The University of California, Berkeley, is offering a course entitled “Deconstructing Whiteness” this semester on campus.
The course, which was first reported on by Campus Reform, will focus on the negative aspects of “whiteness” and the responsibility of white people to take stands against white supremacy movements. The course will also address concepts like “environmental racism,” gentrified food practices, and “white comfort/coddling.”
This decal aims to confront uncomfortable conversations about privilege and positionality to understand where white bodies have the responsibility to be in movements against white supremacy and in solidarity with marginalized peoples and groups of color. This class will not be to coddle white fragility, but to deconstruct and relearn whiteness through case studies, speakers, and intense, critical readings.
The course is part of a larger slate of courses that seeks to break down various social ills. Other courses on the slate include “Palestine: A Settler-Colonial Analysis,” and “Decolonizing Methods in Academic Research.”
Much of the course, particularly the Decolonizing Methods workshop series, will situate research historically as a site of violence and trauma against marginalized communities—much of which will include racial and sexual violence,” the disclaimer states. “In order to prevent additional trauma, you are excused from this class or section of this class. If you feel comfortable doing so, please email or speak to me privately if you need to be accommodated in any way.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Tuesday, September 04, 2018
Study claiming US is home of one-third of mass-shooters worldwide debunked
A widely-popularized study adopted by the Obama administration claiming the U.S. has by far the most mass public shooters in the world has been criticized and dismissed by new research.
John. R. Lott Jr., president of the Crime Prevention Research Center and the author of the new study, has always been skeptical of the research by Adam Lankford, a professor at the University of Alabama, whose work gained special prominence after then-President Barack Obama cited his study in remarks about the San Bernardino attack in December 2015.
With little success to stop the myth of mass shootings as a uniquely American problem becoming ingrained across the world, Lott took the matter into his own hands, releasing a comprehensive study this week that debunks Lankford’s claims.
After crunching the numbers, Lott concluded in his study that the U.S. accounts for less than three percent of the world’s mass public shootings over a 15-year period – between 1998 and 2012 – which is significantly lower than what Lankford’s work has shown.
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http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/09/01/study-claiming-us-is-home-one-third-mass-shooters-worldwide-debunked-figure-less-than-3-percent.html
John. R. Lott Jr., president of the Crime Prevention Research Center and the author of the new study, has always been skeptical of the research by Adam Lankford, a professor at the University of Alabama, whose work gained special prominence after then-President Barack Obama cited his study in remarks about the San Bernardino attack in December 2015.
With little success to stop the myth of mass shootings as a uniquely American problem becoming ingrained across the world, Lott took the matter into his own hands, releasing a comprehensive study this week that debunks Lankford’s claims.
After crunching the numbers, Lott concluded in his study that the U.S. accounts for less than three percent of the world’s mass public shootings over a 15-year period – between 1998 and 2012 – which is significantly lower than what Lankford’s work has shown.
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http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/09/01/study-claiming-us-is-home-one-third-mass-shooters-worldwide-debunked-figure-less-than-3-percent.html
Study Shows Google News Search Results Point to Liberal Sources
A new study on the Google News service shows that five news organizations considered liberal make up almost half of the sites recommended when people are doing searches.
The study, performed by researchers Seth Lewis and Efrat Nechushtai and published in the journal "Computers in Human Behavior" in August, showed that everybody gets the same results when searching online, but 49 percent of the total recommendations returned come from The New York Times, CNN, Politico, The Washington Post and HuffPost, reports Newsbusters.
In addition, just 14 news organizations made up 79 percent of the total news recommendations that returned.
Lewis told Wired that Google is "dominated by mainstream news," and that people who consider the mainstream media to be left leaning, "you will have concerns about the results you get from Google News. There's no question about that."
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The study, performed by researchers Seth Lewis and Efrat Nechushtai and published in the journal "Computers in Human Behavior" in August, showed that everybody gets the same results when searching online, but 49 percent of the total recommendations returned come from The New York Times, CNN, Politico, The Washington Post and HuffPost, reports Newsbusters.
In addition, just 14 news organizations made up 79 percent of the total news recommendations that returned.
Lewis told Wired that Google is "dominated by mainstream news," and that people who consider the mainstream media to be left leaning, "you will have concerns about the results you get from Google News. There's no question about that."
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Old-School Eulogy at Aretha Franklin Funeral Ignites Wrath
A fiery, old-school eulogist at the funeral of Aretha Franklin fell flat for many in the crowd and prompted a social media uproar when he declared "black America has lost its soul," black women are incapable of raising sons alone and the Black Lives Matter movement is unfounded in the face of black-on-black crime.
And that was just 26 minutes into the nearly 50 minutes of words provided by the Rev. Jasper Williams Jr. of Salem Baptist Church in Atlanta as Franklin's marathon funeral wound down Friday.
At one point, Williams asked: "Where is your soul, black man? As I look in your house, there are no fathers in the home no more."
As for black women, he preached that "as proud, beautiful and fine as our black women are, one thing a black woman cannot do, a black woman cannot raise a black boy to be a man."
He negated the Black Lives Matter movement altogether in light of black-on-black crime, falling back on a rhyming pattern of yore:
"It amazes me how it is when the police kills one of us we're ready to protest, march, destroy innocent property," Williams began. "We're ready to loot, steal whatever we want, but when we kill 100 of us, nobody says anything, nobody does anything. Black on black crime, we're all doing time, we're locked up in our mind, there's got to be a better way, we must stop this today."
More here
And that was just 26 minutes into the nearly 50 minutes of words provided by the Rev. Jasper Williams Jr. of Salem Baptist Church in Atlanta as Franklin's marathon funeral wound down Friday.
At one point, Williams asked: "Where is your soul, black man? As I look in your house, there are no fathers in the home no more."
As for black women, he preached that "as proud, beautiful and fine as our black women are, one thing a black woman cannot do, a black woman cannot raise a black boy to be a man."
He negated the Black Lives Matter movement altogether in light of black-on-black crime, falling back on a rhyming pattern of yore:
"It amazes me how it is when the police kills one of us we're ready to protest, march, destroy innocent property," Williams began. "We're ready to loot, steal whatever we want, but when we kill 100 of us, nobody says anything, nobody does anything. Black on black crime, we're all doing time, we're locked up in our mind, there's got to be a better way, we must stop this today."
More here
Breaking News: In a major primary upset, Ayanna Pressley won her insurgent House bid in Massachusetts after the Democratic incumbent Michael Capuano conceded.
Amazon’s Alexa Virtual Assistant Vulnerable to Hijacking
A team of researchers has revealed a potentially dangerous vulnerability in Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant.
Skill-squatting, according to Ars Technica, is when a developer creates a similar sounding command to popular Alexa commands — called “skills” by Amazon — so that users who ask the assistant, for example, for “cat facts” may instead get the developer-created “cat fax,” which could turn out to be a malicious application.
“Developers are already giving their applications names that are similar to those of popular applications. Some of these — such as ‘Fish Facts’ (a skill that returns random facts about fish, the aquatic vertebrates) and ‘Phish Facts’ (a skill that returns facts about the Vermont-based jam band) — are accidental, but others such as ‘Cat Fax’ (which mimics ‘Cat Facts’) are obviously intentional,” Ars Technica reported. “Thanks to the way Alexa handles requests for new ‘skills’ — the cloud applications that register with Amazon — it’s possible to create malicious skills that are named with homophones for existing legitimate applications… This sort of thing offers all kinds of potential for malicious developers.”
To compare this “skill-squatting” of the Alexa system with normal Internet use, it is similar to mistyping a web address which takes the user to a fake version of the site that they attempted to visit, a fake site which may be malicious.
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Skill-squatting, according to Ars Technica, is when a developer creates a similar sounding command to popular Alexa commands — called “skills” by Amazon — so that users who ask the assistant, for example, for “cat facts” may instead get the developer-created “cat fax,” which could turn out to be a malicious application.
“Developers are already giving their applications names that are similar to those of popular applications. Some of these — such as ‘Fish Facts’ (a skill that returns random facts about fish, the aquatic vertebrates) and ‘Phish Facts’ (a skill that returns facts about the Vermont-based jam band) — are accidental, but others such as ‘Cat Fax’ (which mimics ‘Cat Facts’) are obviously intentional,” Ars Technica reported. “Thanks to the way Alexa handles requests for new ‘skills’ — the cloud applications that register with Amazon — it’s possible to create malicious skills that are named with homophones for existing legitimate applications… This sort of thing offers all kinds of potential for malicious developers.”
