The lesson of 2018 is that the political class is addicted to drawing lessons.
Every two years, after the ballots are counted and the winners declared, our reporters, pundits, officials, activists, and analysts turn immediately to the next election. What do these results portend? Will Trump be reelected? Will the suburbs stay Democratic? This emphasis on the future allows the political class to indulge in its favorite activity: mindless speculation.
For once, it might be more useful to look backward rather than forward. History has much to tell us.
Read more here
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Monday, November 12, 2018
'Sanctuary' refuses to take blame after triple homicide
An illegal immigrant released by a “sanctuary city” county in New Jersey was charged last week with a triple homicide halfway across the country in Missouri, authorities said Friday.
Luis Rodrigo Perez stands accused of being the gunman in a shooting rampage last week that claimed the lives of two men and one woman at two homes.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it had tried to deport Perez after he was arrested on domestic violence charges in Middlesex County, New Jersey, last year.
But the county, which has a noncooperation policy with ICE, refused to alert federal agents when it released Perez in February, ICE said.
“Had ICE’s detainer request in December 2017 been honored by Middlesex County Jail, Luis Rodrigo Perez would have been placed in deportation proceedings and likely sent home to his country — and three innocent people might be alive today,” said Corey Price, acting ICE executive associate director.
More
Luis Rodrigo Perez stands accused of being the gunman in a shooting rampage last week that claimed the lives of two men and one woman at two homes.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it had tried to deport Perez after he was arrested on domestic violence charges in Middlesex County, New Jersey, last year.
But the county, which has a noncooperation policy with ICE, refused to alert federal agents when it released Perez in February, ICE said.
“Had ICE’s detainer request in December 2017 been honored by Middlesex County Jail, Luis Rodrigo Perez would have been placed in deportation proceedings and likely sent home to his country — and three innocent people might be alive today,” said Corey Price, acting ICE executive associate director.
More
Arizona GOP Accuses Dem Recorder of Destroying Evidence
Arizona Republican Party Chairman Jonathan Lines accused Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes of destroying evidence, in the midst of the ongoing vote count in the razor-thin contest for a U.S. Senate seat between Congresswomen Martha McSally (R.) and Krysten Sinema (D.).
Late Thursday night, new updates from many of the recorders across the state shot Sinema past McSally to take a roughly 9,600 vote lead, whereas just the night before, it was McSally who led the contest by about 17,000 votes.
After the Thursday night update, roughly 400,000 votes were still to be counted, the bulk of which were in Maricopa, which is leaning toward Sinema this cycle. It was the Maricopa update which provided the new lead for Sinema.
The accusations by Lines dovetail with a lawsuit filed Thursday by four county divisions of the Republican Party against all of the recorders in the state as well as the secretary of state.
The Arizona GOP had already voiced concerns to recorders about early voting the Sunday before election day.
According to the Arizona Republic, the Sunday GOP letter to all of the recorders argued "that state law does not allow recorders to offer early voting after the Friday prior to Election Day except in specifically-defined emergency situations."
"The Maricopa County Recorder's Office offered 'emergency voting' from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Monday for voters who could not make it to the polls on Election Day," the Republic reported. "The Recorder's Office said it allowed voters to determine what constitutes an emergency."
More here
Late Thursday night, new updates from many of the recorders across the state shot Sinema past McSally to take a roughly 9,600 vote lead, whereas just the night before, it was McSally who led the contest by about 17,000 votes.
After the Thursday night update, roughly 400,000 votes were still to be counted, the bulk of which were in Maricopa, which is leaning toward Sinema this cycle. It was the Maricopa update which provided the new lead for Sinema.
The accusations by Lines dovetail with a lawsuit filed Thursday by four county divisions of the Republican Party against all of the recorders in the state as well as the secretary of state.
The Arizona GOP had already voiced concerns to recorders about early voting the Sunday before election day.
According to the Arizona Republic, the Sunday GOP letter to all of the recorders argued "that state law does not allow recorders to offer early voting after the Friday prior to Election Day except in specifically-defined emergency situations."
"The Maricopa County Recorder's Office offered 'emergency voting' from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Monday for voters who could not make it to the polls on Election Day," the Republic reported. "The Recorder's Office said it allowed voters to determine what constitutes an emergency."
More here
Mexico reshaping approach to Central American migrants as caravans push north
The caravans of Central Americans currently traveling northward through Mexico are but the “tip of the iceberg” of a massive and unseen flow of migrants at Mexico’s southern border from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, said a high-ranking appointee in the incoming administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
“The caravans are not the problem,” said Tonatiuh Guillén López, who will take over as head of Mexico’s National Migration Institute, known as INAMI, when the new administration takes office on Dec. 1. “The issue is the movements we do not see, those who are not in the caravan, that is the big issue.”
President Donald Trump, angered by the thousands of Central Americans making their way in large caravans to the U.S. border, has been pushing Mexico to step up enforcement efforts. But Mexico’s incoming president is championing a different approach: to invest in impoverished areas of Central America and southern Mexico so that people don’t feel forced to leave.
