Council to look at making decorations more “diversity” friendly
A councillor in Victoria, Canada has succeeded in securing a review of the city’s Christmas decorations after he expressed concerns that things like Christmas trees were not secular enough and needed to be more ‘diverse’ because they may offend Muslims.
Coun. Ben Isitt has won support for the inquiry, which will look at “further secularizing or increasing the diversity of cultural elements in seasonal decorations,” reports the Vancouver Sun.
Isitt’s demands were triggered after a poinsettia, a red floral display typically seen at Christmas, recently appeared on his desk at Victoria City Hall.
“I don’t want a poinsettia. It is a symbol of the Christian faith,” he complained, adding that the city’s main sequoia tree should not be lit up and turned into a Christmas tree because that is not “inclusive” enough and may offend Muslims.
“Muslims, unless they are mixed families, they don’t have Christmas trees in their homes,” said Isitt.
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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
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Governor Larry Hogan Announces Over $3.5 Billion “Building Opportunity Fund” School Construction Initiative
Largest School Construction Investment in Maryland History Will Create More Than 27,000 New Jobs
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today announced a major initiative to make a historic investment in school construction projects across the state. Called the Building Opportunity Fund, the governor unveiled plans to submit legislation during the 2019 session of the Maryland General Assembly to provide $1.9 billion in new school construction funding over five years. This proposed new funding is in addition to the $1.6 billion in public school construction funding currently included in the state’s five year Capital Improvement Program, bringing the total proposed state investment to more than $3.5 billion over five years.
“Education has always been our administration’s top priority and today’s announcement represents the largest investment in school construction - ever - in Maryland history,” said Governor Hogan. “I believe very strongly that every single child in Maryland deserves access to a world-class education regardless of what neighborhood they happen to grow up in, and an important part of that is making sure that all of our students are educated in facilities that are modern, safe, and efficient which provide them with an environment that encourages growth and learning.”
The governor made the announcement at Highland Park Elementary School in Landover, Md., where he was joined by Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, Maryland Department of Budget Secretary David Brinkley, State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Karen Salmon, Maryland Stadium Authority Executive Director Michael Frenz, Highland Park Elementary School Principal Wanda Robinson, and representatives from the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA).
The new funding will come from revenue bonds funded by casino gaming revenues. Legislation passed with the governor’s support during the 2018 session created a ballot initiative to ensure casino revenues are used to provide additional funding for Maryland schools. The ballot referendum was approved by nearly 90 percent of Maryland voters in the November election, and will result in an additional $4.4 billion in school funding. The referendum specifies “public school construction and public school capital improvement” as one of the targeted uses for this additional funding.
Governor Hogan will submit the Building Opportunity Act early in the 2019 legislative session, which will provide funding to cover more than 90 percent of the projects requested by local school systems from 2020 to 2024 if enacted. The legislation will give the Maryland Stadium Authority oversight of these additional school construction funds, and include accountability measures.
The new construction projects are estimated to create more than 27,000 new jobs over the five year construction period.
The Building Opportunity Act will be closely modeled after the highly successful 21st Century School Buildings Program currently underway in Baltimore City, which is providing students with the healthy, efficient, and modern school buildings they deserve. The Hogan administration opened five newly renovated campuses in Baltimore City in August 2018, bringing the program total to nine improved schools with 28 more currently in the construction or planning stages.
The Hogan administration has invested $1.4 billion toward school construction since taking office, including $430.2 million in the Fiscal Year 2019 budget, which is the largest investment in a decade.
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today announced a major initiative to make a historic investment in school construction projects across the state. Called the Building Opportunity Fund, the governor unveiled plans to submit legislation during the 2019 session of the Maryland General Assembly to provide $1.9 billion in new school construction funding over five years. This proposed new funding is in addition to the $1.6 billion in public school construction funding currently included in the state’s five year Capital Improvement Program, bringing the total proposed state investment to more than $3.5 billion over five years.
“Education has always been our administration’s top priority and today’s announcement represents the largest investment in school construction - ever - in Maryland history,” said Governor Hogan. “I believe very strongly that every single child in Maryland deserves access to a world-class education regardless of what neighborhood they happen to grow up in, and an important part of that is making sure that all of our students are educated in facilities that are modern, safe, and efficient which provide them with an environment that encourages growth and learning.”
The governor made the announcement at Highland Park Elementary School in Landover, Md., where he was joined by Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, Maryland Department of Budget Secretary David Brinkley, State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Karen Salmon, Maryland Stadium Authority Executive Director Michael Frenz, Highland Park Elementary School Principal Wanda Robinson, and representatives from the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA).
The new funding will come from revenue bonds funded by casino gaming revenues. Legislation passed with the governor’s support during the 2018 session created a ballot initiative to ensure casino revenues are used to provide additional funding for Maryland schools. The ballot referendum was approved by nearly 90 percent of Maryland voters in the November election, and will result in an additional $4.4 billion in school funding. The referendum specifies “public school construction and public school capital improvement” as one of the targeted uses for this additional funding.
Governor Hogan will submit the Building Opportunity Act early in the 2019 legislative session, which will provide funding to cover more than 90 percent of the projects requested by local school systems from 2020 to 2024 if enacted. The legislation will give the Maryland Stadium Authority oversight of these additional school construction funds, and include accountability measures.
The new construction projects are estimated to create more than 27,000 new jobs over the five year construction period.
The Building Opportunity Act will be closely modeled after the highly successful 21st Century School Buildings Program currently underway in Baltimore City, which is providing students with the healthy, efficient, and modern school buildings they deserve. The Hogan administration opened five newly renovated campuses in Baltimore City in August 2018, bringing the program total to nine improved schools with 28 more currently in the construction or planning stages.
The Hogan administration has invested $1.4 billion toward school construction since taking office, including $430.2 million in the Fiscal Year 2019 budget, which is the largest investment in a decade.
"Your Time Is Up White People!" South African Government Sets Date for White Farmers to Give Up Land without Compensation!
South African lawmakers passed a proposal to change the country’s constitution to make land grabs legal.
The government voted in agreement to take land from white farmers without compensation.
This same plan turned South Africa’s neighbor Zimbabwe from a state of plenty to a starving state.
The parliament sang before voting to take white-owned land without compensation.
The Star reported:
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The government voted in agreement to take land from white farmers without compensation.
This same plan turned South Africa’s neighbor Zimbabwe from a state of plenty to a starving state.
The parliament sang before voting to take white-owned land without compensation.
The Star reported:
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Trump Threatens Democrats: "I'll Shut Down Government" If No Wall Funding
Update: Insisting that he would be "happy" to force another government shutdown if Democrats don't accede to his demands that the next funding bill include $5 billion earmarked for construction of his border wall, Trump reiterated that he will make sure the wall gets built 'no matter what' following his Tuesday morning meeting with Pelosi and Schumer, which, as expected, yielded no discernible progress toward a compromise. However, as some analysts pointed out, Trump has risked a political backlash by openly courting blame for a shutdown, should one come to pass.
TRUMP THREATENS U.S. GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IF WALL DEMAND NOT MET
TRUMP SAYS PELOSI IS IN TOUGH SITUATION FOR NEGOTIATING FUNDING
TRUMP SAYS `I WILL BE THE ONE TO SHUT IT DOWN' IF NO WALL
TRUMP SAYS HE'D BE PROUD TO SHUT DOWN GOVT OVER BORDER WALL
According to BBG's Jennifer Jacobs, an impromptu post-meeting press conference devolved into a 'wild scene' as Trump and his Democratic opponents engaged in some vitriol-soaked sniping.
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TRUMP THREATENS U.S. GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IF WALL DEMAND NOT MET
TRUMP SAYS PELOSI IS IN TOUGH SITUATION FOR NEGOTIATING FUNDING
TRUMP SAYS `I WILL BE THE ONE TO SHUT IT DOWN' IF NO WALL
TRUMP SAYS HE'D BE PROUD TO SHUT DOWN GOVT OVER BORDER WALL
According to BBG's Jennifer Jacobs, an impromptu post-meeting press conference devolved into a 'wild scene' as Trump and his Democratic opponents engaged in some vitriol-soaked sniping.
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Google is Top Donor for Dem Rep. Nadler - Who Claims Google Hearing is Based On Right-Wing ‘Fantasy’!
Google is the top donor to Democrat Rep. Jerrold Nadler — who claimed that Google’s political bias is a “fantasy dreamed up by some conservatives,” during Tuesday’s hearing with the company’s CEO.
The New York Democrat accepted $26,458 from Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company, from 2017-2018.
Nadler called Republicans on the committee liars before claiming that bias in Silicon Valley is a “conspiracy theory.”
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The New York Democrat accepted $26,458 from Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company, from 2017-2018.
Nadler called Republicans on the committee liars before claiming that bias in Silicon Valley is a “conspiracy theory.”
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'She's not negotiating for me': Steny Hoyer jabs Nancy Pelosi for putting term limits on the table
Incoming House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on Tuesday took a swipe at one-time rival Nancy Pelosi Tuesday for discussing term limits with key holdouts in the Democratic caucus as she continues to move toward retaking the speaker's gavel in January.
