DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Thursday, September 13, 2018
Pollak: Democrats Opposed Every Policy Boosting the Economy
Former President Barack Obama tried to claim credit on Friday for President Donald Trump’s economic success.
This would be the same former president who mocked Trump’s promises on jobs in 2016. “What magic wand do you have?” he taunted.
The reality is that Democrats, including Obama, have opposed every policy that is responsible for the current economic boom:
– Tax cuts: Democrats unanimously opposed the Republican tax cuts that Trump signed into law last year, which lowered the corporate tax rate to an internationally-competitive 21% and lowered tax rates for the middle class as well as high earners. Under Obama, Democrats tried to reverse all of the Bush tax cuts in 2012, and Republicans fought them until the very edge of the “fiscal cliff” — until the president and his party agreed to allow Bush’s tax cuts for the middle class to become permanent.
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This would be the same former president who mocked Trump’s promises on jobs in 2016. “What magic wand do you have?” he taunted.
The reality is that Democrats, including Obama, have opposed every policy that is responsible for the current economic boom:
– Tax cuts: Democrats unanimously opposed the Republican tax cuts that Trump signed into law last year, which lowered the corporate tax rate to an internationally-competitive 21% and lowered tax rates for the middle class as well as high earners. Under Obama, Democrats tried to reverse all of the Bush tax cuts in 2012, and Republicans fought them until the very edge of the “fiscal cliff” — until the president and his party agreed to allow Bush’s tax cuts for the middle class to become permanent.
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Black Police Group Issues Statement Defending Colin Kaepernick
Amid a backdrop of protests and boycotts, a black police union has come to the defense of controversial Nike pitchman and original anthem protester Colin Kaepernick.
In a letter published on Wednesday, Sonia Y.W. Pruitt, a police lieutenant in Maryland and chairperson of the National Black Police Association, wrote a on behalf of her organization and in support of Kaepernick.
In contrast to other police organizations — such as the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) — who have boycotted Nike. Pruitt’s letter clearly stated that the NBPA thinks Kaepernick’s cause should be embraced by law enforcement.
Pruitt wrote:
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In a letter published on Wednesday, Sonia Y.W. Pruitt, a police lieutenant in Maryland and chairperson of the National Black Police Association, wrote a on behalf of her organization and in support of Kaepernick.
In contrast to other police organizations — such as the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) — who have boycotted Nike. Pruitt’s letter clearly stated that the NBPA thinks Kaepernick’s cause should be embraced by law enforcement.
Pruitt wrote:
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'Pussy Hat' Design Withdrawn After Activists Insist Some Women Have Penises
An Irish woman has withdrawn the “pussy hat” knitting pattern which she had posted online as a service to fellow female protesters preparing for President Trump’s visit to Ireland in November: woke activists had pointed out to her that some women have penises, not vaginas.
I won't be making pussy hats. I'm deleting the pattern I posted. I am really sorry for upsetting people, I've read, listened and learned and while it was not intentional it was thoughtless. I will make some hats with yellow roses instead.
— Katherine Nolan (@DoChara) September 2, 2018
Katherine’s noble, thoughtful, caring decision has been respected by some:
But not, unfortunately, by everyone.
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I won't be making pussy hats. I'm deleting the pattern I posted. I am really sorry for upsetting people, I've read, listened and learned and while it was not intentional it was thoughtless. I will make some hats with yellow roses instead.
— Katherine Nolan (@DoChara) September 2, 2018
Katherine’s noble, thoughtful, caring decision has been respected by some:
If there is one thing you are not it is thoughtless! If you’re taking orders for yellow rose hats I’d love one.
But not, unfortunately, by everyone.
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Can Papa John's Restore Its Reputation And Bounce Back? Or Is It Damaged Forever?
Papa John’s used to be known as your friendly pizza parlor. But now its reputation is tarnished, its founder has been banished, and its stock price is plummeting. Can it bounce back?
When the news emerged in July 2018 that Papa John’s former CEO, board chairman and founder John Schnatter had used a racial slur during a media training session, it was the latest salvo in a series of missteps by the pizza king. He had previously tangled with the NFL, blaming it for “poor leadership” when several of its players kneeled during the playing of the national anthem.
Papa John’s board had already replaced Schnatter with new CEO Steve Ritchie in December of 2017, who now has to clean up the mess left by his predecessor.
In the last year, Papa John’s stock has dipped to $45 a share from a high of $78, a nearly 30% drop. Papa John’s is the third largest pizza chain in the U.S., after Pizza Hut and Domino’s Pizza.
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When the news emerged in July 2018 that Papa John’s former CEO, board chairman and founder John Schnatter had used a racial slur during a media training session, it was the latest salvo in a series of missteps by the pizza king. He had previously tangled with the NFL, blaming it for “poor leadership” when several of its players kneeled during the playing of the national anthem.
Papa John’s board had already replaced Schnatter with new CEO Steve Ritchie in December of 2017, who now has to clean up the mess left by his predecessor.
In the last year, Papa John’s stock has dipped to $45 a share from a high of $78, a nearly 30% drop. Papa John’s is the third largest pizza chain in the U.S., after Pizza Hut and Domino’s Pizza.
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Dr. Donald Cline, Who Used His Own Sperm On Unwitting Patients, Surrenders Medical License
More than three dozen children have been connected to Donald Cline through commercial genetic ancestry sites.
A fertility doctor who used his own sperm to help unwitting patients get pregnant in the 1970s and 1980s, surrendered his medical license last week and has been barred from ever practicing in the state of Indiana again.
The decision was made by the seven-member state medical board, which also voted to ensure that fertility doctor Donald Cline could never apply for reinstatement. Prior to the vote, Indiana’s Supervising Attorney General Laura Iosue beseeched the board to consider the gravity of Cline’s past actions.
“It’s particularly egregious,” she said, as quoted by the Indianapolis Star. “The important thing is that Dr. Cline doesn’t practice anymore.”
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A fertility doctor who used his own sperm to help unwitting patients get pregnant in the 1970s and 1980s, surrendered his medical license last week and has been barred from ever practicing in the state of Indiana again.
The decision was made by the seven-member state medical board, which also voted to ensure that fertility doctor Donald Cline could never apply for reinstatement. Prior to the vote, Indiana’s Supervising Attorney General Laura Iosue beseeched the board to consider the gravity of Cline’s past actions.
“It’s particularly egregious,” she said, as quoted by the Indianapolis Star. “The important thing is that Dr. Cline doesn’t practice anymore.”
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Woman mistakes dynamite for candle
A woman in Bridgeport thought she was lighting a candle.
However, it turned out to be a quarter stick of dynamite, according to police.
It happened on Lindley Street around 9:20 p.m. Thursday.
Police said power was out in the neighborhood because of thunderstorms.
The woman, who is a mother of two children, tried to go to Home Depot to buy emergency lighting. However, the store was closed.
The family remembered that when they bought the home two years ago, there were what they thought were candles left in the basement from previous homeowners.
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However, it turned out to be a quarter stick of dynamite, according to police.
It happened on Lindley Street around 9:20 p.m. Thursday.
Police said power was out in the neighborhood because of thunderstorms.
The woman, who is a mother of two children, tried to go to Home Depot to buy emergency lighting. However, the store was closed.
The family remembered that when they bought the home two years ago, there were what they thought were candles left in the basement from previous homeowners.
More
Grand Jury Considers Charges Against Former FBI Deputy Director McCabe
A grand jury has for months been looking into former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe’s conduct and statements, NPR and othersreported Thursday evening.
Prosecutors impaneled the grand jury following a recommendation from within the Justice Department. The grand jury has called multiple witnesses as part of its efforts to determine whether to recommend charges.
McCabe took control of the FBI after President Donald Trump dismissed former director James Comey in May 2017, and McCabe was fired by the DOJ in March for "lack of candor" following several lies and misconduct. The Washington Post previously reported that the Office of Inspector General had found McCabe lied repeatedly, "three of them under oath, and he approved a media disclosure to advance his personal interests over those of the Justice Department."
President Trump has repeatedly attacked McCabe and how the former FBI official has, in the president's view, escaped scrutiny from the DOJ and elsewhere.
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Prosecutors impaneled the grand jury following a recommendation from within the Justice Department. The grand jury has called multiple witnesses as part of its efforts to determine whether to recommend charges.
McCabe took control of the FBI after President Donald Trump dismissed former director James Comey in May 2017, and McCabe was fired by the DOJ in March for "lack of candor" following several lies and misconduct. The Washington Post previously reported that the Office of Inspector General had found McCabe lied repeatedly, "three of them under oath, and he approved a media disclosure to advance his personal interests over those of the Justice Department."
President Trump has repeatedly attacked McCabe and how the former FBI official has, in the president's view, escaped scrutiny from the DOJ and elsewhere.
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U.S. wages growing at fastest rate in 9 years as unemployment stays at 3.9 percent
Hiring picked up in August and so did worker pay -- registering the fastest wage growth since 2009 in an encouraging sign that wages may finally be moving higher after years of sluggish gains.
August was the 95th straight month the U.S. economy added jobs, with a robust 201,000 job gains, the Labor Department reported Friday, while wages for U.S. workers grew at 2.9 percent in the past year. The national unemployment rate remained at 3.9 percent, one of the lowest levels in half a century.
The higher pay is a sign that businesses are having to compete hard for workers. Many business leaders have complained they cannot find the workers they need, especially for skilled jobs like welders or computers coders.
Economists had expected that companies would start to raise wages significantly to attract -- and keep -- the talent they want. But pay had been creeping up slowly for much of the recovery. That appears to be changing now that there are more job openings than unemployed Americans.
