something That Today, Few Teens Do
Kelly Clemente found out she was pregnant when she was 18. She had just finished her first semester of college, and up until then, described herself as your typical “all-American girl.”
She got good grades, was a member of a sorority, and ran on the track team.
When she saw that pregnancy test, “My life is over,” she thought.
“I was like, it doesn’t even matter. Nothing matters anymore,” Kelly told The Daily Signal.
The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution.
Kelly, unlike most girls her age, was familiar with the implications of an unplanned pregnancy. In high school, she volunteered at HOPE in Northern Virginia, a nonprofit that creates gift baskets for mothers faced with an unplanned pregnancy.
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She got good grades, was a member of a sorority, and ran on the track team.
When she saw that pregnancy test, “My life is over,” she thought.
“I was like, it doesn’t even matter. Nothing matters anymore,” Kelly told The Daily Signal.
The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution.
Kelly, unlike most girls her age, was familiar with the implications of an unplanned pregnancy. In high school, she volunteered at HOPE in Northern Virginia, a nonprofit that creates gift baskets for mothers faced with an unplanned pregnancy.
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Conservative Leaders, GOP Lawmakers Voice Support for Scott Pruitt
A growing number of conservative leaders and GOP lawmakers are voicing their support for Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt amid some calls for him to resign.
The Conservative Action Project released a letter Friday with 113 signatures of conservative leaders calling on President Donald Trump to keep Pruitt in the administration.
“Conservatives stand behind Scott Pruitt as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency … and thank him for the significant actions he has taken to implement President Trump’s deregulatory agenda,” the letter read. “President Trump campaigned on reducing Washington’s bureaucracy, and Administrator Pruitt has been instrumental to that effort.”
Signatories included American Legislative Exchange Council CEO Lisa Nelson, Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton, former Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina, former Virginia Attorney General and Senate Conservatives Fund President Ken Cuccinelli, and Citizens United President David Bossie.
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The Conservative Action Project released a letter Friday with 113 signatures of conservative leaders calling on President Donald Trump to keep Pruitt in the administration.
“Conservatives stand behind Scott Pruitt as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency … and thank him for the significant actions he has taken to implement President Trump’s deregulatory agenda,” the letter read. “President Trump campaigned on reducing Washington’s bureaucracy, and Administrator Pruitt has been instrumental to that effort.”
Signatories included American Legislative Exchange Council CEO Lisa Nelson, Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton, former Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina, former Virginia Attorney General and Senate Conservatives Fund President Ken Cuccinelli, and Citizens United President David Bossie.
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YouTube Shooting Matters, but Not for the Reasons the Media Thinks
On Tuesday, a 38-year-old Iranian woman living in Southern California entered YouTube’s headquarters in San Bruno, California, through a parking garage. She then opened fire on company employees, wounding three individuals who she appeared to target at random, before killing herself.
It has been widely reported that the woman frequently uploaded videos onto the social media platform, and had grown increasingly angry at the company over the last year for policies she believed suppressed her pro-vegan messages and unfairly prevented her from receiving ad revenue.
The woman’s family reportedly called local authorities in the days prior to the shooting to warn them about concerns over her state of mind, and filed a missing persons report after she failed to answer her phone for two days.
Her father told reporters that he had informed the police that she might be headed to YouTube because “she hated the company,” though law enforcement has disputed that the woman’s family members mentioned any possibility that she might act violently.
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It has been widely reported that the woman frequently uploaded videos onto the social media platform, and had grown increasingly angry at the company over the last year for policies she believed suppressed her pro-vegan messages and unfairly prevented her from receiving ad revenue.
The woman’s family reportedly called local authorities in the days prior to the shooting to warn them about concerns over her state of mind, and filed a missing persons report after she failed to answer her phone for two days.
Her father told reporters that he had informed the police that she might be headed to YouTube because “she hated the company,” though law enforcement has disputed that the woman’s family members mentioned any possibility that she might act violently.
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Liberals Finally Find Some Media Bias They Dislike
Last month, news anchors at Sinclair Broadcast Group’s TV stations were required to read a script critical of “fake stories” and general bias in the major news networks. Because some of the phrasing mirrored President Donald Trump’s overcooked critique of liberal media outlets, the story triggered widespread and overwrought warnings about authoritarianism and the rise of state-run media.
It’s true that Sinclair, the largest owner of U.S. TV stations, would have been better off following the lead of the big outlets: hiring and working with people who subscribe to the same worldview and then simply letting them do their thing. But as long as we have a media market and inhibit government meddling in speech—thank you, Citizens United and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai—the idea that we are powerless to turning away from “propaganda” is nothing but alarmism.
Every Sinclair market has an alternative local news station for viewers, not to mention other sources of information consumers can read and listen to if they desire.
Then again, having read the panicky coverage before watching the Sinclair videos, I was surprised by the innocuousness of the spots. The anchors were plainly reading a scripted public service announcement that claimed there is a “troubling trend of irresponsible, one-sided news stories” at major news outlets and then offering themselves as an alternative.
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It’s true that Sinclair, the largest owner of U.S. TV stations, would have been better off following the lead of the big outlets: hiring and working with people who subscribe to the same worldview and then simply letting them do their thing. But as long as we have a media market and inhibit government meddling in speech—thank you, Citizens United and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai—the idea that we are powerless to turning away from “propaganda” is nothing but alarmism.
Every Sinclair market has an alternative local news station for viewers, not to mention other sources of information consumers can read and listen to if they desire.
Then again, having read the panicky coverage before watching the Sinclair videos, I was surprised by the innocuousness of the spots. The anchors were plainly reading a scripted public service announcement that claimed there is a “troubling trend of irresponsible, one-sided news stories” at major news outlets and then offering themselves as an alternative.
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We Hear You: Progressives’ Sour-Grapes Assault on the Electoral College
Dear Daily Signal: Regarding Jarrett Stepman’s commentary, “Progressive Activists Look to Courts to Undermine the Electoral College,” perhaps a countersuit is needed to mandate that all states adopt the Electoral College (or a similar system) within their jurisdictions.
As is, highly populated cities with minimum land mass within many states dictate voter outcome for the majority of land mass within each state. This enables liberals to convert states to leftist ideas while rendering votes cast outside large population centers meaningless.
Essentially, city dwelling liberals are thereby allowed to silence conservative value rural residents.—Ron Dale
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As is, highly populated cities with minimum land mass within many states dictate voter outcome for the majority of land mass within each state. This enables liberals to convert states to leftist ideas while rendering votes cast outside large population centers meaningless.