The Maryland Democrat, currently House minority whip, reiterated to reporters Tuesday that he is not supportive of term limits in any way — whether for tenure in Congress or leadership for chairmanships and ranking member positions. Hoyer then jabbed at Pelosi, now House minority leader, saying she isn't "negotiating for me" in the ongoing talks.
"She's not negotiating for me," Hoyer said, adding that she has not kept him apprised of the ongoing negotiations. "I think there's a lot of discussion about it. I don't think it's going to happen. I hope it doesn't happen."
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The Maryland Democrat, currently House minority whip, reiterated to reporters Tuesday that he is not supportive of term limits in any way — whether for tenure in Congress or leadership for chairmanships and ranking member positions. Hoyer then jabbed at Pelosi, now House minority leader, saying she isn't "negotiating for me" in the ongoing talks.
"She's not negotiating for me," Hoyer said, adding that she has not kept him apprised of the ongoing negotiations. "I think there's a lot of discussion about it. I don't think it's going to happen. I hope it doesn't happen."
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OUTRAGE! Obama, Comey, Brennan Deep State Spied on Trump Daughter and Businesswoman Ivanka Trump!
ABSOLUTELY SHOCKING!!!
As we previously reported in April, 2018 – on April 26, 2017, an unsealed FISA Court Ruling unveiled a number of criminal activities that Barack Obama’s FBI, NSA and DOJ participated in during his time in office. The report received little attention at the time or since.
The FISA Court Ruling showed widespread abuse of the FISA mandate. According to the report, Obama’s FBI, NSA and DOJ performed searches on Americans that were against their 4th Amendment rights. This went on for years. One paragraph in the report states that 85% of the Section 704 and 705(b) FISA searches made during the time of the audit (a few months in 2015) were non-compliant with applicable laws and therefore criminal.
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As we previously reported in April, 2018 – on April 26, 2017, an unsealed FISA Court Ruling unveiled a number of criminal activities that Barack Obama’s FBI, NSA and DOJ participated in during his time in office. The report received little attention at the time or since.
The FISA Court Ruling showed widespread abuse of the FISA mandate. According to the report, Obama’s FBI, NSA and DOJ performed searches on Americans that were against their 4th Amendment rights. This went on for years. One paragraph in the report states that 85% of the Section 704 and 705(b) FISA searches made during the time of the audit (a few months in 2015) were non-compliant with applicable laws and therefore criminal.
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Tom Fitton to Testify on Capitol Hill This Week on Clinton Foundation Scandals - Including Uranium One!
Once again Judicial Watch is doing the heavy lifting.
On Monday, President of Judicial Watch Tom Fitton announced he will be testifying on Capitol Hill this week on the Clinton Foundation pay-to-play scandal which includes Uranium One.
“I’ll be testifying on behalf of Judicial Watch later this week to the House Oversight Subcommittee on Government Operations about the Clinton Foundation issue,” Tom Fitton said.
“Judicial Watch broke open this scandal with Freedom of Information Act emails showing that the Clinton Foundation donors were receiving special favors and treatment from the Clinton State Department,” Fitton said, adding, “This controversy also includes the infamous Uranium One Scandal.”
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On Monday, President of Judicial Watch Tom Fitton announced he will be testifying on Capitol Hill this week on the Clinton Foundation pay-to-play scandal which includes Uranium One.
“I’ll be testifying on behalf of Judicial Watch later this week to the House Oversight Subcommittee on Government Operations about the Clinton Foundation issue,” Tom Fitton said.
“Judicial Watch broke open this scandal with Freedom of Information Act emails showing that the Clinton Foundation donors were receiving special favors and treatment from the Clinton State Department,” Fitton said, adding, “This controversy also includes the infamous Uranium One Scandal.”
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Hillary Clinton Takes Huma as Her Date to $100 Million Indian Wedding Looking Like a Bag Lady
Hillary Clinton arrived in Udaipur with her date Huma Abedin over the weekend for Isha Ambani’s pre-wedding party.
Isha Ambani, the daughter of India’s wealthiest man is getting married to Anand Priamal, the son of an Indian billionaire and the week-long wedding reportedly cost $100 million.
The Ambanis, who made their money in oil and gas, are Clinton Foundation donors.
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Isha Ambani, the daughter of India’s wealthiest man is getting married to Anand Priamal, the son of an Indian billionaire and the week-long wedding reportedly cost $100 million.
The Ambanis, who made their money in oil and gas, are Clinton Foundation donors.
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Key Senate Republicans open-minded about the military building Trump’s wall
The Republican chairmen of the Senate’s armed services and appropriations committees both said Tuesday they would consider President Trump’s newest suggestion that the Pentagon build his southern border wall.
The president again floated military construction as a secondary option as he faced off with Democrats and prepared Tuesday to enter a meeting with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the likely next House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., over the $5 billion in border wall funding he wants added into appropriations bills this month.
“The president’s got a lot of leeway on all this. Under the Constitution, he has the right and duty to defend the nation and protect the borders and everything that goes with it,” said Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., the Senate Appropriations Committee chairman who would oversee Pentagon spending on a border wall.
The border wall fight threatens to shut down the government when a stopgap funding measure runs out on Dec. 21 and the support, or at least open-mindedness from Republican leaders, could give Trump more leverage in the funding negotiations with Democrats.
“If the Democrats do not give us the votes to secure our Country, the Military will build the remaining sections of the Wall. They know how important it is!” Trump tweeted Tuesday morning.
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The president again floated military construction as a secondary option as he faced off with Democrats and prepared Tuesday to enter a meeting with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the likely next House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., over the $5 billion in border wall funding he wants added into appropriations bills this month.
“The president’s got a lot of leeway on all this. Under the Constitution, he has the right and duty to defend the nation and protect the borders and everything that goes with it,” said Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., the Senate Appropriations Committee chairman who would oversee Pentagon spending on a border wall.
The border wall fight threatens to shut down the government when a stopgap funding measure runs out on Dec. 21 and the support, or at least open-mindedness from Republican leaders, could give Trump more leverage in the funding negotiations with Democrats.
“If the Democrats do not give us the votes to secure our Country, the Military will build the remaining sections of the Wall. They know how important it is!” Trump tweeted Tuesday morning.
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President Trump Signs Harris Bill into Law to Rename Postal Office Honoring Local Fallen Hero
Congressman Harris made the following statement about the postal office’s renaming:
“I am proud to honor Army Sgt. Maj. Wardell Turner by renaming the Postal Office in Salisbury. President Trump and I recognize the honor and sacrifice Sgt. Maj. Turner made for his country. As a veteran, I admire Sgt. Maj. Turner greatly, and his life was a courageous example of strength, dignity, and patriotism. In his passing we will remember him as well as the legacy he left behind with his five children, Shayla, Quinton, Devin, Wardell II, Xavier, several grandchildren, and his devoted wife, Katherine.”
Mark Levin: A time for truth
1. A sitting president CANNOT be indicted. That’s official DOJ policy since 1973. Neither the Special Counsel nor the Southern District of New York (SDNY) nor Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein can defy that 45-year-old policy.
2. SDNY is NOT expert in campaign finance violations and neither is the Clinton appointed district judge. They rarely handle campaign finance cases. The left-wing media and politicians are regurgitating what the prosecutors have merely filed in their own self-serving brief. The media and others intentionally refuse to look at the actual rules and context. They refuse to even question what these prosecutors have thrown together.
3. The actual campaign rules and context do NOT include Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) or infinite other contracts, payments, arrangements, acts of a private nature, etc. as campaign contributions. This is normal human behavior and was never intended to be regulated or reported. SDNY is dead wrong. And these private payments can be made in any manner or any amount. Again, they’re private payments involving private matters. To underscore, there’s no reporting requirement because they’re not campaign payments made with or without campaign funds.
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2. SDNY is NOT expert in campaign finance violations and neither is the Clinton appointed district judge. They rarely handle campaign finance cases. The left-wing media and politicians are regurgitating what the prosecutors have merely filed in their own self-serving brief. The media and others intentionally refuse to look at the actual rules and context. They refuse to even question what these prosecutors have thrown together.
3. The actual campaign rules and context do NOT include Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) or infinite other contracts, payments, arrangements, acts of a private nature, etc. as campaign contributions. This is normal human behavior and was never intended to be regulated or reported. SDNY is dead wrong. And these private payments can be made in any manner or any amount. Again, they’re private payments involving private matters. To underscore, there’s no reporting requirement because they’re not campaign payments made with or without campaign funds.
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Coffee could combat Parkinson's and dementia
Coffee could combat both Parkinson's disease and a form of dementia, research suggests.
Two compounds, including caffeine, in the pick-me-up work together to prevent the accumulation of a toxic protein in the brains of mice.
This protein, known as alpha-synuclein, is associated with both Parkinson's and dementia with lewy bodies (DLB).
