Despite a modestly better than expected 1.4% MoM rise (after September's 3.4% slump), existing home sales slumped 5.1% year-over-year - the biggest drop since 2014.
Regionally, The West is suffering the most...
Existing-home sales in the Northeast increased 1.5% to an annual rate of 690,000, 6.8% below a year ago. The median price in the Northeast was $280,900, up 3.0% from October 2017.
In the Midwest, existing-home sales declined 0.8% from last month to an annual rate of 1.27 million in October, down 3.1% from a year ago. The median price in the Midwest was $197,000, up 2.4% from last year.
Existing-home sales in the South rose 1.9% to an annual rate of 2.15 million in October, down 2.3% from last year. The median price was $221,600, up 3.8% from a year ago.
Existing-home sales in the West grew 2.8% to an annual rate of 1.11 million in October, 11.2% below a year ago. The median price in the West was $382,900, up 1.9% from October 2017.
The median existing-home price for all housing types in October was $255,400, up 3.8 percent from October 2017 ($246,000). October’s price increase marks the 80th straight month of year-over-year gains.
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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
Friday, November 23, 2018
Cybersecurity Experts: Stop Sending Troops Into Combat With Personal Tablets, Smartphones
Practice raises alarm after Navy IG report confirms hacking vulnerabilities in mapping apps
Special operators and other troops must stop taking their unsecured personal tablets and smart phones into combat after an internal Navy investigation found that mapping applications can be hacked by hostile actors, cybersecurity experts warn.
U.S. special operators and other troops have been using advanced war-fighting mapping applications for the last several years to reduce the time it takes to call in airstrikes and for better situational awareness and communication between ground forces and overhead aircraft.
However, a non-public Navy Inspector General investigation earlier this year found that two of these widely used mapping applications produced by the U.S. Navy have serious vulnerabilities, the Washington Free Beacon first reported earlier this week.
The mapping applications in question are known as known as KILSWITCH and APASS. KILSWITCH is an acronym that stands for Kinetic Integrated Low-cost Software Integrated Tactical Combat Handheld. APASS stands for the Android Precision Assault Strike Suite.
The IG's findings were cited in a Marine Corps force-wide message in late June warning commanders that the applications are only used on military-issued "hardened" hand-held devices that are not connected to cellular or civilian Wi-Fi networks, not personal devices troops purchased commercially that are far more susceptible to malware and hacking.
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Special operators and other troops must stop taking their unsecured personal tablets and smart phones into combat after an internal Navy investigation found that mapping applications can be hacked by hostile actors, cybersecurity experts warn.
U.S. special operators and other troops have been using advanced war-fighting mapping applications for the last several years to reduce the time it takes to call in airstrikes and for better situational awareness and communication between ground forces and overhead aircraft.
However, a non-public Navy Inspector General investigation earlier this year found that two of these widely used mapping applications produced by the U.S. Navy have serious vulnerabilities, the Washington Free Beacon first reported earlier this week.
The mapping applications in question are known as known as KILSWITCH and APASS. KILSWITCH is an acronym that stands for Kinetic Integrated Low-cost Software Integrated Tactical Combat Handheld. APASS stands for the Android Precision Assault Strike Suite.
The IG's findings were cited in a Marine Corps force-wide message in late June warning commanders that the applications are only used on military-issued "hardened" hand-held devices that are not connected to cellular or civilian Wi-Fi networks, not personal devices troops purchased commercially that are far more susceptible to malware and hacking.
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Conservative Group Calls McCaskill 'Poster-Child' for Term-Limits
A series of full-page ads in eight papers across Missouri will call for term-limits over the weekend, calling Sen. Claire McCaskill (D., Mo.) the "poster-child" for why they're needed.
The conservative group running the ads, Missouri Rising Action, points to the fact that McCaskill's first run for political office came in 1982. McCaskill has been a member of the U.S. Senate since 2007 and is currently running for a third term in office.
"After running for political office for 36 years, Claire McCaskill is the perfect example of why we need term limits in Washington," said Brian Rogers, the group's executive director. "You can't change Washington by electing the same people over and over again—that's why it's vital to term limit Claire McCaskill this November."
The ad, which can be viewed here, hits McCaskill for "decades of liberal votes" and "years of self-enrichment."
This has been a recurring push by Missouri Rising Action, which earlier this month sent the same message in a TV ad.
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The conservative group running the ads, Missouri Rising Action, points to the fact that McCaskill's first run for political office came in 1982. McCaskill has been a member of the U.S. Senate since 2007 and is currently running for a third term in office.
"After running for political office for 36 years, Claire McCaskill is the perfect example of why we need term limits in Washington," said Brian Rogers, the group's executive director. "You can't change Washington by electing the same people over and over again—that's why it's vital to term limit Claire McCaskill this November."
The ad, which can be viewed here, hits McCaskill for "decades of liberal votes" and "years of self-enrichment."
This has been a recurring push by Missouri Rising Action, which earlier this month sent the same message in a TV ad.
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Big Tech Must Disavow the ‘Hate Speech’ Activism of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) to Uphold America’s Proud Tradition of Free Speech
While Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and his accuser Christine Blasey Ford dominated the news on Thursday, the House of Representatives held a hearing on threats to free speech on social media. A lawyer at a powerhouse law firm that has won 9 Supreme Court cases in the last seven years explained how one leftist group endangers America's legacy of free speech, by fighting "hate speech" on the Internet.
"Our goal is to create a society where we can engage in civil discourse, we can have very sharp disagreements about core issues and still live together peacefully,"Jeremy Tedesco, senior counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) told PJ Media after the hearing. "That's one of the great distinctions of American society, and we risk losing it if we go down this line of labeling mainstream conservative and Christian speech 'hate speech.'"
"I think one of the greatest threats to intellectual freedom is the whole concept of 'hate speech,'" the lawyer explained. He warned that "Internet companies are at the front end of reaching people in our culture, because they interact with so many people in our country every day."
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"Our goal is to create a society where we can engage in civil discourse, we can have very sharp disagreements about core issues and still live together peacefully,"Jeremy Tedesco, senior counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) told PJ Media after the hearing. "That's one of the great distinctions of American society, and we risk losing it if we go down this line of labeling mainstream conservative and Christian speech 'hate speech.'"
"I think one of the greatest threats to intellectual freedom is the whole concept of 'hate speech,'" the lawyer explained. He warned that "Internet companies are at the front end of reaching people in our culture, because they interact with so many people in our country every day."
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This Is Why We Should Let Little Boys Engage in 'Gunplay'
In an article for parenting site Scary Mommy, Katie J. describes her horror at her 3-year-old son’s interest in pretending about guns. Katie says her “heart sank” when her son Henry started turning things — “hands, water-guns, pieces of paper, train set tracks and most often, sticks” — into, as Henry calls them, “shoot guns.” Henry likes to pretend he’s using his “shoot gun” to shoot dragons — a fact which Katie says brings her near tears. Katie cites gun violence statistics and the fact that “school shootings are so common now” as her reasons for wanting to ban gunplay in her house. But, based on Katie’s description of the sorts of play her son is engaged in, it sounds much more like Henry will grow up to be the kind of person who stops a school shooter than the kind of person who becomes one.