Essentially, city dwelling liberals are thereby allowed to silence conservative value rural residents.—Ron Dale
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Parkland Hero Who Was Shot Five Times Rips Sheriff Israel
Anthony Borges, a Parkland shooting victim who was shot five times, released a statement on Friday that criticized the Broward County Sheriff’s Office for failing to protect students.
Borges, a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student, was recently released from the hospital but remains in a wheelchair. He was shot five times while barricading a classroom door to prevent Nikolas Cruz from getting to his classmates.
The survivor appeared with his lawyer, Alex Arreaza, at a press conference on Friday evening. Arreaza read a statement on Borges’ behalf that placed blame on Sheriff Scott Israel, the Broward County School District, and the Broward deputies who did not enter while Cruz was shooting up the school.
“I know I’ve been called Iron Man,” the statement said. “And while I’m honored to be called this, I am not. I’m a 15-year-old who’s been shot five times, while Broward Sheriff’s deputies waited outside and decided that they weren’t going to come in the building.”
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Borges, a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student, was recently released from the hospital but remains in a wheelchair. He was shot five times while barricading a classroom door to prevent Nikolas Cruz from getting to his classmates.
The survivor appeared with his lawyer, Alex Arreaza, at a press conference on Friday evening. Arreaza read a statement on Borges’ behalf that placed blame on Sheriff Scott Israel, the Broward County School District, and the Broward deputies who did not enter while Cruz was shooting up the school.
“I know I’ve been called Iron Man,” the statement said. “And while I’m honored to be called this, I am not. I’m a 15-year-old who’s been shot five times, while Broward Sheriff’s deputies waited outside and decided that they weren’t going to come in the building.”
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Masters of the Universe: Facebook Seeked Patient Data from Hospitals
Facebook was in discussions with top hospitals up until last month about the possibility of sharing the medical info of vulnerable patients with the social media platform.
CNBC reports that as late as last week, Facebook was in talks with several major U.S. hospital to share anonymized data about their patients with the social media platform. The info was reportedly for a research project and would include details about patients such as their illnesses and prescription information. Facebook planned to match the hospital info with user data supposedly in an attempt to help hospitals determine which patients may need special care or treatment.
The proposal was reportedly still in the planning phase and has been put on hold following the Cambridge Analytica user data scandal, but the proposal itself provides a worrying insight into the level of data that Facebook is attempting to collect on users. A Facebook spokesperson told CNBC: “This work has not progressed past the planning phase, and we have not received, shared, or analyzed anyone’s data.”
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CNBC reports that as late as last week, Facebook was in talks with several major U.S. hospital to share anonymized data about their patients with the social media platform. The info was reportedly for a research project and would include details about patients such as their illnesses and prescription information. Facebook planned to match the hospital info with user data supposedly in an attempt to help hospitals determine which patients may need special care or treatment.
The proposal was reportedly still in the planning phase and has been put on hold following the Cambridge Analytica user data scandal, but the proposal itself provides a worrying insight into the level of data that Facebook is attempting to collect on users. A Facebook spokesperson told CNBC: “This work has not progressed past the planning phase, and we have not received, shared, or analyzed anyone’s data.”
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Anarchy and Voluntaryism
You’re likely aware that I’m a libertarian. But I’m actually more than a libertarian. I don’t believe in the right of the State to exist. The reason is that anything that has a monopoly of force is extremely dangerous. As Mao Tse-tung, lately one of the world’s leading experts on government, said: “The power of the state comes out of a barrel of a gun.”
There are two possible ways for people to relate to each other, either voluntarily or coercively. And the State is pure institutionalized coercion. It’s not just unnecessary, but antithetical, for a civilized society. And that’s increasingly true as technology advances. It was never moral, but at least it was possible, in oxcart days, for bureaucrats to order things around. Today it’s ridiculous.
Everything that needs doing can and will be done by the market, by entrepreneurs who fill the needs of other people for a profit. The State is a dead hand that imposes itself on society. That belief makes me, of course, an anarchist.
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There are two possible ways for people to relate to each other, either voluntarily or coercively. And the State is pure institutionalized coercion. It’s not just unnecessary, but antithetical, for a civilized society. And that’s increasingly true as technology advances. It was never moral, but at least it was possible, in oxcart days, for bureaucrats to order things around. Today it’s ridiculous.
Everything that needs doing can and will be done by the market, by entrepreneurs who fill the needs of other people for a profit. The State is a dead hand that imposes itself on society. That belief makes me, of course, an anarchist.
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GOP Rep Meadows: If Rosenstein Doesn't Turn Over Docs, We Will Move to Impeach
Saturday, Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) said that if Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein does not turn over the unredacted documents requested by Congress related to FISA, FBI and more then impeachment could be in order.
“Rod Rosenstein can call Michael Horowitz, who has the documents, and say just give them to Congress. If he doesn’t do that … there is a growing consensus of holding them in contempt of Congress, but it’s not enough to stop there. We have to have someone willing to do the job. If the deputy attorney general is not willing to do it and not willing to allow us to have our Constitutional Oversight Authority supported, then we’ll find someone who can,” said Meadows on Fox News Channel’s “Justice.”
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“Rod Rosenstein can call Michael Horowitz, who has the documents, and say just give them to Congress. If he doesn’t do that … there is a growing consensus of holding them in contempt of Congress, but it’s not enough to stop there. We have to have someone willing to do the job. If the deputy attorney general is not willing to do it and not willing to allow us to have our Constitutional Oversight Authority supported, then we’ll find someone who can,” said Meadows on Fox News Channel’s “Justice.”
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Chicago man slashed woman's cheek and jaw at bus station
A Chicago man accused of slashing a middle-aged woman’s face with a knife last week was ordered held without bail Saturday.
The suspect, identified as Deandre Cavaness, 36, approached the 54-year-old woman at a bus stop around 9 p.m. in an area about 10 miles west of Chicago.
Cavaness then allegedly slashed the victim on the left side of her face, the Chicago Tribunereported, citing prosecutors.
Police say they received a call of a stabbed victim and an alleged perpetrator nicknamed “Dre” who wore a black coat and had a thin build. The suspect was spotted under an adjacent viaduct a few minutes after the slashing, police said.
The suspect was placed in custody after attempting to run from police and an angry crowd, police said.
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The suspect, identified as Deandre Cavaness, 36, approached the 54-year-old woman at a bus stop around 9 p.m. in an area about 10 miles west of Chicago.
Cavaness then allegedly slashed the victim on the left side of her face, the Chicago Tribunereported, citing prosecutors.
