NPR published a report Friday asserting that Donald Trump Jr.’s testimony to the Senate about efforts to build a Trump Tower in Moscow were inconsistent with Michael Cohen’s claims about the same project in his plea deal Thursday.
A transcript from Trump Jr.’s Sept. 7, 2017 testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee shows that he claimed the Trump Organization ceased pursuing a deal to build Trump Tower in Moscow in by the end of 2014, NPR reported.
The news organization quoted Trump Jr. as saying that the project “faded away” by “the end of ’14.”
“But not in 2015 or 2016?” Trump Jr. was asked.
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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
Saturday, December 01, 2018
Marc A. Thiessen: Gene Editing Is Here. It's an Enormous Threat.
A Chinese scientist’s claim to have created the first genetically edited babies has evoked widespread condemnation from the scientific community. “This is far too premature,” one American genetic scientist told the Associated Press.
But here is a larger question: Should we be doing this at all?
The Chinese scientist, He Jiankui, used a gene-editing technique known as CRISPR to alter the DNA of two children in a petri dish and attempt to make them resistant to HIV. This is not what has American scientists up at arms. In fact, researchers in the United States have done the same thing. In 2017, scientists at Oregon Health & Science University used CRISPR to genetically alter human embryos to make them resistant to an unidentified disease. The difference is that He then implanted his edited embryos. The American researchers killed theirs.
The prospect of genetically eliminating crippling diseases is certainly appealing, but this promise masks a darker reality. First, there is a difference between genetic engineering and the extremely promising field of gene therapy, in which doctors use CRISPR technology to repair the DNA of defective nonreproductive cells — allowing them to treat cancer, genetic disorders and other diseases. In gene therapy, the genetic changes affect only the patient. In genetic engineering, scientists alter the entire genetic structure of the resulting human being — changes that are then passed on to future generations.
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But here is a larger question: Should we be doing this at all?
The Chinese scientist, He Jiankui, used a gene-editing technique known as CRISPR to alter the DNA of two children in a petri dish and attempt to make them resistant to HIV. This is not what has American scientists up at arms. In fact, researchers in the United States have done the same thing. In 2017, scientists at Oregon Health & Science University used CRISPR to genetically alter human embryos to make them resistant to an unidentified disease. The difference is that He then implanted his edited embryos. The American researchers killed theirs.
The prospect of genetically eliminating crippling diseases is certainly appealing, but this promise masks a darker reality. First, there is a difference between genetic engineering and the extremely promising field of gene therapy, in which doctors use CRISPR technology to repair the DNA of defective nonreproductive cells — allowing them to treat cancer, genetic disorders and other diseases. In gene therapy, the genetic changes affect only the patient. In genetic engineering, scientists alter the entire genetic structure of the resulting human being — changes that are then passed on to future generations.
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Clinton Foundation quiet on Saudi donations despite Hillary's attacks on Trump over Khashoggi's death
The Clinton Foundation has refused to say if it will follow the case of other non-profits and stop accepting money from Saudi Arabia, despite Hillary Clinton attacking President Trump over the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
The former Democratic candidate for president kicked off her speaking tour together with husband Bill on Tuesday, saying Trump is covering up Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and is reluctant to punish the kingdom due to his “personal commercial interests.
“We have a president who is part of the cover-up as to what happened in that consulate or embassy when Mr. Khashoggi was murdered,” Clinton said. “And we have a president and those closest to him who have their own personal commercial interests.”
"We have a president who is part of the cover-up as to what happened in that consulate or embassy when Mr. Khashoggi was murdered. And we have a president and those closest to him who have their own personal commercial interests."
The former Democratic candidate for president kicked off her speaking tour together with husband Bill on Tuesday, saying Trump is covering up Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and is reluctant to punish the kingdom due to his “personal commercial interests.
“We have a president who is part of the cover-up as to what happened in that consulate or embassy when Mr. Khashoggi was murdered,” Clinton said. “And we have a president and those closest to him who have their own personal commercial interests.”
"We have a president who is part of the cover-up as to what happened in that consulate or embassy when Mr. Khashoggi was murdered. And we have a president and those closest to him who have their own personal commercial interests."
— Hillary Clinton
But the Clinton Foundation, to which donations declined dramatically after Clinton’s 2016 defeat, has taken multi-million dollar contributions from Saudi Arabia in the past and isn’t ruling out continuing to accept them.
Fox News has sought comment several times in the past month, but neither Clinton Foundation spokesman Craig Minassian, Hillary Clinton's spokesman Nick Merrill or Angel Ureña, Bill Clinton's spokesman, responded.
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But the Clinton Foundation, to which donations declined dramatically after Clinton’s 2016 defeat, has taken multi-million dollar contributions from Saudi Arabia in the past and isn’t ruling out continuing to accept them.
Fox News has sought comment several times in the past month, but neither Clinton Foundation spokesman Craig Minassian, Hillary Clinton's spokesman Nick Merrill or Angel Ureña, Bill Clinton's spokesman, responded.
More
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/clinton-foundation-quiet-on-saudi-donations-despite-hillarys-attacks-on-trump-over-khashoggis-death
VOTE: What Is The Most Annoying Christmas Song Of All Time?
It’s that time of the year again. Dec. 25 is coming apace, which suggests hot chocolate, gingerbread, “A Christmas Story” marathon, street markets, Christmas trees, decorative lights … But let’s face the ruthless reality: It also means that soon it will be impossible to escape those annoying Christmas songs that most of us are profoundly sick of.
Train yourself with our finest selection of vexatious, embarrassing and upsetting hits, and help us find the most irritating one of all times with this poll.
Obviously, there are good and solemn Christmas songs. But ever since mankind discovered how easily you can sell anything with dogs, children or even women, the music industry started to produce some really upsetting abnormalities.
By hazard or on purpose, Christmas songs turned out to be the most irritating part of the holiday, and oftentimes, we have to bear them repeatedly. Extreme cases include an Austrian radio presenter, who barricaded himself in the studio to play Wham!’s Last Christmas 24 times in a row.
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Train yourself with our finest selection of vexatious, embarrassing and upsetting hits, and help us find the most irritating one of all times with this poll.
Obviously, there are good and solemn Christmas songs. But ever since mankind discovered how easily you can sell anything with dogs, children or even women, the music industry started to produce some really upsetting abnormalities.
By hazard or on purpose, Christmas songs turned out to be the most irritating part of the holiday, and oftentimes, we have to bear them repeatedly. Extreme cases include an Austrian radio presenter, who barricaded himself in the studio to play Wham!’s Last Christmas 24 times in a row.
More
Yes, You Have The Right To Talk Back To The Government, But It Could Get You Killed
What the architects of the police state want are submissive, compliant, cooperative, obedient, meek citizens who don’t talk back, don’t challenge government authority, don’t speak out against government misconduct, and don’t step out of line.
What the First Amendment protects - and a healthy constitutional republic requires - are citizens who routinely exercise their right to speak truth to power.
It’s not an easy undertaking.
Weaponized by police, prosecutors, courts and legislatures, “disorderly conduct” charges have become a convenient means by which to punish those individuals who refuse to be muzzled.
Deyshia Hargrave, a language arts teacher in Louisiana, was thrown to the ground, handcuffed and arrested for speaking out during a public comment period at a school board meeting.
Fane Lozman was arrested for alluding to government corruption during open comment time at a City Council meeting in Palm Beach County, Fla.
Dan Heyman, a reporter for the Public News Service, was arrested for “aggressively” questioning Tom Price, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services during an encounter in the West Virginia State Capitol.
College professor Ersula Ore was slammed to the ground and arrested after she objected to the “disrespectful manner” shown by a campus cop who stopped her in the middle of the street and demanded that she show her ID.
Philadelphia lawyer Rebecca Musarra was arrested for exercising her right to remain silent and refusing to answer questions posed by a police officer during a routine traffic stop. (Note: she cooperated in every other way by providing license and registration, etc.)
Robert Bartlett was arrested during an Arctic Man festival in Alaska, allegedly in retaliation for refusing to be interrogated by police and intervening when police attempted to question other people. His case is before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Cases like these have become all too common, typical of the bipolar nature of life in the American police state today: you may have distinct, protected rights on paper, but dare to exercise those rights and you put yourself at risk for fines, arrests, injuries and even death.
This is the unfortunate price of freedom.
Yet these are not new developments.
We have been circling this particular drain hole for some time now.
More
What the First Amendment protects - and a healthy constitutional republic requires - are citizens who routinely exercise their right to speak truth to power.
It’s not an easy undertaking.
Weaponized by police, prosecutors, courts and legislatures, “disorderly conduct” charges have become a convenient means by which to punish those individuals who refuse to be muzzled.
