Tribalism is now the operative word to describe the political landscape since Donald Trump's electoral victory in 2016.
Carl Cannon, writing for Real Clear Politics on October 18, 2018, notes a new study that identifies "five American 'tribes' of voters across the country. John Della Volpe led a survey that observed two tribes of Trump voters, a group he identifies as the resistance; a group of independent "blues" and a detached group. MSNBC's Steve Kornacki wrote a book this year called The Red and the Blue: The 1990s and the Birth of Political Tribalism. In an October 2018 review, The Guardian notes of Konicki, "he lays out his thesis: the last decade of the 20th century gave rise to the tribalism and polarization that dominates [sic] American politics today."
The media experts and pundits seem to agree that American politics are now rooted in well defined tribes. As widespread as this view seems to be, I think it misses the mark.
Rush Limbaugh, in an interview with Sean Hannity, described it well. "The Washington establishment, to this day, does not understand Donald Trump. They don't understand his voters, and they are not curious to find out why. They just resent it." He continues to describe the real divide in American politics, and it has nothing to do with tribes. "It's elite versus real people. It's somebody that is fearless and willing to fight against the things that no Republican has been willing to fight against or defend."
The divide in American politics is not tribalism. It is still a binary choice. Instead of the traditional Republican versus Democrat version, we now live in a nation divided by elites and regular people.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Carbon Dioxide Emissions Dip in Trump's First Year, EPA Says
Greenhouse gas emissions have declined across multiple sectors since President Donald Trump has been in office, the Environmental Protection Agency announced.
The latest figures show total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions dipped by 2.7 percent during 2017 compared with 2016, President Barack Obama’s last full year in office, the agency said as part of its Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program.
The EPA collects emissions data from industrial sources on an annual basis. Those sources include power plants, oil and gas production plants, refining facilities, iron mills, steel mills, and landfills.
“Thanks to President Trump’s regulatory reform agenda, the economy is booming, energy production is surging, and we are reducing greenhouse gas emissions from major industrial sources,” Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, said in a press release Wednesday, adding:
These achievements flow largely from technological breakthroughs in the private sector, not the heavy hand of government. The Trump administration has proven that federal regulations are not necessary to drive CO2 reductions. While many around the world are talking about reducing greenhouse gases, the U.S. continues to deliver, and today’s report is further evidence of our action-oriented approach.
Environmental activists link greenhouses gases to what they consider man-made climate change, or global warming.
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The latest figures show total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions dipped by 2.7 percent during 2017 compared with 2016, President Barack Obama’s last full year in office, the agency said as part of its Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program.
The EPA collects emissions data from industrial sources on an annual basis. Those sources include power plants, oil and gas production plants, refining facilities, iron mills, steel mills, and landfills.
“Thanks to President Trump’s regulatory reform agenda, the economy is booming, energy production is surging, and we are reducing greenhouse gas emissions from major industrial sources,” Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, said in a press release Wednesday, adding:
These achievements flow largely from technological breakthroughs in the private sector, not the heavy hand of government. The Trump administration has proven that federal regulations are not necessary to drive CO2 reductions. While many around the world are talking about reducing greenhouse gases, the U.S. continues to deliver, and today’s report is further evidence of our action-oriented approach.
Environmental activists link greenhouses gases to what they consider man-made climate change, or global warming.
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IG Report: Mapping Apps Are Endangering Special Operators
Military leaders have known of serious hacking risks for a year and a half, angering U.S. troops
U.S. special operators and other troops have been using advanced war-fighting applications for hand-held devices that contain software weaknesses that render them vulnerable to hacking by hostile actors, a non-public U.S. Navy Inspector General investigation found earlier this year.
The mapping applications at issue are known by their acronyms KILSWITCH and APASS and have been widely disseminated and used in training and combat among special operators and other forces across the military for several years, beginning with the Navy and Marine Corps in approximately 2012.
The apps are used to accelerate precision targeting and facilitate situational awareness and data-sharing between ground forces and overhead aircraft.
Navy leadership, along with top Pentagon officials, were alerted to the security problems in the Spring of 2017 but continued to allow frontline troops from multiple military branches, including special operators, to use them without issuing sufficient warnings or attempting to pull the applications back from use.
The IG report that faulted the programs is non-public, but its findings are cited in a Marine Corpsforce-wide message that warns commanders and officers in charge of cybersecurity for their units to ensure that the applications are only used in a manner consistent with explicit guidelines set by the top USMC information officer.
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U.S. special operators and other troops have been using advanced war-fighting applications for hand-held devices that contain software weaknesses that render them vulnerable to hacking by hostile actors, a non-public U.S. Navy Inspector General investigation found earlier this year.
The mapping applications at issue are known by their acronyms KILSWITCH and APASS and have been widely disseminated and used in training and combat among special operators and other forces across the military for several years, beginning with the Navy and Marine Corps in approximately 2012.
The apps are used to accelerate precision targeting and facilitate situational awareness and data-sharing between ground forces and overhead aircraft.
Navy leadership, along with top Pentagon officials, were alerted to the security problems in the Spring of 2017 but continued to allow frontline troops from multiple military branches, including special operators, to use them without issuing sufficient warnings or attempting to pull the applications back from use.
The IG report that faulted the programs is non-public, but its findings are cited in a Marine Corpsforce-wide message that warns commanders and officers in charge of cybersecurity for their units to ensure that the applications are only used in a manner consistent with explicit guidelines set by the top USMC information officer.
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Trump's Ethanol Boondoggle Exposed
Like every master salesman, Donald Trump loves to tell his audience exactly what it wants to hear.
Last week, at a campaign rally in Iowa, Trump gave Iowa farmers just the political fodder they wanted. He even acknowledged that that was what he was doing when he made his statement. According to The Wall Street Journal:
“And my Administration is protecting ethanol, all right? That’s what you want to hear,” Mr. Trump said at a rally in Iowa on Tuesday, and give him points for political candor. Mr. Trump then announced that his Administration will now allow fuel with 15% ethanol to be sold all year long. The Clean Air Act sets standards for fuel volatility, and E15 hasn’t been allowed in the summer because it can cause smog. Most blends contain 10% of ethanol.
Ethanol fuel is a boondoggle that benefits Big Agra, corn farmers and refiners and no one else. From its creation in the 1970s stemming from the manufactured energy crisis, untold billions of dollars have been dumped into subsidizing the production of corn ethanol.
Subsidies for corn ethanol litter the tax code, which is a case of government “carrot-and-stick” policy that modifies behaviors and distorts the free market. Gas stations get or have gotten over the years massive tax incentives to install pumps to distribute biodiesel or 85 percent ethanol gasoline blends.
As a result, corn, a staple used in many foods and also animal feed, is being diverted by government subsidies into biofuels. In 2000, about 6 percent of U.S. corn production was processed into ethanol. Today 40 percent of our corn becomes fuel instead of food.
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Last week, at a campaign rally in Iowa, Trump gave Iowa farmers just the political fodder they wanted. He even acknowledged that that was what he was doing when he made his statement. According to The Wall Street Journal:
“And my Administration is protecting ethanol, all right? That’s what you want to hear,” Mr. Trump said at a rally in Iowa on Tuesday, and give him points for political candor. Mr. Trump then announced that his Administration will now allow fuel with 15% ethanol to be sold all year long. The Clean Air Act sets standards for fuel volatility, and E15 hasn’t been allowed in the summer because it can cause smog. Most blends contain 10% of ethanol.
Ethanol fuel is a boondoggle that benefits Big Agra, corn farmers and refiners and no one else. From its creation in the 1970s stemming from the manufactured energy crisis, untold billions of dollars have been dumped into subsidizing the production of corn ethanol.
Subsidies for corn ethanol litter the tax code, which is a case of government “carrot-and-stick” policy that modifies behaviors and distorts the free market. Gas stations get or have gotten over the years massive tax incentives to install pumps to distribute biodiesel or 85 percent ethanol gasoline blends.
As a result, corn, a staple used in many foods and also animal feed, is being diverted by government subsidies into biofuels. In 2000, about 6 percent of U.S. corn production was processed into ethanol. Today 40 percent of our corn becomes fuel instead of food.