Tests on rodents genetically at risk of both diseases showed the combination of caffeine and the compound EHT prevented alpha-synuclein from building-up after just six months.
The scientists now hope caffeine and EHT could be combined into a drug to help treat Parkinson's and DLB in humans, which are both incurable.
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Two compounds, including caffeine, in the pick-me-up work together to prevent the accumulation of a toxic protein in the brains of mice.
This protein, known as alpha-synuclein, is associated with both Parkinson's and dementia with lewy bodies (DLB).
Tests on rodents genetically at risk of both diseases showed the combination of caffeine and the compound EHT prevented alpha-synuclein from building-up after just six months.
The scientists now hope caffeine and EHT could be combined into a drug to help treat Parkinson's and DLB in humans, which are both incurable.
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Graham On Uranium One, Unverified Dossier: Special Counsel Should Probe "All Things" Clinton
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) - who is the likely choice to become chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said on Monday that a special counsel should have been established to look into "all things Clinton," in response to a question by Fox News's Sean Hannity about the Uranium One deal - and that he will investigate the unverified Dossier which was used in a FISA spy warrant application.
Hannity: I don't trust Putin - I think he's a thug, I think he sent his thugs here. We had an FBI spy in his network. He's tried to get a foothold in our uranium industry; bribery, kickbacks, money laundering. We all knew about it, but they still signed off on that deal and Hillary benefitted through the foundation. She paid for a Russian dossier full of lies. Absolute lies that were disseminated to the American People. Where's that investigation Senator?
Graham: Well we should have had a special counsel appointed a long time ago to look at all things Clinton. So here's what I will do if I'm the chairman of the Judiciary Committee in the Senate next year; I'm gonna look at the FISA warrant application. How much of it was based on the dossier? Was there any information beyond the dossier offered to get the warrant? And if the dossier was unverified - how could you swear to the court that it's accurate? Somebody misled the court.
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Hannity: I don't trust Putin - I think he's a thug, I think he sent his thugs here. We had an FBI spy in his network. He's tried to get a foothold in our uranium industry; bribery, kickbacks, money laundering. We all knew about it, but they still signed off on that deal and Hillary benefitted through the foundation. She paid for a Russian dossier full of lies. Absolute lies that were disseminated to the American People. Where's that investigation Senator?
Graham: Well we should have had a special counsel appointed a long time ago to look at all things Clinton. So here's what I will do if I'm the chairman of the Judiciary Committee in the Senate next year; I'm gonna look at the FISA warrant application. How much of it was based on the dossier? Was there any information beyond the dossier offered to get the warrant? And if the dossier was unverified - how could you swear to the court that it's accurate? Somebody misled the court.
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Bond denied for suspect in North Carolina teenager's death
A judge has denied bond for the man accused in the death of a North Carolina teenager.
News outlets report 34-year-old Michael Ray McLellan appeared in a Robeson County court Monday, days after he was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and other offenses in the death of 13-year-old Hania Noelia Aguilar.
The judge appointed a public defender to represent him. The public defender's office declined comment Monday.
Police said Aguilar went outside on November 5 to start a relative's SUV to prepare to leave for the school bus stop when a man forced her into the vehicle and fled.
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News outlets report 34-year-old Michael Ray McLellan appeared in a Robeson County court Monday, days after he was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and other offenses in the death of 13-year-old Hania Noelia Aguilar.
The judge appointed a public defender to represent him. The public defender's office declined comment Monday.
Police said Aguilar went outside on November 5 to start a relative's SUV to prepare to leave for the school bus stop when a man forced her into the vehicle and fled.
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Police chief fired after he allegedly secretly filmed himself having sex with women
A Chicago police chief has been fired after he was accused of secretly filming his sexual encounters with at least two women and later sharing images without their permission.
Chicago Heights Park District Police Chief Christian Daigre's charges include two felony counts of non-consensual dissemination of private sexual images and one felony count of possession of a controlled substance.
Daigre, 41, was initially placed on paid administrative leave by the Chicago Heights Park District when the accusations first came to light in October.
Former Chicago Heights Park District Police Chief Jose Maldonado told authorities that Daigre had sent him explicit texts which showed him having sex with women.
The two alleged victims, aged 24 and 43, did not know about the recordings until Maldonado turned images over to the police, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Prosecutors said the two women, who Daigre met through online dating sites, had consensual sex with him during encounters in 2016.
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Chicago Heights Park District Police Chief Christian Daigre's charges include two felony counts of non-consensual dissemination of private sexual images and one felony count of possession of a controlled substance.
Daigre, 41, was initially placed on paid administrative leave by the Chicago Heights Park District when the accusations first came to light in October.
Former Chicago Heights Park District Police Chief Jose Maldonado told authorities that Daigre had sent him explicit texts which showed him having sex with women.
The two alleged victims, aged 24 and 43, did not know about the recordings until Maldonado turned images over to the police, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Prosecutors said the two women, who Daigre met through online dating sites, had consensual sex with him during encounters in 2016.
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2 Dead, 11 Wounded In Strasbourg "Terrorist Attack"; Shooter Identified As "Extremist"
Update 2: Agence France Presse reports that the shooter is a 29-year-old robbery suspect who was to be arrested early this morning. When police arrived at his home, they discovered "explosives," according to the Associated Press. The shooter was reportedly born in Strasbourg, and recently wound up on a terror watch list after frequenting the radical Islamist circles in the city.
The AP has confirmed that at least four are now dead. Unconfirmed reports have put the number wounded as high as 14. The wire service also reported that soldiers guarding the market managed to shoot the suspect before he fled.
Police have reportedly cornered the shooter and a shootout is currently underway, according to Reuters.
French newspaper Le Figaro has tentatively identified the shooter as Chérif C, though that is unconfirmed..
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The AP has confirmed that at least four are now dead. Unconfirmed reports have put the number wounded as high as 14. The wire service also reported that soldiers guarding the market managed to shoot the suspect before he fled.
Police have reportedly cornered the shooter and a shootout is currently underway, according to Reuters.
French newspaper Le Figaro has tentatively identified the shooter as Chérif C, though that is unconfirmed..
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Facebook Files Patent To Calculate Your Location - In The Future
Facebook has filed several patent applications for technology with the USPTO which would use your location data to predict where you're going to go next, as well as when you'll be offline, reports BuzzFeed's Nicole Nguyen.
Facebook's response when asked about the applications was essentially: "we file patents on tons of stuff we never actually implement."
"We often seek patents for technology we never implement, and patent applications — such as this one — should not be taken as an indication of future plans," said company spokesperson Anthony Harrison.
As BuzzFeed's Nguyen points out, however, the patent applications themselves indicate that Facebook, in general, is interested in tracking and prediction of users and their habits.
A May 30, 2017, Facebook application titled “Offline Trajectories” describes a method to predict where you’ll go next based on your location data. The technology described in the patent would calculate a “transition probability based at least in part on previously logged location data associated with a plurality of users who were at the current location.” In other words, the technology could also use the data of other people you know, as well as that of strangers, to make predictions.
If the company could predict when you are about to be in an offline area, Facebook content “may be prefetched so that the user may have access to content during the period where there is a lack of connectivity.” -BuzzFeed
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Facebook's response when asked about the applications was essentially: "we file patents on tons of stuff we never actually implement."
"We often seek patents for technology we never implement, and patent applications — such as this one — should not be taken as an indication of future plans," said company spokesperson Anthony Harrison.
As BuzzFeed's Nguyen points out, however, the patent applications themselves indicate that Facebook, in general, is interested in tracking and prediction of users and their habits.
A May 30, 2017, Facebook application titled “Offline Trajectories” describes a method to predict where you’ll go next based on your location data. The technology described in the patent would calculate a “transition probability based at least in part on previously logged location data associated with a plurality of users who were at the current location.” In other words, the technology could also use the data of other people you know, as well as that of strangers, to make predictions.
If the company could predict when you are about to be in an offline area, Facebook content “may be prefetched so that the user may have access to content during the period where there is a lack of connectivity.” -BuzzFeed
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School groundskeeper is sentenced to 20 years for raping Michigan student, 15, who he later 'killed to stop her from testifying while free on bond', but faces life behind bars if convicted of murdering her
A Michigan groundskeeper who was accused of raping a teenager and killing her after he was released on bond has been sentenced to at least 20 years in prison for the sexual assault.
Quinn James, 43, of Wyoming has been found guilty for sexually assaulting 15-year-old Mujey Dumbuya during the summer of 2017, but has not been convicted of her murder.
James raped the then 15-year-old in a school parking lot last summer while a groundskeeper for East Kentwood Public Schools, where she was a student.
James declined to address the court before being sentenced Monday to between 20 and 30 years in prison. Jurors convicted him in October of third-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Mujey's mother, Fatmata Corneh, collapsed and was sobbing outside the courtroom after James was sentenced.
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Quinn James, 43, of Wyoming has been found guilty for sexually assaulting 15-year-old Mujey Dumbuya during the summer of 2017, but has not been convicted of her murder.