Police say they received a call of a stabbed victim and an alleged perpetrator nicknamed “Dre” who wore a black coat and had a thin build. The suspect was spotted under an adjacent viaduct a few minutes after the slashing, police said.
The suspect was placed in custody after attempting to run from police and an angry crowd, police said.
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http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/04/08/chicago-man-slashed-womans-cheek-and-jaw-at-bus-station.html
New Jersey Governor Spends $13,000
New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy spent nearly $13,000 of taxpayer money for his wife to have an office nearby.
The purpose of the taxpayer fund project was to turn a conference room down the hall from the governor’s office into a private office for the first lady, New Jersey Advance Media reported. The governor and first lady have spent $27,000 of taxpayer money refurbishing their respective work spaces since taking office in January.
The governor defended spending taxpayer money on a door Thursday.
“She has a prominent seat at the table for policy discussions,” Murphy wrote in an email forwarded to reporters Thursday. “She has certainly become a driving force on the issues that matter most to her — particularly on environmental issues and our plans for transitioning to a clean-energy economy, an area where she has a wealth of valuable insight.”
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The purpose of the taxpayer fund project was to turn a conference room down the hall from the governor’s office into a private office for the first lady, New Jersey Advance Media reported. The governor and first lady have spent $27,000 of taxpayer money refurbishing their respective work spaces since taking office in January.
The governor defended spending taxpayer money on a door Thursday.
“She has a prominent seat at the table for policy discussions,” Murphy wrote in an email forwarded to reporters Thursday. “She has certainly become a driving force on the issues that matter most to her — particularly on environmental issues and our plans for transitioning to a clean-energy economy, an area where she has a wealth of valuable insight.”
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Marijuana publications proving to be a pot of gold
Pot publications are one of the few growth areas in media. High Times Media, which has delayed but not canceled plans to become a publicly listed company, said Thursday it is buying Green Rush Daily for $500,000 cash plus $6.4 million in stock.
GRD, a 3-year-old cannabis news website that bills itself as the official resource of daily news for all things weed, claims to pull in 9.5 million page views a month.
Meanwhile, Tom Florio, CEO of ENTtech Media, which last year purchased Paper magazine, said he is teaming with MedMen, a recreational marijuana company, to launch Ember, a custom-published print title.
Florio is handling the content for the custom-published quarterly distributed only in MedMen’s dispensaries in California and Nevada. MedMen will soon open a medical marijuana store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.
High Times is in the process of being acquired by Origo Acquisition Corp. in a $250 million all- stock deal.
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GRD, a 3-year-old cannabis news website that bills itself as the official resource of daily news for all things weed, claims to pull in 9.5 million page views a month.
Meanwhile, Tom Florio, CEO of ENTtech Media, which last year purchased Paper magazine, said he is teaming with MedMen, a recreational marijuana company, to launch Ember, a custom-published print title.
Florio is handling the content for the custom-published quarterly distributed only in MedMen’s dispensaries in California and Nevada. MedMen will soon open a medical marijuana store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.
High Times is in the process of being acquired by Origo Acquisition Corp. in a $250 million all- stock deal.
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Ala. teen turns down 25-year plea deal, gets sentenced to 65 years instead - and laughs
An Alabama teen laughed Thursday as a judge sentenced him to 65 years in prison for murder and theft after he rejected a plea deal that would have given him 25 years behind bars.
Lakeith Smith, 18, of Montgomery, Ala., was sentenced to 65 years by Judge Sibley Reynolds for “felony murder, armed burglary, second-degree theft and third-degree theft,”FOX8 LIVE reported.
Smith smiled and laughed while being sentenced at the Elmore County courthouse. He had turned down a plea deal that would have recommended he spend 25 years in prison on the charges.
“I don’t think Mr. Smith will be smiling long when he gets to prison,” C.J. Robinson, chief assistant district attorney, said. “We are very pleased with this sentence. Because the sentences are consecutive, it will be a long time before he comes up for even the possibility for parole, at least 20 to 25 years.”
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Lakeith Smith, 18, of Montgomery, Ala., was sentenced to 65 years by Judge Sibley Reynolds for “felony murder, armed burglary, second-degree theft and third-degree theft,”FOX8 LIVE reported.
Smith smiled and laughed while being sentenced at the Elmore County courthouse. He had turned down a plea deal that would have recommended he spend 25 years in prison on the charges.
“I don’t think Mr. Smith will be smiling long when he gets to prison,” C.J. Robinson, chief assistant district attorney, said. “We are very pleased with this sentence. Because the sentences are consecutive, it will be a long time before he comes up for even the possibility for parole, at least 20 to 25 years.”
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http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/04/07/ala-teen-turns-down-25-year-plea-deal-gets-sentenced-to-65-years-instead-and-laughs.html
In New Hampshire, the 2020 presidential race is already well underway
HENNIKER, N.H. — Potential candidates are shaking hands and taking questions from prospective voters, introductions and discussions are going on behind the scenes and Saint Anselm College’s "Politics & Eggs" conversation series has resumed.
The political world might still be recovering from the 2016 presidential election and focusing now on the midterm fights for Congress, but here in the nation's first primary state the battle for 2020 is already well underway.
On Tuesday, two potential presidential contenders — Republican Gov. John Kasich of Ohio and former Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley of Maryland — swung through the state on the same day, bringing with them a barrage of national media ready to report on possible challengers to a controversial incumbent president consistently struggling with scandal and approval ratings.
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'Madness': Family outraged that 4 teens sentenced to youth treatment after sandbag hits car, kills man
The lawyer for the family of a Michigan man killed with a sandbag thrown from an Ohio highway overpass said it was “madness” that the teenage culprits were sentenced to a youth treatment facility program instead of jail.
Police say the boys, each of whom were 13 or 14, threw rocks and sandbags onto Interstate 75 near downtown Toledo in December. One sandbag smashed through a car windshield and hit a rider, 22-year-old Marquise Byrd, of Warren, Michigan. He later died.
The boys apologized to Byrd's family in juvenile court in Lucas County, Ohio, Friday. The judge said they could end up in juvenile detention for years if they don't complete programming of unspecified length at the youth treatment center.
Family and friends of Byrd were visibly upset as they walked out of the courtroom before the judge had finished sentencing all four teens, the Toledo Blade reported Friday
They called the sentence too lenient.
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Police say the boys, each of whom were 13 or 14, threw rocks and sandbags onto Interstate 75 near downtown Toledo in December. One sandbag smashed through a car windshield and hit a rider, 22-year-old Marquise Byrd, of Warren, Michigan. He later died.
The boys apologized to Byrd's family in juvenile court in Lucas County, Ohio, Friday. The judge said they could end up in juvenile detention for years if they don't complete programming of unspecified length at the youth treatment center.