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‘Maximum Penalties’ — President Trump Issues Stern Warning For Anyone Engaging In Voter Fraud
President Trump on Saturday tweeted a warning to people engaged in voter fraud, stating that those found guilty would be subject to “both civil and criminal” penalties.
“All levels of government and Law Enforcement are watching carefully for VOTER FRAUD, including during EARLY VOTING,” Trump tweeted. “Cheat at your own peril. Violators will be subject to maximum penalties, both civil and criminal!”
President Trump’s belief that thousands if not millions engaged in voter fraud during the 2016 election led to the founding of a commission to investigate the issue, but it wasdissolved in January amidst difficulties obtaining cooperation from several states, each of which has different rules government elections.
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“All levels of government and Law Enforcement are watching carefully for VOTER FRAUD, including during EARLY VOTING,” Trump tweeted. “Cheat at your own peril. Violators will be subject to maximum penalties, both civil and criminal!”
President Trump’s belief that thousands if not millions engaged in voter fraud during the 2016 election led to the founding of a commission to investigate the issue, but it wasdissolved in January amidst difficulties obtaining cooperation from several states, each of which has different rules government elections.
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Spartacus Falls? Cory Booker Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Man In Restroom
Democratic Senator Cory "Spartacus" Booker has been accused of sexually assaulting a man, after a self-professed anonymous gay liberal released a shocking account of a 2014 incident.
During a visit to the man's workplace, Booker's accuser says the Senator "pulled me into the restroom," and "put his left hand on my groin, over my jeans and began to rub," before pushing the man down on his knees for "what was clearly a move to have me perform oral sex on him." The man says he "pulled away quite violently" and told Booker he had to leave.
Through the transitive properties of unsupported claims, we can only assume that this allegation is "serious" and "credible" - words recently used by Booker to describe similarly unfounded accusations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Booker's accuser says he has consulted with two attorneys on the matter, and has been playing phone tag with journalist Ronan Farrow.
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During a visit to the man's workplace, Booker's accuser says the Senator "pulled me into the restroom," and "put his left hand on my groin, over my jeans and began to rub," before pushing the man down on his knees for "what was clearly a move to have me perform oral sex on him." The man says he "pulled away quite violently" and told Booker he had to leave.
#CoryBooker Sexually Assaulted Me
and why it won't matter to the #metoo movement. drive.google.com/open?id=1Eee4a…
Booker's accuser says he has consulted with two attorneys on the matter, and has been playing phone tag with journalist Ronan Farrow.
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Rand Paul: 'We Really Need to Discontinue Our Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia'
On this weekend’s broadcast of “Fox News Sunday,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said Saudi Arabia’s explanation of how journalist Jamal Khashoggi died was “insulting,” so “we really need to discontinue our arms sales to Saudi Arabia.”
When asked if he believes Saudi Arabia’s explanation, Paul said, “Absolutely not, I think it’s insulting.”
He continued, “I think it stretches credulity to believe that the Crown Prince wasn’t involved in this. And I think that’s the way they’re gonna write this off. People in Saudi Arabia ought to be aware that when you’re told what to do, you go and do it, and then they’ll execute you and put on the blame on someone else. There’s no way 15 people were sent from Saudi Arabia to Turkey to kill a dissident without the approval of the Crown Prince. That’s why I say we have to be stronger than just saying, ‘Oh, we’re gonna sanction a few of these people and pretend like we’re doing something.”
He added, “I think we really need to discontinue our arms sales to Saudi Arabia and have a long and serious discussion about whether or not they want to be an ally or they want to be an enemy.”
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When asked if he believes Saudi Arabia’s explanation, Paul said, “Absolutely not, I think it’s insulting.”
He continued, “I think it stretches credulity to believe that the Crown Prince wasn’t involved in this. And I think that’s the way they’re gonna write this off. People in Saudi Arabia ought to be aware that when you’re told what to do, you go and do it, and then they’ll execute you and put on the blame on someone else. There’s no way 15 people were sent from Saudi Arabia to Turkey to kill a dissident without the approval of the Crown Prince. That’s why I say we have to be stronger than just saying, ‘Oh, we’re gonna sanction a few of these people and pretend like we’re doing something.”
He added, “I think we really need to discontinue our arms sales to Saudi Arabia and have a long and serious discussion about whether or not they want to be an ally or they want to be an enemy.”
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Washington & Lee wets the bed -- makes deal with anti-history devil
Washington & Lee University has — officially — wet the bed.
Tilting at snowflake machines, the once proud and serious university has decided to cash out its winnings from history in a hopeless effort to pay off the self-appointed history Gestapo now clanging at the gates with torches and pitchforks.
Just ahead of the fiery mob, university officials will take down portraits, lock museum doors and rename buildings on campus in order to protect their precious young adolescents from being exposed to some of the harsher realities of American history — as well as the founding of the university itself.
A slippery slope, indeed.
What will you surrender the next time they come in a hot fever?
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Tilting at snowflake machines, the once proud and serious university has decided to cash out its winnings from history in a hopeless effort to pay off the self-appointed history Gestapo now clanging at the gates with torches and pitchforks.
Just ahead of the fiery mob, university officials will take down portraits, lock museum doors and rename buildings on campus in order to protect their precious young adolescents from being exposed to some of the harsher realities of American history — as well as the founding of the university itself.
A slippery slope, indeed.
What will you surrender the next time they come in a hot fever?
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Rust Belt Boom: Since Trump’s Election, Jobs Have Increased In Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, And Wisconsin
President Trump did the impossible in 2016 by breaking the so-called "Rust Belt" states with his winning of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Two years later, has voting for Trump paid off for those residents? The numbers say yes.
According to the latest economic data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the key states that swung the election in favor of Trump have seen a steady rise in available jobs, with Ohio setting a 21-year record. CNS reported that the findings that showed significant gains in those states between 2017 and 2018:
The 37 states that BLS said had statistically significant jobs increases from September to September included Pennsylvania (which added 78,700 jobs) and most of the states in the northern Midwest.
Ohio, for example, added 104,600 jobs during the September-to-September period; Michigan added 63,300; Illinois added 50,300; Wisconsin added 41,700; Minnesota added 38,200; and Iowa added 17,600.
The 104,600 jobs that Ohio added was the most it has added in any September-to-September period since 21 years ago in 1997. That year, Ohio added 107,700 jobs.
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According to the latest economic data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the key states that swung the election in favor of Trump have seen a steady rise in available jobs, with Ohio setting a 21-year record. CNS reported that the findings that showed significant gains in those states between 2017 and 2018:
The 37 states that BLS said had statistically significant jobs increases from September to September included Pennsylvania (which added 78,700 jobs) and most of the states in the northern Midwest.
Ohio, for example, added 104,600 jobs during the September-to-September period; Michigan added 63,300; Illinois added 50,300; Wisconsin added 41,700; Minnesota added 38,200; and Iowa added 17,600.
The 104,600 jobs that Ohio added was the most it has added in any September-to-September period since 21 years ago in 1997. That year, Ohio added 107,700 jobs.
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Israeli Mother Rushed Kids into Bomb Shelter Seconds Before Rocket Exploded
Shaken but unharmed, she and her children huddled in the room, plunged into darkness, trying to keep calm.
“Mom, it hit our house,” one of her kids said, starting to cry.
What hit the Tamano’s Beersheba house at about 3:40 a.m. Wednesday morning was a Grad rocket, loaded with some 20 kilograms of explosives and shot from the Gaza Strip, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
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Mr. Trump Suggests Someone Is Paying Migrants in Caravan
President Donald Trump suggested Thursday that someone was paying migrants in the caravan traveling to the United States from Honduras.
“We’re starting to find out, and I won’t say 100 percent, I’ll put a little tiny question mark at the end … but a lot of money has been passing through people to come up and try to get to the border by election day,” Trump said during a campaign rally in Montana.
The group of over 4,000 migrants is currently traveling through Guatemala, although the president did not cite evidence on Thursday to back his claim that some of them could be paid.