James raped the then 15-year-old in a school parking lot last summer while a groundskeeper for East Kentwood Public Schools, where she was a student.
James declined to address the court before being sentenced Monday to between 20 and 30 years in prison. Jurors convicted him in October of third-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Mujey's mother, Fatmata Corneh, collapsed and was sobbing outside the courtroom after James was sentenced.
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The Hoax of 'Climate Change'
Obama knows. John Kerry knows. And Al Gore, the man who has made an enormous amount of money perpetuating the biggest hoax foisted on the human race, knows. Human-inspired “climate change” is a ruse. It is all a control-grabbing, land-grabbing, money-grabbing hoax. For instance, Al Gore, the king of carbon credits, whose home has a giant carbon footprint, and who flies all over the world in private jets, has raked in millions from his green investments and "sustainability research." This, after preaching (An Inconvenient Truth) that fossil fuel is the culprit in “global warming.”
The real inconvenient truth is that the earth’s climate has been warming, cooling and dramatically changing since the beginning of time. How many of us know that Chinese sea captains reported melting ice caps as far back as 1434? Mega earthquakes and tsunamis as well as blizzards, raging fires, crippling droughts, powerful storms, horrific tornadoes and scorching heat waves have been around since antiquity. “Climate deniers,” as the alarmists so lovingly refer to us, do acknowledge changes in the climate, but most of us do not accept the premise that human activity the cause.
Recently, the hoax has been ramping up. President Obama, who has been likened to “Spock” by his climate change cheerleaders, exhorts that slow “climate change” progress can be blamed on “confused, blind, racists shrouded with hate Americans.” Obama is a far cry from a cool, rational Spock character; his cynical rhetoric continues to divide Americans and cuts off debate.
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The real inconvenient truth is that the earth’s climate has been warming, cooling and dramatically changing since the beginning of time. How many of us know that Chinese sea captains reported melting ice caps as far back as 1434? Mega earthquakes and tsunamis as well as blizzards, raging fires, crippling droughts, powerful storms, horrific tornadoes and scorching heat waves have been around since antiquity. “Climate deniers,” as the alarmists so lovingly refer to us, do acknowledge changes in the climate, but most of us do not accept the premise that human activity the cause.
Recently, the hoax has been ramping up. President Obama, who has been likened to “Spock” by his climate change cheerleaders, exhorts that slow “climate change” progress can be blamed on “confused, blind, racists shrouded with hate Americans.” Obama is a far cry from a cool, rational Spock character; his cynical rhetoric continues to divide Americans and cuts off debate.
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Patricia Heaton's TIME Person of the Year suggestion goes viral
'Everybody Loves Raymond' star Patricia Heaton made her own suggestion on social media after TIME's Person of the Year announced its shortlist on Monday night, offering up actor and humanitarian Gary Sinise.
"Hey @TIME , why isn’t @GarySinise ever on the Person of the Year list? Hey @TheAcademy, why isn’t he ever picked for the #jeanhersholt humanitarian award? He raises $30M a year to build homes for wounded vets along with his #goldstarfamily support. Retweet!" the "Everybody Loves Raymond" actress wrote in a tweet.
Heaton's choice was apparently well-received online — with more than 30,000 people sharing her opinion.
"Preach it sista!" one Twitter user replied to Heaton.
"That's a very good question. As a huge supporter of #GarySiniseFoundation and #GarySinse he should have been. He does not do it for the accolades which makes him all that more deserving," another echoed.
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https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/everybody-loves-raymond-star-patricia-heatons-time-person-of-the-year-suggestion-goes-viral
"Hey @TIME , why isn’t @GarySinise ever on the Person of the Year list? Hey @TheAcademy, why isn’t he ever picked for the #jeanhersholt humanitarian award? He raises $30M a year to build homes for wounded vets along with his #goldstarfamily support. Retweet!" the "Everybody Loves Raymond" actress wrote in a tweet.
Heaton's choice was apparently well-received online — with more than 30,000 people sharing her opinion.
"Preach it sista!" one Twitter user replied to Heaton.
"That's a very good question. As a huge supporter of #GarySiniseFoundation and #GarySinse he should have been. He does not do it for the accolades which makes him all that more deserving," another echoed.
More here
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/everybody-loves-raymond-star-patricia-heatons-time-person-of-the-year-suggestion-goes-viral
California Dems Mum on Sen. Harris’s Longtime Aide’s Resignation
California Democrats who have strongly supported the #MeToo movement and excoriated Republicans over their handling of decades-old sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh have been notably mum on the resignation last week of a top aide to Sen. Kamala Harris (D., Calif.) after news broke he had been sued for "gender harassment."
Prominent Democrats in the Golden State, along with newly elected Democratic members of the California Congressional delegation, have also remained silent about #MeToo allegations against several other powerful Democrats.
Many of them have also declined to take a position on a lawsuit against Rep. Tony Cardenas (D., Calif.), the head of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus PAC who has been accused of drugging and molesting a 16-year-old girl in 2007.
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Prominent Democrats in the Golden State, along with newly elected Democratic members of the California Congressional delegation, have also remained silent about #MeToo allegations against several other powerful Democrats.
Many of them have also declined to take a position on a lawsuit against Rep. Tony Cardenas (D., Calif.), the head of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus PAC who has been accused of drugging and molesting a 16-year-old girl in 2007.
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Dick’s May Have to Close 35 Stores Across 18 States
With sales falling after the implementation of corporate gun control Dick’s Sporting Goods may have to close 35 stores across 18 states.
The option of the closing the stores was revealed during a retail conference question and answer session with Goldman Sachs.
Dick’s Chief Financial Officer Lee Belitsky made clear no more of the company’s Field & Stream stores would be built and CEO Edward Stack went even further, floating the option of the closing the Field & Stream stores that exist already.
Stack explained the corporate gun control Dick’s adopted in February, which precipitated the slumping sales:
The option of the closing the stores was revealed during a retail conference question and answer session with Goldman Sachs.
Dick’s Chief Financial Officer Lee Belitsky made clear no more of the company’s Field & Stream stores would be built and CEO Edward Stack went even further, floating the option of the closing the Field & Stream stores that exist already.
Stack explained the corporate gun control Dick’s adopted in February, which precipitated the slumping sales:
Dem Rep. Paid Sister’s Firm Nearly $200,000 From Campaign Funds During Midterms
Rep. William Lacy Clay Jr. has paid sister from campaign for years
A Democrat representative disbursed nearly $200,000 from his campaign funds to a law firm that is owned by his sister throughout the 2018 election cycle, according to a review of Federal Election Commission filings.
Rep. William Lacy Clay Jr. (D., Mo.) made the payments from his campaign committee, Clay Jr. for Congress, to the Law Office of Michelle C. Clay, LLC, a law firm owned by his sister, Michelle, that does not have a website and whose address appears to be a residential home in Silver Spring, Md., just outside of Washington, D.C.
The committee reported total operating expenditures of $638,529.40. The $198,500 in payments made to the Law Office of Michelle C. Clay accounted for a quarter of all of payments that were disbursed from his campaign committee.
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A Democrat representative disbursed nearly $200,000 from his campaign funds to a law firm that is owned by his sister throughout the 2018 election cycle, according to a review of Federal Election Commission filings.
Rep. William Lacy Clay Jr. (D., Mo.) made the payments from his campaign committee, Clay Jr. for Congress, to the Law Office of Michelle C. Clay, LLC, a law firm owned by his sister, Michelle, that does not have a website and whose address appears to be a residential home in Silver Spring, Md., just outside of Washington, D.C.
The committee reported total operating expenditures of $638,529.40. The $198,500 in payments made to the Law Office of Michelle C. Clay accounted for a quarter of all of payments that were disbursed from his campaign committee.
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74% of Americans say Christmas should be celebrated in public schools
Three-fourths of Americans agree that Christmas should be celebrated in public schools, says a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted the same week that a Nebraska elementary school principal banned Christmas in her school, right down to candy canes, Christmas trees, Santa Claus, the colors red and green and “Elf on the Shelf” items.
“Most Americans continue to believe Christmas should be celebrated in public schools, and that there’s a place for religious symbols on public land,” said the poll analysis, which found that 74 percent of the respondents agreed that Christmas should be celebrated in public schools.
Fourteen percent disagreed, 12 percent were unsure in the survey, conducted Dec. 6-9.
The outcome of the Nebraska school 'Christmas ban' suggests others may agree with these findings..
More here
“Most Americans continue to believe Christmas should be celebrated in public schools, and that there’s a place for religious symbols on public land,” said the poll analysis, which found that 74 percent of the respondents agreed that Christmas should be celebrated in public schools.
Fourteen percent disagreed, 12 percent were unsure in the survey, conducted Dec. 6-9.
The outcome of the Nebraska school 'Christmas ban' suggests others may agree with these findings..
More here
No Majority of Citizens in the World Support Increasing Immigration
There is no majority of citizens in the world that supports increasing immigration levels to their home nation, a Pew Research Center study reveals.