To compare this “skill-squatting” of the Alexa system with normal Internet use, it is similar to mistyping a web address which takes the user to a fake version of the site that they attempted to visit, a fake site which may be malicious.
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Smoking Gun Memo Laid Out Left’s Assault on Conservatives
A strategy memo compiled by George Soros-funded activist groups as President Trump was being inaugurated last year foretold and seemed to lay the groundwork for many of the political difficulties Trump now faces and the politics-related strife now roiling the nation.
The memo takes on a heightened importance as the politically-driven censorship of conservatives by the gigantic, unregulated social media corporations controlled by the Left is moving into high gear while the crucial midterm congressional elections of Nov. 6 approach.
The intensely anti-conservative animus in the memo may have inspired MasterCard and WorldPay’s attempt on Aug. 21 to strangle the fundraising efforts of the David Horowitz Freedom Center, publisher of FrontPage, by refusing to complete its financial transactions.
The memo itself, "Democracy Matters: Strategic Plan for Action," marked an escalation in tactics by the Left. It was first made public last year by Joe Schoffstall of the Washington Free Beacon around the time Donald Trump took the oath of office to become the nation’s 45th president. This smoking-gun planning document aimed at suppressing conservative voices on social media was ignored by the mainstream media at the time and in the more than a year-and-a-half since.
The document spelled out the Left’s plans for impeaching President Trump, filing lawsuits against the fledgling administration, and using social media to delegitimize Trump’s presidency and hurt Republicans.
More here
The memo takes on a heightened importance as the politically-driven censorship of conservatives by the gigantic, unregulated social media corporations controlled by the Left is moving into high gear while the crucial midterm congressional elections of Nov. 6 approach.
The intensely anti-conservative animus in the memo may have inspired MasterCard and WorldPay’s attempt on Aug. 21 to strangle the fundraising efforts of the David Horowitz Freedom Center, publisher of FrontPage, by refusing to complete its financial transactions.
The memo itself, "Democracy Matters: Strategic Plan for Action," marked an escalation in tactics by the Left. It was first made public last year by Joe Schoffstall of the Washington Free Beacon around the time Donald Trump took the oath of office to become the nation’s 45th president. This smoking-gun planning document aimed at suppressing conservative voices on social media was ignored by the mainstream media at the time and in the more than a year-and-a-half since.
The document spelled out the Left’s plans for impeaching President Trump, filing lawsuits against the fledgling administration, and using social media to delegitimize Trump’s presidency and hurt Republicans.
More here
Trump Appoints Kiron Skinner at State to Carry Out ‘America First’ Agenda
“To counter 21st century threats and take advantage of unfolding opportunities, I will bring together a no-nonsense team of career diplomats, political appointees, scholars, and analysts who want to leave egos and outworn doctrines at the door,” she said in a statement to Breitbart News.
“In the cauldron of Washington politics this may sound naïve, but it must be done to create a 21st century American foreign policy that protects Americans and advances American interests,” she said.
“To effectively implement President Trump’s America First vision means thinking through the President’s ideas and good instincts with the seriousness that they deserve, and that’s exactly what my team and I will do,” she added.
More here
Kavanaugh’s daughters rushed out of chaotic, ‘hot’ hearing
As Democratic senators fought to delay the hearing of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, and as spectators jarringly heckled the process Tuesday, his two young daughters were rushed from the hearing room, according to sources.
The two, Margaret and Liza, were taken out by their mother, Ashley, as the hearing got “hot,” said one insider.
“It was very unpleasant for young children,” said the insider.
At times hecklers in the audience shouted out, apparently scaring the young girls, there to support their father.
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The two, Margaret and Liza, were taken out by their mother, Ashley, as the hearing got “hot,” said one insider.
“It was very unpleasant for young children,” said the insider.
At times hecklers in the audience shouted out, apparently scaring the young girls, there to support their father.
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Be Here At 8:00 AM Tomorrow Morning
Ladies & Gentlemen, I am withholding the biggest story I've ever been made aware of, (for the moment). I can tell you that in the near future I will be given permission to publish the information but until then, know that when this massive breaking news comes about, SBYNews was asked to hold it off. What I can tell you is this, IT'S BIG! Crack on me all you want, there are a select few people who do know what's about to happen here on the Shore and they know just how big it is. They'll also respect the fact that I held it off for damn good reasons. In the mean time, keep your eyes towards the sky when you pass Trader Lee's next week, IT'S BIG!!!! And anyone traveling down Rt. 50 into Ocean City will NOT miss it.
Facebook: ‘Employee Error’ Responsible for PragerU 99.9999% Drop in Reach
PragerU’s recent Facebook shadow-banning was reportedly due to a single “employee error” — this employee has been sent for guideline re-education but is still employed by the company.
Breitbart News spoke with PragerU recently following their issues with Facebook, the conservative non-profit found that many recent posts from their page were suffering from a 99.9999 percent drop in engagement based on Facebook’s own dashboard. The Social Media Masters of the Universe also pulled down two PragerU videos, which it labeled “hate speech.”
Since then, Facebook has apologized to PragerU, stating that the removal of videos was an error. A Facebook spokesperson said in a statement: “The videos in question were mistakenly removed. While we continue to research what caused this error, we have restored the content because it does not break our Community Standards and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.”
According to PragerU, Facebook contacted the non-profit about the issue and explained that the reason PragerU’s videos were removed is that a large number of users flagged the PragerU posts as inappropriate. The videos were then sent to a content review team where one of the employees reviewed them and decided to remove the videos as “hate speech.”
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[Has anyone noticed how the bogus concept of 'hate speech' has now been normalized and become mainstream? How did that happen? --Editor]
Breitbart News spoke with PragerU recently following their issues with Facebook, the conservative non-profit found that many recent posts from their page were suffering from a 99.9999 percent drop in engagement based on Facebook’s own dashboard. The Social Media Masters of the Universe also pulled down two PragerU videos, which it labeled “hate speech.”
Since then, Facebook has apologized to PragerU, stating that the removal of videos was an error. A Facebook spokesperson said in a statement: “The videos in question were mistakenly removed. While we continue to research what caused this error, we have restored the content because it does not break our Community Standards and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.”
According to PragerU, Facebook contacted the non-profit about the issue and explained that the reason PragerU’s videos were removed is that a large number of users flagged the PragerU posts as inappropriate. The videos were then sent to a content review team where one of the employees reviewed them and decided to remove the videos as “hate speech.”
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[Has anyone noticed how the bogus concept of 'hate speech' has now been normalized and become mainstream? How did that happen? --Editor]
Nike Loses $3.75 Billion in Market Cap After Colin Kaepernick Named Face of ‘Just Do It’ Ads
Nike just lost about $3.75 billion in market cap after announcing free agent NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick as the new face of its “Just Do It” ad campaign. It’s the 30th anniversary of the iconic TV and print spots.
At the time of this writing, the sneaker company’s intra-day market capitalization was $127.82 billion. On Friday, that number had been $131.57 billion.
Market capitalization is the market value of a publicly traded company’s outstanding shares.
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At the time of this writing, the sneaker company’s intra-day market capitalization was $127.82 billion. On Friday, that number had been $131.57 billion.
Market capitalization is the market value of a publicly traded company’s outstanding shares.
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Indian CEO Arrested for Massive H-1B Fraud
The Department of Justice arrested an Indian CEO when he flew into Sea-Tac airport and charged him with using the H-1B visa-worker program to “compete unlawfully in the market.”
The secret investigation and arrest highlight what critics say is endemic fraud and corruption in the Indian-dominated H-1B visa-worker program.
“The criminal complaint describes how two companies incorporated by [CEO Pradyumna Kumar Samal] in 2010 and 2011, engaged in a scheme sometimes referred to as a ‘bench-and-switch’ scheme, to exploit foreign-national workers, compete unlawfully in the market, and defraud the U.S. government,” said the statement from the Department of Justice.
