The migrant caravan to the US is not walking. That is all for show and just part of a Democrat production. The migrants are actually being carted on the back of flat bed trucks.
The migrants ‘walking’ through Mexico to reach the US appears to be more of a production than reality.
It’s clearly impossible for an individual or a group to cross the southern Mexican border and then walk all the way to the northern Mexican border in a matter of a couple of days. It is simply not possible.
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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
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Republican Candidates Take the Lead in Five Key House Races and Tied in Another!
Republicans are pulling ahead in four critical US House races according to the Washington Free Beacon. And Barbara Comstock is tied up now in her Virginia races with two weeks to go before the midterm election.
This is great news for Republicans and for the rule of law.
The Washington Free Beacon reported:
Rep. Barbara Comstock (R., Va.) is tied with her Democratic opponent, according to new polling exclusively obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
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This is great news for Republicans and for the rule of law.
The Washington Free Beacon reported:
Rep. Barbara Comstock (R., Va.) is tied with her Democratic opponent, according to new polling exclusively obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
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At Least 1,400 Noncitizens Registered to Vote in Detroit Area, Says Report
At least 1,400 noncitizens, who registered to vote in the Detroit metropolitan area, were removed from the voter rolls since 2011, according to a new report that also reveals concerns over voter duplications and registrants with implausible dates of birth, some dating back to the 1800s.
In Motor Voter Mayhem, the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) details how Michigan’s noncitizens became registered to vote through DMV transactions and other means as required by the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). More commonly known as “motor voter,” the legislation was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1993. Motor Voter allows anyone who applies for a state driver’s license the opportunity to register to vote.
In the Detroit area, at least 1,444 registered voters were noncitizens. From this total, 822 noncitizens resided in Detroit proper, a figure which PILF called “among the highest” they ever saw from a single jurisdiction nationwide.
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In Motor Voter Mayhem, the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) details how Michigan’s noncitizens became registered to vote through DMV transactions and other means as required by the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). More commonly known as “motor voter,” the legislation was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1993. Motor Voter allows anyone who applies for a state driver’s license the opportunity to register to vote.
In the Detroit area, at least 1,444 registered voters were noncitizens. From this total, 822 noncitizens resided in Detroit proper, a figure which PILF called “among the highest” they ever saw from a single jurisdiction nationwide.
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Watch--Kamala Harris: Americans Must be 'Welcoming to Caravan
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) — who is eyeing a 2020 presidential bid against President Trump — says the United States should be “welcoming” migrant caravans that arrive at the nation’s southern border.
While campaigning for Democrats in Iowa, Harris told a CNN reporter that the U.S. response to the 7,000-strong migrant caravan of job-seekers and previously deported illegal aliens should be “welcoming” and “tolerant.”
“We are a country that … our strength has always been that we are a tolerant country, that we are welcoming, in particular, those who have fled harm,” Harris said of the caravan. “And the idea that we’re vilifying any one group and the fear-mongering, that’s not in the best interest of our country.”
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While campaigning for Democrats in Iowa, Harris told a CNN reporter that the U.S. response to the 7,000-strong migrant caravan of job-seekers and previously deported illegal aliens should be “welcoming” and “tolerant.”
“We are a country that … our strength has always been that we are a tolerant country, that we are welcoming, in particular, those who have fled harm,” Harris said of the caravan. “And the idea that we’re vilifying any one group and the fear-mongering, that’s not in the best interest of our country.”
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DHS: We Can Confirm There Are Criminals, Gang Members in the Illegal Caravan
The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed there are in fact criminals and dangerous gang members traveling inside the illegal caravan headed to north to the U.S. southern border. In addition, they are confirming President Trump's claims "middle easterners" and citizens of countries outside of North and South America, are also in the caravan.
During an interview with Fox News Tuesday, a Honduran man traveling with the caravan confirmed criminals are involved.
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.@DHSgov can confirm that there are individuals within the caravan who are gang members or have significant criminal histories.
Citizens of countries outside Central America, including countries in the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, and elsewhere are currently traveling through Mexico toward the U.S.
Stopping the caravan is not just about national security or preventing crime, it is also about national sovereignty and the rule of law. Those who seek to come to America must do so the right and legal way.
During an interview with Fox News Tuesday, a Honduran man traveling with the caravan confirmed criminals are involved.
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James Shott: The Country's Election System Needs Dramatic Overhaul and Reform
We’ve all seen the political ads for the upcoming election, right? We’ve all likely found many of them to be smear pieces, using exaggeration, taking words out of context, and using unflattering photos or pieces of videos of opposing candidates to make them look bad or stupid or both.
It is not important to the producers of these ads that their content accurately represents the opposing candidate’s character, record, actual spoken words, or positions on issues. What is important is that they create a negative impression and a negative vote.
Nearly always these ads are not directly the work of an opposing candidate’s campaign staff but the work of an independent group — maybe a political action committee (PAC) — that supports another candidate and works to get him or her elected by trashing the opponent. The candidate favored by the ad has little, if anything, to do with the ad and therefore cannot be held responsible for whatever untruths or other dirty tricks may be employed.
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It is not important to the producers of these ads that their content accurately represents the opposing candidate’s character, record, actual spoken words, or positions on issues. What is important is that they create a negative impression and a negative vote.
Nearly always these ads are not directly the work of an opposing candidate’s campaign staff but the work of an independent group — maybe a political action committee (PAC) — that supports another candidate and works to get him or her elected by trashing the opponent. The candidate favored by the ad has little, if anything, to do with the ad and therefore cannot be held responsible for whatever untruths or other dirty tricks may be employed.
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Andrew Gillum Responds To Latest Scandal By Accusing GOP Of Racism
Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum attempted to turn the tables on Republicans Wednesday in response to damning new reports that he lied about obtaining Broadway tickets from an undercover FBI agent.
Gillum, the mayor of Tallahassee, claimed in a short video address to his supporters that he is being targeted by Republicans because he is black.
“The Republicans obviously want to distract, want to suggest. All along throughout this … they’ve wanted the people of this state to believe somehow I haven’t deserved what I’ve gotten, I’m unethical, participated in illegal and illicit activity. I mean, you name it,” Gillum said.
“The goal is obviously to use my candidacy as a way to reinforce, frankly, stereotypes about black men.”
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Gillum, the mayor of Tallahassee, claimed in a short video address to his supporters that he is being targeted by Republicans because he is black.
“The Republicans obviously want to distract, want to suggest. All along throughout this … they’ve wanted the people of this state to believe somehow I haven’t deserved what I’ve gotten, I’m unethical, participated in illegal and illicit activity. I mean, you name it,” Gillum said.
