Monday at the White House, President Donald Trump said while China had been “taking advantage of the United States for many years,” on trade he does not “blame China.”
Trump said, “China has been taking advantage of the United States for many years — really, if you look at it, since the start of the World Trade Organization. And they have really done a number on this country. And I don’t blame China. I blame the people running our country. I blame presidents. I blame representatives. I blame negotiators.”
He added, “We should have been able to do what they did. We didn’t do it, they did. It’s the most lopsided set of trade rules, regulations anyone has seen. With that being said we have many of them. NAFTA was a horrible deal. We are renegotiating it. We will see what happens.”
Source
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Michelle Malkin Rips Lynch And Jim Comey
Political commentator Michelle Malkin believes former FBI Director James Comey and former Attorney General Loretta Lynch were involved in a Clinton cover-up and will soon face the consequences.
NBC’s Lester Holt asked Lynch over the weekend in a yet to be aired interview, why she told Comey to refer to any investigation of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as a “matter.” Lynch brushed the question off and failed to provide a direct answer.
“A lot of euphemisms, a whole lot of nothing there, a lot of filibustering,” Malkin said Monday on “Fox & Friends.”
“I hope, guys, we’re going to get the truth about the tarmac tryst. And in large part I have to salute Judicial Watch for it’s FOIA lawsuits that are dislodging a lot of that information.”
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NBC’s Lester Holt asked Lynch over the weekend in a yet to be aired interview, why she told Comey to refer to any investigation of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as a “matter.” Lynch brushed the question off and failed to provide a direct answer.
“A lot of euphemisms, a whole lot of nothing there, a lot of filibustering,” Malkin said Monday on “Fox & Friends.”
“I hope, guys, we’re going to get the truth about the tarmac tryst. And in large part I have to salute Judicial Watch for it’s FOIA lawsuits that are dislodging a lot of that information.”
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Drudge: Mueller Using Stormy Daniels To Impeach Trump Like Bill Clinton
FBI Special Counsel Ken Starr’s probe into Whitewater led to Clinton’s sex scandal
FBI Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe could transform into a crusade over Stormy Daniels to impeach President Trump, similar to how Ken Starr’s initial probe of Whitewater led to impeaching former President Bill Clinton over Monica Lewinsky, conservative media icon Matt Drudge predicts.
“Starr investigation began as billing records, ended with semen on dress, cigar sex and lying under oath,” Drudge tweeted Monday.
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FBI Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe could transform into a crusade over Stormy Daniels to impeach President Trump, similar to how Ken Starr’s initial probe of Whitewater led to impeaching former President Bill Clinton over Monica Lewinsky, conservative media icon Matt Drudge predicts.
“Starr investigation began as billing records, ended with semen on dress, cigar sex and lying under oath,” Drudge tweeted Monday.
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Report: FB's Biggest Black Lives Matter
The biggest Black Lives Matter page on Facebook was a fake account with ties to a middle-aged white man in Australia, according to a new report.
CNN reported Monday that the “Black Lives Matter” page with nearly 700,000 followers was transferring fundraised dollars to Australian bank accounts and had links to various accounts and websites run by an Australian man.
Facebook only suspended the page after multiple inquiries from CNN, even though Patrisse Cullors, a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, said she had warned Facebook that the page was a scam months ago.
The “Black Lives Matter” page repeatedly linked to websites run by Ian Mackay, an official for the National Union of Workers in Australia.
CNN reported Monday that the “Black Lives Matter” page with nearly 700,000 followers was transferring fundraised dollars to Australian bank accounts and had links to various accounts and websites run by an Australian man.
Facebook only suspended the page after multiple inquiries from CNN, even though Patrisse Cullors, a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, said she had warned Facebook that the page was a scam months ago.
The “Black Lives Matter” page repeatedly linked to websites run by Ian Mackay, an official for the National Union of Workers in Australia.
White House Staffers Frustrated with Conservative Media Influencing Donald Trump
Senior White House aides are making it known that they are not pleased with conservative cable news hosts challenging their policies — especially the recent budget-busting omnibus bill.
Trump watches Fox News regularly, listening to Fox News hosts like Sean Hannity, Jesse Waters, Jeanine Pirro and frequently reacts to their criticisms.
While Trump has appeared more eager to please his base on issues of immigration and trade, the omnibus bill was not praised as a win by conservatives, despite a large boost in military spending.
Senior White House officials complained to New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman that conservative cable opinion hosts were feeding the president information about the bloated spending bill that they felt was not true.
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Trump watches Fox News regularly, listening to Fox News hosts like Sean Hannity, Jesse Waters, Jeanine Pirro and frequently reacts to their criticisms.
While Trump has appeared more eager to please his base on issues of immigration and trade, the omnibus bill was not praised as a win by conservatives, despite a large boost in military spending.
Senior White House officials complained to New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman that conservative cable opinion hosts were feeding the president information about the bloated spending bill that they felt was not true.
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Facebook Admits "Most" Of Its 2.2 Billion Users Exposed To Data Scraping, "Malicious Actors"
Facebook has admitted that "most" of its 2.2 billion users "could have had their public profile scraped" by third parties without their knowledge, and that the personal information of up to 87 million people was improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica, the company disclosed on Wednesday.
“In total, we believe the Facebook information of up to 87 million people — mostly in the US — may have been improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica,” said Mike Schroepfer, Facebook's Chief Technology Officer.
Initial reports set the number of users affected by the CA data purchase at 50 million. The London-based political data company bought the data from two psychologists (one of whom currently works for Facebook) who developed a data harvesting app disguised as a fitness app.
One of the methods used by "malicious actors" to "scrape" user data has been to enter another person's phone number or email address into a Facebook search, allowing information to be harvested or scraped. “We believe most people on Facebook could have had their public profile scraped in this way,” Schroepfer said.
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“In total, we believe the Facebook information of up to 87 million people — mostly in the US — may have been improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica,” said Mike Schroepfer, Facebook's Chief Technology Officer.
Initial reports set the number of users affected by the CA data purchase at 50 million. The London-based political data company bought the data from two psychologists (one of whom currently works for Facebook) who developed a data harvesting app disguised as a fitness app.
One of the methods used by "malicious actors" to "scrape" user data has been to enter another person's phone number or email address into a Facebook search, allowing information to be harvested or scraped. “We believe most people on Facebook could have had their public profile scraped in this way,” Schroepfer said.
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The Battle of Woke Island Column
The New York Times, Kevin Williamson, and the politics of the campus
Toward the end of Vanity Fair‘s story on the "woke civil war" at the New York Times came this revealing detail: To assuage employees concerned that the paper is not as progressive and socially conscious as it could or should be, publisher A.G. Sulzberger, opinion editor James Bennet, and others have been "holding office hours" where internal critics speak freely.
I cannot be the only reader for whom the mere mention of office hours evokes memories of college, of mid-afternoon visits to professors for inquiry, flattery, argument, and complaint. Professors and students, lecturers and auditors participate in "office hours." Editors, reporters, private and public sector workers—all adults outside academia, really—do not. Instead we have these things called "meetings." For the uninitiated, they are mandatory and take place at my convenience.