“The central question is what is being done so that people have opportunities at home,” Guillén said in an interview last week in Tijuana. “You can’t manage these movements if at the same time you don’t have a development program, these have to go hand in hand.”
The caravans have put the spotlight on the rising numbers of Central Americans who are fleeing communities that are beset by poverty and rampant violence.
“If we don’t come up with development initiatives based on international cooperation, and we don’t confront the problem of Honduras and its crisis, we’re going to have the same cycle, each time more amplified,” Guillén said.
More
“The caravans are not the problem,” said Tonatiuh Guillén López, who will take over as head of Mexico’s National Migration Institute, known as INAMI, when the new administration takes office on Dec. 1. “The issue is the movements we do not see, those who are not in the caravan, that is the big issue.”
President Donald Trump, angered by the thousands of Central Americans making their way in large caravans to the U.S. border, has been pushing Mexico to step up enforcement efforts. But Mexico’s incoming president is championing a different approach: to invest in impoverished areas of Central America and southern Mexico so that people don’t feel forced to leave.
“The central question is what is being done so that people have opportunities at home,” Guillén said in an interview last week in Tijuana. “You can’t manage these movements if at the same time you don’t have a development program, these have to go hand in hand.”
The caravans have put the spotlight on the rising numbers of Central Americans who are fleeing communities that are beset by poverty and rampant violence.
“If we don’t come up with development initiatives based on international cooperation, and we don’t confront the problem of Honduras and its crisis, we’re going to have the same cycle, each time more amplified,” Guillén said.
More
11-Year-Old Stops Would-Be Kidnapper by Using ‘Code Word’
An 11-year-old girl from Arizona stopped a would-be kidnapper in his tracks Wednesday after she demanded he give her a “code word,” police said.
The girl had been walking with her friend near a park 45 miles east of Phoenix on Wednesday afternoon when a man pulled up next to them in a white SUV, demanding she get in the car, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Thursday.
Police said the man claimed the girl’s brothers got into a serious accident, telling her she needed to come with him. The 11-year-old then asked the stranger for a “code word.” The man did not know the answer and responded by fleeing the scene.
“We came up with a code word, and this one time, it saved my daughter’s life,” the girl’s mother, Brenda James, told KSAZ. “She told me that a guy tried to take her.”
“I never thought it would be used, but I’m proud of her for remembering that and knowing to use that,” she added.
Other children in the area say the SUV circled the area several times before stopping near the 11-year-old. KSAZ reported that the driver concealed most of his face when speaking with the girl.
More here
The girl had been walking with her friend near a park 45 miles east of Phoenix on Wednesday afternoon when a man pulled up next to them in a white SUV, demanding she get in the car, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Thursday.
Police said the man claimed the girl’s brothers got into a serious accident, telling her she needed to come with him. The 11-year-old then asked the stranger for a “code word.” The man did not know the answer and responded by fleeing the scene.
“We came up with a code word, and this one time, it saved my daughter’s life,” the girl’s mother, Brenda James, told KSAZ. “She told me that a guy tried to take her.”
“I never thought it would be used, but I’m proud of her for remembering that and knowing to use that,” she added.
Other children in the area say the SUV circled the area several times before stopping near the 11-year-old. KSAZ reported that the driver concealed most of his face when speaking with the girl.
More here
Marvel Comics co-creator Stan Lee dead at 95
Legendary Marvel Comics co-creator Stan Lee — famous for giving the world beloved superheroes including Spider-Man, Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk — died Monday. He was 95.
According to TMZ, Lee suffered a number of illnesses over the last year, including pneumonia. His daughter J.C. told the site, “My father loved all of his fans. He was the greatest, most decent man.”
Lee was born Stanley Martin Lieber to Romanian-born Jewish immigrants in New York City, spending much of his early life in Washington Heights. He graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx at 16, and after working odd jobs, was hired as an office assistant at Timely Comics — where his cousin’s husband worked — eventually moving up to an interim editor position by the early 1940s. He first used the pseudonym Stan Lee, which he would later adopt as his legal name, in the May 1941 issue of “Captain America.”
More
According to TMZ, Lee suffered a number of illnesses over the last year, including pneumonia. His daughter J.C. told the site, “My father loved all of his fans. He was the greatest, most decent man.”
Lee was born Stanley Martin Lieber to Romanian-born Jewish immigrants in New York City, spending much of his early life in Washington Heights. He graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx at 16, and after working odd jobs, was hired as an office assistant at Timely Comics — where his cousin’s husband worked — eventually moving up to an interim editor position by the early 1940s. He first used the pseudonym Stan Lee, which he would later adopt as his legal name, in the May 1941 issue of “Captain America.”
More
Kemp Rips Abrams for Refusing to Concede: 'A Disgrace to Democracy'
Georgia Republican Brian Kemp’s campaign on Saturday lambasted Democrat rival Stacey Abrams over her refusal to concede in the state’s gubernatorial race.
