DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Saturday, July 28, 2018
GOP Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel: Twitter Ignored Our Letter
Twitter ignored a letter sent to the company by GOP chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and Trump 2020 Campaign Manager Brad Parscale, according to McDaniel.
The letter, which was also sent to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, expressed concerns about the censorship of conservatives on social media. After two months, McDaniel says Twitter has yet to respond.
Even before Vice News reported on conservative accounts being buried, @parscale and I wrote to Twitter about concerns over bias on their platform. Two months later, they still haven’t responded to us. https://t.co/eJYFPykbtF
— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) July 26, 2018
The letter noted that conservative users “have accused the company of unfairly targeting them, purging thousands of their followers in an attempt to stem “fake news” content, and unnecessarily prompting them to confirm their identity.”
Breitbart News reported on this mass purge, which saw thousands of conservatives locked out of their accounts and forced to verify their identities.
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The letter, which was also sent to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, expressed concerns about the censorship of conservatives on social media. After two months, McDaniel says Twitter has yet to respond.
Even before Vice News reported on conservative accounts being buried, @parscale and I wrote to Twitter about concerns over bias on their platform. Two months later, they still haven’t responded to us. https://t.co/eJYFPykbtF
— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) July 26, 2018
The letter noted that conservative users “have accused the company of unfairly targeting them, purging thousands of their followers in an attempt to stem “fake news” content, and unnecessarily prompting them to confirm their identity.”
Breitbart News reported on this mass purge, which saw thousands of conservatives locked out of their accounts and forced to verify their identities.
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There’s a Direct Line from Obama, Holder, Rice, Lerner, and Clinton to FBI Scandals
Former President Barack Obama’s eight years in the White House were marked by four huge scandals, each of which uniquely contributed to the unprecedented level of corruption now being exposed in the FBI’s Russia collusion investigation.
The four scandals include:
1.) Fast & Furious (2011), which exposed the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) selling high-powered rifles and other firearms to individuals known to be straw buyers for Mexican drug cartels.
2.) Benghazi (2012), the terrorist attack that killed four Americans in a U.S. consulate in Libya, including J. Christopher Stevens, the country’s ambassador to Libya, and the Obama administration’s false explanation of it.
3.) IRS targeting (2013), in which the federal tax agency’s illegally singled out Tea Party, conservative, and evangelical nonprofit applicants for illegal harassment during the 2010 and 2012 election campaigns.
4.) Hillary email (2015), which included hundreds of emails containing highly sensitive classified information to and from then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on her private server, which was compromised by multiple foreign powers and hackers.
Official wrongdoing seen separately in each of these four scandals came together to create the current FBI scandal.
Here’s how:
The four scandals include:
1.) Fast & Furious (2011), which exposed the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) selling high-powered rifles and other firearms to individuals known to be straw buyers for Mexican drug cartels.
2.) Benghazi (2012), the terrorist attack that killed four Americans in a U.S. consulate in Libya, including J. Christopher Stevens, the country’s ambassador to Libya, and the Obama administration’s false explanation of it.
3.) IRS targeting (2013), in which the federal tax agency’s illegally singled out Tea Party, conservative, and evangelical nonprofit applicants for illegal harassment during the 2010 and 2012 election campaigns.
4.) Hillary email (2015), which included hundreds of emails containing highly sensitive classified information to and from then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on her private server, which was compromised by multiple foreign powers and hackers.
Official wrongdoing seen separately in each of these four scandals came together to create the current FBI scandal.
Here’s how:
This letter was sent to the Principal's office after the school sponsored a luncheon for the elderly
Dear Kean Elementary,
God bless you for the beautiful radio I won at your recent senior citizens luncheon.
I am 84 years old and live at the Springer Home for the Aged.
All of my family has passed away. I am all alone now and it's nice to know that someone is thinking of me. God bless you for your kindness to an old forgotten lady.
My roommate is 95 and has always had her own radio, but before I
received one, she would never let me listen to hers, even when she was napping. The other day her radio fell off the night stand and broke into a lot of pieces. It was awful and she was in tears.
Her distress over the broken radio touched me and I knew this was God's way of answering my prayers.
She asked if she could listen to mine, and I told her to kiss my ass.
Thank you for that opportunity.
Sincerely,
Agnes
God bless you for the beautiful radio I won at your recent senior citizens luncheon.
I am 84 years old and live at the Springer Home for the Aged.
All of my family has passed away. I am all alone now and it's nice to know that someone is thinking of me. God bless you for your kindness to an old forgotten lady.
My roommate is 95 and has always had her own radio, but before I
received one, she would never let me listen to hers, even when she was napping. The other day her radio fell off the night stand and broke into a lot of pieces. It was awful and she was in tears.
Her distress over the broken radio touched me and I knew this was God's way of answering my prayers.
She asked if she could listen to mine, and I told her to kiss my ass.
Thank you for that opportunity.
Sincerely,
Agnes
Fentanyl-related deaths continue ‘staggering’ rise in Maryland
The number of fentanyl-related deaths in Maryland reached an all-time high in 2017 and is on track to continue increasing in 2018, officials said, part of a nationwide overdose epidemic being driven by the powerful synthetic drug.
Maryland fatalities caused by fentanyl jumped 42 percent from 2016 to 2017 — from 1,119 to 1,594 — even as deaths related to heroin use declined, according to data released by the Maryland Department of Health on Thursday.
Health Secretary Robert R. Neall called the rising numbers “staggering,” noting that in the first three months of 2018 alone there were 500 fentanyl-related deaths in the state.
Nationwide, federal and state law enforcement officials have begunaggressively prosecuting crimes involving fentanyl, which is often mixed into other drugs to increase their potency. The synthetic drug is about 50 times stronger than heroin.
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Maryland fatalities caused by fentanyl jumped 42 percent from 2016 to 2017 — from 1,119 to 1,594 — even as deaths related to heroin use declined, according to data released by the Maryland Department of Health on Thursday.
Health Secretary Robert R. Neall called the rising numbers “staggering,” noting that in the first three months of 2018 alone there were 500 fentanyl-related deaths in the state.
Nationwide, federal and state law enforcement officials have begunaggressively prosecuting crimes involving fentanyl, which is often mixed into other drugs to increase their potency. The synthetic drug is about 50 times stronger than heroin.
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EFFECTIVE SUICIDE COUNSELLING!
A desperate looking woman stood poised on the edge of a high cliff about to jump off.
A filthy tramp wandering by stopped and said, “Look, since you’ll be dead in a few minutes, and it won’t matter to you, how about a little sex before you go?”
She screamed, “NO! Bug off you filthy old bastard!”
He shrugged and turned away saying, "Okay, I’ll just go and wait at the bottom.”
She didn’t jump.
Tensions rise as homicide rate increases in DC
WASHINGTON (ABC7) — The 10-year-old girl shot and killed last week in front of her home will be laid to rest Wednesday.
Makiyah Wilson was one of five people shot after a group of masked men targeted people outside her apartment complex in Northeast on July 16. Tensions are high as some residents are calling for the police to do more as no arrests have been made for her murder.
Police Chief Peter Newsham spoke with the Deanwood Citizens Association Monday night asking for residents and officers to work together to stop crime. At one point, there was a heated exchange between the chief and neighborhood commissioner who said there is distrust when it comes police interactions with members of their communities.
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Makiyah Wilson was one of five people shot after a group of masked men targeted people outside her apartment complex in Northeast on July 16. Tensions are high as some residents are calling for the police to do more as no arrests have been made for her murder.
Police Chief Peter Newsham spoke with the Deanwood Citizens Association Monday night asking for residents and officers to work together to stop crime. At one point, there was a heated exchange between the chief and neighborhood commissioner who said there is distrust when it comes police interactions with members of their communities.
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Religious Conservative: I Didn't Vote for Trump to Be 'My Sunday School Teacher'
WASHINGTON – Former President Bill Clinton recently accused the media of leaving out facts about his past sexual behavior because they are “frustrated” that President Trump’s supporters aren’t concerned about the sexual misconduct allegations that women have made against the current president.