“The goal is obviously to use my candidacy as a way to reinforce, frankly, stereotypes about black men.”
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Florida Democrats Think Clinton’s Fundraising For Gillum Could Hurt Him
CNN’s Randi Kaye interviewed a group of Democrats from Florida on Tuesday night about Hillary Clinton’s recent involvement in the state’s gubernatorial race, and most of them aren’t pleased.
Democratic Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum is running against former Rep. Ron DeSantis. On Tuesday, Clinton held two fundraisers for Gillum despite no plans for them to appear together publicly.
WATCH:
Democratic Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum is running against former Rep. Ron DeSantis. On Tuesday, Clinton held two fundraisers for Gillum despite no plans for them to appear together publicly.
WATCH:
Dems will struggle to pry middle-class Americans away from Trump
Former Vice President Joe Biden is viewed by many as the Democrats’ best hope of winning back those blue-collar workers in states like Ohio and Michigan who defied tradition and voted for Donald Trump in 2016.
Certainly, compared to progressives like Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) or Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), the likeable “Uncle Joe," raised in hardscrabble Scranton, Pa. by middle-class parents, seems a good bet to reconnect with those voters.
But what does Biden or any other Democrat hoping to beat President Trump in 2020 offer the middle class? Nothing but the politics of envy and a transparent effort to misrepresent and belittle the current economy.
During a recent interview with "CBS This Morning," Biden, who has hinted he might run in 2020, urged his party to “focus on all the terrible things that are happening now in terms of interest of the middle-class people and working-class people.”
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Certainly, compared to progressives like Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) or Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), the likeable “Uncle Joe," raised in hardscrabble Scranton, Pa. by middle-class parents, seems a good bet to reconnect with those voters.
But what does Biden or any other Democrat hoping to beat President Trump in 2020 offer the middle class? Nothing but the politics of envy and a transparent effort to misrepresent and belittle the current economy.
During a recent interview with "CBS This Morning," Biden, who has hinted he might run in 2020, urged his party to “focus on all the terrible things that are happening now in terms of interest of the middle-class people and working-class people.”
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Over Half Of America Gets More In Welfare Than It Pays In Taxes
More than half of Americans receive more money in various types of government transfer payments (Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, Social Security) than they pay in federal taxes.
According to a report released this year by the Congressional Budget Office, only the top two income quintiles in the United States pay more in taxes than they receive in government transfers.
Not surprisingly, the lowest income quintiles receive far more in transfers than they pay in taxes:
In the lowest quintile, households pay only $400 in taxes (as of 2014, the most recent data available) while receiving more than $16,000 in various types of tax-funded transfer payments.
The end result is households in the bottom three quintiles have higher incomes after taxes and transfers than they do before taxes and transfers:
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According to a report released this year by the Congressional Budget Office, only the top two income quintiles in the United States pay more in taxes than they receive in government transfers.
Not surprisingly, the lowest income quintiles receive far more in transfers than they pay in taxes:
In the lowest quintile, households pay only $400 in taxes (as of 2014, the most recent data available) while receiving more than $16,000 in various types of tax-funded transfer payments.
The end result is households in the bottom three quintiles have higher incomes after taxes and transfers than they do before taxes and transfers:
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Migrant caravan marches on as Mexico warns there are now 14,000 on way to US
The migrant caravan resumed its march through Mexico on Wednesday as the country's officials warned that the total number of people now heading towards the US is close to 14,000.
On Wednesday morning, the main group of around 7,000 mostly Honduran migrants left Huixtla before the sun rose after spending a day there recuperating and honoring a man who died on Monday by falling from the back of a truck.
Today they will march 40 miles to the town of Mapastepec then they will rest there for the night. They are still 1,100 miles from the US-Mexico border.
At this rate of around 40 miles a day, it will take them another 25 days at least to get to the point on the Texan border which they are likely to attempt to cross.
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On Wednesday morning, the main group of around 7,000 mostly Honduran migrants left Huixtla before the sun rose after spending a day there recuperating and honoring a man who died on Monday by falling from the back of a truck.
Today they will march 40 miles to the town of Mapastepec then they will rest there for the night. They are still 1,100 miles from the US-Mexico border.
At this rate of around 40 miles a day, it will take them another 25 days at least to get to the point on the Texan border which they are likely to attempt to cross.
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Red State Democrats Plagued by Their Gun Control Votes
Red state Democrats are being dragged down by their pro-gun control voting records as we enter the final stretch of midterm campaigns.
For example, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) has attempted to run his re-election campaign so as to appear pro-Second Amendment, but his support of Barak Obama’s post-Sandy Hook gun control push is inescapable. Machin’s post-Sandy Hook gun control push failed, but that did not prevent him from trying to resurrect his gun control bill when high profile gun crimes occurred.
His commitment to gun control became so pronounced that the NRA released an ad in June 2013 warning West Virginians that Manchin has abandoned his pro-gun promises:
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Rep. Harris Commends President Trump for Signing the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act into Law
“I commend President Trump for signing into law the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act. As a physician, I know all too well that substance abuse, especially opioid abuse, is an extremely harmful and dangerous illness. Heeding Surgeon General Adam’s advice, as I travel across Maryland’s 1st District, I personally carry opioid reversal agents everywhere I go.
This law will strengthen substance abuse prevention, treatment, and recovery initiatives, and help protect our communities from prescription opioids, heroin, and illicit synthetic drugs like fentanyl. The fight against opioid addiction and substance abuse is long and tough, but with the president signing this bill into law, we are making real progress toward combating the epidemic.”
Atlantic Magazine: Trump-hating Democrats Refuse to Help Fix Migrant Crisis
The Democratic Party is refusing to help fix to the migrant-caravan crisis because they increasingly hate President Donald Trump and his lower-immigration policies, says the Atlantic magazine.
Canadian-born author David Frum writes:
Short of an election-eve exoneration by Robert Mueller, it would be hard to imagine a nicer October surprise for Donald Trump than an attempt by thousands of unauthorized immigrants to force the borders of the United States. It dramatizes every one of his themes, but none more spectacularly than this: his claim that his opponents will not defend the borders of the United States…
But Democrats are refusing to recognize the strong public demand for a fix, he says;
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Canadian-born author David Frum writes:
Short of an election-eve exoneration by Robert Mueller, it would be hard to imagine a nicer October surprise for Donald Trump than an attempt by thousands of unauthorized immigrants to force the borders of the United States. It dramatizes every one of his themes, but none more spectacularly than this: his claim that his opponents will not defend the borders of the United States…
But Democrats are refusing to recognize the strong public demand for a fix, he says;
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Limbaugh: Were Bomb Threats A 'False Flag' Operation?