Deyshia Hargrave, a language arts teacher in Louisiana, was thrown to the ground, handcuffed and arrested for speaking out during a public comment period at a school board meeting.
Fane Lozman was arrested for alluding to government corruption during open comment time at a City Council meeting in Palm Beach County, Fla.
Dan Heyman, a reporter for the Public News Service, was arrested for “aggressively” questioning Tom Price, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services during an encounter in the West Virginia State Capitol.
College professor Ersula Ore was slammed to the ground and arrested after she objected to the “disrespectful manner” shown by a campus cop who stopped her in the middle of the street and demanded that she show her ID.
Philadelphia lawyer Rebecca Musarra was arrested for exercising her right to remain silent and refusing to answer questions posed by a police officer during a routine traffic stop. (Note: she cooperated in every other way by providing license and registration, etc.)
Robert Bartlett was arrested during an Arctic Man festival in Alaska, allegedly in retaliation for refusing to be interrogated by police and intervening when police attempted to question other people. His case is before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Cases like these have become all too common, typical of the bipolar nature of life in the American police state today: you may have distinct, protected rights on paper, but dare to exercise those rights and you put yourself at risk for fines, arrests, injuries and even death.
This is the unfortunate price of freedom.
Yet these are not new developments.
We have been circling this particular drain hole for some time now.
More
Your ZIP Code Determines Your Life Expectancy, But Not in These 7 Places
Just how long many Americans will live is largely a reflection of where they were born.
For the first time, neighborhood-level life expectancy data covering most of the country were published in September, revealing large disparities. The joint effort by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation utilized death records reported by 48 states.
Life expectancies generally mirror demographics. Babies born into neighborhoods with more white residents, or those with high incomes and college-educated populations, tend to live longer. Communities with poor access to food and health care have low life expectancies. Major gaps are further present across neighborhoods in close proximity within the same cities. As a response, places such as Alameda County, Calif., and Kansas City, Mo., have launched initiatives aimed at advancing health equity.
We’ve identified several outlier neighborhoods, represented as Census tracts, from the data. Some have extremely high or low estimated life expectancies. In other neighborhoods, the normal assumptions about race, poverty and other demographic characteristics as they relate to health do not seem to apply.
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For the first time, neighborhood-level life expectancy data covering most of the country were published in September, revealing large disparities. The joint effort by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation utilized death records reported by 48 states.
Life expectancies generally mirror demographics. Babies born into neighborhoods with more white residents, or those with high incomes and college-educated populations, tend to live longer. Communities with poor access to food and health care have low life expectancies. Major gaps are further present across neighborhoods in close proximity within the same cities. As a response, places such as Alameda County, Calif., and Kansas City, Mo., have launched initiatives aimed at advancing health equity.
We’ve identified several outlier neighborhoods, represented as Census tracts, from the data. Some have extremely high or low estimated life expectancies. In other neighborhoods, the normal assumptions about race, poverty and other demographic characteristics as they relate to health do not seem to apply.
More
These Inmates Want Porn in Prison -- and They Are Suing Iowa to Get It
About 58 inmates are attempting to sue the state of Iowa over the recent ban of pornography in prisons, claiming it violates their constitutional rights.
Inmates at Fort Dodge Correctional Facility are upset about the new law, which went in effect Nov. 14 at all nine state prisons and shut down the designated "pornography reading rooms." The men filed a class action suit in October in U.S. District Court, but a judge told them Nov. 1 that they would have to file amended and substituted complaints on the proper forms, and that each plaintiff must pay a filing fee or file an application to proceed as an indigent person by Friday.
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Inmates at Fort Dodge Correctional Facility are upset about the new law, which went in effect Nov. 14 at all nine state prisons and shut down the designated "pornography reading rooms." The men filed a class action suit in October in U.S. District Court, but a judge told them Nov. 1 that they would have to file amended and substituted complaints on the proper forms, and that each plaintiff must pay a filing fee or file an application to proceed as an indigent person by Friday.
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The Incoming Congress May Look Diverse, but Diversity of Thought Is Dwindling
The headlines about the incoming 116th Congress scream that our representation has never been so “young,” so “blue,” so “diverse.”
If diversity is about how people look, this Congress is very diverse. It’s a fact that there has never been so great a number of representatives who are women and people of color. There are 124 women, 55 blacks, 43 Latinos, and 15 Asians.
But if diversity means diversity of thought, it’s practically nonexistent.
Of the 124 women, 105 are Democrats. Of the 55 blacks, all are Democrats. Of the 43 Latinos, 34 are Democrats. Of the 15 Asians, 14 are Democrats.
The celebration about alleged diversity is really a celebration of one, uniform voice on the left, dressed in different colors, calling in unison for moving America further toward socialism and secular humanism.
All the politics of today’s Democratic Party, which is as far left as it has ever been, is about how people look and where they come from. Once we called this prejudice or stereotyping. Now we call it progressivism.
This is anything but Martin Luther King’s famous dream that his children would one day be judged by “the content of their character and not the color of their skin.”
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If diversity is about how people look, this Congress is very diverse. It’s a fact that there has never been so great a number of representatives who are women and people of color. There are 124 women, 55 blacks, 43 Latinos, and 15 Asians.
But if diversity means diversity of thought, it’s practically nonexistent.
Of the 124 women, 105 are Democrats. Of the 55 blacks, all are Democrats. Of the 43 Latinos, 34 are Democrats. Of the 15 Asians, 14 are Democrats.
The celebration about alleged diversity is really a celebration of one, uniform voice on the left, dressed in different colors, calling in unison for moving America further toward socialism and secular humanism.
All the politics of today’s Democratic Party, which is as far left as it has ever been, is about how people look and where they come from. Once we called this prejudice or stereotyping. Now we call it progressivism.
This is anything but Martin Luther King’s famous dream that his children would one day be judged by “the content of their character and not the color of their skin.”
More
EXCLUSIVE: FBI Raids Home Of Whistleblower On Clinton Foundation, Lawyer Says
FBI agents raided the home of a recognized Department of Justice whistleblower who privately delivered documents pertaining to the Clinton Foundation and Uranium One to a government watchdog, according to the whistleblower’s attorney.
The Justice Department’s inspector general was informed that the documents show that federal officials failed to investigate potential criminal activity regarding former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Clinton Foundation and Rosatom, the Russian company that purchased Uranium One, a document reviewed by The Daily Caller News Foundation alleges.
The delivered documents also show that then-FBI Director Robert Mueller failed to investigate allegations of criminal misconduct pertaining to Rosatom and to other Russian government entities attached to Uranium One, the document reviewed by TheDCNF alleges.Mueller is now the special counsel investigating whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 election.
“The bureau raided my client to seize what he legally gave Congress about the Clinton Foundation and Uranium One,” the whistleblower’s lawyer, Michael Socarras, told TheDCNF, noting that he considered the FBI’s raid to be an “outrageous disregard” of whistleblower protections.
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The Justice Department’s inspector general was informed that the documents show that federal officials failed to investigate potential criminal activity regarding former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Clinton Foundation and Rosatom, the Russian company that purchased Uranium One, a document reviewed by The Daily Caller News Foundation alleges.
The delivered documents also show that then-FBI Director Robert Mueller failed to investigate allegations of criminal misconduct pertaining to Rosatom and to other Russian government entities attached to Uranium One, the document reviewed by TheDCNF alleges.Mueller is now the special counsel investigating whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 election.
“The bureau raided my client to seize what he legally gave Congress about the Clinton Foundation and Uranium One,” the whistleblower’s lawyer, Michael Socarras, told TheDCNF, noting that he considered the FBI’s raid to be an “outrageous disregard” of whistleblower protections.
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Obama official helped prepare dire National Climate Assessment
A former Obama administration official with ties to a liberal advocacy group funded by Democratic mega-donors George Soros and Tom Steyer helped prepare the Fourth National Climate Assessment, whose dire predictions have since been attacked as overblown.
Andrew Light, who worked on the 2015 Paris accord negotiations as a senior adviser to the U.S. Special Envoy on Climate Change under Secretary of State John F. Kerry, served as a review editor for the assessment, overseeing the pivotal final chapter that concluded under a worst-case scenario that global warming could wipe out as much as 10 percent of the U.S. economy by 2100.
Now a senior fellow at the World Resources Institute, Mr. Light also spent five years as senior fellow and director of international climate policy at the Center for American Progress, which was founded and now led by longtime Democratic insider John Podesta. The center is also financed by liberal billionaires such as Mr. Soros and Mr. Steyer.