The CEO, Pradyumna Kumar Samal, allegedly lied to federal agencies when he said the visa-workers were imported for existing contracts, and he allegedly effectively forced his Indian employees to work for less than the promised wage-levels, said the statement:
Nearly 200 workers may have been brought in under the phony applications. The employees were forced to pay SAMAL’s companies a partially-refundable “security deposit” of as much as $5,000 for the visa filings, regardless of whether they were assigned to any projects that provided them with income.
More here
The secret investigation and arrest highlight what critics say is endemic fraud and corruption in the Indian-dominated H-1B visa-worker program.
“The criminal complaint describes how two companies incorporated by [CEO Pradyumna Kumar Samal] in 2010 and 2011, engaged in a scheme sometimes referred to as a ‘bench-and-switch’ scheme, to exploit foreign-national workers, compete unlawfully in the market, and defraud the U.S. government,” said the statement from the Department of Justice.
The CEO, Pradyumna Kumar Samal, allegedly lied to federal agencies when he said the visa-workers were imported for existing contracts, and he allegedly effectively forced his Indian employees to work for less than the promised wage-levels, said the statement:
Nearly 200 workers may have been brought in under the phony applications. The employees were forced to pay SAMAL’s companies a partially-refundable “security deposit” of as much as $5,000 for the visa filings, regardless of whether they were assigned to any projects that provided them with income.
More here
US service member killed in apparent insider attack in Afghanistan
A US service member was killed and another wounded in an apparent insider attack in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, authorities said.
The service member, who was not identified, was the sixth American to be killed in the Afghan war — the nation’s longest — so far this year.
The incident came two months after a member of a US Army training unit was shot dead by an Afghan soldier in the southern province of Uruzgan.
“The sacrifice of our service member, who volunteered for a mission to Afghanistan to protect his country, is a tragic loss for all who knew and all who will now never know him,” said Gen. Scott Miller, who assumed command of NATO forces in Afghanistan on Sunday.
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The service member, who was not identified, was the sixth American to be killed in the Afghan war — the nation’s longest — so far this year.
The incident came two months after a member of a US Army training unit was shot dead by an Afghan soldier in the southern province of Uruzgan.
“The sacrifice of our service member, who volunteered for a mission to Afghanistan to protect his country, is a tragic loss for all who knew and all who will now never know him,” said Gen. Scott Miller, who assumed command of NATO forces in Afghanistan on Sunday.
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REPORT: Huge Number Of Illegals Opting Out Of Welfare Programs Fearing Trump Admin Crackdown
Illegal immigrants are opting out of government welfare programs out of fear of Trump Administration crackdowns coming done the pike, reported POLITICO on Monday.
Due to a proposed Trump Administration rule to deny legal status to illegals on welfare, both legal and illegal immigrants have been inundating health care providers with calls demanding they be dropped from federal assistance programs like WIC. "Agencies in at least 18 states say they’ve seen drops of up to 20 percent in enrollment, and they attribute the change largely to fears about the immigration policy," says the report.
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Due to a proposed Trump Administration rule to deny legal status to illegals on welfare, both legal and illegal immigrants have been inundating health care providers with calls demanding they be dropped from federal assistance programs like WIC. "Agencies in at least 18 states say they’ve seen drops of up to 20 percent in enrollment, and they attribute the change largely to fears about the immigration policy," says the report.
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Chicago's violent Labor Day weekend leaves at least 6 dead; more than 1,000 shot since Memorial Day
Violence erupted over the Labor Day weekend in Chicago with shootings killing at least six people and wounding 23 others.
In all, more than 1,000 people have been shot since Memorial Day, the Chicago Tribune reported, and while total shootings are down slightly from the same period in 2017, many Chicagoans have said the deadly gun violence remains a major problem that the city desperately needs to fix.
Among the latest victims: a 25-year-old doctoral student at Northwestern University. Shane Colombo of Sun City, California, was shot and killed Sunday night while waiting at a bus stop after he was caught in the crossfire of two other people, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
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In all, more than 1,000 people have been shot since Memorial Day, the Chicago Tribune reported, and while total shootings are down slightly from the same period in 2017, many Chicagoans have said the deadly gun violence remains a major problem that the city desperately needs to fix.
Among the latest victims: a 25-year-old doctoral student at Northwestern University. Shane Colombo of Sun City, California, was shot and killed Sunday night while waiting at a bus stop after he was caught in the crossfire of two other people, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
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'We are totally happy,' says paid Amazon workers on Twitter
Amazon is paying workers to defend the company on Twitter, reassuring critics that they make enough money to live and are allowed to take bathroom breaks.
The tweets are part of Amazon's plan to combat negative headlines and online chatter about poor working conditions at its warehouses.
Amazon says the "ambassadors" are not told what to write, while some on social media have been skeptical of their cheery messages and called them bots. The company didn't say how many workers it has enlisted for the program or respond to a request to interview them.
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The tweets are part of Amazon's plan to combat negative headlines and online chatter about poor working conditions at its warehouses.
Amazon says the "ambassadors" are not told what to write, while some on social media have been skeptical of their cheery messages and called them bots. The company didn't say how many workers it has enlisted for the program or respond to a request to interview them.
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Fans Burn Nike Gear in Response to Colin Kaepernick's 'Just Do It' Ad Campaign
Nike announced its “Just Do It” ad campaign on Monday, featuring former NFL player and original anthem protester Colin Kaepernick. News of the campaign comes only days before the kickoff of the 2018 NFL regular season.
Nike tweeted:
However, this news was not welcome to all. Specifically, to fans who believe Colin Kaepernick has disrespected law enforcement, the military, the flag, anthem, and just about everything that makes America great.
As a result, some fans took to Twitter and took out their frustrations on their Nike gear:
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Nike tweeted:
However, this news was not welcome to all. Specifically, to fans who believe Colin Kaepernick has disrespected law enforcement, the military, the flag, anthem, and just about everything that makes America great.
As a result, some fans took to Twitter and took out their frustrations on their Nike gear:
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Nike Promotes Kaepernick For Anniversary Of 'Just Do It.' Kaepernick Boasts Of His Sacrifice.
It turns out that Nike, which has kept former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick on their payroll since 2011 but has not used him in their ads for the last two years, was saving him for a signature moment, bringing him back in their ads to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their “Just Do It” campaign.
Gino Fisanotti, Nike's vice president of brand marketing for North America, told ESPN, "We believe Colin is one of the most inspirational athletes of this generation, who has leveraged the power of sport to help move the world forward.”
Kaepernick, 30, who was named GQ magazine's Citizen of the Year for 2017, has filed a collusion grievance against the NFL, accusing it of keeping him out of the league because of his protest.
To commemorate Nike’s decision, Kaepernick gleefully tweeted:
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Gino Fisanotti, Nike's vice president of brand marketing for North America, told ESPN, "We believe Colin is one of the most inspirational athletes of this generation, who has leveraged the power of sport to help move the world forward.”
Kaepernick, 30, who was named GQ magazine's Citizen of the Year for 2017, has filed a collusion grievance against the NFL, accusing it of keeping him out of the league because of his protest.
To commemorate Nike’s decision, Kaepernick gleefully tweeted:
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Back to school for French kids… without their phones
Texting under the table should be a thing of the past when French children return to class Monday following a nationwide ban on mobile phones in schools.
The ban, a campaign pledge of President Emmanuel Macron’s, was brought in under a law passed in July which also banishes tablets and smart watches from French primary and junior high schools.
High schools, taking students aged 15 to 18, will also be allowed to initiate partial or total bans as they reopen after the summer break, though they will not be obligatory.
Proponents say the law, which has prompted vigorous debate, will reduce distraction in the classroom, combat bullying and encourage children to be more active during recess.
Nearly 90 percent of French adolescents aged between 12 and 17 have a mobile phone, and supporters hope the ban will help limit the spread of violent and pornographic content among children.
Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer has hailed the legislation as “a law for the 21st century” that would improve discipline among France’s 12 million schoolchildren.
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The ban, a campaign pledge of President Emmanuel Macron’s, was brought in under a law passed in July which also banishes tablets and smart watches from French primary and junior high schools.
High schools, taking students aged 15 to 18, will also be allowed to initiate partial or total bans as they reopen after the summer break, though they will not be obligatory.
Proponents say the law, which has prompted vigorous debate, will reduce distraction in the classroom, combat bullying and encourage children to be more active during recess.
Nearly 90 percent of French adolescents aged between 12 and 17 have a mobile phone, and supporters hope the ban will help limit the spread of violent and pornographic content among children.
Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer has hailed the legislation as “a law for the 21st century” that would improve discipline among France’s 12 million schoolchildren.
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Why some small businesses are quitting the socials
After nearly two years under fire for false news and Russian election meddling, Facebook has felt the pressure from users and government regulators to address these issues. Earlier this year, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced changes to the platform’s news feed product with content from "more posts from friends and family" and "less public content, including videos and other posts from publishers or businesses."
The goal was to make Facebook more social with fewer commercial and product posts. Publishers ranging from big businesses to mommy bloggers are forced to post more content that they create personally, rather than sharing products or affiliate links.
With these changes, some small publishers claim to see a massive downside.
“One of the Facebook policy changes that kind of went under the radar and it went into effect in February was the branded content policy. And it decreased my income from Facebook by 60 percent, overnight. No explanation.” said Holly Homer, an entrepreneur from Texas who owns the Facebook pages for “Quirky Mama” and “Kids Activities.”
With over 3 million followers, Homer’s Facebook page had become so popular she hired five employees and her husband quit his full-time medical job to help with the business. Homer showed NBC News a chart of interactions with her Facebook page that shows a decrease in February when Facebook implemented changes to News Feed.
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The goal was to make Facebook more social with fewer commercial and product posts. Publishers ranging from big businesses to mommy bloggers are forced to post more content that they create personally, rather than sharing products or affiliate links.
With these changes, some small publishers claim to see a massive downside.
“One of the Facebook policy changes that kind of went under the radar and it went into effect in February was the branded content policy. And it decreased my income from Facebook by 60 percent, overnight. No explanation.” said Holly Homer, an entrepreneur from Texas who owns the Facebook pages for “Quirky Mama” and “Kids Activities.”
With over 3 million followers, Homer’s Facebook page had become so popular she hired five employees and her husband quit his full-time medical job to help with the business. Homer showed NBC News a chart of interactions with her Facebook page that shows a decrease in February when Facebook implemented changes to News Feed.
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Police: MS-13 Member Entered Young Girl’s Bedroom, Raped Her
An alleged MS-13 gang member entered an 11-year-old girl’s bedroom in Brooklyn, New York, and raped her, police announced Saturday.
Police said Julio Cesar Ayala, 18, a Salvadorean national who lived in the area, allegedly broke into the girl’s apartment building on Wednesday at 11:30 p.m. by climbing onto the roof and entering through an opening on the second floor before raping her, the New York Post reported.
Officials say he escaped out the window while she screamed for her mother—who rushed to help her.
The mother called the authorities but was not able to get a good view of the attacker. Police, however, were able to obtain images of the suspect through video surveillance footage.
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Police said Julio Cesar Ayala, 18, a Salvadorean national who lived in the area, allegedly broke into the girl’s apartment building on Wednesday at 11:30 p.m. by climbing onto the roof and entering through an opening on the second floor before raping her, the New York Post reported.
Officials say he escaped out the window while she screamed for her mother—who rushed to help her.
The mother called the authorities but was not able to get a good view of the attacker. Police, however, were able to obtain images of the suspect through video surveillance footage.
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Study: Peer Pressure and Prior Psychiatric Illness Linked to Gender Issues in Teens
A new study that has drawn criticism from transgender activists finds most teens “come out” as transgender after belonging to a peer group in which multiple friends identify as trans.
Additionally, the study shows most young people announcing they are transgendered have already been identified with at least one mental health disorder.
In the study – published at PLoS ONE – that focused on teens who are predominantly female, Lisa Littman, an assistant professor of behavioral and social sciences at Brown University, found 87 percent of the young people were reported by their parents to have “come out” as trans after increased time spent on social media and the Internet and after “cluster outbreaks” of gender dysphoria among their groups of friends. Most of the teens who ultimately identified as transgender also showed increased popularity with peer groups afterward.
Littman refers to this phenomenon as “rapid-onset gender dysphoria (ROGD)”.
Of the teens whose parents participated in the study, 62.5% had been diagnosed with at least one mental health disorder prior to the onset of their gender dysphoria.
Transgender activists have condemned the study, leading Brown University to censor it after it “heard from Brown community members expressing concerns that the conclusions of the study could be used to discredit efforts to support transgender youth and invalidate the perspectives of members of the transgender community.”
More here
Additionally, the study shows most young people announcing they are transgendered have already been identified with at least one mental health disorder.
In the study – published at PLoS ONE – that focused on teens who are predominantly female, Lisa Littman, an assistant professor of behavioral and social sciences at Brown University, found 87 percent of the young people were reported by their parents to have “come out” as trans after increased time spent on social media and the Internet and after “cluster outbreaks” of gender dysphoria among their groups of friends. Most of the teens who ultimately identified as transgender also showed increased popularity with peer groups afterward.
Littman refers to this phenomenon as “rapid-onset gender dysphoria (ROGD)”.
Of the teens whose parents participated in the study, 62.5% had been diagnosed with at least one mental health disorder prior to the onset of their gender dysphoria.
Transgender activists have condemned the study, leading Brown University to censor it after it “heard from Brown community members expressing concerns that the conclusions of the study could be used to discredit efforts to support transgender youth and invalidate the perspectives of members of the transgender community.”
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Congress waits, waits, waits for Sally Yates documents
Obama appointee Sally Yates was acting attorney general under President Trump for just 10 days — from Jan. 20, 2017 until Jan. 30, 2017 — but by any measure they were consequential days. Even now, two issues from Yates' brief tenure are still of interest to congressional investigators. One was the series of events that led Yates, in charge of the Justice Department, to reject the president's executive order temporarily suspending the admittance into the United States of people from some Muslim nations. The second is Yates' role in the FBI's questioning, apparently on dubious premises, the president's national security adviser, Michael Flynn, four days into the new administration — questioning that ultimately led to Flynn's guilty plea in the Trump-Russia investigation.
Both are matters of great public significance and interest — and on both, the Justice Department is refusing to allow the Senate Judiciary Committee access to documents from Yates' time in office.
Over a year and a half has passed since Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley wrote to Attorney General Jeff Sessions asking for "all emails to, from, copying, or blind-copying Ms. Yates from Jan. 20, 2017, through Jan. 31, 2017." Grassley also asked for all of Yates' other correspondence from that period, plus records of her calls and meetings.
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Both are matters of great public significance and interest — and on both, the Justice Department is refusing to allow the Senate Judiciary Committee access to documents from Yates' time in office.
Over a year and a half has passed since Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley wrote to Attorney General Jeff Sessions asking for "all emails to, from, copying, or blind-copying Ms. Yates from Jan. 20, 2017, through Jan. 31, 2017." Grassley also asked for all of Yates' other correspondence from that period, plus records of her calls and meetings.
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Breaking News: Former Senator Jon Kyl will be named as John McCain's replacement in Arizona, but has committed to serving only until January.
Apaches stave off wildfires with timber industry, active forest management
The catastrophic blazes that thrive in eastern Arizona’s thickly forested yet arid landscape have a way of fizzling once they jump from the dense national forests to the Apache reservations, and that’s not by chance.
On a scorching summer day with fire danger at the extreme level, forestry superintendent Michael Gutierrez and his crew spent the morning chain-sawing the overgrown junipers surrounding Seneca Lake on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation.
Soil conservationist Paul Buck discussed his experiments in fighting tough alligator juniper using the terrestrial version of the herbicide Round-Up, and forest manager Dee Randall explained how the scrubby trees could be converted into slabs and sold for furniture as part the tribal timber business.
Such wildfire prevention techniques might alarm environmentalists, but the San Carlos Apache have their own agenda: Keep the forests healthy, protect their sacred sites, and bring back the plants and grasslands that flourished before the reservation was established in 1934.
“The Apaches believe the health of the people is tied to the health of the land,” said Mr. Randall. “We want the reservation to look the way it did in the pre-reservation days. Everything we do is just to help us get a more healthy forest. That’s the whole goal.”
More here
On a scorching summer day with fire danger at the extreme level, forestry superintendent Michael Gutierrez and his crew spent the morning chain-sawing the overgrown junipers surrounding Seneca Lake on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation.
Soil conservationist Paul Buck discussed his experiments in fighting tough alligator juniper using the terrestrial version of the herbicide Round-Up, and forest manager Dee Randall explained how the scrubby trees could be converted into slabs and sold for furniture as part the tribal timber business.
