Popular Posts

Friday, October 19, 2018

In Shift, States Step in on Affordable Housing

Shane Zaldivar holds up a sign as crowds jam a Super Bowl event in San Francisco. Zaldivar said the sign was a protest against the lack of affordable housing in the city. There’s been a spate of legislation at the state and federal level this year addressing zoning for affordable housing.Eric Risberg/The Associated Press

As an affordable housing crisis continues to escalate in big cities and small towns alike, states are scrambling to find ways to combat it. This year, there’s been a flurry of state legislation to tackle the problem — with radically different approaches that reflect the highly partisan national divide.

Although local zoning rules typically play out in city council and suburban board meetings, states from South Carolina to Hawaii are getting involved. Sometimes this means removing zoning barriers to building affordable housing. And sometimes state lawmakers take the opposite approach, seeking to prevent cities from requiring that builders include affordable housing units in their developments.

These days, it’s not just the poor who are having trouble finding affordable housing. The middle class is getting hit, too, housing analysts say.

More

Why Public Service Loan Forgiveness Is So Unforgiving

On the morning of Monday, Aug. 27, Seth Frotman told his two young daughters that he would likely be home early that day and could take them to the playground. They cheered.

He did not tell them why their dad, who often worked long hours as the student loan watchdog at the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, would be free for an afternoon play date.

Frotman assumed that after walking into his office and, at precisely 9:30 a.m., hitting "send" on an incendiary resignation letter to lawmakers accusing the Trump administration of betraying student borrowers, he would promptly be walked out with his things, and his career, in a cardboard box.

"Unfortunately, under your leadership," Frotman wrote to his boss, Mick Mulvaney, "the Bureau has abandoned the very consumers it is tasked by Congress with protecting. Instead, you have used the Bureau to serve the wishes of the most powerful financial companies in America."

More

FBI raids Puerto Rico offices after Trump hints at corruption

FBI agents raided a building Tuesday in Puerto Rico’s capital city of San Juan that is home to municipal offices associated with the administration of San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz, a vocal political opponent of President Trump’s.

"More than 10" but "less than 50" agents based on the Caribbean island arrived at the Municipal Tower at 9 a.m. ET and were still conducting the operation as of 2:30 p.m. when FBI spokesman for the U.S. territory, Carlos Osorio, spoke by phone with the Washington Examiner in the afternoon Tuesday. Osorio described the operation as "pretty big."

Agents were seen entering the Municipal Tower with dozens of empty boxes. The federal agents deployed to the third, fourth, 14th, and 15th floors of the 16-floor building, Osorio said. They were looking for any paper and electronic documents related to "corruption" inside the city administration's purchasing and contracting departments.

More

Supreme Court take case that could end Internet Censorship

After the recent purge of over 800 independent media outlets on Facebook, the Supreme Court is now hearing a case that could have ramifications for any future attempts at similar purges.

The United States Supreme Court has agreed to take a case that could change free speech on the Internet forever.

Manhattan Community Access Corp. v. Halleck, No. 17-702, the case that it has agreed to take, will decide if the private operator of a public access network is considered a state actor, CNBC reported.

The case could affect how companies like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google and YouTube are governed. If the Court were to issue a far-reaching ruling it could subject such companies to First Amendment lawsuits and force them to allow a much broader scope of free speech from its users.

More

Gov. Snyder signs legislation officially banning marijuana-infused alcohol in Michigan

(WXYZ) - Michigan has officially banned marijuana-infused alcoholic drinks.

Governor Rick Snyder signed the legislation on Tuesday.

Supporters say the bill is a preemptive move in case Michigan voters legalize marijuana for recreational use next month.

Opponents say the legislation is a solution to a nonexistent problem because there is no commercial market for marijuana-infused beverages.

More

Alexander: Kanye v Kaepernick — Breaking Ranks

There was a revealing contrast between how the Democrat Party and its mainstream media public relations team handled the activities of two black men in recent days. Kanye West was labeled a "token negro" for visiting the White House, and Colin Kaepernick was hailed as a cultural hero by Harvard. It provided a stark case study in the Left's politics of division. Any black man who threatens that racial divide becomes an immediate target for scorn and ridicule.

Why? Because any break from this orthodoxy poses an existential threat to the electability of Democrats.

Kaepernick was the celebrated leader of the NFL's national anthem kneelers while he was still employed. He received Harvard's "prestigious" W.E.B. Du Bois medal for, well, kneeling. The award was presented by Harvard's Hutchins Center for African and African American Research, with Afrocentric professor Cornel West presiding. West teaches courses on W.E.B. Du Bois.

Kaepernick is the mediocre former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who was receiving anannual salary of $19,000,000. In 2016, he bought into the faux Black Lives Matter movement and declared, "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color." He set off a racially charged "protest" across the nation — kneelers of all ages!

For the record, Kaepernick was abandoned by his black biological father before he was born and put up for adoption by his 19-year-old white mother. He was then adopted and raised by a loving white couple in an upper-middle-class suburb.

It is no small irony that he has become a celebrated critic of so-called "white oppression," especially by "racist" police targeting young black men — but that's a lie based on a myth.

Kaepernick's anger is likely rooted in a deep sense of abandonment by his black father, and his protest is wholly misdirected.

Most recently, he was rewarded for his "hate America" crusade with a lucrative contract for aNike advertising campaign.

More

NYC, states push Mark Zuckerberg to give up Facebook chairmanship

New York City joined Facebook investors, including three state governments, in pushing founder Mark Zuckerberg to give up the role of chairman after a string of security breaches and misuse of the platform by foreign agents during U.S. elections.

“Facebook plays an outsize role in our society and our economy" and has a social and financial responsibility to be more transparent, said New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, whose job includes serving as the adviser for the fourth-largest pension fund system in the country, with assets of $197 billion. "An independent board chair is essential to moving Facebook forward from this mess."

State treasurers from Illinois, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania are also backing the measure, originally filed by Trillium Asset Management in June, which calls for a vote at the Menlo Park, Calif.-based company's next general meeting.