Family and friends of Byrd were visibly upset as they walked out of the courtroom before the judge had finished sentencing all four teens, the Toledo Blade reported Friday
They called the sentence too lenient.
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http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/04/07/madness-family-outraged-that-4-teens-sentenced-to-youth-treatment-after-sandbag-hits-car-kills-man.html
Time for Mueller to lay it all out
Washington is full of blather, bombast and bullsh-t, but a line about Robert Mueller was the most important thing spoken or written there last week:
“Peter Carr, a spokesman for the special counsel’s office, declined to comment.”
Since Mueller’s office never says anything outside court publicly, who knew he had a spokesman or needed one?
The line was included in a Washington Post story that said Mueller told the White House that President Trump was not a target of the criminal investigation.
The story could be a big deal — if true. But the report is nonetheless remarkable because it was the first leak in memory that carried good news for Trump.
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“Peter Carr, a spokesman for the special counsel’s office, declined to comment.”
Since Mueller’s office never says anything outside court publicly, who knew he had a spokesman or needed one?
The line was included in a Washington Post story that said Mueller told the White House that President Trump was not a target of the criminal investigation.
The story could be a big deal — if true. But the report is nonetheless remarkable because it was the first leak in memory that carried good news for Trump.
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Trump slams DOJ, FBI over missed document deadline: 'What is going on?'
President Trump on Saturday slammed the Justice Department for failing to meet a deadline to turn over documents related to the FBI’s decisions in the Hillary Clinton email probe, alleged abuses of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and the recommendation to fire former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.
“Slow walking - what is going on? BAD!” Trump tweeted.
“What does the Department of Justice and FBI have to hide? Why aren’t they giving the strongly requested documents (unredacted) to the HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE? Stalling, but for what reason?” he added in a second tweet. "Not looking good!
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“Slow walking - what is going on? BAD!” Trump tweeted.
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All Md. Casino Money May Go To Education
Maryland lawmakers voted Friday to give voters the option to direct all of the state’s casino profits to K-12 public education, instead of reserving some of them to balance the budget.
The state’s principal teachers’ union, the Maryland State Education Association, reported that Maryland has appropriated a total of nearly $2 billion in casino funds to budget balancing and away from education since 2009, reported The Washington Post. The “lockbox” law would inhibit future Maryland lawmakers and governors from using any casino funds to balance the budget.
The House of Delegates passed the legislation after receiving a unanimous approval from the state Senate.
If enacted, the measure would incrementally increase the proportion of casino funds directed to education until fiscal year 2023, when all of the funds would be allocated there.
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The state’s principal teachers’ union, the Maryland State Education Association, reported that Maryland has appropriated a total of nearly $2 billion in casino funds to budget balancing and away from education since 2009, reported The Washington Post. The “lockbox” law would inhibit future Maryland lawmakers and governors from using any casino funds to balance the budget.
The House of Delegates passed the legislation after receiving a unanimous approval from the state Senate.
If enacted, the measure would incrementally increase the proportion of casino funds directed to education until fiscal year 2023, when all of the funds would be allocated there.
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BOZELL: A Brutal Revisitation Of Chappaquiddick
One measure of how old we're getting is realizing how many voters today have no familiarity with the Chappaquiddick scandal. In July of 1969, then-Sen. Ted Kennedy drove off a bridge into a pond with a young woman in the passenger seat and left the scene of the accident alone. Kennedy waited 10 hours to report it, and Mary Jo Kopechne died.
This is one compelling reason why many older voters thought liberals sounded preposterous when they suggested Donald Trump's presidential campaign should be canceled over the "Access Hollywood" tape of him boasting of grabbing women in the crotch. Kennedy had a woman's death on his resume, and it never stopped the left from boosting him as the finest presidential timber.
How far has the manipulative Kennedy dynasty fallen? Somehow, the movie "Chappaquiddick" was made with well-known actors and distributed to movie theaters. Seven years ago, pressure caused the History Channel to deep-six a dramatic Kennedy miniseries (it ended up on the obscure cable channel Reelz).
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This is one compelling reason why many older voters thought liberals sounded preposterous when they suggested Donald Trump's presidential campaign should be canceled over the "Access Hollywood" tape of him boasting of grabbing women in the crotch. Kennedy had a woman's death on his resume, and it never stopped the left from boosting him as the finest presidential timber.
How far has the manipulative Kennedy dynasty fallen? Somehow, the movie "Chappaquiddick" was made with well-known actors and distributed to movie theaters. Seven years ago, pressure caused the History Channel to deep-six a dramatic Kennedy miniseries (it ended up on the obscure cable channel Reelz).
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Trouble brews for James Comey as he prepares to break silence with book tour
In less than two weeks, James Comey is poised to begin a book tour and break his silence about his experience serving as FBI director before he was fired last spring by President Trump.
Beyond the occasional tweet in which he has defended an embattled FBI from Trump's criticisms, Comey has largely kept out of the public eye while wrapping up his book, titled “A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership." But with April 17, the day his memoir hits bookshelves, fast approaching, a number of potential complications have arisen.
An ex-FBI supervisory special agent put it bluntly on Saturday when he said he has no issue with Comey, now a private citizen, selling books and charging $1,000 for tickets for people to hear him speak, but that the timing of the media blitz was the issue.
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Beyond the occasional tweet in which he has defended an embattled FBI from Trump's criticisms, Comey has largely kept out of the public eye while wrapping up his book, titled “A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership." But with April 17, the day his memoir hits bookshelves, fast approaching, a number of potential complications have arisen.
An ex-FBI supervisory special agent put it bluntly on Saturday when he said he has no issue with Comey, now a private citizen, selling books and charging $1,000 for tickets for people to hear him speak, but that the timing of the media blitz was the issue.
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Majority of GOP Voters: Free Trade Has Hurt U.S., Cost Americans Their Jobs
Republican and conservative voters have turned on multinational free trade agreements under President Trump’s economic nationalist leadership, with now a majority of GOP voters saying free trade has cost American jobs and largely hurt the United States.
A poll by Harvard-Harris reveals that conservative voters are now the most opposed to free trade, with 54 percent saying free trade has hurt the U.S.
Republican voters and Trump supporters follow closely behind conservatives in their opposition to free trade, with 53 percent of GOP voters agreeing that free trade has hurt the U.S. and 52 percent of Trump voters saying the same.
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A poll by Harvard-Harris reveals that conservative voters are now the most opposed to free trade, with 54 percent saying free trade has hurt the U.S.