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August was the 95th straight month the U.S. economy added jobs, with a robust 201,000 job gains, the Labor Department reported Friday, while wages for U.S. workers grew at 2.9 percent in the past year. The national unemployment rate remained at 3.9 percent, one of the lowest levels in half a century.
The higher pay is a sign that businesses are having to compete hard for workers. Many business leaders have complained they cannot find the workers they need, especially for skilled jobs like welders or computers coders.
Economists had expected that companies would start to raise wages significantly to attract -- and keep -- the talent they want. But pay had been creeping up slowly for much of the recovery. That appears to be changing now that there are more job openings than unemployed Americans.
More
Trump: I Fell Asleep During Obama's Speech
President Donald Trump said his predecessor Barack Obama's speech castigating him and the Republican Party made him fall asleep on Friday.
Speaking in Fargo, North Dakota, Trump said he was asked beforehand for his response to the address Obama gave in Illinois, where the former president slammed Trump's policies as a backlash to progress.
"I'm sorry. I watched it, but I fell asleep. I've found he's very good, very good for sleeping," Trump said.
Trump said Obama also tried to take credit for "this incredible thing," referring to the strong economy. Obama pointed out in his speech that the economy began making its ascent under his administration.
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Speaking in Fargo, North Dakota, Trump said he was asked beforehand for his response to the address Obama gave in Illinois, where the former president slammed Trump's policies as a backlash to progress.
"I'm sorry. I watched it, but I fell asleep. I've found he's very good, very good for sleeping," Trump said.
Trump said Obama also tried to take credit for "this incredible thing," referring to the strong economy. Obama pointed out in his speech that the economy began making its ascent under his administration.
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The University Is Ripe for Replacement
"Education is a weapon the effect of which is determined by the hands which wield it, by who is to be struck down." -- Stalin, interview with H.G. Wells
Beginning in early K-12 and continuing to the highest levels of university education, Leftist indoctrination is the gravest dilemma that afflicts education in North America, rendering it perhaps the most powerful instrument of anti-Western bias and socialist propaganda of the modern era.
Here my concern is with the abandonment of genuine scholarship, fact-based historical research, familiarity with the “Great Books” and the development of critical thinking habits, particularly in the humanities and social sciences. The curriculum now in place is one of intellectual dysphoria promoting the circulation of false or unprovable narratives -- anthropogenic global warming, Islam as a religion of peace, the campus rape epidemic, toxic masculinity, the scandal of American history, the glories of “diversity and inclusion,” the benefits of socialism, to cite just a few among a veritable encyclopedia -- and furthering the revolutionary project of social and political deconstruction. Education has been transformed into a grooming operation for social justice warriors, radical feminists, anti-white vigilantes and budding socialists.
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Beginning in early K-12 and continuing to the highest levels of university education, Leftist indoctrination is the gravest dilemma that afflicts education in North America, rendering it perhaps the most powerful instrument of anti-Western bias and socialist propaganda of the modern era.
Here my concern is with the abandonment of genuine scholarship, fact-based historical research, familiarity with the “Great Books” and the development of critical thinking habits, particularly in the humanities and social sciences. The curriculum now in place is one of intellectual dysphoria promoting the circulation of false or unprovable narratives -- anthropogenic global warming, Islam as a religion of peace, the campus rape epidemic, toxic masculinity, the scandal of American history, the glories of “diversity and inclusion,” the benefits of socialism, to cite just a few among a veritable encyclopedia -- and furthering the revolutionary project of social and political deconstruction. Education has been transformed into a grooming operation for social justice warriors, radical feminists, anti-white vigilantes and budding socialists.
More
Obama Calls Benghazi A Wild Conspiracy Theory. Benghazi Hero Levels Him.
Former President Barack Obama suggested on Friday that outrage over the 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi — which resulted in the deaths of four Americans — was a result of "wild conspiracy theories."
Obama, trying to help the Democrats in the 2018 midterms, attacked President Donald Trump while speaking at the University of Illinois where he accepted the Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government.
"But over the past few decades, the politics of division and resentment and paranoia has unfortunately found a home in the Republican party," Obama said.
More/Video
Obama, trying to help the Democrats in the 2018 midterms, attacked President Donald Trump while speaking at the University of Illinois where he accepted the Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government.
"But over the past few decades, the politics of division and resentment and paranoia has unfortunately found a home in the Republican party," Obama said.
More/Video
The Untold Truth About Obama's Former CIA Director, John Brennan
"Why does John Brennan need a security clearance other than to commercially exploit it? "
Let’s get something clear from the start.
In 1976, in his 20s, John Brennan was a card-carrying communist who supported the then Soviet Union, at the height some might say of the Cold War, so much so he voted and assisted Gus Hall, the communist candidate for President against a devout Christian, Jimmy Carter who ultimately won the Presidency.
Yet under four years later, just after the then Soviet Union invaded, just weeks before, Afghanistan and months after the tumultuous Iranian revolution of 1979, which at the time many thought the Soviet Union had a hand in, Brennan was accepted into the CIA as a junior analyst.
At that time, John Brennan should have never got into the CIA, or any Western Intelligence agency given his communist background.
Think on that carefully as you continue to read this.
Also reflect on the fact that Brennan, later in his CIA career, was surprisingly elevated from junior analyst to the prestigious position of Station Chief in Saudi Arabia where he spent a few years.
Its said he was appointed purely for ‘political’ reasons, alleged to have been at the direct request of Bill Clinton and other Democrats not because of a recommendation or merit from within the Agency.
Its further said that the Saudis liked Brennan because he became very quickly ‘their man’ so to speak. Some reports, unsubstantiated, even allege Brennan became a Muslim while there to ingratiate himself with the Saudis.
Important to read is an NBC news article entitled ‘Former Spooks Criticize CIA Director John Brennan for Spying Comments’ by Ken Dilanian dated March 2nd, 2016.
The article contains many revealing facts and evidence, while giving a flavour, of the feelings of many in the CIA who felt that Brennan was totally unsuitable and unqualified to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
More
Let’s get something clear from the start.
In 1976, in his 20s, John Brennan was a card-carrying communist who supported the then Soviet Union, at the height some might say of the Cold War, so much so he voted and assisted Gus Hall, the communist candidate for President against a devout Christian, Jimmy Carter who ultimately won the Presidency.
Yet under four years later, just after the then Soviet Union invaded, just weeks before, Afghanistan and months after the tumultuous Iranian revolution of 1979, which at the time many thought the Soviet Union had a hand in, Brennan was accepted into the CIA as a junior analyst.
At that time, John Brennan should have never got into the CIA, or any Western Intelligence agency given his communist background.
Think on that carefully as you continue to read this.
Also reflect on the fact that Brennan, later in his CIA career, was surprisingly elevated from junior analyst to the prestigious position of Station Chief in Saudi Arabia where he spent a few years.
Its said he was appointed purely for ‘political’ reasons, alleged to have been at the direct request of Bill Clinton and other Democrats not because of a recommendation or merit from within the Agency.
Its further said that the Saudis liked Brennan because he became very quickly ‘their man’ so to speak. Some reports, unsubstantiated, even allege Brennan became a Muslim while there to ingratiate himself with the Saudis.
Important to read is an NBC news article entitled ‘Former Spooks Criticize CIA Director John Brennan for Spying Comments’ by Ken Dilanian dated March 2nd, 2016.
The article contains many revealing facts and evidence, while giving a flavour, of the feelings of many in the CIA who felt that Brennan was totally unsuitable and unqualified to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
More
4,600 Lose Medicaid Due to Work Requirements in Arkansas
As many as 4,600 Medicaid recipients in Arkansas have lost their benefits for the rest of this year after failing to meet the state's new work requirements.
Arkansas became the first state ever to implement work requirements, after gaining approval from the Trump administration earlier this year. Under the new rules, which took effect in June, recipients must work, go to school, volunteer or search for jobs for at least 80 hours a month or be stripped of their coverage until the following year.
The affected beneficiaries, mainly non-disabled adults in their 30s and 40s who don't have dependent children, failed to report any work activity for three months. This prompted the state to drop them from the rolls. A final tally will be available next week.
State officials said they made many efforts to contact those subject to the new requirement, including sending letters and emails, making phone calls and videos, working with community organizations and setting up a call center to answer questions. Those who could not find employment were offered training. Recipients had to log their hours online, but could designate certain others -- such as their Medicaid insurer or a local nonprofit -- to do it for them if they did not have access to a computer.
View Full Story From CNN
Arkansas became the first state ever to implement work requirements, after gaining approval from the Trump administration earlier this year. Under the new rules, which took effect in June, recipients must work, go to school, volunteer or search for jobs for at least 80 hours a month or be stripped of their coverage until the following year.
The affected beneficiaries, mainly non-disabled adults in their 30s and 40s who don't have dependent children, failed to report any work activity for three months. This prompted the state to drop them from the rolls. A final tally will be available next week.
State officials said they made many efforts to contact those subject to the new requirement, including sending letters and emails, making phone calls and videos, working with community organizations and setting up a call center to answer questions. Those who could not find employment were offered training. Recipients had to log their hours online, but could designate certain others -- such as their Medicaid insurer or a local nonprofit -- to do it for them if they did not have access to a computer.
View Full Story From CNN
New LAPD Chief Cancels Kamala Harris' "Unprecedented" $50,000 Traveling Armed Bodyguards
Detailed expense reports obtained by NBC Los Angeles reveal that taxpayers footed the bill for Sen. Kamala Harris' armed LAPD security detail on at least a dozen trips outside of Los Angeles under an "unusual arrangement" with former LAPD chief Charlie Beck that cost nearly $50,000 by NBC's count.
While the LAPD routinely provides security details to dignitaries and officials visiting the city, "a senior retired department official said the courtesy extended to Sen. Harris for her travels to other cities was unprecedented" given her role as a State senator, reports NBC.