Such wildfire prevention techniques might alarm environmentalists, but the San Carlos Apache have their own agenda: Keep the forests healthy, protect their sacred sites, and bring back the plants and grasslands that flourished before the reservation was established in 1934.
“The Apaches believe the health of the people is tied to the health of the land,” said Mr. Randall. “We want the reservation to look the way it did in the pre-reservation days. Everything we do is just to help us get a more healthy forest. That’s the whole goal.”
More here
With Kavanaugh on track for confirmation, Desperate-crats are in a panic
With attempts to attack Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh’s record failing, Democrats over the weekend mounted a last-ditch bid to derail his confirmation to the Supreme Court by claiming that the vetting process is so bad that it demands a do-over.
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, even accused former President George W. Bush of complicity, saying he used his powers to block access to tens of thousands of pages of records from Judge Kavanaugh’s time in the Bush White House.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, said as long as Judge Kavanaugh doesn’t bungle the hearings, he will be confirmed with some Democrats joining Republicans.
Democrats seemed to realize they are fighting a losing battle after attacks on the judge’s personal finances and his activities while in the Bush White House fell short.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota Democrat, expressed remorse that her party eviscerated the power of the filibuster five years ago, leaving them no path to stop Judge Kavanaugh, barring Republican defections.
Ms. Klobuchar, who voted with fellow Democrats in 2013 to trigger the “nuclear option” and curtail the filibuster, said she would support reverting to the 60-vote rule should her party regain the Senate.
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Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, even accused former President George W. Bush of complicity, saying he used his powers to block access to tens of thousands of pages of records from Judge Kavanaugh’s time in the Bush White House.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, said as long as Judge Kavanaugh doesn’t bungle the hearings, he will be confirmed with some Democrats joining Republicans.
Democrats seemed to realize they are fighting a losing battle after attacks on the judge’s personal finances and his activities while in the Bush White House fell short.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota Democrat, expressed remorse that her party eviscerated the power of the filibuster five years ago, leaving them no path to stop Judge Kavanaugh, barring Republican defections.
Ms. Klobuchar, who voted with fellow Democrats in 2013 to trigger the “nuclear option” and curtail the filibuster, said she would support reverting to the 60-vote rule should her party regain the Senate.
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Illegal Alien Accused of Killing North Carolina Man in ‘Horrific’ Hit-And-Run
Neri Damian Cruz-Carmona, a 26-year-old illegal alien, allegedly left Jamar Rashaun Beach dead on a Raleigh, North Carolina street after he hit the man and fled the scene of the accident, according to police.
Cruz-Carmona turned left in his Honda car and failed to yield the right of way, hitting Beach on his motorcycle and killing him, police say. Following the crash, the illegal alien fled the scene, according to police, leaving Beach dead.
More here
More and more companies ditch college degree requirements for jobs
Big companies like Google, Apple, and IBM are no longer requiring applicants to hold a college degree.
This is a significant change. Historically, employers have required a college degree whether or not it was necessary to do the job.
Is this because colleges are no longer teaching the needed skills, or because there are so many job openings to fill that standards are dropping? Could it be that vocational training and self-taught skills are enough for certain jobs in the modern-day economy?
Glassdoor compiled an August list of 15 big companies that no longer require a degree to apply:
Google
Ernst & Young
Penguin Random House
Costco Wholesale
Whole Foods
Hilton
Publix
Apple
Starbucks
Nordstrom
Home Depot
IBM
Bank of America
Chipotle
Lowe’s
This is a welcome change for many jobseekers, as well as high school graduates considering whether college is worth the exorbitant cost. With college tuition soaring nationwide, these companies are giving young people an opportunity to succeed without going into debt for a degree they may not even use on the job.
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This is a significant change. Historically, employers have required a college degree whether or not it was necessary to do the job.
Is this because colleges are no longer teaching the needed skills, or because there are so many job openings to fill that standards are dropping? Could it be that vocational training and self-taught skills are enough for certain jobs in the modern-day economy?
Glassdoor compiled an August list of 15 big companies that no longer require a degree to apply:
Ernst & Young
Penguin Random House
Costco Wholesale
Whole Foods
Hilton
Publix
Apple
Starbucks
Nordstrom
Home Depot
IBM
Bank of America
Chipotle
Lowe’s
This is a welcome change for many jobseekers, as well as high school graduates considering whether college is worth the exorbitant cost. With college tuition soaring nationwide, these companies are giving young people an opportunity to succeed without going into debt for a degree they may not even use on the job.
More
Virginia town where Red Hen refused to serve Sarah Sanders is trying to recover
A small town in Virginia is attempting a reputation makeover after a restaurant in the area infamously refused to serve White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders in June.
The area's regional tourism board is pulling together emergency funds to boost its digital marketing campaign, the Roanoke Times reported Sunday. The money is normally saved, however, officials agreed the region is in desperate need of positive coverage after the Sanders controversy.
The tourism board serves Lexington, Va., where The Red Hen is located, and other communities that are about three hours from Washington, D.C.
Following the incident, the tourism board was flooded with thousands of calls and emails -- and the complaints are still coming. The office received a letter Thursday from a Georgia family that wrote to say it would never return because of what happened.
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http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/09/03/virginia-town-where-red-hen-refused-to-serve-sarah-sanders-is-trying-to-recover-its-image.html
The area's regional tourism board is pulling together emergency funds to boost its digital marketing campaign, the Roanoke Times reported Sunday. The money is normally saved, however, officials agreed the region is in desperate need of positive coverage after the Sanders controversy.
The tourism board serves Lexington, Va., where The Red Hen is located, and other communities that are about three hours from Washington, D.C.
Following the incident, the tourism board was flooded with thousands of calls and emails -- and the complaints are still coming. The office received a letter Thursday from a Georgia family that wrote to say it would never return because of what happened.
More
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/09/03/virginia-town-where-red-hen-refused-to-serve-sarah-sanders-is-trying-to-recover-its-image.html
If Obama AG Lynch Pushed Through Original FISA Warrant to Spy on Candidate Trump – Did AG Sessions or Rosenstein Renew it?
The Gateway Pundit reported over the weekend that it appears that the reason there was no FISA Court hearing on the Carter Page FISA warrant was because Obama’s Attorney General Loretta Lynch forced through the application per an obscure loophole in the law.
If this is correct, then did AG Sessions or Rosenstein push through any extensions after President Trump took office?
[Last] Monday evening Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) revealed Congressional investigators have learned the FBI and DOJ previously leaked information to the press then used those same press stories as a separate source to justify seeking FISA warrants on Trump advisor Carter Page. They knew all along the story was bogus and planted the evidence in the liberal media.
On Friday conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch dropped another bombshell. The Justice Department admitted in a court filing that the FISA Court never held hearings on the FISA applications for former Trump advisor Carter Page.
Now it appears and is likely that the Obama administration bypassed the FISA Court to spy on the Trump campaign based on a story they knew to be false.
ImperatorRex on Twitter explained how the Obama administration went around the FISA Court to spy on the opposition party based on lies they helped push in the liberal fake news media.
More here
If this is correct, then did AG Sessions or Rosenstein push through any extensions after President Trump took office?
[Last] Monday evening Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) revealed Congressional investigators have learned the FBI and DOJ previously leaked information to the press then used those same press stories as a separate source to justify seeking FISA warrants on Trump advisor Carter Page. They knew all along the story was bogus and planted the evidence in the liberal media.
On Friday conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch dropped another bombshell. The Justice Department admitted in a court filing that the FISA Court never held hearings on the FISA applications for former Trump advisor Carter Page.
Now it appears and is likely that the Obama administration bypassed the FISA Court to spy on the Trump campaign based on a story they knew to be false.
ImperatorRex on Twitter explained how the Obama administration went around the FISA Court to spy on the opposition party based on lies they helped push in the liberal fake news media.
More here
A Viewer Writes: Downtown Parking Garage
My wife had an appointment downtown this morning. She usually parks in the parking lot across from the Library when she has these appointments. Thanks to the NATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL!!! she was forced to park in the parking garage. Here is the kicker......you are able to park for up to 2 hours in the lot across from the Library, but today she had to pay to park in the parking garage. Any portion of an hour costs $1.00.