Katie is conflating her son’s interest in guns with an interest in committing random acts of violence. But it’s much more likely that he is learning to identify with the kind of bravery and protective instincts of knights (who fight dragons, just like Henry) or superheroes. Toronto-based psychologist Joanne Cummings says that playing superheroes, for example, is “a way of identifying with someone who’s brave, who doesn’t shy away from danger—someone who has these wonderful talents and attributes used for good in the world.” In other words, someone who would protectinnocent people from violence, not perpetrate it himself.
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Katie is conflating her son’s interest in guns with an interest in committing random acts of violence. But it’s much more likely that he is learning to identify with the kind of bravery and protective instincts of knights (who fight dragons, just like Henry) or superheroes. Toronto-based psychologist Joanne Cummings says that playing superheroes, for example, is “a way of identifying with someone who’s brave, who doesn’t shy away from danger—someone who has these wonderful talents and attributes used for good in the world.” In other words, someone who would protectinnocent people from violence, not perpetrate it himself.
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MARYLAND STATE POLICE BEAT:
SALISBURY, MD. – Shoppers were going nuts for bargains as Thanksgiving revved up to warp speed and a Salisbury child was killed after his boozing father lost control of his pickup and slammed into a tree at a high rate of speed, according to Maryland State Police.
Police report that Kenneth Chatmon, 55, of 212 Morris Drive in Salisbury was operating a 2007 Toyota pickup southbound on the Rt. 213 Bypass north of Snow Hill Road.
Kenneth Chatmon was taken by ambulance to a hospital for treatment and faces charges in connection with the death of the child, as police say speed, alcohol and drug use are all factors in the crash. Possible charges include felony manslaughter which could net Chatmon if convicted up to ten years in prison.
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McCaskill's Husband Makes Millions Flipping Government Tax Credits
Husband used government program for poor to build own fortune
Since Claire McCaskill joined the Senate, her husband Joseph Shepard has made at least $11 million through a business that buys up tax credits awarded to Missouri affordable housing developers and sells them to high-income entities seeking tax relief.
Shepard's company, the Missouri Tax Credit Fund, operates within the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), a $9 billion a year federal program that awards tax credits to developers building qualified affordable housing projects. The LIHTC program is designed for developers in need of cash to attract investors for projects by offering them tax credits.
Analysis by policy institutions and government investigators, however, has found the LIHTC program to be inefficient, with much of the money—intended for affordable housing—ending up in the pockets of middlemen syndicators who connect developers with investors, earning lofty fees from both sides.
Shepard plays the lucrative role of syndicator and has made millions off the government program.
Records available on the Missouri secretary of state's website show Shepard’s company acquired tax credits awarded to at least 57 different affordable housing projects in Missouri between 2006 and 2017. Together, the 57 projects were awarded $273.3 million in LIHTCs, a review of the state's tax credit database found.
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Since Claire McCaskill joined the Senate, her husband Joseph Shepard has made at least $11 million through a business that buys up tax credits awarded to Missouri affordable housing developers and sells them to high-income entities seeking tax relief.
Shepard's company, the Missouri Tax Credit Fund, operates within the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), a $9 billion a year federal program that awards tax credits to developers building qualified affordable housing projects. The LIHTC program is designed for developers in need of cash to attract investors for projects by offering them tax credits.
Analysis by policy institutions and government investigators, however, has found the LIHTC program to be inefficient, with much of the money—intended for affordable housing—ending up in the pockets of middlemen syndicators who connect developers with investors, earning lofty fees from both sides.
Shepard plays the lucrative role of syndicator and has made millions off the government program.
Records available on the Missouri secretary of state's website show Shepard’s company acquired tax credits awarded to at least 57 different affordable housing projects in Missouri between 2006 and 2017. Together, the 57 projects were awarded $273.3 million in LIHTCs, a review of the state's tax credit database found.
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Americans Have Almost Entirely Forgotten Their History
In America, we celebrate democracy and are justifiably proud that this nation was founded on the idea that the people should rule.
That’s why it is so important that Americans be informed about their government. They are partakers in it. In fact, they control it.
Under tyrannical systems, it matters little if the people are informed about political life. Autocrats make decisions for the people whether they like it or not. But in our republic, we rely on the informed decision-making of citizens to judge policies and the leaders who will implement them.
Unfortunately, we are not very well-informed.
According to a recently released survey, Americans are woefully uneducated about the most basic facts of our history, to the point where most couldn’t even pass a basic citizenship test.
A study by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation found that only 1 in 3 Americans can actually pass the U.S. citizenship test, which asks the most basic questions about our history and how our system of government works.
Passing the test requires answering 60 percent of questions correctly, but a majority of those participating in the survey couldn’t even do that.
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That’s why it is so important that Americans be informed about their government. They are partakers in it. In fact, they control it.
Under tyrannical systems, it matters little if the people are informed about political life. Autocrats make decisions for the people whether they like it or not. But in our republic, we rely on the informed decision-making of citizens to judge policies and the leaders who will implement them.
Unfortunately, we are not very well-informed.
According to a recently released survey, Americans are woefully uneducated about the most basic facts of our history, to the point where most couldn’t even pass a basic citizenship test.
A study by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation found that only 1 in 3 Americans can actually pass the U.S. citizenship test, which asks the most basic questions about our history and how our system of government works.
Passing the test requires answering 60 percent of questions correctly, but a majority of those participating in the survey couldn’t even do that.
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A Viewer Writes: Update
Came across this article you posted last year and got curious of the outcome.
Joy Shuford had 13 various charges against her. The Disposition is listed as Nolle Porosequi for 12 of those Her plea on the 13th one for Malicious Burning/2nd deg was listed as Guilty and the Disposition is listed as Guilty and her jail term was for 10 days.
Dasia Perry had 14 charges against her. The disposition on all 14 is listed as Nolle Prosequi.
In September of 2017 she had 5 charges against her 3 for assault and 2 for theft. 3 charges were dismissed and she got STET on one assault charge and one theft charge.
In April of 2018 she was again charged with theft. This time her plea was Guilty. They gave her PBJ - Supervised.
In July of 2018 a Bench Warrant was issued for Failure to Appear.
Isn't the justice system great? How many times do they have to keep letting them go?
New White House Counterterror Strategy Singles Out 'Radical Islamists'
Trump admin puts renewed focus on radical Islam, Iran, rolling back Obama efforts
The Trump administration is implementing a new, government-wide counterterrorism strategy that places renewed focus on combatting "radical Islamic terrorist groups," marking a significant departure from the Obama administration, which implemented a series of policies aimed at deemphasizing the threat of Islamic terror groups.
In releasing the first national counterterrorism strategy since 2011, the Trump administration is working to take a drastically different approach than that of the former administration, according to senior U.S. officials.
While the Obama administration sought to dampen the United States' focus on Islamic terror threats, the Trump administration has made this battle the centerpiece of its new strategy.
National Security Adviser John Bolton acknowledged in remarks to reporters Thursday afternoon that the new strategy is "a departure" from the former administration's strategy, which has been characterized as a failure by Republican foreign policy voices due to the increasing number of domestic terror attacks and plots across the United States
"Radical Islamist terrorist groups represent the preeminent transnational terrorist threat to the United States, and to United States' interests abroad," Bolton said.