The president said the caravan would be stopped before they reached the border, mocking Democrats for trying to influence the immigration issue.
“They wanted that caravan, and there are those who say that caravan didn’t just happen,” Trump said.
He told supporters the Mexican government would “hopefully” stop the caravan before it reached their own Southern border.
If Mexico failed, he reassured the crowd, he would send the military to the Southern border.
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“We’re starting to find out, and I won’t say 100 percent, I’ll put a little tiny question mark at the end … but a lot of money has been passing through people to come up and try to get to the border by election day,” Trump said during a campaign rally in Montana.
The group of over 4,000 migrants is currently traveling through Guatemala, although the president did not cite evidence on Thursday to back his claim that some of them could be paid.
The president said the caravan would be stopped before they reached the border, mocking Democrats for trying to influence the immigration issue.
“They wanted that caravan, and there are those who say that caravan didn’t just happen,” Trump said.
He told supporters the Mexican government would “hopefully” stop the caravan before it reached their own Southern border.
If Mexico failed, he reassured the crowd, he would send the military to the Southern border.
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US Pledges $300 Million in Aid to Iraqi Christians
Programs to rebuild Iraqi Christian communities destroyed by Islamic State are being implemented with the support of $300 million from the United States. Approximately 40,000 Christians have returned home after escaping persecution at the hands of Islamic State.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is working with groups such as the Knights of Columbus to increase its efforts in northern Iraq, according to International Christian Concern.
Last October, Pence told a conference hosted by nonprofit In Defense of Christians that America "will work hand in hand with faith-based groups and private organizations to help those who are persecuted for their faith."
In June, Pence said the United States would intensify efforts to deliver aid to Iraqi Christians.
At the State Department's first-ever Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom in July, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the United States would provide an additional $17 million for removing mines in the Nineveh region of Iraq.
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The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is working with groups such as the Knights of Columbus to increase its efforts in northern Iraq, according to International Christian Concern.
Last October, Pence told a conference hosted by nonprofit In Defense of Christians that America "will work hand in hand with faith-based groups and private organizations to help those who are persecuted for their faith."
In June, Pence said the United States would intensify efforts to deliver aid to Iraqi Christians.
At the State Department's first-ever Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom in July, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the United States would provide an additional $17 million for removing mines in the Nineveh region of Iraq.
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Dropping ‘Zero Tolerance’ Signaled Open Door for Illegal Immigrants
Feeling the political heat over separating families of illegal immigrants, President Donald Trump took executive action in June to scale back his “zero tolerance” policy for border crossers.
But under existing law, this had fairly predictable results, immigration experts said.
“Catch and release is not an official policy, but it is the default until we have better laws,” Chris Chmielenski, deputy director of Numbers USA, a research group that supports immigration restrictions, told The Daily Signal.
While curbing illegal immigration was Trump’s signature campaign issue, and the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security have increased enforcement, the problem of illegal border crossings has escalated again in recent months.
Experts say the Trump administration may have done everything possible through executive action, and must rely on Congress to close certain loopholes to better secure the border.
In lieu of consequences, the number of migrant parents illegally entering the United States escalated since Trump ended separation of children from parents at the border, The Washington Post reported this week.
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But under existing law, this had fairly predictable results, immigration experts said.
“Catch and release is not an official policy, but it is the default until we have better laws,” Chris Chmielenski, deputy director of Numbers USA, a research group that supports immigration restrictions, told The Daily Signal.
While curbing illegal immigration was Trump’s signature campaign issue, and the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security have increased enforcement, the problem of illegal border crossings has escalated again in recent months.
Experts say the Trump administration may have done everything possible through executive action, and must rely on Congress to close certain loopholes to better secure the border.
In lieu of consequences, the number of migrant parents illegally entering the United States escalated since Trump ended separation of children from parents at the border, The Washington Post reported this week.
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Democratic Governor Candidate Blacklisted By Veterans Affairs After Evidence He Sold His Disabled-Vet Status
A company owned and run by South Carolina’s Democratic candidate for governor was blacklisted as a contractor for the Department of Veterans Affairs following allegations that he was selling his veteran status to corporations so they could tap into federal contracting dollars intended to help disabled vets.
James Smith works as a state legislator and lawyer, and also runs the Congaree Group, which has received millions of dollars in federal government contracts. The company operates out of Smith’s law firm suite, and he once told the VA he was its only employee.
On paper, the company has done everything from manufacturing pharmaceuticals to mopping floors and from parking cars to conducting advanced mathematical analysis.
On May 17, VA officials arrived for a surprise inspection, VA deputy assistant Secretary James Hutton told The Daily Caller News Foundation. The purpose was to find out if Smith was running a middleman company used to win lucrative federal contracts earmarked for disabled veterans, then passing all the work off to non-veteran companies in exchange for a cut for himself. Such so-called rent-a-vet scams are forbidden.
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James Smith works as a state legislator and lawyer, and also runs the Congaree Group, which has received millions of dollars in federal government contracts. The company operates out of Smith’s law firm suite, and he once told the VA he was its only employee.
On paper, the company has done everything from manufacturing pharmaceuticals to mopping floors and from parking cars to conducting advanced mathematical analysis.
On May 17, VA officials arrived for a surprise inspection, VA deputy assistant Secretary James Hutton told The Daily Caller News Foundation. The purpose was to find out if Smith was running a middleman company used to win lucrative federal contracts earmarked for disabled veterans, then passing all the work off to non-veteran companies in exchange for a cut for himself. Such so-called rent-a-vet scams are forbidden.
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US general shot in Taliban attack in Afghanistan, Pentagon confirms
U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Smiley was shot in a Taliban attack that killed two Afghan leaders in Kandahar province last week, the Pentagon has confirmed.
Cdr. Grant Neeley, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization Resolute Support spokesperson, and a U.S. defense official both confirmed the incident to Fox News on Sunday, but did not provide further details.
The Washington Post, which broke the story, reported earlier Sunday that Smiley was recovering after he suffered at least one gunshot wound while he was inside the Kandahar governor’s compound.
The Taliban assassinated two top provincial officials Thursday in the attack on a security conference attended by the top U.S. military commander in the country, Gen. Scott Miller. He escaped injury.
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Cdr. Grant Neeley, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization Resolute Support spokesperson, and a U.S. defense official both confirmed the incident to Fox News on Sunday, but did not provide further details.
The Washington Post, which broke the story, reported earlier Sunday that Smiley was recovering after he suffered at least one gunshot wound while he was inside the Kandahar governor’s compound.
The Taliban assassinated two top provincial officials Thursday in the attack on a security conference attended by the top U.S. military commander in the country, Gen. Scott Miller. He escaped injury.
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PIERS MORGAN-The abuse they throw at Trump makes him stronger and Democrats are heading for disaster
There is simply no other way to fairly interpret the fact that he’s just hit a new high in his approval rating.
Even better for Trump, he’s officially more popular than his predecessor Barack Obama was at the exact same stage of his first tenure as President.
According to the NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, Trump is now at 47% approval, compared to Obama’s 45% two weeks before the midterm elections in 2010.
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Even better for Trump, he’s officially more popular than his predecessor Barack Obama was at the exact same stage of his first tenure as President.
According to the NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, Trump is now at 47% approval, compared to Obama’s 45% two weeks before the midterm elections in 2010.
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Khashoggi's body parts found in Saudi consul general's garden: report
Jamal Khashoggi’s cut-up and disfigured remains have been found in the garden of the Saudi consul general’s home in Istanbul, Sky News reported, citing two sources.
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Turkish officials did not confirm the report.
The Sky account contradicts the explanation from Saudi officials that the body was rolled up in a carpet and handed over to a local collaborator to dispose of the evidence, the UK news outlet reported.
On Monday, Dogu Perincek, leader of Turkey’s left-wing nationalist Patriotic Party, alleged that Khashoggi’s remains had been found inside a well in the diplomat’s garden.
The unconfirmed reports about the remains being found were “deeply disturbing,” British Prime Minister Theresa May’s spokesman said Tuesday.