“Stacey Abrams’ antics are a disgrace to democracy and completely ignore the will of the people,” campaign communications director Ryan Mahoney said in a statement. “Georgia voters have spoken. It’s time for Abrams to listen and concede immediately.”
“This is not how America works. Brian Kemp earned a clear victory on Tuesday night and holds a sizable lead as remaining provisional and military ballots are counted,” the statement continued. Further, Kemp’s camp said it is currently “mathematically impossible for Abrams to force a runoff or win.”
More
“Stacey Abrams’ antics are a disgrace to democracy and completely ignore the will of the people,” campaign communications director Ryan Mahoney said in a statement. “Georgia voters have spoken. It’s time for Abrams to listen and concede immediately.”
“This is not how America works. Brian Kemp earned a clear victory on Tuesday night and holds a sizable lead as remaining provisional and military ballots are counted,” the statement continued. Further, Kemp’s camp said it is currently “mathematically impossible for Abrams to force a runoff or win.”
More
Lawyers for Gillum, Nelson Fight to Include Non-U.S. Citizens' Votes
Lawyers for both Florida Democratic candidates Andrew Gillum and Bill Nelson fought on Friday night to allow non-United States citizens’ votes to be included in the 2018 midterm election results.
A transcript of a Palm Beach County Canvassing Board proceeding shows that the candidates’ lawyers objected to the rejection of votes cast by non-citizens, as first reported by The Daily Caller.
More
A transcript of a Palm Beach County Canvassing Board proceeding shows that the candidates’ lawyers objected to the rejection of votes cast by non-citizens, as first reported by The Daily Caller.
More
Stacey Abrams Allegedly Attempts To Run Illegal Ads Supporting Non-Existent Election Run-Off
Dem candidate refuses to accept results of Georgia election
The Democratic Party of Georgia tried purchasing airtime on Friday to run campaign ads on a local Atlanta channel on behalf of gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams.
Abrams and the Democratic Party attempted to buy a $250,000 advertisement on Atlanta-based WSB-TV in order to promote a gubernatorial runoff despite her Republican challenger, Secretary of State Brian Kemp, winning over 50 percent of the vote. In the state of Georgia, a runoff is only triggered if neither candidate reaches at least half of the total votes.
The ad request, which was reportedly approved by Abrams and would have been paid for through her campaign funds, may have violated campaign finance laws since a runoff election has not been declared and is thereby not a sanctioned election.
Read more
The Democratic Party of Georgia tried purchasing airtime on Friday to run campaign ads on a local Atlanta channel on behalf of gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams.
Abrams and the Democratic Party attempted to buy a $250,000 advertisement on Atlanta-based WSB-TV in order to promote a gubernatorial runoff despite her Republican challenger, Secretary of State Brian Kemp, winning over 50 percent of the vote. In the state of Georgia, a runoff is only triggered if neither candidate reaches at least half of the total votes.
The ad request, which was reportedly approved by Abrams and would have been paid for through her campaign funds, may have violated campaign finance laws since a runoff election has not been declared and is thereby not a sanctioned election.
Read more
Woman who ordered more than $1,600 in Girl Scout cookies for her daughter's troop is arrested
A woman from Ohio has been caught with her hand in the cookie jar, literally.
Noel Hines, 31, allegedly accepted a large order for Girl Scout cookies to sell for her daughter's Girl Scout troop in March but when it came time for the bill to be paid, the Girls Scouts of Western Ohio claim they never received any payment.
Girl Scout officials and police say they then tried to contact Hines several times over a period of six months but were never successful at reaching her in order to retrieve the $1,600 that they were owed.
'That's the way the cookie crumbles,' North College Hill police wrote in aFacebook post.
Earlier this week Hines was arrested for unrelated charges and charged with theft at the North College Hill Mayor's court.
The cookies According to the Girl Scouts of America's cookie manual are $4 dollars each — making Hines responsible for around 400 boxes of cookies from her daughter's local troop.
More
Noel Hines, 31, allegedly accepted a large order for Girl Scout cookies to sell for her daughter's Girl Scout troop in March but when it came time for the bill to be paid, the Girls Scouts of Western Ohio claim they never received any payment.
Girl Scout officials and police say they then tried to contact Hines several times over a period of six months but were never successful at reaching her in order to retrieve the $1,600 that they were owed.
'That's the way the cookie crumbles,' North College Hill police wrote in aFacebook post.
Earlier this week Hines was arrested for unrelated charges and charged with theft at the North College Hill Mayor's court.
The cookies According to the Girl Scouts of America's cookie manual are $4 dollars each — making Hines responsible for around 400 boxes of cookies from her daughter's local troop.