"The fact is the radical Islamic threat that we face is a form of ideology," Bolton said. "This should not be anything new to anybody. King Abdullah of Jordan has frequently described the terrorist threat as a civil war within Islam that Muslims around the world recognize, and he is, after all, a direct descendent of the Sharif [inaudible], the keepers of the holy cities. If that's how King Abdullah views it, I don't think anybody should be surprised we see it as a kind of war, as well."
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The Trump administration is implementing a new, government-wide counterterrorism strategy that places renewed focus on combatting "radical Islamic terrorist groups," marking a significant departure from the Obama administration, which implemented a series of policies aimed at deemphasizing the threat of Islamic terror groups.
In releasing the first national counterterrorism strategy since 2011, the Trump administration is working to take a drastically different approach than that of the former administration, according to senior U.S. officials.
While the Obama administration sought to dampen the United States' focus on Islamic terror threats, the Trump administration has made this battle the centerpiece of its new strategy.
National Security Adviser John Bolton acknowledged in remarks to reporters Thursday afternoon that the new strategy is "a departure" from the former administration's strategy, which has been characterized as a failure by Republican foreign policy voices due to the increasing number of domestic terror attacks and plots across the United States
"Radical Islamist terrorist groups represent the preeminent transnational terrorist threat to the United States, and to United States' interests abroad," Bolton said.
"The fact is the radical Islamic threat that we face is a form of ideology," Bolton said. "This should not be anything new to anybody. King Abdullah of Jordan has frequently described the terrorist threat as a civil war within Islam that Muslims around the world recognize, and he is, after all, a direct descendent of the Sharif [inaudible], the keepers of the holy cities. If that's how King Abdullah views it, I don't think anybody should be surprised we see it as a kind of war, as well."
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ACT scores drop; only Asian Americans saw gains
All racial and ethnic groups -- except for Asian Americans -- see declines.
The average composite score on the ACT for high school seniors who graduated in 2018 was 20.8, down from 21.0 the prior year.
All four of the subject tests showed declines. More than 1.9 million students in this cohort took the ACT, down a bit from the previous year, and back to the level of two years prior. The decrease is notable because testing groups generally say that surges in test takers are likely to result in declines in average scores, as a wider cross-section of students is tested. That was not the case this year.
ACT's annual report on college readiness notes that, judging by courses completed as well as test scores, most high school graduates are not prepared for college. Generally, students who have completed recommended college preparatory courses do better than others on the ACT.
Here are the most recent scores, with averages over the last five years. (A perfect score is 36 on either a subject test or the composite.)
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The average composite score on the ACT for high school seniors who graduated in 2018 was 20.8, down from 21.0 the prior year.
All four of the subject tests showed declines. More than 1.9 million students in this cohort took the ACT, down a bit from the previous year, and back to the level of two years prior. The decrease is notable because testing groups generally say that surges in test takers are likely to result in declines in average scores, as a wider cross-section of students is tested. That was not the case this year.
ACT's annual report on college readiness notes that, judging by courses completed as well as test scores, most high school graduates are not prepared for college. Generally, students who have completed recommended college preparatory courses do better than others on the ACT.
Here are the most recent scores, with averages over the last five years. (A perfect score is 36 on either a subject test or the composite.)
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Meet the 8 New Members of the Senate
While Republicans lost control of the House of Representatives in Tuesday’s elections, the GOP likely strengthened its Senate majority by three seats, to gain a 54-seat majority.
One race, in Mississippi, won’t be decided until Nov. 27, as incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith, appointed in April, is set to face Democrat Mike Espy in a runoff because no candidate won a majority Tuesday.
Here’s what you should know about the Senate’s incoming freshman class of seven Republicans and one Democrat:
1. Indiana’s Mike Braun
Indiana’s newest U.S. senator, Republican Mike Braun, ran as an ardent supporter of President Donald Trump’s agenda and criticized incumbent Democrat Joe Donnelly for not supporting the president.
Braun particularly seized on Donnelly’s vote against the Senate confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a vote that many say tipped the scales of a previously tight race heavily in Braun’s favor.
As a former state representative and Indiana businessman with an estimatednet worth of nearly $66 million, Braun won in a competitive Republican primary against two members of Congress on a message of being a Washington outsider, investing millions of his own money into the race.
Braun, 64, carried his anti-Washington message into the general election. He went after Donnelly relentlessly on taxes, his opposition to Trump’s efforts on health care, and the senator’s “no” vote on Kavanaugh.
After Kavanaugh’s confirmation, Donnelly tried to retain support from conservative voters in the red state, releasing an ad in mid-October backing Trump’s proposed wall on the U.S.-Mexican border and supporting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
2. Tennessee’s Marsha Blackburn
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One race, in Mississippi, won’t be decided until Nov. 27, as incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith, appointed in April, is set to face Democrat Mike Espy in a runoff because no candidate won a majority Tuesday.
Here’s what you should know about the Senate’s incoming freshman class of seven Republicans and one Democrat:
1. Indiana’s Mike Braun
Indiana’s newest U.S. senator, Republican Mike Braun, ran as an ardent supporter of President Donald Trump’s agenda and criticized incumbent Democrat Joe Donnelly for not supporting the president.
Braun particularly seized on Donnelly’s vote against the Senate confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a vote that many say tipped the scales of a previously tight race heavily in Braun’s favor.
As a former state representative and Indiana businessman with an estimatednet worth of nearly $66 million, Braun won in a competitive Republican primary against two members of Congress on a message of being a Washington outsider, investing millions of his own money into the race.
Braun, 64, carried his anti-Washington message into the general election. He went after Donnelly relentlessly on taxes, his opposition to Trump’s efforts on health care, and the senator’s “no” vote on Kavanaugh.
After Kavanaugh’s confirmation, Donnelly tried to retain support from conservative voters in the red state, releasing an ad in mid-October backing Trump’s proposed wall on the U.S.-Mexican border and supporting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
2. Tennessee’s Marsha Blackburn
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Here’s All the Times Obama Ejected the Media
President Donald Trump’s explosive exchange with Jim Acosta, and the subsequent revocation of his White House press credentials, is now the big story. Naturally, CNN and every other liberal rushed to his defense, and claimed Trump’s hostility towards the media is unprecedented. Ironically, these same liberals loved it when Obama showed disrespect to journalists they disagreed with – they’re just unhappy now they’re feeling the same fire.
Obama ejecting journalists all the time
There were numerous occasions in which Obama (and others in his administration) actually ejectedjournalists from his press conferences – and of course you didn’t hear hysterical screeching about “dictators” and “fascism” and “the free press being under attack.”
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Obama ejecting journalists all the time
There were numerous occasions in which Obama (and others in his administration) actually ejectedjournalists from his press conferences – and of course you didn’t hear hysterical screeching about “dictators” and “fascism” and “the free press being under attack.”
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Republicans Captured A Higher Percentage Of Hispanic Voters In Midterms Than Trump Did In 2016
The percentage of Latinos who voted for GOP candidates in the 2018 midterm elections was higher than the percentage of Latinos who voted for Donald Trump in 2016.
President Trump pulled in a respectable 28 percent of the Hispanic vote in 2016, despite hispositions on immigration and a border wall. This year, GOP candidates won 29 percent,according to the Pew Research Center’s exit poll data.