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Turkish officials did not confirm the report.
The Sky account contradicts the explanation from Saudi officials that the body was rolled up in a carpet and handed over to a local collaborator to dispose of the evidence, the UK news outlet reported.
On Monday, Dogu Perincek, leader of Turkey’s left-wing nationalist Patriotic Party, alleged that Khashoggi’s remains had been found inside a well in the diplomat’s garden.
The unconfirmed reports about the remains being found were “deeply disturbing,” British Prime Minister Theresa May’s spokesman said Tuesday.
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'Retaliate? Not while we're addicted to Saudi Arabia's billions'
On a typically sunny Friday morning in Jeddah, I found myself driving past the city’s biggest mosque, the vast car park of which doubled as the city’s ‘chop-chop square’ where executions were a frequent occurrence.
Friday prayers had just ended, and the crowd gathering outside was surrounded by police cars with their lights flashing. It could mean only one thing. I joined the throng just in time to see two Bangladeshi men – blindfolded and with their hands tied behind their backs – being forced to kneel on the ground.
Amid cries of Allahu akbar – ‘God is greatest’ – they were decapitated by a burly executioner wielding a huge sword, who then held aloft their heads. Welcome, I said to myself with a shudder of horror, to Saudi Arabia.
Just a couple of hours later, I was sitting in a Starbucks cafe inside a glitzy mall surrounded by families strolling with their children, mostly dressed in Western clothes and eating ice cream. It struck me that it could have been Knightsbridge in London.
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Friday prayers had just ended, and the crowd gathering outside was surrounded by police cars with their lights flashing. It could mean only one thing. I joined the throng just in time to see two Bangladeshi men – blindfolded and with their hands tied behind their backs – being forced to kneel on the ground.
Amid cries of Allahu akbar – ‘God is greatest’ – they were decapitated by a burly executioner wielding a huge sword, who then held aloft their heads. Welcome, I said to myself with a shudder of horror, to Saudi Arabia.
Just a couple of hours later, I was sitting in a Starbucks cafe inside a glitzy mall surrounded by families strolling with their children, mostly dressed in Western clothes and eating ice cream. It struck me that it could have been Knightsbridge in London.
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Hillary Clinton avoids punishment in Arkansas over secret emails
Arkansas’s bar has declined to sanction former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for her handling of her secret emails, rejecting a request that she face a misconduct investigation.
The state Supreme Court’s office of professional conduct didn’t offer any explanation for its decision in an Oct. 17 letter to Ty Clevenger, the lawyer who’d asked for action.
“As in most other states, Arkansas’s bar prosecutors will go to perverse lengths to protect a politically-influential attorney. Lawyers with the right political connections can get away with just about anything, and it doesn’t seem to matter if they’re Republicans or Democrats,” Mr. Clevenger said.
Mr. Clevenger had told Arkansas there was clear evidence Mrs. Clinton committer perjury in her explanation of her handling of her emails, and that she destroyed evidence by having her team delete tens of thousands of messages before the government had a chance to review them.
A bar official refused the complaint last year and Mr. Clevenger asked the professional conduct committee to step in.
They declined.
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The state Supreme Court’s office of professional conduct didn’t offer any explanation for its decision in an Oct. 17 letter to Ty Clevenger, the lawyer who’d asked for action.
“As in most other states, Arkansas’s bar prosecutors will go to perverse lengths to protect a politically-influential attorney. Lawyers with the right political connections can get away with just about anything, and it doesn’t seem to matter if they’re Republicans or Democrats,” Mr. Clevenger said.
Mr. Clevenger had told Arkansas there was clear evidence Mrs. Clinton committer perjury in her explanation of her handling of her emails, and that she destroyed evidence by having her team delete tens of thousands of messages before the government had a chance to review them.
A bar official refused the complaint last year and Mr. Clevenger asked the professional conduct committee to step in.
They declined.
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Michael Goodwin: Count on Hillary to run in 2020
This is beyond odd, but here goes. I rise to defend Hillary Clinton.
She is under attack and this time, the long knives are wielded by members of her own clan. Suddenly, after two years of indulging Clinton’s blame games and pity parties, lefty pundits say she’s talking too much, she’s stuck in the past, she had her chance and she blew it.
Vanity Fair, declaring that she “still hasn’t learned the lessons of #MeToo,” is furious that Clinton said her husband’s Oval Office dalliance with Monica Lewinsky was not an abuse of power because the 22-year-old intern “was an adult.”
Politico flatly declared Clinton a “problem” who won’t go away and fretted that Democrats “don’t know what to do” about her.
A New York Times columnist, noting that Clinton is a font of gaffes and a focus for Republicans, accused her of “moral arrogance” and wrote that “someone needs to perform an intervention.”
The passions are real and the imagery colorful. Imagine an intervention where a pink pussy-hat posse forces Clinton into a van and drives her to a remote cabin in the woods to keep her from talking.
Alas, the motives are suspect. These three writers, all female, are not so much angry at what Clinton is saying as they are over the timing. The gist of their complaint is that she is hogging the spotlight they believe should be trained on Democrats running in the midterms. They’re mad because they fear she’s undercutting the holy war they subscribe to against President Trump.
Intramural feuds are often bloody, but this one is also stupid. Trying to silence Clinton is a lost cause and, even if it succeeded, wouldn’t cure what ails Democrats.
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She is under attack and this time, the long knives are wielded by members of her own clan. Suddenly, after two years of indulging Clinton’s blame games and pity parties, lefty pundits say she’s talking too much, she’s stuck in the past, she had her chance and she blew it.
Vanity Fair, declaring that she “still hasn’t learned the lessons of #MeToo,” is furious that Clinton said her husband’s Oval Office dalliance with Monica Lewinsky was not an abuse of power because the 22-year-old intern “was an adult.”
Politico flatly declared Clinton a “problem” who won’t go away and fretted that Democrats “don’t know what to do” about her.
A New York Times columnist, noting that Clinton is a font of gaffes and a focus for Republicans, accused her of “moral arrogance” and wrote that “someone needs to perform an intervention.”
The passions are real and the imagery colorful. Imagine an intervention where a pink pussy-hat posse forces Clinton into a van and drives her to a remote cabin in the woods to keep her from talking.
Alas, the motives are suspect. These three writers, all female, are not so much angry at what Clinton is saying as they are over the timing. The gist of their complaint is that she is hogging the spotlight they believe should be trained on Democrats running in the midterms. They’re mad because they fear she’s undercutting the holy war they subscribe to against President Trump.
Intramural feuds are often bloody, but this one is also stupid. Trying to silence Clinton is a lost cause and, even if it succeeded, wouldn’t cure what ails Democrats.
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https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/michael-goodwin-count-on-hillary-to-run-in-2020
50 Years Of Federal Gun Control: The 1968 Gun Control Act
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Gun Control Act of 1968. The GCA is the main federal law that governs interstate commerce of firearms in the United States. Specifically, the GCA prohibits firearms commerce across state lines except between licensed manufactures, dealers, and importers. Under the GCA, any individual or company that wants to partake in commercial activity dealing with the manufacture or importation of firearms and ammunition, or the interstate and intrastate sale of firearms must possess a Federal Firearms License (FFL).
Procedural jargon notwithstanding, the enactment of 1968 GCA was a watershed moment in U.S. politics. It was the first piece of legislation that put the gun control debate on the map.
Political Context of the GCA
It should be noted that the GCA was not the first piece of gun control passed at the federal level. In 1934, president Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the National Firearms Act of 1934 into law. The first comprehensive gun law at the federal level, the NFA taxed and mandated registration of certain firearms such as machine guns, sawed-off rifles, and sawed-off shotguns. This law was passed under the pretext of addressing mob-style violence during Prohibition. But careful review of the New Deal era shows how the NFA was just another piece of FDR’s unprecedented social engineering program.
This NFA was followed up by the Federal Firearms Act of 1938, which created a precursor to the 1968 GCA’s FFL system. Despite the government’s encroachments on gun rights, the federal government stayed away from further regulation for the next three decades.