Would it make a lot of sense for a Democrat operative or Democrat-inculcated lunatic to do it?"
Were the intercepted bombs mailed to various high profile Democrats actually sent in some sort of "false flag" operation to help Democrats at the ballot box come November?, asked conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh on Wednesday.
Law enforcement confirmed Wednesday that potentially-explosive packages sent in the mail were addressed to seven big name Democrats: former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama, former Attorney General Eric Holder, Democratic mega-donor George Soros, former CIA chief John Brennan, and Congresswoman Maxine Waters.
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Were the intercepted bombs mailed to various high profile Democrats actually sent in some sort of "false flag" operation to help Democrats at the ballot box come November?, asked conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh on Wednesday.
Law enforcement confirmed Wednesday that potentially-explosive packages sent in the mail were addressed to seven big name Democrats: former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama, former Attorney General Eric Holder, Democratic mega-donor George Soros, former CIA chief John Brennan, and Congresswoman Maxine Waters.
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Former FBI Agent Sentenced to Four Years in Prison For Leaking Documents to Media
In March, federal criminal charges filed in Minnesota revealed the Justice Department charged Terry James Albury, a former FBI agent who aimed to blow the whistle on the bureau’s “systemic biases,” for leaking a secret document to the media.
On Thursday, Mr. Albury was sentenced to four years in prison with an additional three years of supervised release, reported kstp.
Terry James Albury, a former FBI agent in Minnesota, was sentenced to four years in prison with an additional three years of supervised release on Thursday in U.S. District Court..
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On Thursday, Mr. Albury was sentenced to four years in prison with an additional three years of supervised release, reported kstp.
Terry James Albury, a former FBI agent in Minnesota, was sentenced to four years in prison with an additional three years of supervised release on Thursday in U.S. District Court..
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Obama's National Security Advisor Continues To Work For The Saudis
Among the major revelations connected to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the hands of the Saudis is just how resilient and unshakeable relations between the Washington deep state and the Saudi royals actually are. Or rather we should say it has created an atmosphere where "hidden in plane sight" truth of America being joined at the hip to one of the Middle East's most brutal autocratic regimes can no longer be ignored by the mainstream, or can no longer be shaded from public view by another David Ignatius puff piece fawning over Saudi "reformer" despots.
A new Daily Beast investigation has revealed that Obama's first National Security Adviser, James L. Jones, now works for the Saudis — and despite a growing public movement of Western companies and media organizations to divest and distance themselves from their previous close relationship with the kingdom and events sponsored by crown prince MbS — Jones is refusing to budge. As The Daily Beast concludes in its report, "It’s another sign of the deep reach of Saudi money into the Washington elite."
A new Daily Beast investigation has revealed that Obama's first National Security Adviser, James L. Jones, now works for the Saudis — and despite a growing public movement of Western companies and media organizations to divest and distance themselves from their previous close relationship with the kingdom and events sponsored by crown prince MbS — Jones is refusing to budge. As The Daily Beast concludes in its report, "It’s another sign of the deep reach of Saudi money into the Washington elite."
James (Jim) Jones, USMC (ret.), former National Security Advisor to President Obama. Image source: The National
While noting the heat that Trump-connected individuals have lately taken over their close ties with the Saudis, The Daily Beast uncovers Obama-era officials' continuing deep ties:
But Obama World isn’t without close connections to the Kingdom. A company helmed by Jim Jones, then-President Barack Obama’s first National Security Adviser, has a contract with the Saudi government to advise on industrial matters, The Daily Beast has learned. Jones’ company, Jones Group International, had, until March of this year, a second contract with the Kingdom related to Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s military overhaul. It’s another sign of the deep reach of Saudi money into the Washington elite.
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While noting the heat that Trump-connected individuals have lately taken over their close ties with the Saudis, The Daily Beast uncovers Obama-era officials' continuing deep ties:
But Obama World isn’t without close connections to the Kingdom. A company helmed by Jim Jones, then-President Barack Obama’s first National Security Adviser, has a contract with the Saudi government to advise on industrial matters, The Daily Beast has learned. Jones’ company, Jones Group International, had, until March of this year, a second contract with the Kingdom related to Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s military overhaul. It’s another sign of the deep reach of Saudi money into the Washington elite.
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JAMES WOODS: “I GUESS THEY WANT CIVIL WAR… WOULD NOT END WELL FOR THEM”
The extreme left is desperately trying to instigate a civil war, and prominent left-wing “leaders” are fueling the fire.
Take, for example, recent calls for violence from none other than Hillary Clinton, as James Woods pointed out on Twitter last night:
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Take, for example, recent calls for violence from none other than Hillary Clinton, as James Woods pointed out on Twitter last night:
Not surprising that this wretched hag would jump on the violence bandwagon driven by Democrats these days. I guess they want civil war. That would be a terrible thing and surely would not end well for them. #DemocratViolence
Trump Administration Releases Final Rule for Legal Immigrants Using Public Benefits
It is not as strict as the leaked version but would still drastically limit what benefits they could use without risking green cards or permanent residency status.
After more than a year of discussion, the Trump administration released its final rule on Wednesday to limit what public aid legal immigrants could receive without penalty.
The rule would make it harder for legal immigrants to obtain green cards or permanent residency status if they have used certain government benefits, including Medicaid, food stamps and housing subsidies. It will open up a 60-day public comment period.
The final rule is not as strict as a leaked version that was released earlier this year. That version included health insurance subsidies and participation in the Children’s Health Insurance Program as penalties for green-card applicants.
Still, the rule is expected to receive harsh pushback from advocates for immigrants, patients, low-income communities and health-care organizations.
Frederick Isai, executive director of Families USA, a health access advocacy group, released a statement on Wednesday.
"Conservatives say they want immigrants to ‘follow the rules’ of our nation. These families have done just that. Yet, this new rule continues the rewriting of core American values -- from a country that welcomes hard-working people who want to improve their lives and contribute to our nation -- to one that takes the bootstraps away from vulnerable families and doesn’t think twice in separating children from their parents."
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After more than a year of discussion, the Trump administration released its final rule on Wednesday to limit what public aid legal immigrants could receive without penalty.
The rule would make it harder for legal immigrants to obtain green cards or permanent residency status if they have used certain government benefits, including Medicaid, food stamps and housing subsidies. It will open up a 60-day public comment period.
The final rule is not as strict as a leaked version that was released earlier this year. That version included health insurance subsidies and participation in the Children’s Health Insurance Program as penalties for green-card applicants.