In U.S. congressional races nationwide, an estimated 69% of Latinos voted for the Democratic candidate and 29% backed the Republican candidate, a more than two-to-one advantage for Democrats, according to National Election Pool exit poll data. These results largely reflect the party affiliation of Latinos. In a Pew Research Center pre-election survey, 62% of Latinos said they identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party compared with 27% who affiliated with the Republican Party. Among other racial and ethnic groups, a lower share of whites (44%) voted for Democrats in congressional races compared with blacks (90%) and Asians (77%). (Exit polls offer the first look at who voted in an election, a portrait that will be refined over time as more data, such as state voter files, become available.)
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President Trump pulled in a respectable 28 percent of the Hispanic vote in 2016, despite hispositions on immigration and a border wall. This year, GOP candidates won 29 percent,according to the Pew Research Center’s exit poll data.
In U.S. congressional races nationwide, an estimated 69% of Latinos voted for the Democratic candidate and 29% backed the Republican candidate, a more than two-to-one advantage for Democrats, according to National Election Pool exit poll data. These results largely reflect the party affiliation of Latinos. In a Pew Research Center pre-election survey, 62% of Latinos said they identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party compared with 27% who affiliated with the Republican Party. Among other racial and ethnic groups, a lower share of whites (44%) voted for Democrats in congressional races compared with blacks (90%) and Asians (77%). (Exit polls offer the first look at who voted in an election, a portrait that will be refined over time as more data, such as state voter files, become available.)
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Weed Wins, but Greens Lose
How ballot initiatives shaped up in the 2018 general election
At the polls Tuesday night, Americans in 37 states voted up and down on 155 ballot initiatives, with big wins for legal marijuana but losses for environmentalist proposals.
Nearly 60 percent of Michiganders voted to legalize marijuana statewide, becoming the 10th to do so. The new law will permit adults age 21 and up to own up to 2.5 ounces and households to grow up to 12 plants. People will likely be able to smoke legally starting next month, after the results are certified.
Utah and Missouri voters also backed marijuana initiatives, becoming the 32nd and 33rd states in the union to establish medical marijuana regimes. In Utah, qualified patients will be allowed to purchase up to two ounces, while in Missouri patients will be permitted to obtain marijuana for 10 different medical conditions and also grow up to six plants for their use.
North Dakotans were the lone pot standouts. The state had previously implemented a medical marijuana regime, but a proposal for recreational use went down 60 percent to 40 percent. Neitherlosing senator Heidi Heitkamp (D.) nor her successful opponent Kevin Cramer (R.) backed the measure.
Although not voting directly on marijuana, Ohio also declined to back a drug liberalization measure. Nearly two thirds of Ohioans rejected issue 1, which would have reduced drug possession and use from felony to misdemeanor status. Two other criminal justice-related initiatives passed, however: Florida voted to reenfranchise former felons and Louisiana ended its practice of not requiring a unanimous jury for felony convictions.
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At the polls Tuesday night, Americans in 37 states voted up and down on 155 ballot initiatives, with big wins for legal marijuana but losses for environmentalist proposals.
Nearly 60 percent of Michiganders voted to legalize marijuana statewide, becoming the 10th to do so. The new law will permit adults age 21 and up to own up to 2.5 ounces and households to grow up to 12 plants. People will likely be able to smoke legally starting next month, after the results are certified.
Utah and Missouri voters also backed marijuana initiatives, becoming the 32nd and 33rd states in the union to establish medical marijuana regimes. In Utah, qualified patients will be allowed to purchase up to two ounces, while in Missouri patients will be permitted to obtain marijuana for 10 different medical conditions and also grow up to six plants for their use.
North Dakotans were the lone pot standouts. The state had previously implemented a medical marijuana regime, but a proposal for recreational use went down 60 percent to 40 percent. Neitherlosing senator Heidi Heitkamp (D.) nor her successful opponent Kevin Cramer (R.) backed the measure.
Although not voting directly on marijuana, Ohio also declined to back a drug liberalization measure. Nearly two thirds of Ohioans rejected issue 1, which would have reduced drug possession and use from felony to misdemeanor status. Two other criminal justice-related initiatives passed, however: Florida voted to reenfranchise former felons and Louisiana ended its practice of not requiring a unanimous jury for felony convictions.
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The Extreme Measures Enviros Will Take To Stop A Crude Oil Pipeline
ST. MARTINVILLE, La. — Deep in Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Basin, the largest swamp in the United States, a group of protesters have seemingly stopped at nothing to scuttle completion of a legal pipeline.
The construction project in question, the Bayou Bridge Pipeline, is a 163-mile crude oil pipeline that extends across southern Louisiana. The pipeline will carry up to 480,000 barrels of crude oil a day when completed — taking a lot of oil off more hazardous means of transportation, such as road and train lines.
Despite the pipeline being overwhelmingly welcomed by locals and Louisiana politiciansacross the partisan spectrum, construction efforts have attracted an inordinate amount of pushback from national environmental groups. Organizations such as Sierra Club, EarthJustice, Waterkeeper Alliance and others have continually tried to torpedo the pipeline with lawsuits.
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The construction project in question, the Bayou Bridge Pipeline, is a 163-mile crude oil pipeline that extends across southern Louisiana. The pipeline will carry up to 480,000 barrels of crude oil a day when completed — taking a lot of oil off more hazardous means of transportation, such as road and train lines.
Despite the pipeline being overwhelmingly welcomed by locals and Louisiana politiciansacross the partisan spectrum, construction efforts have attracted an inordinate amount of pushback from national environmental groups. Organizations such as Sierra Club, EarthJustice, Waterkeeper Alliance and others have continually tried to torpedo the pipeline with lawsuits.
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WYC 2018 Boat Parade: This Event Will Go On Even If It Rains
The lighted boats can be viewed anyplace along the river from Wicomico Creek to down town Salisbury. All boats are welcome to participate and if you would like to donate to the toy drive or need additional information please call 410-726-3876 or 410-430-2282.
Defeated GOP lawmaker blames John McCain for Dem House takeover
A Republican congressman who lost his bid for re-election last week took to the op-ed pages of The Wall Street Journal last weekend to blame the Democratic takeover of the House of Representatives on the late Sen. John McCain.
"The Republican Party lost its House majority on July 28, 2017, when Sen. John McCain ended the party’s seven-year quest to repeal ObamaCare," Rep. Jason Lewis, R-Minn., wrote to open his piece, which went on to describe McCain's vote as "inscrutable." He added that McCain's vote "prompted a 'green wave' of liberal special-interest money, which was used to propagate false claims that the House plan 'gutted coverage for people with pre-existing conditions.'
"That line was the Democrats’ most potent attack in the midterms," Lewis said.
McCain, who died this past August at the age of 81, joined fellow Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska to vote against the repeal legislation in the Senate, which was defeated 51-49. Democrats regained control of the House after hammering Republicans on pre-existing conditions, citing the GOP's repeal efforts and an ongoing lawsuit from 20-plus Republican attorneys general to repeal former President Barack Obama's health care law.
Lewis, who was elected in 2016 to represent Minnesota's 2nd District, was among the Republicans unseated last week, losing to Democratic challenger Angie Craig in a rematch of his contest from two years ago.
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"The Republican Party lost its House majority on July 28, 2017, when Sen. John McCain ended the party’s seven-year quest to repeal ObamaCare," Rep. Jason Lewis, R-Minn., wrote to open his piece, which went on to describe McCain's vote as "inscrutable." He added that McCain's vote "prompted a 'green wave' of liberal special-interest money, which was used to propagate false claims that the House plan 'gutted coverage for people with pre-existing conditions.'