Once the 1960s arrived, gun politics reverted back to its interventionist roots. The assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King caused federal policymakers to rethink gun policy. In the JFK case, considerable uproar was made about how his assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, was able to acquire his firearm via mail-order purchase. Even though President Lyndon Baines Johnson was not able get licensing and gun registration on the table, he succeeded in signing the GCA into law.
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Procedural jargon notwithstanding, the enactment of 1968 GCA was a watershed moment in U.S. politics. It was the first piece of legislation that put the gun control debate on the map.
Political Context of the GCA
It should be noted that the GCA was not the first piece of gun control passed at the federal level. In 1934, president Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the National Firearms Act of 1934 into law. The first comprehensive gun law at the federal level, the NFA taxed and mandated registration of certain firearms such as machine guns, sawed-off rifles, and sawed-off shotguns. This law was passed under the pretext of addressing mob-style violence during Prohibition. But careful review of the New Deal era shows how the NFA was just another piece of FDR’s unprecedented social engineering program.
This NFA was followed up by the Federal Firearms Act of 1938, which created a precursor to the 1968 GCA’s FFL system. Despite the government’s encroachments on gun rights, the federal government stayed away from further regulation for the next three decades.
Once the 1960s arrived, gun politics reverted back to its interventionist roots. The assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King caused federal policymakers to rethink gun policy. In the JFK case, considerable uproar was made about how his assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, was able to acquire his firearm via mail-order purchase. Even though President Lyndon Baines Johnson was not able get licensing and gun registration on the table, he succeeded in signing the GCA into law.
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When the Confederacy Was On the Verge of Winning the Civil War
The Battle of Chancellorsville is considered Robert E. Lee’s masterpiece. His reputation as a military genius was sealed by fighting an incredibly successful offensive battle despite being outnumbered 2-to-1 and launching attacks on multiple fronts.
After another humiliating Union defeat at Fredericksburg, On January 26, Lincoln replaced Gen. Ambrose Burnside with Joseph “Fighting Joe” Hooker as the new commander of the Army of the Potomac, with 120,000 troops. Hooker’s plan was to send his cavalry on a raid behind Lee to cut off Lee’s communication with Richmond. He would leave 40,000 troops in front of Lee near Fredericksburg, and Hooker himself would march up the Rappahannock River and try to go around Lee’s left. If he didn’t defeat Lee at that time, he would at least force Lee to retreat. But Lee managed to achieve victory despite splitting up his forces into vastly inferior numbers and fighting the Union on multiple fronts. The outcome was 17,000 Federal casualties to 13,000 Confederates.
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After another humiliating Union defeat at Fredericksburg, On January 26, Lincoln replaced Gen. Ambrose Burnside with Joseph “Fighting Joe” Hooker as the new commander of the Army of the Potomac, with 120,000 troops. Hooker’s plan was to send his cavalry on a raid behind Lee to cut off Lee’s communication with Richmond. He would leave 40,000 troops in front of Lee near Fredericksburg, and Hooker himself would march up the Rappahannock River and try to go around Lee’s left. If he didn’t defeat Lee at that time, he would at least force Lee to retreat. But Lee managed to achieve victory despite splitting up his forces into vastly inferior numbers and fighting the Union on multiple fronts. The outcome was 17,000 Federal casualties to 13,000 Confederates.
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White Liberals More Likely To Believe African-Americans Are Discriminated Against Than African-Americans
White liberals are positioning themselves more to the left on certain racial issues than the average black voter, according to a New York Times column published Thursday.
In the column, titled “The Democrats’ Left Turn Is Not an Illusion,” New York Times columnist Thomas Edsall makes the case that, while Democrats as a whole are increasingly moving left, that move is primarily driven by “well-educated whites, especially white women.”
Edsall cites Pew survey data from 2017 to show that white liberals are further left than even the black electorate – which has comprised a nearly monolithic voting bloc for Democrats for decades – on key issues like affirmative action and discrimination.White liberals, Edsall writes, make up “40 percent of all Democratic voters,” and are “well to the left of the black electorate on some racial issues.”
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In the column, titled “The Democrats’ Left Turn Is Not an Illusion,” New York Times columnist Thomas Edsall makes the case that, while Democrats as a whole are increasingly moving left, that move is primarily driven by “well-educated whites, especially white women.”
Edsall cites Pew survey data from 2017 to show that white liberals are further left than even the black electorate – which has comprised a nearly monolithic voting bloc for Democrats for decades – on key issues like affirmative action and discrimination.White liberals, Edsall writes, make up “40 percent of all Democratic voters,” and are “well to the left of the black electorate on some racial issues.”
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South Africa City To Begin Confiscating Land From Whites In National "Test Case"
The debate about land redistribution in South Africa has been a passionate one, as many South African cities face a housing crunch that has left hundreds of thousands of people living in informal settlements. Just as this debate is starting to reach a fever pitch, one South African city, Ekurhuleni, is about to embark on what mayor Mzwandile Masina calls "a test case" for the nation: the government is going to seize hundreds of acres of land, from white citizens without paying for it, to build low-cost housing.
Last month, the city voted in favor of pushing forward with "expropriation without compensation". According to ABC News, this was cited by the African National Congress as a legal rule that is necessary in order to distribute land equitably and correct "historic injustices" that took place in the country.
The mayor of Ekurhuleni stated the same thing, saying that landowners in South Africa should not be scared. Mayor Masina told AP: "Our policy is not to take the land by force. Our policy is to make sure the land is shared amongst those that need it." It was unclear what those whom the land is taken from thought about this policy.
The total amount of land that’s going to be expropriated amounts to about 865 acres. The land is both private and government owned, and some of it has been vacant for decades. Masina, who heads the local ANC-led coalition, did not specify which landowners will be hit be the measure.
The internationally debated land reform was approved by South Africa’s ruling party to address the historic injustices of apartheid, and distribute land among the population more equitably. According to the country’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, over 77 percent of South African farms and agricultural holdings are owned by white citizens with only four percent of lands belonging to black South Africans. White citizens make up just nine percent of the country’s population, while black citizens account for 76 percent. This, to the ruling regime, is a green light to repossess land that has been owned by white citizens, in many cases for generations.
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Last month, the city voted in favor of pushing forward with "expropriation without compensation". According to ABC News, this was cited by the African National Congress as a legal rule that is necessary in order to distribute land equitably and correct "historic injustices" that took place in the country.
The mayor of Ekurhuleni stated the same thing, saying that landowners in South Africa should not be scared. Mayor Masina told AP: "Our policy is not to take the land by force. Our policy is to make sure the land is shared amongst those that need it." It was unclear what those whom the land is taken from thought about this policy.
The total amount of land that’s going to be expropriated amounts to about 865 acres. The land is both private and government owned, and some of it has been vacant for decades. Masina, who heads the local ANC-led coalition, did not specify which landowners will be hit be the measure.
The internationally debated land reform was approved by South Africa’s ruling party to address the historic injustices of apartheid, and distribute land among the population more equitably. According to the country’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, over 77 percent of South African farms and agricultural holdings are owned by white citizens with only four percent of lands belonging to black South Africans. White citizens make up just nine percent of the country’s population, while black citizens account for 76 percent. This, to the ruling regime, is a green light to repossess land that has been owned by white citizens, in many cases for generations.
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UPDATE: Cory Booker Accuser Posts Update – “I am not a Woman, I am a Man”
An anonymous gay male stepped forward today and released a shocking description on how he was sexually assaulted by Senator Cory Booker back in 2014.
The man claims Booker came to his workplace to speak, met him as he was coming out of the men’s room, and then pulled him back into the restroom and sexually assaulted him.
The young man is a gay man and Democrat. The man tells a very detailed analysis on what took place at his work.
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The man claims Booker came to his workplace to speak, met him as he was coming out of the men’s room, and then pulled him back into the restroom and sexually assaulted him.
The young man is a gay man and Democrat. The man tells a very detailed analysis on what took place at his work.
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'IT'S CALLED AN INVASION': Congressman Sounds Alarm On Caravan
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) addressed the serious threat the massive caravan moving through Central America poses to the United States during an interview on Monday, calling it an "invasion."