“A lot of the facts have been conveniently omitted to make the story work,” Clinton told NBC News when asked if he owes Monica Lewinsky a personal apology. “I think partly because they are frustrated that they got all these serious allegations against the current occupant of the Oval Office, and his voters don’t seem to care.”
In the same interview, Clinton also said, “Nobody believes that I got out of that for free. I left the White House $16 million in debt.”
Gus from Maryland, who attended the recent Faith and Freedom Coalition Road to Majority conference, said there is “no comparison” between the allegations against Trump and Clinton’s history. Gus said he’s more concerned about Trump keeping the promises he made to religious conservatives at the conference before he was elected in 2016.
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“A lot of the facts have been conveniently omitted to make the story work,” Clinton told NBC News when asked if he owes Monica Lewinsky a personal apology. “I think partly because they are frustrated that they got all these serious allegations against the current occupant of the Oval Office, and his voters don’t seem to care.”
In the same interview, Clinton also said, “Nobody believes that I got out of that for free. I left the White House $16 million in debt.”
Gus from Maryland, who attended the recent Faith and Freedom Coalition Road to Majority conference, said there is “no comparison” between the allegations against Trump and Clinton’s history. Gus said he’s more concerned about Trump keeping the promises he made to religious conservatives at the conference before he was elected in 2016.
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Senators Want Pompeo to Block Release of 3-D Gun Blueprints in Administration Settlement
In 2013, University of Texas law student Cody Wilson posted digital blueprints for a 3-D printable handgun; Wilson's nonprofit, Defense Distributed, has since expanded its range of offerings. The State Department entered a legal battle with Wilson after ordering him to take down the blueprints, arguing that they were essentially a violation of arms export statutes since they were available for download overseas.
In June, the Trump State Department settled with Wilson and agreed to suspend relevant International Trafficking in Arms Regulations provisions, clearing the way for the gun blueprints to be publicly released Aug. 1.
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Three OC businesses reprimanded
Three businesses were disciplined by the Board of Licensing Commissioners last week, with one earning a letter of reprimand and the other two receiving monetary fines.
The Board of License Commissioners is the local branch of the state agency that controls which businesses can sell alcohol to patrons among as well as regulating other concerns such as live entertainment at licensed establishments.
During the meeting, the three-person board found that Village Market, Rio Grande Café and Oceans Market sold alcohol to minors and handed out punishments based on the infractions.
Village Market, at 1816 Philadelphia Ave., earned the largest fine amount at $500. The Rio Grande Café, 14502 Coastal Highway, was fined $250 for a similar offense, and Oceans Market, 14107 Coastal Highway, received a letter of reprimand for its violation
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The Board of License Commissioners is the local branch of the state agency that controls which businesses can sell alcohol to patrons among as well as regulating other concerns such as live entertainment at licensed establishments.
During the meeting, the three-person board found that Village Market, Rio Grande Café and Oceans Market sold alcohol to minors and handed out punishments based on the infractions.
Village Market, at 1816 Philadelphia Ave., earned the largest fine amount at $500. The Rio Grande Café, 14502 Coastal Highway, was fined $250 for a similar offense, and Oceans Market, 14107 Coastal Highway, received a letter of reprimand for its violation
More
Fatal heroin overdoses on rise in Worcester
Fatal overdoses from heroin and related substances continue to rise in Worcester County, and across the Eastern Shore, as dealers market fentanyl mixtures to unsuspecting users.
Tim Sponaugle, Worcester County Criminal Enforcement Team heroin coordinator, said non-fatal overdoses on the Eastern Shore have jumped by 13 percent on the shore overall, while fatal cases have grown by 29 percent compared to last year.
Sponaugle said half a dozen overdose deaths have occurred in Worcester County though this July 13, compared to four at the same point last year. Unlike the situation in other shore counties, Worcester has seen the number of non-fatal incidents drop from 34 this time last year to 24 so far in 2018.
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Tim Sponaugle, Worcester County Criminal Enforcement Team heroin coordinator, said non-fatal overdoses on the Eastern Shore have jumped by 13 percent on the shore overall, while fatal cases have grown by 29 percent compared to last year.
Sponaugle said half a dozen overdose deaths have occurred in Worcester County though this July 13, compared to four at the same point last year. Unlike the situation in other shore counties, Worcester has seen the number of non-fatal incidents drop from 34 this time last year to 24 so far in 2018.
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OC installs surveillance cameras on buses
Anyone who gets that feeling someone might be watching as they ride an Ocean City transit system bus would be correct, to an extent. The resort has instituted a fleetwide bus camera surveillance program to capture video of incidents occurring inside or outside of public transportation vehicles.
Transit Manager Mark Rickards said the entire 64-bus fleet is now outfitted with security cameras.
“This is the first camera system for video monitoring or surveillance in our Ocean City bus system,” he said.
Rickards said eight cameras are installed in the 35- and 40-foot buses, with 60-foot articulating buses including a dozen and para-transit buses having a half dozen.
“This is basically exterior and interior cameras and a DVR, which is, of course, not real time,” he said. “If we have an instance where we need to view something that happened, we will have to pull the video and send it to the proper parties for review.”
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Transit Manager Mark Rickards said the entire 64-bus fleet is now outfitted with security cameras.
“This is the first camera system for video monitoring or surveillance in our Ocean City bus system,” he said.
Rickards said eight cameras are installed in the 35- and 40-foot buses, with 60-foot articulating buses including a dozen and para-transit buses having a half dozen.
“This is basically exterior and interior cameras and a DVR, which is, of course, not real time,” he said. “If we have an instance where we need to view something that happened, we will have to pull the video and send it to the proper parties for review.”
More
Citizens concerned about geese form group
A concerned citizens group has formed in the wake of the June 29 culling of about 300 Canada geese in Ocean Pines.
Dubbed “The Ocean Pines Geese and Ecology Brain Trust Initiative: Securing a Balance,” the group plans to meet publicly for the first time on Thursday, Aug. 16 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Ocean Pines library on 11107 Cathell Road.
According to a release from Chairwoman Mary Deborah Wilson, “Residents of this community were unaware of the geese confiscation until the action had occurred … in the wee hours of the morning. As a result, there has been much contention and various emotions about the circumstance within this and surrounding communities in Worcester County MD. It is important to channel those responses into action.
“The mission will be to establish best practices in balancing community, geese, and ecological needs in the region based on facts not opinions,” Wilson said in the release. “I plan to request meeting attendance from experts in veterinarian medicine, ministers, water quality, ornithology, lawyers, and political representatives.”
She said the initial meeting would create subgroups “that develop pertinent recommendations and strategies.”
“If you are motivated, persistent, and interested in this initiative, we want you!” Wilson said. “Welcoming any interested parties to attend.”
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Dubbed “The Ocean Pines Geese and Ecology Brain Trust Initiative: Securing a Balance,” the group plans to meet publicly for the first time on Thursday, Aug. 16 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Ocean Pines library on 11107 Cathell Road.
According to a release from Chairwoman Mary Deborah Wilson, “Residents of this community were unaware of the geese confiscation until the action had occurred … in the wee hours of the morning. As a result, there has been much contention and various emotions about the circumstance within this and surrounding communities in Worcester County MD. It is important to channel those responses into action.
“The mission will be to establish best practices in balancing community, geese, and ecological needs in the region based on facts not opinions,” Wilson said in the release. “I plan to request meeting attendance from experts in veterinarian medicine, ministers, water quality, ornithology, lawyers, and political representatives.”
She said the initial meeting would create subgroups “that develop pertinent recommendations and strategies.”
“If you are motivated, persistent, and interested in this initiative, we want you!” Wilson said. “Welcoming any interested parties to attend.”
More
Showell School Reconstruction Bids Total $39M; Timetable Firmed Up Likely After County’s Review
NEWARK – School system officials approved bids totaling slightly more than $39 million for the new Showell Elementary School.
The Worcester County Board of Education last week approved bids totaling $39,045,266 for the new school. Design of the facility, which will replace the existing 40-year-old Showell Elementary, was completed earlier this year.