The research found that of the 27 nations surveyed, not a single one supported increasing immigration by a majority. In fact, less than 15 percent of the median total of the 27 nations’ citizens supported plans to increase immigration.
Meanwhile, 12 of the nations held majorities that supported REDUCING immigration, including Greece, Hungary, Italy, Germany, Israel, Russia, and South Africa. Greece and Israel have the largest majorities of citizens who support cutting immigration.
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The research found that of the 27 nations surveyed, not a single one supported increasing immigration by a majority. In fact, less than 15 percent of the median total of the 27 nations’ citizens supported plans to increase immigration.
Meanwhile, 12 of the nations held majorities that supported REDUCING immigration, including Greece, Hungary, Italy, Germany, Israel, Russia, and South Africa. Greece and Israel have the largest majorities of citizens who support cutting immigration.
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Judge orders Stormy Daniels to pay Trump nearly $300,000 in attorneys' fees, sanctions
Stormy Daniels has been ordered to pay almost $300,000 to President Trump for filing a dismissed defamation suit against him.
U.S. District Judge S. James Otero ordered the porn star, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, to pay $292,052.33 to cover the president’s attorneys’ fees plus $1,000 in sanctions for filing the case at all.
“The court’s order, along with the court’s prior order dismissing Stormy Daniels’ defamation case against the President, together constitute a total victory for the President, and a total defeat for Stormy Daniels in this case,” Trump attorney Charles Harder said in a statement Tuesday.
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U.S. District Judge S. James Otero ordered the porn star, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, to pay $292,052.33 to cover the president’s attorneys’ fees plus $1,000 in sanctions for filing the case at all.
“The court’s order, along with the court’s prior order dismissing Stormy Daniels’ defamation case against the President, together constitute a total victory for the President, and a total defeat for Stormy Daniels in this case,” Trump attorney Charles Harder said in a statement Tuesday.
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FBI arrests man, 34, for 'kidnapping, raping and murdering' missing girl, 13
North Carolina authorities have arrested a man in connection with the kidnapping and murder of 13-year-old Hania Aguilar.
Michael Ray McLellan, 34, has been charged with 10 felonies for first-degree murder, first-degree forcible rape, statutory rape of a person under 15 years of age, first-degree sexual offense, statutory sex offense with a person 15 years or younger, first-degree kidnapping, felony larceny, felony restraint, abduction of child, and concealment of a death.
He was already in custody for unrelated charges at the time of his arrest.
Police say Hania was snatched from her driveway at Rosewood Mobile Home Park in Lumberton and forced into the back of a family member's idling SUV on the morning of November 5.
The SUV was found several miles south of her mobile home park and her body was found a few miles further away on November 27.
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Michael Ray McLellan, 34, has been charged with 10 felonies for first-degree murder, first-degree forcible rape, statutory rape of a person under 15 years of age, first-degree sexual offense, statutory sex offense with a person 15 years or younger, first-degree kidnapping, felony larceny, felony restraint, abduction of child, and concealment of a death.
He was already in custody for unrelated charges at the time of his arrest.
Police say Hania was snatched from her driveway at Rosewood Mobile Home Park in Lumberton and forced into the back of a family member's idling SUV on the morning of November 5.
The SUV was found several miles south of her mobile home park and her body was found a few miles further away on November 27.
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Why the Air Force is investing $100M in AI
The Air Force plans to invest $100 million over three years to research automated cyber and signals intelligence processing, according to the service.
Automatically sorting through emails, phone conversations and other types of collected signals will help the Air Force because “time is critical” and the intelligence “analysts’ workload is high,” said the Dec. 4 initial announcement.
“Automated signal processing is a key component for net-centric warfare,” the Air Force Research Lab wrote, adding they were interested in areas of research that included commercial signal processing capabilities and improving systems already in the field. Information from the gathering and processing “provides the continuous decision-quality information necessary to successfully employ air, space and cyber operations.”
The research is divided into three categories.
First, the Air Force Research Lab is investing in information extraction, or identifying and cataloging information on a mass scale. Second, the research will look into signals processing, which catalogues the information. Finally, the Air Force Research Lab is looking into automation enhancements, or the ability to quickly recall information once stored.
The announcement was also an effort to research new methods that can bring the Doppler effect, or the ability to manipulate radio frequency.
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Automatically sorting through emails, phone conversations and other types of collected signals will help the Air Force because “time is critical” and the intelligence “analysts’ workload is high,” said the Dec. 4 initial announcement.
“Automated signal processing is a key component for net-centric warfare,” the Air Force Research Lab wrote, adding they were interested in areas of research that included commercial signal processing capabilities and improving systems already in the field. Information from the gathering and processing “provides the continuous decision-quality information necessary to successfully employ air, space and cyber operations.”
The research is divided into three categories.
First, the Air Force Research Lab is investing in information extraction, or identifying and cataloging information on a mass scale. Second, the research will look into signals processing, which catalogues the information. Finally, the Air Force Research Lab is looking into automation enhancements, or the ability to quickly recall information once stored.
The announcement was also an effort to research new methods that can bring the Doppler effect, or the ability to manipulate radio frequency.
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Baileys Irish Cream are releasing baking chocolate chips
It's seems that all our baking wishes are coming true, in the form of Baileys-inspired baking chips.
Baileys brownies, Baileys banana bread, Baileys blondies; the possibilities are endless.
According to Delish.com, Clabber Girl (the leading baking powder provider) and the Irish cream liqueur's parent company, Diageo, collaborated on a new line of Baileys themed products for both culinary enthusiasts and fans of the delicious beverage.
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Senate bestows Congressional Gold Medal on World War II Navy veteran, star baseball player Larry Doby
CLEVELAND — The Senate has passed legislation to honor former Cleveland Indians player Larry Doby with the Congressional Gold Medal.
Ohio Sens. Sherrod Brown, a Cleveland Democrat, and Rob Portman, a Cincinnati-area Republican, recently announced passage. The bill awaits GOP President Donald Trump’s signature. Republican Rep. Jim Renacci of Wadsworth earlier helped gain House approval.
Doby in July 1947 became the American League’s first black player, two months afterJackie Robinson broke baseball’s color line with the National League’s Brooklyn Dodgers.
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Ohio Sens. Sherrod Brown, a Cleveland Democrat, and Rob Portman, a Cincinnati-area Republican, recently announced passage. The bill awaits GOP President Donald Trump’s signature. Republican Rep. Jim Renacci of Wadsworth earlier helped gain House approval.
Doby in July 1947 became the American League’s first black player, two months afterJackie Robinson broke baseball’s color line with the National League’s Brooklyn Dodgers.
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Supreme Court Takes Case to Reconsider Major Federal Powers Doctrine
The Supreme Court on Monday took a case that could overrule Auer deference, a doctrine under which courts defer to federal agencies regarding the scope of their regulatory powers, a case with major implications for the powers of the federal government.
James Kisor is a Marine veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He sought retroactive benefits for his PTSD, which he acquired during the Vietnam War.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) declined to award him retroactive benefits. The VA invoked Auer v. Robbins (1997), interpreting the VA’s regulations on granting benefits to give VA bureaucrats the flexibility to deny Kisar PTSD benefits. The lower courts deferred to the VA’s interpretation as required under Auer deference.
Conservatives have long criticized Auer deference. That case was originally written by Justice Antonin Scalia, a stalwart conservative, but he quickly came to realize his mistake and began insisting that the Supreme Court overrule this deference doctrine.
Judge Amul Thapar of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is a Trump-appointed judge who recently criticized Auer, noting that it allows one of the two parties in litigation an unfair advantage, telling judges to put their thumb on the scales to defer to arguments from one of the parties in the courtroom (the government), while not deferring to the opposing party.
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James Kisor is a Marine veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He sought retroactive benefits for his PTSD, which he acquired during the Vietnam War.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) declined to award him retroactive benefits. The VA invoked Auer v. Robbins (1997), interpreting the VA’s regulations on granting benefits to give VA bureaucrats the flexibility to deny Kisar PTSD benefits. The lower courts deferred to the VA’s interpretation as required under Auer deference.
Conservatives have long criticized Auer deference. That case was originally written by Justice Antonin Scalia, a stalwart conservative, but he quickly came to realize his mistake and began insisting that the Supreme Court overrule this deference doctrine.
Judge Amul Thapar of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is a Trump-appointed judge who recently criticized Auer, noting that it allows one of the two parties in litigation an unfair advantage, telling judges to put their thumb on the scales to defer to arguments from one of the parties in the courtroom (the government), while not deferring to the opposing party.
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Democrat Secretary of State in Maine Refuses to Investigate Affidavits Alleging Bad Ballots
The Democrat Secretary of State of Maine is refusing to investigate sworn affidavits presented by 17 residents of the state’s 1st Congressional District that they were erroneously given ballots to vote in the 2nd Congressional District race between Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R-ME-02) and Democrat Jared Golden.