"That line was the Democrats’ most potent attack in the midterms," Lewis said.
McCain, who died this past August at the age of 81, joined fellow Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska to vote against the repeal legislation in the Senate, which was defeated 51-49. Democrats regained control of the House after hammering Republicans on pre-existing conditions, citing the GOP's repeal efforts and an ongoing lawsuit from 20-plus Republican attorneys general to repeal former President Barack Obama's health care law.
Lewis, who was elected in 2016 to represent Minnesota's 2nd District, was among the Republicans unseated last week, losing to Democratic challenger Angie Craig in a rematch of his contest from two years ago.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/defeated-gop-lawmaker-blames-john-mccain-for-dem-house-takeover
Shootings, Stampedes, & Scraps: Black Friday Chaos Erupts Around The World
Even as more shoppers migrate online, Black Friday is becoming equally notorious for the chaotic scenes and episodic violence as it is for the sales that brought shoppers to the stores in the first place. And this year was no exception.
As shoppers lined up around the world, videos of scuffles and stampedes from Brazil to South Africa spread online. At one mall in Sao Paolo, shoppers fought one another to grab deeply discounted TVs.
In one particularly shocking video that, according to the Daily Mail, was taken Friday morning in South Africa, a crowd of frantic shoppers can be seen literally swarming through the entrance of a department store as scuffles break out left and right. Hapless store employees try to direct the crowd into orderly lines to little avail.
More/Video
As shoppers lined up around the world, videos of scuffles and stampedes from Brazil to South Africa spread online. At one mall in Sao Paolo, shoppers fought one another to grab deeply discounted TVs.
In one particularly shocking video that, according to the Daily Mail, was taken Friday morning in South Africa, a crowd of frantic shoppers can be seen literally swarming through the entrance of a department store as scuffles break out left and right. Hapless store employees try to direct the crowd into orderly lines to little avail.
More/Video
Pelosi and her deputies cling to power despite calls to give way to new generation of Democrats
Democrats are poised to re-elect their long-reigning triumvirate of leaders in the House of Representatives despite calls for a generational shift from a number of new members impatient for change.
Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and her two deputies, who will all be 80 by the 2020 elections, declared for the top three spots in leadership after last week’s election, which sent Democrats into their first majority in eight years. They occupied the top three slots the last time the Democrats entered the majority, in 2006.
Though a vocal group of Pelosi defectors is actively whipping against the California Democrat, no one has mounted a bid against her or her second-in-command and presumptive majority leader, Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland.
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Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and her two deputies, who will all be 80 by the 2020 elections, declared for the top three spots in leadership after last week’s election, which sent Democrats into their first majority in eight years. They occupied the top three slots the last time the Democrats entered the majority, in 2006.
Though a vocal group of Pelosi defectors is actively whipping against the California Democrat, no one has mounted a bid against her or her second-in-command and presumptive majority leader, Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland.
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In 1919, Mothers Designed a Cross to Remember 49 Veterans. Now the Supreme Court Will Decide If It’s Constitutional.
They came from many walks of life, the 49 boys of Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Several were laborers like George Washington Farmer and William Lee—one white, the other African-American. One, Ernest Pendleton Magruder, was a well-known surgeon. Another, Henry Lewis Hulbert, a Medal of Honor recipient of a previous war, would again display such bravery that he would earn a Distinguished Service Cross.
Educated or not, white or black, rich or poor, their diverse backgrounds mattered little as they died on foreign soil in the final months of the “war to end all wars.” Their bodies were interred under small grave makers, including crosses, in cemeteries far too distant for their families to ever visit.
So, in 1925, a local post of The American Legion—now the largest veterans service organization in the country with approximately 2.2 million members—erected the Bladensburg World War I Veterans Memorial to honor the 49 Bladensburg-area men who gave their lives serving in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War I.
But the cross-shape of the monument is too much to bear for some humanists, who have sued to have the memorial deemed unconstitutional.
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Several were laborers like George Washington Farmer and William Lee—one white, the other African-American. One, Ernest Pendleton Magruder, was a well-known surgeon. Another, Henry Lewis Hulbert, a Medal of Honor recipient of a previous war, would again display such bravery that he would earn a Distinguished Service Cross.
Educated or not, white or black, rich or poor, their diverse backgrounds mattered little as they died on foreign soil in the final months of the “war to end all wars.” Their bodies were interred under small grave makers, including crosses, in cemeteries far too distant for their families to ever visit.
So, in 1925, a local post of The American Legion—now the largest veterans service organization in the country with approximately 2.2 million members—erected the Bladensburg World War I Veterans Memorial to honor the 49 Bladensburg-area men who gave their lives serving in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War I.
But the cross-shape of the monument is too much to bear for some humanists, who have sued to have the memorial deemed unconstitutional.
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Is English class still useful in 2018?
Last week, Rosemary Dewar highlighted a shift in attitude among current high school students. Apparently, this demographic “wants to jumpstart their careers as soon as possible” and they’ve realized that amassing “tens of thousands of dollars in debt before receiving any on-the-job training” isn’t the way to do it. Later on, Dewar calls attention to the educational implications of this change, claiming that teachers will now need “to justify their [courses’] utility” [emphasis added] to college students faced with price tags growing more exorbitant by the year.
To those who value fiscal responsibility, this fresh perspective makes sense. Why would an 18-year-old waste time and money on a product that provides no guarantees of future career-enhancing opportunities? Competitive alternatives to traditional education clearly exist, and it should come as no surprise that kids are smart enough to seek them out.
But, as much as I admire any teenager intelligent and bold enough to break from what’s become a deeply embedded cultural norm, I can’t help worrying about the perceived practicality of high school literature courses (e.g., the ones I teach). And because my current school costs more than many colleges and universities, I think it’s time for a self-audit.
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To those who value fiscal responsibility, this fresh perspective makes sense. Why would an 18-year-old waste time and money on a product that provides no guarantees of future career-enhancing opportunities? Competitive alternatives to traditional education clearly exist, and it should come as no surprise that kids are smart enough to seek them out.
But, as much as I admire any teenager intelligent and bold enough to break from what’s become a deeply embedded cultural norm, I can’t help worrying about the perceived practicality of high school literature courses (e.g., the ones I teach). And because my current school costs more than many colleges and universities, I think it’s time for a self-audit.
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Publishers Notes: Let us not forget our local weather broadcasters, "TEMCHUR". No kids, we're not deaf! We keep saying, excuse me or huh because we can't understand the freaking words coming out of your mouths, not because we're deaf. Liberals are driving us right back to the stone age.
Here We Go Again: US Accuses Iran Of Hiding Chemical Weapons
In a trite refrain straight out of the standard Washington regime change playbook, the United States has lodged a formal complaint alleging Iran is developing nerve agents "for offensive purposes".
Like Syria before (and Russia), first comes the "outraged!" human rights violations rhetoric, then come crippling sanctions and international "pariah status", and for the final push comes unfounded chemical attack claims, a charge now being formally prepped and set in motion against Tehran by the West.
After the AP first revealed a week ago that the U.S. is set to accuse Iran of violating international bans on chemical weapons, an American diplomat has told the global chemical weapons agency in The Hague that Tehran has not declared all of its chemical weapons capabilities.