More

Border Patrol Agents Apprehend 37 in Checkpoint Smuggling Attempt

LAREDO, Texas – Laredo Sector Border Patrol conducting checkpoint operations on Interstate Highway 35 apprehended 37 subjects Tuesday evening.

The incident occurred on October 16, at approximately 8:30 p.m., when agents encountered a tractor-trailer at the primary inspection area. An immigration inspection of the driver determined he was U.S. citizen.

Agents referred the vehicle for further inspection, and discovered 37 subjects concealed in the trailer. Immigration inspections determined that all the subjects in the trailer were illegal aliens. All were found to be in good health.

All subjects were taken into custody for appropriate processing, and the tractor-trailer was seized by Laredo Sector Border Patrol.

'Typhus zone': Rats and trash infest Los Angeles' skid row, fueling disease

People "illegally dumping, food being discarded, accumulation of blankets and pillows, and human waste," are attracting the rats, a business advocate said.

LOS ANGELES — Wholesale fish distributors, produce warehouses and homeless encampments line Ceres Avenue downtown, creating perfect conditions for rats.

Uneaten food is dumped on the street — a salad platter was recently splattered on the asphalt — and discarded clothing piles up only to be swirled into rats' nests.

Those rats, experts say, are likely contributing to the growing number of typhus infections cropping up on skid row and other parts of the region. The disease is spread by fleas, which are carried by rats, opossums and pets.

"You have constant activity that serves as a breeding ground for rats," said Estela Lopez, executive director of the Central City East Association, a business improvement district that overlaps skid row.

More

William F. Buckley, Jr., Charles Koch, Judge Francis L. Young

"Marijuana never kicks down your door in the middle of the night.
Marijuana never locks up sick and dying people, does not suppress medical research, does not peek in bedroom windows.
Even if one takes every reefer madness allegation of the prohibitionists at face value, marijuana prohibition has done far more harm to far more people than marijuana ever could."
-- William F. Buckley, Jr.
(1925-2008) American author and journalist, founded 'National Review'
http://libertytree.ca/quotes/William.F..Buckley.Quote.B1DA

"If somebody smokes a joint, we're gonna go in and bust them? We're gonna raid houses in case somebody has a banned substance? Confiscate their houses? My God, if people don't see that as an abuse of force, of too much government, then we're just not communicating."
-- Charles Koch
(1935-) American businessman and philanthropist
Source: USA TODAY April 24, 2015
http://libertytree.ca/quotes/Charles.Koch.Quote.D603

"Marijuana in its natural form is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man. By any measure of rational analysis marijuana can be safely used within a supervised routine of medical care. ... It would be unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious for DEA to continue to stand between those sufferers and the benefits of this substance in light of the evidence in this record."
-- Judge Francis L. Young
DEA Chief Administrative Law
Source: Ruling in the matter of Marijuana Rescheduling Petition, September 6, 1988
http://libertytree.ca/quotes/Francis.Young.Quote.FD7C

The Great Depression II

Whenever a movie has been a huge hit, the film industry tries to follow it up by doing a sequel. The sequel is almost invariably far more costly, as there’s the anticipation by those who create it that it will be an even bigger blockbuster than the original.

The Great Depression of the 1930’s is seen by most people to be the be-all and end-all of economic catastrophes and there’s good reason for that. Although the economic cycle has always existed, the period leading up to October 1929 was unusual, as those in the financial sector had become unusually creative.

Brokers encouraged people to buy into the stock market as heavily as they could afford to. When that business began to level off, they encouraged people to buy on margin. The idea was that the buyer would only put up a fraction of the money for the purchase and the broker would “guarantee” full payment to the seller. As a condition to the agreement, the buyer would have to relinquish to the broker the right to sell his stock at any point that he wished, should he feel the need to do so to get himself off the hook in the event of a significant economic change.

Both the buyer and the broker were buying stocks with money that neither one had. But the broker entered into the gamble so that he could charge commissions, which he would be paid immediately. The buyer entered into the gamble, as he had been promised by the broker that stocks were “going to the moon” and that he’d become rich.

Banks got into the game, as well. At one time, banks took money on deposit, then lent that money out at interest. They would always retain a percentage of the deposited money within the bank to assure that they could meet whatever the normal demand for withdrawals might be. But, eventually, bankers figured out that, if they were prepared to gamble, they could lend out far more money – many times the amount that they had received on deposit. As long as very few loans turned bad, they would

More

FAIL: Americans Now MORE Skeptical Of Women Claiming Sexual Harassment After Year Of #MeToo

The #MeToo movement was supposed to increase awareness of the supposed danger and oppression American women face constantly. Instead, the movement, which demands men be ruined on mere allegations alone and suggests no allegation is false or exaggerated, seems to have made Americans more skeptical of accusations.

A survey from YouGov and the Economist shows after a year of the hashtag,Americans are shifting toward those accused without due process.

“When it came to questions about the consequences of sexual assault and misconduct, there was a small but clear shift against victims,” the Economist wrote.

More

Media turn on Hillary Clinton after she exempts Bill from the #MeToo movement

Several members of the national media turned on Hillary Clinton this week after she said in arecent interview that her husband should not have suffered the same fate as so many powerful men have under the #MeToo movement.

Hillary Clinton said Sunday on CBS that former president Bill Clinton should not have resigned in 1998 when it became public that he was having an affair with then-White House intern. “Absolutely not,” Hillary Clinton said.

Asked if there was any abuse of power by her husband with Lewinsky, who was 22 years old at the time, Hillary Clinton said there was not, because Lewinsky "was an adult.”