“We’re anxious to see it get started,” said school board member Doug Dryden.
Plans to replace the aging and outgrown Showell Elementary have been underway for years. While there was initially some contention between county government officials and school system leaders regarding the project’s estimated cost, the Worcester County Commissioners approved funding for the pre-construction and bidding process in January. Oak Contracting, the company that managed the $50 million renovation and expansion of Snow Hill High School, was selected to handle construction management for Showell. At that time, the school system projected construction costs of roughly $42 million for the facility.
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The Worcester County Board of Education last week approved bids totaling $39,045,266 for the new school. Design of the facility, which will replace the existing 40-year-old Showell Elementary, was completed earlier this year.
“We’re anxious to see it get started,” said school board member Doug Dryden.
Plans to replace the aging and outgrown Showell Elementary have been underway for years. While there was initially some contention between county government officials and school system leaders regarding the project’s estimated cost, the Worcester County Commissioners approved funding for the pre-construction and bidding process in January. Oak Contracting, the company that managed the $50 million renovation and expansion of Snow Hill High School, was selected to handle construction management for Showell. At that time, the school system projected construction costs of roughly $42 million for the facility.
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State’s Most Beautiful Small Town Named
BERLIN – A national publication has named Berlin as Maryland’s “Most Beautiful Small Town.”
Last week, the town of Berlin learned it was named “Most Beautiful Small Town” in Maryland by House Beautiful, a home design magazine.
The article – which named the most beautiful small town in each state – praised Berlin for its shops, restaurants and location.
“Don’t let the historic buildings make you think that Berlin is a sleepy little town: It was once named the ‘Coolest Small Town in America,’” the article reads. “The Main Street shopping district has over 50 retail shops, with plenty more bakeries, restaurants and antique stores adding to that count.”
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Last week, the town of Berlin learned it was named “Most Beautiful Small Town” in Maryland by House Beautiful, a home design magazine.
The article – which named the most beautiful small town in each state – praised Berlin for its shops, restaurants and location.
“Don’t let the historic buildings make you think that Berlin is a sleepy little town: It was once named the ‘Coolest Small Town in America,’” the article reads. “The Main Street shopping district has over 50 retail shops, with plenty more bakeries, restaurants and antique stores adding to that count.”
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Jerry Jones: Cowboys Anthem Stance Is Players Must Stand
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said his team's players must stand for the national anthem but also called Trump’s interest in the anthem controversy “problematic” during a news conference Wednesday in Oxnard, California, where the team trains.
“Our policy is that you stand at the anthem, toe on the line,” Jones said in response to a question about whether players would be allowed to stay in the locker room during the anthem, NFL.com reported.
After approving a new rule at the Spring League meeting imposing fines on teams whose players don’t stand for the anthem or stay in the locker room, the NFL and NFL Players Association agreed to freeze the implementation of that rule for a few weeks while the issue is discussed between the league and the union.
The NFL and NFLPA as well as several active players are scheduled to meet for a discussion Friday.
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“Our policy is that you stand at the anthem, toe on the line,” Jones said in response to a question about whether players would be allowed to stay in the locker room during the anthem, NFL.com reported.
After approving a new rule at the Spring League meeting imposing fines on teams whose players don’t stand for the anthem or stay in the locker room, the NFL and NFL Players Association agreed to freeze the implementation of that rule for a few weeks while the issue is discussed between the league and the union.
The NFL and NFLPA as well as several active players are scheduled to meet for a discussion Friday.
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Sessions Busts 28 Illegals for Stolen Identities to Get Benefits
Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced charges Thursday against 28 for stealing identities of U.S. citizens and using them to get government benefits, NBC News reported.
Most of the 28 are undocumented immigrants; 22 are undocumented Dominican Republic nationals who stole identities of mostly Puerto Ricans who were displaced in September's Hurricane Maria, Sessions said.
They got government benefits including Medicaid and federally subsidized housing in Massachusetts, using stolen Social Security numbers and other documents, the report said.
"Two people, same name, same numbers: One in Puerto Rico and one in Massachusetts, receiving Medicaid benefits," Sessions said. "In some cases, both people with the same identity were receiving medical services on the same day, in both jurisdictions, 1,600 miles apart."
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Most of the 28 are undocumented immigrants; 22 are undocumented Dominican Republic nationals who stole identities of mostly Puerto Ricans who were displaced in September's Hurricane Maria, Sessions said.
They got government benefits including Medicaid and federally subsidized housing in Massachusetts, using stolen Social Security numbers and other documents, the report said.
"Two people, same name, same numbers: One in Puerto Rico and one in Massachusetts, receiving Medicaid benefits," Sessions said. "In some cases, both people with the same identity were receiving medical services on the same day, in both jurisdictions, 1,600 miles apart."
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DOJ Probes Sinclair, Other TV Stations for Ad Rate Collusion
The Justice Department's antitrust investigation of Sinclair Broadcast Group focused on potential collusion among local broadcasters on inflated pricing of advertisements and alleged communications between their ad sales teams, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
The coordination of ad sales teams between Sinclair, Tribune Media, and other independent TV station owners potentially led to higher rates for TV commercials, a source told the Journal.
Media companies like Sinclair and Tribune, which had sought FCC approval of a merger, own dozens of local TV stations which broadcast major networks like ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC.
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The coordination of ad sales teams between Sinclair, Tribune Media, and other independent TV station owners potentially led to higher rates for TV commercials, a source told the Journal.
Media companies like Sinclair and Tribune, which had sought FCC approval of a merger, own dozens of local TV stations which broadcast major networks like ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC.
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5 Ugly Truths About Women That Young Men Need to Recognize
I love women. Not in the social justice warrioresque “We must praise women as strong, capable CEOS and STEM graduates who can do anything men can do, but in heels” way, but in an old-school way. It’s easy to respect a mother who watches out for her children, a wife who is loyal to her husband, or a sister who cares for her brother. I love a beautiful woman. I love a sexy woman. I love a woman who gives off that amazing feminine energy. As a man, being around a woman like that is just good for your spirit.
All that being said, this is not about the more wonderful traits of women. To the contrary, it’s the kind of warning about women that fathers used to give their sons, but that’s frowned upon today. You see, in our society we can hammer home the faults of men until they become stereotypes, but we’re not supposed to point out the similarly damaging, but often very different flaws of women that young men need to worry about.
I think lions are extraordinarily beautiful and powerful creatures, but I also know if you make a wrong move around one, you can lose an arm. Women are much the same. They are magnificent but dangerous and since men pursue them, they need to understand what they’re getting into.
All that being said, this is not about the more wonderful traits of women. To the contrary, it’s the kind of warning about women that fathers used to give their sons, but that’s frowned upon today. You see, in our society we can hammer home the faults of men until they become stereotypes, but we’re not supposed to point out the similarly damaging, but often very different flaws of women that young men need to worry about.
I think lions are extraordinarily beautiful and powerful creatures, but I also know if you make a wrong move around one, you can lose an arm. Women are much the same. They are magnificent but dangerous and since men pursue them, they need to understand what they’re getting into.
1. Beauty fades
Men don’t like to admit this, but the first thing they think about when it comes to women is beauty. Not only are we drawn to it, but it’s a status symbol. When a man has an attractive woman, other men think more of him. In fact, it can become such a powerful draw that some men put beauty first and second — and whatever comes third doesn’t matter. This is a mistake if you plan to be with her beyond a date or three because beauty fades for all of us, but it fades faster and harder for women. Moreover, beauty in and of itself only attracts for so long. As the old saying goes, “No matter how good she looks, someone out there is tired of her sh*t.” Point being, make sure you judge a woman on a lot more than beauty alone because the time is going to come when one way or the other, that beauty is going to fade in your eyes.