LA taxpayers paid for airline tickets, hotel stays, car rentals, and meals, according to detailed expense reports obtained by NBC News. -NBC LA
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While the LAPD routinely provides security details to dignitaries and officials visiting the city, "a senior retired department official said the courtesy extended to Sen. Harris for her travels to other cities was unprecedented" given her role as a State senator, reports NBC.
LA taxpayers paid for airline tickets, hotel stays, car rentals, and meals, according to detailed expense reports obtained by NBC News. -NBC LA
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Afghan War Has Grown More Expensive Than The Marshall Plan: Report
The United States has spent well over $840 billion fighting the Taliban insurgency while also paying for relief and reconstruction in a seventeen-year long war that has become more expensive, in current dollars, than the Marshall Plan, which was the reconstruction effort to rebuild Europe after World War II.
A weekend report in the The New York Times compares the flat out deception of official Pentagon statements vs. the reality in terms of the massive spending that has gone into the now-approaching two decade long "endless war" which began in the immediate aftermath of 9/11.
The Times report details in its story, bluntly titled How the U.S. Government Misleads the Public on Afghanistan, how public perception has been carefully managed amidst pressure on military leaders to justify massive DoD taxpayer spending byclaiming Taliban controlled territory is receding and the terrorists are on the run.
As the NYT report details, the exact opposite is the case:
But since 2017, the Taliban have held more Afghan territory than at any time since the American invasion. In just one week last month, the insurgents killed 200 Afghan police officers and soldiers, overrunning two major Afghan bases and the city of Ghazni.
The American military says the Afghan government effectively “controls or influences” 56 percent of the country. But that assessment relies on statistical sleight of hand. In many districts, the Afghan government controls only the district headquarters and military barracks, while the Taliban control the rest.
The report also provides shocking details of Afghan security forces greatly inflating their own numbers, likely in order to keep the bloated Washington money pipeline flowing into the country, which includes keeping "ghost" officers and absentee soldiers on their payrolls.
More
A weekend report in the The New York Times compares the flat out deception of official Pentagon statements vs. the reality in terms of the massive spending that has gone into the now-approaching two decade long "endless war" which began in the immediate aftermath of 9/11.
The Times report details in its story, bluntly titled How the U.S. Government Misleads the Public on Afghanistan, how public perception has been carefully managed amidst pressure on military leaders to justify massive DoD taxpayer spending byclaiming Taliban controlled territory is receding and the terrorists are on the run.
As the NYT report details, the exact opposite is the case:
But since 2017, the Taliban have held more Afghan territory than at any time since the American invasion. In just one week last month, the insurgents killed 200 Afghan police officers and soldiers, overrunning two major Afghan bases and the city of Ghazni.
The American military says the Afghan government effectively “controls or influences” 56 percent of the country. But that assessment relies on statistical sleight of hand. In many districts, the Afghan government controls only the district headquarters and military barracks, while the Taliban control the rest.
The report also provides shocking details of Afghan security forces greatly inflating their own numbers, likely in order to keep the bloated Washington money pipeline flowing into the country, which includes keeping "ghost" officers and absentee soldiers on their payrolls.
More
Norway’s Boardroom Gender Quota Didn’t Work. California May Try It Anyway.
From making war on straws to policing speech, California leads the nation in adopting half-baked ideas from Europe.
The latest craze is a bill that would force publicly held companies to put women on their boards by 2019. Specifically, companies would have to add at least one woman to their board by the end of 2019, and by the end of 2021 the boards must be made up by at least 40 percent women, depending on the size.
All this, under the threat of heavy fines.
The legislation passed through the California Legislature and awaits signature by Gov. Jerry Brown. If Brown signs the measure into law, it would make California the first state to have such a mandatory quota.
The legislation likely runs afoul of the California Constitution and the Constitution of the United States, but it’s also a terrible idea on its own merits.
Over the last decade, numerous European countries—France, Germany, and Italy, among others—have adopted similar laws with generally negative results.
Norway was the first country to do so, and the results have been lackluster to say the least. Norway adopted a gender boardroom quota in 2006, requiring 40 percent of publicly traded corporate boards be comprised of women.
The result, according to The Washington Times, is that numerous Norwegian companies have either left the country or changed their practices to skirt the law.
“The number of public limited firms in Norway by 2009 was less than 70 percent of the number in 2001, according to the study, while the number of privately held firms not subject to the gender quotas jumped by more than 30 percent,” according to The Washington Times.
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The latest craze is a bill that would force publicly held companies to put women on their boards by 2019. Specifically, companies would have to add at least one woman to their board by the end of 2019, and by the end of 2021 the boards must be made up by at least 40 percent women, depending on the size.
All this, under the threat of heavy fines.
The legislation passed through the California Legislature and awaits signature by Gov. Jerry Brown. If Brown signs the measure into law, it would make California the first state to have such a mandatory quota.
The legislation likely runs afoul of the California Constitution and the Constitution of the United States, but it’s also a terrible idea on its own merits.
Over the last decade, numerous European countries—France, Germany, and Italy, among others—have adopted similar laws with generally negative results.
Norway was the first country to do so, and the results have been lackluster to say the least. Norway adopted a gender boardroom quota in 2006, requiring 40 percent of publicly traded corporate boards be comprised of women.
The result, according to The Washington Times, is that numerous Norwegian companies have either left the country or changed their practices to skirt the law.
“The number of public limited firms in Norway by 2009 was less than 70 percent of the number in 2001, according to the study, while the number of privately held firms not subject to the gender quotas jumped by more than 30 percent,” according to The Washington Times.
More
Missing Cat: UPDATE
Missing Cat
Name is Hot Rod
5 years old
11 pounds
Male (not neutered)
Damaged claw right front foot
Missing from the 400 Block of South Camden Ave in Fruitland
Call Jeff 443.366.8095
BlueCross Will Stop Covering OxyContin in Tennessee
The largest health insurance company in Tennessee will stop covering OxyContin prescriptions next year as part of sweeping policy changes intended to combat opioid addiction and make pain pills less valuable on the black market.
The shift is a major blow to one of the drugs that ignited the nationwide opioid epidemic. In place of OxyContin, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee will instead encourage doctors to prescribe two other painkillers that are engineered to be more difficult to abuse.
BlueCross will publicly disclose the decision to abandon OxyContin for the first time during meetings with insurance brokers on Thursday. OxyContin will no longer be covered on Jan. 1.
“We are not telling our physicians you cannot prescribe this. We are not telling our members you cannot receive this,” said Natalie Tate, BlueCross vice president of pharmacy. “We are just drawing a line that we will not continue to pay for this and we have alternatives we have now put into place.”
View Full Story From Tennessean
The shift is a major blow to one of the drugs that ignited the nationwide opioid epidemic. In place of OxyContin, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee will instead encourage doctors to prescribe two other painkillers that are engineered to be more difficult to abuse.
BlueCross will publicly disclose the decision to abandon OxyContin for the first time during meetings with insurance brokers on Thursday. OxyContin will no longer be covered on Jan. 1.
“We are not telling our physicians you cannot prescribe this. We are not telling our members you cannot receive this,” said Natalie Tate, BlueCross vice president of pharmacy. “We are just drawing a line that we will not continue to pay for this and we have alternatives we have now put into place.”
View Full Story From Tennessean
As Trump Revisits Immigrant Detainees Rule, Atlanta's Mayor Orders Jails to Stop Accepting Them
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms on Thursday signed an executive order for transferring all remaining U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees out of the city jail and declaring that Atlanta will no longer hold anyone for the federal agency.
The Democratic mayor's move follows a separate executive order from June that blocked the jail from taking in any new ICE detainees amid enforcement of the Trump administration's "zero-tolerance" immigration policy on the southwest border, which split up many immigrant families. Bottoms has vigorously objected to that federal policy.
"Atlanta will no longer be complicit in a policy that intentionally inflicts misery on a vulnerable population without giving any thought to the horrific fallout," Bottoms told reporters moments before signing her executive order. "As the birthplace of the civil rights movement we are called to be better than this."
Secretary of State Brian Kemp, Georgia's Republican nominee for governor, criticized the mayor's move in a statement he released Thursday afternoon.
"The City of Atlanta should focus on cleaning up corruption and stopping crime -- not creating more of it," he said.
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The Democratic mayor's move follows a separate executive order from June that blocked the jail from taking in any new ICE detainees amid enforcement of the Trump administration's "zero-tolerance" immigration policy on the southwest border, which split up many immigrant families. Bottoms has vigorously objected to that federal policy.
"Atlanta will no longer be complicit in a policy that intentionally inflicts misery on a vulnerable population without giving any thought to the horrific fallout," Bottoms told reporters moments before signing her executive order. "As the birthplace of the civil rights movement we are called to be better than this."
Secretary of State Brian Kemp, Georgia's Republican nominee for governor, criticized the mayor's move in a statement he released Thursday afternoon.
"The City of Atlanta should focus on cleaning up corruption and stopping crime -- not creating more of it," he said.
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No Nike: Louisiana Mayor Bans Purchases for Recreation Department
By Morgan Gstalter
A Louisiana mayor issued a memo last week apparently banning the city’s recreation department from purchasing any Nike products.
Kenner City Mayor Ben Zahn appeared to declare on Sept. 5, that “under no circumstances” should Nike products or any product with the Nike logo be purchased, WBRZ 2 reported Saturday.
Zahn's office sent the memo to Parks and Recreation Department Director Chad Pitfield on Sept. 5, according to what appears to be a copy of the letter posted to WBRZ.
Local news outlets later obtained the memo which appears to state that “effective immediately,” any booster club operating at city recreation facilities must have their purchases approved by Pitfield — including apparel, shoes, athletic equipment "and/or any athletic product."