Republican voters and Trump supporters follow closely behind conservatives in their opposition to free trade, with 53 percent of GOP voters agreeing that free trade has hurt the U.S. and 52 percent of Trump voters saying the same.
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3 shot to death on private entertainment bus in Illinois
Rockford Police Chief Dan O'Shea says the driver of the Distinguished Gentleman bus called 911 shortly before 3:30am Saturday, The Rockford Register Star reported.
The driver left the shooting site and parked the bus in a fuel lane at a gas station where police then came.
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Behold the Lowlights of Michelle Obama's Trump-Bashing Tour
Judging from their vocal criticism of President Trump, it's clear that neither Mr. nor Mrs. Obama shares G.W. Bush's viewpoint that it's terrible for the country and the presidency to undermine a current president.
Barack does it by praising anything and anyone who opposes the president's policies and, by doing so, manages to disparage the man who took his place. Michelle, on the other hand, is much less diplomatic. Instead of using discretion, Mrs. Obama vomits out anti-Trump venom wherever she goes.
Michelle's Trump-Bashing Tour started right after the 2016 election, when Mrs. Hope and Change told Oprah Winfrey that because Trump was elected, "now we're feeling what not having hope feels like."
In May of 2017, Mrs. Obama spoke out against Trump when he dared loosen the stringent dietary restrictions connected to her unpopular school lunch program. Months later, at an Inbound marketing conference in Boston, Michelle rebuked a segment of the sisterhood when she declared, "Any woman who voted against Hillary Clinton voted against their [sic] own voice."
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Barack does it by praising anything and anyone who opposes the president's policies and, by doing so, manages to disparage the man who took his place. Michelle, on the other hand, is much less diplomatic. Instead of using discretion, Mrs. Obama vomits out anti-Trump venom wherever she goes.
Michelle's Trump-Bashing Tour started right after the 2016 election, when Mrs. Hope and Change told Oprah Winfrey that because Trump was elected, "now we're feeling what not having hope feels like."
In May of 2017, Mrs. Obama spoke out against Trump when he dared loosen the stringent dietary restrictions connected to her unpopular school lunch program. Months later, at an Inbound marketing conference in Boston, Michelle rebuked a segment of the sisterhood when she declared, "Any woman who voted against Hillary Clinton voted against their [sic] own voice."
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College student with measles had been vaccinated
RENO, Nev. — Health departments in two states have opened investigations after a university student who contracted measles was determined to have been vaccinated.
It wasn't immediately known whether the University of Nevada, Reno, student, whose name was not released, had both doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, generally given at age 12 to 15 months with a booster at 4 to 6 years old. The two shots are 97% effective in preventing measles; one dose is 93% effective, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Though getting measles after you've been vaccinated is unusual, it is not unheard of. In a Kansas outbreak of 15 cases that began in March, most were unvaccinated infants at a day-care center.
But one was a fully vaccinated adult, The Kansas City (Mo.) Star reported.
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It wasn't immediately known whether the University of Nevada, Reno, student, whose name was not released, had both doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, generally given at age 12 to 15 months with a booster at 4 to 6 years old. The two shots are 97% effective in preventing measles; one dose is 93% effective, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Though getting measles after you've been vaccinated is unusual, it is not unheard of. In a Kansas outbreak of 15 cases that began in March, most were unvaccinated infants at a day-care center.
But one was a fully vaccinated adult, The Kansas City (Mo.) Star reported.
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Boycott Kimmel Petition Reaches 50k Signatures After ABC Host Mocked Melania Trump's Accent
A petition to boycott ABC’s late-night funnyman Jimmy Kimmel has reached more than 50,000 signatures after the Live host dedicated a segment of his show on Monday to mock First Lady Melania Trump and her accent.
“We may not get him kicked off the air,” reads the recently launched petition, which calls for the boycott of Jimmy Kimmel Live. “But we can send a message that these attacks on our First Lady will NOT be tolerated!”
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“We may not get him kicked off the air,” reads the recently launched petition, which calls for the boycott of Jimmy Kimmel Live. “But we can send a message that these attacks on our First Lady will NOT be tolerated!”
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Jimmy Kimmel Offers No Apology to Melania Trump, Says He's Sorry for Offensive Gay Jokes
Jimmy Kimmel issued a sarcasm-laden statement on Sunday saying that while his war of words with Fox News host Sean Hannity was “fun,” he’s sorry for offending LGBT people — not for mocking Melania Trump’s accent.
“By lampooning Sean Hannity’s deference to the President, I most certainly did not intend to belittle or upset members of the gay community and to those who took offense, I apologize,” Kimmel’s statement said, referencing the criticism he took last week after repeatedly making lewd gay jokes directed at Hannity and President Trump.
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“By lampooning Sean Hannity’s deference to the President, I most certainly did not intend to belittle or upset members of the gay community and to those who took offense, I apologize,” Kimmel’s statement said, referencing the criticism he took last week after repeatedly making lewd gay jokes directed at Hannity and President Trump.
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'Chappaquiddick' Star: Everybody Gave Ted Kennedy A Pass
‘Powerful people’ didn’t want movie released
The movie, out April 6, follows the events surrounding the 1969 death of Mary Jo Kopechne. Sen. Ted Kennedy (Clarke) was driving Kopechne, a campaign worker for his late brother Robert F. Kennedy, home on the Massachusettes island of Chappaquiddick when he crashed his Oldsmobile through a fence, landing the car in a pond.
Kennedy escaped the submerged car but Koechne remained trapped inside. The Senator waited 10 hours to call for help.
“I was overcome, I’m frank to say, by a jumble of emotions: grief, fear, doubt, exhaustion, panic, confusion and shock,” he said at the time.
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'Citizens Have a Right to Protect Themselves': GA Sheriff Explains Viral Concealed-Carry Sign
A Georgia sheriff is going viral for a warning to county visitors that residents are armed.
Harris County Sheriff Mike Jolley recently posted a sign outside the sheriff's office that reads: “Our citizens have concealed weapons. If you kill someone, we might kill you back. We have ONE jail and 356 cemeteries. Enjoy your stay!”
On "Fox & Friends," Jolley said the purpose of the sign is to let people know that many citizens in Harris County exercise their right to bear arms.
"The fact that we have one jail and so many cemeteries is just a tongue-in-cheek way of saying law enforcement can't be everywhere all the time, so citizens have a right to protect themselves," Jolley said.
More/Video
Harris County Sheriff Mike Jolley recently posted a sign outside the sheriff's office that reads: “Our citizens have concealed weapons. If you kill someone, we might kill you back. We have ONE jail and 356 cemeteries. Enjoy your stay!”