2. After your relationship ends, you may be surprised at the ruthless treatment you get
Men don’t like to admit this, but the first thing they think about when it comes to women is beauty. Not only are we drawn to it, but it’s a status symbol. When a man has an attractive woman, other men think more of him. In fact, it can become such a powerful draw that some men put beauty first and second — and whatever comes third doesn’t matter. This is a mistake if you plan to be with her beyond a date or three because beauty fades for all of us, but it fades faster and harder for women. Moreover, beauty in and of itself only attracts for so long. As the old saying goes, “No matter how good she looks, someone out there is tired of her sh*t.” Point being, make sure you judge a woman on a lot more than beauty alone because the time is going to come when one way or the other, that beauty is going to fade in your eyes.
2. After your relationship ends, you may be surprised at the ruthless treatment you get
Trump Is Right about the NFL Protests
I’m a big fan of David French’s work, so I was disappointed to read his column “I Understand Why They Knelt.” Respectfully (and I mean that), I believe it is off-base on almost every point that matters.
For example, French treats Trump’s suggestion that NFL players be fired as a First Amendment issue and an abridgement of their free speech. This is just not so. NFL players do have a right of free speech, but they don’t have a right to avoid criticism for engaging in that speech. Despite the fact that Trump said NFL players should be fired, he didn’t call for Congress to take action. He didn’t try to push through an executive order saying that protesting the flag should be illegal. He hasn’t promised that the government will go after the NFL. He used his free speech to criticize their free speech. I’m not sure how that violates the First Amendment or curtails the rights of the NFL players disrespecting our flag, who are still employed.
French then goes on to complain that Trump “did more to politicize sports than ESPN has done in a decade of biased, progressive programming.” Except that’s exactly backwards. ESPN and the NFL have been slamming politics down our throats for over a year. I know that because I wrote a column calling for conservatives to boycott the NFL a year ago. Many other conservatives have done the same thing, and millions of fans have complained. But when someone with a platform big enough to cut through the noise echoes the complaint so many conservatives have, he’s supposed to be at fault?
Then there’s the real complaint, an argument that in a roundabout way cuts to the heart of what I believe is wrong with French’s approach to the issue. French says: “The hypocrisy runs the other way, too. I was startled to see many conservatives who decried Google’s termination of a young, dissenting software engineer work overtime yesterday to argue that Trump was somehow in the right.”
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For example, French treats Trump’s suggestion that NFL players be fired as a First Amendment issue and an abridgement of their free speech. This is just not so. NFL players do have a right of free speech, but they don’t have a right to avoid criticism for engaging in that speech. Despite the fact that Trump said NFL players should be fired, he didn’t call for Congress to take action. He didn’t try to push through an executive order saying that protesting the flag should be illegal. He hasn’t promised that the government will go after the NFL. He used his free speech to criticize their free speech. I’m not sure how that violates the First Amendment or curtails the rights of the NFL players disrespecting our flag, who are still employed.
French then goes on to complain that Trump “did more to politicize sports than ESPN has done in a decade of biased, progressive programming.” Except that’s exactly backwards. ESPN and the NFL have been slamming politics down our throats for over a year. I know that because I wrote a column calling for conservatives to boycott the NFL a year ago. Many other conservatives have done the same thing, and millions of fans have complained. But when someone with a platform big enough to cut through the noise echoes the complaint so many conservatives have, he’s supposed to be at fault?
Then there’s the real complaint, an argument that in a roundabout way cuts to the heart of what I believe is wrong with French’s approach to the issue. French says: “The hypocrisy runs the other way, too. I was startled to see many conservatives who decried Google’s termination of a young, dissenting software engineer work overtime yesterday to argue that Trump was somehow in the right.”
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Five Clues Don Jr.’s Trump Tower Meeting Was Set Up as Dem Dirty Trick
Amid renewed news media attention focusing on the infamous brief meeting at Trump Tower on June 9, 2016 between individuals tied to Russia, Donald Trump Jr. and other campaign officials, it is instructive to review the largely unreported details surrounding the get-together that point to the increasing likelihood of the confab being set up as a dirty trick against Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
Below, in no particular order, are five key details drawn from Breitbart News investigative reporting that raise immediate questions about the possibility of anti-Trump shady business at play in arranging the infamous meeting.
1 – Rob Goldstone, the English publicist and music manager, admitted that when he wrote Donald Trump Jr. to set up the meeting with a Russian attorney at Trump Tower he used deliberately hyperbolic language to ensure that the meeting took place.
Below, in no particular order, are five key details drawn from Breitbart News investigative reporting that raise immediate questions about the possibility of anti-Trump shady business at play in arranging the infamous meeting.
1 – Rob Goldstone, the English publicist and music manager, admitted that when he wrote Donald Trump Jr. to set up the meeting with a Russian attorney at Trump Tower he used deliberately hyperbolic language to ensure that the meeting took place.
The Conservative Case for Breaking Up Monopolies Such as Google and Facebook
There is a strong Republican antitrust tradition.
Tucker Carlson
✔@TuckerCarlson
The big digital monopolies demand that we conform to their worldview and shut us down when we dissent. They have too much power. They are are threat to this country. Congress is doing nothing about it. It’s time to complain, while we still can. #Tucker @FoxNews
9:05 PM – Apr 26, 2018
When he tweeted these words, Carlson was expressing a sentiment that many on the right have come to embrace. People are concerned, with good reason, that big tech companies discriminate against conservatives. Numerous conservative outlets have had their videos demonetized on Google’s YouTube. PragerU is appealing their loss in a lawsuit over that. A study by The Western Journal showed that a change to Facebook’s algorithm disproportionately harmed conservative sites.
In normal circumstances, this wouldn’t be a problem for government to solve, but social media has come to dominate our national conversation. Large political websites thrive or die based on changes to Facebook and Google algorithms. Everyone from cable news to newspapers to online-only publications create and tweak their content based on how they think it will play on social media. A study has also shown that Google search results can have a frighteningly large impact on elections:
Randomized, controlled experiments conducted with more than 10,000 people from 39 countries suggest that one company alone — Google LLC, which controls about 90 percent of online search in most countries — has likely been determining the outcomes of upwards of 25 percent of the national elections in the world for several years now, with increasing impact each year as Internet penetration has grown.
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Tucker Carlson
✔@TuckerCarlson
The big digital monopolies demand that we conform to their worldview and shut us down when we dissent. They have too much power. They are are threat to this country. Congress is doing nothing about it. It’s time to complain, while we still can. #Tucker @FoxNews
9:05 PM – Apr 26, 2018
When he tweeted these words, Carlson was expressing a sentiment that many on the right have come to embrace. People are concerned, with good reason, that big tech companies discriminate against conservatives. Numerous conservative outlets have had their videos demonetized on Google’s YouTube. PragerU is appealing their loss in a lawsuit over that. A study by The Western Journal showed that a change to Facebook’s algorithm disproportionately harmed conservative sites.
In normal circumstances, this wouldn’t be a problem for government to solve, but social media has come to dominate our national conversation. Large political websites thrive or die based on changes to Facebook and Google algorithms. Everyone from cable news to newspapers to online-only publications create and tweak their content based on how they think it will play on social media. A study has also shown that Google search results can have a frighteningly large impact on elections:
Randomized, controlled experiments conducted with more than 10,000 people from 39 countries suggest that one company alone — Google LLC, which controls about 90 percent of online search in most countries — has likely been determining the outcomes of upwards of 25 percent of the national elections in the world for several years now, with increasing impact each year as Internet penetration has grown.
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China, Russia, Iran Engaged in Aggressive Economic Cyber Spying
Foreign spies from China, Russia, and Iran are conducting aggressive cyber operations to steal valuable U.S. technology and economic secrets, according to a U.S. counterintelligence report.
The report by the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, a DNI counterspy unit, concludes China is among the most aggressive states engaged in stealing U.S. proprietary information as part of a government-directed program.
Key technologies under cyber attack from foreign economic spies are related to the energy, biotechnology, defense, environmental protection, high-end manufacturing, and information and communications industries.
"Chinese companies and individuals often acquire U.S. technology for commercial and scientific purposes," the report states. "At the same time, the Chinese government seeks to enhance its collection of U.S. technology by enlisting the support of a broad range of actors spread throughout its government and industrial base."