As Breitbart News reported, Secretary of State Matt Dunlap declared Democrat Golden the winner in the November 6 election on November 15, despite the fact that Poliquin received 2,632 more votes than Golden on election day, due to the first-in-the-nation implementation of a controversial “rank voting” system:
"When Maine voters stepped into the voting booth on November they cast traditional ballots for state offices, but voted for their first, second, and third choices in the one federal race for the U.S. Senate the two federal races for the U.S. House of Representatives.
"In order to be declared the winner, a candidate for federal office had to receive 50 percent plus one of the first place votes cast for the office. If no candidate received more than 50 percent plus one of the vote, then the second choice votes and third choice votes cast by voters whose first choice votes were cast for the third place and fourth place finishers were then allocated to the top two candidates based on the proprietary computer algorithm of the outside vendor selected by the Democrat Secretary of State."
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As Breitbart News reported, Secretary of State Matt Dunlap declared Democrat Golden the winner in the November 6 election on November 15, despite the fact that Poliquin received 2,632 more votes than Golden on election day, due to the first-in-the-nation implementation of a controversial “rank voting” system:
"When Maine voters stepped into the voting booth on November they cast traditional ballots for state offices, but voted for their first, second, and third choices in the one federal race for the U.S. Senate the two federal races for the U.S. House of Representatives.
"In order to be declared the winner, a candidate for federal office had to receive 50 percent plus one of the first place votes cast for the office. If no candidate received more than 50 percent plus one of the vote, then the second choice votes and third choice votes cast by voters whose first choice votes were cast for the third place and fourth place finishers were then allocated to the top two candidates based on the proprietary computer algorithm of the outside vendor selected by the Democrat Secretary of State."
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Florida mom, 88, reunited with daughter she thought had died in childbirth
A mother and daughter were reunited in Florida — 69 years after their separation — after an online DNA site reconnected the two.
Genevieve Purinton, 88, gave birth to Connie Moultroup in 1949 when she was 18 years old, Fox 13 reported. Upon her daughter's birth, though, Purinton was told the baby had passed.
"I said I wanted to see the baby," she said, recalling the moment. "They told me she died."
The mother and daughter were able to reconnect on Monday after they found each other through an Ancestry DNA kit, which Moultroup received from her own daughter last Christmas.
She found what she thought was the name of her mom, but which reportedly turned out to be her cousin. She gave her newly-discovered cousin the name of Purinton, and the cousin said: "That's my aunt and she's still alive."
Moultroup, who traveled to Tampa from Vermont, said she's spent her entire life "wanting this. I remember being 5 years old, wishing I could find my mother."
The 69-year-old was adopted and grew up in Southern California, Moultroup's daughter told NBC News. Moultroup's adoptive mother died when she was 5 and her stepmother was apparently abusive.
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Genevieve Purinton, 88, gave birth to Connie Moultroup in 1949 when she was 18 years old, Fox 13 reported. Upon her daughter's birth, though, Purinton was told the baby had passed.
"I said I wanted to see the baby," she said, recalling the moment. "They told me she died."
The mother and daughter were able to reconnect on Monday after they found each other through an Ancestry DNA kit, which Moultroup received from her own daughter last Christmas.
She found what she thought was the name of her mom, but which reportedly turned out to be her cousin. She gave her newly-discovered cousin the name of Purinton, and the cousin said: "That's my aunt and she's still alive."
Moultroup, who traveled to Tampa from Vermont, said she's spent her entire life "wanting this. I remember being 5 years old, wishing I could find my mother."
The 69-year-old was adopted and grew up in Southern California, Moultroup's daughter told NBC News. Moultroup's adoptive mother died when she was 5 and her stepmother was apparently abusive.
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NRATV slams 'dishonest' media amid reports Dan Bongino dropped by network
The National Rifle Association’s media affiliate, NRATV, on Tuesday slammed “dishonest members of the media” who are saying conservative personality Dan Bongino was recently “dropped” by the network.
NRATV issued a statement Tuesday saying it “made every attempt” to keep Mr. Bongino on as host of “We Stand” after The Daily Beast reported a day earlier that said Mr. Bongino was “dropped” by the network amid a rash of downsizing.
The Daily Beast’s Lachlan Markay published a report Monday titled, “Dan Bongino Out at NRATV,” that said the President Trump-supporting host appeared to be a “casualty” of NRATV “downsizing its media operation.”
Mr. Bongino went on a tweetstorm accusing The Daily Beast and Mr. Markay of publishing “fake news,” saying the reality was that he turned down a “generous” renewal contract with NRATV.
This story is absolutely untrue and the “reporter” knows it. He texted me on Friday, after hearing I DECLINED A GENEROUS RENEWAL OFFER, this “Heard you didn’t renew with NRATV.” Yet, he lied & wrote I was “dropped” and liberal imbeciles immediately ran with it. This is fake news. https://t.co/XpSKFmxAcc
— Dan Bongino (@dbongino) December 10, 2018
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NRATV issued a statement Tuesday saying it “made every attempt” to keep Mr. Bongino on as host of “We Stand” after The Daily Beast reported a day earlier that said Mr. Bongino was “dropped” by the network amid a rash of downsizing.
The Daily Beast’s Lachlan Markay published a report Monday titled, “Dan Bongino Out at NRATV,” that said the President Trump-supporting host appeared to be a “casualty” of NRATV “downsizing its media operation.”
Mr. Bongino went on a tweetstorm accusing The Daily Beast and Mr. Markay of publishing “fake news,” saying the reality was that he turned down a “generous” renewal contract with NRATV.
This story is absolutely untrue and the “reporter” knows it. He texted me on Friday, after hearing I DECLINED A GENEROUS RENEWAL OFFER, this “Heard you didn’t renew with NRATV.” Yet, he lied & wrote I was “dropped” and liberal imbeciles immediately ran with it. This is fake news. https://t.co/XpSKFmxAcc
— Dan Bongino (@dbongino) December 10, 2018
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Two People Wounded in Shooting at Atlanta Hotel Connected to CNN
Two people were wounded in a shooting at a hotel connected to the CNN center in Atlanta Sunday.
The Associated Press reports that shots were fired following a party at the Omni Atlanta Hotel and the suspect was “highly intoxicated.”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the suspect, 31-year-old Sedarius Dennis, needed help getting back to his room and was being walked by a 31-year-old man and a 37-year-old man when he opened fire. Both men were taken to the hospital and are in stable condition.
Officer and Atlanta Police spokeswoman Stephanie Brown indicated that Dennis apparently became angry with the two men and began shooting as they were taking him to his room. Both victims were lying on the 28th floor when police arrived.
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The Associated Press reports that shots were fired following a party at the Omni Atlanta Hotel and the suspect was “highly intoxicated.”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the suspect, 31-year-old Sedarius Dennis, needed help getting back to his room and was being walked by a 31-year-old man and a 37-year-old man when he opened fire. Both men were taken to the hospital and are in stable condition.
Officer and Atlanta Police spokeswoman Stephanie Brown indicated that Dennis apparently became angry with the two men and began shooting as they were taking him to his room. Both victims were lying on the 28th floor when police arrived.
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Doctors caught between struggling opioid patients and crackdown on prescriptions
Dr. Stephen Nadeau received a warning from the Gainesville, Fla., hospital where he worked.
Their policy on prescribing opioids was changing, to go beyond federal guidelines aimed at the national overdose crisis that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.
The hospital would stop treating pain with opioids. And every doctor, including Nadeau, had to stop prescribing them. Doctors otherwise risked losing hospital admitting privileges – and perhaps even their medical license.
In Helena, Mont., Dr. Mark Ibsen was feeling heat from the state medical board – and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), for the high-dose opioids he was prescribing to patients in severe, chronic pain. An allegation made by what he described as a disgruntled employee charged Ibsen was overprescribing.
As a result, the state medical board suspended his license. The DEA visited five times, Ibsen said, suggesting he was risking his livelihood and could end up in jail if he kept prescribing.
Both doctors complied and stopped prescribing, affecting roughly 230 of their patients. Tragically, among those were several who committed suicide, the doctors said, when they couldn’t find another health care provider to relieve the pain.
That’s a scenario playing out across the country, as government agencies respond to the staggering rate of drug overdose deaths, involving primarily illegal opioids like heroin and illicit fentanyl. Doctors who maintain they are responsibly prescribing opioids are getting caught up in the crackdown, according to dozens of medical care providers interviewed by Fox News, leaving little room to both play by the rules and properly treat huge numbers of patients who legitimately suffer chronic and intense pain.
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Their policy on prescribing opioids was changing, to go beyond federal guidelines aimed at the national overdose crisis that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.
The hospital would stop treating pain with opioids. And every doctor, including Nadeau, had to stop prescribing them. Doctors otherwise risked losing hospital admitting privileges – and perhaps even their medical license.
In Helena, Mont., Dr. Mark Ibsen was feeling heat from the state medical board – and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), for the high-dose opioids he was prescribing to patients in severe, chronic pain. An allegation made by what he described as a disgruntled employee charged Ibsen was overprescribing.
As a result, the state medical board suspended his license. The DEA visited five times, Ibsen said, suggesting he was risking his livelihood and could end up in jail if he kept prescribing.