Here, then, is yet another example of how the politics and rhetoric of the university have slowly colonized America's economic, cultural, and political institutions, how recent graduates are carrying with them into the workforce all the bad ideas they learned from their humanities courses, independent research, and campus programming. I am talking about the modes and categories of identity politics, of viewing all human phenomena through the prism of race and gender (and sometimes, though rarely, of class), of robbing individual human beings of their moral agency and reducing them to membership in a group, and of organizing these groups into a hierarchy of victimization and grievance.
In the world of the campus, one's status and moral authority increases with the number of victim groups in which one claims membership. This is the postmodern dogma of "intersectionality" that promotes solipsism at the personal level and division at the social level, that forbids the "cultural appropriation" of one victim group's tastes, symbols, language, and commodities by another group, and requires members of the victimizer group—cis-gendered white males—to recognize, confess, and atone for their "privilege." (Full disclosure: This article is being written by an oppressor.)
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Toward the end of Vanity Fair‘s story on the "woke civil war" at the New York Times came this revealing detail: To assuage employees concerned that the paper is not as progressive and socially conscious as it could or should be, publisher A.G. Sulzberger, opinion editor James Bennet, and others have been "holding office hours" where internal critics speak freely.
I cannot be the only reader for whom the mere mention of office hours evokes memories of college, of mid-afternoon visits to professors for inquiry, flattery, argument, and complaint. Professors and students, lecturers and auditors participate in "office hours." Editors, reporters, private and public sector workers—all adults outside academia, really—do not. Instead we have these things called "meetings." For the uninitiated, they are mandatory and take place at my convenience.
Here, then, is yet another example of how the politics and rhetoric of the university have slowly colonized America's economic, cultural, and political institutions, how recent graduates are carrying with them into the workforce all the bad ideas they learned from their humanities courses, independent research, and campus programming. I am talking about the modes and categories of identity politics, of viewing all human phenomena through the prism of race and gender (and sometimes, though rarely, of class), of robbing individual human beings of their moral agency and reducing them to membership in a group, and of organizing these groups into a hierarchy of victimization and grievance.
In the world of the campus, one's status and moral authority increases with the number of victim groups in which one claims membership. This is the postmodern dogma of "intersectionality" that promotes solipsism at the personal level and division at the social level, that forbids the "cultural appropriation" of one victim group's tastes, symbols, language, and commodities by another group, and requires members of the victimizer group—cis-gendered white males—to recognize, confess, and atone for their "privilege." (Full disclosure: This article is being written by an oppressor.)
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We Are Not Doing Our Kids Any Favors by Teaching Them to Be Sexual Degenerates
Planned Parenthood, along with far-left organizations like the Human Rights Campaign and SIECUS are determined to make your 10-year-old more sexually aware than a 45-year-old porn actor. (Some of their "educators" may actually be 45-year-old porn actors.) Kids are facing two immediate problems: bullying and technology woes that lead to isolation and rage, and over-sexualization by educators who should know better. This is clearly our fault. We are the adults. And somehow, we adults allowed maniacs and perverts to take over what our children learn about sexuality. It's time for the adults to put a stop to it.
Using tech responsibly with restraint is something that must be learned. Handing a smartphone to an 8-year-old and saying "have fun!" is not an option. Two of my children, ages 12 and 8, are in the midst of facing technology dangers. It is a world filled with landmines for parents. I am not ashamed to say I need help. In talking with a friend with similarly aged girls, we both discovered how much we approve of slime videos but have banned pranks and Truth or Dare videos (that bring us the Tide Pod challenge and snorting condoms). You can't keep kids off technology totally. Technology is great, until it isn't, and learning how to self-police is a Herculean task. I have no idea how to do it (sorry if you were looking for answers). But I do know that it's going to take parents working together and sharing information when they find it. In our house, we limit screen time during the week but let up on the weekends (during winter) as long as chores are done. But when I see information like the Facebook post below, I want to pull the plug and go Amish.
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Using tech responsibly with restraint is something that must be learned. Handing a smartphone to an 8-year-old and saying "have fun!" is not an option. Two of my children, ages 12 and 8, are in the midst of facing technology dangers. It is a world filled with landmines for parents. I am not ashamed to say I need help. In talking with a friend with similarly aged girls, we both discovered how much we approve of slime videos but have banned pranks and Truth or Dare videos (that bring us the Tide Pod challenge and snorting condoms). You can't keep kids off technology totally. Technology is great, until it isn't, and learning how to self-police is a Herculean task. I have no idea how to do it (sorry if you were looking for answers). But I do know that it's going to take parents working together and sharing information when they find it. In our house, we limit screen time during the week but let up on the weekends (during winter) as long as chores are done. But when I see information like the Facebook post below, I want to pull the plug and go Amish.
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BREAKING NEWS: SPREAD THE WORD IMMEDIATELY
Delmar!! I need you!!!!! PLEASE!! 1st LT Joseph Bryant is returning home from deployment. Short notice, I know, but his flight plans changed last minute. Will be coming through town at approximately 9pm TONIGHT ( Tues, April 10), and I’d like to LINE STATE ST!! Give him the Delmar welcome home like only we know how to do!! I DID forget to add...this is supposed to be a surprise, so no roars, OK Wildcats?
P.S. as mentioned, bring flags, wear your red, white and blue, make signs, noisemakers...whatever it takes to welcome him home!!!
California Pot Industry Crisis: Bad Guys are Winning Price War
Less than 90 days after getting the legal green light to make pot smokers’ eyes red, California’s recreational marijuana industry was already back in Sacramento begging politicians for help.
"This is an industry in crisis," Kristi Knoblich, president of the association's board and co-founder of Kiva Confections, a manufacturer of edible cannabis products,said to a panel of lawmakers at an industry gathering in March. "This is me sounding the alarm.”
What’s the problem? How could these people not make a profit selling pot? Isn’t government permission to sell marijuana like a license to print money?
Maybe the problem is the price of the license.
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"This is an industry in crisis," Kristi Knoblich, president of the association's board and co-founder of Kiva Confections, a manufacturer of edible cannabis products,said to a panel of lawmakers at an industry gathering in March. "This is me sounding the alarm.”
What’s the problem? How could these people not make a profit selling pot? Isn’t government permission to sell marijuana like a license to print money?
Maybe the problem is the price of the license.
More
Facebook: If you want privacy, expect to pay for it
Want privacy on Facebook? Cough up some cash.
The social-media site plans to extort users who want to keep their personal data away from advertisers — by demanding they pay for the privilege, the company’s second in command, Sheryl Sandberg, revealed on Friday.
“We have different forms of opt-out. We don’t have an opt-out at the highest level,” the Facebook chief operating officer said in an interview on NBC’s “Today.”
“That would be a paid product.”
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The social-media site plans to extort users who want to keep their personal data away from advertisers — by demanding they pay for the privilege, the company’s second in command, Sheryl Sandberg, revealed on Friday.
“We have different forms of opt-out. We don’t have an opt-out at the highest level,” the Facebook chief operating officer said in an interview on NBC’s “Today.”
“That would be a paid product.”
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Mall Vacancies At Six-Year High As Local Economies Stumble On Retail Slump
Retail vacancies at regional shopping malls have reached a six-year high - jumping to 8.4% in Q1 2018, the highest level since Q4 2012, according to real-estate data firm Reis Inc. which studies 77 metropolitan areas.
Furthermore, local neighborhood and community shopping centers in 41 of the 77 areas tracked by Reis experienced an increase in vacancies during the 12 months ending March 31.