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Like Syria before (and Russia), first comes the "outraged!" human rights violations rhetoric, then come crippling sanctions and international "pariah status", and for the final push comes unfounded chemical attack claims, a charge now being formally prepped and set in motion against Tehran by the West.
After the AP first revealed a week ago that the U.S. is set to accuse Iran of violating international bans on chemical weapons, an American diplomat has told the global chemical weapons agency in The Hague that Tehran has not declared all of its chemical weapons capabilities.
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Nate Jackson: Republican Women Ignored by Media
Numerous GOP women won last Tuesday but with little to no fanfare in the press.
Marsha Blackburn, Young Kim, Carol Miller, Kay Ivey, Kim Reynolds, Kristi Noem, Jeanette Nunez, Janice McGeachin. Most Americans could be forgiven for not ever having heard of these women, despite their elections to the U.S. Senate and House or to governorships or lieutenant governorships. Almost all of them are the first women in their respective states to win those positions. Kim is the first Korean-American woman to be elected to Congress from any state. So why are they so often ignored?
Because they’re Republican.
Instead, the media was busy slobbering over Beto O'Rourke in Texas. To be fair, there was plenty of media swooning over some women — New Mexico’s Debra Haaland and Kansas’s Sharice Davids, the first Native-American women elected to Congress, as well as Minnesota’s Ilhan Omar and Michigan’s Rashida Tlaib, the first Muslim-American women elected to Congress. All four are Democrats. Then there are the 10 “LGBT” members of Congress. All Democrats. And let’s not forget Democrat Socialist heartthrob Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest woman elected to Congress.
As our Robin Smith explained yesterday, “Democrat women [are] convinced that all American voters born with a uterus should conform to vote as a gender bloc.” And as Mark Alexander has put it many times, Democrats bank on women being emotionally incontinent dupes. Any woman who doesn’t vote Democrat — let alone runs for officeas a Republican — is a traitor to half the human race. And Democrats freely blame women for whatever defeats they suffered last Tuesday.
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Marsha Blackburn, Young Kim, Carol Miller, Kay Ivey, Kim Reynolds, Kristi Noem, Jeanette Nunez, Janice McGeachin. Most Americans could be forgiven for not ever having heard of these women, despite their elections to the U.S. Senate and House or to governorships or lieutenant governorships. Almost all of them are the first women in their respective states to win those positions. Kim is the first Korean-American woman to be elected to Congress from any state. So why are they so often ignored?
Because they’re Republican.
Instead, the media was busy slobbering over Beto O'Rourke in Texas. To be fair, there was plenty of media swooning over some women — New Mexico’s Debra Haaland and Kansas’s Sharice Davids, the first Native-American women elected to Congress, as well as Minnesota’s Ilhan Omar and Michigan’s Rashida Tlaib, the first Muslim-American women elected to Congress. All four are Democrats. Then there are the 10 “LGBT” members of Congress. All Democrats. And let’s not forget Democrat Socialist heartthrob Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest woman elected to Congress.
As our Robin Smith explained yesterday, “Democrat women [are] convinced that all American voters born with a uterus should conform to vote as a gender bloc.” And as Mark Alexander has put it many times, Democrats bank on women being emotionally incontinent dupes. Any woman who doesn’t vote Democrat — let alone runs for officeas a Republican — is a traitor to half the human race. And Democrats freely blame women for whatever defeats they suffered last Tuesday.
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Space Force May Cost only a Fifth of Air Force Estimates
A Space Force may only cost the Pentagon $550 million more per year, amounting to only a fraction of the estimate put forth by the U.S. Air Force, according to a defense budget analyst.
While the total cost for a Space Force could amount to as much as $21.5 billion annually, most of that money is already accounted for in the Defense Department’s budget for space personnel, operations, and procurement, according to Todd Harrison of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
"Most of this is just a simple matter of reorganization and whether or not you think that’s worth it," Harrison told Defense One on Monday. "The added cost is a handful of F-35s or less than the audit. I don’t think cost actually should be that big of factor in their decision. I think a bigger factor is whether or not it’s needed."
Harrison analyzed the costs for small, medium, and large forces, pegging the cost of a Space Force between $300 million and $550 million per year in additional funds.
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While the total cost for a Space Force could amount to as much as $21.5 billion annually, most of that money is already accounted for in the Defense Department’s budget for space personnel, operations, and procurement, according to Todd Harrison of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
"Most of this is just a simple matter of reorganization and whether or not you think that’s worth it," Harrison told Defense One on Monday. "The added cost is a handful of F-35s or less than the audit. I don’t think cost actually should be that big of factor in their decision. I think a bigger factor is whether or not it’s needed."
Harrison analyzed the costs for small, medium, and large forces, pegging the cost of a Space Force between $300 million and $550 million per year in additional funds.
More
Youtuber builds fully automatic rubber band firing gun
Using several pieces of wood, hot glue, a power drill and a whole pile of rubber bands, this Youtuber designed and built a fully automatic rubber band gun. While it isn’t deadly, you still probably don’t want to get caught in its crosshairs.
Video
Video
Iran Had Secret Plans to Build Five Nuclear Warheads
A new bombshell report shows the Islamic Republic had concrete plans to manufacture and build at least five nuclear weapons and that Iran's contested nuclear weapons program was much further along than the international community thought, according to a report based on scores of secret Iranian plans seized by Israel and publicly disclosed for the first time earlier this year.
Information obtained in this raid on Iran's secretive nuclear files has revealed that Tehran was well along the path to building several nuclear weapons by around 2003, including the complex infrastructure needed to produce such weapons.
"Iran intended to build five nuclear warheads, each with an explosive yield of 10 kilotons and able to be delivered by ballistic missile," the group disclosed in the report that shows Iran has retained much of its nuclear infrastructure and could continue using it to clandestinely conduct weapons work in violation of the landmark nuclear accord.
More here
Information obtained in this raid on Iran's secretive nuclear files has revealed that Tehran was well along the path to building several nuclear weapons by around 2003, including the complex infrastructure needed to produce such weapons.
"Iran intended to build five nuclear warheads, each with an explosive yield of 10 kilotons and able to be delivered by ballistic missile," the group disclosed in the report that shows Iran has retained much of its nuclear infrastructure and could continue using it to clandestinely conduct weapons work in violation of the landmark nuclear accord.
More here
Paying Taxes Makes You a More Conscious Citizen
In describing the GOP tax cuts, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said that they and bonuses American workers were getting were “crumbs.” They were “tax cuts for the rich.” Some argued that the tax cuts would reduce revenues. Pelosi predicted, “This thing will explode the deficit.”
How about some tax facts?
The argument that tax cuts reduce federal revenues can be disposed of quite easily. According to the Congressional Budget Office, revenues from federal income taxes were $76 billion higher in the first half of this year than they were in the first half of 2017.
The Treasury Department says it expects that federal revenues will continue to exceed last year’s for the rest of 2018. Despite record federal revenues, 2018 will see a massive deficit, perhaps topping $1 trillion.
Our massive deficit is a result not of tax cuts, but of profligate congressional spending that outruns rising tax revenues. Grossly false statements about tax cuts’ reducing revenue should be put to rest in the wake of federal revenue increases seen with tax cuts during the Kennedy, Reagan, and Trump administrations.