The report warned that the problem is continuing and urged greater efforts to counter Chinese cyber economic spying.
Among the methods used for the Chinese economic espionage program are traditional spies attached to the Ministry of State Security and military intelligence offices as well as a wide range of non-traditional spies.
Those include some of the 350,000 Chinese students currently studying in the United States, along with Chinese engaged in business.
More here
[And we are still granting thousands of student visas to our engineering schools? --Editor]
The report by the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, a DNI counterspy unit, concludes China is among the most aggressive states engaged in stealing U.S. proprietary information as part of a government-directed program.
Key technologies under cyber attack from foreign economic spies are related to the energy, biotechnology, defense, environmental protection, high-end manufacturing, and information and communications industries.
"Chinese companies and individuals often acquire U.S. technology for commercial and scientific purposes," the report states. "At the same time, the Chinese government seeks to enhance its collection of U.S. technology by enlisting the support of a broad range of actors spread throughout its government and industrial base."
The report warned that the problem is continuing and urged greater efforts to counter Chinese cyber economic spying.
Among the methods used for the Chinese economic espionage program are traditional spies attached to the Ministry of State Security and military intelligence offices as well as a wide range of non-traditional spies.
Those include some of the 350,000 Chinese students currently studying in the United States, along with Chinese engaged in business.
More here
[And we are still granting thousands of student visas to our engineering schools? --Editor]
Gaetz Suggests DOJ Covering Up Payments to Surveil Trump Campaign
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) suggested Friday on Fox News that the Justice Department is covering up payments it made to individuals to gather information on Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
“I believe money was paid to people to collect intelligence on the Trump campaign,” the Florida Republican told Bill Hemmer of America’s Newsroom. “That crosses a line in this country,” he said, “when you’ve got folks that are collecting intelligence not as a consequence of a true investigative basis, but based on, instead, this dirty dossier, this DNC information, and then going and spying on a rival political campaign.”
Gaetz predicted the outstanding documents regarding the Justice Department’s Russia probe will show proof that such payments were made. “I think that the records we’re asking [for] will evidence that, and I would love to be proven wrong. I would love to know that that didn’t happen in this country. But I’ve got suspicion that it did.”
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“I believe money was paid to people to collect intelligence on the Trump campaign,” the Florida Republican told Bill Hemmer of America’s Newsroom. “That crosses a line in this country,” he said, “when you’ve got folks that are collecting intelligence not as a consequence of a true investigative basis, but based on, instead, this dirty dossier, this DNC information, and then going and spying on a rival political campaign.”
Gaetz predicted the outstanding documents regarding the Justice Department’s Russia probe will show proof that such payments were made. “I think that the records we’re asking [for] will evidence that, and I would love to be proven wrong. I would love to know that that didn’t happen in this country. But I’ve got suspicion that it did.”
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Brett Kavanaugh: Apocalypse Now
To hear some tell it, America faces an event so cataclysmic, so apocalyptic, that everything we know and cherish could fall into the Great Abyss, never to be seen again.
What could “threaten the lives of millions of Americans for decades to come” (former Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe), “pave the path to tyranny” (Oregon senator Jeff Merkley), be our “worst nightmare” (Connecticut senator Richard Blumenthal), portend the “destruction of the Constitution,” (California senator Kamala Harris), and literally determine the “future of America” (Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren)?
No, it’s not the last titanic battle between Godzilla and Megalodon, or an imminent epidemic of Bubonic Plague. These warnings, and more besides, are about the appointment of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
Really, I’m not kidding. That’s really what they are saying all this stuff about.
Who is this crazed judicial lunatic, this ne’er-do-well, this Brett Kavanaugh, who might wreak such destruction and mayhem across the land?
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What could “threaten the lives of millions of Americans for decades to come” (former Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe), “pave the path to tyranny” (Oregon senator Jeff Merkley), be our “worst nightmare” (Connecticut senator Richard Blumenthal), portend the “destruction of the Constitution,” (California senator Kamala Harris), and literally determine the “future of America” (Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren)?
No, it’s not the last titanic battle between Godzilla and Megalodon, or an imminent epidemic of Bubonic Plague. These warnings, and more besides, are about the appointment of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
Really, I’m not kidding. That’s really what they are saying all this stuff about.
Who is this crazed judicial lunatic, this ne’er-do-well, this Brett Kavanaugh, who might wreak such destruction and mayhem across the land?
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Here’s How School Security Could Be Improved in 4 Easy Steps
Since writing previously about four steps to achieving better school security, many other organizations have been in contact to offer other excellent additions to this desired end state.
Again, there is no simple solution. We cannot just ban guns, or hand them out willy-nilly, and expect our kids to be safe. America must get beyond the political theater and posturing and do the hard work of making our schools secure places for kids to learn and grow. What is needed is a true system of overall security.
The American people must determine that schools are a big enough priority to take action. Some groups have done so. Organizations like the FASTER (Faculty/Administrator Safety Training and Emergency Response) Program founded in Ohio, or the National Rifle Association’s School Shield program, offer training and support relating to physical security and first aid for any school district that wants it.
There are others as well. The University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education has developed an entire construct of steps to add psychological security measures to achieve balance among the students affected. They do this in their online masters in school counseling.
The experts at Defend Systems in Nashville called for a much-increased emphasis in emergency first aid, particularly for trauma wounds. They were spot-on, and this is a great additional call. Defend Systems provides local schools with that critical skill set.
There are still four steps that must be taken to increase security in our schools and decrease the likelihood of a shooting and the number of children who will be harmed. Those steps are really four interconnected pillars: pre-emptive response, access control, hardening classrooms, and on-site incident response.
More here
Again, there is no simple solution. We cannot just ban guns, or hand them out willy-nilly, and expect our kids to be safe. America must get beyond the political theater and posturing and do the hard work of making our schools secure places for kids to learn and grow. What is needed is a true system of overall security.
The American people must determine that schools are a big enough priority to take action. Some groups have done so. Organizations like the FASTER (Faculty/Administrator Safety Training and Emergency Response) Program founded in Ohio, or the National Rifle Association’s School Shield program, offer training and support relating to physical security and first aid for any school district that wants it.
There are others as well. The University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education has developed an entire construct of steps to add psychological security measures to achieve balance among the students affected. They do this in their online masters in school counseling.
The experts at Defend Systems in Nashville called for a much-increased emphasis in emergency first aid, particularly for trauma wounds. They were spot-on, and this is a great additional call. Defend Systems provides local schools with that critical skill set.
There are still four steps that must be taken to increase security in our schools and decrease the likelihood of a shooting and the number of children who will be harmed. Those steps are really four interconnected pillars: pre-emptive response, access control, hardening classrooms, and on-site incident response.
More here
Schumer’s Delusory Document Demand
As Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley detailed in an excellent Senate floor speech yesterday, he expects that his committee will “receive up to one million pages of documents from Judge Kavanaugh’s time in the White House Counsel’s Office and the Office of the Independent Counsel.” This, of course, is on top of the most probative evidence of Judge Kavanaugh’s qualifications to be a Supreme Court justice: the “307 opinions he authored in 12 years as a D.C. Circuit judge, the hundreds more opinions he joined, and the 6,168 pages of material he submitted as part of his Senate Judiciary Committee questionnaire.”
As Grassley pointed out: “This will be the largest document production in connection with a Supreme Court nomination ever. By comparison, we received only about 170,000 pages of White House records for Justice Kagan”—who of course had no judicial record.
Yet somehow Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer is pretending that’s not enough. He is demanding the millions of pages of documents that passed through Kavanaugh’s office during his three years as White House staff secretary. Grassley is entirely correct to reject Schumer’s request (as he directly did in this forceful letter to Schumer yesterday).
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As Grassley pointed out: “This will be the largest document production in connection with a Supreme Court nomination ever. By comparison, we received only about 170,000 pages of White House records for Justice Kagan”—who of course had no judicial record.
Yet somehow Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer is pretending that’s not enough. He is demanding the millions of pages of documents that passed through Kavanaugh’s office during his three years as White House staff secretary. Grassley is entirely correct to reject Schumer’s request (as he directly did in this forceful letter to Schumer yesterday).