The involvement of Mr. Light and other figures known for their climate change advocacy has raised questions about the credibility of the report, which has been widely depicted as a politically neutral, scientific document prepared by disinterested specialists from 13 federal agencies.
More here
Andrew Light, who worked on the 2015 Paris accord negotiations as a senior adviser to the U.S. Special Envoy on Climate Change under Secretary of State John F. Kerry, served as a review editor for the assessment, overseeing the pivotal final chapter that concluded under a worst-case scenario that global warming could wipe out as much as 10 percent of the U.S. economy by 2100.
Now a senior fellow at the World Resources Institute, Mr. Light also spent five years as senior fellow and director of international climate policy at the Center for American Progress, which was founded and now led by longtime Democratic insider John Podesta. The center is also financed by liberal billionaires such as Mr. Soros and Mr. Steyer.
The involvement of Mr. Light and other figures known for their climate change advocacy has raised questions about the credibility of the report, which has been widely depicted as a politically neutral, scientific document prepared by disinterested specialists from 13 federal agencies.
More here
Abrams continues voter suppression smears
Claims of voter suppression tainted Georgia’s political landscape this election cycle, impacting races up and down the ballot, but none more so than the contest for governor.
The Democratic nominee in that race, Stacey Abrams, and her allies leveled accusations of voter suppression against the Republican nominee, Brian Kemp, in an effort to undermine his victory on Election Day. Complicating matters further for Kemp was the fact that he was also the sitting secretary of state with responsibility for administering elections.
Even though the ballots have been counted, indicating Kemp prevailed by a margin of 54,000 votes—well out of run-off territory—Abrams has refused to drop the notion of voter suppression.
"It was not a free and fair election," Abrams said in a recent television interview. "We had thousands of Georgians who were purged from the rolls wrongly. … It was not fair to the thousands … forced to wait in long lines because they were in polling places that were under-resourced, or worse, they had no polling places to go to because more than 300 had been closed."
"It was not fair to the thousands that were put on hold with their registrations," Abrams added. "Brian Kemp oversaw for eight years the systematic and systemic dismantling of our democracy, and that means there could not be free and fair elections in Georgia this year."
If Kemp, as Abrams claims, sought to disassemble democracy in Georgia, he failed by every measure.
Not only has overall voter registration increased by 20 percent since Kemp took office as Georgia’s secretary of state, but final tabulations indicate turnout in 2018 dwarfed previous midterm elections.
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The Democratic nominee in that race, Stacey Abrams, and her allies leveled accusations of voter suppression against the Republican nominee, Brian Kemp, in an effort to undermine his victory on Election Day. Complicating matters further for Kemp was the fact that he was also the sitting secretary of state with responsibility for administering elections.
Even though the ballots have been counted, indicating Kemp prevailed by a margin of 54,000 votes—well out of run-off territory—Abrams has refused to drop the notion of voter suppression.
"It was not a free and fair election," Abrams said in a recent television interview. "We had thousands of Georgians who were purged from the rolls wrongly. … It was not fair to the thousands … forced to wait in long lines because they were in polling places that were under-resourced, or worse, they had no polling places to go to because more than 300 had been closed."
"It was not fair to the thousands that were put on hold with their registrations," Abrams added. "Brian Kemp oversaw for eight years the systematic and systemic dismantling of our democracy, and that means there could not be free and fair elections in Georgia this year."
If Kemp, as Abrams claims, sought to disassemble democracy in Georgia, he failed by every measure.
Not only has overall voter registration increased by 20 percent since Kemp took office as Georgia’s secretary of state, but final tabulations indicate turnout in 2018 dwarfed previous midterm elections.
More
Actually, the Tax Cuts ARE Working
When GM announced major layoffs and plant closures earlier this week, Democrats immediately blamed GOP corporate tax cuts. We argued GM’s problem is far more complicated than that; other factors include its bailout 10 years ago, Big Labor, and a poor and unpopular product lineup. Not only that, but Democrats were missing the forest for one tree.
The Wall Street Journal’s James Freeman agrees. Noting yesterday’s updated but largely unrevised report of third-quarter GDP growth of 3.5%, Freeman wrote, “Despite concerns over trade disputes and a slowing global economy, the corporate tax rate cut enacted in December of 2017 continues to encourage the business investment that leads to higher productivity and higher wages for American workers. Today the government reported that such investment was higher than it initially reported for the third quarter of the year.”
In other words, the significant revision to the GDP report was that American companies invested substantially more than initially reported...
More here
The Wall Street Journal’s James Freeman agrees. Noting yesterday’s updated but largely unrevised report of third-quarter GDP growth of 3.5%, Freeman wrote, “Despite concerns over trade disputes and a slowing global economy, the corporate tax rate cut enacted in December of 2017 continues to encourage the business investment that leads to higher productivity and higher wages for American workers. Today the government reported that such investment was higher than it initially reported for the third quarter of the year.”
In other words, the significant revision to the GDP report was that American companies invested substantially more than initially reported...
More here
Nation’s biting fire ant invasion expands north
The plague of invasive, aggressive fire ants in North Carolina has shifted further north and west, prompting the state to add three more counties to the official “fire ant quarantine” area.
Davidson, Orange and Vance counties are now part of a quarantine zone that restricts moving such things as plants and dirt to non-infested counties to the north and west, according to a Nov. 28 press release from the N.C. Department of Agriculture.
North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas and Oklahoma continue to be part of the northern range of the nation’s growing fire ant infestation, making containment critical, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
The latest northward shift of the quarantine zone means 75 of North Carolina’s 100 counties are now considered home to a pest know for swarming and stinging, says the department.
Read more
Davidson, Orange and Vance counties are now part of a quarantine zone that restricts moving such things as plants and dirt to non-infested counties to the north and west, according to a Nov. 28 press release from the N.C. Department of Agriculture.
North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas and Oklahoma continue to be part of the northern range of the nation’s growing fire ant infestation, making containment critical, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
The latest northward shift of the quarantine zone means 75 of North Carolina’s 100 counties are now considered home to a pest know for swarming and stinging, says the department.
Read more
Migrants launch hunger strike at U.S. border
A handful of the thousands of Central American migrants camped out at the U.S.-Mexican border waiting to plead their case for asylum in the United States launched a hunger strike on Thursday to protest the Mexican police blocking their way.
Members of the 6,000-strong caravan, mostly migrants from Honduras, have been sleeping outdoors, on cold floors or on mats in an overcrowded shelter since they arrived in Tijuana city across the border from San Diego, California, three weeks ago.
Mexican immigration authorities on Thursday began transporting some of the migrants via buses to a new shelter to help lessen the strain.
Under the immigration policies introduced by the administration of President Donald Trump, U.S. border officials say they may have to stay put in Mexico for months before they can petition the authorities.
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Members of the 6,000-strong caravan, mostly migrants from Honduras, have been sleeping outdoors, on cold floors or on mats in an overcrowded shelter since they arrived in Tijuana city across the border from San Diego, California, three weeks ago.
Mexican immigration authorities on Thursday began transporting some of the migrants via buses to a new shelter to help lessen the strain.
Under the immigration policies introduced by the administration of President Donald Trump, U.S. border officials say they may have to stay put in Mexico for months before they can petition the authorities.
More
Dershowitz: ‘False Statement Prosecutions’ Are Crimes That Were Committed as a Result of Mueller's Appointment
Thursday, Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz called into Fox News Channel to react to the breaking news of Donald Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, reaching a plea agreement with FBI special counsel Robert Mueller to plead guilty for lying to congressional committees as part of the investigation into Russian collusion in the 2016 election.
Dershowitz slammed the special counsel for having to “resort to false statement prosecutions,” arguing it shows Mueller “didn’t start with very much” to begin his investigation.
”I think the weakness of Mueller’s substantive findings are suggested by the fact that he has to resort to false statement prosecutions, which really shows that he didn’t start with very much, and that the very fact that he’s conducting an investigation has created these crimes,” Dershowitz told Bill Hemmer.
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Dershowitz slammed the special counsel for having to “resort to false statement prosecutions,” arguing it shows Mueller “didn’t start with very much” to begin his investigation.
”I think the weakness of Mueller’s substantive findings are suggested by the fact that he has to resort to false statement prosecutions, which really shows that he didn’t start with very much, and that the very fact that he’s conducting an investigation has created these crimes,” Dershowitz told Bill Hemmer.
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North Korea Prepares EMP While US Dawdles
North Korea is educating its workforce, including industrial workers and farmers, about nuclear electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attacks. This further confirms warnings by the Congressional EMP Commission that North Korea has a sophisticated understanding of EMP and contingency plans to attack the U.S. and its allies.