Still, the rule is expected to receive harsh pushback from advocates for immigrants, patients, low-income communities and health-care organizations.
Frederick Isai, executive director of Families USA, a health access advocacy group, released a statement on Wednesday.
"Conservatives say they want immigrants to ‘follow the rules’ of our nation. These families have done just that. Yet, this new rule continues the rewriting of core American values -- from a country that welcomes hard-working people who want to improve their lives and contribute to our nation -- to one that takes the bootstraps away from vulnerable families and doesn’t think twice in separating children from their parents."
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Donald Trump: 'Democrats Produce Mobs, Republicans Produce Jobs'
President Donald Trump shared a catchy slogan about the Congressional midterm elections on Thursday.
“The choice could not be more clear: Democrats produce mobs, Republicans produce jobs,” Trump said during a campaign rally in Montana.
The crowd applauded and cheered with approval.
The president highlighted the Democrat effort to personally destroy Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during the Senate confirmation battle.
Trump said the protesters against Kavanaugh were “paid by Soros” and used professional signs in their rallies at the Supreme Court.
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“The choice could not be more clear: Democrats produce mobs, Republicans produce jobs,” Trump said during a campaign rally in Montana.
The crowd applauded and cheered with approval.
The president highlighted the Democrat effort to personally destroy Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during the Senate confirmation battle.
Trump said the protesters against Kavanaugh were “paid by Soros” and used professional signs in their rallies at the Supreme Court.
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Crime Victims' Rights on Ballots in Several States
Half a dozen states could enshrine so-called Marsy's Law provisions in their constitutions in November.
A movement to enshrine victims' rights in state constitutions has momentum all across the country -- even as the movement's biggest champion faces criminal charges himself.
Voters in six states in November will decide whether to approve constitutional amendments known as Marsy's Law. They are named after Marsy Nicholas, a California woman who was murdered in 1983 by an ex-boyfriend who had been released on bail without her knowledge.
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A movement to enshrine victims' rights in state constitutions has momentum all across the country -- even as the movement's biggest champion faces criminal charges himself.
Voters in six states in November will decide whether to approve constitutional amendments known as Marsy's Law. They are named after Marsy Nicholas, a California woman who was murdered in 1983 by an ex-boyfriend who had been released on bail without her knowledge.
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Science Wins - Trump Administration Proposes Transgender Policy Based On Biology
The Trump administration has proposed the idea of recognizing “sex” as “biological sex” for purposes of Title IX, according to a draft memo leaked to the New York Times.
This seemingly innocuous proposal has sparked a firestorm.
First, a brief background.
Title IX prohibits discrimination “on the basis of sex” in federally funded programs. It was passed in 1972 as part of the Education Amendments Act to ensure that women have access to educational programs equivalent to men’s programs.
In 2016, the Obama administration issued a guidance letter reinterpreting “sex” to include sexual orientation and gender identity. The letter required schools to “‘treat a student’s gender identity as the student’s sex for purposes of Title IX.” This drastic reinterpretation was done without an act of Congress or even the normal rule-making process for regulations. It was clearly an act of bureaucratic overreach.
And it spurred a frenzy of disputes over trans students claiming access to spaces restricted to the opposite sex—bathrooms, locker rooms, showers, dormitories, sports teams, and so on.
Then, in 2017, the Trump administration rescinded the Obama guidelines. But it left unclear just what the law does require. Hence the administration’s current effort to provide a clear, uniform definition of the term “sex.”
The memo suggests that “the sex listed on a person’s birth certificate, as originally issued, shall constitute definitive proof of a person’s sex unless rebutted by reliable genetic evidence.” In this way, sex will be determined “on a biological basis that is clear, grounded in science, objective and administrable.”
Who could object to science and objectivity? Lots of people, apparently...
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This seemingly innocuous proposal has sparked a firestorm.
First, a brief background.
Title IX prohibits discrimination “on the basis of sex” in federally funded programs. It was passed in 1972 as part of the Education Amendments Act to ensure that women have access to educational programs equivalent to men’s programs.
In 2016, the Obama administration issued a guidance letter reinterpreting “sex” to include sexual orientation and gender identity. The letter required schools to “‘treat a student’s gender identity as the student’s sex for purposes of Title IX.” This drastic reinterpretation was done without an act of Congress or even the normal rule-making process for regulations. It was clearly an act of bureaucratic overreach.
And it spurred a frenzy of disputes over trans students claiming access to spaces restricted to the opposite sex—bathrooms, locker rooms, showers, dormitories, sports teams, and so on.
Then, in 2017, the Trump administration rescinded the Obama guidelines. But it left unclear just what the law does require. Hence the administration’s current effort to provide a clear, uniform definition of the term “sex.”
The memo suggests that “the sex listed on a person’s birth certificate, as originally issued, shall constitute definitive proof of a person’s sex unless rebutted by reliable genetic evidence.” In this way, sex will be determined “on a biological basis that is clear, grounded in science, objective and administrable.”
Who could object to science and objectivity? Lots of people, apparently...
More
Brian Mark Weber: Coddling the Corn Belt
Republican senators Grassley and Ernst pen a pro-ethanol op-ed that's downright Orwellian.
At a recent Make America Great Again rally in Iowa, President Donald Trump stirred up the crowd by announcing that his administration had lifted the ban on the year-round production of E15 gas — fuel blended with 15% ethanol. That the news was revealed in Iowa is no coincidence: The state is host to a first-in-the-nation presidential caucus and holds six electoral votes that could make all the difference in 2020’s race to 270 electoral votes.
Also cheering for the president’s decision were Iowa’s two Republican senators, Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, who responded by writing an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal. “Biofuels are a part of everyday life in Iowa, the top corn- and ethanol-producing state in the U.S.,” the pair noted. “Ethanol supports more than 43,000 Iowa-based jobs and 350,000 jobs throughout the country, directly and indirectly. Ethanol contributed $44.4 billion to gross domestic product and $5 billion in federal tax revenue in 2017.”
So this is really about Making Iowa (and other Corn Belt states) Great Again, not America. Fair enough for two Hawkeye senators, but their ensuing dishonesty deserves to be challenged.
The Grassley-Ernst op-ed descended into frankly Orwellian terms, boasting of the “competition” brought by ethanol and lauding Trump’s move to undo an “Obama-era regulation” that “hinders consumer choice at the pump” and “deprived consumers of the ability to make their own fuel choices.” They claim that “consumer demand” should by all rights drive up the use of ethanol.