A very disturbing and mostly ignored issue is how absence of skin in the game negatively impacts the political arena. It turns out that 45 percent of American households—nearly 78 million individuals—have no federal income tax obligation. That poses a serious political problem.
More
How about some tax facts?
The argument that tax cuts reduce federal revenues can be disposed of quite easily. According to the Congressional Budget Office, revenues from federal income taxes were $76 billion higher in the first half of this year than they were in the first half of 2017.
The Treasury Department says it expects that federal revenues will continue to exceed last year’s for the rest of 2018. Despite record federal revenues, 2018 will see a massive deficit, perhaps topping $1 trillion.
Our massive deficit is a result not of tax cuts, but of profligate congressional spending that outruns rising tax revenues. Grossly false statements about tax cuts’ reducing revenue should be put to rest in the wake of federal revenue increases seen with tax cuts during the Kennedy, Reagan, and Trump administrations.
A very disturbing and mostly ignored issue is how absence of skin in the game negatively impacts the political arena. It turns out that 45 percent of American households—nearly 78 million individuals—have no federal income tax obligation. That poses a serious political problem.
More
Professor Thinks Banning These Words Would Fix Free Speech on College Campuses
University of Pennsylvania law professor Amy Wax is accustomed to political wrong-think.
Wax has a bachelor’s degree from Yale College, a medical degree from Harvard, and a law degree from Columbia. But none of those was enough to exempt her from being on the receiving end of a full-fledged campaign to get her fired. Nor was arguing 15 cases before the Supreme Court on behalf of the Justice Department, but that’s beside the point.
Wax doesn’t fear being called racist, sexist, or xenophobic, probably because she’s been called many of those names before. Instead of retreating to the safety of her tenure when things get tough, she doubles down—demanding debate, evidence, and accountability.
Students and colleagues alike have attacked Wax for making the apparently offensive case that traditional marriage values lead to better results for children, and for putting forth the radical argument that many of the country’s problems are a symptom of the breakdown of the “bourgeois culture” (the 1940s and ’50s way of life).
In making that argument, Wax addressed the fact that things weren’t perfect back then, but like clockwork, her critics called her “racist and classist” anyway.
The straw that really broke the camel’s back, however, happened when student activists searching for dirt on Wax unearthed a 2017 podcast interview she did with economist and Brown University professor Glenn Loury.
More here
Wax has a bachelor’s degree from Yale College, a medical degree from Harvard, and a law degree from Columbia. But none of those was enough to exempt her from being on the receiving end of a full-fledged campaign to get her fired. Nor was arguing 15 cases before the Supreme Court on behalf of the Justice Department, but that’s beside the point.
Wax doesn’t fear being called racist, sexist, or xenophobic, probably because she’s been called many of those names before. Instead of retreating to the safety of her tenure when things get tough, she doubles down—demanding debate, evidence, and accountability.
Students and colleagues alike have attacked Wax for making the apparently offensive case that traditional marriage values lead to better results for children, and for putting forth the radical argument that many of the country’s problems are a symptom of the breakdown of the “bourgeois culture” (the 1940s and ’50s way of life).
In making that argument, Wax addressed the fact that things weren’t perfect back then, but like clockwork, her critics called her “racist and classist” anyway.
The straw that really broke the camel’s back, however, happened when student activists searching for dirt on Wax unearthed a 2017 podcast interview she did with economist and Brown University professor Glenn Loury.
More here
ACCIDENT-South Bound Rt.13 Bypass- North of Snow Hill Rd exit
Type of Incident: Traffic crash
Date and Time: 11/22/2018 9:23 pm
Location: South Bound Rt.13 Bypass- North of Snow Hill Rd exit
Vehicle(s): 2007 White Toyota pickup
Driver/passengers(s)/pedestrian:
Driver: Kenneth Chatmon - 55 years of age - 200 block of Morris Drive in Salisbury MD.
Passenger: Kaleb Chatmon - 6 years of age of 800 block of South Schumaker Drive in Salisbury MD.
Injuries:
Kaleb Chatmon, the six (6) year old passenger was pronounced dead at the scene.
Kenneth Chatmon the (55) year old driver was injured and transported by ambulance to PRMC.
Charges: The investigation is continuing and charges are pending.
Narrative: On the above date and time, and according to witnesses, three (3) vehicles were traveling southbound on Route 13 Bypass north of the Snow Hill Road Exit - Wicomico County (Maryland). The vehicles were noted to be traveling well above the posted 65 mph speed limit in what was said to be indicative of a road rage incident. Witnesses detailed one of the vehicles, a white Toyota pickup truck lost control, leaving the roadway entering the grassy median. The operator of the vehicle over corrected, causing the Toyota to recross both lanes of SB 13 Bypass. The vehicle rotated and collided with a tree at roadside. More specifically, the passenger’s side door made impact with the tree. Both occupants of the truck were transported to Peninsula Regional Medical Center (PRMC) where it was later determined the six (6) year old succumbed to his injuries.
The operator was being treated for critical injuries. MSP Crash Reconstructionist responded to the scene.
Alcohol/drugs are being considered as part of the investigation. Immediate family was notified by MSP Salisbury “E” Barrack Command staff and hospital administration. None of the other vehicles seen by witnesses prior to this crash were identified or located. If anyone has knowledge of the crash or additional
information on the two additional vehicles, please contact the Investigating Trooper.
Investigating Trooper or Barrack Media Contact Name: Tfc. W. Shelter #5979 Phone Number: 410-749-3101
Date and Time: 11/22/2018 9:23 pm
Location: South Bound Rt.13 Bypass- North of Snow Hill Rd exit
Vehicle(s): 2007 White Toyota pickup
Driver/passengers(s)/pedestrian:
Driver: Kenneth Chatmon - 55 years of age - 200 block of Morris Drive in Salisbury MD.
Passenger: Kaleb Chatmon - 6 years of age of 800 block of South Schumaker Drive in Salisbury MD.
Injuries:
Kaleb Chatmon, the six (6) year old passenger was pronounced dead at the scene.
Kenneth Chatmon the (55) year old driver was injured and transported by ambulance to PRMC.
Charges: The investigation is continuing and charges are pending.
Narrative: On the above date and time, and according to witnesses, three (3) vehicles were traveling southbound on Route 13 Bypass north of the Snow Hill Road Exit - Wicomico County (Maryland). The vehicles were noted to be traveling well above the posted 65 mph speed limit in what was said to be indicative of a road rage incident. Witnesses detailed one of the vehicles, a white Toyota pickup truck lost control, leaving the roadway entering the grassy median. The operator of the vehicle over corrected, causing the Toyota to recross both lanes of SB 13 Bypass. The vehicle rotated and collided with a tree at roadside. More specifically, the passenger’s side door made impact with the tree. Both occupants of the truck were transported to Peninsula Regional Medical Center (PRMC) where it was later determined the six (6) year old succumbed to his injuries.
The operator was being treated for critical injuries. MSP Crash Reconstructionist responded to the scene.
Alcohol/drugs are being considered as part of the investigation. Immediate family was notified by MSP Salisbury “E” Barrack Command staff and hospital administration. None of the other vehicles seen by witnesses prior to this crash were identified or located. If anyone has knowledge of the crash or additional
information on the two additional vehicles, please contact the Investigating Trooper.