Pyongyang’s Workers Party of Korea is circulating an official internal document on EMP, obtained and photographed by the Daily NK, as reported by Mun Dong Hui (Nov. 23, 2018):
"An internal document recently obtained by Daily NK has a section on the power of nuclear EMP attack. The notebook explains in detail what a nuclear EMP attack is and what kind of damage such an attack can do."
For example, the document accurately assesses, if a nuclear weapon “explodes 30-100 kilometers above the ground, electronic machines and devices are severely damaged or their electricity cables are destroyed beyond repair.”
"The notebook further states," according to Daily NK, "that nuclear EMP attacks are acknowledged widely as an important way to execute an attack against enemy forces."
More here
Pyongyang’s Workers Party of Korea is circulating an official internal document on EMP, obtained and photographed by the Daily NK, as reported by Mun Dong Hui (Nov. 23, 2018):
"An internal document recently obtained by Daily NK has a section on the power of nuclear EMP attack. The notebook explains in detail what a nuclear EMP attack is and what kind of damage such an attack can do."
For example, the document accurately assesses, if a nuclear weapon “explodes 30-100 kilometers above the ground, electronic machines and devices are severely damaged or their electricity cables are destroyed beyond repair.”
"The notebook further states," according to Daily NK, "that nuclear EMP attacks are acknowledged widely as an important way to execute an attack against enemy forces."
More here
Caravan Organizers Promised Easy U.S. Asylum, Say Departing Migrants
Hundreds of migrants from Central America gathered near the U.S. border in Tijuana are planning to return home. They blame one of the caravan organizers, Pueblos Sin Fronteras, for allegedly misleading them into joining the trek with false promises of easy asylum in the United States. The group denies the accusations.
“[Migrant advocacy group] Pueblos Sin Fronteras told us not to worry, that there was going to be transportation, that Mexico was going to open the gates so that we didn’t have to enter [the U.S.] illegally, via the river,” Ulises López, who came from Honduras, said in a Mexico Daily News article.
“What was offered to the caravan of Honduran migrants was a trap,” Lopez said, adding Pueblo Sin Fronteras “took advantage of us, they used us in a horrific way, what they did to us has no name.”
“When we got here our dreams went to hell,” Lopez said.
The Mexico Daily News article also included a statement from Pueblo Sin Fronteras, which denied the migrants’ charges.
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“[Migrant advocacy group] Pueblos Sin Fronteras told us not to worry, that there was going to be transportation, that Mexico was going to open the gates so that we didn’t have to enter [the U.S.] illegally, via the river,” Ulises López, who came from Honduras, said in a Mexico Daily News article.
“What was offered to the caravan of Honduran migrants was a trap,” Lopez said, adding Pueblo Sin Fronteras “took advantage of us, they used us in a horrific way, what they did to us has no name.”
“When we got here our dreams went to hell,” Lopez said.
The Mexico Daily News article also included a statement from Pueblo Sin Fronteras, which denied the migrants’ charges.
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GOP Working with Dems to Ban Census Citizenship Question
Republican lawmakers are working with Democrats to ban the 2020 Census from asking United States residents whether or not they are American citizens.
In March, President Donald Trump’s administration announced they would put the citizenship question back on the census. It has not been included since 1950. For seven decades, all residents living in the United States have been counted on the census but have not been asked whether or not they are American citizens, making it impossible for the federal government to know the size of the citizen population versus the immigrant population.
Now, Republican and Democrat lawmakers are looking to reach a deal before the new year that would prevent the U.S. citizenship question from being asked on the 2020 Census, a Reuters report reveals:
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In March, President Donald Trump’s administration announced they would put the citizenship question back on the census. It has not been included since 1950. For seven decades, all residents living in the United States have been counted on the census but have not been asked whether or not they are American citizens, making it impossible for the federal government to know the size of the citizen population versus the immigrant population.
Now, Republican and Democrat lawmakers are looking to reach a deal before the new year that would prevent the U.S. citizenship question from being asked on the 2020 Census, a Reuters report reveals:
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Virginia School Bans Christmas Carols Mentioning ‘Jesus’
School administrators reportedly explained they had made the decision to “avoid singing anything of a direct sacred nature” in order to be “more sensitive to the increasing diverse population at the school.”
David Allen, the father of a student at Robious Middle School, has expressed his concern over the exclusion of Jesus from Christmas songs to be performed at school Christmas concerts.
Allen said students were forbidden from singing a particular carol “because the word Jesus was in there and apparently someone assumed it was of a sacred nature.”
Allen said he had received a “diversity notice” from the school explaining their commitment to diversity and inclusion, which struck him as paradoxical.
“I’m trying to rationalize how you can encourage diversity and yet be exclusionary in one specific area,” Allen remarked.
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David Allen, the father of a student at Robious Middle School, has expressed his concern over the exclusion of Jesus from Christmas songs to be performed at school Christmas concerts.
Allen said students were forbidden from singing a particular carol “because the word Jesus was in there and apparently someone assumed it was of a sacred nature.”
Allen said he had received a “diversity notice” from the school explaining their commitment to diversity and inclusion, which struck him as paradoxical.
“I’m trying to rationalize how you can encourage diversity and yet be exclusionary in one specific area,” Allen remarked.
More
Kansas City Chiefs release Kareem Hunt after video shows him pushing, kicking a woman
The Kansas City Chiefs have released running back Kareem Hunt after a video surfaced Friday showing the star player pushing and kicking a woman during an altercation in an Ohio hotel back in February
The video, first obtained by TMZ Sports, shows Hunt arguing with the 19-year-old woman at the Metropolitan in Cleveland about 3:22 a.m.on Feb. 10.
Hunt approaches the woman as he says something, before he's seen shoving her. An unidentified male steps in, and the woman proceeds to hit Hunt in the face.
More of the NFL player’s friends step in as he becomes more enraged. He shoves another male into the woman, who then falls down and appears to grab her head.
As she is crouched on the floor, the footage shows, Hunt comes over and kicks her.
More
The video, first obtained by TMZ Sports, shows Hunt arguing with the 19-year-old woman at the Metropolitan in Cleveland about 3:22 a.m.on Feb. 10.
Hunt approaches the woman as he says something, before he's seen shoving her. An unidentified male steps in, and the woman proceeds to hit Hunt in the face.
More of the NFL player’s friends step in as he becomes more enraged. He shoves another male into the woman, who then falls down and appears to grab her head.
As she is crouched on the floor, the footage shows, Hunt comes over and kicks her.
More
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/kansas-city-chiefs-release-kareem-hunt-after-video-shows-him-pushing-kicking-a-woman
Democrats Stole the Election in California — Legally, Through ‘Ballot Harvesting’
California Democrats “stole” the midterm election using a new method that is illegal elsewhere but completely legal in the Golden State: a practice called “ballot harvesting,” which allows third parties to submit mail-in ballots for voters.
It sounds “bizarre,” as outgoing Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) described it to the Washington Post on Thursday — but it is absolutely true: Democrat operatives handed in pile after pile of other people’s ballots.
And Democrats are proud of it, mocking Republicans for failing to take advantage of a new law signed by Governor Jerry Brown in 2016, over GOP objections, that allows “ballot harvesting,” and which some Republicans are now blaming for their defeat.
The practice explains several mysteries about the 2018 election, such as: why mail-in ballots caused massive shifts toward Democrats in races Republicans thought they won on Election Night; why Republicans won the turnout battle in the primary, but lost it in the general election; and why Democrats with party backing defeated fellow Democrats without it — even when the latter had more money.
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It sounds “bizarre,” as outgoing Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) described it to the Washington Post on Thursday — but it is absolutely true: Democrat operatives handed in pile after pile of other people’s ballots.
And Democrats are proud of it, mocking Republicans for failing to take advantage of a new law signed by Governor Jerry Brown in 2016, over GOP objections, that allows “ballot harvesting,” and which some Republicans are now blaming for their defeat.
The practice explains several mysteries about the 2018 election, such as: why mail-in ballots caused massive shifts toward Democrats in races Republicans thought they won on Election Night; why Republicans won the turnout battle in the primary, but lost it in the general election; and why Democrats with party backing defeated fellow Democrats without it — even when the latter had more money.
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Gosar: No Downside for Trump in Shutting Down Government to Get Full Wall Funding
Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) told Breitbart News that President Donald Trump should use his presidential veto power to force funding for construction of a southern border wall, offering his remarks in a Thursday interview on SiriusXM’s Breitbart News Tonight with hosts Rebecca Mansour and Joel Pollak.
Gosar said, “[GOP] leadership has capitulated to what the Democrats want” in relation to appropriations for the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. “I hope [Donald Trump] holds his ground because, unfortunately, I think our leadership has folded the towel,” he added.