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At a recent Make America Great Again rally in Iowa, President Donald Trump stirred up the crowd by announcing that his administration had lifted the ban on the year-round production of E15 gas — fuel blended with 15% ethanol. That the news was revealed in Iowa is no coincidence: The state is host to a first-in-the-nation presidential caucus and holds six electoral votes that could make all the difference in 2020’s race to 270 electoral votes.
Also cheering for the president’s decision were Iowa’s two Republican senators, Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, who responded by writing an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal. “Biofuels are a part of everyday life in Iowa, the top corn- and ethanol-producing state in the U.S.,” the pair noted. “Ethanol supports more than 43,000 Iowa-based jobs and 350,000 jobs throughout the country, directly and indirectly. Ethanol contributed $44.4 billion to gross domestic product and $5 billion in federal tax revenue in 2017.”
So this is really about Making Iowa (and other Corn Belt states) Great Again, not America. Fair enough for two Hawkeye senators, but their ensuing dishonesty deserves to be challenged.
The Grassley-Ernst op-ed descended into frankly Orwellian terms, boasting of the “competition” brought by ethanol and lauding Trump’s move to undo an “Obama-era regulation” that “hinders consumer choice at the pump” and “deprived consumers of the ability to make their own fuel choices.” They claim that “consumer demand” should by all rights drive up the use of ethanol.
More
Cocaine Deaths Hit Record High; Next Wave Of Addiction Crisis Is Here
While the total number of fatal drug overdoses nationwide has plateaued for six consecutive months, stimulants such as methamphetamine and cocaine have triggered the next wave of the addiction crisis.
In the 12-month period ending in March 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that overdose deaths from cocaine spiked 22% from prior year to 14,205.
Annual drug overdose data shows the addiction crisis has been developing for almost four decades, and the explosion in the rate of growth increased sharply after the financial crisis of 2007-2008 with the introduction of the opioid epidemic. In the 12-month period ending in March 2018, 46,655 people died from opioid overdoses, a small decline of 2.7% from the top of 47,944 in 2017.
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In the 12-month period ending in March 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that overdose deaths from cocaine spiked 22% from prior year to 14,205.
Annual drug overdose data shows the addiction crisis has been developing for almost four decades, and the explosion in the rate of growth increased sharply after the financial crisis of 2007-2008 with the introduction of the opioid epidemic. In the 12-month period ending in March 2018, 46,655 people died from opioid overdoses, a small decline of 2.7% from the top of 47,944 in 2017.
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Jordan Candler: #MeToo Faces Reality Check
This headline at The Economist suggests the incessant bluster that’s girdling #MeToo is taking its toll: “After a year of #MeToo, American opinion has shifted against victims.” That’s the takeaway from a YouGov poll in which the eagerness to impulsively “believe all women” who allege sexual wrongdoing is found to be fizzling.
“In the first week of November 2017, YouGov polled 1,500 Americans about their attitudes on the matter, on behalf of The Economist,” according to the report. “In the final week of September 2018, it conducted a similar poll again. When it came to questions about the consequences of sexual assault and misconduct, there was a small but clear shift against victims.” By the numbers:
The share of American adults responding that men who sexually harassed women at work 20 years ago should keep their jobs has risen from 28% to 36%. The proportion who think that women who complain about sexual harassment cause more problems than they solve has grown from 29% to 31%. And 18% of Americans now think that false accusations of sexual assault are a bigger problem than attacks that go unreported or unpunished, compared with 13% in November last year.
Paradoxically, it’s females, not males, who are most responsible for these shifts. As the report adds: “Surprisingly, these changes in opinion against victims have been slightly stronger among women than men. Rather than breaking along gendered lines, the #MeToo divide increasingly appears to be a partisan one. On each of these three questions, the gap between Trump and Clinton voters is at least six times greater than the one between genders.” The partisan divide is routine in this polarized political atmosphere — not to mention also quite ironic given the Clintons’ licentious history — but the fact that women appear to be growing more hesitant to cast stones suggests more of them view the #MeToo movement as sophomoric and even deleterious given the rather significant lack of due process.
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“In the first week of November 2017, YouGov polled 1,500 Americans about their attitudes on the matter, on behalf of The Economist,” according to the report. “In the final week of September 2018, it conducted a similar poll again. When it came to questions about the consequences of sexual assault and misconduct, there was a small but clear shift against victims.” By the numbers:
The share of American adults responding that men who sexually harassed women at work 20 years ago should keep their jobs has risen from 28% to 36%. The proportion who think that women who complain about sexual harassment cause more problems than they solve has grown from 29% to 31%. And 18% of Americans now think that false accusations of sexual assault are a bigger problem than attacks that go unreported or unpunished, compared with 13% in November last year.
Paradoxically, it’s females, not males, who are most responsible for these shifts. As the report adds: “Surprisingly, these changes in opinion against victims have been slightly stronger among women than men. Rather than breaking along gendered lines, the #MeToo divide increasingly appears to be a partisan one. On each of these three questions, the gap between Trump and Clinton voters is at least six times greater than the one between genders.” The partisan divide is routine in this polarized political atmosphere — not to mention also quite ironic given the Clintons’ licentious history — but the fact that women appear to be growing more hesitant to cast stones suggests more of them view the #MeToo movement as sophomoric and even deleterious given the rather significant lack of due process.
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Mona Charen: Warren Highlights the Danger of Racial Identity
She was mocked as “Fauxcahontas” long before President Donald Trump began referring to her as “Pocahontas,” and frankly, Sen. Elizabeth Warren invited the ridicule. She is a poster child for the pitfalls of basing identity on race, and reminds us of the many furies such self-definition can unleash.
What people choose to call themselves shouldn’t matter to outsiders. If I want to call myself a post-Jerseyite dog lover, no one would care — unless there is affirmative action for former Jersey residents who can’t skip dog videos on Twitter.
What made Elizabeth Warren infuriating is that she was gaming the system. There is a clear career advantage at leading law schools, as in other institutions, to being a member of a minority. Warren apparently secured a position at the University of Pennsylvania Law School without the minority credential. But while at Penn, she dusted off some “family lore” and began to list herself as Native American. Who knows if this helped get her a slot at Harvard Law? As columnist Jeff Jacoby has reported, Harvard highlighted Warren as a Native American when it was accused of lacking a diverse faculty, and the Fordham Law Review bestowed on the blond-haired, blue-eyed Warren the title “Harvard Law’s first woman of color.” Seriously.
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What people choose to call themselves shouldn’t matter to outsiders. If I want to call myself a post-Jerseyite dog lover, no one would care — unless there is affirmative action for former Jersey residents who can’t skip dog videos on Twitter.