More
Burying The Other Russia Story: WSJ Editors Expose The House Democrats' Real Plan
With impeachment headlines rotating hourly from the Democrats' liberal media and subpoenas already flying across the aisle, The Wall Street Journal's Editorial Board seems to have decided some 'fair and balanced' perspective on what comes next is warranted and just how easy it will be for Adam Schiff to bury the 'real' Russiagate story...
Arguably the most important power at stake in Tuesday’s election was Congressional oversight, and the most important change may be Adam Schiff at the House Intelligence Committee. The Democrat says his top priority is re-opening the Trump-Russia collusion probe, but more important may be his intention to stop investigating how the FBI and Justice Department abused their power in 2016. So let’s walk through what we’ve learned to date.
Credit for knowing anything at all goes to Intel Chairman Devin Nunes and more recently a joint investigation by Reps. Bob Goodlatte (Judiciary) and Trey Gowdy (Oversight). Over 18 months of reviewing tens of thousands of documents and interviewing every relevant witness, no Senate or House Committee has unearthed evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to win the presidential election. If Special Counsel Robert Mueller has found more, he hasn’t made it public.
But House investigators have uncovered details of a Democratic scheme to prod the FBI to investigate the Trump campaign. We now know that the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee hired Fusion GPS, which hired an intelligence-gun-for-hire, Christopher Steele, to write a “dossier” on Donald Trump’s supposed links to Russia.
Mr. Steele fed that document to the FBI, even as he secretly alerted the media to the FBI probe that Team Clinton had helped to initiate. Fusion, the oppo-research firm, was also supplying its dossier info to senior Justice Department official Bruce Ohr, whose wife, Nellie, worked for Fusion.
More
Arguably the most important power at stake in Tuesday’s election was Congressional oversight, and the most important change may be Adam Schiff at the House Intelligence Committee. The Democrat says his top priority is re-opening the Trump-Russia collusion probe, but more important may be his intention to stop investigating how the FBI and Justice Department abused their power in 2016. So let’s walk through what we’ve learned to date.
Credit for knowing anything at all goes to Intel Chairman Devin Nunes and more recently a joint investigation by Reps. Bob Goodlatte (Judiciary) and Trey Gowdy (Oversight). Over 18 months of reviewing tens of thousands of documents and interviewing every relevant witness, no Senate or House Committee has unearthed evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to win the presidential election. If Special Counsel Robert Mueller has found more, he hasn’t made it public.
But House investigators have uncovered details of a Democratic scheme to prod the FBI to investigate the Trump campaign. We now know that the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee hired Fusion GPS, which hired an intelligence-gun-for-hire, Christopher Steele, to write a “dossier” on Donald Trump’s supposed links to Russia.
Mr. Steele fed that document to the FBI, even as he secretly alerted the media to the FBI probe that Team Clinton had helped to initiate. Fusion, the oppo-research firm, was also supplying its dossier info to senior Justice Department official Bruce Ohr, whose wife, Nellie, worked for Fusion.
More
Subway groper is jailed for 22 years for attacking actress then shoving her on train tracks
A man who groped a woman in the New York City subway then threw her onto the tracks has been jailed for 22 years.
Kimani Stephenson, 25, attacked Bonnie Currie, 23, as she waited for the 1 train at West 14th Street and Sixth Avenue subway station in April 2017 .
He grabbed her crotch and breast then pushed her onto the track when she tried to fight him off.
Currie was lifted to safety by two bystanders.
More
Kimani Stephenson, 25, attacked Bonnie Currie, 23, as she waited for the 1 train at West 14th Street and Sixth Avenue subway station in April 2017 .
He grabbed her crotch and breast then pushed her onto the track when she tried to fight him off.
Currie was lifted to safety by two bystanders.
More
Religious Coalition For Reproductive Choice Holds ‘Blessing Service’ For New Abortion Clinic
On Friday evening, a group called the Ohio Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC) is holding a "blessing service" at a newly-opened abortion facility called Your Choice Healthcare of Columbus.
The following is the event description on Facebook and Eventbrite:
Come celebrate the opening of Columbus' new medical abortion clinic: Your Choice Heathcare.
This gathering is open to all people of faith (and non-faith) who affirm abortion providers and patients. The hour long service will include various prayers, music, and abortion storytelling — as well as a message from Rev. Dr. Susan K. Smith.
Weather permitting, the blessing service will take place outside, followed by a light reception indoors. While this will be an uplifting event, we are expecting protesters to be present and will have security measures in place.
More
The following is the event description on Facebook and Eventbrite:
Come celebrate the opening of Columbus' new medical abortion clinic: Your Choice Heathcare.
This gathering is open to all people of faith (and non-faith) who affirm abortion providers and patients. The hour long service will include various prayers, music, and abortion storytelling — as well as a message from Rev. Dr. Susan K. Smith.
Weather permitting, the blessing service will take place outside, followed by a light reception indoors. While this will be an uplifting event, we are expecting protesters to be present and will have security measures in place.