Gohmert's appearance on Fox News comes as thousands of migrants, many of whom are young men, are waving foreign flags while marching through Central America with the intent of illegally entering the United States.
"We have got to have the DOJ investigate where the funding is coming from to send these thousands and thousands of people to the U.S. because you could use RICO [laws] to go after them," Gohmert said.
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Gohmert's appearance on Fox News comes as thousands of migrants, many of whom are young men, are waving foreign flags while marching through Central America with the intent of illegally entering the United States.
"We have got to have the DOJ investigate where the funding is coming from to send these thousands and thousands of people to the U.S. because you could use RICO [laws] to go after them," Gohmert said.
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PUBLIC NOTICE
NOTICE OF SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the County Council of Wicomico County, Maryland, will hold a special Legislative Session on Tuesday, October 30, 2018 at 10:00 a.m., in the Government Office Building, Room 301, Salisbury, Maryland. Following the Legislative Session, the Wicomico County Council will hold Open Work Sessions followed by a Closed Work Session to discuss a matter directly related to a negotiating strategy in accordance with Section 3-305(b)(14) of the General Provision Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland.
The Agenda for the October 30, 2018 County Council meeting can be viewed on the County’s website at www.wicomicocounty.org.
NFL warns players that Mexican ‘contaminated meat’ could cause PED violations
Travelers from the U.S. to Mexico have been advised of water unsafe to drink, and now the NFL is warning its players about eating meat south of the border as well as in the most populated country on earth. In a memo issued jointly by the league and its union, players were cautioned that some meat produced by Mexico and China could trigger a positive result for performance-enhancing drugs.
The substance in this case is clenbuterol, an anabolic substance banned by the NFL, as well as other sports bodies. It is also banned by the FDA for use with animals meant for human consumption, but, of course, that only applies to U.S. meat-producers.
“Consuming large quantities of meat while visiting [Mexico and China] may result in a positive test for clenbuterol in violation of the [NFL] Policy [on Performance-Enhancing Substances],” the letter to players read. It was shared on social media by the likes of Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith and Cardinals corner back Patrick Peterson.
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The substance in this case is clenbuterol, an anabolic substance banned by the NFL, as well as other sports bodies. It is also banned by the FDA for use with animals meant for human consumption, but, of course, that only applies to U.S. meat-producers.
“Consuming large quantities of meat while visiting [Mexico and China] may result in a positive test for clenbuterol in violation of the [NFL] Policy [on Performance-Enhancing Substances],” the letter to players read. It was shared on social media by the likes of Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith and Cardinals corner back Patrick Peterson.
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Pat Buchanan: Caravan Is Trump's Chance to Stop 'Third World Invasion'
Populist conservative author and columnist Pat Buchanan says the migrant caravan of more than 4,000 Honduran and Central American nationals is President Trump’s chance to demonstrate that he can stop the “third world invasion of the West.”
During an interview with Raymond Arroyo on the Laura Ingraham Show, Buchanan said the migrant caravan headed to the U.S.-Mexico border is an opportunity for Trump ahead of the 2018 midterm elections to show that he has the willpower to stop mass immigration at America’s borders.
Buchanan said:
During an interview with Raymond Arroyo on the Laura Ingraham Show, Buchanan said the migrant caravan headed to the U.S.-Mexico border is an opportunity for Trump ahead of the 2018 midterm elections to show that he has the willpower to stop mass immigration at America’s borders.
Buchanan said:
Migrant Caravan Points Way to GOP Midterm Success
Caravan refers to, “A group of travelers, as merchants or pilgrims, journeying together for safety in passing through deserts or hostile territory.” Conjuring up images dating back to biblical days of people braving hardship during their travels, the media has coopted the term for political benefit to describe a horde of illegal immigrants heading to the U.S. just ahead of a major election.
They are neither merchants nor pilgrims. I doubt they are facing severe hardship during their journey as most of their basic needs are being met courtesy of wealthy benefactors.
The current caravan is a group of four- to seven-thousand Hondurans, traveling from Honduras to the United States. Google Maps shows the distance between San Pedro Sula, the large city in Honduras where the march started, and Brownsville, Texas, the most logical border city, as about 1,408 miles, a 500-hour trek on foot.
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They are neither merchants nor pilgrims. I doubt they are facing severe hardship during their journey as most of their basic needs are being met courtesy of wealthy benefactors.
The current caravan is a group of four- to seven-thousand Hondurans, traveling from Honduras to the United States. Google Maps shows the distance between San Pedro Sula, the large city in Honduras where the march started, and Brownsville, Texas, the most logical border city, as about 1,408 miles, a 500-hour trek on foot.
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Ron Paul: The Saudis Keep Changing Their Story On Khashoggi. What Should We Do?
The Saudi version of the disappearance and murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi seems to change every day or so. The latest is the Saudi government claim that the opposition journalist was killed in a “botched interrogation” at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Or was it a fist-fight? What is laughable is that the Saudi king has placed Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, a prime suspect, in charge of the investigation of Khashoggi’s murder!
Though the official story keeps changing, what is unlikely to change is Washington’s continued relationship with Saudi Arabia.It is a partnership that is in no way beneficial to Americans or the US national interest.
President Trump has promised “severe punishment” if the Saudi government is found to have been involved in Khashoggi’s murder, but he also took off the table any reduction in arms sales to prop up the murderous Saudi war on Yemen. It’s all about jobs, said President Trump. So the Saudi killing of thousands in Yemen can go on. Some murders are more important than others, obviously.
The killing of Khashoggi puts the Trump Administration is in a difficult situation. President Trump views Iran as designated enemy number one. Next month the US Administration intends to impose a new round of sanctions designed to make it impossible for Iran to sell its oil on the international market. To keep US fuel prices from spiking over this move Trump is relying on other countries, especially Saudi Arabia, to pump more and make up the difference. But the Saudis have threatened $400 a barrel oil if President Trump follows through with his promise of “severe punishment” over the killing of Khashoggi.
The Saudis have also threatened to look for friendship in Moscow or even Tehran if Washington insists on “punishing” the regime in Riyadh. For a super-power, the US doesn’t seem to have many options.
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Though the official story keeps changing, what is unlikely to change is Washington’s continued relationship with Saudi Arabia.It is a partnership that is in no way beneficial to Americans or the US national interest.
President Trump has promised “severe punishment” if the Saudi government is found to have been involved in Khashoggi’s murder, but he also took off the table any reduction in arms sales to prop up the murderous Saudi war on Yemen. It’s all about jobs, said President Trump. So the Saudi killing of thousands in Yemen can go on. Some murders are more important than others, obviously.
The killing of Khashoggi puts the Trump Administration is in a difficult situation. President Trump views Iran as designated enemy number one. Next month the US Administration intends to impose a new round of sanctions designed to make it impossible for Iran to sell its oil on the international market. To keep US fuel prices from spiking over this move Trump is relying on other countries, especially Saudi Arabia, to pump more and make up the difference. But the Saudis have threatened $400 a barrel oil if President Trump follows through with his promise of “severe punishment” over the killing of Khashoggi.
The Saudis have also threatened to look for friendship in Moscow or even Tehran if Washington insists on “punishing” the regime in Riyadh. For a super-power, the US doesn’t seem to have many options.
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President Trump Takes Aim At Voter Fraud, Liberals Go Berserk
From decrying illegal immigration to espousing an America First trade policy, from denouncing “angry mobs” to taking jabs at “Crazy Maxine” and “Pocahontas,” few would disagree that when it comes to triggering lefties, President Trump is the ultimate Zen master. And given the president’s almost superhuman ability to drive the Left insane with the push of a few buttons to his Twitter account, one might be forgiven for being surprised that one seemingly ubiquitous Saturday tweet topped all or most of the rest, not by calling someone “Horseface” (although yeah, that was hilarious) or taking another well-deserved jab at Robert Mueller’s “witch hunt,” but by bringing a key issue to light that the Left desperately wants to hide.
Namely - voter fraud.