Gosar remarked, “It always seems like the Democrats outplay us on this because we’re not willing to hold ground and play tough. It’s the most disgusting thing you’ve ever seen.”
More here
Gosar said, “[GOP] leadership has capitulated to what the Democrats want” in relation to appropriations for the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. “I hope [Donald Trump] holds his ground because, unfortunately, I think our leadership has folded the towel,” he added.
Gosar remarked, “It always seems like the Democrats outplay us on this because we’re not willing to hold ground and play tough. It’s the most disgusting thing you’ve ever seen.”
More here
WaPo, NYT Lament Auto Workers Blaming GM—Not Trump—For Layoffs
Nearly identical articles from the New York Times and Washington Post this week lamented the idea that auto workers blamed General Motors for its factory closures rather than President Donald Trump.
First to the story was the Times, which on Wednesday ran the headline, "G.M., not Trump, is the real villain to some Ohio factory workers." A day later it was the Post, which found that "Many hurt by GM cuts blame others, not Trump."
Both outlets spoke with members of the Ohio community hurt by the news of G.M.'s decision to close its Lordstown factory, and the findings were similar: People think G.M. would have moved operations out of the region no matter what Trump did and largely credit him for putting up a fight for their community. They appreciate his efforts to help their industry and see G.M. as the culprit.
The sentiment appears to have shocked the reporters, who traveled to Ohio because the plant closure had the potential to be a "political challenge for Trump." The Post expressed frustration that Trump "seems able to promise the world yet suffers little damage from supporters when he fails to deliver."
More here
First to the story was the Times, which on Wednesday ran the headline, "G.M., not Trump, is the real villain to some Ohio factory workers." A day later it was the Post, which found that "Many hurt by GM cuts blame others, not Trump."
Both outlets spoke with members of the Ohio community hurt by the news of G.M.'s decision to close its Lordstown factory, and the findings were similar: People think G.M. would have moved operations out of the region no matter what Trump did and largely credit him for putting up a fight for their community. They appreciate his efforts to help their industry and see G.M. as the culprit.
The sentiment appears to have shocked the reporters, who traveled to Ohio because the plant closure had the potential to be a "political challenge for Trump." The Post expressed frustration that Trump "seems able to promise the world yet suffers little damage from supporters when he fails to deliver."
More here
America Is Addicted to Outrage. Is There a Cure?
Outrage has become the signature emotion of American public life.
People are so used to it—the noise, the flying spittle—that they were pleasantly surprised when Rep.-elect Dan Crenshaw of Texas declined to be incensed. He is the former Navy SEAL who lost an eye in Afghanistan and was mocked—more stupidly than viciously—for his eyepatch by a performer on “Saturday Night Live.” The insult called for outrage, in the usual tit-for-tat. But instead Mr. Crenshaw took it in good humor. He went on “SNL” to accept the performer’s apology. Not everything needs to be treated as an outrage, he said—a grown-up in a moment of grace.
People have been mad as hell for much of the 21st century, starting roughly with the stalemated Bush-Gore election in 2000, followed quickly by 9/11. Fundamentals have been changing fundamentally: marriage, sexual identity, racial politics, geopolitics. Outrage flourishes also because of the rise of social media—the endless electronic brawl—and because it plays so well on our screens. Cable news draws pictures in crayon, in bold primary colors that turn politics into cartoons. On the left, “stay woke” means “stay outraged.” Trumpians want to “lock her up” or “build a wall.” Outrage is reductive, easy to understand. It is an idiom of childhood—a throwback even to the terrible twos.
The various tribes have broken off negotiations with all differing points of view. They excuse themselves from self-doubt and abandon the idea of anything so weak as compromise or, God forbid, ambivalence: No other perspective could possibly be valid. Americans have lost tolerance for the 51%-to-49% judgment call, even though that’s about the margin of their disagreement on almost everything. People give themselves over to the pleasures of self-righteousness and self-importance that come with being wronged when you know you’re in the right. Among the civic emotions, outrage is a beast of the prime; to harness outrage is to discover fire.
More
[..'Self-righteousness and self-importance'... there it is. --Editor]
People are so used to it—the noise, the flying spittle—that they were pleasantly surprised when Rep.-elect Dan Crenshaw of Texas declined to be incensed. He is the former Navy SEAL who lost an eye in Afghanistan and was mocked—more stupidly than viciously—for his eyepatch by a performer on “Saturday Night Live.” The insult called for outrage, in the usual tit-for-tat. But instead Mr. Crenshaw took it in good humor. He went on “SNL” to accept the performer’s apology. Not everything needs to be treated as an outrage, he said—a grown-up in a moment of grace.
People have been mad as hell for much of the 21st century, starting roughly with the stalemated Bush-Gore election in 2000, followed quickly by 9/11. Fundamentals have been changing fundamentally: marriage, sexual identity, racial politics, geopolitics. Outrage flourishes also because of the rise of social media—the endless electronic brawl—and because it plays so well on our screens. Cable news draws pictures in crayon, in bold primary colors that turn politics into cartoons. On the left, “stay woke” means “stay outraged.” Trumpians want to “lock her up” or “build a wall.” Outrage is reductive, easy to understand. It is an idiom of childhood—a throwback even to the terrible twos.
The various tribes have broken off negotiations with all differing points of view. They excuse themselves from self-doubt and abandon the idea of anything so weak as compromise or, God forbid, ambivalence: No other perspective could possibly be valid. Americans have lost tolerance for the 51%-to-49% judgment call, even though that’s about the margin of their disagreement on almost everything. People give themselves over to the pleasures of self-righteousness and self-importance that come with being wronged when you know you’re in the right. Among the civic emotions, outrage is a beast of the prime; to harness outrage is to discover fire.
More
[..'Self-righteousness and self-importance'... there it is. --Editor]
Former Food Stamp Fraud Investigator to Plead Guilty to Extortion
A former food stamp fraud investigator in Mississippi struck a plea deal with prosecutors Wednesday, agreeing to plead guilty to extortion charges for a lesser sentence.
Frank Saddler, the former director of special investigations for the Mississippi Department of Human Services, filed a notice in federal court Wednesday letting the court know of his intent to plead guilty to the charges.
Authorities charged Saddler in October with extortion for bilking money from convenience store owners who committed food stamp fraud between 2012 and 2014.
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Frank Saddler, the former director of special investigations for the Mississippi Department of Human Services, filed a notice in federal court Wednesday letting the court know of his intent to plead guilty to the charges.
Authorities charged Saddler in October with extortion for bilking money from convenience store owners who committed food stamp fraud between 2012 and 2014.
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Two teenage boys are arrested for 'attacking a blind man' because he accidentally bumped into one on a packed subway train, then 'assaulting passengers who defended the victim'
Police have arrested two teenage boys believed to have attacked a blind passenger who bumped into one of them on a Washington D.C. subway train Monday morning.
Darion Rivers, 18, was charged with two counts of assault while a minor, whose name the police did not release, was charged with three counts of assault for the incident where other passengers were attacked.
After the suspects were caught on camera authorities said they knew who they were looking for and released images to the public earlier this week.
The 7000 series train was fitted out with recording equipment and the two assailants turned themselves in to Metro Transit Police, the Washington Post reports.
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Darion Rivers, 18, was charged with two counts of assault while a minor, whose name the police did not release, was charged with three counts of assault for the incident where other passengers were attacked.
After the suspects were caught on camera authorities said they knew who they were looking for and released images to the public earlier this week.
The 7000 series train was fitted out with recording equipment and the two assailants turned themselves in to Metro Transit Police, the Washington Post reports.
More
Yesterday's Fed Decision Wasn't Good... No, It Was Very Bad
Yesterday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell did a complete 180 on the Fed’s hawkishness. For 11 months straight Powell had maintained that the economy was booming and that the Fed would be hiking rates until the end of 2019.
Powell did this despite:
1) The entire Emerging Market space blowing up with many emerging stock markets crashing over 30%.
2) The clear evidence that Fed policy was destroying global growth with Copper and other economically sensitive bellwethers collapsing into bear markets.
3) The clear evidence that corporate profit margins peaked in 2Q18 and the business cycle was turning down in the US.
None of the above mattered to the Powell Red. Time and again Chair Powell ignored these issues during press conferences, speeches, and during Q&A sessions. Which is why his sudden decision to change course is not a good thing… in fact it’s very VERY bad.
Why?
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Powell did this despite:
1) The entire Emerging Market space blowing up with many emerging stock markets crashing over 30%.
2) The clear evidence that Fed policy was destroying global growth with Copper and other economically sensitive bellwethers collapsing into bear markets.