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'It's the New Form of Affordable Housing': More Homeless People Are Living in Their Cars
When a homeless count was conducted in Seattle this year, the city realized that more people are living in their car than ever before and 46 percent more than the year prior. In King County, which surrounds Seattle, around 25 percent of the homeless population is reported to live in their vehicles.
This phenomenon isn't unique to Seattle.
There’s been an explosion in many major cities -- from Los Angeles to Portland, Ore., to San Francisco -- of "vehicular homelessness." The issue is of particular concern on the West Coast, where rents have skyrocketed and the number of homeless people who don't live in shelters is up 20,000 from 2017.
“It’s the new form of affordable housing,” says Sara Rankin, professor at Seattle University School of Law, who specializes in homeless rights advocacy.
The rise of people sleeping in their cars presents unique challenges for cities and homeless advocates.
"What do we do with people whose basic physiological needs are not being met? When we think about people who are living in their vehicles, are they able to sleep, eat, poop and breathe safely? We have to start asking what needs to be done," says Rankin.
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This phenomenon isn't unique to Seattle.
There’s been an explosion in many major cities -- from Los Angeles to Portland, Ore., to San Francisco -- of "vehicular homelessness." The issue is of particular concern on the West Coast, where rents have skyrocketed and the number of homeless people who don't live in shelters is up 20,000 from 2017.
“It’s the new form of affordable housing,” says Sara Rankin, professor at Seattle University School of Law, who specializes in homeless rights advocacy.
The rise of people sleeping in their cars presents unique challenges for cities and homeless advocates.
"What do we do with people whose basic physiological needs are not being met? When we think about people who are living in their vehicles, are they able to sleep, eat, poop and breathe safely? We have to start asking what needs to be done," says Rankin.
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Latest Poll Finds Today's Democrat Party Scares the Hell Out of Voters!
With party leaders like Maxine Waters pushing violence and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez pushing Socialism, Americans are turning away from the radical far left party.
More than 56 percent of voters find the Democrat Party out of step with American mainstream.
Joseph Curl at The Washington Times reported:
Let’s get right to the good stuff: In a new poll conducted by NBC News and The Wall Street Journal, just33 percent of those surveyed think the Democratic Party is “in the mainstream.” More than half (56 percent) consider them out of step.
Just two years ago in 2016, those numbers were far different: 48 percent mainstream, 42 percent out. That means the “mainstream” number has plunged 12.5 percent, a huge drop in just two years.
Man, it’s not easy being a Democrat these days.
Chief among the party’s problems (and they have many) is that the Democrats lack a leader. The last head of the party, Barack Obama, took his mojo with him when he left town, and he’s busy partying it up with Jay-Z and Beyonce in Paris. Meanwhile, 2020 is still too far away, so no one has yet emerged around whom the party faithful can rally.
And President Trump’s approval rating continues to climb.
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More than 56 percent of voters find the Democrat Party out of step with American mainstream.
Joseph Curl at The Washington Times reported:
Let’s get right to the good stuff: In a new poll conducted by NBC News and The Wall Street Journal, just33 percent of those surveyed think the Democratic Party is “in the mainstream.” More than half (56 percent) consider them out of step.
Just two years ago in 2016, those numbers were far different: 48 percent mainstream, 42 percent out. That means the “mainstream” number has plunged 12.5 percent, a huge drop in just two years.
Man, it’s not easy being a Democrat these days.
Chief among the party’s problems (and they have many) is that the Democrats lack a leader. The last head of the party, Barack Obama, took his mojo with him when he left town, and he’s busy partying it up with Jay-Z and Beyonce in Paris. Meanwhile, 2020 is still too far away, so no one has yet emerged around whom the party faithful can rally.
And President Trump’s approval rating continues to climb.
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The Myth Of Fed Independence
By far the most secret and least accountable operation of the federal government is not, as one might expect, the CIA, DIA, or some other super-secret intelligence agency. The CIA and other intelligence operations are under control of the Congress. They are accountable: a Congressional committee supervises these operations, controls their budgets, and is informed of their covert activities. It is true that the committee hearings and activities are closed to the public; but at least the people’s representatives in Congress insure some accountability for these secret agencies.
It is little known, however, that there is a federal agency that tops the others in secrecy by a country mile. The Federal Reserve System is accountable to no one; it has no budget; it is subject to no audit; and no Congressional committee knows of, or can truly supervise, its operations. The Federal Reserve, virtually in total control of the nation's vital monetary system, is accountable to nobody - and this strange situation, if acknowledged at all, is invariably trumpeted as a virtue.
Thus, when the first Democratic president in over a decade was inaugurated in 1993, the maverick and venerable Democratic chairman of the House Banking Committee, Texan Henry B. Gonzalez, optimistically introduced some of his favorite projects for opening up the Fed to public scrutiny. His proposals seemed mild; he did not call for full-fledged Congressional control of the Fed’s budget. The Gonzalez Bill required full independent audits of the Fed’s operations; videotaping the meetings of the Fed’s policy-making committee; and releasing detailed minutes of the policy meetings within a week, rather than the Fed being allowed, as it is now, to issue vague summaries of its decisions six weeks later. In addition, the presidents of the twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks would be chosen by the president of the United States rather than, as they are now, by the commercial banks of the respective regions.
It was to be expected that Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan would strongly resist any such proposals. After all, it is in the nature of bureaucrats to resist any encroachment on their unbridled power. Seemingly more surprising was the rejection of the Gonzalez plan by President Clinton, whose power, after all, would be enhanced by the measure. The Gonzalez reforms, the President declared, “run the risk of undermining market confidence in the Fed.”
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It is little known, however, that there is a federal agency that tops the others in secrecy by a country mile. The Federal Reserve System is accountable to no one; it has no budget; it is subject to no audit; and no Congressional committee knows of, or can truly supervise, its operations. The Federal Reserve, virtually in total control of the nation's vital monetary system, is accountable to nobody - and this strange situation, if acknowledged at all, is invariably trumpeted as a virtue.
Thus, when the first Democratic president in over a decade was inaugurated in 1993, the maverick and venerable Democratic chairman of the House Banking Committee, Texan Henry B. Gonzalez, optimistically introduced some of his favorite projects for opening up the Fed to public scrutiny. His proposals seemed mild; he did not call for full-fledged Congressional control of the Fed’s budget. The Gonzalez Bill required full independent audits of the Fed’s operations; videotaping the meetings of the Fed’s policy-making committee; and releasing detailed minutes of the policy meetings within a week, rather than the Fed being allowed, as it is now, to issue vague summaries of its decisions six weeks later. In addition, the presidents of the twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks would be chosen by the president of the United States rather than, as they are now, by the commercial banks of the respective regions.
It was to be expected that Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan would strongly resist any such proposals. After all, it is in the nature of bureaucrats to resist any encroachment on their unbridled power. Seemingly more surprising was the rejection of the Gonzalez plan by President Clinton, whose power, after all, would be enhanced by the measure. The Gonzalez reforms, the President declared, “run the risk of undermining market confidence in the Fed.”
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Md. mom who forced son, 12, onto I-495, abandoned 9 kids in frigid minivan, gets 11 months
ROCKVILLE, Md. (ABC7) — A Maryland mother, accused of forcing her 12-year-old son onto the Beltway and abandoning nine younger kids in a minivan in frigid weather in 2016, has been sentenced to 11 months in jail.
In addition to the 2016 charges, in March and April 2018, Sheri Marshall, 36, of Colesville, was twice charged with DUI while pregnant with her fourteenth child.
Marshall's 1997 Dodge Caravan soon ran out of fuel on East-West Highway in Takoma Park. Instead of asking for help, Marshall and the nine other younger children spent the next 36 hours living out of the white-colored minivan, police said. Overnight outdoor temperatures were in the mid-twenties.
The children woke up and realized their mother was gone on the morning of December 18, 2016.The siblings scrounged through the van to collect loose change and bought cookies, juice and diapers at a nearby gas station.