View Full Story From The Hill
A Louisiana mayor issued a memo last week apparently banning the city’s recreation department from purchasing any Nike products.
Kenner City Mayor Ben Zahn appeared to declare on Sept. 5, that “under no circumstances” should Nike products or any product with the Nike logo be purchased, WBRZ 2 reported Saturday.
Zahn's office sent the memo to Parks and Recreation Department Director Chad Pitfield on Sept. 5, according to what appears to be a copy of the letter posted to WBRZ.
Local news outlets later obtained the memo which appears to state that “effective immediately,” any booster club operating at city recreation facilities must have their purchases approved by Pitfield — including apparel, shoes, athletic equipment "and/or any athletic product."
View Full Story From The Hill
New York Democrats' Mailer: Cynthia Nixon Weak on Anti-Semitism
On the eve of Rosh Hashanah, Cynthia Nixon and her campaign supporters are demanding Gov. Cuomo and the state's Democratic Party repent for a mailer emblazoned with her picture and the words "anti-Semitism."
"The mailers that Governor Cuomo and the NY State Democratic Party have sent out are not only an attack on my family, but on all New Yorkers," Nixon tweeted Sunday. "At a time when anti-Semitic, Islamophobic, and other hate crimes are on the rise, it's sickening to exploit people's real fears like this."
The campaign literature was sent by the state Democratic party, which is controlled by Gov. Cuomo. It cost $11,000 to produce and print and was mailed to approximately 7,000 people, according to a party official.
"With anti-Semitism and bigotry on the rise, we can't take a chance with inexperienced Cynthia Nixon, who won't stand strong for our Jewish communities," the mailer's headline says.
It also argued that Nixon is "against funding for yeshivas," backs "BDS, the racist, xenophobic campaign to boycott Israel," and has been "silent on the rise of anti-Semitism."
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"The mailers that Governor Cuomo and the NY State Democratic Party have sent out are not only an attack on my family, but on all New Yorkers," Nixon tweeted Sunday. "At a time when anti-Semitic, Islamophobic, and other hate crimes are on the rise, it's sickening to exploit people's real fears like this."
The campaign literature was sent by the state Democratic party, which is controlled by Gov. Cuomo. It cost $11,000 to produce and print and was mailed to approximately 7,000 people, according to a party official.
"With anti-Semitism and bigotry on the rise, we can't take a chance with inexperienced Cynthia Nixon, who won't stand strong for our Jewish communities," the mailer's headline says.
It also argued that Nixon is "against funding for yeshivas," backs "BDS, the racist, xenophobic campaign to boycott Israel," and has been "silent on the rise of anti-Semitism."
More
Washington Post hysteria: Trump is 'complicit' for dangerous storm
The editorial board of the Washington Post has declared that President Trump is “complicit” for Hurricane Florence because of his views on climate change.
The massive storm has not made landfall yet, but the Post published a column on Wednesday headlined, “Another hurricane is about to batter our coast. Trump is complicit.”
The piece also notes that Trump has given “good advice” when issuing hurricane warnings via his Twitter feed before it launched an attack on the president.
“When it comes to extreme weather, Mr. Trump is complicit. He plays down humans’ role in increasing the risks, and he continues to dismantle efforts to address those risks. It is hard to attribute any single weather event to climate change. But there is no reasonable doubt that humans are priming the Earth’s systems to produce disasters,” the editorial board wrote.
Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos’ paper then quotes a climate researcher who said that previous hurricanes would not have produced so much rain without “human-induced climate change” and Florence is another indication of global warming.
More here
The massive storm has not made landfall yet, but the Post published a column on Wednesday headlined, “Another hurricane is about to batter our coast. Trump is complicit.”
The piece also notes that Trump has given “good advice” when issuing hurricane warnings via his Twitter feed before it launched an attack on the president.
“When it comes to extreme weather, Mr. Trump is complicit. He plays down humans’ role in increasing the risks, and he continues to dismantle efforts to address those risks. It is hard to attribute any single weather event to climate change. But there is no reasonable doubt that humans are priming the Earth’s systems to produce disasters,” the editorial board wrote.
Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos’ paper then quotes a climate researcher who said that previous hurricanes would not have produced so much rain without “human-induced climate change” and Florence is another indication of global warming.
More here
Pennsylvania Agency Goes Around Legislature to Impose Gender Ideology
A Pennsylvania agency has made an end run around citizens to impose gender ideology.
Last month, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission released new guidance reinterpreting the category of “sex” in state anti-discrimination law to include “sex assigned at birth, sexual orientation, transgender identity, gender transition, and/or gender expression.”
The commission circumvented the state Legislature, which never added categories like sexual orientation and gender identity into law, thereby circumventing voters as well.
This new policy could significantly curtail the First Amendment rights of citizens, as a similar policy has already done in Philadelphia.
But what does this change in policy mean for the average Pennsylvanian?
Look no further than what is happening to adoption agencies in Philadelphia.
Back in March, Philadelphia put out an urgent call for 300 families to provide
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Last month, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission released new guidance reinterpreting the category of “sex” in state anti-discrimination law to include “sex assigned at birth, sexual orientation, transgender identity, gender transition, and/or gender expression.”
The commission circumvented the state Legislature, which never added categories like sexual orientation and gender identity into law, thereby circumventing voters as well.
This new policy could significantly curtail the First Amendment rights of citizens, as a similar policy has already done in Philadelphia.
But what does this change in policy mean for the average Pennsylvanian?
Look no further than what is happening to adoption agencies in Philadelphia.
Back in March, Philadelphia put out an urgent call for 300 families to provide
More
Sheriff Makes Secret Deal with ACLU to Stop Detaining Illegal Immigrants
A federal appellate court just heard oral arguments involving an outrageous backdoor deal in which a county sheriff promises a left-wing civil rights group to stop detaining illegal immigrants. The case comes out of Marion County Indiana where an illegal alien, Antonio Lopez-Aguilar, was arrested by local law enforcement after a traffic court hearing in Indianapolis. At the time the Marion County Sheriff’s Office had an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to hold suspects in the U.S. illegally like Lopez-Aguilar until federal officers pick them up for processing.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sued the Marion County Sheriff to end the local-federal detainer policy that is practiced by law enforcement agencies nationwide and has led to the removal of countless violent criminals living in the country illegally. The ACLU asserts that ICE uses the detainers to “bully local authorities into imprisoning immigrants, many of whom have done nothing wrong, and funneling them into deportation proceedings.” Lopez-Aguilar was held in jail and funneled into deportation proceedings solely on the basis of a “detainer request” from ICE, according to the ACLU. “In addition to violating immigrants’ basic constitutional rights, this kind of cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities also undermines public safety,” the group claims. “If immigrants are reluctant to show up in court or report a crime out of fear they may be deported, everyone will be less safe.”
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office caved to the ACLU’s demands by agreeing to stop detaining illegal immigrants for the federal government.
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The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sued the Marion County Sheriff to end the local-federal detainer policy that is practiced by law enforcement agencies nationwide and has led to the removal of countless violent criminals living in the country illegally. The ACLU asserts that ICE uses the detainers to “bully local authorities into imprisoning immigrants, many of whom have done nothing wrong, and funneling them into deportation proceedings.” Lopez-Aguilar was held in jail and funneled into deportation proceedings solely on the basis of a “detainer request” from ICE, according to the ACLU. “In addition to violating immigrants’ basic constitutional rights, this kind of cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities also undermines public safety,” the group claims. “If immigrants are reluctant to show up in court or report a crime out of fear they may be deported, everyone will be less safe.”
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office caved to the ACLU’s demands by agreeing to stop detaining illegal immigrants for the federal government.
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Why Trump Was Right to End Funding for the UN Palestinian Aid Organization
Last week, the State Department announced that the Trump administration had concluded an internal review and decided to end all U.S. contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Part of the administration’s justification for the decision was the disproportionate level of U.S. financial support, but the more fundamental reason to end U.S. funding lies with the many flaws that have plagued the U.N. agency for decades.
Importantly, the U.S. has made clear that the decision to end funding does not mean it is abandoning the peace process or the Palestinian people:
[T]he United States will intensify dialogue with the United Nations, host governments, and international stakeholders about new models and new approaches, which may include direct bilateral assistance from the United States and other partners, that can provide today’s Palestinian children with a more durable and dependable path toward a brighter tomorrow.
Although details were not provided, presumably, the U.S. will shift some of the agency funding to the government of Jordan and to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees to address the refugees and humanitarian consequences of the Syrian conflict and explore alternative ways to assist Palestinians outside of the UNRWA.
This decision is long overdue. The UNRWA has existed for more than 60 years as a “temporary” initiative to address the needs of Palestinian refugees from the 1948 Israeli-Arab conflict and to facilitate their resettlement and/or repatriation. It has evolved into a permanent institution providing services to multiple generations of Palestinian “refugees,” of whom a large majority live outside refugee camps, enjoy citizenship in other countries, or reside in the Palestinian-governed West Bank and Gaza Strip.
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Part of the administration’s justification for the decision was the disproportionate level of U.S. financial support, but the more fundamental reason to end U.S. funding lies with the many flaws that have plagued the U.N. agency for decades.
Importantly, the U.S. has made clear that the decision to end funding does not mean it is abandoning the peace process or the Palestinian people:
[T]he United States will intensify dialogue with the United Nations, host governments, and international stakeholders about new models and new approaches, which may include direct bilateral assistance from the United States and other partners, that can provide today’s Palestinian children with a more durable and dependable path toward a brighter tomorrow.
Although details were not provided, presumably, the U.S. will shift some of the agency funding to the government of Jordan and to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees to address the refugees and humanitarian consequences of the Syrian conflict and explore alternative ways to assist Palestinians outside of the UNRWA.