On "Fox & Friends," Jolley said the purpose of the sign is to let people know that many citizens in Harris County exercise their right to bear arms.
"The fact that we have one jail and so many cemeteries is just a tongue-in-cheek way of saying law enforcement can't be everywhere all the time, so citizens have a right to protect themselves," Jolley said.
More/Video
http://insider.foxnews.com/2018/04/08/georgia-sheriff-mike-jolley-goes-viral-concealed-carry-warning-sign
Homeless Sex Offender Notification
Dover– The following are not wanted. This is a Homeless Sex Offender Public Notification. If you have information that any of the listed subjects are occupying a residence, please call 302-672-5306. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, via the internet at http://www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com.
We Just Want To Say, Thanks!
Look, there's nothing like it, anywhere. Week after week we continue to watch our customer growth expand as the word spreads. With no cover charge we're delivering the best talent, (even national) along with an expanded live music platform. Soon enough we'll have bands every Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Our Wednesday Open Mic Night will come to a close in three weeks, so get on board this week.
So thanks again everyone. We look forward to seeing you soon and don't be a stranger. Let me know you came in to visit us and by all means enjoy the live bands and brand new pool tables.
Twitter CEO Raves About Article Calling For Dem Victory In Second ‘Civil War’
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey aroused controversy after labeling a Medium article “great” that claimed there’s no “bipartisan way forward” in the United States and that the country is engaged in a “fundamental conflict between two worldviews that must be resolved in short order.”
Author and media consultant Peter Leyden and political commentator Ruy Teixeira argued in the article titled “The Great Lesson of California in America’s New Civil War” that America is already in the midst of a second major domestic conflict of sorts and the way out is for the rest of the country to imitate California.
Essentially, the authors called for a complete marginalization of the Republican Party and its voters since they only care “about rule by and for billionaires at the expense of working people” and not “average citizens.”
California, despite its mass wealth inequality, growing lack of social cohesion, poverty, and soaring housing costs “provides a model for America as a whole,” according to Leyden and Teixeira.
Leyden and Teixeira are somewhat correct that America currently faces a dialectic of “two political cultures already at odds through different political ideologies, philosophies.” Yet, they do not call for Democrats to try to understand their political adversaries.
Instead, they proposed Americans “take the Republican Party down for a generation or two” in order to save the country.
More here
Author and media consultant Peter Leyden and political commentator Ruy Teixeira argued in the article titled “The Great Lesson of California in America’s New Civil War” that America is already in the midst of a second major domestic conflict of sorts and the way out is for the rest of the country to imitate California.
Essentially, the authors called for a complete marginalization of the Republican Party and its voters since they only care “about rule by and for billionaires at the expense of working people” and not “average citizens.”
California, despite its mass wealth inequality, growing lack of social cohesion, poverty, and soaring housing costs “provides a model for America as a whole,” according to Leyden and Teixeira.
Leyden and Teixeira are somewhat correct that America currently faces a dialectic of “two political cultures already at odds through different political ideologies, philosophies.” Yet, they do not call for Democrats to try to understand their political adversaries.
Instead, they proposed Americans “take the Republican Party down for a generation or two” in order to save the country.
More here
Kudlow: White House 'Planning' Package to Rescind Spending From $1.3 Trillion Omnibus
On this week’s broadcast of “Fox News Sunday,” White House chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Trump administration officials were “planning” to rescind some of the $1.3 trillion spending bill passed by Congress.
Kudlow said, “There’s planning in the White House. My friend OMB director Mick Mulvaney, I’m an ex-OMB guy, I feel his pain. We are looking at an enhanced rescission package. I’m not going to use numbers. This is all around town.”
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Kudlow said, “There’s planning in the White House. My friend OMB director Mick Mulvaney, I’m an ex-OMB guy, I feel his pain. We are looking at an enhanced rescission package. I’m not going to use numbers. This is all around town.”
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Maryland State Police Search For Suspect In Queen Anne’s County Armed Robbery
Surveillance video showed the suspect entered the store and brandished what appeared to be a black handgun. The suspect was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black gloves, grey pants, black tennis shoes, sunglasses, with a dark cloth covering his face. The suspect demanded store employee give him cash from the register. The employee complied and the suspect fled the store. The employee reported no injury.
At this time the Maryland State Police Criminal Enforcement Division is requesting the assistance of the public to help identify the suspect shown in the above images. Please contact TFC Dadds, Maryland State Police Criminal Enforcement Division, at 410-819-4782 with any information.
New Photos Reveal Robert Mueller And Paul Manafort Both Worked With Former Ukraine President In 2013
Robert Mueller is investigating Paul Manafort for working with Viktor Yanukovych in 2013. Mueller also worked with Yanukovych in 2013...
Special Counsel Robert Mueller charged Paul Manafort, President Trump’s former Campaign Manager, for working with former Ukrainian Presidnet Viktor Yanukovych in 2013.
Mueller failed to mention that he also worked with Yanukovych in 2013... six months before John Brennan, John McCain, Victoria Nuland, and their EU partners, led a bloody neo-nazi coup to overthrow the Yanukovych government.
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Special Counsel Robert Mueller charged Paul Manafort, President Trump’s former Campaign Manager, for working with former Ukrainian Presidnet Viktor Yanukovych in 2013.
Mueller failed to mention that he also worked with Yanukovych in 2013... six months before John Brennan, John McCain, Victoria Nuland, and their EU partners, led a bloody neo-nazi coup to overthrow the Yanukovych government.
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A 'Watershed Moment’ for American Privacy
Former Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Robert McDowell told Breitbart News Saturday that the Facebook Cambridge Analytica scandal “is a watershed moment for how people will perceive privacy.”
Facebook’s reputation plummeted after reports revealed that data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica used the social media platform to gain access to the personal data of more than 87 million users. A recent Reuters poll suggests that only 41 percent of consumers trust Facebook to comply with American privacy laws.
“I think this is a watershed moment for how people will perceive privacy,” McDowell told Breitbart News Saturday hosts Matthew Boyle and Amanda House.
“I think this will push Congress, maybe even on a bipartisan basis, to do something about privacy,” McDowell added.
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Facebook’s reputation plummeted after reports revealed that data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica used the social media platform to gain access to the personal data of more than 87 million users. A recent Reuters poll suggests that only 41 percent of consumers trust Facebook to comply with American privacy laws.
“I think this is a watershed moment for how people will perceive privacy,” McDowell told Breitbart News Saturday hosts Matthew Boyle and Amanda House.
“I think this will push Congress, maybe even on a bipartisan basis, to do something about privacy,” McDowell added.