More

Maryland brothers accused of operating inter-state cigarette trafficking ring

 
21-count indictment charges 3 individuals for distributing more than 1.25 million untaxed cigarettes, evading nearly $430,000 in tax liability
Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood today announced the indictment and arrest of three individuals for their alleged roles in trafficking significant quantities of untaxed cigarettes from Virginia to Kings County. In a 21-count indictment unsealed today in Kings County Supreme Court, the defendants were charged with various tax- and money laundering-related crimes for their involvement in the cigarette trafficking network.
“As we allege, the defendants ran a criminal trafficking ring that funneled over 1.25 million untaxed cigarettes into New York – while cheating New Yorkers out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes,” said Attorney General Underwood. “These traffickers are charged with sidestepping the law, which put legitimate, law-abiding businesses at a disadvantage. We’ll continue to work with our partners in law enforcement to hold accountable those who try to game the system and cheat New Yorkers.”
Code-named “Operation Sidestep,” state, federal, and local law enforcement agents concluded a months-long investigation into a network that allegedly evaded New York State and New York City excise and sales taxes by trafficking more than 1,500 cartons of untaxed cigarettes per week from Virginia to be sold in retail shops in Brooklyn. The investigation was led by the New York State Attorney General's Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) in partnership with the Intelligence Bureau of the New York Police Department (NYPD) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is alleged that a total of approximately 1,255,000 cigarettes were smuggled into Brooklyn, evading a total of $426,700 in tax liability due to New York State and New York City.
“Financial fraud victimizes an unknowing and unwilling public for the unabashed gain of a small handful who know full well their gains compromise the widespread safety, security, and economic health of others,” said HSI Baltimore’s Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant. “I thank the dedicated investigators involved and commend the invaluably productive and efficient partnerships in place that assure these charges will be faced and answered for.” 
During the course of the takedown, authorities seized three handguns, one shotgun, three vehicles, and more than $312,000 in cash from the Ramadans’ home in Maryland, as well as more than 341,000 untaxed cigarettes from a storage location in Brooklyn.
The Attorney General's indictment charges the following three defendants with different crimes, including, but not limited to: Criminal Tax Fraud in the Second Degree (a class C felony), Money Laundering in the Second Degree (a Class C felony), and Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree (class E felony), in relation to their involvement in the cigarette trafficking operation:
  • Basel Ramadan, 47 years old – Ocean City, MD
  • Samir Ramadan, 45 years old – Ocean City, MD
  • Fahd Muthana, a/k/a “Ahmed Abdullah,” 39 years old – Brooklyn, NY
Basel Ramadan and Samir Ramadan were arraigned today in Kings County Supreme Court before Judge Danny Chun; bail for Samir Ramadan was set at $2 million cash or $500,000 bond. Fahd Muthana was arraigned on October 11, 2018 in Kings County Supreme Court before Judge Chun. All three defendants’ cases were adjourned to December 19, 2018.
The charges against the defendants are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Attorney General’s investigation was directed by OCTF Investigator Raymond Almovodar, under the supervision of OCTF Supervising Investigator Paul Grzegorski and Deputy Chief Investigator Christopher Vasta. The Investigations Bureau is led by Chief Dominick Zarrella.
The case is being prosecuted by OCTF Assistant Deputy Attorney General Caitlin E. Carroll, under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Diego Hernandez. Nicole Keary is the Deputy Attorney General in charge of OCTF. Margaret Garnett is the Executive Deputy Attorney General for Criminal Justice.
The NYPD portion of the investigation was led by Detective Christopher McDonnell and Sgt. Robert Olson. The HSI portion was run by Agent Kenneth Oland and Regional Agent in Charge Frank McGarvey.

Thomas Gallatin: Trump Is Making America's Economy Great Again

The U.S. is again the world's most competitive economy, a ranking it hasn't held since 2008.

For the first time since 2008, the U.S. economy climbed back to the top, ranking as world’s most competitive economy by the World Economic Forum. The Forum’s report noted, “Economic recovery is well underway, with the global economy projected to grow almost 4% in 2018 and 2019.” This is indeed a pleasant and needed change from Barack Obama’s defeatist “new normal,” which, not coincidentally, began in 2009 — the first year the U.S. was not number one.

The Wall Street Journal further reports, “America’s vibrant entrepreneurial culture and its dominance in producing a competitive labor market and nimble financial system ‘are among the several factors that contribute to making the U.S.’ innovation ecosystem one of the best in the world,‘ the report said.”

More

In 'The Conners' premiere, Roseanne's character killed off by opioid overdose

Roseanne Barr's eponymous character did die of an opioid overdose.

The Tuesday night premiere of the rebooted "Roseanne" spin-off "The Conners" proved actress and comedian Roseanne Barr’s claims last month about how she would be killed off on the show.

Although the show first depicts that the Connor family believes Roseanne's sudden death was from a heart attack, as detailed by CNN, they discover hidden pain pill bottles around the house that she obtained from her neighbors.

More

Walter E. Williams: The Electoral College Debate

Democratic socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, seeking to represent New York’s 14th Congressional District, has called for the abolition of the Electoral College. Her argument came on the heels of the Senate’s confirming Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. She was lamenting the fact that Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito, nominated by George W. Bush, and Justices Neil Gorsuch and Kavanaugh, nominated by Donald Trump, were court appointments made by presidents who lost the popular vote but won the Electoral College vote.

Hillary Clinton has long been a critic of the Electoral College. Just recently, she wrote in The Atlantic, “You won’t be surprised to hear that I passionately believe it’s time to abolish the Electoral College.”

Subjecting presidential elections to the popular vote sounds eminently fair to Americans who have been miseducated by public schools and universities. Worse yet, the call to eliminate the Electoral College reflects an underlying contempt for our Constitution and its protections for personal liberty. Regarding miseducation, the founder of the Russian Communist Party, Vladimir Lenin, said, “Give me four years to teach the children and the seed I have sown will never be uprooted.” His immediate successor, Josef Stalin, added, “Education is a weapon whose effect depends on who holds it in his hands and at whom it is aimed.”

A large part of Americans’ miseducation is the often heard claim that we are a democracy. The word “democracy” appears nowhere in the two most fundamental documents of our nation — the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. In fact, our Constitution — in Article 4, Section 4 — guarantees “to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government.” The Founding Fathers had utter contempt for democracy. James Madison, in Federalist Paper No. 10, said that in a pure democracy, “there is nothing to check the inducements to sacrifice the weaker party or an obnoxious individual.” At the 1787 Constitutional Convention, Virginia Gov. Edmund Randolph said that “in tracing these evils to their origin, every man had found it in the turbulence and follies of democracy.” John Adams wrote: “Remember Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself. There never was a Democracy Yet, that did not commit suicide.” At the Constitutional Convention,!