3) The clear evidence that corporate profit margins peaked in 2Q18 and the business cycle was turning down in the US.
None of the above mattered to the Powell Red. Time and again Chair Powell ignored these issues during press conferences, speeches, and during Q&A sessions. Which is why his sudden decision to change course is not a good thing… in fact it’s very VERY bad.
Why?
More
Gonzaga University Blocks Ben Shapiro Event Because Protesters Might Use Hate Speech
A Gonzaga University administrator blocked an event featuring conservative pundit Ben Shapiro not over the content of his speech, but because protesters might use hateful language.
The College Republicans chapter at the Washington university requested approval to bring the Daily Wire founder to campus for an event. But vice president of student development Judi Biggs Garbuio denied their request, arguing Shapiro's presence would be contrary to the Jesuit school's mission.
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The College Republicans chapter at the Washington university requested approval to bring the Daily Wire founder to campus for an event. But vice president of student development Judi Biggs Garbuio denied their request, arguing Shapiro's presence would be contrary to the Jesuit school's mission.
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Google workers petitioned the tech giant to end yet another problematic partnership
Back in August, leaked documents surfaced regarding Google’s plans to build a censored version of its search engine for the Chinese market.
According to The Intercept, which first broke the story, the project (code-name: “Dragonfly”) has been in the oven since 2017 and has been designed to blacklist phrases such as “human rights,” “Nobel Prize,” and “student protest.”
But, as of Tuesday evening, 310 Google employees signed a public letter asking CEO Sundar Pichai and the rest of management to cancel plans to build the censored search engine, because, well… Censorship bad. Freedom good.
Google opened an ethical can of worms it can’t seem to close
According to The Intercept, which first broke the story, the project (code-name: “Dragonfly”) has been in the oven since 2017 and has been designed to blacklist phrases such as “human rights,” “Nobel Prize,” and “student protest.”
But, as of Tuesday evening, 310 Google employees signed a public letter asking CEO Sundar Pichai and the rest of management to cancel plans to build the censored search engine, because, well… Censorship bad. Freedom good.
This isn’t the first time the issue has been raised
When the documents leaked in the summer, around 1.4k employees signed a letter raising ethical questions about the project (several employees, including a senior research scientist, resigned because of it).
And the beef doesn’t stop there: In the past year, Google employees have become increasingly more outspoken about how the company’s tech and power should be used.
This month, 20k Google employees walked out in protest of the alleged multimillion-dollarsexual misconduct payouts among high-level execs.
When the documents leaked in the summer, around 1.4k employees signed a letter raising ethical questions about the project (several employees, including a senior research scientist, resigned because of it).
And the beef doesn’t stop there: In the past year, Google employees have become increasingly more outspoken about how the company’s tech and power should be used.
This month, 20k Google employees walked out in protest of the alleged multimillion-dollarsexual misconduct payouts among high-level execs.
Google opened an ethical can of worms it can’t seem to close
Hillary Clinton Confirms Conservatives Were Right On Mass Migration
Progressives melt down after the Democratic doyenne denounces open borders here and in Europe.
Amidst the hurly-burly of politics these days, it can be hard to notice when your side has won a victory. Yet that’s what’s just happened for conservatives on immigration: they’ve won. Okay, it’s not a final victory, nor even a crushing victory, but, even so, it’s a win.
We know this because Hillary Clinton, arguably still the biggest name in Democratic politics, has just said that conservatives were right. She has conceded the essence of the rightist—and, by the way, centrist—critique of the open-borders approach to immigration.
On November 22, Clinton said in an interview with The Guardian, “I think Europe needs to get a handle on migration because that is what lit the flame.”
Continuing in that vein, she damned German Chancellor Angela Merkel with faint praise:
“I admire the very generous and compassionate approaches that were taken particularly by leaders like Angela Merkel, but I think it is fair to say Europe has done its part, and must send a very clear message—‘we are not going to be able to continue provide refuge and support’—because if we don’t deal with the migration issue it will continue to roil the body politic.”
In other words, when Merkel opened the German border in 2015, she was being nice, but misguided. Of course, Clinton is no doubt aware that the global backlash against Merkelism was felt in America, too, contributing to her own defeat in 2016.
To be sure, Clinton is no convert to Trumpism. Indeed, lest anyone think she was, she also told The Guardian that the president has “a strong streak of racism…the whole package of bigotry.”
Yet of course, the fact that Clinton doesn’t like Trump is not news. What is news is that she has shifted her stance on immigration in a Trumpian direction—or, if one prefers, to the familiar rule-of-law position embraced even by the Bernie Sanders left until recently.
More
Amidst the hurly-burly of politics these days, it can be hard to notice when your side has won a victory. Yet that’s what’s just happened for conservatives on immigration: they’ve won. Okay, it’s not a final victory, nor even a crushing victory, but, even so, it’s a win.
We know this because Hillary Clinton, arguably still the biggest name in Democratic politics, has just said that conservatives were right. She has conceded the essence of the rightist—and, by the way, centrist—critique of the open-borders approach to immigration.
On November 22, Clinton said in an interview with The Guardian, “I think Europe needs to get a handle on migration because that is what lit the flame.”
Continuing in that vein, she damned German Chancellor Angela Merkel with faint praise:
“I admire the very generous and compassionate approaches that were taken particularly by leaders like Angela Merkel, but I think it is fair to say Europe has done its part, and must send a very clear message—‘we are not going to be able to continue provide refuge and support’—because if we don’t deal with the migration issue it will continue to roil the body politic.”
In other words, when Merkel opened the German border in 2015, she was being nice, but misguided. Of course, Clinton is no doubt aware that the global backlash against Merkelism was felt in America, too, contributing to her own defeat in 2016.
To be sure, Clinton is no convert to Trumpism. Indeed, lest anyone think she was, she also told The Guardian that the president has “a strong streak of racism…the whole package of bigotry.”
Yet of course, the fact that Clinton doesn’t like Trump is not news. What is news is that she has shifted her stance on immigration in a Trumpian direction—or, if one prefers, to the familiar rule-of-law position embraced even by the Bernie Sanders left until recently.
More
US Suicide Rate Hits 50-Year Record in 2017
The U.S. suicide rate hit a 50-year record in 2017, contributing to a lower life expectancy for Americans that’s part of a larger downward trend.
More than 47,000 people died by suicide in 2017, compared to roughly 45,000 in 2016, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC released 2017 data on mortality in the U.S. Thursday and compared 2017’s death rates to those in 1999. The age-adjusted suicide rate increased 33 percent from 10.5 deaths to 14 deaths per 100,000 people from 1999 to 2017, the CDC found.
“We must address suicide as a public health issue, as we do with other leading causes of death such as cancer and HIV/AIDS,” Christine Moutier, chief medical officer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, said in a statement Thursday.
“Suicide is preventable. As a nation, we must take action by making a major investment in suicide research, translating that research into treatment and early interventions for mental health, and further educating the public on the warning signs of suicide.”
More here
More than 47,000 people died by suicide in 2017, compared to roughly 45,000 in 2016, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC released 2017 data on mortality in the U.S. Thursday and compared 2017’s death rates to those in 1999. The age-adjusted suicide rate increased 33 percent from 10.5 deaths to 14 deaths per 100,000 people from 1999 to 2017, the CDC found.
“We must address suicide as a public health issue, as we do with other leading causes of death such as cancer and HIV/AIDS,” Christine Moutier, chief medical officer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, said in a statement Thursday.
“Suicide is preventable. As a nation, we must take action by making a major investment in suicide research, translating that research into treatment and early interventions for mental health, and further educating the public on the warning signs of suicide.”
More here
Insuring Against Drop in Chinese Students
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has paid $424,000 to insure itself against a significant drop in tuition revenue from Chinese students.
In what is thought to be a world first, the colleges of business and engineering at the university signed a three-year contract with an insurance broker to pay the annual six-figure sum, which provides coverage of up to $60 million.
The university came up with the idea in 2015 and implemented it last year but received permission from the broker to discuss it in public only earlier this month.
Jeff Brown, dean of the Gies College of Business, told Times Higher Education that the insurance would be “triggered” in the event of a 20 percent drop in revenue from Chinese students at the two colleges in a single year as a result of a “specific set of identifiable events.”
“These triggers could be things like a visa restriction, a pandemic, a trade war -- something like that that was outside of our control,” he said.
Tuition revenue from Chinese students makes up about a fifth of the business college’s revenue.
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In what is thought to be a world first, the colleges of business and engineering at the university signed a three-year contract with an insurance broker to pay the annual six-figure sum, which provides coverage of up to $60 million.