“All levels of government and Law Enforcement are watching carefully for VOTER FRAUD, including during EARLY VOTING,” Trump tweeted. “Cheat at your own peril. Violators will be subject to maximum penalties, both civil and criminal!”
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Namely - voter fraud.
“All levels of government and Law Enforcement are watching carefully for VOTER FRAUD, including during EARLY VOTING,” Trump tweeted. “Cheat at your own peril. Violators will be subject to maximum penalties, both civil and criminal!”
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Warren Now Says She Shared DNA Test to 'Rebuild Confidence'
Democrat Senator Elizabeth Warren said she took and shared a recent DNA test for the sake of “transparency” during a Sunday night debate.
“Ultimately I took a DNA test, because I am an open book,” Warren said, but “at the end of the day, this isn’t about me.” Warren was concluding a question from the debate moderator about her repeated claims of Native American heritage, prompting years of media inquiry and the skeptical label “Fauxcahontas” by President Donald Trump.
“Senator, when we spoke in March for an interview and I asked you about whether or not you would take a DNA test, you told me that you believed that the issue of your Native American heritage had been settled,” WGBY radio personality and debate moderator Carrie Saldo said. “Why did you change your mind and recently release the results of the DNA test?”
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“Ultimately I took a DNA test, because I am an open book,” Warren said, but “at the end of the day, this isn’t about me.” Warren was concluding a question from the debate moderator about her repeated claims of Native American heritage, prompting years of media inquiry and the skeptical label “Fauxcahontas” by President Donald Trump.
“Senator, when we spoke in March for an interview and I asked you about whether or not you would take a DNA test, you told me that you believed that the issue of your Native American heritage had been settled,” WGBY radio personality and debate moderator Carrie Saldo said. “Why did you change your mind and recently release the results of the DNA test?”
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Byron York: End could be near for House investigation of Trump-Russia investigators
Republicans on Capitol Hill have added enormously to the public's understanding of what happened in the Trump-Russia investigation. They're still doing it. But it will come to a screeching halt if the GOP loses control of the House in next month's midterm elections.
The driving force behind the revelations is House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes. But a number of other Republicans in the House, including Reps. Trey Gowdy, John Ratcliffe, Bob Goodlatte, Jim Jordan, Mark Meadows, and others have also played critical roles. (In the Senate, Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley has done key work, but the most progress has been made in the House because House rules make it easier for the majority to work around minority opposition.)
Among the things Americans know about the conduct of the Trump-Russia probe that they would not have known had Nunes and his colleagues not tackled the subject:
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The driving force behind the revelations is House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes. But a number of other Republicans in the House, including Reps. Trey Gowdy, John Ratcliffe, Bob Goodlatte, Jim Jordan, Mark Meadows, and others have also played critical roles. (In the Senate, Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley has done key work, but the most progress has been made in the House because House rules make it easier for the majority to work around minority opposition.)
Among the things Americans know about the conduct of the Trump-Russia probe that they would not have known had Nunes and his colleagues not tackled the subject:
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Republicans Beating Democrats in Early Voting in Key States
Republican voters are outpacing Democrat voters in key states such as Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Montana, Tennessee, and Texas, according to NBC News.
All six of those states will be key to which political party controls the Senate. As of now, Republicans hold the slimmest majority of just 51 seats.
According to the Real Clear Politics poll of polls, Republicans currently enjoy comfortable leads in three of those states: Tennessee (+6.5), North Dakota (+10.6), and Texas (+7.0). But only North Dakota would be a Republican pickup from an incumbent Democrat.
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All six of those states will be key to which political party controls the Senate. As of now, Republicans hold the slimmest majority of just 51 seats.
According to the Real Clear Politics poll of polls, Republicans currently enjoy comfortable leads in three of those states: Tennessee (+6.5), North Dakota (+10.6), and Texas (+7.0). But only North Dakota would be a Republican pickup from an incumbent Democrat.
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Elizabeth Warren’s DNA test is the train wreck that won't stop wrecking
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., likely didn’t think she’d be defending her supposedly “vindicating” DNA report nearly one week after its release, but that’s exactly what she had to do this weekend during a debate against her re-election opponent, Rep. Geoff Diehl, R-Mass.
The Massachusetts senator was asked by a moderator Sunday evening why she decided to submit to a DNA test after claiming for several years that she didn’t need to take one to prove her supposed Cherokee Indian ancestry.
Warren’s response was a smorgasbord of political platitudes, risible claims the test wasn’t about her personally, and some weird non-sequitur conclusion about how the test was really about working families in the Bay State.
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The Massachusetts senator was asked by a moderator Sunday evening why she decided to submit to a DNA test after claiming for several years that she didn’t need to take one to prove her supposed Cherokee Indian ancestry.
Warren’s response was a smorgasbord of political platitudes, risible claims the test wasn’t about her personally, and some weird non-sequitur conclusion about how the test was really about working families in the Bay State.
More
Virginia man killed trying to protect woman from sexual assault, cops say
A Virginia man was beaten to death last week after he tried to intervene to stop a sexual assault, police say.
Patricio Salazar, 54, died at George Washington University Hospital in Washington Thursday night after he was assaulted, allegedly by 27-year-old Michael Nash, Arlington County Police said.
Investigators said Nash was walking with a woman he knew when he started to physically and sexually assault her. Salazar witnessed the assault and tried to help the victim, only to be beaten by Nash, according to police.
A second witness, 27-year-old Brad Flood, told WUSA-TV he went to the scene after he heard the woman screaming.
"I saw a girl, unclothed, sitting there curled up in a ball. And she was the one screaming," said Flood, who added that Nash confronted and threatened him.
"He was like, 'Don’t call the cops. You call the cops, I will end your world,'" Flood said. "He came enough into the light that I could see a bunch of blood on his fists."
Soon after, Flood said he saw Salazar laying on the ground.
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Patricio Salazar, 54, died at George Washington University Hospital in Washington Thursday night after he was assaulted, allegedly by 27-year-old Michael Nash, Arlington County Police said.
Investigators said Nash was walking with a woman he knew when he started to physically and sexually assault her. Salazar witnessed the assault and tried to help the victim, only to be beaten by Nash, according to police.
A second witness, 27-year-old Brad Flood, told WUSA-TV he went to the scene after he heard the woman screaming.
"I saw a girl, unclothed, sitting there curled up in a ball. And she was the one screaming," said Flood, who added that Nash confronted and threatened him.
"He was like, 'Don’t call the cops. You call the cops, I will end your world,'" Flood said. "He came enough into the light that I could see a bunch of blood on his fists."
Soon after, Flood said he saw Salazar laying on the ground.
More
https://www.foxnews.com/us/virginia-man-killed-trying-to-protect-woman-from-sexual-assault-cops-say
With two weeks to go, GOP has more cash to spend than Dems
If Republicans are able to hold on to the House after the midterm elections, they might point to the significant cash advantage they hold over the Democrats.
Fundraising doesn't necessarily win you an election, but a lack of it might lose one. The bottom line is that it is better to have money to spend than not, and by that yardstick, Republicans are in good shape.
New York Times:
The three national Republican Party committees had outraised their Democratic counterparts $531 million to $471 million since the beginning of 2017, according to the disclosures with the Federal Election Commission.
Super PAC fund-raising was basically a draw, with the top 10 Democratic super PACs outraising their Republican counterparts $335.3 million to $335.1 million – washing away concern among Democrats that they could be swamped by a late tidal wave of cash from wealthy Republicans.
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Fundraising doesn't necessarily win you an election, but a lack of it might lose one. The bottom line is that it is better to have money to spend than not, and by that yardstick, Republicans are in good shape.
New York Times:
The three national Republican Party committees had outraised their Democratic counterparts $531 million to $471 million since the beginning of 2017, according to the disclosures with the Federal Election Commission.
Super PAC fund-raising was basically a draw, with the top 10 Democratic super PACs outraising their Republican counterparts $335.3 million to $335.1 million – washing away concern among Democrats that they could be swamped by a late tidal wave of cash from wealthy Republicans.