More
9/11 Wars In Iraq, Afghanistan, And Pakistan Killed 500,000 People: Brown University Study
A shocking new study produced by Brown University finds that between 480,000 and 507,000 people were killed during America’s Post-9/11 Wars. The study examined the three "war on terror" conflicts of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan — the latter an extension of the Afghan war and focus of US drone attacks.
The half million figure accounts for both combatant and civilian deaths from direct fighting and war violence, however the number could be much higher as the study didn't account for the perhaps far higher number of civilians killed through infrastructure damage, such as hospitals or water supplies becoming inoperable, or other indirect results of the wars.
Tragically, civilians make up over 50% of the roughly 500,000 killed, and the study estimates further that both US-backed foreign forces and opposition militants each sustained over 100,000 deaths.
In terms of American forces, the report finds that over 60,000 US troops were either killed or wounded within the three post 9/11 conflicts. This includes 6,951 US military personnel killed in Afghanistan and Iraq since US invasions of those countries in 2001 and 2003.
Concerning the now seventeen year long "forgotten war" in Afghanistan, the study concluded,according to VOA:
Fatalities in Afghanistan, as of October 2018, stood at about 147,000 people, including Afghan security forces, civilians and opposition fighters. The figure also included the deaths of 6,334 American soldiers and contractors, as well as more than 1,100 allied troops.
More
The half million figure accounts for both combatant and civilian deaths from direct fighting and war violence, however the number could be much higher as the study didn't account for the perhaps far higher number of civilians killed through infrastructure damage, such as hospitals or water supplies becoming inoperable, or other indirect results of the wars.
Tragically, civilians make up over 50% of the roughly 500,000 killed, and the study estimates further that both US-backed foreign forces and opposition militants each sustained over 100,000 deaths.
In terms of American forces, the report finds that over 60,000 US troops were either killed or wounded within the three post 9/11 conflicts. This includes 6,951 US military personnel killed in Afghanistan and Iraq since US invasions of those countries in 2001 and 2003.
Concerning the now seventeen year long "forgotten war" in Afghanistan, the study concluded,according to VOA:
Fatalities in Afghanistan, as of October 2018, stood at about 147,000 people, including Afghan security forces, civilians and opposition fighters. The figure also included the deaths of 6,334 American soldiers and contractors, as well as more than 1,100 allied troops.
More
The State Weaponizes Education To Create Ignorance
A hundred fifty years ago, at least some Americans recognized that all serious discourse depended on the use of the faculty called Reason.
Formal debate, science, and law all flowed from that source.
A common bond existed in some schools of the day. The student was expected to learn how Reason operates, and for that he was taught the only subject which could lay out, as on a long table, the visible principles: Logic.
This was accepted.
But now, this bond is gone.
The independence engendered by the disciplined study of logic is no longer a desired quality in students.
More
Formal debate, science, and law all flowed from that source.
A common bond existed in some schools of the day. The student was expected to learn how Reason operates, and for that he was taught the only subject which could lay out, as on a long table, the visible principles: Logic.
This was accepted.
But now, this bond is gone.
The independence engendered by the disciplined study of logic is no longer a desired quality in students.
More
STUDY: Social Media Use Harmful, Causes Depression, Loneliness
A University of Pennsylvania study claims to have found a “causal link” between “time spent on social media and increased depression and loneliness,” Science Daily reports.
The study examined the behaviors and moods of 143 participants, all undergraduates, and focused on three social media platforms, Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook.
Science Daily quotes researcher Melissa G. Hunt, a clinical psychologist at Penn: “Here’s the bottom line. Using less social media than you normally would leads to significant decreases in both depression and loneliness. These effects are particularly pronounced for folks who were more depressed when they came into the study.”
One source of depression from social media use, Hunt suggests, has to do with comparing oneself to others.
More
The study examined the behaviors and moods of 143 participants, all undergraduates, and focused on three social media platforms, Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook.
Science Daily quotes researcher Melissa G. Hunt, a clinical psychologist at Penn: “Here’s the bottom line. Using less social media than you normally would leads to significant decreases in both depression and loneliness. These effects are particularly pronounced for folks who were more depressed when they came into the study.”
One source of depression from social media use, Hunt suggests, has to do with comparing oneself to others.
More
Broward Mystery Boxes Tossed Into Trucks After Missed Deadline; Gaetz Forcibly Removed While Filming
Update: Broward County has reportedly approved recounts in four Florida races, according to CNN, while the Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner has ordered them in tight races for Senate, Governor and Attorney General Commissioner, and has ordered a statewide machine recount.
As a noon deadline on Saturday to submit the election results approached, former GOP Rep. Ron DeSantis led Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum by less than 0.5%, which would require a machine recount.
In the race for Senate, Gov. Rick Scott's lead over Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson had shrunk to less than 0.25 percent - which would require a hand recount of all ballots unable to be tabulated by machine.