The numbers show that bricks-and-mortar malls and shopping centers continue to be hurt by shifting consumer spending patterns, particularly the increasing use of online retail. Numerous department stores and other retailers that traditionally have been mainstays of shopping areas have been contracting or have failed.
Reis reported that retailers occupied 453,000 more square feet of shopping center space at the end of the first quarter than the fourth quarter of 2017, but that amount of “absorption” was the lowest for any quarter in more than five years. The completion of 712,000 square feet of new shopping center space also was “much lower” than average, Reis said. -Wall St. Journal
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Furthermore, local neighborhood and community shopping centers in 41 of the 77 areas tracked by Reis experienced an increase in vacancies during the 12 months ending March 31.
The numbers show that bricks-and-mortar malls and shopping centers continue to be hurt by shifting consumer spending patterns, particularly the increasing use of online retail. Numerous department stores and other retailers that traditionally have been mainstays of shopping areas have been contracting or have failed.
Reis reported that retailers occupied 453,000 more square feet of shopping center space at the end of the first quarter than the fourth quarter of 2017, but that amount of “absorption” was the lowest for any quarter in more than five years. The completion of 712,000 square feet of new shopping center space also was “much lower” than average, Reis said. -Wall St. Journal
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CO Had Right Not to Sign Same-Sex Spouse Appreciation Note: Air Force
The Air Force has affirmed the religious rights of a colonel who claimed he was wrongly disciplined for refusing to sign a certificate of appreciation for the same-sex spouse of one of his airmen last year.
The Air Force said that Col. Leland Bohannon "had the right to exercise his sincerely held religious beliefs and did not unlawfully discriminate when he declined to sign the certificate," according to a letter sent Monday by Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson to members of Congress who supported Bohannon.
"The Air Force has a duty to treat people fairly and without discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, or sexual orientation and (Bohannon) met that duty by having a more senior officer sign the certificate," Wilson said.
First Liberty Institute, the religious liberties group representing Bohannon, announced the decision on its website Monday, posting the letter from Wilson to Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Mo.
Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., posted a similar letter he received from Wilson on his Twitter account.
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The Air Force said that Col. Leland Bohannon "had the right to exercise his sincerely held religious beliefs and did not unlawfully discriminate when he declined to sign the certificate," according to a letter sent Monday by Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson to members of Congress who supported Bohannon.
"The Air Force has a duty to treat people fairly and without discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, or sexual orientation and (Bohannon) met that duty by having a more senior officer sign the certificate," Wilson said.
First Liberty Institute, the religious liberties group representing Bohannon, announced the decision on its website Monday, posting the letter from Wilson to Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Mo.
Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., posted a similar letter he received from Wilson on his Twitter account.
More
Naval Aviators Say They Were Kicked Out of Training Due to Racial Bias
Courtland Savage never expected to fly fighter jets.
Though he had served in the Air Force Reserve before transferring to theNavy and knew his way around a C-17 Globemaster transport, his test scores weren't the highest and the demanding, elitist culture of fighter aviation seemed beyond his reach.
And then there was the thing everyone knew about fighters, at least in the Navy: It was a homogeneous community of white men, with little diversity to be seen anywhere.
"I never thought about flying fighters, because people that look like me don't fly fighter jets," Savage told Military.com.
But then he got his Navy Standard Score, or NSS, used for placement in aviation training. He'd managed a 50.9 -- a hair over the score of 50 needed to qualify for fighters. Soon after, Savage was in the training pipeline to fly the F/A-18 Super Hornet. He'd earn the coveted wings of gold, marking him as a naval aviator, in December 2015.
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Though he had served in the Air Force Reserve before transferring to theNavy and knew his way around a C-17 Globemaster transport, his test scores weren't the highest and the demanding, elitist culture of fighter aviation seemed beyond his reach.
And then there was the thing everyone knew about fighters, at least in the Navy: It was a homogeneous community of white men, with little diversity to be seen anywhere.
"I never thought about flying fighters, because people that look like me don't fly fighter jets," Savage told Military.com.
But then he got his Navy Standard Score, or NSS, used for placement in aviation training. He'd managed a 50.9 -- a hair over the score of 50 needed to qualify for fighters. Soon after, Savage was in the training pipeline to fly the F/A-18 Super Hornet. He'd earn the coveted wings of gold, marking him as a naval aviator, in December 2015.
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Medal of Honor Recipient Buried at Arlington Cemetery
BOSTON — A former U.S. Navy pilot from Massachusetts who received the Medal of Honor for his heroics during the Korean War has been buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
The Navy says Capt. Thomas Hudner Jr. was laid to rest with full military honors Wednesday during a ceremony that included a "missing man" flyover by the squadron he flew with during the war.
Hudner, a Fall River native and longtime Concord resident, died in November at age 93.
Hudner was awarded the Medal of Honor for his efforts during the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir in 1950. He crash landed his plane in an unsuccessful effort to save the life of his wingman and friend, Ensign Jesse Brown, the Navy's first black combat pilot.
More/Video
The Navy says Capt. Thomas Hudner Jr. was laid to rest with full military honors Wednesday during a ceremony that included a "missing man" flyover by the squadron he flew with during the war.
Hudner, a Fall River native and longtime Concord resident, died in November at age 93.
Hudner was awarded the Medal of Honor for his efforts during the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir in 1950. He crash landed his plane in an unsuccessful effort to save the life of his wingman and friend, Ensign Jesse Brown, the Navy's first black combat pilot.
More/Video
Chinese facial recognition company becomes world's most valuable AI start-up
The Chinese government's plans for mass surveillance using facial recognition have received a boost from one of the country's tech powerhouses, after Alibaba led a $600m investment in SenseTime, which develops technology for tracking individuals.
The company is working on facial and object recognition technology that accurately can spot people using cameras, recently demonstrated on CCTV in Beijing.
SenseTime already smashed the record for AI funding, beating British competitor DeepMind which was bought by Google for an estimated £400m in 2014, and in 2017 received $410million in its second round of funding.
US university Massachusetts Institute for Technology is working with SenseTime for its research into “human and machine intelligence”. It is already working with 40 local governments in China which use its CCTV recognition, helping spot people of interest during festivals and in airports.
SenseTime is partly funded by Qualcomm, a chip-company that US president Donald Trump blocked from what would have been one of the biggest technology mergers in history. Mr Trump quashed Qualcomm's planned purchase of another American chip maker over concerns it would risk national security.
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[What kind of sensitive technology access do you think China has gained through the partnership with MIT? --Editor]
The company is working on facial and object recognition technology that accurately can spot people using cameras, recently demonstrated on CCTV in Beijing.
SenseTime already smashed the record for AI funding, beating British competitor DeepMind which was bought by Google for an estimated £400m in 2014, and in 2017 received $410million in its second round of funding.
US university Massachusetts Institute for Technology is working with SenseTime for its research into “human and machine intelligence”. It is already working with 40 local governments in China which use its CCTV recognition, helping spot people of interest during festivals and in airports.
SenseTime is partly funded by Qualcomm, a chip-company that US president Donald Trump blocked from what would have been one of the biggest technology mergers in history. Mr Trump quashed Qualcomm's planned purchase of another American chip maker over concerns it would risk national security.
More
[What kind of sensitive technology access do you think China has gained through the partnership with MIT? --Editor]
Cardin Dodges on Support for Military Action in Syria After Chemical Weapons Attack
Sen. Ben Cardin (D., Md.) dodged Monday morning when asked if he would support military action in Syria after the Assad regime again used chemical weapons.