The university came up with the idea in 2015 and implemented it last year but received permission from the broker to discuss it in public only earlier this month.
Jeff Brown, dean of the Gies College of Business, told Times Higher Education that the insurance would be “triggered” in the event of a 20 percent drop in revenue from Chinese students at the two colleges in a single year as a result of a “specific set of identifiable events.”
“These triggers could be things like a visa restriction, a pandemic, a trade war -- something like that that was outside of our control,” he said.
Tuition revenue from Chinese students makes up about a fifth of the business college’s revenue.
More
Black Conservatives to McConnell: ‘You Have the Power’ to Pass Criminal Justice Reform
Black conservatives spent Wednesday on Capitol Hill lobbying lawmakers to support the First Step Act, legislation that, according to its supporters, would change federal law to focus less on punishment and more on rehabilitation for prisoners who were given harsh sentences based on mandates likes the “three strikes” law.
In a video, they sent a message to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Brandon Tatum, director of Urban Engagement at Turning Point USA, thanked McConnell for his efforts to seat Justice Brett Kavanaugh on the U.S. Supreme Court and asked him to do the same to ensure the First Step Act gets a vote on the Senate floor.
More/video
In a video, they sent a message to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Brandon Tatum, director of Urban Engagement at Turning Point USA, thanked McConnell for his efforts to seat Justice Brett Kavanaugh on the U.S. Supreme Court and asked him to do the same to ensure the First Step Act gets a vote on the Senate floor.
More/video
Drag Queen Admits He’s ‘Grooming Next Generation’ in ‘Story Hours’
A drag queen who helped organize a “Drag Queen Story Hour” for Louisiana preschoolers admitted the event’s purpose is “the grooming of the next generation.
“I am not there to push any kind of agenda,” Dylan Pontiff, a gay man who helped organize a “Drag Queen Story Hour” event at Lafayette Public Library, told the Lafayette City-Parish Council at a September 17 meeting.
Pontiff, who uses the name Santana Pilar Andrews when dressed in drag, continued:
"I’m here to let you know that this event is something that’s going to be very beautiful and for the children and the people that supported are going to realize that this is going to be the grooming of the next generation. We are trying to groom the next generation to not see the way that they just did."
Pontiff, who also performs for adult audiences using what he described as material he compared to an R-rated film, told the council that he should also be able to have access to preschool children because he knows how to “filter” himself.
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“I am not there to push any kind of agenda,” Dylan Pontiff, a gay man who helped organize a “Drag Queen Story Hour” event at Lafayette Public Library, told the Lafayette City-Parish Council at a September 17 meeting.
Pontiff, who uses the name Santana Pilar Andrews when dressed in drag, continued:
"I’m here to let you know that this event is something that’s going to be very beautiful and for the children and the people that supported are going to realize that this is going to be the grooming of the next generation. We are trying to groom the next generation to not see the way that they just did."
Pontiff, who also performs for adult audiences using what he described as material he compared to an R-rated film, told the council that he should also be able to have access to preschool children because he knows how to “filter” himself.
More
Video: Obama Bashes America
Former President says Founding Fathers created identity politics; Americans had ‘great smugness’ after Cold War
Former president Obama made several inflammatory comments at an event at Rice University in Houston Tuesday, including claiming that the Founding Fathers were responsible for creating divisive identity politics.
Sharing a stage with ultra globalist former Secretary of State James Baker, Obama said he is disappointed to see a move toward “a politics based on a nationalism that’s not pride in country but hatred for somebody on the other side of the border.”
“You start getting the kind of politics that does not allow for compromise, because it’s based on passions and emotions,” Obama said, after referring to President Trump’s campaign.
“It’s identity politics,” Baker chimed in.
Obama then claimed that identity politics started in 1787 at the Constitutional Convention between the Founding Fathers.
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Former president Obama made several inflammatory comments at an event at Rice University in Houston Tuesday, including claiming that the Founding Fathers were responsible for creating divisive identity politics.
Sharing a stage with ultra globalist former Secretary of State James Baker, Obama said he is disappointed to see a move toward “a politics based on a nationalism that’s not pride in country but hatred for somebody on the other side of the border.”
“You start getting the kind of politics that does not allow for compromise, because it’s based on passions and emotions,” Obama said, after referring to President Trump’s campaign.
“It’s identity politics,” Baker chimed in.
Obama then claimed that identity politics started in 1787 at the Constitutional Convention between the Founding Fathers.
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If You Want Peace, Plan for War!
My goal here is not to scare you but, as a broker of written words, allow me to remove the ‘s’ in scare, and know that I ‘care’ for you and to seriously consider what is posted below and make the necessary preparation. You may want to begin with a prayer.
The title as you may recognize is the English translation of the popular Latin phrase: “Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum.” But, our greatest fear should be that far too many of our fellow Americans do not appreciate what our ‘desire for peace’ means, based on either their ignorance or apathy, both of which could soon get them killed. Do not allow their unprepared state of panic bring you down with them.
Like a shiver of killer sharks, who are best known for their ability to smell blood in the water from miles away, the new Democratic majority in the House believe the scent of his blood is now everywhere in the air of DC, as they create crisis after crisis getting closer to their only goal of finally terminating the presidency of Donald Trump. And, do not doubt for a second that the complicit Republicans will be right by their side to gleefully force his resignation. But, be it from fear or foolishness, their blind hatred has caused them to irrationally disregard the potential counter-action by millions upon millions of true Americans, like myself, and most of you who are reading this, who will not simply roll over, allowing that to happen.
But, the more timely and relevant questions for everyone, not only those who invest much of their time and effort into following the chaotic and extremely volatile state of affairs here in America, it’s time where we all must demand answers to our questions. Today’s Drudge Report headlined the most valid of those question as it relates to one of the greatest political crimes ever committed against a President of the United States: “Now that the Russian Collusion is a proven lie, when do the trials for treason begin?” With the next most obvious question: Do any of you believe that Donald Trump came this far to save America only in the end to fail? Will the ‘Art of the Deal’ maker, with full knowledge of their plans and all his ducks-in-line, make his long awaited move before the opening date of the new Congress, on January 3, 2019?
We must all stay keenly observant of the many fronts that are seemingly spinning out of control during the month of December, for if riots and mayhem are to come, each one of us must work to be the calm within the chaos, by prayer and preparation - pray for the best, but plan for the worst.
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The title as you may recognize is the English translation of the popular Latin phrase: “Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum.” But, our greatest fear should be that far too many of our fellow Americans do not appreciate what our ‘desire for peace’ means, based on either their ignorance or apathy, both of which could soon get them killed. Do not allow their unprepared state of panic bring you down with them.
Like a shiver of killer sharks, who are best known for their ability to smell blood in the water from miles away, the new Democratic majority in the House believe the scent of his blood is now everywhere in the air of DC, as they create crisis after crisis getting closer to their only goal of finally terminating the presidency of Donald Trump. And, do not doubt for a second that the complicit Republicans will be right by their side to gleefully force his resignation. But, be it from fear or foolishness, their blind hatred has caused them to irrationally disregard the potential counter-action by millions upon millions of true Americans, like myself, and most of you who are reading this, who will not simply roll over, allowing that to happen.
But, the more timely and relevant questions for everyone, not only those who invest much of their time and effort into following the chaotic and extremely volatile state of affairs here in America, it’s time where we all must demand answers to our questions. Today’s Drudge Report headlined the most valid of those question as it relates to one of the greatest political crimes ever committed against a President of the United States: “Now that the Russian Collusion is a proven lie, when do the trials for treason begin?” With the next most obvious question: Do any of you believe that Donald Trump came this far to save America only in the end to fail? Will the ‘Art of the Deal’ maker, with full knowledge of their plans and all his ducks-in-line, make his long awaited move before the opening date of the new Congress, on January 3, 2019?
We must all stay keenly observant of the many fronts that are seemingly spinning out of control during the month of December, for if riots and mayhem are to come, each one of us must work to be the calm within the chaos, by prayer and preparation - pray for the best, but plan for the worst.
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Invasive tick species spreads to 9 states, raises potential health concerns, CDC says
A species of tick native to the Asia-Pacific region that potentially poses a disease threat to humans is now located in nine different states, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced this week.
The species — which is reportedly the first new tick species found in the U.S. in 50 years — is known formally as the Haemaphysalis longicornis, or the Asian long-horned tick. The species was first discovered in the U.S. in the state of New Jersey in August 2017, the CDC said in a news release Thursday.
NEW INVASIVE 'AGGRESSIVE BITER' TICK SPREADS ACROSS MULTIPLE US STATES, SPARKS CONCERN
But the critters have since spread. New Jersey, Arkansas, Connecticut, Maryland, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia have now “reported finding the tick on a variety of hosts, including people, wildlife, domestic animals, and in environmental samples,” the health agency said.