***
After a Florida Judge ordered Broward County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes to allow for the immediate inspection of tens of thousands of ballots suddenly found after Democrat Sen. Bill Nelson lost to Republican Gov. Rick Scott, Snipes failed to abide by a 7 PM deadline set at the emergency hearing. Instead, workers were filmed by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) shuffling boxes into a truck, before he was forcibly removed by a police officer.
More
As a noon deadline on Saturday to submit the election results approached, former GOP Rep. Ron DeSantis led Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum by less than 0.5%, which would require a machine recount.
In the race for Senate, Gov. Rick Scott's lead over Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson had shrunk to less than 0.25 percent - which would require a hand recount of all ballots unable to be tabulated by machine.
***
After a Florida Judge ordered Broward County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes to allow for the immediate inspection of tens of thousands of ballots suddenly found after Democrat Sen. Bill Nelson lost to Republican Gov. Rick Scott, Snipes failed to abide by a 7 PM deadline set at the emergency hearing. Instead, workers were filmed by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) shuffling boxes into a truck, before he was forcibly removed by a police officer.
More
Trump claims 'corruption' as Democrat leaps ahead in Arizona Senate race
Donald Trump claimed on Friday that two Arizona counties are guilty of 'corruption' because they give voters a do-over if the signatures on mail-in ballots don't match the ones that state election officials have on file.
But as of Friday evening, the entire state will be on an even keel.
In a tweet as Air Force One soared above the Atlantic Ocean carrying him to France, the president suggested the lapse in fairness could be reason enough to throw out the results of a tight Senate contest and start again.
'Just out – in Arizona, SIGNATURES DON’T MATCH. Electoral corruption – Call for a new Election? We must protect our Democracy!' he wrote on Twitter.
Trump carped Friday morning outside the White House that 'in Arizona, all of a sudden, out of the wilderness, they find a lot of votes.'
Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, the Democrat in the race, jumped into the lead late Thursday over Republican Rep. Martha McSally as more votes were counted. There are still more than 300,000 yet to be tallied because of a decades-old computer system that wasn't built to handle this year's flood of ballots cast with a stamp instead of a click.
Some Republicans raised allegations of fraud as the vote count starts to tip into Democratic terrain.
More
But as of Friday evening, the entire state will be on an even keel.
In a tweet as Air Force One soared above the Atlantic Ocean carrying him to France, the president suggested the lapse in fairness could be reason enough to throw out the results of a tight Senate contest and start again.
'Just out – in Arizona, SIGNATURES DON’T MATCH. Electoral corruption – Call for a new Election? We must protect our Democracy!' he wrote on Twitter.
Trump carped Friday morning outside the White House that 'in Arizona, all of a sudden, out of the wilderness, they find a lot of votes.'
Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, the Democrat in the race, jumped into the lead late Thursday over Republican Rep. Martha McSally as more votes were counted. There are still more than 300,000 yet to be tallied because of a decades-old computer system that wasn't built to handle this year's flood of ballots cast with a stamp instead of a click.
Some Republicans raised allegations of fraud as the vote count starts to tip into Democratic terrain.
More
Republican Protesters Start 'Lock Her Up' Chant for Florida Election Chief
Republican protestors have begun chanting “lock her up” outside a Florida elections office as news breaks about how badly Broward County Board of Elections Supervisor Brenda Snipes is botching the 2018 election returns.
Election chief Snipes is once again caught up in the middle of controversy as votes in her Democrat stronghold continue to appear seemingly out of thin air as far as protesters are concerned.
A large group of Republican voters have formed to protest the sudden votes appearing days after the legal submission date, according to the Hill.
More
Election chief Snipes is once again caught up in the middle of controversy as votes in her Democrat stronghold continue to appear seemingly out of thin air as far as protesters are concerned.
A large group of Republican voters have formed to protest the sudden votes appearing days after the legal submission date, according to the Hill.
More
Trump threatens to withhold federal payments to California as the state is ravaged by wildfires
President Donald Trump has threatened to withhold federal payments to Californiaover 'gross mismanagement' of its forests as the state is ravaged by three massive wildfires.
In a 2am tweet, Trump wrote: 'There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor.
'Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!'
On Friday evening Trump issued an emergency declaration providing federal funds to help the thousands of firefighters struggling to contain the flames that have already torched more than 200 square miles across the state.
President Donald Trump threatened to withhold federal payments to California over 'gross mismanagement' of its forests in a 2am tweet as the state is ravaged by three massive wildfires
More
In a 2am tweet, Trump wrote: 'There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor.
'Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!'
On Friday evening Trump issued an emergency declaration providing federal funds to help the thousands of firefighters struggling to contain the flames that have already torched more than 200 square miles across the state.
More
Election Fraud Expert: Brenda Snipes Allowed Illegal Aliens and Felons to Vote; Illegally Destroyed Ballots
Three statewide races in Florida are headed to a recount and all depend on results from a county whose supervisor of elections has a history of losing ballots and breaking laws by allowing illegal immigrants and felons to vote, as well as illegally destroying ballots.
Broward County supervisor of elections Brenda Snipes’ office has admitted “they don’t know” how many ballots there are still to count.