CNN host Alisyn Camerota asked Cardin five times regarding whether the United States should take action. Each time, Cardin avoided directly answering, saying Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad must be "held accountable" without specifying how. Cardin said the United States should work with the United Nations and other countries on the matter.
"But you personally, do you think the U.S. should respond militarily to this?" Camerota said.
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CNN host Alisyn Camerota asked Cardin five times regarding whether the United States should take action. Each time, Cardin avoided directly answering, saying Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad must be "held accountable" without specifying how. Cardin said the United States should work with the United Nations and other countries on the matter.
"But you personally, do you think the U.S. should respond militarily to this?" Camerota said.
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Cardin: U.S. and allies need to create war crimes tribunal to hold Syria accountable
Sen. Ben Cardin said Monday the U.S. needs to work with international allies to hold Syrian President Bashar Assad accountable for his actions.
“It’s in the interest of the civilized world to make it clear that chemical weapons cannot be used,” Mr. Cardin, Maryland Democrat, said on CNN.
He said that his legislation, passed with Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida Republican, last year would establish a war crimes tribunal at the United Nations in regards to Mr. Assad. The Syrian War Crimes Accountability Act passed out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after the sarin gas attack.
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“It’s in the interest of the civilized world to make it clear that chemical weapons cannot be used,” Mr. Cardin, Maryland Democrat, said on CNN.
He said that his legislation, passed with Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida Republican, last year would establish a war crimes tribunal at the United Nations in regards to Mr. Assad. The Syrian War Crimes Accountability Act passed out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after the sarin gas attack.
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Cardin: U.S. and allies need to create war crimes tribunal to hold Syria accountable
Sen. Ben Cardin said Monday the U.S. needs to work with international allies to hold Syrian President Bashar Assad accountable for his actions.
“It’s in the interest of the civilized world to make it clear that chemical weapons cannot be used,” Mr. Cardin, Maryland Democrat, said on CNN.
He said that his legislation, passed with Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida Republican, last year would establish a war crimes tribunal at the United Nations in regards to Mr. Assad. The Syrian War Crimes Accountability Act passed out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after the sarin gas attack.
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“It’s in the interest of the civilized world to make it clear that chemical weapons cannot be used,” Mr. Cardin, Maryland Democrat, said on CNN.
He said that his legislation, passed with Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida Republican, last year would establish a war crimes tribunal at the United Nations in regards to Mr. Assad. The Syrian War Crimes Accountability Act passed out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after the sarin gas attack.
More
China Installed Military Jamming Equipment on Spratly Islands
China has installed equipment on two of its fortified outposts in the Spratly Islands capable of jamming communications and radar systems, a significant step in its creeping militarization of the South China Sea, U.S. officials say.
The move strengthens China’s ability to assert its extensive territorial claims and hinder U.S. military operations in a contested region that includes some of the world’s busiest shipping routes.
The disclosure comes as the Chinese military is conducting what U.S. officials describe as its largest military exercise to date in the South China Sea, maneuvers that include China’s first aircraft carrier as well as air force and ground units.
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The move strengthens China’s ability to assert its extensive territorial claims and hinder U.S. military operations in a contested region that includes some of the world’s busiest shipping routes.
The disclosure comes as the Chinese military is conducting what U.S. officials describe as its largest military exercise to date in the South China Sea, maneuvers that include China’s first aircraft carrier as well as air force and ground units.
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School Bus Crash
Date and Time: April 10, 2018 / 0757 hours
Location: Racetrack Road (MD Rt. 589) @ Beauchamp Road, Berlin, Worcester County, MD
Vehicle(s): Vehicle #1 - 2005 International School Bus
Vehicle #2 - 2001 Volkswagen Passenger Car
Driver/passengers(s)/pedestrian:
Driver of Vehicle #1- Richard Fair, 77 yoa – Milton, DE – Not Injured
Passengers of Vehicle #1: Twenty-four (24) students – Not Injured
Driver of Vehicle #2- Brian William Raschka, 32 yoa, Berlin, MD - Not Injured
On Tuesday, April 10, 2018, at approximately 0757 hours, the Maryland State Police Berlin Barrack responded to a motor vehicle collision involving a school bus and a passenger car at the intersection of Racetrack Road (MD Rt. 589) and Beauchamp Road, Berlin, Worcester County, Maryland.
The investigation revealed the operator of the school bus (Vehicle #1), Mr. Fair, failed to yield the right of way when turning left and struck the passenger car (Vehicle #2), operated by Mr. Raschka, on the driver’s side. The contact caused the passenger car to skid off the right side of the roadway.
The school bus was occupied by twenty-four (24) students and was enroute to the Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic School (MBS) in Berlin for morning drop off.
Fire and EMS units from the Showell Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene to evaluate all the parties involved. The Principal of the Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic School, Mr. Mark Record, along with several other administrators from MBS also arrived on scene to assist.
Mr. Raschka received minor injuries and was treated on scene. No other injuries were reported. The school bus was able to complete the transport of the children to MBS.
The driver of the school bus (Vehicle #1), Mr. Fair, was charged with failing to yield right of way to a vehicle approaching from the opposite direction when turning left.
Facebook Punishes Conservative News Site for Criticizing Mass Migration
Facebook has repeatedly punished a fast-growing news website for its conservative views on immigration and other topics–suspending its moderators, censoring content, and threatening to close the site down.
Voiceofeurope.com, which takes pride in its “uncensored news,” has been effectively bludgeoned into submission by Facebook and recently announced it will self-censor on the social media site to avoid losing its page.
According to Facebook statistics, Voiceofeurope.com was growing at the rate of about 30,000 new followers every month, with some days registering as many as 5,000 new followers.
As examples of some of the “offensive” postings that incurred the wrath of the guardians of the Facebook galaxy, Voiceofeurope.com dared exhibit a photo of Poles protesting behind a banner with “Mohammed not welcome.” Despite the fact that the photo was undoctored and the news 100 percent accurate, Facebook forced the site to remove the content and suspended one of the site’s moderators for 24 hours.
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Voiceofeurope.com, which takes pride in its “uncensored news,” has been effectively bludgeoned into submission by Facebook and recently announced it will self-censor on the social media site to avoid losing its page.
According to Facebook statistics, Voiceofeurope.com was growing at the rate of about 30,000 new followers every month, with some days registering as many as 5,000 new followers.
As examples of some of the “offensive” postings that incurred the wrath of the guardians of the Facebook galaxy, Voiceofeurope.com dared exhibit a photo of Poles protesting behind a banner with “Mohammed not welcome.” Despite the fact that the photo was undoctored and the news 100 percent accurate, Facebook forced the site to remove the content and suspended one of the site’s moderators for 24 hours.
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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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Robert Wasinger Names Names, Denounces Anti-Trumpers
Trump transition team official and Breitbart News contributor Robert Wasinger had some harsh words for certain Trump administration officials on SiriusXM’s Breitbart News Saturday.
Talking with Breitbart News Washington Political Editor Matt Boyle and Deputy Political Editor Amanda House, Wasinger continued his campaign against the establishment and NeverTrump elements he sees as locking out actual Trump supporters who worked to get Donald Trump elected president from getting jobs in the administration.