More
Pelosi: 'People Ask Me All the Time Why Haven’t You Run for President'
Monday at CNN’s Citizen forum, House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said people ask her “all the time” why she hasn’t made a run for president.
When asked if she would run for the high office, Pelosi said, “People ask me all the time why haven’t you run for president. I love the legislative process, I really do. No, I’m not going to run for president.”
More/Video
When asked if she would run for the high office, Pelosi said, “People ask me all the time why haven’t you run for president. I love the legislative process, I really do. No, I’m not going to run for president.”
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Nancy Pelosi Hints at Using Subpoena Power to Negotiate with Trump
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) hinted Monday she may use subpoena power to negotiate with President Donald Trump if Democrats retake Congress in November.
Speaking before CNN’s CITIZEN Conference on Monday, Pelosi told Dana Bash: “Subpoena power is interesting — to use it or not to use it? It’s a great arrow to have in your quiver in terms of negotiating on other subjects.” Bash had asked how Democrats will act as a check to the Trump administration.
The California lawmaker said Democrats are eager “exercise oversight” over Congress, citing various agencies whose regulations have been rolled back since President Trump took office. “Look what’s happening. Clean air, clean water, EPA, look what’s happening to education,” Pelosi said. “The list goes on.”
More/Video
Speaking before CNN’s CITIZEN Conference on Monday, Pelosi told Dana Bash: “Subpoena power is interesting — to use it or not to use it? It’s a great arrow to have in your quiver in terms of negotiating on other subjects.” Bash had asked how Democrats will act as a check to the Trump administration.
The California lawmaker said Democrats are eager “exercise oversight” over Congress, citing various agencies whose regulations have been rolled back since President Trump took office. “Look what’s happening. Clean air, clean water, EPA, look what’s happening to education,” Pelosi said. “The list goes on.”
More/Video
Rand Paul: Saudi prince will 'execute' anyone who can tie him to Jamal Khashoggi
Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will likely execute anyone who can tie him to the murder of a dissident journalist that has rocked U.S. relations with the monarchy, Sen. Rand Paul predicted Monday.
“The 15 people who actually committed the killing, they will quickly execute them or shuffle them off somewhere never to be seen again,” the Kentucky Republican told reporters on a conference call. “Anybody that can possibly say the crown prince is involved will probably be executed.”
Saudi Arabian officials admitted to the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, after weeks of dissembling over an incident that outraged official Washington. Paul, one of the most strident critics of the Gulf ally in recent years, dismissed the Saudi claim that the crown prince is innocent of the murder, and renewed his call for a halt to arms sales to the country.
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“The 15 people who actually committed the killing, they will quickly execute them or shuffle them off somewhere never to be seen again,” the Kentucky Republican told reporters on a conference call. “Anybody that can possibly say the crown prince is involved will probably be executed.”
Saudi Arabian officials admitted to the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, after weeks of dissembling over an incident that outraged official Washington. Paul, one of the most strident critics of the Gulf ally in recent years, dismissed the Saudi claim that the crown prince is innocent of the murder, and renewed his call for a halt to arms sales to the country.
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Viriginia Towns Threaten Jail for Breaking Trick-or-Treat Curfew
Several major cities in Virginia are threatening to jail young teens for trick-or-treating past 8:00 p.m. on Halloween this year.
Several cities in Virginia have adopted strict punishments for young teens who dare to trick-or-treat past 8:00 p.m. on Halloween. In Chesapeake, Virginia, for example, 12-years-olds face up to six months in prison if they ask their neighbors for candy past 8:00 p.m. The statute, which is printed below in its entirety, has inspired neighboring cities to adopt similar policies.
If any person over the age of 12 years shall engage in the activity commonly known as “trick or treat” or any other activity of similar character or nature under any name whatsoever, he or she shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine of not less than $25.00 nor more than $100.00 or by confinement in jail for not more than six months or both.
In a blog post, the ACLU argued that the trick-or-treating restriction may actually constitute a First Amendment violation because the tradition is so closely linked with social engagement.
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Several cities in Virginia have adopted strict punishments for young teens who dare to trick-or-treat past 8:00 p.m. on Halloween. In Chesapeake, Virginia, for example, 12-years-olds face up to six months in prison if they ask their neighbors for candy past 8:00 p.m. The statute, which is printed below in its entirety, has inspired neighboring cities to adopt similar policies.
If any person over the age of 12 years shall engage in the activity commonly known as “trick or treat” or any other activity of similar character or nature under any name whatsoever, he or she shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine of not less than $25.00 nor more than $100.00 or by confinement in jail for not more than six months or both.
In a blog post, the ACLU argued that the trick-or-treating restriction may actually constitute a First Amendment violation because the tradition is so closely linked with social engagement.
More
Two former Fort Valley State employees charged with pimping, soliciting prostitutes
The district attorney's office issued arrest warrants for seven people, including two who used to work at the university.
Two former Fort Valley State University employees were charged last week with pimping, prostitution or soliciting prostitution.
The arrest warrants were handed down at the end of a months-long investigation into alleged misconduct by university employees, conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation in conjunction with Fort Valley State and the University System of Georgia.
Alecia Jeanetta Johnson, former executive assistant to the president, sits at the center of the scandal. She was charged with six counts of pimping after allegedly arranging to provide a prostitute for six men: Ernest Harvey, Kenneth Howard, Ryan Jenkins, Charles Jones, Devontae Little and Arthur James Nance Jr. Each was charged with one count of pandering and solicitation of sodomy for alleged conduct in 2017 and 2018.
Jones was formerly a lawyer for Fort Valley State.
Johnson was also charged with six counts of prostitution based on allegations that she “performed, offered or consented to perform a sexual act for money or other items of value” and one count of conspiracy to commit fiduciary theft after she allegedly conspired to steal a book scholarship from a student in 2015.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported her ties to university’s local chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, where she served as a graduate adviser. Johnson, who had worked at the university since 2004, resigned from her executive assistant position on April 18, the same day the sorority announced its own investigation into misconduct allegations against a graduate member and university employee. David Cooke, the Macon Judicial Circuit district attorney, told the Journal-Constitution he "would not comment" on any student involvement or abuse surrounding the investigation. The national sorority in April said it was investigating "unauthorized activities and misconduct involving current and former members" at Fort Valley State.
“I find it best under the circumstances to render my resignation, effective immediately,” Johnson’s resignation letter read. “Please have my personal belongings packed and mailed to the address listed or I can have someone pick them up next week.”
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Two former Fort Valley State University employees were charged last week with pimping, prostitution or soliciting prostitution.
The arrest warrants were handed down at the end of a months-long investigation into alleged misconduct by university employees, conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation in conjunction with Fort Valley State and the University System of Georgia.
Alecia Jeanetta Johnson, former executive assistant to the president, sits at the center of the scandal. She was charged with six counts of pimping after allegedly arranging to provide a prostitute for six men: Ernest Harvey, Kenneth Howard, Ryan Jenkins, Charles Jones, Devontae Little and Arthur James Nance Jr. Each was charged with one count of pandering and solicitation of sodomy for alleged conduct in 2017 and 2018.
Jones was formerly a lawyer for Fort Valley State.
Johnson was also charged with six counts of prostitution based on allegations that she “performed, offered or consented to perform a sexual act for money or other items of value” and one count of conspiracy to commit fiduciary theft after she allegedly conspired to steal a book scholarship from a student in 2015.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported her ties to university’s local chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, where she served as a graduate adviser. Johnson, who had worked at the university since 2004, resigned from her executive assistant position on April 18, the same day the sorority announced its own investigation into misconduct allegations against a graduate member and university employee. David Cooke, the Macon Judicial Circuit district attorney, told the Journal-Constitution he "would not comment" on any student involvement or abuse surrounding the investigation. The national sorority in April said it was investigating "unauthorized activities and misconduct involving current and former members" at Fort Valley State.
“I find it best under the circumstances to render my resignation, effective immediately,” Johnson’s resignation letter read. “Please have my personal belongings packed and mailed to the address listed or I can have someone pick them up next week.”
More
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