Now I know it is just a buck and that is not what I'm concerned with at all. I just find it quite funny that the Folk Festival has taken a large portion of parking in Downtown Salisbury, and yet still charge for using the parking garage when it all happened. I guess they have to try to recoup money from somewhere.
Mexican flag flies proudly over town where illegal alien killed Mollie Tibbetts
According to the liberal media, Brooklyn was one big happy multicultural town, until conservatives ruined it by complaining about the illegal alien who murdered Mollie. Really.
...police found Tibbetts’s body discarded in a cornfield. They charged Cristhian Bahena Rivera, a local farmhand, with her murder. And they announced that Rivera, who had no prior criminal history, was an undocumented Mexican immigrant.
For most people in Brooklyn, though, Rivera’s legal status is a distraction. This time should be about Mollie, they say, not the man accused of killing her.
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Google and Mastercard Cut a Secret Ad Deal
For the past year, select Google advertisers have had access to a potent new tool to track whether the ads they ran online led to a sale at a physical store in the U.S. That insight came thanks in part to a stockpile of Mastercard transactions that Google paid for.
But most of the two billion Mastercard holders aren’t aware of this behind-the-scenes tracking. That’s because the companies never told the public about the arrangement.
Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Mastercard Inc. brokered a business partnership during about four years of negotiations, according to four people with knowledge of the deal, three of whom worked on it directly. The alliance gave Google an unprecedented asset for measuring retail spending, part of the search giant’s strategy to fortify its primary business against onslaughts from Amazon.com Inc. and others.
But the deal, which has not been previously reported, could raise broader privacy concerns about how much consumer data technology companies like Google quietly absorb.
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But most of the two billion Mastercard holders aren’t aware of this behind-the-scenes tracking. That’s because the companies never told the public about the arrangement.
Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Mastercard Inc. brokered a business partnership during about four years of negotiations, according to four people with knowledge of the deal, three of whom worked on it directly. The alliance gave Google an unprecedented asset for measuring retail spending, part of the search giant’s strategy to fortify its primary business against onslaughts from Amazon.com Inc. and others.
But the deal, which has not been previously reported, could raise broader privacy concerns about how much consumer data technology companies like Google quietly absorb.
More
Average New Car Payment Hits Record High $525 Per Month
Automotive loan amounts and monthly payments continue to reach record highs, but US consumers seem unfazed.
According to Experian's latest State of the Automotive Finance Market report, Americans are paying an all time high monthly payment for both a new and a used car and assuming a larger amount of debt to make it happen as affordability continues to decline. Americans now hold $1.149 trillion of outstanding auto loan debt (a record) up from $1.027 trillion two years ago....
... with the average new car loan jumping $724 year-over-year to $30,958 in Q2 2018, while used vehicle loan amounts increased $520 to reach $19,708.
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According to Experian's latest State of the Automotive Finance Market report, Americans are paying an all time high monthly payment for both a new and a used car and assuming a larger amount of debt to make it happen as affordability continues to decline. Americans now hold $1.149 trillion of outstanding auto loan debt (a record) up from $1.027 trillion two years ago....
... with the average new car loan jumping $724 year-over-year to $30,958 in Q2 2018, while used vehicle loan amounts increased $520 to reach $19,708.
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American Bar Association: Kavanaugh ‘Well Qualified’ for Supreme Court
The American Bar Association (ABA) rated Judge Brett Kavanaugh “well qualified” for the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday, the highest rating possible from the organization that Senate Democrats call the “gold standard” for nominees, boosting the prospects for President Donald Trump’s second nominee to the nation’s highest court.
Although many everyday Americans assume the ABA is an official body for the legal profession, it is actually a private organization to which less than 35 percent of the nation’s 1.3 million lawyers belong. However, most states require a person to graduate from an ABA-accredited law school as a precondition for taking that state’s bar exam to obtain a license to become a lawyer, making it a gatekeeper to becoming a practicing attorney.
Moreover, the ABA is a large and powerful organization, the opinion of which carries significant weight in legal circles. But the ABA is also a leftwing organization, frequently taking the liberal side on issues ranging from the Second Amendment, to the LGBT agenda, to national sovereignty, to immigration.
In fact, liberal senators like Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) have declared that ABA ratings are “the gold standard by which judicial candidates are judged.”
On Friday, the ABA declared that Kavanaugh – who is currently a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit – is “well qualified” for the Supreme Court. That is the highest rating the ABA can give. The vote was unanimous.
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Although many everyday Americans assume the ABA is an official body for the legal profession, it is actually a private organization to which less than 35 percent of the nation’s 1.3 million lawyers belong. However, most states require a person to graduate from an ABA-accredited law school as a precondition for taking that state’s bar exam to obtain a license to become a lawyer, making it a gatekeeper to becoming a practicing attorney.
Moreover, the ABA is a large and powerful organization, the opinion of which carries significant weight in legal circles. But the ABA is also a leftwing organization, frequently taking the liberal side on issues ranging from the Second Amendment, to the LGBT agenda, to national sovereignty, to immigration.
In fact, liberal senators like Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) have declared that ABA ratings are “the gold standard by which judicial candidates are judged.”
On Friday, the ABA declared that Kavanaugh – who is currently a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit – is “well qualified” for the Supreme Court. That is the highest rating the ABA can give. The vote was unanimous.
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‘Five Eyes’ governments call on tech giants to build encryption backdoors — or else
A pact of five nation states dedicated to a global “collect it all” surveillance mission has issued a memo calling on their governments to demand tech companies build backdoor access to their users’ encrypted data — or face measures to force companies to comply.
The international pact — the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, known as the so-called “Five Eyes” group of nations — quietly issued the memo last week demanding that providers “create customized solutions, tailored to their individual system architectures that are capable of meeting lawful access requirements.”
This kind of backdoor access would allow each government access to encrypted call and message data on their citizens. If the companies don’t voluntarily allow access, the nations threatened to push through new legislation that would compel their help.
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The international pact — the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, known as the so-called “Five Eyes” group of nations — quietly issued the memo last week demanding that providers “create customized solutions, tailored to their individual system architectures that are capable of meeting lawful access requirements.”
This kind of backdoor access would allow each government access to encrypted call and message data on their citizens. If the companies don’t voluntarily allow access, the nations threatened to push through new legislation that would compel their help.
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Pro-Abortion Billboard In Texas Urges Black Women to Abort Their Children For 'Self-Care'
The Afiya Center, a Texas-based “reproductive justice” group targeting black women and girls, just put up a stunningly insulting billboard aimed at convincing black women to terminate their own pregnancies as a form of "self-care."
The Afiya Center says they erected the massive sign in response to a similar billboard put up in late July by the National Black Pro-Life Coalition, which read: “"Abortion is not health care. It hurts women and murders their babies."
“Putting a billboard like this one in an area full of Black women is a gesture that will not go unchecked…We know exactly what we need to do to keep our families, communities, and selves afloat, all you need to do is: trust Black women. Or leave us be,” said the Afiya Center's Marsha Jones.
More here
Biden hits the trail like he's running
The former vice president spends Labor Day courting midterm voters in Pittsburgh, but also doing his own gut check for a possible 2020 run.
PITTSBURGH — Cue the jokes: Joe Biden is running. In fact, he spent much of Labor Day sprinting, more than a mile in total, doing intervals through the streets of one of America’s biggest union towns.
Biden was here for the city’s Labor Day parade three years ago, the one and only campaign event of his almost-but-never-launched 2016 presidential campaign. A year later, he was back with Tim Kaine, trying to transfer his connection with these voters to the Democratic ticket.
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PITTSBURGH — Cue the jokes: Joe Biden is running. In fact, he spent much of Labor Day sprinting, more than a mile in total, doing intervals through the streets of one of America’s biggest union towns.
Biden was here for the city’s Labor Day parade three years ago, the one and only campaign event of his almost-but-never-launched 2016 presidential campaign. A year later, he was back with Tim Kaine, trying to transfer his connection with these voters to the Democratic ticket.
More
Illegal immigrants who exploited Motor Voter to register in North Carolina still on rolls
Elvis David Fullerton has voted in 16 elections in North Carolina dating back nearly two decades.
The only problem, authorities say, is he’s not a citizen and never should have been on the voter rolls, much less allowed to step into a polling booth to cast a ballot.