Wasinger, who helped craft the transition, especially in the State Department, has been frustrated by the lack of progress in staffing the administration, particularly in so-called “Schedule C” positions, with Trump loyalists. In his view, officials unfriendly to the original Trump agenda are largely to blame.
One target of Wasinger’s ire was State Department Senior Policy Adviser Brian Hook, a Rex Tillerson ally with a reputation of being fiercely critical of the populist-nationalist politics that swept Donald Trump into the White House.
“One person that was appointed in policy and planning was a guy named Brian Hook,” he told Boyle and House..
More here
Talking with Breitbart News Washington Political Editor Matt Boyle and Deputy Political Editor Amanda House, Wasinger continued his campaign against the establishment and NeverTrump elements he sees as locking out actual Trump supporters who worked to get Donald Trump elected president from getting jobs in the administration.
Wasinger, who helped craft the transition, especially in the State Department, has been frustrated by the lack of progress in staffing the administration, particularly in so-called “Schedule C” positions, with Trump loyalists. In his view, officials unfriendly to the original Trump agenda are largely to blame.
One target of Wasinger’s ire was State Department Senior Policy Adviser Brian Hook, a Rex Tillerson ally with a reputation of being fiercely critical of the populist-nationalist politics that swept Donald Trump into the White House.
“One person that was appointed in policy and planning was a guy named Brian Hook,” he told Boyle and House..
More here
Walmart kid: 11-year-old yodeling sensation
Mason Ramsey stunned Walmart shoppers as he belted out his version of Hank Williams' "Lovesick Blues."
See it here..
http://video.foxnews.com/v/5765559016001/?#sp=show-clips
See it here..
http://video.foxnews.com/v/5765559016001/?#sp=show-clips
Democrats mobilize to offset Supreme Court's expected ruling against unions
Union-friendly lawmakers in several states have been working to make it harder for public-sector employees to opt out of paying union dues, even if the Supreme Court allows them to.
Washington state adopted such a law last month, and similar efforts are under way in New York and New Jersey. In all three cases, the laws appear designed to undermine any additional rights workers could receive as a result of the Supreme Court’s decision in a case called Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. The court’s ruling is expected in June.
"The state lawmakers are trying to counter the Supreme Court even before they make a decision in the Janus case. They are trying to limit the potential expansion of First Amendment rights the Supreme Court may give workers," said Vincent Vernuccio, senior fellow with the nonprofit Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
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Washington state adopted such a law last month, and similar efforts are under way in New York and New Jersey. In all three cases, the laws appear designed to undermine any additional rights workers could receive as a result of the Supreme Court’s decision in a case called Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. The court’s ruling is expected in June.
"The state lawmakers are trying to counter the Supreme Court even before they make a decision in the Janus case. They are trying to limit the potential expansion of First Amendment rights the Supreme Court may give workers," said Vincent Vernuccio, senior fellow with the nonprofit Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
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Confederate Memorials Under Attack
Monday marked the 153rd anniversary of the Battle of Appomattox Court House. But the 153rd year since the end of the Civil War has witnessed an uptick in assaults on Confederate memorials nationwide.
New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu took down his city’s four Confederate statues in 2017, sometimes overnight — an action the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation rewarded Landrieu its 2018 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award.
Florida state senators voted unanimously in January to replace a monument dedicated to Confederate Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith with a statue of civil rights activist and educator Mary McLeod Bethune. While North Carolina activists did not manage to remove University of North Carolina’s Silent Sam statue, 17 senior UNC professors threatened to destroy the statue, stating they “do not fear arrest.”
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New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu took down his city’s four Confederate statues in 2017, sometimes overnight — an action the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation rewarded Landrieu its 2018 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award.
Florida state senators voted unanimously in January to replace a monument dedicated to Confederate Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith with a statue of civil rights activist and educator Mary McLeod Bethune. While North Carolina activists did not manage to remove University of North Carolina’s Silent Sam statue, 17 senior UNC professors threatened to destroy the statue, stating they “do not fear arrest.”
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Lexington Kentucky neighborhood bans pit bulls, huskies, German Shepherds, rottweilers, mastiffs, doberman pinschers, chows, St. Bernards and more
People living in a Lexington neighborhood were notified last week that several dog breeds, including pit bulls, Great Danes and huskies, were being banned.
Homeowners in McConnell’s Trace were sent letters by the neighborhood developer detailing a change in an existing dog restriction, which previously referred only to unspecified “aggressive breeds,” said Josh McCurn, president of the area’s neighborhood association. Now German shepherds, St. Bernards and chows are among the list of 11 dog breeds restricted from the neighborhood.
McConnell’s Trace sits across Leestown Road from Masterson Station Park.
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Homeowners in McConnell’s Trace were sent letters by the neighborhood developer detailing a change in an existing dog restriction, which previously referred only to unspecified “aggressive breeds,” said Josh McCurn, president of the area’s neighborhood association. Now German shepherds, St. Bernards and chows are among the list of 11 dog breeds restricted from the neighborhood.
McConnell’s Trace sits across Leestown Road from Masterson Station Park.
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WI Dem legislator berates bank teller as 'house ni**er' for refusing to cash check
A Wisconsin state senator was cited for disorderly conduct last week after the allegedly berated a black bank teller with racist language over a dispute about a check.
Lena Taylor, a black Democratic state senator representing Milwaukee, received a municipal citation for disorderly conduct on Friday from Milwaukee police who were at the Wells Fargo Bank on W. Wisconsin Ave. on an unrelated call, WISN reports.
Taylor allegedly got into a dispute with a teller who refused to cash an $831 check for esteemed lawmaker because she did not have enough funds in her account to cover it.
Witnesses allege Taylor called the teller a “house ni**er” for following the bank’s policies.
According to WISN:
Milwaukee Police officers …. Overheard Taylor berating the teller and intervened. A shift lieutenant arrived on the scene shortly thereafter and, after reviewing the bank’s security camera footage, issued Taylor a municipal citation for disorderly conduct.
The citation comes with a maximum fine of $500, but is not considered a criminal violation.
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Lena Taylor, a black Democratic state senator representing Milwaukee, received a municipal citation for disorderly conduct on Friday from Milwaukee police who were at the Wells Fargo Bank on W. Wisconsin Ave. on an unrelated call, WISN reports.
Taylor allegedly got into a dispute with a teller who refused to cash an $831 check for esteemed lawmaker because she did not have enough funds in her account to cover it.
Witnesses allege Taylor called the teller a “house ni**er” for following the bank’s policies.
According to WISN:
Milwaukee Police officers …. Overheard Taylor berating the teller and intervened. A shift lieutenant arrived on the scene shortly thereafter and, after reviewing the bank’s security camera footage, issued Taylor a municipal citation for disorderly conduct.
The citation comes with a maximum fine of $500, but is not considered a criminal violation.
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16-year-old girl turns herself in to police and is charged with murder
A 16-year-old girl who turned herself in to police has been charged with murder for her alleged part in a teenage robbery plot.
Teenager Ziaya Chanel Jackson turned herself in to Mecklenburg County Jail after Charlotte woman Maria Eduvigig Echeverria de Gomez, 36, was robbed and killed.
Gomez was shot Tuesday morning outside of her home in east Charlotte, North Carolina.
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Teenager Ziaya Chanel Jackson turned herself in to Mecklenburg County Jail after Charlotte woman Maria Eduvigig Echeverria de Gomez, 36, was robbed and killed.