Both doctors complied and stopped prescribing, affecting roughly 230 of their patients. Tragically, among those were several who committed suicide, the doctors said, when they couldn’t find another health care provider to relieve the pain.
That’s a scenario playing out across the country, as government agencies respond to the staggering rate of drug overdose deaths, involving primarily illegal opioids like heroin and illicit fentanyl. Doctors who maintain they are responsibly prescribing opioids are getting caught up in the crackdown, according to dozens of medical care providers interviewed by Fox News, leaving little room to both play by the rules and properly treat huge numbers of patients who legitimately suffer chronic and intense pain.
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Climate Change Alarmism Is the World's Leading Cause of Hot Gas
Even as anti-gas tax riots raged in France this week, naturalist David Attenborough warned a crowd at a United Nations climate change summit in Poland that “the collapse of our civilizations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon.”
U.N. General Assembly President Maria Espinosa told the media that “mankind” is “in danger of disappearing” if climate change is allowed to progress at its current rate.
Speakers, who flew in to swap doomsday stories, advocated radical changes to avoid this imminent environmental apocalypse. These days, “the point of no return” is almost always in view, yet always just out of reach.
Sorry, but by now, this rhetoric is familiar.
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U.N. General Assembly President Maria Espinosa told the media that “mankind” is “in danger of disappearing” if climate change is allowed to progress at its current rate.
Speakers, who flew in to swap doomsday stories, advocated radical changes to avoid this imminent environmental apocalypse. These days, “the point of no return” is almost always in view, yet always just out of reach.
Sorry, but by now, this rhetoric is familiar.
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UN Members Adopt Non-Binding Global Migration Pact – Moroccan Foreign Minister
Since it is not legally binding, it just opens the door for global cooperation on migration
Earlier, such states as Austria, Australia, Israel, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Lithuania abandoned their plans to sign the agreement over concerns that the pact might put certain restrictions on their national migration policies.
A United Nations conference adopted the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh on Monday despite earlier criticism by a number of member states, a Sputnik correspondent reported.
The pact, which was finalised at the UN in July following more than a year of negotiations was formally endorsed during a two-day conference involving over 160 countries.
Since it is not legally binding, it just opens the door for global cooperation on migration. The pact is expected to be enacted at the UN General Assembly on December 19.
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Earlier, such states as Austria, Australia, Israel, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Lithuania abandoned their plans to sign the agreement over concerns that the pact might put certain restrictions on their national migration policies.
A United Nations conference adopted the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh on Monday despite earlier criticism by a number of member states, a Sputnik correspondent reported.
The pact, which was finalised at the UN in July following more than a year of negotiations was formally endorsed during a two-day conference involving over 160 countries.
Since it is not legally binding, it just opens the door for global cooperation on migration. The pact is expected to be enacted at the UN General Assembly on December 19.
More/Video
Hoyer: Dems Will Pass Amnesty Bill DREAMers ‘Deserve’ ‘as Early as Possible’
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) promised immigration activists on Monday that Democrats will bring an amnesty bill to the House floor to give DREAMers the protections they “deserve” in the next Congress “as early as possible.”
Hoyer, who will become his party’s Majority Leader in the next Congress, spoke at the National Immigrant Integration Conference in Virginia and said he will be working “to move legislation that would provide DREAMers with the relief they deserve and a permanent pathway to citizenship” in addition to protecting those with Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
“There are few certainties in our politics these days. But one thing that is certain is that as Majority Leader in the next Congress, I will bring legislation to the Floor that addresses our immigration challenges,” Hoyer said to cheers.
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Hoyer, who will become his party’s Majority Leader in the next Congress, spoke at the National Immigrant Integration Conference in Virginia and said he will be working “to move legislation that would provide DREAMers with the relief they deserve and a permanent pathway to citizenship” in addition to protecting those with Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
“There are few certainties in our politics these days. But one thing that is certain is that as Majority Leader in the next Congress, I will bring legislation to the Floor that addresses our immigration challenges,” Hoyer said to cheers.
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Cracker Barrel customer brawls with employee in gift shop, causes hundreds in damage
Police in Wisconsin are searching for two suspects who allegedly started a brawl at a Cracker Barrel on Halloween night, causing hundreds of dollars in damage.
Newly released footage from inside the Germantown Cracker Barrel location shows a man and woman approach a manager in the restaurant's gift shop, reportedly after the two complained of their service to an employee in the dining area.
"The customer [...] basically approached the server, he seemed like he was unhappy, used homophobic slurs," said Det. Shawn Jones, per WTMJ.
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Newly released footage from inside the Germantown Cracker Barrel location shows a man and woman approach a manager in the restaurant's gift shop, reportedly after the two complained of their service to an employee in the dining area.
"The customer [...] basically approached the server, he seemed like he was unhappy, used homophobic slurs," said Det. Shawn Jones, per WTMJ.
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Six Israelis Wounded in Palestinian Shooting Attack
A Palestinian opened fire on Sunday at a group of Israelis standing at a bus stop near a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank, wounding six of them, Israeli officials said.
One woman was in critical condition, medical officials said.
"Shots were fired from a passing Palestinian vehicle towards Israeli civilians who were standing at the bus station," the Israeli army said. "Troops who were present nearby responded by firing towards the suspect vehicle, which fled."
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One woman was in critical condition, medical officials said.
"Shots were fired from a passing Palestinian vehicle towards Israeli civilians who were standing at the bus station," the Israeli army said. "Troops who were present nearby responded by firing towards the suspect vehicle, which fled."
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The 'Everything Bubble" Has Popped
Now that the world’s central banking cartel is taking a long-overdue pause from printing money and handing it to the wealthy elite, the collection of asset price bubbles nested within the Everything Bubble are starting to burst.
The cartel (especially the ECB and the Fed) is hoping it can gently deflate these bubbles it created, but that's a fantasy. Bubbles always burst badly; it's their nature to do so. Economic suffering and misery always accompany their termination.
It's said that "every bubble is in search of a pin". History certainly shows they always manage to find one.
History also shows that after the puncturing, pundits obsess over what precise pin triggered it, as if that matters. It doesn’t, because 'cause’ of a bubble's bursting can be anything. It can be a wayward comment by a finance minister, otherwise innocuous at any other time, that spooks a critical European bond market at exactly the right (wrong?) moment, triggering a runaway cascade.
Or it might be the routine bankruptcy of a small company that unexpectedly exposes an under-hedged counterparty, thereby setting off a chain reaction across the corporate bond market before the contagion quickly spreads into other key elements of the financial system.
Or perhaps it will be the US Justice Department arresting a Chinese technology executive on murky, over-reaching charges to bully an ally into accepting that unilateral US sanctions are to be abided by everyone, regardless of sovereignty.
How was it that the famous Tulip Bulb bubble came to a crashing end back in the 1600’s? No one knows the exact moment or trigger. But we can easily imagine that in some Dutch pub on the fateful night on the Feb 3rd1637, a bidder on the most-coveted of all bulbs, the Semper Augustus, had an upset stomach and briefly grimaced when hit by a ripping gas pain:
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The cartel (especially the ECB and the Fed) is hoping it can gently deflate these bubbles it created, but that's a fantasy. Bubbles always burst badly; it's their nature to do so. Economic suffering and misery always accompany their termination.
It's said that "every bubble is in search of a pin". History certainly shows they always manage to find one.
History also shows that after the puncturing, pundits obsess over what precise pin triggered it, as if that matters. It doesn’t, because 'cause’ of a bubble's bursting can be anything. It can be a wayward comment by a finance minister, otherwise innocuous at any other time, that spooks a critical European bond market at exactly the right (wrong?) moment, triggering a runaway cascade.
Or it might be the routine bankruptcy of a small company that unexpectedly exposes an under-hedged counterparty, thereby setting off a chain reaction across the corporate bond market before the contagion quickly spreads into other key elements of the financial system.
Or perhaps it will be the US Justice Department arresting a Chinese technology executive on murky, over-reaching charges to bully an ally into accepting that unilateral US sanctions are to be abided by everyone, regardless of sovereignty.
How was it that the famous Tulip Bulb bubble came to a crashing end back in the 1600’s? No one knows the exact moment or trigger. But we can easily imagine that in some Dutch pub on the fateful night on the Feb 3rd1637, a bidder on the most-coveted of all bulbs, the Semper Augustus, had an upset stomach and briefly grimaced when hit by a ripping gas pain:
More
BREAKING NEWS: Airport Road Closed
UPDATE: It turns out there's a house fire.
Judge rules Trump justified in ending Obama-era immigration program
The Trump administration provided adequate justification for its decision to end a program that reunited hundreds of immigrants from Central America with family members in the U.S., a federal judge ruled Monday.
Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler threw out the bulk of a lawsuit that argued the termination of the Obama-era Central American Minors program was arbitrary and violated the U.S. Constitution.
The program allowed parents legally in the U.S. to apply to bring children or other family members living in Honduras, Guatemala or El Salvador to the U.S.