When the children walked to a restaurant that evening, employees fed them and called 911.
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In addition to the 2016 charges, in March and April 2018, Sheri Marshall, 36, of Colesville, was twice charged with DUI while pregnant with her fourteenth child.
Marshall's 1997 Dodge Caravan soon ran out of fuel on East-West Highway in Takoma Park. Instead of asking for help, Marshall and the nine other younger children spent the next 36 hours living out of the white-colored minivan, police said. Overnight outdoor temperatures were in the mid-twenties.
The children woke up and realized their mother was gone on the morning of December 18, 2016.The siblings scrounged through the van to collect loose change and bought cookies, juice and diapers at a nearby gas station.
When the children walked to a restaurant that evening, employees fed them and called 911.
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Sen. Elizabeth Warren Endorses Ben Jealous for Maryland Governor
Senator Elizabeth Warren on Friday formally endorsed Democrat Ben Jealous for Maryland governor — adding her name to a growing list of national Democratic Party leaders who are backing the former NAACP president in his bid to unseat Republican Gov. Larry Hogan.
Warren, of Massachusetts, joins former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Kamala Harris(California), Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vermont) and Sen. Cory Booker (New Jersey) as national political figures endorsing Jealous.
Warren, of Massachusetts, joins former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Kamala Harris(California), Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vermont) and Sen. Cory Booker (New Jersey) as national political figures endorsing Jealous.
Dem States Deduct Nearly $150 Million From Medicaid Caregivers’ Paychecks, Give to Labor Unions
Scheme takes thousands of dollars from more than 350,000 Medicare providers
Democratic strongholds deducted nearly $150 million from Medicaid caregivers’ payments and handed them to labor unions in 2017, according to a report released by the Freedom Foundation.
California, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington deducted hundreds of millions of dollars in union dues and fees last year from federal funds set up to care for disabled and elderly Americans. The dues scheme has taken thousands of dollars from more than 350,000 Medicare providers, many of whom are caring for sick and aging family members. Since the turn of the 21st century, states have siphoned more than $1.4 billion in union dues from care aides’ paychecks, according to the pro-free market foundation’s report.
In 2014, the Supreme Court ruled in Harris v. Quinn that it was unconstitutional for states to force Medicaid caregivers to pay union fees against their will. But some states have created new measures since the decision, working with unions to coerce Medicaid caretakers to pay union dues even if they refuse.
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Democratic strongholds deducted nearly $150 million from Medicaid caregivers’ payments and handed them to labor unions in 2017, according to a report released by the Freedom Foundation.
California, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington deducted hundreds of millions of dollars in union dues and fees last year from federal funds set up to care for disabled and elderly Americans. The dues scheme has taken thousands of dollars from more than 350,000 Medicare providers, many of whom are caring for sick and aging family members. Since the turn of the 21st century, states have siphoned more than $1.4 billion in union dues from care aides’ paychecks, according to the pro-free market foundation’s report.
In 2014, the Supreme Court ruled in Harris v. Quinn that it was unconstitutional for states to force Medicaid caregivers to pay union fees against their will. But some states have created new measures since the decision, working with unions to coerce Medicaid caretakers to pay union dues even if they refuse.
Read more
Roseanne Barr Tells Fox's Hannity Racist Tweet Was A Big Misunderstanding
Roseanne Barr has just given a masterclass on how not to apologize for a massive public flameout.
Appearing on Fox News pundit Sean Hannity's show Thursday, Barr claimed the backlash over the widely condemned racist tweet which led to ABC canceling her show was a huge misunderstanding.
The tweet implied senior Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett was the offspring of the Muslim Brotherhood and an ape. Barr's defense? She didn't know Jarrett — who was born in Iran to American parents — was an African-American woman.
"You could have knocked me over with a feather when they said she was African-American," Barr told Hannity of the moment when executives from ABC asked her to explain the posting. "I thought she was Middle Eastern."
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Appearing on Fox News pundit Sean Hannity's show Thursday, Barr claimed the backlash over the widely condemned racist tweet which led to ABC canceling her show was a huge misunderstanding.
The tweet implied senior Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett was the offspring of the Muslim Brotherhood and an ape. Barr's defense? She didn't know Jarrett — who was born in Iran to American parents — was an African-American woman.
"You could have knocked me over with a feather when they said she was African-American," Barr told Hannity of the moment when executives from ABC asked her to explain the posting. "I thought she was Middle Eastern."
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North Korea Hands Over Remains Of 55 U.S. Servicemen Killed In Korean War
"A U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft containing remains of fallen service members has departed Wonsan, North Korea," the White House said in a statement late Thursday.
The Associated Press later confirmed that the plane had landed at Osan Air Base at Pyeongtaek, South Korea, where a formal repatriation ceremony is planned for Aug. 1.
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A Viewer Writes: Main Street Construction
VIDEO: Hundreds Of African Migrants Armed With Flamethrowers And Feces Storm Spanish Border, Injury Law Enforcement
Early Thursday morning, some 800 sub-Saharan migrants armed with flamethrowers, Molotov cocktails, mallets, shears, and plastic containers filled with feces stormed a Spanish border fence, violently clashing with law enforcement.
At least 15 Civil Guard officers suffered injuries, five of whom were transferred to a local hospital, according to a report from Spain's Civil Guard. "Molotov cocktails have also been recovered, as have bags of hashish," the report added.
More than 600 of the migrants successfully crossed the Spanish-Moroccan border fence into Ceuta, a Spanish autonomous city along the coast of North Africa.
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At least 15 Civil Guard officers suffered injuries, five of whom were transferred to a local hospital, according to a report from Spain's Civil Guard. "Molotov cocktails have also been recovered, as have bags of hashish," the report added.
More than 600 of the migrants successfully crossed the Spanish-Moroccan border fence into Ceuta, a Spanish autonomous city along the coast of North Africa.
More/Video
People are breathing in antibiotic resistant genes in major cities around the world
As well as soot and exhaust fumes city air could be filling our lungs with antibiotic resistant genes, a study has found.
Some two million people in the US are thought to become infected with drug-resistant bacteria every year, and they could be inhaling them from the air.
The genes which cause bacteria to become immune to medication – antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) – are able to move between different bacteria and also from bacteria into the environment, experts say.
And research by the American Chemical Society revealed scientists have found the airborne genes in farms and parks in America.
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Some two million people in the US are thought to become infected with drug-resistant bacteria every year, and they could be inhaling them from the air.
The genes which cause bacteria to become immune to medication – antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) – are able to move between different bacteria and also from bacteria into the environment, experts say.
And research by the American Chemical Society revealed scientists have found the airborne genes in farms and parks in America.
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Stalinist butcher who executed 10k people unmasked as locksmith
A vile Soviet state killer with the blood of more than 10,000 people on his hands has been unmasked by a Russian researcher.
Trained locksmith Ivan Nagorny - known as the Kiev Butcher - personally shot or ordered the executions in an 18-month period during Stalin's notorious purges.
Among those he himself slaughtered in a single day were 37 professors and tutors from Ukrainian universities who were sentenced to death as 'enemies of the people' on September 22 1936.
The 'trusted' Stalinist executioner was honoured two months later for his industrial-scale mass killing with a Red Star order.
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Trained locksmith Ivan Nagorny - known as the Kiev Butcher - personally shot or ordered the executions in an 18-month period during Stalin's notorious purges.
Among those he himself slaughtered in a single day were 37 professors and tutors from Ukrainian universities who were sentenced to death as 'enemies of the people' on September 22 1936.
The 'trusted' Stalinist executioner was honoured two months later for his industrial-scale mass killing with a Red Star order.
More
ICE arrests 65 during Operation Cross Check in New York City and Long Island
NEW YORK – Officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested 65 during a 5-day period, ending July 20 in New York City, and on Long Island.
During the operation, ICE’s ERO arrested 65 individuals for violating U.S. immigration laws. 64 of those arrested, had been previously removed from the United States and returned illegally. Of those arrested, 29 individuals were previously released from local law enforcement custody with an active detainer. Several had prior felony convictions for serious or violent offenses, such as sexual offenses, weapons charges, and assault, or had past convictions for significant or multiple misdemeanors.