Snipes’ latest failure to finalize Tuesday’s election returns days after the polls closed is also in violation of Florida law, which requires elections officials to “report all early voting and all tabulated vote-by-mail results to the Department of State within 30 minutes after the polls close. Thereafter, the canvassing board shall report, with the exception of provisional ballot results, updated precinct election results to the department at least every 45 minutes until all results are completely reported.”
More
Broward County supervisor of elections Brenda Snipes’ office has admitted “they don’t know” how many ballots there are still to count.
Snipes’ latest failure to finalize Tuesday’s election returns days after the polls closed is also in violation of Florida law, which requires elections officials to “report all early voting and all tabulated vote-by-mail results to the Department of State within 30 minutes after the polls close. Thereafter, the canvassing board shall report, with the exception of provisional ballot results, updated precinct election results to the department at least every 45 minutes until all results are completely reported.”
More
Florida Official Accused of Having More Voters on Rolls than Eligible
The Florida official put in charge of counting votes in Broward County — the most liberal county in the state — for the gubernatorial and Senate race was previously accused of having more voters on her rolls than eligible voters in the county.
Despite the election occurring days ago, Broward County Board of Elections Supervisor Brenda Snipes continues tallying ballots, though she has refused to disclose how many ballots are still not counted. Republican Senate candidate Rick Scott has announced he will sue the county for mishandling the election.
In 2016, Snipes had a lawsuit filed against her office by the American Civil Rights Union after they claimed she had more voters on the rolls in the county than eligible citizens in the area at one point.
More
Despite the election occurring days ago, Broward County Board of Elections Supervisor Brenda Snipes continues tallying ballots, though she has refused to disclose how many ballots are still not counted. Republican Senate candidate Rick Scott has announced he will sue the county for mishandling the election.
In 2016, Snipes had a lawsuit filed against her office by the American Civil Rights Union after they claimed she had more voters on the rolls in the county than eligible citizens in the area at one point.
More
Site of Thousand Oaks Mass Shooting a Gun-Free Zone
The site of the Thousand Oaks, California, mass shooting was a state-mandated gun-free zone.
Breitbart News reported that former U.S. Marine Ian David Long opened fired in the Borderline Bar & Grill on Wednesday, killing 12 people. He used a “legally-purchased” handgun to carry out his attack.
Crime Prevention Research Center’s (CPRC) John R. Lott reported that the Borderline Bar & Grill was a gun-free zone by law. CPRC posted a California Department of Justice Bureau of Firearms form explaining that the state of California prohibits the carrying of firearms “in a place having a primary purpose of dispensing alcoholic beverages for on-site consumption.”
More
Breitbart News reported that former U.S. Marine Ian David Long opened fired in the Borderline Bar & Grill on Wednesday, killing 12 people. He used a “legally-purchased” handgun to carry out his attack.
Crime Prevention Research Center’s (CPRC) John R. Lott reported that the Borderline Bar & Grill was a gun-free zone by law. CPRC posted a California Department of Justice Bureau of Firearms form explaining that the state of California prohibits the carrying of firearms “in a place having a primary purpose of dispensing alcoholic beverages for on-site consumption.”
More
Palm Beach Elections Supervisor, Under Fire, Plays The Race Card Against Rick Scott
Palm Beach Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher, reacting to claims from Florida Governor Rick Scott that the Palm Beach and Broward County Supervisors of Elections had violated federal and state laws by failing to provide information to officials, responded by playing the race card, limning Scott and those who support his efforts as racists.
Bucher snapped, “It is very unfortunate that some of the highest elected officials in our country are trying to disrupt our democracy because they don’t like the demographics of our voters. I would wish that they would allow us to continue to count the ballots. We’re just doing our job in accordance with law.”
More
Bucher snapped, “It is very unfortunate that some of the highest elected officials in our country are trying to disrupt our democracy because they don’t like the demographics of our voters. I would wish that they would allow us to continue to count the ballots. We’re just doing our job in accordance with law.”
More
Report: Florida Elections Official Mixed Bad Ballots with Good Ones
The Florida elections official tasked with counting votes in Broward County accidentally mixed up more than a dozen invalid ballots with nearly 200 valid ballots.
Broward County’s three-person canvassing board discovered Friday night that Broward County Board of Elections supervisor Brenda Snipes mixed 20 votes containing mismatched signatures in a pile of 205 provisional ballots, the Miami Herald reported.
The canvassing board inspected the 205 provisional ballots Friday night after Snipes agreed to present them to the board for inspection.
More
Broward County’s three-person canvassing board discovered Friday night that Broward County Board of Elections supervisor Brenda Snipes mixed 20 votes containing mismatched signatures in a pile of 205 provisional ballots, the Miami Herald reported.
The canvassing board inspected the 205 provisional ballots Friday night after Snipes agreed to present them to the board for inspection.