Gomez was shot Tuesday morning outside of her home in east Charlotte, North Carolina.
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West Virginia woman is arrested for 'DECAPITATING her boyfriend'
A woman has been charged with murder after police said she decapitated her boyfriend.
Roena Cheryl Mills, 41, appeared in court on Monday on second-degree murder charges in the April 1 decapitation of her boyfriend Bo Allen White, 29, in Lerona, West Virginia.
On the morning of the murder, police found Mills apparently inebriated and wandering out of the woods on Eden Valley Road.
Mills was 'covered in blood wearing a glove on her left hand, and she also had a pocket knife on the right-hand pocket of her pants,' according to a criminal complaint reported by the Bluefield Daily Telegraph.
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Roena Cheryl Mills, 41, appeared in court on Monday on second-degree murder charges in the April 1 decapitation of her boyfriend Bo Allen White, 29, in Lerona, West Virginia.
On the morning of the murder, police found Mills apparently inebriated and wandering out of the woods on Eden Valley Road.
Mills was 'covered in blood wearing a glove on her left hand, and she also had a pocket knife on the right-hand pocket of her pants,' according to a criminal complaint reported by the Bluefield Daily Telegraph.
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DEA working to avoid U.S. drug shortages
The Drug Enforcement Administration today issued the following statement in response to concerns about potential shortages and drug production capabilities:
“In order to prevent any pharmaceutical drug shortage that negatively impacts patients, DEA is working closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, drug manufacturers, wholesale distributors and hospital associations to ensure that patients have access to necessary hospital-administered pain medications. These include certain injectable products that contain morphine, hydromorphone, meperidine, and fentanyl.
“In recent months, the largest U.S. manufacturer of these injectable products has slowed production at one of their manufacturing facilities in order to perform necessary and required upgrades. As a result, this company voluntarily surrendered a portion of their quota allotment and DEA reallocated these amounts to three DEA-registered manufacturers of FDA approved injectable products in accordance with DEA regulations. It is important to note that an increase in DEA procurement quotas to various manufacturers cannot alone prevent future shortages as DEA does not control the quantity or the speed by which manufacturers produce these or any of their products.
“DEA is communicating actively and directly with all entities impacted and is committed to making further adjustments to individual procurement quotas as necessary and will also consider other measures that may be necessary to address potential shortages for these products.”
“In order to prevent any pharmaceutical drug shortage that negatively impacts patients, DEA is working closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, drug manufacturers, wholesale distributors and hospital associations to ensure that patients have access to necessary hospital-administered pain medications. These include certain injectable products that contain morphine, hydromorphone, meperidine, and fentanyl.
“In recent months, the largest U.S. manufacturer of these injectable products has slowed production at one of their manufacturing facilities in order to perform necessary and required upgrades. As a result, this company voluntarily surrendered a portion of their quota allotment and DEA reallocated these amounts to three DEA-registered manufacturers of FDA approved injectable products in accordance with DEA regulations. It is important to note that an increase in DEA procurement quotas to various manufacturers cannot alone prevent future shortages as DEA does not control the quantity or the speed by which manufacturers produce these or any of their products.
“DEA is communicating actively and directly with all entities impacted and is committed to making further adjustments to individual procurement quotas as necessary and will also consider other measures that may be necessary to address potential shortages for these products.”
Petition to boycott Jimmy Kimmel triples goal, tops 150,000 signatures
A petition calling for a boycott of late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s show reached more than 150,000 signatures Monday after he mocked first lady Melania Trump’s accent and intelligence last week.
Signers are vowing to boycott the show because they say Kimmel calls for tolerance of all immigrants, legal and not, but then mocked the first lady’s Slovenian accent.
The creators of the petition, whose goal at 50,000 has more than tripled, say it will be sent to the front door of Disney’s ABC Studios in Burbank, Calif.
More here
Signers are vowing to boycott the show because they say Kimmel calls for tolerance of all immigrants, legal and not, but then mocked the first lady’s Slovenian accent.
The creators of the petition, whose goal at 50,000 has more than tripled, say it will be sent to the front door of Disney’s ABC Studios in Burbank, Calif.
More here
Trump to respond to 'atrocious' chemical attack in Syria in 24 to 48 hours
President Trump will decide in the next two days how to respond to a chemical weapons attack in Syria that the U.S. believes was conducted by the Syrian government, after meeting with his top military officials.
"This is about humanity and it can't be allowed to happen," Trump told reporters at the White House, adding that he plans to determine how to respond in the next 24 to 48 hours.
"If it's the Russians, if it's Syria, if it's Iran, if it's all of them together, we'll figure it out," he said, calling the attack "atrocious."
In a series of tweets on Sunday, Trump said whoever the U.S. determines to be responsible for the attack would have a "big price to pay" in the coming days.
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"This is about humanity and it can't be allowed to happen," Trump told reporters at the White House, adding that he plans to determine how to respond in the next 24 to 48 hours.
"If it's the Russians, if it's Syria, if it's Iran, if it's all of them together, we'll figure it out," he said, calling the attack "atrocious."
In a series of tweets on Sunday, Trump said whoever the U.S. determines to be responsible for the attack would have a "big price to pay" in the coming days.
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4 Teens Who Dropped Sandbag On Car, Killing Man, Ordered To Youth Facility
(CNN) — Four Toledo, Ohio, teenagers who pleaded guilty to killing a man when they dropped a sandbag from a highway overpass have been ordered to a youth treatment facility, a court official said.
“The youth treatment center is a lockdown facility in Toledo. The program runs six months, but there is no set time to release. The average youth spends eight months there,” Lori Olender, juvenile division deputy chief for the Lucas County Prosecutor’s Office, said in an email.
Besides being ordered to the youth treatment facility, the teenagers were given four-year suspended sentences, placed on probation and ordered to perform 30 hours of community service, Olender said.
One was charged with murder and felonious assault and three were charged with involuntary manslaughter and vehicular vandalism, she said. All four pleaded guilty.
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“The youth treatment center is a lockdown facility in Toledo. The program runs six months, but there is no set time to release. The average youth spends eight months there,” Lori Olender, juvenile division deputy chief for the Lucas County Prosecutor’s Office, said in an email.
Besides being ordered to the youth treatment facility, the teenagers were given four-year suspended sentences, placed on probation and ordered to perform 30 hours of community service, Olender said.
One was charged with murder and felonious assault and three were charged with involuntary manslaughter and vehicular vandalism, she said. All four pleaded guilty.
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Outrage after 2 men sentenced to probation for gang-rape of 13-year-old girl
A family in Colorado is outraged after two men, who were accused of gang-raping a 13-year-old girl with their brothers and cousins, were only sentenced to probation.
Tommy Williams, 20, and Clarence Williams, 19, were each sentenced on Tuesday to a minimum of 10 years of sex offender intensive supervised probation, with a maximum of life on probation, KKTV reported.
The men are two of six suspects accused of sexually assaulting the young teen in December 2016 inside of the Stonebrook Terrace apartment complex in Colorado Springs.
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Tommy Williams, 20, and Clarence Williams, 19, were each sentenced on Tuesday to a minimum of 10 years of sex offender intensive supervised probation, with a maximum of life on probation, KKTV reported.
The men are two of six suspects accused of sexually assaulting the young teen in December 2016 inside of the Stonebrook Terrace apartment complex in Colorado Springs.