More

The Frankenstein Unleashed by the Democratic Party Threatens Us All

To most Americans, a large group of black-clad individuals blockading the streets and harassing motorists who disobey their commands would, quite naturally, be considered a mob. This also would be an apt and reasonable name given to groups of people stalking and screaming at others dining in a restaurant, destroying public monuments, or throwing Molotov cocktails in protest of speakers at a college campus. After all, by definition, a mob is “a large and disorderly crowd of people,” especially those “bent on riotous or destructive action”; and, these incidents are such examples. As we lawyers say, res ipsa loquitur, “the matter speaks for itself.”

The problem is, the Mainstream Media and congressional Democrats are not most Americans. In their Liberal La-La Land, like at CNN, one dares not speak “the ‘M’-word” (“mob”) when commenting on events such as these. To these pundits, those roaming gangs and shouting crowds are not mobs, but merely concerned citizens understandably “motivated” by the dangerous actions of the Trump Administration.

Herein lies the existential crisis for Democrats, and the dirty little secret they refuse to acknowledge openly -- is mob rule what Democrats have become? And is it what our country is becoming?

More

Nearly Half Of American Children Don’t Have Married Parents. Here’s Why It Matters

Unmarried couples are having roughly 40 percent of all births in the U.S., marking a trend that may be detrimental to the upbringing of those children.

For the first time in U.S. history, out-of-wedlock births in America are largely a result of cohabitation, according to the United Nations Population Fund 2018 State of World report released Wednesday. Single mothers had nearly 90 percent of out-of-wedlock births in 1968, but that number decreased to 53 percent in 2017, according to the Pew Research Center.

“Compared to children of married parents, those with cohabiting parents are more likely to experience the breakup of their families, be exposed to ‘complex’ family forms, live in poverty, suffer abuse, and have negative psychological and educational outcomes,”according to the Institute for Family Studies (IFS).

Roughly 14 million American adults cohabited in 2007, and that number rose to 18 million in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Half of cohabiting couples in the U.S. are younger than 35, according to Bloomberg Quint. Cohabitation has increased about 2,000 percent since 1960, according to the American Enterprise Institute.

More

Democrats Know They Can Always Count on the Media

This week, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., in preparation for a 2020 presidential run, decided to fight back against President Trump's brutal nickname for her: Pocahontas. Trump, you'll recall, labeled her Pocahontas because for years, she has claimed Native American ancestry. Not only that, she claimed repeatedly that her mother's Native American ancestry drove her parents to elope after her father's family refused to welcome her mother with open arms thanks to their bigotry. As it turns out, Warren could never provide any evidence of Native American ancestry -- even though she spent years labeling herself Native American while at the University of Pennsylvania Law School as well as Harvard Law School.

On Monday, Warren decided she'd had enough. She released a video of her family members discussing her claims of Native American background. "Native communities have faced discrimination, neglect and violence for generations," Warren intoned. "And Trump can say whatever he wants about me, but mocking Native Americans or any group in order to try to get at me? That's not what America stands for."

She accompanied that video with her supposed proof of Native American background: an analysis by professor Carlos Bustamante of Stanford University in which he explains that it is possible that Warren had a Native American ancestor anywhere from six to 10 generations ago. That would have made her anywhere from 1/64 to 1/1,024 Native American. The study was based not on Native American DNA but on Mexican, Peruvian and Colombian DNA.

More

'They Cut Him Up While He Was Still Alive': Grisly Details Of Saudi Journalists' Killing Emerge

Speaking again on the subject of Khashoggi, President Trump emphasized the importance of maintaining the US's business relationship with the Saudis, and added that the public would hear the full story of what happened by "the end of the week." Trump added that the US "needs Saudi Arabia's help" in the fight against terrorism. Trump also said he has requested the audio tapes that the Turkish government claims to have which should prove that Khashoggi was murdered "if they exist."

Meanwhile, after his meeting with Turkish officials in Ankara, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo refused to speculate about whether Khashoggi was alive or dead.

"I don't want to talk about any of the facts. They didn't want to either," Pompeo said.

* * *

Update (8 am ET): Speaking with reporters during his trip to Turkey, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo repeated his comments about the Saudis promising a "thorough, transparent" investigation that will be conducted "in a timely fashion."

Per Bloomberg:

"They told me they were going to conduct a thorough, complete, transparent investigation" and made a commitment to holding anyone connected to any wrongdoing accountable, Pompeo told reporters Wednesday as he headed to Turkey, where the journalist was last seen entering the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul.

Nobody from the Trump administration has responded to the latest explosive allegations about Khashoggi's death, though it's worth noting that Turkish officials who have spurred claims about Saudi's role in Khashoggi's disappearance haven't produced any tangible evidence - though Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has promised a "thorough" investigation.

More

Baltimore Police Department puts 230 desk officers on streets as murders mount

The Baltimore Police Department announced it will deploy 230 desk officers to the streets after 11 people were shot and three of them killed in just 24 hours on Tuesday.

Speaking in a press conference on Wednesday, Interim Commissioner Gary Tuggle said all hands are on deck in wake of the horrifically fast-rising murder toll in Maryland.

He announced that the department will shut down administration operations at police headquarters and 230 officers assigned to administrative duties will go on patrol, putting a total of 650 officers on the streets.

More

Mark Meadows: New info shows Rod Rosenstein should resign 'immediately'

House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows said Thursday that lawmakers in recent days have "learned" information that warrants Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to step down "immediately."

“Based on additional information we've learned over the last week, it is clear Rod Rosenstein should resign immediately,” Meadows, R-N.C., tweeted Thursday afternoon. “He has not cooperated with Congress, failed to be transparent about his actions, and shown a lack of candor in the way he's characterized a number of events.”