More
Media Dismisses Florida Election Misconduct As Conservative Conspiracy Theory
The establishment media is dismissing the election scandal in Florida as a conservative conspiracy theory, but the evidence indicates something strange is afoot.
Republican Governor Rick Scott beat incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson for the state’s open Senate seat, but days after the election, election supervisors in Broward and Palm Beach counties were still adding votes to the tally.
More
Republican Governor Rick Scott beat incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson for the state’s open Senate seat, but days after the election, election supervisors in Broward and Palm Beach counties were still adding votes to the tally.
More
Rubio Warns: Dems Are Actively Trying To Steal The Florida Election
Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is warning that the fate of his state’s governorship could hang in the hands of Florida’s Broward County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes, whom he’s called incompetent for violating state and federal laws. A liberal candidate similarly painted her as incompetent and corrupt.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum initially conceded the Florida race to Republican Ron DeSantis, but backtracked after vote totals changed Thursday, narrowing the gap to less than half a percent in both the gubernatorial and senatorial races. Broward County is often the slowest of the state’s 67 counties to count votes, and its election department has repeatedly been faulted for wrongdoing.
Now, Perkins Coie lawyer Marc Elias has been enlisted in a recount effort. Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson is retaining Elias, who said it’s “not plausible” that, as Broward statistics suggest, 14,000 people voted in sometimes-obscure state-level races but left the Senate one blank.
Republican Gov. Rick Scott, who, by initial appearances, beat Nelson in a race for Senate, said Elias will use aggressive techniques to “steal” the election.
More
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum initially conceded the Florida race to Republican Ron DeSantis, but backtracked after vote totals changed Thursday, narrowing the gap to less than half a percent in both the gubernatorial and senatorial races. Broward County is often the slowest of the state’s 67 counties to count votes, and its election department has repeatedly been faulted for wrongdoing.
Now, Perkins Coie lawyer Marc Elias has been enlisted in a recount effort. Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson is retaining Elias, who said it’s “not plausible” that, as Broward statistics suggest, 14,000 people voted in sometimes-obscure state-level races but left the Senate one blank.
Republican Gov. Rick Scott, who, by initial appearances, beat Nelson in a race for Senate, said Elias will use aggressive techniques to “steal” the election.
More
ID thieves are exploiting mail-scanning service, Secret Service warns
The U.S. Postal Service’s Informed Delivery service is cool. The free service sends users an email every morning with photos of the mail they can expect in the day’s delivery. It’s a convenient option for anyone anxiously awaiting the arrival of their Orphan Annie Secret Society decoder pin (or just too lazy to trudge to the mailbox every day). More than 6 million people have signed up for Informed Delivery, but they may rethink the decision after a recent warning from the U.S. Secret Service.
Tech watchdog Krebs on Security reports that the U.S. Secret Service sent an internal alert on November 6 warning that scammers are using the Informed Delivery feature “to identify and intercept mail, and to further their identity theft fraud schemes.” They also want to use the service to “surveil potential identity theft victims” on criminal forums, Krebs reports.
The alert was sent in the wake of a Michigan bust, where seven people were arrested for allegedly stealing credit cards from mailboxes and racking up $400,000 in charges after signing up as those victims at the USPS website.
More here
Tech watchdog Krebs on Security reports that the U.S. Secret Service sent an internal alert on November 6 warning that scammers are using the Informed Delivery feature “to identify and intercept mail, and to further their identity theft fraud schemes.” They also want to use the service to “surveil potential identity theft victims” on criminal forums, Krebs reports.
The alert was sent in the wake of a Michigan bust, where seven people were arrested for allegedly stealing credit cards from mailboxes and racking up $400,000 in charges after signing up as those victims at the USPS website.
More here
Soros-Backed Group Mobilizes “#ProtectMueller” Protests; Immediate Turnout In All New England States
In the immediate wake of US Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ resignation Wednesday (Nov.7) and President Donald Trump’s appointing of Matthew G. Whitaker as acting attorney general, progressives at MoveOn, fearing Whitaker’s appointment might undermine a special counsel’s investigation of the president, called for national protests that were organized within hours.
In New England, protests were held Thursday evening — about 24 hours after Sessions’ resignation — in Maine,Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Other protests were held throughout the United States.
President Trump asked for Sessions’ resignation after months of alleged disagreement over Sessions’ handling of the Justice Department, specifically his handling of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, including allegations of collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign. Neither the president nor his campaign has been indicted or charged in matters directly related to the Mueller probe’s focus (although some associates have been charged and convicted in unrelated matters).
More
In New England, protests were held Thursday evening — about 24 hours after Sessions’ resignation — in Maine,Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Other protests were held throughout the United States.
President Trump asked for Sessions’ resignation after months of alleged disagreement over Sessions’ handling of the Justice Department, specifically his handling of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, including allegations of collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign. Neither the president nor his campaign has been indicted or charged in matters directly related to the Mueller probe’s focus (although some associates have been charged and convicted in unrelated matters).
More