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http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/04/09/2-men-sentenced-to-probation-for-gang-rape-13-year-old-girl-triggering-backlash.html
Why Marylanders Should Oppose $8.5 Billion Amazon Incentive Package
While Amazon’s relationship with the U.S. Postal Service generated most of the headlines this week, another significant development flew relatively under the radar. This week Maryland’s House passed an incentive package totaling $8.5 billion, following passage in the Senate last month it will now head to Governor Larry Hogan's desk. The package is the largest in the state’s history and the most recent development in the competition to land the company’s second headquarters.
Amazon has become one of the largest, most dynamic companies in the world, and it is understandable that different states are interested in its second headquarters. However, incentive packages of this size would reduce much of the related benefits of the move. State and local governments would be better served by reining in these incentive packages and focusing on creating a broader framework more in line with the other criteria outlined by Amazon, including quality of life, an educated labor pool, and a supportive regulatory environment.
An environment with these characteristics would be attractive to all businesses from startups to mom-and-pop restaurants and dry-cleaners to large companies such as Amazon.
Maryland’s newly approved law, going by the cringe-worthy name Promoting ext-Raordinary Innovation in Maryland’s Economy (PRIME Act), while not explicitly exclusive to Amazon, is tailored to the company as only its HQ2 could meet the criteria.
The incentives match any Fortune 100 company that seeks to hire 40,000 qualified workers with average compensation of at least $100,000 and includes $4.5 billion in related project expenditures. It is difficult to envision any other company that would be able to meet all of the different eligibility requirements. Large employers such as Walmart would be unable to meet the average compensation requirements, while most tech companies would not place sufficient associated investments in one location.
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Amazon has become one of the largest, most dynamic companies in the world, and it is understandable that different states are interested in its second headquarters. However, incentive packages of this size would reduce much of the related benefits of the move. State and local governments would be better served by reining in these incentive packages and focusing on creating a broader framework more in line with the other criteria outlined by Amazon, including quality of life, an educated labor pool, and a supportive regulatory environment.
An environment with these characteristics would be attractive to all businesses from startups to mom-and-pop restaurants and dry-cleaners to large companies such as Amazon.
Maryland’s newly approved law, going by the cringe-worthy name Promoting ext-Raordinary Innovation in Maryland’s Economy (PRIME Act), while not explicitly exclusive to Amazon, is tailored to the company as only its HQ2 could meet the criteria.
The incentives match any Fortune 100 company that seeks to hire 40,000 qualified workers with average compensation of at least $100,000 and includes $4.5 billion in related project expenditures. It is difficult to envision any other company that would be able to meet all of the different eligibility requirements. Large employers such as Walmart would be unable to meet the average compensation requirements, while most tech companies would not place sufficient associated investments in one location.
More
MSM Soaring on Facebook, Conservative Media in Decline Following Algorithm Change
Establishment media received a massive boost in Facebook engagement this month, following the social network’s January 11 algorithm change, while conservative media declined, according to independent social media analysis.
Social media analytics service NewsWhip reports that the top ten most-engaged sites on Facebook are now all establishment, mainstream media outlets. Far-left establishment media outlet CNN now has the most engagement (likes, shares, comments) of all sites on Facebook.
NewsWhip notes that CNN’s “remarkable 30.1 percent increase” in engagement did not follow the usual pattern for a website, in which a small number of viral articles give them a short-term boost in the rankings. Instead, NewsWhip notes that average engagement across all CNN articles went up.
The biggest drops in March were to non-legacy conservative media. NewsWhip notes that The Daily Wire saw a loss of 1.5 million engagements this month, while the Western Journal’s position in the rankings fell by almost half, from 12th to 22nd. Breitbart News is now 21st in the rankings, compared to 9th in December.
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Social media analytics service NewsWhip reports that the top ten most-engaged sites on Facebook are now all establishment, mainstream media outlets. Far-left establishment media outlet CNN now has the most engagement (likes, shares, comments) of all sites on Facebook.
NewsWhip notes that CNN’s “remarkable 30.1 percent increase” in engagement did not follow the usual pattern for a website, in which a small number of viral articles give them a short-term boost in the rankings. Instead, NewsWhip notes that average engagement across all CNN articles went up.
The biggest drops in March were to non-legacy conservative media. NewsWhip notes that The Daily Wire saw a loss of 1.5 million engagements this month, while the Western Journal’s position in the rankings fell by almost half, from 12th to 22nd. Breitbart News is now 21st in the rankings, compared to 9th in December.
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Judge Okays Infringing the Second Amendment
The AR-15 is not protected by the Second Amendment, according to a federal court ruling Friday.
In his decision in Worman v. Baker, U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young declared, “Assault weapons and LCMs [large capacity magazines] are not within the scope of the personal right to ‘bear arms’ under the Second Amendment.” Furthermore, he argued, “Because the undisputed facts convincingly demonstrate AR-15s and LCMs are most useful in military service, they are beyond the scope of the Second Amendment … and may be banned.”
He insisted, “The test is not the AR-15’s present day popularity but whether it is a weapon ‘most useful in military service.’”
You know what else was “most useful in military service”? The single-shot musket, at the time the Bill of Rights was crafted. It’s pathetically laughable to assert that the Founders meant what Young contends. Quite the contrary, the usefulness and popularity of the AR-15 mean that it is the epitome of what the Founders intended to protect.
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In his decision in Worman v. Baker, U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young declared, “Assault weapons and LCMs [large capacity magazines] are not within the scope of the personal right to ‘bear arms’ under the Second Amendment.” Furthermore, he argued, “Because the undisputed facts convincingly demonstrate AR-15s and LCMs are most useful in military service, they are beyond the scope of the Second Amendment … and may be banned.”
He insisted, “The test is not the AR-15’s present day popularity but whether it is a weapon ‘most useful in military service.’”
You know what else was “most useful in military service”? The single-shot musket, at the time the Bill of Rights was crafted. It’s pathetically laughable to assert that the Founders meant what Young contends. Quite the contrary, the usefulness and popularity of the AR-15 mean that it is the epitome of what the Founders intended to protect.
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New foam armor for tanks can pulverize enemies
Believe it or not, this breakthrough foam may provide greater protection than traditional armor steel plates.
It is also far lighter than current armor. How much lighter? This foam has the potential to dramatically reduce the armor weight on combat vehicles by about 65 percent.
This is a discovery with potential to revolutionize future tanks and armored vehicles.
In addition to defending against direct hits by powerful enemy weapons, the wonder foam may also deliver better protection from explosion blast waves, deadly “cookoffs” and even radiation.
Scientists at North Carolina State University and the U.S. Army’s Aviation Applied Technology Directorate have been working together on this remarkable foam.
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[One must wonder how many of the Chinese students at NCSU might also be helping in the development of this new material.. --Editor]
Man Found Guilty of Sexually Assault Ten Year Old Girl
SNOW HILL - On April 5 th , 2018, William Edward Wilson, Jr., age 47, of Berlin, Maryland, was found guilty on all charges after a jury trial in the Circuit Court for Worcester County. After only 20
minutes of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of guilty for the charge of Third Degree Sex Offense, Fourth Degree Sex Offense, and Second Degree Assault. The primary charge of sex offense in the third degree carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Additionally, Mr. Wilson must register as a Tier III sex offender on the Sex Offender Registry. Tier III sex offenders are to remain on the Sex Offender Registry for life. A sentencing date has not yet been set as Judge Brian D. Shockley ordered a Pre-Sentencing Investigation to be conducted. Mr. Wilson’s bond was revoked and he will be held at the Worcester County Detention Center pending sentencing.