What made Elizabeth Warren infuriating is that she was gaming the system. There is a clear career advantage at leading law schools, as in other institutions, to being a member of a minority. Warren apparently secured a position at the University of Pennsylvania Law School without the minority credential. But while at Penn, she dusted off some “family lore” and began to list herself as Native American. Who knows if this helped get her a slot at Harvard Law? As columnist Jeff Jacoby has reported, Harvard highlighted Warren as a Native American when it was accused of lacking a diverse faculty, and the Fordham Law Review bestowed on the blond-haired, blue-eyed Warren the title “Harvard Law’s first woman of color.” Seriously.
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Nate Jackson: The Financial Weight of Anchor Babies
The cost of children born to illegals puts in perspective the cost of building a border wall.
As another “caravan” of an estimated 4,000 illegals heads toward the U.S. — specially timed and weaponized by activists for the November elections — House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has introduced the “Build the Wall, Enforce the Law Act,” which would provide $23.4 billion to construct a border wall, including $5.5 billion that would be available immediately. McCarthy said, “For decades, America’s inability to secure our borders and stop illegal immigration has encouraged millions to undertake a dangerous journey to come here in violation of our laws and created huge loopholes in the legal channels we use to welcome immigrants to our country.”
When the nation is staring down its largest budget deficit since 2012, the wall may seem extraneous. But how much does doing nothing cost?
A recent report from the Center for Immigration Studies indicates that one-fifth of all births in the U.S. are to immigrants, and a sizable number of those are to mothers here illegally. The report’s authors, CIS Research Director Steven A. Camarota, Demographer Karen Zeigler, and analyst Jason Richwine, write, “Our best estimate is that legal immigrants accounted for 12.4 percent — 494,000 — of all births, and illegal immigrants accounted for 7.5 percent — 297,000.”
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As another “caravan” of an estimated 4,000 illegals heads toward the U.S. — specially timed and weaponized by activists for the November elections — House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has introduced the “Build the Wall, Enforce the Law Act,” which would provide $23.4 billion to construct a border wall, including $5.5 billion that would be available immediately. McCarthy said, “For decades, America’s inability to secure our borders and stop illegal immigration has encouraged millions to undertake a dangerous journey to come here in violation of our laws and created huge loopholes in the legal channels we use to welcome immigrants to our country.”
When the nation is staring down its largest budget deficit since 2012, the wall may seem extraneous. But how much does doing nothing cost?
A recent report from the Center for Immigration Studies indicates that one-fifth of all births in the U.S. are to immigrants, and a sizable number of those are to mothers here illegally. The report’s authors, CIS Research Director Steven A. Camarota, Demographer Karen Zeigler, and analyst Jason Richwine, write, “Our best estimate is that legal immigrants accounted for 12.4 percent — 494,000 — of all births, and illegal immigrants accounted for 7.5 percent — 297,000.”
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Government Economists: What Socialist U.S. Economy Would Look Like
If the United States were to adopt the socialist policies of Venezuela, the move would slash the economy by 40 percent—or $24,000 per year for the average American, according to a report by the president’s Council of Economic Advisers.
“Coincident with the 200th anniversary of Karl Marx’s birth, socialism is making a comeback in American political discourse,” says the council’s report, “The Opportunity Costs of Socialism.”
“Detailed policy proposals from self-declared socialists are gaining support in Congress and among much of the electorate,” the report continues.
The report specifically cites so-called “Medicare-for-all” proposals, which essentially would be a single-payer health care program. The study found that if Medicare-for-all were financed out of current federal spending—without additional borrowing or tax increases—it would eat up more than half of the entire federal budget.
That would require drastic cuts in Social Security and in national defense to pay for it, said Kevin Hassett, chairman of the president’s Council of Economic Advisers, told reporters in a conference call Tuesday.
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“Coincident with the 200th anniversary of Karl Marx’s birth, socialism is making a comeback in American political discourse,” says the council’s report, “The Opportunity Costs of Socialism.”
“Detailed policy proposals from self-declared socialists are gaining support in Congress and among much of the electorate,” the report continues.
The report specifically cites so-called “Medicare-for-all” proposals, which essentially would be a single-payer health care program. The study found that if Medicare-for-all were financed out of current federal spending—without additional borrowing or tax increases—it would eat up more than half of the entire federal budget.
That would require drastic cuts in Social Security and in national defense to pay for it, said Kevin Hassett, chairman of the president’s Council of Economic Advisers, told reporters in a conference call Tuesday.
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Trump’s Proposed Rollback of Transgender Policy Is Good News for Many Who Are Suffering
Thank you, Mr. President, for moving to make male and female great again.
In the last few years, biological girls have seen their rights violated in school bathrooms and in sports. National confusion has ensued ever since the previous administration decided to reinterpret Title IX’s sex anti-discrimination clause to include self-proclaimed “gender identity.”
That may soon come to an end under the Trump administration.
The Department of Health and Human Services has drafted a memo that would reverse the Obama administration’s action and return the legal definition of “sex” under Title IX civil rights law to what its authors meant: sex rooted in unchanging biological reality. According to The New York Times, the memo was drafted last spring and has been circulating ever since.
Title IX bans sex discrimination in education programs that receive government financial assistance, meaning schools have to abide by the government’s interpretation of Title IX or risk losing federal funds.
When the Obama administration announced it was including “gender identity” under the word “sex,” many schools felt they had to treat gender identity as the standard for determining access to bathrooms, sports teams, etc. The result was headlines like “Transgender Athletes Dominate High School Women’s Sports.”
The memo spells out the proposed definition of “sex” as applied to federal statutes as “a person’s status as male or female based on immutable biological traits identifiable by or before birth.” The proposed definition won’t include a “select a gender” option, as was offered under the Obama administration.
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In the last few years, biological girls have seen their rights violated in school bathrooms and in sports. National confusion has ensued ever since the previous administration decided to reinterpret Title IX’s sex anti-discrimination clause to include self-proclaimed “gender identity.”
That may soon come to an end under the Trump administration.
The Department of Health and Human Services has drafted a memo that would reverse the Obama administration’s action and return the legal definition of “sex” under Title IX civil rights law to what its authors meant: sex rooted in unchanging biological reality. According to The New York Times, the memo was drafted last spring and has been circulating ever since.
Title IX bans sex discrimination in education programs that receive government financial assistance, meaning schools have to abide by the government’s interpretation of Title IX or risk losing federal funds.
When the Obama administration announced it was including “gender identity” under the word “sex,” many schools felt they had to treat gender identity as the standard for determining access to bathrooms, sports teams, etc. The result was headlines like “Transgender Athletes Dominate High School Women’s Sports.”