This decision is long overdue. The UNRWA has existed for more than 60 years as a “temporary” initiative to address the needs of Palestinian refugees from the 1948 Israeli-Arab conflict and to facilitate their resettlement and/or repatriation. It has evolved into a permanent institution providing services to multiple generations of Palestinian “refugees,” of whom a large majority live outside refugee camps, enjoy citizenship in other countries, or reside in the Palestinian-governed West Bank and Gaza Strip.
More
Twitter blocks the phrase ‘illegal alien’ as ‘hateful content’
The federal government, U.S. Supreme Court, and lawyers across the country use the words “illegal alien” to describe immigrants who illegally enter the country, because that’s the definition in the law.
But Twitter makes its own laws, and the social media giant is now blocking folks from promoting any messages with the phrase, which its moderators apparently consider “hate speech.”
“1/ Twitter is not allowing us to promote any tweets including the phrase ‘illegal alien(s)’, citing it as Hateful Content,” the Center for Immigration Studies posted to Twitter Tuesday. “However, ‘illegal aliens’ has been used in both federal law and by the Supreme Court.”
Twitter rejected a total of four ads from the Center but provided only vague reasoning for the decision.
“We’ve reviewed your tweets and confirmed that it is ineligible to participate in the Twitter Ads program at this time based on our Hateful Content policy..."
More
But Twitter makes its own laws, and the social media giant is now blocking folks from promoting any messages with the phrase, which its moderators apparently consider “hate speech.”
“1/ Twitter is not allowing us to promote any tweets including the phrase ‘illegal alien(s)’, citing it as Hateful Content,” the Center for Immigration Studies posted to Twitter Tuesday. “However, ‘illegal aliens’ has been used in both federal law and by the Supreme Court.”
Twitter rejected a total of four ads from the Center but provided only vague reasoning for the decision.
“We’ve reviewed your tweets and confirmed that it is ineligible to participate in the Twitter Ads program at this time based on our Hateful Content policy..."
More
Fitton on New Strzok-Page Texts: 'Corrupted' Mueller Probe Needs to Be Shut Down
Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said Tuesday newly-revealed text messages between fired FBI official Peter Strzok and former FBI attorney Lisa Page are just more evidence of the anti-Trump bias that was prevalent at the FBI and Justice Department.
Two new texts show the officials discussing a "media leak strategy" amid the Trump-Russia probe.
"A 'media leak strategy' is just what it says, an 'insurance policy' is just what it says, when Strzok writes 'we'll stop' President Trump, everyone knows what that means," Fitton said on "Outnumbered Overtime."
Fitton said Judicial Watch has been litigating against the FBI for 20 years and he's consistently seen from the bureau "arrogance, illegal secrecy and contempt for the rule of law."
More
Two new texts show the officials discussing a "media leak strategy" amid the Trump-Russia probe.
"A 'media leak strategy' is just what it says, an 'insurance policy' is just what it says, when Strzok writes 'we'll stop' President Trump, everyone knows what that means," Fitton said on "Outnumbered Overtime."
Fitton said Judicial Watch has been litigating against the FBI for 20 years and he's consistently seen from the bureau "arrogance, illegal secrecy and contempt for the rule of law."
More
http://insider.foxnews.com/2018/09/11/tom-fitton-new-strzok-page-texts-robert-mueller-investigation-needs-be-shut-down
A Viewer Writes: Sunset before Florence
WALSH: How The Democrat Party Launders Money
Planned Parenthood has just announced a sweeping new initiative to unseat Republicans in state and federal offices. Its "largest ground game in history" will include door-knocking, advertising, and similar strategies. This will all be in addition to the 20 million dollar ad campaign it launched a few months ago. Their efforts on behalf of the Democrat Party may be ramped up more than usual, but there is nothing unprecedented happening here. The abortion conglomerate has been giving millions to Democrat campaigns and Democrat causes for decades. Meanwhile, they are given millions — 500 million, to be exact — in tax payer dollars annually.
Planned Parenthood is, among other things, a not-so-cleverly-disguised money laundering operation for the Democrat Party. Tax money goes in the front door, Democrat campaign contributions (and the corpses of 300 thousand dead children a year) come out the back. To make matters even more absurd, the Republican Party is the one pushing the wheelbarrow full of cash through the door. Despite controlling both houses of Congress and the White House, Republicans have chosen to keep the pipeline open. They might as well get on their knees and shine the Democrat Party's shoes while they're at it.
Liberals have the gall to complain about the NRA's donations to Republican politicians and causes, but the NRA is not funded by the public. There is no logical reason why the NRA should refrain, or be prevented, from giving some of its privately-raised funds to Republican campaigns. Planned Parenthood, on the other hand, rakes in a billion dollars in tax money every two years on the basis that it is nothing more than a "health care provider." Yet it is allowed to act as a ruthlessly partisan organization even as it describes itself in such innocuous terms.
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Planned Parenthood is, among other things, a not-so-cleverly-disguised money laundering operation for the Democrat Party. Tax money goes in the front door, Democrat campaign contributions (and the corpses of 300 thousand dead children a year) come out the back. To make matters even more absurd, the Republican Party is the one pushing the wheelbarrow full of cash through the door. Despite controlling both houses of Congress and the White House, Republicans have chosen to keep the pipeline open. They might as well get on their knees and shine the Democrat Party's shoes while they're at it.
Liberals have the gall to complain about the NRA's donations to Republican politicians and causes, but the NRA is not funded by the public. There is no logical reason why the NRA should refrain, or be prevented, from giving some of its privately-raised funds to Republican campaigns. Planned Parenthood, on the other hand, rakes in a billion dollars in tax money every two years on the basis that it is nothing more than a "health care provider." Yet it is allowed to act as a ruthlessly partisan organization even as it describes itself in such innocuous terms.
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Nate Jackson: Who Cares About Women's Tennis Now?
Serena Williams's disgraceful display reminds us of another entitled and angry woman.
We’re not much for professional tennis in our humble shop, but we couldn’t help but notice something about the weekend’s U.S. Open women’s championship match. Stop us if you’ve heard this before: A woman who thought she was entitled to win was credibly accused of cheating during the contest, which she then turned into a tirade about her own supposed victimhood at the hands of those who are allegedly sexist. Her supporters then turned into a rabid mob, heckling and booing the victor, who not only deserved to win but did so fair and square. The media rallied to her defense, robbing the victor of the moment of triumph.
But enough about the 2016 election.
We’ll leave debating the rules of tennis to others, but suffice it to say that Serena Williams, in the words of Rich Lowry, “behaved shamefully” and showed an “appalling lack of grace.” Her coach admitted to the infraction that led to a penalty, but Williams turned the match into a pathetic spectacle of rage, complete with smashing her racket (again) and leaving the 20-year-old, first-time winner, Naomi Osaka, not only in tears on the podium but literally apologizing for her win.
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We’re not much for professional tennis in our humble shop, but we couldn’t help but notice something about the weekend’s U.S. Open women’s championship match. Stop us if you’ve heard this before: A woman who thought she was entitled to win was credibly accused of cheating during the contest, which she then turned into a tirade about her own supposed victimhood at the hands of those who are allegedly sexist. Her supporters then turned into a rabid mob, heckling and booing the victor, who not only deserved to win but did so fair and square. The media rallied to her defense, robbing the victor of the moment of triumph.
But enough about the 2016 election.
We’ll leave debating the rules of tennis to others, but suffice it to say that Serena Williams, in the words of Rich Lowry, “behaved shamefully” and showed an “appalling lack of grace.” Her coach admitted to the infraction that led to a penalty, but Williams turned the match into a pathetic spectacle of rage, complete with smashing her racket (again) and leaving the 20-year-old, first-time winner, Naomi Osaka, not only in tears on the podium but literally apologizing for her win.
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Culture Beat: Six State AGs to Investigate Catholic Church
Following revelations of the over 1,000 documented incidents of sexual abuseperpetrated by hundreds of Roman Catholic priests in Pennsylvania over several decades, attorneys general from six states have announced their intention to make an aggressive effort to investigate allegations of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy. The New York Times reports:
With Catholics clamoring for more transparency from their church, demanding that bishops release the names of accused priests, civil authorities are beginning to step up to force disclosure.
In the three weeks since the release of the Pennsylvania report, the attorneys general of [New York, New Jersey,] Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska and New Mexico have also said they will investigate sex abuse by Catholic priests in their states and have asked local dioceses for records. Most bishops have been saying they will cooperate.
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With Catholics clamoring for more transparency from their church, demanding that bishops release the names of accused priests, civil authorities are beginning to step up to force disclosure.
In the three weeks since the release of the Pennsylvania report, the attorneys general of [New York, New Jersey,] Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska and New Mexico have also said they will investigate sex abuse by Catholic priests in their states and have asked local dioceses for records. Most bishops have been saying they will cooperate.
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A More Likely Reason Rahm Emanuel Dropped Out: The Chicago Time Bomb
We may never know why Rahm Emanuel decided to drop out of the Chicago mayoral race. But the media is certainly giving him a pass. They say he simply dropped out for fear of losing. But there’s a far more likely reason than that.
Emanuel is smart, and the smart reason for leaving is glaring: He doesn’t want to risk becoming “mayor bankruptcy.” Chicago is a ticking time bomb and Emanuel is jumping ship just in case it goes off.
Don’t dismiss that scenario too quickly. Despite his lofty intentions when he first took office, Emanuel has failed miserably to reform the city’s finances. Now the risk of insolvency is rising.
Chicago’s financials are dire and the city has no plan and no reserves to survive an inevitable recession. In fact, the city has barely kept its head above the water despite a decade of national economic growth. Chicago Public Schools was already at thebrink of bankruptcy just one year ago.