On August 12 th , 2017, officers with The Worcester County Bureau of Investigation responded to a domestic complaint on Libertytown Road in Berlin. Once there, the father of the 10 year old victim told
police that Mr. Wilson had sexually assaulted her while she slept. The victim told her parents that she had awoken to find Mr. Wilson sexually assaulting her. Once Mr. Wilson realized that the victim was awake, he left the room and pretended as if he had been asleep in another room. After police conducted numerous interviews with all parties, Mr. Wilson was taken into custody by the Worcester County Sherriff’s Office.
minutes of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of guilty for the charge of Third Degree Sex Offense, Fourth Degree Sex Offense, and Second Degree Assault. The primary charge of sex offense in the third degree carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Additionally, Mr. Wilson must register as a Tier III sex offender on the Sex Offender Registry. Tier III sex offenders are to remain on the Sex Offender Registry for life. A sentencing date has not yet been set as Judge Brian D. Shockley ordered a Pre-Sentencing Investigation to be conducted. Mr. Wilson’s bond was revoked and he will be held at the Worcester County Detention Center pending sentencing.
On August 12 th , 2017, officers with The Worcester County Bureau of Investigation responded to a domestic complaint on Libertytown Road in Berlin. Once there, the father of the 10 year old victim told
police that Mr. Wilson had sexually assaulted her while she slept. The victim told her parents that she had awoken to find Mr. Wilson sexually assaulting her. Once Mr. Wilson realized that the victim was awake, he left the room and pretended as if he had been asleep in another room. After police conducted numerous interviews with all parties, Mr. Wilson was taken into custody by the Worcester County Sherriff’s Office.
Interim State’s Attorney for Worcester County, Bill McDermott stated, “It’s hard to imagine the long term consequences these types of crimes have on young victims – but thank God we live in a county where our children are protected by people like Cindy Cook of The Children’s Advocacy Center, Kimberly Linton of the Department of Social Services, Detective Mark Titanski of The Worcester County Bureau of Investigation and of course, Deputy State’s Attorney Diane Karsnitz who never wavers in the face of a difficult case. Most people will never know the personal sacrifices they make to ensure that victims and their families find the justice they deserve, but without them the world would be a darker place.”
Breaking: School Bus Accident
Suspects Charged In Juvenile Facility Disturbance
(SABILLASVILLE, MD) — Maryland State Police criminal investigators have charged eight suspects in connection with the disturbance and assaults on staff yesterday at a state juvenile facility in Frederick County.
After consultation with the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office, troopers charged three of the suspects as adults. One suspect is identified as Diego Glay, 19, who is charged with first degree escape, second degree assault, riot, malicious destruction of property under $1,000 and theft under $100.
The other two charged as adults are identified as Daniel Ennos, 17, and Bernard Moore, 17. Both are charged with first degree assault, second degree assault, first degree escape, riot, malicious destruction of property under $1,000, and theft under $100.
In addition to the three suspects charged as adults, another five suspects were charged as juveniles. They are charged with riot, second degree assault, first degree escape, malicious destruction of property under $1,000 and theft under $100. All individuals charged remain in the custody of the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services.
Initial information from the investigation indicates that at about 11:30 a.m. yesterday, Maryland State Police Frederick Barrack troopers and deputies from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call for a disturbance at the Victor Cullen Center, in the 6000-block of Cullen Drive, Sabillasville, Md. Police established a perimeter around the center and additional assistance was requested from the Maryland State Police Mobile Field Force, the STATE Team and Criminal Enforcement Division.
Using a staff radio, a deputy trained as a negotiator communicated with the juveniles. Ultimately, eight juveniles were arrested without further incident.
The investigation indicates the incident began yesterday morning when two juveniles became involved in a fight. That led to other juveniles engaging in physical altercations with staff members. Juveniles obtained keys and radios from staff members during the assaults. Although juveniles were able to exit areas where they were housed and access the facility grounds, none escaped from the Victor Cullen Center.
During the incident, juveniles assaulted eight staff members. Three were transported to area hospitals for treatment of injuries.
Juveniles also kicked out a window, kicked in an office trailer door and broke a trailer window. In addition to the theft of keys and radios from staff, juveniles stole candy from the trailer they broke into.
Investigators believe further charges may be filed. They will continue to work with the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services in the ongoing investigation.
After consultation with the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office, troopers charged three of the suspects as adults. One suspect is identified as Diego Glay, 19, who is charged with first degree escape, second degree assault, riot, malicious destruction of property under $1,000 and theft under $100.
The other two charged as adults are identified as Daniel Ennos, 17, and Bernard Moore, 17. Both are charged with first degree assault, second degree assault, first degree escape, riot, malicious destruction of property under $1,000, and theft under $100.
In addition to the three suspects charged as adults, another five suspects were charged as juveniles. They are charged with riot, second degree assault, first degree escape, malicious destruction of property under $1,000 and theft under $100. All individuals charged remain in the custody of the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services.
Initial information from the investigation indicates that at about 11:30 a.m. yesterday, Maryland State Police Frederick Barrack troopers and deputies from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call for a disturbance at the Victor Cullen Center, in the 6000-block of Cullen Drive, Sabillasville, Md. Police established a perimeter around the center and additional assistance was requested from the Maryland State Police Mobile Field Force, the STATE Team and Criminal Enforcement Division.
Using a staff radio, a deputy trained as a negotiator communicated with the juveniles. Ultimately, eight juveniles were arrested without further incident.
The investigation indicates the incident began yesterday morning when two juveniles became involved in a fight. That led to other juveniles engaging in physical altercations with staff members. Juveniles obtained keys and radios from staff members during the assaults. Although juveniles were able to exit areas where they were housed and access the facility grounds, none escaped from the Victor Cullen Center.
During the incident, juveniles assaulted eight staff members. Three were transported to area hospitals for treatment of injuries.
Juveniles also kicked out a window, kicked in an office trailer door and broke a trailer window. In addition to the theft of keys and radios from staff, juveniles stole candy from the trailer they broke into.
Investigators believe further charges may be filed. They will continue to work with the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services in the ongoing investigation.
It's Name Yourself Day! Pick a new one from the top popular Irish names
Today's officially Name Yourself Day. Why not check out the top most popular names in Ireland and choose one of those! Did any of your favorites make the list?
The top 100 Irish baby names of 2017 have been released and while we’re seeing more and more cool and unusual names being used as baby names in Ireland, the top five results are far from unique with old favorites Jack and Emily coming in first place once again.
This is, in fact, the seventh year in a row that Emily has been the top baby name for a girl in Ireland. The top five most popular girls’ names for babies also included Emma, Amelia, Grace, and Sophie.
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The top 100 Irish baby names of 2017 have been released and while we’re seeing more and more cool and unusual names being used as baby names in Ireland, the top five results are far from unique with old favorites Jack and Emily coming in first place once again.
This is, in fact, the seventh year in a row that Emily has been the top baby name for a girl in Ireland. The top five most popular girls’ names for babies also included Emma, Amelia, Grace, and Sophie.
More