The comment came after lawmakers met for a second time in recent weeks with the ex-top lawyer at the FBI, James Baker, who was expected to answer questions about reports that he talked about secretly recording President Trump, among other issues.

More

John Roberts Addresses Brett Kavanaugh Controversy

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts attempted to distance the court from divisiveness surrounding the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh during an appearance at the University of Minnesota Law School on Tuesday.

Roberts addressed "the contentious events in Washington of recent weeks" and stressed the importance of judicial independence, CNN reported.

Roberts said he had "great respect" for public officials, who speak for the people, but said the courts must be "very different."

"We do not speak for the people, but we speak for the Constitution," he said.

More

Federal judge 'shocked' Clinton aide Cheryl Mills was granted immunity by DOJ

A federal judge said he was "shocked" to find out that longtime Hillary Clinton aide Cheryl Mills had been granted immunity from the Justice Department during the FBI investigation of Hillary Clinton's server.

During a hearing in D.C. on Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth made the comment about Mills, Clinton's former chief of staff, during his opening remarks, referring to when he read the DOJ inspector general report.

"I had myself found that Cheryl Mills had committed perjury and lied under oath in a published opinion I had issued in a Judicial Watch case where I found her unworthy of belief, and I was quite shocked to find out she had been given immunity in — by the Justice Department in the Hillary Clinton email case," Lamberth said. "So I did not know that until I read the IG report and learned that and that she had accompanied the Secretary to her interview."

More

Troopers Arrest Seaford Woman on Assault Charges-Lewes

Lewes– The Delaware State Police arrested a Seaford Woman after she struck her boyfriend with her vehicle.
The incident occurred at approximately 6:57 p.m., on Tuesday, October 16, 2018, when Troopers were dispatched to the 35000 block of  North Drive, West Bay Park for a report of a domestic.  Upon arrival, Troopers located a 48-year-old male laying on the ground who advised that his leg had been run over by a vehicle.
Further investigation revealed that the victim, and his girlfriend, 59-year-old Jacquelyn S. Peruchi had engaged in a verbal argument earlier in the evening.  The argument continued when Peruchi entered her vehicle, put it in reverse and struck the victim who was standing outside.
The victim was transported to the Beebe Medical Center where he was treated with non-life threatening injuries.
Peruchi was taken into custody and transported back to Troop 7 where she was charged with the following:
  • Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony
  • Assault Second Degree Recklessly Intentional Serious Injury
  • Reckless Endangering Second Degree
  • Disorderly Conduct
Peruchi was arraigned before the Justice of the Peace Court 2 and committed to the Delores J. Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution on $23,001.00 secured bond.

Waxing Case Flares Up In Massachusetts Gender-Identity Law Debate

Advocates on either side of the gender-identity-law referendum clashed over whether the current law requires a female spa worker to provide a bikini wax for a biological male who identifies as a woman.

The Milton beauty parlor case, first reported by New Boston Post, provided one of several flashpoints during an hour-long debate Tuesday between Kasey Suffredini, co-chairman of the Yes on 3 campaign, and Andrew Beckwith, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, who argued for a No vote to repeal the law. The debate took place on Radio Boston on WBUR FM-90.9.

At stake is Question 3, a statewide referendum that asks Massachusetts voters if they want to continue or end a statute enacted in 2016 that prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity in public accommodations such as restaurants, bars, beauty parlors, public bathrooms, and locker rooms. A Yes vote continues the law as is; a No vote repeals it.

Question 3 does not affect a 2012 state statute that prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity in employment, housing, education, lending, and credit. Instead, it would repeal the 2016 law that added “public accommodations” to the list.

More

What You Think Defines Reality in America's Brave New World

The circus spectacle of the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation brought out the very worst in America – an America where every single act or thought is now politicized. The Democrats – moderate, left, and far left – united to smear and destroy an honorable man. They sought to use the energy of the #MeToo movement to prevent a conservative judge from being confirmed as a U.S. Supreme Court justice, and in doing so, were ready and willing to obliterate anyone who stood in the way. Fascist tactics of intimidation, public shaming, and violence were evident throughout the confirmation process. And the mainstream media was the willing handmaiden of the Democrats.

It was all painful and depressing. What has happened to our country? The ideological civil war in America reached new heights in the Kavanaugh confirmation process. And there seems no end to this split in the American body politic.

What was remarkable was the insistence by the Democrats that facts don’t matter. All that matters is what you believe. If you think that something is true, it is true. Perception is reality.

Shakespeare illustrated this approach to life in Hamlet’s dialogue with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern four centuries ago. When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern protest to Hamlet that they are not being sent to prison, Hamlet contradicts them by saying that since he believes that all Denmark is a prison, it is, in fact, a prison.

More

More civility: Death threats, bullying against owner of restaurant rented by Marsha Blackburn's campaign

Bullying, on camera and in public, is the best way to humanize a politician.

It doesn’t matter how arrogant or out of touch they have been during their time in office. The moment a mob shows up at a restaurant to drive them out, most look past the politics and empathize with the person who is having their dinner ruined.

Normal people react this way, because normal people don’t like bullies. The far left, however, remains unclear on the concept. Consider what just happened to Rep. Marsha Blackburn, who is running for Senate in Tennessee. She recently booked a meeting place at a family-style diner in suburban Mt. Juliet, about 20 minutes east of Nashville. The owner, a man named Tom Courtney, didn’t think twice about renting the dining room — that is, until he and his staff started getting death threats.

“I was called a Nazi sympathizer of all things,” Courtney told The Wilson Post, a local newspaper. “It’s hurt my business, my staff, me, and my family," he said. "I’ve never seen grown people, or whoever is hidden behind the screens, act in such a manner. I have partners.”

Such political intimidation and violence is on the rise. On the far left, political disagreement has become license for personal harassment. Protesters have crashed dinners, set up picket lines outside of homes, and even "doxed" the families of politicians just in the past month. Two women went viral just recently for heckling Sen. Ted Cruz over his vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh as the Texas Republican hustled to catch a flight.