Mr. Fullerton, who is still a citizen of Grenada, is one of 19 North Carolinians the federal government indicted last month on charges of illegal voting. Yet even now, his name remains on the state’s rolls in Wake County, and local officials say there’s not much they can do about it.
“At this time I’ve not been made aware of any formal source to remove anybody,” said Gary Sims, elections board director in Wake, where five of the 19, including Mr. Fullerton, were registered. Three of them are still on his rolls.
Mr. Sims said an indictment or sworn affidavit isn’t even enough for him to begin an investigation, saying he needs a notification from an “official or formal source.”
Yet the indictments, which got only cursory attention nationally, do offer unprecedented insight into the contours of illegal voting in the U.S.
More here
The only problem, authorities say, is he’s not a citizen and never should have been on the voter rolls, much less allowed to step into a polling booth to cast a ballot.
Mr. Fullerton, who is still a citizen of Grenada, is one of 19 North Carolinians the federal government indicted last month on charges of illegal voting. Yet even now, his name remains on the state’s rolls in Wake County, and local officials say there’s not much they can do about it.
“At this time I’ve not been made aware of any formal source to remove anybody,” said Gary Sims, elections board director in Wake, where five of the 19, including Mr. Fullerton, were registered. Three of them are still on his rolls.
Mr. Sims said an indictment or sworn affidavit isn’t even enough for him to begin an investigation, saying he needs a notification from an “official or formal source.”
Yet the indictments, which got only cursory attention nationally, do offer unprecedented insight into the contours of illegal voting in the U.S.
More here
146 Illegal Aliens Arrested in Ohio Meatpacking Raid, 13 Used Fake IDs
After nearly 150 suspected illegal aliens were arrested at an Ohio meatpacking plant, 13 illegal aliens have been charged with using fraudulent identities to appear as though they were working in the United States legally.
In June, 146 suspected illegal aliens — primarily from Guatemala — were arrested at the Fresh Mark meatpacking plant in Salem and Massillon, Ohio in one of the largest worksite Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids of the year.
Since the ICE raid, 13 illegal aliens have now been hit with federal charges for allegedly using fake identities to gain employment at Fresh Mark, Cleveland.com reports.
All but two of the 13 illegal aliens charged are from Guatemala. The other two illegal aliens are from Mexico.
A lawsuit filed in 2001 against Fresh Mark accused the meat processor of knowingly hiring illegal aliens for decades and even having employees forge work documents for illegal aliens so they could appear as though they were working legally in the U.S.
More here
In June, 146 suspected illegal aliens — primarily from Guatemala — were arrested at the Fresh Mark meatpacking plant in Salem and Massillon, Ohio in one of the largest worksite Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids of the year.
Since the ICE raid, 13 illegal aliens have now been hit with federal charges for allegedly using fake identities to gain employment at Fresh Mark, Cleveland.com reports.
All but two of the 13 illegal aliens charged are from Guatemala. The other two illegal aliens are from Mexico.
A lawsuit filed in 2001 against Fresh Mark accused the meat processor of knowingly hiring illegal aliens for decades and even having employees forge work documents for illegal aliens so they could appear as though they were working legally in the U.S.
More here
Immigrants dropping out of government aid program over fears of losing green card eligibility
Immigrants have begun dropping out of a federal aid program out of fear that relying on government support could hurt their chances of obtaining a green card following the Trump administration's reported plan to make those dependent ineligible for permanent residency, according to a report published Monday.
Health providers who oversee WIC — a federal nutrition program for pregnant women and babies — in 18 states have noticed a decline of up to 20 percent in the number of people filing for help, Politico reported.
The Trump administration is planning to amend the public charge rule that has allowed the government not to grant admission to the U.S. or permanent residency for legal immigrants who rely on government assistance. The provision is expected to be expanded to include all family members and could affect illegal immigrants if a pathway to citizenship was offered to them in the future.
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Health providers who oversee WIC — a federal nutrition program for pregnant women and babies — in 18 states have noticed a decline of up to 20 percent in the number of people filing for help, Politico reported.
The Trump administration is planning to amend the public charge rule that has allowed the government not to grant admission to the U.S. or permanent residency for legal immigrants who rely on government assistance. The provision is expected to be expanded to include all family members and could affect illegal immigrants if a pathway to citizenship was offered to them in the future.
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MDOT SHA LOWERS SPEED LIMIT THROUGH US 50 WORK ZONE IN WICOMICO COUNTY
The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) is temporarily reducing the speed limit on US 50 (Ocean Gateway) at MD 353 (Sixty Foot Road) in Wicomico County. Beginning Tuesday, September 4, MDOT SHA will lower the speed limit through this 1.5-mile long active work zone from 55 mph to 45 mph. Signs will be posted advising motorists of the change. The new speed limit will remain in effect throughout construction. Motorists should also be alert for occasional, off-peak, single lane closures on US 50 and construction equipment entering and exiting the highway.
MDOT SHA recently began a project to improve safety at this intersection by adding traffic signals, advance warning signals and median left turn lanes. Completion is expected by spring 2019. An average of 31,000 vehicles travel this portion of US 50 each day and volumes are significantly higher during the summer months as US 50 is a primary route to Ocean City. More than 5,000 vehicles travel on Sixty Foot Road each day. David A. Bramble of Chestertown is constructing this nearly $3.2 million project.
While MDOT SHA and its transportation partners work hard to maintain safe traffic mobility in work zones, each driver needs to actively modify his or her driving style to help prevent crashes. Stay alert and look for reduced speed limits, narrow driving lanes, and highway workers. Slow down and don’t follow too closely. Work Zone Safety is in Your Hands. For a list of all major MDOT SHA projects, click on Road Ready, MDOT SHA’s electronic construction brochure. For a look at real-time commute conditions, log onto www.md511.org.
MDOT SHA recently began a project to improve safety at this intersection by adding traffic signals, advance warning signals and median left turn lanes. Completion is expected by spring 2019. An average of 31,000 vehicles travel this portion of US 50 each day and volumes are significantly higher during the summer months as US 50 is a primary route to Ocean City. More than 5,000 vehicles travel on Sixty Foot Road each day. David A. Bramble of Chestertown is constructing this nearly $3.2 million project.
While MDOT SHA and its transportation partners work hard to maintain safe traffic mobility in work zones, each driver needs to actively modify his or her driving style to help prevent crashes. Stay alert and look for reduced speed limits, narrow driving lanes, and highway workers. Slow down and don’t follow too closely. Work Zone Safety is in Your Hands. For a list of all major MDOT SHA projects, click on Road Ready, MDOT SHA’s electronic construction brochure. For a look at real-time commute conditions, log onto www.md511.org.
Nolte: How Our Vulgar Media and Political Elite Ruined Two Funerals
Ogling, groping, racists, racism, accused-rapists, mean-girl snubs, inappropriate rants, cheap shots delivered to humiliate invited guests as the crowd roars its approval…
No, this was not a sorority hazing or a prison riot or the last gasp of Ancient Rome; it was how America’s establishment behaved at the funerals for Aretha Franklin and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).
Here we are in an America with a roaring economy, manufacturing jobs are coming back (without a magic wand), the War on Terror feels like ancient history, we’re not launching stupid wars, Putin’s adventurism has been halted, and North Korea has gone from launching missiles to arguing over how quickly it will denuclearize…
In other words, for the first time in 17 years, for the first time since those passenger planes hit the World Trade Center, we are at long last enjoying some well-deserved Peace and Prosperity.
But how did our self-appointed media and political elite spend the last few days? Lashing out at the man primarily responsible for America’s comeback while longing for the good ol’ days when they were in charge of endless wars and managing America’s decline.
And all of this happened at the most inappropriate venue imaginable: a funeral.
More here
No, this was not a sorority hazing or a prison riot or the last gasp of Ancient Rome; it was how America’s establishment behaved at the funerals for Aretha Franklin and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).
Here we are in an America with a roaring economy, manufacturing jobs are coming back (without a magic wand), the War on Terror feels like ancient history, we’re not launching stupid wars, Putin’s adventurism has been halted, and North Korea has gone from launching missiles to arguing over how quickly it will denuclearize…
In other words, for the first time in 17 years, for the first time since those passenger planes hit the World Trade Center, we are at long last enjoying some well-deserved Peace and Prosperity.