One of the goals was to discourage children from making the dangerous journey from those countries to the U.S. to be with family.
More than 1,300 people came to the U.S. under the program between 2014 and the end of 2016, according to figures cited in Beeler’s decision.
When it ended the program in August 2017, the Trump administration revoked approval for roughly 2,700 additional immigrants who were set to travel to the U.S.
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Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler threw out the bulk of a lawsuit that argued the termination of the Obama-era Central American Minors program was arbitrary and violated the U.S. Constitution.
The program allowed parents legally in the U.S. to apply to bring children or other family members living in Honduras, Guatemala or El Salvador to the U.S.
One of the goals was to discourage children from making the dangerous journey from those countries to the U.S. to be with family.
More than 1,300 people came to the U.S. under the program between 2014 and the end of 2016, according to figures cited in Beeler’s decision.
When it ended the program in August 2017, the Trump administration revoked approval for roughly 2,700 additional immigrants who were set to travel to the U.S.
More
Students Want to Remove Clarence Thomas' Name From Building, but Can’t Say Why
Some students at a Georgia college continue to call for removing Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ name from a campus building, but aren’t able to say why.
“We should probably just take his name off of the building,” a young woman tells Cabot Phillips, Campus Reform’s media director, in a video posted Monday by the conservative student organization.
In the video, when Phillips asks students what they would point to that would justify their signing the petition to remove Thomas’ name, at least eight don’t have an answer.
“Um, um, hmm, do you mind if I get back to you?” a student wearing a pink bandana says.
“I don’t know, I haven’t done much research on this,” a young woman tells Phillips. “I just saw a Facebook petition about it, and that’s kind of the extent of it.”
“He is a historical figure,” says a student in the video wearing a Saints hat. “So, uh … So is Hitler.”
When Phillips asks whether Thomas had done something to justify removing his name, the student replies: “Not in particular.”
More/video here
“We should probably just take his name off of the building,” a young woman tells Cabot Phillips, Campus Reform’s media director, in a video posted Monday by the conservative student organization.
In the video, when Phillips asks students what they would point to that would justify their signing the petition to remove Thomas’ name, at least eight don’t have an answer.
“Um, um, hmm, do you mind if I get back to you?” a student wearing a pink bandana says.
“I don’t know, I haven’t done much research on this,” a young woman tells Phillips. “I just saw a Facebook petition about it, and that’s kind of the extent of it.”
“He is a historical figure,” says a student in the video wearing a Saints hat. “So, uh … So is Hitler.”
When Phillips asks whether Thomas had done something to justify removing his name, the student replies: “Not in particular.”
More/video here
Ebola in Congo Spreads Southward to Large Cities
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is now the second-largest in history. The current outbreak, declared on August 1, has 471 identified cases of which 423 are confirmed, including 225 confirmed deaths. That is nowhere near the size of the 2014-2016 outbreak that killed more than 11,300 people.
The big difference between the current outbreak and the 2014 outbreak is that an experimental vaccine is available this time, and it seems to be working. Teams of health workers from Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF) have vaccinated more than 41,000 people so far. It is estimated that without the vaccine, there would already be more than 10,000 Ebola cases in the current outbreak.
The vaccine is used in conjunction with contact tracing. When an Ebola case is suspected, health workers identify the patient’s contacts and their contacts, and all those people are given the vaccine, in case they have been infected.
The current epidemic is centered around the city of Beni in North Kivu province, which is in the middle of a war zone with a population of 400,000. Militias have attacked health workers, making it almost impossible to do the contact tracing necessary to stop the progress of the disease, so it may be 6-12 more months before the current epidemic can be stopped completely.
More worrisome is that the outbreak has been spreading southward and there are now identified cases in the city of Butembo, which has one million residents.
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The big difference between the current outbreak and the 2014 outbreak is that an experimental vaccine is available this time, and it seems to be working. Teams of health workers from Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF) have vaccinated more than 41,000 people so far. It is estimated that without the vaccine, there would already be more than 10,000 Ebola cases in the current outbreak.
The vaccine is used in conjunction with contact tracing. When an Ebola case is suspected, health workers identify the patient’s contacts and their contacts, and all those people are given the vaccine, in case they have been infected.
The current epidemic is centered around the city of Beni in North Kivu province, which is in the middle of a war zone with a population of 400,000. Militias have attacked health workers, making it almost impossible to do the contact tracing necessary to stop the progress of the disease, so it may be 6-12 more months before the current epidemic can be stopped completely.
More worrisome is that the outbreak has been spreading southward and there are now identified cases in the city of Butembo, which has one million residents.
More
The 10 Safest Cities in Maryland
Population: 6,365
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.31
Property crimes per 1,000: 7.38
Total crime: 4.26% violent, 95.74% property
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.31
Property crimes per 1,000: 7.38
Total crime: 4.26% violent, 95.74% property
2. Manchester
Population: 4,820
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.41
Property crimes per 1,000: 3.53
Total crime: 11.76% violent, 88.24% property
Population: 4,820
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.41
Property crimes per 1,000: 3.53
Total crime: 11.76% violent, 88.24% property
3. Thurmont
Population: 6,507
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.92
Property crimes per 1,000: 10.45
Total crime: 8.82% violent, 91.18% property
Population: 6,507
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.92
Property crimes per 1,000: 10.45
Total crime: 8.82% violent, 91.18% property
4. Bowie
Population: 58,631
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.94
Property crimes per 1,000: 12.89
Total crime: 7.28% violent, 92.72% property
Population: 58,631
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.94
Property crimes per 1,000: 12.89
Total crime: 7.28% violent, 92.72% property
5. Glenarden
Population: 6,390
Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.41
Property crimes per 1,000: 10.49
Total crime: 13.43% violent, 86.57% property
Population: 6,390
Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.41
Property crimes per 1,000: 10.49
Total crime: 13.43% violent, 86.57% property
6. Ocean Pines
Population: 12,207
Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.56
Property crimes per 1,000: 8.68
Total crime: 17.92% violent, 82.08% property
Population: 12,207
Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.56
Property crimes per 1,000: 8.68
Total crime: 17.92% violent, 82.08% property
7. Taneytown
Population: 6,749
Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.78
Property crimes per 1,000: 9.19
Total crime: 19.35% violent, 80.65% property
Population: 6,749
Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.78
Property crimes per 1,000: 9.19
Total crime: 19.35% violent, 80.65% property
8. Frostburg
Population: 8,601
Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.98
Property crimes per 1,000: 18.02
Total crime: 10.97% violent, 89.03% property
Population: 8,601
Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.98
Property crimes per 1,000: 18.02
Total crime: 10.97% violent, 89.03% property
9. Bel Air
Population: 10,200
Violent crimes per 1,000: 2.16
Property crimes per 1,000: 25.00
Total crime: 8.63% violent, 91.37% property
Population: 10,200
Violent crimes per 1,000: 2.16
Property crimes per 1,000: 25.00
Total crime: 8.63% violent, 91.37% property
10. Easton
Population: 16,689
Violent crimes per 1,000: 2.52
Property crimes per 1,000: 27.68
Total crime: 9.09% violent, 90.91% property
Population: 16,689
Violent crimes per 1,000: 2.52
Property crimes per 1,000: 27.68
Total crime: 9.09% violent, 90.91% property
We Hear You: How to 'Wield the Most Effective Weapon Against Tyranny'
Editor’s note: We begin selections from the mailbag this week with a letter from a reader in Georgia that gets at why The Daily Signal exists. See for yourself. Be sure to write us at letters@dailysignal.com.—Ken McIntyre
Dear Daily Signal: Thanks to The Daily Signal and The Heritage Foundation for presenting articles such as Rob Bluey’s podcast interview with Sebastian Gorka on the threats, both foreign and domestic, to our great country (“Sebastian Gorka on the Biggest Threat Facing America and What Trump Is Doing About It”).
I have supported and will continue to support The Heritage Foundation in its efforts to wield the most effective weapon against tyranny—a well-informed electorate through education and protection of basic freedoms of speech, expression, and the press.
My dad landed on Red Beach on the Pacific atoll of Iwo Jima as a 19-year-old Marine in February 1945. Though he was wounded twice and survived for 30 days of combat before being medically evacuated, he never talked about his experience until his later days, when he realized the importance of sharing.
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Dear Daily Signal: Thanks to The Daily Signal and The Heritage Foundation for presenting articles such as Rob Bluey’s podcast interview with Sebastian Gorka on the threats, both foreign and domestic, to our great country (“Sebastian Gorka on the Biggest Threat Facing America and What Trump Is Doing About It”).
I have supported and will continue to support The Heritage Foundation in its efforts to wield the most effective weapon against tyranny—a well-informed electorate through education and protection of basic freedoms of speech, expression, and the press.
My dad landed on Red Beach on the Pacific atoll of Iwo Jima as a 19-year-old Marine in February 1945. Though he was wounded twice and survived for 30 days of combat before being medically evacuated, he never talked about his experience until his later days, when he realized the importance of sharing.
More