The memo spells out the proposed definition of “sex” as applied to federal statutes as “a person’s status as male or female based on immutable biological traits identifiable by or before birth.” The proposed definition won’t include a “select a gender” option, as was offered under the Obama administration.
More
Maryland Fishing Report
Photo by Travis Long
We are now deep into a fall fishing pattern, with classic cold fronts and gusty northerly winds. This past weekend, anglers who were able to get out before or after the winds found good striped bass fishing over a wide area of the Chesapeake Bay, from Love Point down to the Calvert Cliffs gas docks area.
Forecast Summary: Oct. 24-30
These shorter, cooler days are a sign for bay fish to prepare for winter conditions or migrate out of the bay. Right now there is plenty of cool waters and oxygen from surface to bottom. For tidal rivers and main bay areas, focus on areas with good structure such as underwater points, oyster bottom, reefs, channel edges, and large schools of baitfish. Hungry rockfish will also roam the nearby shallow water areas looking for an easy meal.
It will be windy and rainy this weekend, and temperatures continue to drop. Expect sunny to partly cloudy conditions most of the other days with air temperatures in the mid to upper 50s with nighttime temperature in the 40s. At the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration buoys, water temperatures continue to rapidly cool, with the Susquehanna River now at 55 degrees, Annapolis now at 62 degrees, and Gooses Reef and Point Lookout both at 63 degrees. Expect water clarity in the main bay to slightly improve until Friday when another round of rain enters the area. Winds will reduce water clarity along near shore areas. There will be above average tidal currents all week 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 should be slowly improving as the freshwater flows subside, and the Conowingo Dam is currently operating with no spill gates open. Water temperatures are down to the low 60s.
With the water temperatures now too cold to find live spot, anglers are either chumming and chunking with menhaden or fishing with artificial lures. Chumming is still popular and successful at the usual spots in 25 feet to 35 feet of water around the points including Swan, Love, Podickory, Hacketts and Thomas Point.
Trolling has been a good option along channel edges in the bay or river mouths with umbrella rigs using swimshads or bucktails as trailers. Some anglers are also now bottom bouncing and trolling deep with bucktails as the fish have moved deeper in the water column.
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge rock piles and piers continue to be a popular place to fish, and this should continue into December. Jigging with soft plastics has been one of the best ways to fish for the suspended striped bass that are holding at 25 feet to 35 feet deep. Live-lining eels is another great way to target the striped bass holding near the bridge piers.
Water conditions at the mouth of the Susquehanna River should be slowly improving as the freshwater flows subside, and the Conowingo Dam is currently operating with no spill gates open. Water temperatures are down to the low 60s.
With the water temperatures now too cold to find live spot, anglers are either chumming and chunking with menhaden or fishing with artificial lures. Chumming is still popular and successful at the usual spots in 25 feet to 35 feet of water around the points including Swan, Love, Podickory, Hacketts and Thomas Point.
Trolling has been a good option along channel edges in the bay or river mouths with umbrella rigs using swimshads or bucktails as trailers. Some anglers are also now bottom bouncing and trolling deep with bucktails as the fish have moved deeper in the water column.
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge rock piles and piers continue to be a popular place to fish, and this should continue into December. Jigging with soft plastics has been one of the best ways to fish for the suspended striped bass that are holding at 25 feet to 35 feet deep. Live-lining eels is another great way to target the striped bass holding near the bridge piers.
Middle Bay
A nice striper from the Choptank. Photo by Herb Floyd
Water temperatures at Thomas Point are down to 62 degrees and baitfish are moving down out of the tidal rivers on outgoing tides with schools of striped bass waiting for them along channel edges near the mouths of the major tidal rivers in the mainstem bay. Pods of breaking striped bass are showing up in various locations in the middle bay region, including Poplar Island and Bloody Point. 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 fun and productive. Work your jig underneath breaking fish or to suspended fish along channel edges. Trolling is a good option with a variety of umbrella rigs behind inline weights with swimshad or bucktail trailers. As the water cools, some trollers are now bottom bouncing with heavy weights and bucktails and plastics on lead heads. Live-lining is about over except for a few folks retaining bait in holding pens and tanks.
Cooler water temperatures have striped bass freely moving about in the bay and tidal rivers this week. The shallow water fishery for light tackle anglers casting from boats or shore is very good. The mornings, evenings, and overcast days tend to be the best time to fish. Topwater poppers are the most fun for casters, with crankbaits, swimbaits and paddle tail jigs also producing. This is an optimum time to fish shoreline structure such as old submerged breakwaters, rip-rap, pilings, stump fields or prominent points.
A nice striper from the Choptank. Photo by Herb Floyd
Water temperatures at Thomas Point are down to 62 degrees and baitfish are moving down out of the tidal rivers on outgoing tides with schools of striped bass waiting for them along channel edges near the mouths of the major tidal rivers in the mainstem bay. Pods of breaking striped bass are showing up in various locations in the middle bay region, including Poplar Island and Bloody Point. 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 fun and productive. Work your jig underneath breaking fish or to suspended fish along channel edges. Trolling is a good option with a variety of umbrella rigs behind inline weights with swimshad or bucktail trailers. As the water cools, some trollers are now bottom bouncing with heavy weights and bucktails and plastics on lead heads. Live-lining is about over except for a few folks retaining bait in holding pens and tanks.
Cooler water temperatures have striped bass freely moving about in the bay and tidal rivers this week. The shallow water fishery for light tackle anglers casting from boats or shore is very good. The mornings, evenings, and overcast days tend to be the best time to fish. Topwater poppers are the most fun for casters, with crankbaits, swimbaits and paddle tail jigs also producing. This is an optimum time to fish shoreline structure such as old submerged breakwaters, rip-rap, pilings, stump fields or prominent points.
Lower Bay
Striped bass fishing opportunities are lighting up in the lower bay region with the colder temps, and a hot bite has developed in the Gas Docks area off Calvert Cliffs. There continues to be good chumming for striped bass and a few bluefish at the mouth of the Potomac River and near St. George Island. The fish tend to be suspended at about 25 feet. Live-lining with spot is winding down as the spot makes a mass exodus with the recent cold fronts.
Trolling has been a very popular way to fish for a mix of striped bass, and the remaining late season bluefish. Small spoons behind planers along with a mix of bucktails, swimshads and hoses have been the hot lures, but umbrella rigs will dominate the trolling scene as water temps drop. Trolling bucktails dressed with sassy shads and swimshads around shoreline edges in the lower Potomac, St. Marys River and Patuxent rivers is a good way to target striped bass.