But how did our self-appointed media and political elite spend the last few days? Lashing out at the man primarily responsible for America’s comeback while longing for the good ol’ days when they were in charge of endless wars and managing America’s decline.
And all of this happened at the most inappropriate venue imaginable: a funeral.
More here
Dershowitz: Counter-Report to Mueller ‘Exactly the Right Thing’
On Friday’s broadcast of the Fox Business Network’s “Evening Edit,” Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz stated that the Trump legal team’s preparation of a counter-report to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report is good for the country, justice, and truth.
Dershowitz said, “I think it’s exactly the right thing. We live in an adversarial system. The Mueller probe has only heard one side of the story. Remember, grand juries don’t invite exculpatory witnesses to come, and they only hear one side of the story, and in an adversarial system, both sides of the story have to be heard..."
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Dershowitz said, “I think it’s exactly the right thing. We live in an adversarial system. The Mueller probe has only heard one side of the story. Remember, grand juries don’t invite exculpatory witnesses to come, and they only hear one side of the story, and in an adversarial system, both sides of the story have to be heard..."
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Trump Quotes Judicial Watch: No FISA Hearings on Page Warrants
President Donald Trump, in a pair of tweets Saturday, attacked FBI and Department of Justice officials about the surveillance warrants issued on his former campaign aide, Carter Page.
"There were no FISA hearings held over Spy documents," he said in the first tweet, moving on to quote Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton: "'It is astonishing that the FISA courts couldn’t hold hearings on Spy Warrants targeting Donald Trump. It isn’t about Carter Page, it’s about the Trump Campaign. You’ve got corruption at the DOJ & FBI. The leadership.......of the DOJ & FBI are completely out to lunch in terms of exposing and holding those accountable who are responsible for that corruption.'"
The Fitton comments came from a Judicial Watch report that said a court overseeing Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) requests had had no hearings concerning applications about Page.
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"There were no FISA hearings held over Spy documents," he said in the first tweet, moving on to quote Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton: "'It is astonishing that the FISA courts couldn’t hold hearings on Spy Warrants targeting Donald Trump. It isn’t about Carter Page, it’s about the Trump Campaign. You’ve got corruption at the DOJ & FBI. The leadership.......of the DOJ & FBI are completely out to lunch in terms of exposing and holding those accountable who are responsible for that corruption.'"
The Fitton comments came from a Judicial Watch report that said a court overseeing Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) requests had had no hearings concerning applications about Page.
More here
Judicial Watch: No FISA Court Hearings Held on Carter Page Warrants
Judicial Watch has announced that in response to a Judicial Watch Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit, the Justice Department (DOJ) admitted in a court filing Thursday night that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court held no hearings on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) spy warrant applications targeting Carter Page, a former Trump campaign part-time advisor who was the subject of four controversial FISA warrants.
In the filing the Justice Department finally revealed that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court held no hearings on the Page FISA spy warrants, first issued in 2016 and subsequently renewed three times:
[National Security Division] FOIA consulted [Office of Intelligence] … to identify and locate records responsive to [Judicial Watch’s] FOIA request…. [Office of Intelligence] determined … that there were no records, electronic or paper, responsive to [Judicial Watch’s] FOIA request with regard to Carter Page. [Office of Intelligence] further confirmed that the [Foreign Surveillance Court] considered the Page warrant applications based upon written submissions and did not hold any hearings.
The Department of Justice previously released to Judicial Watch the heavily redacted Page warrant applications. The initial Page FISA warrant was granted just weeks before the 2016 election.
The DOJ filing is in response to a Judicial Watch lawsuit for the FISA transcripts.
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In the filing the Justice Department finally revealed that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court held no hearings on the Page FISA spy warrants, first issued in 2016 and subsequently renewed three times:
[National Security Division] FOIA consulted [Office of Intelligence] … to identify and locate records responsive to [Judicial Watch’s] FOIA request…. [Office of Intelligence] determined … that there were no records, electronic or paper, responsive to [Judicial Watch’s] FOIA request with regard to Carter Page. [Office of Intelligence] further confirmed that the [Foreign Surveillance Court] considered the Page warrant applications based upon written submissions and did not hold any hearings.
The Department of Justice previously released to Judicial Watch the heavily redacted Page warrant applications. The initial Page FISA warrant was granted just weeks before the 2016 election.
The DOJ filing is in response to a Judicial Watch lawsuit for the FISA transcripts.
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Hitting the Brain’s Reset Button
[Originally published Thursday, 01 Dec 2016]
When Jonathan Lubecky tries to pinpoint the lowest point of his life, he has a hard time picking one. There was the day in 2006 the former Army Sergeant came home from Iraq to find his wife gone, along with his dog and his motorcycle.
“A bad country song,” he says.
Then there was the Christmas eve when Lubecky walked out of a Raleigh bar where he was trying to drown his nightmares, went to church, and was turned away. “They told me, ‘We’re full, come back in the morning.’ ” That led to his first suicide attempt. The last, of five, was November 4, 2013. “My wife and I had a fight, I blacked out, I found out later I slit my wrists,” Lubecky says. He ended up in a psych ward for six long days.
Less than a year after waking up in that padded room, Lubecky found himself in a Charleston, South Carolina, bungalow that serves as the office of Dr. Michael Mithoefer and his wife Annie, a trained nurse. The Mithoefers are a psychotherapy team leading a series of experiments testing the drug MDMA—better known as “ecstasy”—as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Lubecky had been diagnosed with PTSD in 2006. In addition, a blast injury from a training accident had left him with memory problems and a deep depression. He’d sat through countless therapy sessions, but this one was different. It was his first experience with MDMA. His head was spinning, his eyes full of faint geometric patterns. His tongue, usually paralyzed when it came to talking about the war or his struggles, was untied. “What was interesting was that for the first time I was talking about these things, and I didn’t have a physical reaction,” he recalls.
After just two sessions with the drug, Lubecky’s PTSD symptoms were virtually gone. His experience is typical of the two dozen people—veterans, firefighters, and police officers—in Mithoefer’s study.
More here
[See detailed study results here]
When Jonathan Lubecky tries to pinpoint the lowest point of his life, he has a hard time picking one. There was the day in 2006 the former Army Sergeant came home from Iraq to find his wife gone, along with his dog and his motorcycle.
“A bad country song,” he says.
Then there was the Christmas eve when Lubecky walked out of a Raleigh bar where he was trying to drown his nightmares, went to church, and was turned away. “They told me, ‘We’re full, come back in the morning.’ ” That led to his first suicide attempt. The last, of five, was November 4, 2013. “My wife and I had a fight, I blacked out, I found out later I slit my wrists,” Lubecky says. He ended up in a psych ward for six long days.
Less than a year after waking up in that padded room, Lubecky found himself in a Charleston, South Carolina, bungalow that serves as the office of Dr. Michael Mithoefer and his wife Annie, a trained nurse. The Mithoefers are a psychotherapy team leading a series of experiments testing the drug MDMA—better known as “ecstasy”—as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Lubecky had been diagnosed with PTSD in 2006. In addition, a blast injury from a training accident had left him with memory problems and a deep depression. He’d sat through countless therapy sessions, but this one was different. It was his first experience with MDMA. His head was spinning, his eyes full of faint geometric patterns. His tongue, usually paralyzed when it came to talking about the war or his struggles, was untied. “What was interesting was that for the first time I was talking about these things, and I didn’t have a physical reaction,” he recalls.
After just two sessions with the drug, Lubecky’s PTSD symptoms were virtually gone. His experience is typical of the two dozen people—veterans, firefighters, and police officers—in Mithoefer’s study.
More here
[See detailed study results here]
Baltimore Ravens punter admitted to severe trauma hospital after being found with head injuries after he was 'assaulted' and had his 'teeth kicked out'
Kaare Vedvik, a rookie kicker for the Baltimore Ravens, was hospitalized Saturday morning after being found with head injuries consistent with an assault, according to law enforcement.
Baltimore Sun reports the 24-year-old American footballer was sent to a Shock Trauma, a special center in Maryland that treats severe injuries, after he was left with damage to his upper body.
Firefighters called law enforcement to the scene in East Baltimore at 4am.
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Baltimore Sun reports the 24-year-old American footballer was sent to a Shock Trauma, a special center in Maryland that treats severe injuries, after he was left with damage to his upper body.
Firefighters called law enforcement to the scene in East Baltimore at 4am.
More