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Pollak: Ingraham, but Not Rivera? Left’s Double Standard
For the past week, left-wing gun control activists, egged on by Parkland, Florida, school shooting survivor David Hogg, have urged companies to stop advertising on Laura Ingraham’s show, The Ingraham Angle, on Fox News.
Ingraham’s “crime” was to accuse Hogg of whining about not being accepted into four University of California schools.
But another Fox News host did something far worse.
Geraldo Rivera, one of the network’s more liberal personalities, said Mar. 30 that his one regret as a journalist was not supporting the Palestinians during the second Intifada, which lasted roughly from 2000 to 2005:
The second intifada was launched in September 2000 by the Palestinian Authority after then-Chairman Yasser Arafat walked away from a peace deal at Camp David in July of that year.
The uprising was much deadlier than the first intifada of the late 1980s, and included a massive terrorist campaign of suicide bombings and other attacks against Israeli civilians. Some 1,100 Israelis were killed.
Geraldo did not mention any of that. Rather, he sent the message that Palestinian terror can always be excused by an occupation that, arguably, continues largely because of their own intransigence.
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Ingraham’s “crime” was to accuse Hogg of whining about not being accepted into four University of California schools.
But another Fox News host did something far worse.
Geraldo Rivera, one of the network’s more liberal personalities, said Mar. 30 that his one regret as a journalist was not supporting the Palestinians during the second Intifada, which lasted roughly from 2000 to 2005:
The second intifada was launched in September 2000 by the Palestinian Authority after then-Chairman Yasser Arafat walked away from a peace deal at Camp David in July of that year.
The uprising was much deadlier than the first intifada of the late 1980s, and included a massive terrorist campaign of suicide bombings and other attacks against Israeli civilians. Some 1,100 Israelis were killed.
Geraldo did not mention any of that. Rather, he sent the message that Palestinian terror can always be excused by an occupation that, arguably, continues largely because of their own intransigence.
More
*Update* Robbery Suspect Arrested-Millsboro
Christopher D. Radcliffe
Millsboro - The Delaware State Police have arrested a suspect in connection with the robbery of a convenience store.
The incident occurred on Thursday, April 5, 2018, at approximately 9:00 p.m. when Troopers were dispatched to the Rite Aid convenience store located at 24892 John J. Williams Highway for a robbery. Further investigation revealed that the suspect, identified as 39-year-old Christopher Radcliffe of Millsboro, entered the business, approached the clerk and demanded money from the register. The clerk complied with Radcliffe's demands and turned over an undisclosed amount of cash, prior to him fleeing the business. The store clerk was not injured as a result of this incident.
On Saturday, April 7, 2018 at approximately 6:30 p.m., Troopers responded to a residence in the 31000 block of Legion Road, Millsboro where Radcliffe was located and taken into custody without incident. Radcliffe was transported to Troop 4 where he was arraigned before the Justice of the Peace Court 3 on charges including; Robbery First Degree, Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle and Violation of Probation. He was committed to the Sussex Correctional Institution on $102,000 cash bail.
Traffic Stop Leads to Drug Arrest- Selbyville
Steven A. Bowen
Selbyville - The Delaware State Police arrest a suspect after a traffic stops leads to the discovery of drugs.
The incident occurred on Saturday, April 7, 2018 at approximately 1:40 p.m. when a Trooper observed a black Nissan Altima make an illegal U-turn on Lighthouse Road east of Zion Church Road. A traffic stop was initiated and contact was made with the operator, identified as 40-year-old Steven A. Bowen of Frankford. An odor of marijuana was detected which subsequently led to a search. Further investigation revealed that Bowen was in possession of 731.21 grams of marijuana, over $1,800.00 in suspected drug proceeds, and drug paraphernalia
Bowen was taken into custody without incident and transported back to Troop 4, where he was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance in a Tier 1 Quantity with two Aggravating Factors (Felony), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and traffic related offenses. He was arraigned before the Justice of the Peace Court 3 and committed to the Sussex Correctional Institution on $60,700.00 secure bond.
Response To Juvenile Facility In Frederick Co.
(SABILLASVILLE, MD) — Maryland state troopers and sheriff’s deputies responded at about 11:30 a.m. today to a Maryland Department of Juvenile Services facility in Frederick County for a disturbance. Youth at the Victor Cullen Center reportedly assaulted staff and destroyed property.
Troopers and deputies established a perimeter at the facility. A Frederick County deputy trained as a negotiator spoke with the juveniles thought to be leading the disturbance via a radio. Seven juveniles surrendered to police. Troopers and deputies entered the facility and took an eighth juvenile into custody without incident.
Three staff members at the center were transported to area hospitals for treatment of injuries sustained when they were assaulted by juveniles. Several others were apparently injured, but refused treatment.
There was no physical confrontation between police and juveniles. The facility is secure and all juveniles there are accounted for. There has been no escape from the facility.
Maryland state troopers and Frederick County deputies remain on the scene. Maryland State Police criminal investigators have responded to conduct a criminal investigation. Charges are pending.
Troopers and deputies established a perimeter at the facility. A Frederick County deputy trained as a negotiator spoke with the juveniles thought to be leading the disturbance via a radio. Seven juveniles surrendered to police. Troopers and deputies entered the facility and took an eighth juvenile into custody without incident.
Three staff members at the center were transported to area hospitals for treatment of injuries sustained when they were assaulted by juveniles. Several others were apparently injured, but refused treatment.
There was no physical confrontation between police and juveniles. The facility is secure and all juveniles there are accounted for. There has been no escape from the facility.
Maryland state troopers and Frederick County deputies remain on the scene. Maryland State Police criminal investigators have responded to conduct a criminal investigation. Charges are pending.
Governor Larry Hogan Signs Landmark Health Care Legislation
Also Signs Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Bills, Legislation Strengthening Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan, joined by Senate President Thomas V. "Mike" Miller and Speaker of the House Mike Busch, today signed landmark legislation to stabilize Maryland’s health care insurance market and prevent rates from skyrocketing due to the repeated failures of Congress and multiple federal administrations to find and implement solutions to this well-identified problem.
“This problem should have been solved in Washington, but nothing has been done. Our team has been working on potential solutions for more than a year, and I want to thank the Speaker, the Senate President, and legislators from both parties for working together with us in a common sense, bipartisan manner to address this crisis head-on and to prevent these massive rate increases,” said Governor Hogan. “This is an example of what can be accomplished when we work together, and I’m proud to be signing these protections into law.”