Investigating Trooper or Barrack Media Contact Name: Tfc. W. Shelter #5979 Phone Number: 410-749-3101
Reaping The Fruits Of College Indoctrination
Much of today's incivility and contempt for personal liberty has its roots on college campuses,and most of the uncivil and contemptuous are people with college backgrounds.
Let's look at a few highly publicized recent examples of incivility and attacks on free speech.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his wife, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, were accosted and harassed by a deranged left-wing mob as they were leaving a dinner at Georgetown University. Sen. McConnell was harassed by protesters at Reagan National Airport, as well as at several venues in Kentucky. Sen. Ted Cruz and his wife were harassed at a Washington, D.C., restaurant. Afterward, a group called Smash Racism DC wrote: "No -- you can't eat in peace -- your politics are an attack on all of us. You're (sic) votes are a death wish. Your votes are hate crimes." Other members of Congress -- such as Andy Harris, Susan Collins and Rand Paul -- have been physically attacked or harassed by leftists. Most recent is the case of Fox News political commentator Tucker Carlson. A leftist group showed up at his house at night, damaging his front door and chanting, "Tucker Carlson, we will fight! We know where you sleep at night!" "Racist scumbag, leave town!"
Mayhem against people with different points of view is excused as just deserts for what is seen as hate speech.
Enterprise Institute scholar Charles Murray discovered this when he was shouted down at Middlebury College and the professor escorting him was sent to the hospital with injuries. Students at the University of California, Berkeley shut down a controversial speaker and caused riot damage estimated at $100,000. Protesters at both UCLA and Claremont McKenna College disrupted scheduled lectures by Manhattan Institute scholar Heather Mac Donald.
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education has discovered so-called bias response teams on hundreds of American college campuses. Bias response teams report to campus officials -- and sometimes to law enforcement officers -- speech that may cause "alarm, anger, or fear" or that might otherwise offend. Drawing pictures or cartoons that belittle people because of their beliefs or political affiliation can be reported as hate speech. Universities expressly set their sights on prohibiting constitutionally protected speech. As FIRE reported in 2017, hundreds of universities nationwide now maintain Orwellian systems that ask students to report -- often anonymously -- their neighbors, friends and professors for any instances of supposed biased speech and expression.
More
Let's look at a few highly publicized recent examples of incivility and attacks on free speech.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his wife, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, were accosted and harassed by a deranged left-wing mob as they were leaving a dinner at Georgetown University. Sen. McConnell was harassed by protesters at Reagan National Airport, as well as at several venues in Kentucky. Sen. Ted Cruz and his wife were harassed at a Washington, D.C., restaurant. Afterward, a group called Smash Racism DC wrote: "No -- you can't eat in peace -- your politics are an attack on all of us. You're (sic) votes are a death wish. Your votes are hate crimes." Other members of Congress -- such as Andy Harris, Susan Collins and Rand Paul -- have been physically attacked or harassed by leftists. Most recent is the case of Fox News political commentator Tucker Carlson. A leftist group showed up at his house at night, damaging his front door and chanting, "Tucker Carlson, we will fight! We know where you sleep at night!" "Racist scumbag, leave town!"
Mayhem against people with different points of view is excused as just deserts for what is seen as hate speech.
Enterprise Institute scholar Charles Murray discovered this when he was shouted down at Middlebury College and the professor escorting him was sent to the hospital with injuries. Students at the University of California, Berkeley shut down a controversial speaker and caused riot damage estimated at $100,000. Protesters at both UCLA and Claremont McKenna College disrupted scheduled lectures by Manhattan Institute scholar Heather Mac Donald.
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education has discovered so-called bias response teams on hundreds of American college campuses. Bias response teams report to campus officials -- and sometimes to law enforcement officers -- speech that may cause "alarm, anger, or fear" or that might otherwise offend. Drawing pictures or cartoons that belittle people because of their beliefs or political affiliation can be reported as hate speech. Universities expressly set their sights on prohibiting constitutionally protected speech. As FIRE reported in 2017, hundreds of universities nationwide now maintain Orwellian systems that ask students to report -- often anonymously -- their neighbors, friends and professors for any instances of supposed biased speech and expression.
More
Did a Military Experimental Vaccine in 1918 Kill 50-100 Million People Blamed as “Spanish Flu”?
The “Spanish Flu” killed an estimated 50-100 million people during a pandemic 1918-19. What if the story we have been told about this pandemic isn’t true?
What if, instead, the killer infection was neither the flu nor Spanish in origin?
Newly analyzed documents reveal that the “Spanish Flu” may have been a military vaccine experiment gone awry.
In looking back on the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, we need to delve deeper to solve this mystery.
Summary
The reason modern technology has not been able to pinpoint the killer influenza strain from this pandemic is because influenza was not the killer.
More soldiers died during WWI from disease than from bullets.
The pandemic was not flu. An estimated 95% (or higher) of the deaths were caused by bacterial pneumonia, not influenza/a virus.
The pandemic was not Spanish. The first cases of bacterial pneumonia in 1918 trace back to a military base in Fort Riley, Kansas.
What if, instead, the killer infection was neither the flu nor Spanish in origin?
Newly analyzed documents reveal that the “Spanish Flu” may have been a military vaccine experiment gone awry.
In looking back on the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, we need to delve deeper to solve this mystery.
Summary
The reason modern technology has not been able to pinpoint the killer influenza strain from this pandemic is because influenza was not the killer.
More soldiers died during WWI from disease than from bullets.
The pandemic was not flu. An estimated 95% (or higher) of the deaths were caused by bacterial pneumonia, not influenza/a virus.
The pandemic was not Spanish. The first cases of bacterial pneumonia in 1918 trace back to a military base in Fort Riley, Kansas.
545 vs. 300,000,000 People- by Charlie Reese
Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.
Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?
Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?
You and I don't propose a federal budget. The President does.
You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations.
The House of Representatives does.
You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.
You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.
You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.
One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.
I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.
I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a President to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash.
The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.
Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.
What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The President can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.
The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes.
Who is the speaker of the House now? He is the leader of the majority party. He and fellow House members, not the President, can approve any budget they want. If the President vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.
It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.
If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.
If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.
If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.
If the Army & Marines are in Iraq and Afghanistan it's because they want them in Iraq and Afghanistan.
If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.
There are no insoluble government problems.
Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power.
Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.
Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.
They, and they alone, have the power. They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses, provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees..
They, and they alone, have the power. They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses, provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees..
We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!
What you do with this article now that you have read it... is up to you.
This might be funny if it weren't so true.
Be sure to read all the way to the end:
Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table, at which he's fed.
Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes are the rule.
Tax his work,
Tax his pay, he works for peanuts anyway!
Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat
Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt
Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he tries to think.
Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries tax his tears.
Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways to tax his ass.
Tax all he has, then let him know that you won't be done till he has no dough.
When he screams and hollers; then tax him some more, tax him till he's good and sore.
Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod into which he's laid...
Put these words upon his tomb,
"Taxes drove me to my doom.."
When he's gone, do not relax,
When he's gone, do not relax,
it’s time to apply, the Inheritance tax.
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)
Gross Receipts Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Personal Property Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service Charge Tax
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Sales Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax
STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?
Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, & our nation was the most prosperous in the world.
We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom, if agreed, stayed home to raise the kids.
What in the heck happened? Can you spell 'politicians?'
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