“In contrast to most tick species, a single female tick can reproduce offspring (1-2,000 eggs at a time) without mating. As a result, hundreds to thousands of ticks can be found on a single animal, person, or in the environment,” the CDC continued.
In a statement following the discovery of the Asian long-horned tick in a North Carolina county, the state’s department of agriculture and consumer services warned residents the species is “an aggressive biter” and “frequently builds intense infestations on animals causing great stress, reduced growth and production, and blood loss.”
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The species — which is reportedly the first new tick species found in the U.S. in 50 years — is known formally as the Haemaphysalis longicornis, or the Asian long-horned tick. The species was first discovered in the U.S. in the state of New Jersey in August 2017, the CDC said in a news release Thursday.
NEW INVASIVE 'AGGRESSIVE BITER' TICK SPREADS ACROSS MULTIPLE US STATES, SPARKS CONCERN
But the critters have since spread. New Jersey, Arkansas, Connecticut, Maryland, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia have now “reported finding the tick on a variety of hosts, including people, wildlife, domestic animals, and in environmental samples,” the health agency said.
“In contrast to most tick species, a single female tick can reproduce offspring (1-2,000 eggs at a time) without mating. As a result, hundreds to thousands of ticks can be found on a single animal, person, or in the environment,” the CDC continued.
In a statement following the discovery of the Asian long-horned tick in a North Carolina county, the state’s department of agriculture and consumer services warned residents the species is “an aggressive biter” and “frequently builds intense infestations on animals causing great stress, reduced growth and production, and blood loss.”
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https://www.foxnews.com/science/invasive-tick-species-spreads-to-9-states-raises-potential-health-concerns-cdc-says
George Bush, 41st President, Dies at 94
His death, which was announced by his office, came less than eight months after that of his wife of 73 years, Barbara Bush.
Mr. Bush had a form of Parkinson’s disease that forced him to use a wheelchair or motorized scooter in recent years, and he had been in and out of hospitals during that time as his health declined. In April, a day after attending Mrs. Bush’s funeral, he was treated for an infection that had spread to his blood. In 2013, he was in dire enough shape with bronchitis that former President George W. Bush, his son, solicited ideas for a eulogy.
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BOMBSHELL: Louisiana Prep School Falsified Transcripts To Get Black Children Into Elite Colleges
A prep school out of Louisiana is alleged to have routinely falsified black students' transcripts while embellishing their life stories to excite elite colleges into accepting them.
In a lengthy article by the New York Times, former students of T.M. Landry College Preparatory School in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, testify to being sold a bill of goods by a school administration that did little to prepare its pupils for college and everything to portray themselves as champions of the downtrodden. The school's students have become viral sensations, such as this video of a 16-year-old student opening his Harvard acceptance letter, with reports on the "Today" show, "Ellen" and "CBS This Morning" all hailing T.M. Landry as a launching pad into society's upper-crust. Just one problem: the whole school is a sham.
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In a lengthy article by the New York Times, former students of T.M. Landry College Preparatory School in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, testify to being sold a bill of goods by a school administration that did little to prepare its pupils for college and everything to portray themselves as champions of the downtrodden. The school's students have become viral sensations, such as this video of a 16-year-old student opening his Harvard acceptance letter, with reports on the "Today" show, "Ellen" and "CBS This Morning" all hailing T.M. Landry as a launching pad into society's upper-crust. Just one problem: the whole school is a sham.
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Slower Police Response Times Highlight Need For Second Amendment
Police taking HOURS to respond to some emergency calls
A Dallas, Texas, police officer warned that it was taking his department up to two hours to respond to violent crimes, which underscores the need for the Second Amendment.
The officer, Nick Novello, posted a video explaining that slow police response times were a regular occurrence.
“I went to the mayor’s office and I showed him three calls. I showed him a shooting on the freeway – a shooting, that’s a lights and sirens call – priority one – police hadn’t responded to that an hour later,” he stated. “I showed him a call where there’s an African American male that has been robbed, he was lying on the ground bleeding, police hadn’t responded to that for about an hour and a half, two hours.”
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A Dallas, Texas, police officer warned that it was taking his department up to two hours to respond to violent crimes, which underscores the need for the Second Amendment.
The officer, Nick Novello, posted a video explaining that slow police response times were a regular occurrence.
“I went to the mayor’s office and I showed him three calls. I showed him a shooting on the freeway – a shooting, that’s a lights and sirens call – priority one – police hadn’t responded to that an hour later,” he stated. “I showed him a call where there’s an African American male that has been robbed, he was lying on the ground bleeding, police hadn’t responded to that for about an hour and a half, two hours.”
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Creeping Sharia Suddenly Becomes a Full-on Sprint
America enjoyed a brief respite from its march toward Sharia law in the two years after B. Hussein Obama left office. But now that Democrats have regained control the House, the march has resumed – and picked up speed! It’s practically a sprint toward Sharia, as shown by a developing court case and the (probably) Pelosi-led House.
The media has dutifully been blacking out the federal trial of The United States of America v. Jumana Nagarwala. Dr. Nagarwala is a Mohammedan who hails from India and she is charged with leading a conspiracy to perform genital mutilation surgeries on baby girls in the Detroit, MI area for more than 12 years. The media refuses to cover this trial because it might lead you to ask uncomfortable questions about Islam and whether it was a good idea to quadruple the number of belligerent, unemployable foreign Muslims in America during Obama’s eight years in the White House.
Female genital mutilation, or FGM, for those who don’t know is a barbaric Third World Muslim practice just one step above tossing virgins in a volcano. A Muslim doctor or, in cases where a doctor is unavailable, some old guy with a rusty knife, hacks off part of a baby girl’s clitoris and usually some additional chunks for good measure. It is a savage, unholy and disgusting practice that the “diversity is our strength” coalition wants to import to America.
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The media has dutifully been blacking out the federal trial of The United States of America v. Jumana Nagarwala. Dr. Nagarwala is a Mohammedan who hails from India and she is charged with leading a conspiracy to perform genital mutilation surgeries on baby girls in the Detroit, MI area for more than 12 years. The media refuses to cover this trial because it might lead you to ask uncomfortable questions about Islam and whether it was a good idea to quadruple the number of belligerent, unemployable foreign Muslims in America during Obama’s eight years in the White House.
Female genital mutilation, or FGM, for those who don’t know is a barbaric Third World Muslim practice just one step above tossing virgins in a volcano. A Muslim doctor or, in cases where a doctor is unavailable, some old guy with a rusty knife, hacks off part of a baby girl’s clitoris and usually some additional chunks for good measure. It is a savage, unholy and disgusting practice that the “diversity is our strength” coalition wants to import to America.
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Work Session Materials - 12-3-18
Attached is the Agenda Packet for Monday’s Work Session, which is posted on the website at the link below. The Work Session will begin at 4:00 p.m. with an informative Municode Webinar for Council and City Staff
https://salisbury.md/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/12-3-18-agenda-pkt-a.pdf
Upon the adjournment of the Work Session, the City Council will convene in Closed Session at approximately 6:30 p.m. The notice is also attached.
https://salisbury.md/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/12-3-18-agenda-pkt-a.pdf
Upon the adjournment of the Work Session, the City Council will convene in Closed Session at approximately 6:30 p.m. The notice is also attached.
The Migrant Caravan of Diseases
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently announced the formation of a task force to investigate a new mysterious illness afflicting primarily children. Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is a polio-like illness believed to be caused by a virus. But in contrast to polio, which has been mostly eradicated, except in a few pockets around the globe, AFM is on the rise.
The disease sleuths at the CDC are befuddled. Unlike in the movie The Andromeda Strain, where a crack team of scientists, within a few days, identified and cured a mysterious illness from far beyond the reaches of our galaxy, a bureaucratic behemoth full of scientists is stumped.
When a government agency either does not know the answer, or for political reasons does not want to acknowledge and reveal the answer, they form a task force. By the time the task force settles on a meeting schedule and what types of snacks to serve during meetings, AFM will either disappear naturally or become a mass extinction event.
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The disease sleuths at the CDC are befuddled. Unlike in the movie The Andromeda Strain, where a crack team of scientists, within a few days, identified and cured a mysterious illness from far beyond the reaches of our galaxy, a bureaucratic behemoth full of scientists is stumped.
When a government agency either does not know the answer, or for political reasons does not want to acknowledge and reveal the answer, they form a task force. By the time the task force settles on a meeting schedule and what types of snacks to serve during meetings, AFM will either disappear naturally or become a mass extinction event.
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