Rahm knows the risks of collapse are rising. He’s passed property tax hikes, emptied the reserves and employed every budget trick he can to make the numbers “better.” He’s even sold off public assets – the city’s future sales tax revenues – to “shore up” the city’s finances, and yet Chicago is still junk rated by Moody’s.
CPS is in even deeper junk territory – far lower than even Detroit. And that’s after the state poured more money in as the result of a new funding formula.
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Emanuel is smart, and the smart reason for leaving is glaring: He doesn’t want to risk becoming “mayor bankruptcy.” Chicago is a ticking time bomb and Emanuel is jumping ship just in case it goes off.
Don’t dismiss that scenario too quickly. Despite his lofty intentions when he first took office, Emanuel has failed miserably to reform the city’s finances. Now the risk of insolvency is rising.
Chicago’s financials are dire and the city has no plan and no reserves to survive an inevitable recession. In fact, the city has barely kept its head above the water despite a decade of national economic growth. Chicago Public Schools was already at thebrink of bankruptcy just one year ago.
Rahm knows the risks of collapse are rising. He’s passed property tax hikes, emptied the reserves and employed every budget trick he can to make the numbers “better.” He’s even sold off public assets – the city’s future sales tax revenues – to “shore up” the city’s finances, and yet Chicago is still junk rated by Moody’s.
CPS is in even deeper junk territory – far lower than even Detroit. And that’s after the state poured more money in as the result of a new funding formula.
More
God Bless Tony!
Empty Seats Plague NFL Stadiums in Week One of Season
Week one of the regular NFL season kicked off this weekend with a wimper–the ratings were at a 10-year low.
Friday night’s Eagles vs Falcons game was hit with heavy rains which caused a delay.
WOMP WOMP.
Americans are fed up with athletes kneeling during the National Anthem and it showed–plenty of empty seats plagued stadiums on Sunday.
View of empty seats at Chargers vs Chiefs in sunny Southern California:
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Friday night’s Eagles vs Falcons game was hit with heavy rains which caused a delay.
WOMP WOMP.
Americans are fed up with athletes kneeling during the National Anthem and it showed–plenty of empty seats plagued stadiums on Sunday.
View of empty seats at Chargers vs Chiefs in sunny Southern California:
More
Oasis Bar 'N' Grill
Unfortunately, due to the impending weather, most of the activities at the Oasis have been cancelled.
We will still be open and we believe, Ricky, one of our special guest little people, will be around all weekend.
We welcome All Bikers and Anybody to Slip On Down to the Oasis this weekend.
We will still be open and we believe, Ricky, one of our special guest little people, will be around all weekend.
We welcome All Bikers and Anybody to Slip On Down to the Oasis this weekend.
Kamala Harris's $50,000 LAPD guards not her first corruption rodeo
California's Sen. Kamala Harris, the leftist Democratic presidential wannabe who got herself in the news after piously posturing against Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh, has now been caught with her hand in the till, traipsing around California with a Los Angeles Police Department bodyguard detail in tow, at a taxpayer-paid cost of nearly $50,000.
NBC4 of Los Angeles has the details:
Armed, plain-clothes LAPD officers were dispatched to California cities outside of Los Angeles at least a dozen times to provide security for U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris at public events, media appearances, and a party.
LA taxpayers paid for airline tickets, hotel stays, car rentals, and meals, according to detailed expense reports obtained by NBC News. The total cost of the trips, not including the officers' overtime, topped $28,000.
The $28K was just a starting point in the cost extravaganza – overtime and other expenses made the total close to $50K. A new police chief found out about the unprecedented freebie from the people of Los Angeles and put a stop to it. The mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, says he never heard of it and laid the blame squarely on recently retired LAPD chief Charlie Beck. One thing is certain: it's never been done before. But this being Harris, it's not surprising it happened.
More
NBC4 of Los Angeles has the details:
Armed, plain-clothes LAPD officers were dispatched to California cities outside of Los Angeles at least a dozen times to provide security for U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris at public events, media appearances, and a party.
LA taxpayers paid for airline tickets, hotel stays, car rentals, and meals, according to detailed expense reports obtained by NBC News. The total cost of the trips, not including the officers' overtime, topped $28,000.
The $28K was just a starting point in the cost extravaganza – overtime and other expenses made the total close to $50K. A new police chief found out about the unprecedented freebie from the people of Los Angeles and put a stop to it. The mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, says he never heard of it and laid the blame squarely on recently retired LAPD chief Charlie Beck. One thing is certain: it's never been done before. But this being Harris, it's not surprising it happened.
More
Come Get Your Trump Flags TODAY, (bikers only)
Collusion: New Texts Show FBI Officials Had Media Leak Strategy To Hurt Trump During Russia Probe
Well, well, well—what do we have here; FBI officials discussing a media leak strategy during the Trump-Russia investigation, specifically when key developments are about to be revealed to the public. The new batch of texts was released by Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC), where disgraced former FBI Agent Peter Strzok and lawyer Lisa Page communicate about a possible media leak strategy between FBI and DOJ officials between April 10 and 12 of 2017. The Daily Caller has more:
More
More
Underwater Camera Off The Coast Of North Carolina.
What marine life is found 34 miles off the coast of North Carolina? Watch live and find out more about the sharks residing in these waters on Explore.org
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-gJoO9A6so&feature=youtu.be
If you want to see the view above water click on this link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deG4NxkouGM
TRUMP
The author is Joel Ross, Principal, Citadel Realty Advisors, 15 West 36th Street, NYC, NY. Mr. Ross publishes the Ross Rant, a $300 per year subscription newsletter, which makes predictions based upon economic data.
To understand the trade war with China, you need to understand that China at the moment is having a major slowdown economically. The stock market is down 25%. Many banks are being bailed out by the government. Everything and everyone in China is way over levered, and the economy is therefore in a high risk position which the government was trying to fix. The trade war got in the way, forcing the government to subsidize the smaller banks. China is loaning tens of billions to countries like Pakistan to build ports and railroads and infrastructure. Problem is, these countries have zero possible way to ever repay these loans. So now they are faced with stopping the projects or asking the IMF to bail them out.
It is a mess for China and the countries who took the loans. There is starting to be pushback against China for this. So, Trump’s timing to go after China is exactly right. They are in a weakened position right now. Ignore all the hype about how they could sell their $1.4
trillion of US Treasuries —to who??? Not going to happen. The whole world agrees China violates every rule on trade and steals IP. Trump is just the only one who is willing to take them on, with the rest of the world cheering him on from the sidelines. Now it appears the EU is willing to cooperate with Trump and revise the WTO and to push China on IP and other trade violations. Something they were never willing to do before.
Can 4% GDP growth continue? Maybe. But 3.5% would be great. Remember the left, and the press saying in 2016 and early 2017, 2% was the new normal maximum, and the US was at its peak and we faced stagflation, economic decline, etc. 2% was the accepted number as what good growth would be. Larry Summers was right out there saying 4% was impossible. Some in the mainstream media and Wall St said getting above 2% was pure fantasy, and Trump was dreaming.
So, as I have said often, ignore the talking heads, and the mainstream media. They all have an agenda. Almost none are objective. The tax bill and deregulation was a huge boost. The left just can’t admit it. There are even stories now in the press that 4% is really a bad thing??? 4% is great, it may not be 4% next quarter, but 3.5% would be terrific. If Trump really does a deal with the EU, Mexico and Canada, and then Japan, 3.5%, or better, is very realistic.
Capital expenditures will ramp up further once the tariff issues subside and that uncertainty goes away. They say exports were hyped due to pending tariffs, but to do that, inventories were drawn down, so this quarter inventories will be rebuilt, pushing up GDP growth upward. The press does not want you to believe it because it means the Republicans win in November, so they will try to convince you otherwise. Even my very liberal economist friends admit privately to me that the economy is going to be booming for at least 6 more quarters. The key is to reelect Republicans to control Congress.
Keep in mind Maxine Waters is chair of the finance committee if the Dems get control, and Nancy is speaker. Think about that combo, and the ability to get budgets and more tax reform done. It should drive you to the polls and to take all your friends with you to vote. What a trade: Trump, and 4% GDP, or Maxine Waters.
If you want to understand Russia, and the whole gas pipeline issue — gas and oil is 52% of Russia’s GDP. The GDP of Russia is slightly smaller than NY State, around $1.5 trillion. GDP per capita is only $8,748 in 2017. Far lower than in 2013. We heard this first hand when I was in Russia, but now the stats show it to be true. The standard of living in Russia is declining. 20% of the Russian budget goes to weapons and the army.
So Trump is right - how can Germany build a new gas pipeline with Russia which will fund more weapons spending, when they are supposedly having sanctions because of weapons and Crimea. It is nuts. The gas line will provide Russia billions of new cash flow for weapons which are aimed at ----Germany. But Merkel also thought letting in over 1 million Muslims was also a great idea until the voters rebelled, and the rest of the EU voted right wing in response.
Reality is Russia is now in economic decline due to lower oil prices and corruption. Defense spending was reduced this year. So what does Merkel want to do – build the pipeline to pay them more badly needed money. Trump is not out of line for his comments. The pipeline is the same as Obama paying Iran $150 billion just as their economy was tanking. Truth is Russia cannot afford to wage a real war in Europe now that Trump has forced NATO to materially up spending and readiness.
To understand the trade war with China, you need to understand that China at the moment is having a major slowdown economically. The stock market is down 25%. Many banks are being bailed out by the government. Everything and everyone in China is way over levered, and the economy is therefore in a high risk position which the government was trying to fix. The trade war got in the way, forcing the government to subsidize the smaller banks. China is loaning tens of billions to countries like Pakistan to build ports and railroads and infrastructure. Problem is, these countries have zero possible way to ever repay these loans. So now they are faced with stopping the projects or asking the IMF to bail them out.