More

Family Units and Unaccompanied Children Continue to Flow into the Rio Grande Valley

HIDALGO, Texas – U.S. Border Patrol agents in the Rio Grande Valley continue to apprehend large groups of family units and unaccompanied children.

Monday evening, agents assigned to the Weslaco station encountered a group of 30 illegal aliens comprised of family units and unaccompanied children from the countries of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Early this morning, a group of 68 illegal aliens turned themselves in to McAllen agents. The group was comprised of family units and unaccompanied children from the countries of Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

“As the Rio Grande Valley Sector continues to experience an unprecedented flow of family units and unaccompanied children, the increase in identified fraud cases is extremely concerning,” said Chief Patrol Agent Manuel Padilla, Jr. “The trend in these fraud cases is an effort by smugglers to exploit ongoing U.S. immigration policies and procedures. Agents have already discovered over 60 fraudulent cases in the first two weeks of the new fiscal year.”

Border Patrol is processing the subjects accordingly.

The Rio Grande Valley Sector currently has multiple campaigns focused on rescues and danger awareness, such as “Operation Big Rig” and “No Se Arriesgue” to combat smuggling and ultimately save lives. Call 911 to report suspicious activity; “They’re humans, not cargo!”

Trump: 'All Republicans' support pre-existing condition protections

President Trump leapt into the election-year fight over protections for people with pre-existing conditions Thursday, saying the GOP will defend them.

“All Republicans support people with pre-existing conditions, and if they don’t, they will after I speak to them,” he said on Twitter. “I am in total support.”

He then accused Democrats of trying to “destroy” Medicare, a riff on his claim that extending “Medicare to all” through a government-run, single payer health care system will upend the popular program for seniors, a key voting bloc.

More

Louis Farrakhan won't be suspended by Twitter despite anti-Semitic tweet

Louis Farrakhan, the Nation of Islam leader who in a recent tweet said he was not prejudiced against Jewish people but was simply “anti-Termite,” will be allowed to continue to use the social media platform.

Farrakhan took to the site on Tuesday by posting a video of himself speaking at an event in Detroit, during which he addressed “the members of the Jewish community that don’t like me.”

In a caption to the video, he wrote: “I’m not an anti-Semite. I’m anti-Termite.”

A Twitter spokesperson told BuzzFeed News that Farrakhan’s account on the platform would not be suspended because his message was not adverse to any policies currently in effect.

Twitter told Fox News that Buzzfeed’s report was accurate.

More


https://www.foxnews.com/tech/louis-farrakhan-wont-be-suspended-by-twitter-despite-antisemitic-tweet

Rep. Mark Meadows Calls on Rod Rosenstein to Resign

Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) said Thursday it is time for Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to resign for refusing “repeatedly” to cooperate with congressional investigators.

“Repeatedly over the last several months, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has not cooperated with congressional oversight attempts and failed to be transparent about his conduct,” Meadows said in a statement to LifeZette.

“Even more importantly, based on further information we’ve learned over the last week, it’s also clear Mr. Rosenstein has shown a lack of candor in the way he characterized his involvement in a number of events to congressional investigators. Repeatedly, he has declined opportunities to come before Congress and tell the truth.”

“Even as he declines to show up before Congress last week and answer questions, he makes plenty of time for media interviews in the same breath,” Meadows said.

More

Dem Operative Arrested in Nevada After Assaulting Female GOP Staffer

A tracker for a liberal super PAC was arrested on Tuesday night in Nevada for assaulting the female campaign manager for Republican gubernatorial candidate Adam Laxalt. Kristin Davidson told police the man grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back, leaving visible bruising.

Mike Stark, who was following around Laxalt for David Brock's American Bridge 21st Century super PAC, barged into a room where Laxalt, Nevada's attorney general, was meeting with Davidson and two other staffers, Davidson said in her statement to the police. She said she was cornered by Stark before he grabbed her.

"I could not move," Davidson said in her statement to police, which was shared with the Free Beacon. "Stark grabbed my right arm, twisted it behind my back, squeezed it very hard, and every time I tried to pull away he pulled me closer and gripped my arm tighter."

"I kept screaming help me, stop hurting me, you are hurting me," she wrote. "Stark would not stop and grabbed my arm tighter and pulled me closer to him and the door. I was terrified and at that point saw multiple colleagues try to pull him off me but Stark held tighter."

More

US, Mexico agree on plan to handle migrant caravan from Central America

U.S. and Mexican officials have agreed on a plan to handle the approaching migrant caravan making their way up from Central America, a senior administration official told Fox News on Thursday.

Under the deal, which was developed over the course of several months, Mexico will request that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) establish shelters along its southern border with Central America, the official said.

“We welcome the government of Mexico’s statement that they will seek cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to address immigration issues in the region, including the influx of people arriving in Mexico,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement. “The United States stands ready to assist the Government of Mexico and UNHCR in this effort.”

If an individual manages to evade the new system and travels through Mexico to eventually cross the border into the U.S., Mexico will now allow those persons to be returned to Mexico, the official told Fox News. Currently, the U.S. has had to house those people until their cases could be adjudicated before being removed to their country of origin.

At the established shelters, U.N. officials will vet the refugees to decide which ones have legitimate claims for refugee status, the official told Fox News.

If a person or persons is determined to have a legitimate claim, they will undergo a U.N. process of being placed in a host country, which could ultimately be the U.S. or any other country that has an agreement with the UNHCR, the official said.

All those discovered without a legitimate claim will be sent home, the official said. And those who don’t have correct documentation will be turned away at the Mexico border.

More


https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-mexico-agree-on-plan-to-handle-migrant-caravan-from-central-america

Minority Of Radical Leftists Dominate Democratic Party Agenda, Study Finds

DNC Chairman Tom Perez wasn't exaggerating when he declared Democratic Congressional candidate and alleged "girl from the Bronx" to be "the future of our party." In fact, a recent study has confirmed what conservatives have been warning about for some time: That the militant far-left wing of the Democratic Party is now firmly in control of the party's messaging and agenda.