In the absence of a comprehensive health care solution from Congress and the federal government, health insurance rates on Maryland’s individual market were set to increase by 50 percent or more in the coming year. After nearly a decade of increasing rates under the Affordable Care Act, the overall stability and foundation of Maryland’s health care market was in clear jeopardy. The legislation signed today (HB 1795/SB 1267) creates the structure for a reinsurance program to be administered by the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange (MHBE), which is predicted to help stabilize rates for the next several years. MHBE’s board must vote to formally apply for a waiver from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to create the reinsurance program.
The governor and presiding officers also signed the Fiscal Year 2019 budget bills, providing record investment in K-12 education for the fourth year in a row, more than $420 million in school construction funding, increased funding to combat the heroin and opioid crisis, and historic investment in Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts – all without raising taxes, cutting services, or raiding dedicated special funds.
“This marks the fourth straight year that we have passed a balanced budget with the support of both parties in both houses,” said Governor Hogan.
In addition to the record $6.5 billion for K-12 education, the budget includes $40 million in critical funding for school safety improvements. It also invests a record $1.2 billion in state funds toward wide-ranging Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts, continuing the Hogan administration’s commitment to protecting Maryland’s most precious natural asset. With more than $4 billion toward restoration efforts since taking office, no governor in state history has invested more in their first four years.
Finally, the governor signed the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Extension Act (SB 290), which reaffirms Maryland’s strong commitment to the multi-state, regional partnership combating climate change known as RGGI. The new law prevents future administrations from withdrawing from RGGI without legislative approval.
Under the Hogan administration, Maryland has been an environmental leader. The governor enacted clean air standards that are among the strongest in the nation and twice as strong as the Paris Accord recommendations. Environment Secretary Ben Grumbles serves as the chairman of RGGI’s Executive Committee, and the governor has personally lobbied other states, including Virginia and New Jersey, to join the partnership. “This legislation will prevent future governors from undoing our legacy and our strong commitment to clean air, unless the legislature agrees and votes to do so,” said Governor Hogan. “I want to thank the legislature for their support of our bipartisan efforts to cement Maryland’s national and international leadership in clean air, clean water, and protecting the environment.”
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan, joined by Senate President Thomas V. "Mike" Miller and Speaker of the House Mike Busch, today signed landmark legislation to stabilize Maryland’s health care insurance market and prevent rates from skyrocketing due to the repeated failures of Congress and multiple federal administrations to find and implement solutions to this well-identified problem.
“This problem should have been solved in Washington, but nothing has been done. Our team has been working on potential solutions for more than a year, and I want to thank the Speaker, the Senate President, and legislators from both parties for working together with us in a common sense, bipartisan manner to address this crisis head-on and to prevent these massive rate increases,” said Governor Hogan. “This is an example of what can be accomplished when we work together, and I’m proud to be signing these protections into law.”
In the absence of a comprehensive health care solution from Congress and the federal government, health insurance rates on Maryland’s individual market were set to increase by 50 percent or more in the coming year. After nearly a decade of increasing rates under the Affordable Care Act, the overall stability and foundation of Maryland’s health care market was in clear jeopardy. The legislation signed today (HB 1795/SB 1267) creates the structure for a reinsurance program to be administered by the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange (MHBE), which is predicted to help stabilize rates for the next several years. MHBE’s board must vote to formally apply for a waiver from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to create the reinsurance program.
The governor and presiding officers also signed the Fiscal Year 2019 budget bills, providing record investment in K-12 education for the fourth year in a row, more than $420 million in school construction funding, increased funding to combat the heroin and opioid crisis, and historic investment in Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts – all without raising taxes, cutting services, or raiding dedicated special funds.
“This marks the fourth straight year that we have passed a balanced budget with the support of both parties in both houses,” said Governor Hogan.
In addition to the record $6.5 billion for K-12 education, the budget includes $40 million in critical funding for school safety improvements. It also invests a record $1.2 billion in state funds toward wide-ranging Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts, continuing the Hogan administration’s commitment to protecting Maryland’s most precious natural asset. With more than $4 billion toward restoration efforts since taking office, no governor in state history has invested more in their first four years.
Finally, the governor signed the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Extension Act (SB 290), which reaffirms Maryland’s strong commitment to the multi-state, regional partnership combating climate change known as RGGI. The new law prevents future administrations from withdrawing from RGGI without legislative approval.
Under the Hogan administration, Maryland has been an environmental leader. The governor enacted clean air standards that are among the strongest in the nation and twice as strong as the Paris Accord recommendations. Environment Secretary Ben Grumbles serves as the chairman of RGGI’s Executive Committee, and the governor has personally lobbied other states, including Virginia and New Jersey, to join the partnership. “This legislation will prevent future governors from undoing our legacy and our strong commitment to clean air, unless the legislature agrees and votes to do so,” said Governor Hogan. “I want to thank the legislature for their support of our bipartisan efforts to cement Maryland’s national and international leadership in clean air, clean water, and protecting the environment.”
Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex expansion celebrated at Opening Day event
An Opening Day event took place Thursday, April 5, to celebrate the completion of the complex expansion. High school baseball and softball players paraded onto Field 5 before Wicomico County Recreation, Parks & Tourism Director Steve Miller spoke about the project.
“Over the last year and a half, we have invested over 3 million dollars in this facility, renovating this field that you’re on, building brand new fields and adding many other park amenities to make this the best baseball/softball facility in the state of Maryland, and arguably in the region,” Miller said.
As part of the expansion, three new baseball/softball fields were created, bringing the complex’s total to eight diamonds, and one of the existing fields – Field 5, where the Opening Day ceremony was held – was rebuilt to feature a synthetic turf infield. The new fields also have synthetic turf infields.
Six of the fields at the complex are lighted, and two have a new press box and scoreboard. Among the other amenities are concession stands and batting cages. The complex is home to community recreation programs as well as events such as the United States Specialty Sports Association Eastern National Championships and a new Youth Baseball Nationals tournament coming to the facility this year.
After Culver’s first pitch on Thursday, high school baseball and softball teams played games on six of the fields.
In addition to the more than $30 million economic impact of national events, Miller said there will be plenty of opportunities for local residents to use the fields, including for high school and Eastern Shore Baseball League games, along with youth and adult softball and adult kickball.
“We’re just so thrilled to be able to offer this to the citizens as a benefit to our community,” Miller said.
To learn more about the Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex, visit www.WicoSports.org.
Photo Caption: Wicomico County Executive Bob Culver throws the ceremonial first pitch at Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex Opening Day. Also pictured are Wicomico County Recreation Superintendent James Simmons and Wicomico County Recreation, Parks & Tourism Director Steve Miller.
Photo by Earl Campbell.