It is a mess for China and the countries who took the loans. There is starting to be pushback against China for this. So, Trump’s timing to go after China is exactly right. They are in a weakened position right now. Ignore all the hype about how they could sell their $1.4
trillion of US Treasuries —to who??? Not going to happen. The whole world agrees China violates every rule on trade and steals IP. Trump is just the only one who is willing to take them on, with the rest of the world cheering him on from the sidelines. Now it appears the EU is willing to cooperate with Trump and revise the WTO and to push China on IP and other trade violations. Something they were never willing to do before.
Can 4% GDP growth continue? Maybe. But 3.5% would be great. Remember the left, and the press saying in 2016 and early 2017, 2% was the new normal maximum, and the US was at its peak and we faced stagflation, economic decline, etc. 2% was the accepted number as what good growth would be. Larry Summers was right out there saying 4% was impossible. Some in the mainstream media and Wall St said getting above 2% was pure fantasy, and Trump was dreaming.
So, as I have said often, ignore the talking heads, and the mainstream media. They all have an agenda. Almost none are objective. The tax bill and deregulation was a huge boost. The left just can’t admit it. There are even stories now in the press that 4% is really a bad thing??? 4% is great, it may not be 4% next quarter, but 3.5% would be terrific. If Trump really does a deal with the EU, Mexico and Canada, and then Japan, 3.5%, or better, is very realistic.
Capital expenditures will ramp up further once the tariff issues subside and that uncertainty goes away. They say exports were hyped due to pending tariffs, but to do that, inventories were drawn down, so this quarter inventories will be rebuilt, pushing up GDP growth upward. The press does not want you to believe it because it means the Republicans win in November, so they will try to convince you otherwise. Even my very liberal economist friends admit privately to me that the economy is going to be booming for at least 6 more quarters. The key is to reelect Republicans to control Congress.
Keep in mind Maxine Waters is chair of the finance committee if the Dems get control, and Nancy is speaker. Think about that combo, and the ability to get budgets and more tax reform done. It should drive you to the polls and to take all your friends with you to vote. What a trade: Trump, and 4% GDP, or Maxine Waters.
If you want to understand Russia, and the whole gas pipeline issue — gas and oil is 52% of Russia’s GDP. The GDP of Russia is slightly smaller than NY State, around $1.5 trillion. GDP per capita is only $8,748 in 2017. Far lower than in 2013. We heard this first hand when I was in Russia, but now the stats show it to be true. The standard of living in Russia is declining. 20% of the Russian budget goes to weapons and the army.
So Trump is right - how can Germany build a new gas pipeline with Russia which will fund more weapons spending, when they are supposedly having sanctions because of weapons and Crimea. It is nuts. The gas line will provide Russia billions of new cash flow for weapons which are aimed at ----Germany. But Merkel also thought letting in over 1 million Muslims was also a great idea until the voters rebelled, and the rest of the EU voted right wing in response.
Reality is Russia is now in economic decline due to lower oil prices and corruption. Defense spending was reduced this year. So what does Merkel want to do – build the pipeline to pay them more badly needed money. Trump is not out of line for his comments. The pipeline is the same as Obama paying Iran $150 billion just as their economy was tanking. Truth is Russia cannot afford to wage a real war in Europe now that Trump has forced NATO to materially up spending and readiness.
Obama's Benghazi Body Bags No Mere Conspiracy Theory
The arrogance of the man who lied to the parents of the Benghazi dead in front of their sons' caskets as they were returned to the country they fought for is mind-boggling. As he attempted to rewrite many chapters of his failed presidency in a speech at the University of Illinois, he called the accurate and documented reports of the criminal negligence of secretary of state Hillary Clinton and himself during the September 11, 2012 terrorist attack on our Benghazi compound a mere "conspiracy theory."
Conspiracy theories don't produce body bags, sir, but perhaps you don't remember that night all too well because you spent the time four brave Americans were being killed under your command in Libya readying up for a Las Vegas fundraiser.
Kris Paronto, former Army Ranger and CIA contractor who fought with his colleagues on the roof of the CIA annex in Benghazi, remembers that night and tweeted his response to the then-president's arrogant and dismissive ridicule of their sacrifice and your incompetence:
Benghazi is a conspiracy @BarackObama ?! How bout we do this,let's put your cowardly ass on the top of a roof with 6 of your buddies&shoot rpg's&Ak47's at you while terrorists lob 81mm mortars killing 2 of your buddies all while waiting for US support that you never sent
Obama and Hillary had plenty of warnings that the security at Benghazi was woefully inadequate, that the compound was swimming in an ocean of terrorist training camps. They ignored these warnings, and when the attack happened, they did nothing when a rescue mission could have been mounted. Instead, stand-down orders were given to would-be rescuers, and following the attack, the infamous video lie was concocted and spread over the airwaves, with President Obama repeating it no fewer than six times in a speech before the United Nations.
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Conspiracy theories don't produce body bags, sir, but perhaps you don't remember that night all too well because you spent the time four brave Americans were being killed under your command in Libya readying up for a Las Vegas fundraiser.
Kris Paronto, former Army Ranger and CIA contractor who fought with his colleagues on the roof of the CIA annex in Benghazi, remembers that night and tweeted his response to the then-president's arrogant and dismissive ridicule of their sacrifice and your incompetence:
Benghazi is a conspiracy @BarackObama ?! How bout we do this,let's put your cowardly ass on the top of a roof with 6 of your buddies&shoot rpg's&Ak47's at you while terrorists lob 81mm mortars killing 2 of your buddies all while waiting for US support that you never sent
Obama and Hillary had plenty of warnings that the security at Benghazi was woefully inadequate, that the compound was swimming in an ocean of terrorist training camps. They ignored these warnings, and when the attack happened, they did nothing when a rescue mission could have been mounted. Instead, stand-down orders were given to would-be rescuers, and following the attack, the infamous video lie was concocted and spread over the airwaves, with President Obama repeating it no fewer than six times in a speech before the United Nations.
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Robin Smith: Democrat Swamp Antics, Theatrics, and Malevolence
From the Kavanaugh hearings to the disgruntled deep state, opposition runs wide.
“First Trump was crazy, then he was Hitler, then he was racist, now he’s just a big meanie. Yep, a jerk.” Greg Gutfield, the Fox News host who combines conservative analysis and comedy, laid this progression out Saturday night in one of his show’s segments that featured criticisms and narratives that span President Donald Trump’s 20-month tenure in office. Coming from the absolutely emotionally incontinent Democrats and from the Corporate Celebrity Media, otherwise known as the mainstream media (MSM), these parroted insults are exchanged and echoed when Trump is winning.
Most recently, both the Senate confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Bob Woodward’s book, and the “anonymous” opinion published by The New York Times are current examples of this collective meltdown that manifests itself in political theater mixed with behavior that in most other arenas of business would be career-ending.
Simply put, all this bad behavior validates the existence of a “deep state” that is best kept alive, relevant, and powerful when it oversees and cultivates the status quo of all things controlled by a heavy-handed centralized government bureaucracy. That bureaucracy never fully meets its stated goals and is, therefore, always needed.
More
“First Trump was crazy, then he was Hitler, then he was racist, now he’s just a big meanie. Yep, a jerk.” Greg Gutfield, the Fox News host who combines conservative analysis and comedy, laid this progression out Saturday night in one of his show’s segments that featured criticisms and narratives that span President Donald Trump’s 20-month tenure in office. Coming from the absolutely emotionally incontinent Democrats and from the Corporate Celebrity Media, otherwise known as the mainstream media (MSM), these parroted insults are exchanged and echoed when Trump is winning.
Most recently, both the Senate confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Bob Woodward’s book, and the “anonymous” opinion published by The New York Times are current examples of this collective meltdown that manifests itself in political theater mixed with behavior that in most other arenas of business would be career-ending.
Simply put, all this bad behavior validates the existence of a “deep state” that is best kept alive, relevant, and powerful when it oversees and cultivates the status quo of all things controlled by a heavy-handed centralized government bureaucracy. That bureaucracy never fully meets its stated goals and is, therefore, always needed.
More
SHE'S BACK, TOO! Hillary to appear at 'Lesbians Who Tech' event
Move over Back Obama: Hillary Clinton isn’t going away, either.
As the midterms approach, the throwbacks of the Democrat Party are taking center stage.
This week, Clinton will be appearing at a “Lesbians Who Tech” conference in New York, according to a promotional video put out by the group.
The video features a montage of clips of Clinton speaking to what she thinks are gay values.
“Grab your pantsuits,” the video challenges attendees.
Isn’t that oppressive to all of those LGBTQ nudists out there?
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As the midterms approach, the throwbacks of the Democrat Party are taking center stage.
This week, Clinton will be appearing at a “Lesbians Who Tech” conference in New York, according to a promotional video put out by the group.
The video features a montage of clips of Clinton speaking to what she thinks are gay values.
“Grab your pantsuits,” the video challenges attendees.
Isn’t that oppressive to all of those LGBTQ nudists out there?
More
A Viewer Writes: Great Idea
The next hurricane that comes this way we will name Hillary. All the liberals will rush to the beach to see her and all the conservatives will run the other direction.
Sobo's At Trader Lee's
Missouri Dems Plan To Snatch Up Tickets To Trump Rally
A county Democratic chapter in Missouri has a plan to resist President Donald Trump, and it involves rally tickets and baby balloons.
Cape Girardeau County Democrats told supporters in an email to snatch up tickets to Trump’s scheduled rally on Thursday, with the intent of leaving the stadium empty. Trump is set to campaign for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Josh Hawley.