According to one analysis of our current hyperpartisan political environment carried out during a year-long study entitled "Hidden Tribes" a project organized by More in Common, an organization that aims to help mitigate the divisive state of American politics, progressive activists on the liberal wing of the Democratic Party comprise only 8% of Democrats, but are responsible for nearly all of the "shouts, posts" and many of the votes, too.

Meanwhile, what the study called "traditional liberals" comprised another 11% of the electorate.

Progressive Activists (8 percent of the population) are deeply concerned with issues concerning equity, fairness, and America's direction today. They tend to be more secular, cosmopolitan, and highly engaged with social media.

Traditional Liberals (11 percent of the population) tend to be cautious, rational, and idealistic. They value tolerance and compromise. They place great faith in institutions.

Despite their focus on identity politics and the liberation of "oppressed" groups, members of the far left are 80% white and well-educated.

More

North Carolina state trooper killed, suspect in custody

A North Carolina State Trooper was shot and killed on a highway early Wednesday, according to a report.

The shooting took place south of Whiteville on Highway 701, WECT-TV reported. It occured during a traffic stop, according to a reporter with 13 News Now.
The suspect was reportedly later surrounded in the woods near Fair Bluff and taken into custody.

Police departments in the area took to social media to pray for the fallen officer.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates

More

Ocktoberfest Dinner, October 19 Tonight

The public is invited to join the Delmar VFW for an Ocktoberfest Dinner on Friday, October 19, from 6 - 8 p.m. at the VFW Post, 200 W. State St., Delmar, MD. The menu includes pork, sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and gravy, seasoned green beans, a tossed salad with choice of dressing, and a dinner roll. The cost is $12 per person.Take outs can be ordered in person only after 6 p.m.

Proceeds benefit the many local charities and organizations supported by the Delmar VFW.

Troopers Investigating Shots Fired Incident-Seaford

Seaford -The Delaware State Police are currently investigating a shots fired incident that occurred last evening.

The incident occurred at approximately 8:43 p.m. on Tuesday, October 16, 2018, when Troopers were dispatched to the 24000 block of Concord Pond Road for a shots fired complaint. Upon arrival, Troopers made contact with a 26-year-old male who advised that unknown subject(s) had drove by the residence and fired multiple shots. It was learned that several people were outside the residence, while the homeowner and two children were inside during this incident. There were no reports of injuries.

Further investigation revealed that two rounds struck the residence, two rounds struck a Kia and a fifth round struck a Chevy Impala, which were both parked at the residence.

The suspect vehicle was described as silver and white newer style car. No further suspect information could be provided at this time.

This case continues to remain under investigation. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Troop 4, Major Crimes Unit, at 302-856-5850. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or via the internet at http://delaware.crimestoppersweb.com

Elizabeth Warren's Pow Wow Chow 'Cherokee' recipes were word for word COPIES of famous FRENCH chef's techniques

Massachusetts Democratic Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren is yet again in hot water after new allegations have surfaced that she plagiarized her 'Cherokee' recipes in the book Pow Wow Chow from the New York Times and other publications.

Radio talk show host Howie Carr released damning evidence that appears to confirm that Mrs Warren's weren't handed down from generation to generation, they were picked up in the newspaper.

Mrs Warren has been under scrutiny since she first claimed Native American heritage, arguing that because her great-great-great-grandmother was Cherokee, she is a member of the community.

More

Breaking News: Hit & Run On Onley Road

The WCSO is currently on the scene of a hit & run accident. More to come...

Trolley Dilemma: Kill One Person to Save Five?

Philosophers love to conduct thought experiments. Often these involve rather bizarre situations, and critics wonder how relevant these thought experiments are to the real world. But the point of the experiments is to help us clarify our thinking by pushing it to the limits. The “trolley dilemma” is one of the most famous of these philosophical imaginings.

The Basic Trolley Problem

A version of this moral dilemma was first put forward in 1967 by the British moral philosopher Phillipa Foot, well-known as one of those responsible for reviving virtue ethics.

Here’s the basic dilemma: A tram is running down a track and is out control. If it continues on its course unchecked and undiverted, it will run over five people who have been tied to the tracks. You have the chance to divert it onto another track simply by pulling a lever. If you do this, though, the tram will kill a man who happens to be standing on this other track. What should you do?

The Utilitarian Response

For many utilitarians, the problem is a no-brainer. Our duty is to promote the greatest happiness of the greatest number. Five lives saved is better than one life saved. Therefore, the right thing to do is to pull the lever.

County Sells Bonds To Finance Several Major Projects

Credit Rating Agencies Deem County Finances and Management Strong

Wicomico County has sold $9.915 million in general obligation bonds to finance several major projects in the county. The bonds carry a true interest cost of 3.019%% County Executive Bob Culver reported this week. The County's issue drew a strong market response of 7 bidders, which is indicative of the attractiveness of its bonds.

"We met with all three credit rating agencies in New York in September and updated them on the positive financial outlook for our county," Culver said. "All three ratings agencies spoke highly of the county's strong management team and their continued confidence in our conservative fiscal practices."

The County earned an AA+ rating from S&P Global Ratings; an AA rating from Fitch Ratings, and an Aa2 rating from Moody's Investors Service.

A significant portion of the bond money will be spent on projects for the Wicomico County Board of Education. That includes $852,000 for Delmar Elementary School; $331,000 for Glen Avenue School; $154,000 Pinehurst Elementary; $75,000 for Fruitland Primary; $1,047,000 for Pinehurst Elementary; $1,216,000 for Mardela High/Middle School; $490,000 Stadium/Field House; $500,000 for Wicomico High School; $450,000 for Parkside High School.

Another project includes $5,189.500 for the Sheriff's Office Project for the Public Safety building.

Executive Culver concluded "All of these projects are important for Wicomico County, and I am pleased to report they are moving forward. Such favorable reports from the credit rating agencies reinforces that our fiscal management in Wicomico County continues to be strong."