Breaking fish are showing up in the usual spots such as the Cedar Point Rips and Gas Docks area. Casting jigs and working them underneath the surface action is a good path to larger striped bass. Spanish mackerel are mostly gone and a few bluefish are hanging around.
Fishing the shallower waters along shoreline structure in the tidal rivers on both sides of the lower bay is a fun, light-tackle way to fish for striped bass from now into November. Casting topwater lures, jerkbaits, crankbaits or swimshads to structure such as docks, piers, rocks and marsh edges is a fun way to fish.
Recreational Crabbing
This week will probably be the last shot at trotlining large male crabs in 10-20 feet of water. As local Marylanders know, the crabs are heavy during the late fall season as they prepare for overwintering.
Striped bass fishing opportunities are lighting up in the lower bay region with the colder temps, and a hot bite has developed in the Gas Docks area off Calvert Cliffs. There continues to be good chumming for striped bass and a few bluefish at the mouth of the Potomac River and near St. George Island. The fish tend to be suspended at about 25 feet. Live-lining with spot is winding down as the spot makes a mass exodus with the recent cold fronts.
Trolling has been a very popular way to fish for a mix of striped bass, and the remaining late season bluefish. Small spoons behind planers along with a mix of bucktails, swimshads and hoses have been the hot lures, but umbrella rigs will dominate the trolling scene as water temps drop. Trolling bucktails dressed with sassy shads and swimshads around shoreline edges in the lower Potomac, St. Marys River and Patuxent rivers is a good way to target striped bass.
Breaking fish are showing up in the usual spots such as the Cedar Point Rips and Gas Docks area. Casting jigs and working them underneath the surface action is a good path to larger striped bass. Spanish mackerel are mostly gone and a few bluefish are hanging around.
Fishing the shallower waters along shoreline structure in the tidal rivers on both sides of the lower bay is a fun, light-tackle way to fish for striped bass from now into November. Casting topwater lures, jerkbaits, crankbaits or swimshads to structure such as docks, piers, rocks and marsh edges is a fun way to fish.
Recreational Crabbing
This week will probably be the last shot at trotlining large male crabs in 10-20 feet of water. As local Marylanders know, the crabs are heavy during the late fall season as they prepare for overwintering.
Giving Away Money Won’t End Poverty, but It Will Destroy Something Special About America
One of the left’s hot new policy ideas is simply to give money to everyone to end poverty.
And of course, California is leading the charge.
Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., proposed a national plan last week that would give families making under $100,000 a tax credit of $500 per month, which adds up to $6,000 a year.
Harris’ plan, though vague on details, is quite similar to a policy idea that’s becoming increasingly popular.
Universal basic income, or UBI, has a wide variety of supporters from radical leftists to tech CEOs. It’s essentially a no-strings attached money giveaway to ensure that nobody falls below the poverty line.
Even a few conservative and libertarian-leaning thinkers, like Charles Murray,argue that the universal basic income could be an improvement over the current welfare system. Their reasoning is that it essentially does a better job of cutting out bureaucratic middlemen—though that rests on the unlikely assumption that all other welfare programs would get eliminated.
Proponents of UBI argue that it will stave off the effects of automation and provide an efficient way to prevent poverty in the turbulent, globalized economy of the future. The idea is that middle and working-class jobs will simply disappear, leaving wide swaths of society unable to make ends meet.
It has certainly been gaining steam as a serious policy proposal.
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And of course, California is leading the charge.
Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., proposed a national plan last week that would give families making under $100,000 a tax credit of $500 per month, which adds up to $6,000 a year.
Harris’ plan, though vague on details, is quite similar to a policy idea that’s becoming increasingly popular.
Universal basic income, or UBI, has a wide variety of supporters from radical leftists to tech CEOs. It’s essentially a no-strings attached money giveaway to ensure that nobody falls below the poverty line.
Even a few conservative and libertarian-leaning thinkers, like Charles Murray,argue that the universal basic income could be an improvement over the current welfare system. Their reasoning is that it essentially does a better job of cutting out bureaucratic middlemen—though that rests on the unlikely assumption that all other welfare programs would get eliminated.
Proponents of UBI argue that it will stave off the effects of automation and provide an efficient way to prevent poverty in the turbulent, globalized economy of the future. The idea is that middle and working-class jobs will simply disappear, leaving wide swaths of society unable to make ends meet.
It has certainly been gaining steam as a serious policy proposal.
More
West Virginia Democratic Candidate Was Pagan Witchcraft Cult Leader
A Democratic candidate for the West Virginia House of Delegates was an active leader in pagan witchcraft, The Daily Caller News Foundation has learned.
Lissa Lucas rose through the ranks of a Wiccan cult to its third level — the highest stage for most Wiccan cults — and instructed lower-level Wiccans in occult practices, TheDCNF’s investigation found.
Lucas’s campaign has raised more than five times as much money as her Republican opponent, thanks in part to national media attention that has left out Lucas’s witchcraft.
She authored two books on casting pagan spells, writing under the name Llysse Smith Wylle.
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Lissa Lucas rose through the ranks of a Wiccan cult to its third level — the highest stage for most Wiccan cults — and instructed lower-level Wiccans in occult practices, TheDCNF’s investigation found.
Lucas’s campaign has raised more than five times as much money as her Republican opponent, thanks in part to national media attention that has left out Lucas’s witchcraft.
She authored two books on casting pagan spells, writing under the name Llysse Smith Wylle.
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"Gold digging" dog pretends to be a stray to get hamburgers from McDonald's, owner says
Betsy Reyes of Oklahoma City says her dog, Princess, sneaks out at night and sits outside McDonald's, pretending to be a stray. Reyes shared photographic evidence of her sneaky dog sitting in the local McDonald's parking lot at night.
"If you see my dog @ the McDonald's on shields, quit feeding her fat ass bc she don't know how to act & be leaving the house all the time to go walking to McDonald's at night," Reyes wrote. "She's not even a stray dog."
Reyes called Princess a gold digger who acts like a stray so people feel bad and feed her burgers.
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Slavery Is Still a Legal Punishment. Voters in Colorado Have a (Second) Chance to Abolish It.
Americans learn about the 13th Amendment as the signature measure outlawing slavery throughout the country. But what most Americans likely don't know is that slavery is still legal in the U.S. Constitution as “a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.” In other words, slavery is legal in federal prisons.
Similar language exists in a number of states' constitutions, including Colorado, Nevada, North Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin. There have been attempts to change this -- most unsuccessful. In 2016, Colorado voters rejected a ballot measure that would have removed the language. A bill with similar goals failed this year in Wisconsin and stalled in Tennessee.
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