“President Trump is coming to town, so it is time GEAR UP! Here is what is going to happen,” the Cape Democrats wrote. “RIGHT NOW go to: [Trump rally website] and get your two free tickets…. this will empty out the stadium.”
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Cape Girardeau County Democrats told supporters in an email to snatch up tickets to Trump’s scheduled rally on Thursday, with the intent of leaving the stadium empty. Trump is set to campaign for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Josh Hawley.
“President Trump is coming to town, so it is time GEAR UP! Here is what is going to happen,” the Cape Democrats wrote. “RIGHT NOW go to: [Trump rally website] and get your two free tickets…. this will empty out the stadium.”
More
Illinois Dem Candidate Spreads Conspiracy Theory Kavanaugh Aide Used 'White Power Signs' During Hearing
Illinois Democratic congressional candidate Sean Casten insisted Monday that an advisor to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh intentionally made a white supremacist signal during a televised Senate confirmation hearing.
Casten and Republican incumbent Rep. Peter Roskam, who represents Illinois' 6th Congressional District, met Monday for a live-streamed debate moderated by suburban Chicago newspaper The Daily Herald. During the debate, moderators asked about Casten's claim that there were "Nazis"working in the Donald Trump administration.
The energy executive defended his comments, citing former Trump advisor Sebastian Gorka as someone he thought was a Nazi who worked in the administration. "We have an obligation to call that out when we see it," he said.
"There's a problem when we have Zina Bash this week flashing white power signs behind the Brett Kavanaugh hearings," he said. "How do we not stand up to that?"
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Casten and Republican incumbent Rep. Peter Roskam, who represents Illinois' 6th Congressional District, met Monday for a live-streamed debate moderated by suburban Chicago newspaper The Daily Herald. During the debate, moderators asked about Casten's claim that there were "Nazis"working in the Donald Trump administration.
The energy executive defended his comments, citing former Trump advisor Sebastian Gorka as someone he thought was a Nazi who worked in the administration. "We have an obligation to call that out when we see it," he said.
"There's a problem when we have Zina Bash this week flashing white power signs behind the Brett Kavanaugh hearings," he said. "How do we not stand up to that?"
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Why Naomi Osaka is likely to become a branding sensation
Tennis phenom Naomi Osaka is about to show Madison Avenue what she can do off the court.
After notching her first Grand Slam, soundly beating Serena Williams at the US Open, the shy 20-year-old is poised to become a branding sensation, marketing experts say.
Her four-year deal with Adidas — reportedly worth in the low six figures — is about to expire this year, while a car endorsement is said to be in the works and will likely be announced this week.
“Her brand value for Adidas is in the millions now,” sports marketing consultant Joe Favorito said.
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After notching her first Grand Slam, soundly beating Serena Williams at the US Open, the shy 20-year-old is poised to become a branding sensation, marketing experts say.
Her four-year deal with Adidas — reportedly worth in the low six figures — is about to expire this year, while a car endorsement is said to be in the works and will likely be announced this week.
“Her brand value for Adidas is in the millions now,” sports marketing consultant Joe Favorito said.
More
Study Claims Gifted Math Classes Promote 'Academic Apartheid'
A math education professor is arguing that gifted math classes cause “academic apartheid” among students, claiming that the practice is rooted in “capitalist exploitations and settler colonialism.”
The study, “Understanding Issues Associated With Tracking Students in Mathematics Education,” was published in the new issue of the the Columbia University journal Mathematics Education by Cacey Wells, a professor at the University of Oklahoma.
In his article — which relies heavily upon social justice math theory — Wells takes aim at what teachers call “academic tracking,” which is the practice of placing students in different math classes (such as pre-algebra or gifted classes) depending on test scores.
Under the tracking system, for example, a student who scores in the top 10 percent of his peers may be placed into a precalculus course. On the other hand, a student who scores in the lowest 10 percent may be placed into a remedial math class, or perhaps pre-algebra.
More
The study, “Understanding Issues Associated With Tracking Students in Mathematics Education,” was published in the new issue of the the Columbia University journal Mathematics Education by Cacey Wells, a professor at the University of Oklahoma.
In his article — which relies heavily upon social justice math theory — Wells takes aim at what teachers call “academic tracking,” which is the practice of placing students in different math classes (such as pre-algebra or gifted classes) depending on test scores.
Under the tracking system, for example, a student who scores in the top 10 percent of his peers may be placed into a precalculus course. On the other hand, a student who scores in the lowest 10 percent may be placed into a remedial math class, or perhaps pre-algebra.
More
Trump Weighing Sanctions On Chinese Officials, Seizure And Freezing Of Chinese Assets
In a move that would sharply antagonize the already frayed relations between the US and China, president Trump is reportedlyconsidering sanctions against Chinese senior officials and companies to punish Beijing’s detention of hundreds of thousands of ethnic Uighurs and other minority Muslims in what we reported recently were "massive internment camps", the NYT reportedciting current and former American officials.
While Trump has engaged in extensive punitive measures against China over the country's "unfair" trade surplus with the US involving various rounds of tariffs - to which China has responded in tit-for-ta measure - the contemplated economic penalties would be one of the first times the Trump administration has taken action against China because of human rights violations, a topic which Beijing has been acutely sensitive about and could prompt a far more "emotional" response by Beijing.Additionally, US officials are also seeking to limit American sales of surveillance technology that Chinese security agencies and companies are using to monitor Uighurs throughout northwest China.
According to the report, while discussions to publicly rebuke China’s treatment of its minority Muslims had been underway for months among top government officials, the they gained urgency two weeks ago, "after members of Congress asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to impose sanctions on seven Chinese officials."
And as noted above...
Until now, President Trump largely has resisted punishing China for its human rights record, or even accusing it of widespread violations. If approved, the penalties would fuel an already bitter standoff with Beijing over trade and pressure on North Korea’s nuclear program.
Human rights advocates say the mass detentions in the northwest region of Xinjiang are the worst collective human rights abuse in China in decades. It is also a part of President Xi Jinping's governing style: since taking power in 2012, Xi - who recently changed the constitution to declare himself president for life - has steered China on a hard authoritarian course, which includes increased repression of large ethnic groups in western China, notably the Uighurs and Tibetans.
More
While Trump has engaged in extensive punitive measures against China over the country's "unfair" trade surplus with the US involving various rounds of tariffs - to which China has responded in tit-for-ta measure - the contemplated economic penalties would be one of the first times the Trump administration has taken action against China because of human rights violations, a topic which Beijing has been acutely sensitive about and could prompt a far more "emotional" response by Beijing.Additionally, US officials are also seeking to limit American sales of surveillance technology that Chinese security agencies and companies are using to monitor Uighurs throughout northwest China.
According to the report, while discussions to publicly rebuke China’s treatment of its minority Muslims had been underway for months among top government officials, the they gained urgency two weeks ago, "after members of Congress asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to impose sanctions on seven Chinese officials."
And as noted above...
Until now, President Trump largely has resisted punishing China for its human rights record, or even accusing it of widespread violations. If approved, the penalties would fuel an already bitter standoff with Beijing over trade and pressure on North Korea’s nuclear program.
Human rights advocates say the mass detentions in the northwest region of Xinjiang are the worst collective human rights abuse in China in decades. It is also a part of President Xi Jinping's governing style: since taking power in 2012, Xi - who recently changed the constitution to declare himself president for life - has steered China on a hard authoritarian course, which includes increased repression of large ethnic groups in western China, notably the Uighurs and Tibetans.
More
Shoe Box Gift
When Nadia opened her shoebox, she saw a brand new Barbie doll with pink shoes. She had seen a Barbie on TV before but never thought she would have one. Through generosity of strangers, God gave Nadia’s family hope, strengthening their faith in Him.
In 2000, Nadia Karnatova’s family was able to move from Ukraine to the United States. Today, Nadia lives in Ohio, and she loves to pack shoeboxes to go around the world to bless other children, with her own three children.
Please come out and join us Saturday, September 15th, at 7pm to hear Nadia’s story of how a simple shoe box gift from Operation Christmas Child meant so much to her and her family, as she shares the story that God has written upon her life.
Location: New Covenant Presbyterian Church, 3072 Savannah East Dr., Lewes, DE.
Report: Average Illinois Household Keeps $2,300 After Federal Tax Cuts
Candidates in races for congressional districts across Illinois and the rest of the nation will likely be talking about federal tax reform, but one thing that's undeniable is how much money will stay in the pockets of taxpayers.
The Heritage Foundation broke down how much each individual and household would save in taxes due to the rate cuts and a doubling of the standard deduction from last winter's tax reform. In Illinois, the conservative policy group estimates that an average household that files jointly with two kids would save $2,381 and single filers would get to keep $1,265 on average.
Adam Michel, a policy analyst with Heritage, said the foundation estimates that it will be much more over the next decade.
"Folks can expect to save more than $20,000 in additional take-home pay and it's close to double that for a family of four," Michel said.
He said the tax cuts have given the entire nation a shot in the arm that has raised wages and, for the first time, there are more job openings than people looking for them.
"They invest more in jobs, in higher wages and economic activities," he said.
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The Heritage Foundation broke down how much each individual and household would save in taxes due to the rate cuts and a doubling of the standard deduction from last winter's tax reform. In Illinois, the conservative policy group estimates that an average household that files jointly with two kids would save $2,381 and single filers would get to keep $1,265 on average.
Adam Michel, a policy analyst with Heritage, said the foundation estimates that it will be much more over the next decade.
"Folks can expect to save more than $20,000 in additional take-home pay and it's close to double that for a family of four," Michel said.
He said the tax cuts have given the entire nation a shot in the arm that has raised wages and, for the first time, there are more job openings than people looking for them.
"They invest more in jobs, in higher wages and economic activities," he said.
More