Maryland Fishing Report

This week offers some exciting fishing opportunities for Maryland anglers – the weather is just about right, the changing color of the leaves paints a beautiful backdrop to outdoor activities and there are plenty of eager fish to catch.

For the next few weeks, state hatcheries arestocking most trout management watersthroughout Maryland. The trout are providing quality fishing close to home and allowing success on a fishing adventure, especially for our young anglers.

At the Atlantic coast, sea bass, flounder and dolphin are biting.

And in Chesapeake Bay, autumn is one of the most anticipated times for striped bass fishing. Rockfish like the cooler water temperatures and begin to feed aggressively to build up lost body stores. Cooler water also forces baitfish in the form of bay anchovies, juvenile menhaden and silversides to exit the tidal rivers and head down the bay.

This is a time for light-tackle vertical jiggingwith soft plastic or metal jigs. The advent of braided line has given anglers increased sensitivity; make sure to check the first 10 feet or so of line for fuzzing and damage. There is a new generation of braided line with a clear polymer coating that reduces fiber abrasion. Because it makes the line slick, one can cast a lot farther.

The results of the 2018 striped bass young of the year survey are out and the news is good. This survey of spring reproduction by spawning striped bass in Maryland’s tidal river spawning areas is one piece of the puzzle about striped bass populations throughout the year.

Forecast Summary: Oct. 17-23

It will be windy Wednesday and again Saturday with another chance of rain. Expect sunny to partly cloudy conditions most other days with temperatures from the mid-50s to mid-60s and nighttime temperatures in the upper-40s to low 50s. These breezy, cooling air temperatures continue to mix and cool and uniformly mix bay waters, providing plenty of cool, well-oxygenated water from the surface down to the bottom. The upper bay and part of the upper Potomac still suffer from poor water clarity. So for this week, anglers should focus on main bay areas with good structure such as underwater points, oyster bottom, reefs, channel edges and large schools of baitfish.

At the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration buoys, water temperatures are cooling, with the Susquehanna River at 64 degrees and Gooses Reef and Point Lookout at 70 degrees. Expect the Susquehanna River’s muddy water to continue to reduce clarity in the upper bay down to the Bay Bridge. In addition, poor water clarity remains on the Potomac River down to about the Wicomico River. In the mid-bay down to Little Choptank River, including Eastern Bay, expect poor water clarity near the Gooses due to an algal bloom. There will be above average tidal currents from Saturday through Tuesday as a result of the full moon Oct. 24.

For the full weekly fishing conditions summary and more, please be sure to check out Click Before You Cast.
Upper Chesapeake Bay

Water conditions at the mouth of the Susquehanna River remain stained and chilly. There is a lot of water coming through the Conowingo Dam driving water temperatures down to 63 degrees. Water conditions improve as one moves down the bay, as does fishing success. There has been good success in the Baltimore Harbor area for those casting topwater lures and swimshads near shoreline structure or jiggingalong deeper structure such as channel edges and bridge piers.
Photo of Man holding striped bass
Eli Adams holds up a nice striped bass caught while jigging. Photo by Travis Long

Chumming is popular and successful at Swan and Podickory points this week along the 25-foot to 30-foot edges. A few resourceful anglers are having success by live-lining small white perch at these locations and others have been live lining eels near the Francis Scott Key Bridge piers.

Trolling has been a good option along channel edges in the bay or river mouths with umbrella rigs using swimshads or bucktails as trailers. Small spoons have also been a good lure to use in gold or with a splash of chartreuse behind inline weights or planers. Green and red hoses have also been a good addition to trolling spreads.

Breaking fish are becoming a more common sight this week and although many of the fish being encountered are small striped bass, larger fish can be found at times by jigging underneath. Soft plastics have been a favorite to reach the striped bass that are often suspended at 25 inches or more.

The Bay Bridge rock piles and piers have been a popular place to fish this week. Jigging with soft plastics has been one of the best ways to fish for the suspended fish which are a mix of striped bass and large white perch that are holding at depths of 25 feet to 35 feet. Chumming and chunking are also effective ways to fish by anchoring up current of the bridge piers. Live-lining eels is another great way to target the striped bass holding near the bridge piers.
Middle Bay

Now that water temperatures are 70 degrees or lower, baitfish are pouring out of the tidal rivers and schools of striped bass are waiting for them along channel edges near the mouths of the major tidal rivers and out in the bay. Pods of baitfish are being pushed to the surface by feeding striped bass where diving sea gulls join in. A good set of binoculars is an important tool to keep on the boat this time of the year. Light-tackle jigging with metal or soft plastic jigs is a fun and productive to jig underneath breaking fish or to suspended fish along channel edges.

More

Dr. Ford - an EYE OPENER!

You ask why Dr. Christine Blasey-Ford would do this? I’ll give you 4 reasons:

1) She owns a major portion of the company that makes the morning after abortion pill and she is afraid Kavanaugh will overturn Roe v Wade, therefore making her million dollar empire go caput.

2) She’s a professor at the same college (Palo Alto U) where Diane
Feinstein’s husband, Richard Blum, is on the board of directors. She has worked with Blum on the “resist Trump” movement for two years.

3) Dr. Blasey-Ford’s brother, Tom Blasey, is business partners with Peter Strzok’s cousin, Jill Strzok, for a company called Exiles Inc. Enough said there.

4) Feinstein and Chuck Schumer appointed lawyers to set up three GoFundMe pages for her the week BEFORE she testified, which are currently up to over a million dollars for her to keep as payment for her testimony. I can go on if you would like. Don’t believe for one minute this “professor” came out of nowhere!!

Winning: Job Openings Hit New Record High of 7.1 Million

U.S. job openings rose to a new record high in August, an indication that the U.S. economy continued to expand rapidly as the trade war with China escalated and Hurricane Florence hit the Carolinas.

The monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS, released by the Labor Department on Tuesday showed job openings rose to 7.136 million. Economists had forecast 6.9 million.

The prior month was revised up to 7.077 million, the first time this number has ever exceeded 7 million. Until April of 2017, there had never been more than 6 million job openings.

More