“In this operation 64 of the 65 arrested had already been removed from this country, and the majority have either criminal convictions or pending criminal charges,” said Thomas R. Decker, field office director for ERO New York. “The fact is that ICE in New York continues to enforce immigration laws as they have always done, targeting criminal aliens and removing them from our streets. The rhetoric is copious, blurring the lines of fact versus fiction. But despite all the criticism, our officers continue to work daily with professionalism and integrity, enforcing the law as set forth by Congress.”
During the operation, ICE’s ERO arrested 65 individuals for violating U.S. immigration laws. 64 of those arrested, had been previously removed from the United States and returned illegally. Of those arrested, 29 individuals were previously released from local law enforcement custody with an active detainer. Several had prior felony convictions for serious or violent offenses, such as sexual offenses, weapons charges, and assault, or had past convictions for significant or multiple misdemeanors.
“In this operation 64 of the 65 arrested had already been removed from this country, and the majority have either criminal convictions or pending criminal charges,” said Thomas R. Decker, field office director for ERO New York. “The fact is that ICE in New York continues to enforce immigration laws as they have always done, targeting criminal aliens and removing them from our streets. The rhetoric is copious, blurring the lines of fact versus fiction. But despite all the criticism, our officers continue to work daily with professionalism and integrity, enforcing the law as set forth by Congress.”
Facebook's $100 billion-plus rout is the biggest loss in stock market history
Facebook on Thursday posted the largest one-day loss in market value by any company in U.S. stock market history after releasing a disastrous quarterly report.
The social media giant's market capitalization plummeted by $119 billion to $510 billion as its stock price plummeted by 19 percent. At Wednesday's close, Facebook's market cap had totaled nearly $630 billion, according to FactSet.
No company in the history of the U.S. stock market has ever lost $100 billion in market value in just one day, but two came close.
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The social media giant's market capitalization plummeted by $119 billion to $510 billion as its stock price plummeted by 19 percent. At Wednesday's close, Facebook's market cap had totaled nearly $630 billion, according to FactSet.
No company in the history of the U.S. stock market has ever lost $100 billion in market value in just one day, but two came close.
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Troopers Arrest Philadelphia Man for Theft of Fuel
Vincent B. CHINN Jr.
Wilmington – Delaware State Police detectives with the assistance of DNREC's Natural Resources Police Environmental Crimes Unit have arrested Vincent B. Chinn Jr., 34, of Philadelphia, PA, for his involvement in the theft of thousands of gallons of gasoline.
Beginning on Thursday July 5th, 2018, the Delaware State Police began investigating a series of thefts that were taking place at various Shell Gas Stations throughout New Castle County. The initial investigations determined that in the early morning hours, between 1:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m., the suspect, who would later be identified as Chinn, would syphon hundreds of gallons of fuel from underground storage tanks and then transfer it to plastic tanks which were contained on a utility trailer.
Through a variety of investigative measures detectives were able to identify a blue, Dodge Ram, 4 door pick-up truck, towing a utility trailer as a suspect vehicle. On Thursday, July 26, 2018 at approximately 4:10 a.m., Troopers observed the suspect vehicle, which contained the tanks, in the area of the Shell Gas Station, located at 300 South Walnut Street, Wilmington. The vehicle was stopped on I-495 northbound in the area of 12th Street and Chinn was identified as the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle. Due to the possibility of hazardous materials being present officers from DNREC's Environmental Crimes Unit responded to assist with the investigation. It was determined that the plastic storage tanks contained on the trailer were empty and were safe to transport.
Chinn, who also has ties to Newark, DE, was taken in to custody without incident and the vehicle and trailer were towed to Delaware State Police Troop 2 where a search warrant was executed. As a result of the search, evidence was recovered further linking Chinn to the thefts.
The thefts occurred at the following locations and involved the specified quantity of gasoline and associated value:
July 5, 2018: Shell Gas, 4495 Summit Bridge Road, Middletown. (661 gallons/$2,267.23)
July 10, 2018: Shell Gas, 841 Pulaski Highway, Bear. (416 gallons/$1,345.24)
July 15, 2018: Shell Gas, 4495 Summit Bridge Road, Middletown. (666 gallons/$2,364.30)
Chinn was charged by Delaware State Police detectives with two counts of Theft greater than $1500.00 (F) and one count of Theft less than $1500.00 (M).
Chinn was also charged by the Delaware Natural Resources Police Environmental Crimes Unit with 3 counts of Constructing Equipment to Discharge an Air Contaminant without a Permit (M).
Chinn was arraigned in Justice of the Peace Court #2 and released on $6100.00 unsecured bond.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Detective B. Harris at Troop 2 by calling 302-365-8410.
Radioshack maps a comeback w 100 Express Locations
RadioShack, once a neighborhood mainstay for all things electronic, is planning to make a comeback of sorts.
The 97-year-old retailer announced plans Thursday to open more than 100 "express" locations nationwide.
After filing bankruptcy in 2017 for the second time in less than three years, RadioShack announced a partnership last week to stock its merchandise in 60 franchised HobbyTown stores. Now RadioShack is extending that number to over 100 of the toy chain's locally owned stores.
“We are excited about the HobbyTown partnership, as it will allow us to re-engage and directly serve our core hobby and DIY (do-it-yourself) communities,” says Steve Moroneso, CEO of General Wireless Operations in a statement.
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The 97-year-old retailer announced plans Thursday to open more than 100 "express" locations nationwide.
After filing bankruptcy in 2017 for the second time in less than three years, RadioShack announced a partnership last week to stock its merchandise in 60 franchised HobbyTown stores. Now RadioShack is extending that number to over 100 of the toy chain's locally owned stores.
“We are excited about the HobbyTown partnership, as it will allow us to re-engage and directly serve our core hobby and DIY (do-it-yourself) communities,” says Steve Moroneso, CEO of General Wireless Operations in a statement.
More
House Appropriations Committee Approves Harris Language Repairing H-2B Visa Program
WASHINGTON, DC: Today, the House Committee on Appropriations is considering the FY19 Homeland Security Appropriations bill. Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) authored, and the committee approved, an amendment to permanently fix the H-2B visa program. The seafood processing industry and other employers on Maryland’s Eastern Shore depend on this program to hire temporary workers when they cannot find Americans interested in their job openings. Congressman Harris made the following statement after the amendment was passed:
“Unfortunately, the current structure of the H-2B visa program cannot accommodate the recent and substantial increase in demand for temporary guest workers. My amendment will ease the current strain on the H-2B program by exempting returning workers from the annual 66,000 visa limit, and by fixing the current problem of the “all or nothing” allocation system. In the event that even the higher limits authorized by my amendment are not enough to satisfy all the needs in a given year, the Department of Homeland Security will be able to distribute visas through a proportional allocation system, so all businesses in the application pool will receive at least a portion of the visas they requested.
The hardships created by this year’s shortage of visas should never be allowed to happen again. Small businesses on the Eastern Shore and across the United States depend on these temporary guest workers when they cannot find Americans to fill their job openings. I commend my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee for supporting this important reform, and I hope Maryland’s Senators will support this reform as well.”
“Unfortunately, the current structure of the H-2B visa program cannot accommodate the recent and substantial increase in demand for temporary guest workers. My amendment will ease the current strain on the H-2B program by exempting returning workers from the annual 66,000 visa limit, and by fixing the current problem of the “all or nothing” allocation system. In the event that even the higher limits authorized by my amendment are not enough to satisfy all the needs in a given year, the Department of Homeland Security will be able to distribute visas through a proportional allocation system, so all businesses in the application pool will receive at least a portion of the visas they requested.
The hardships created by this year’s shortage of visas should never be allowed to happen again. Small businesses on the Eastern Shore and across the United States depend on these temporary guest workers when they cannot find Americans to fill their job openings. I commend my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee for supporting this important reform, and I hope Maryland’s Senators will support this reform as well.”