The father of seven-year-old Jakelin Amei Rosmery Caal Maquin reportedly told the Guatemalan Consul General he had “no complaints about how Border Patrol agents treated him and his daughter.
Guatemalan Consul General Tekandi Paniagua told CNN that Nery Gilberto Caal, the father of the little girl who died on December 8 after entering the U.S. and being detained by Border Patrol agents, told him the agents did everything they possibly could do to help his daughter.
CNN’s Jake Tapper tweeted a message said the consul general said the father confirmed the timeline put forth by DHS officials and said his daughter did not show any signs of distress until about 5 a.m. when the pair boarded a bus headed to the Lordsburg Border Patrol Station.
Nery Caal issued a statement on Saturday through his attorneys in which he said he was “grateful for the many first responders that tried to save young Jakelin’s life in New Mexico and Texas,” CNN reported.
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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
Monday, December 17, 2018
Rep. Ilhan Omar Mocks Mike Pence: ‘Jesus Take the Wheel’
Rep.-elect Ilhan Omar (D-MN), the first Muslim woman elected to Congress (along with fellow Democrat Rashida Tlaib of Michigan), mocked Vice President Mike Pence last week with a tweet captioned “Jesus take the wheel!”.
Jesus take the wheel! #BorderWall pic.twitter.com/aEPle6HFF1
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) December 11, 2018
The tweet was one of many mocking Pence’s apparent passivity during an Oval Office clash between President Donald Trump, incoming Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). However, critics accused Omar of mocking Pence’s stalwart Christianity, and she offered no clarification.
I don’t like Pence, and I have always liked you, but it’s not cool to mock someone over their religion. You really should remove this post. You are above stuff like this, and honestly, I have lost some respect for you because of this…
— Kirs for Fears (@kirsforfears) December 15, 2018
Another example of the Left’s vaunted “tolerance”. I’m not impressed.
— Conny (@conny_green) December 15, 2018
Imagine the national media meltdown if a Christian politician made fun of a Muslim like this: https://t.co/fEStyQxf2G
— Noah Pollak (@NoahPollak) December 15, 2018
Omar may not have been reflecting a religious prejudice of her own, but rather the generic prejudice against religious Christians that is common on the far left. However, she did have her defenders, including Ray Johnson of ChicagoNow.com:
More here
Jesus take the wheel! #BorderWall pic.twitter.com/aEPle6HFF1
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) December 11, 2018
The tweet was one of many mocking Pence’s apparent passivity during an Oval Office clash between President Donald Trump, incoming Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). However, critics accused Omar of mocking Pence’s stalwart Christianity, and she offered no clarification.
I don’t like Pence, and I have always liked you, but it’s not cool to mock someone over their religion. You really should remove this post. You are above stuff like this, and honestly, I have lost some respect for you because of this…
— Kirs for Fears (@kirsforfears) December 15, 2018
Another example of the Left’s vaunted “tolerance”. I’m not impressed.
— Conny (@conny_green) December 15, 2018
Imagine the national media meltdown if a Christian politician made fun of a Muslim like this: https://t.co/fEStyQxf2G
— Noah Pollak (@NoahPollak) December 15, 2018
Omar may not have been reflecting a religious prejudice of her own, but rather the generic prejudice against religious Christians that is common on the far left. However, she did have her defenders, including Ray Johnson of ChicagoNow.com:
More here
The IRS would get whacked in a government shutdown
If a government shutdown is coming, it's going to hit the IRS hard.
Nearly 90 percent of the tax collection agency's workforce would be furloughed if President Trump and congressional Democrats can't agree on a bill to keep a handful of federal agencies open past Dec. 21.
Trump and his Democratic foes in Congress indicated this week that they aren't close to a deal. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., were openly feuding with Trump in the White House on Tuesday as they rejected his push for another $5 billion to fund a border wall.
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Nearly 90 percent of the tax collection agency's workforce would be furloughed if President Trump and congressional Democrats can't agree on a bill to keep a handful of federal agencies open past Dec. 21.
Trump and his Democratic foes in Congress indicated this week that they aren't close to a deal. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., were openly feuding with Trump in the White House on Tuesday as they rejected his push for another $5 billion to fund a border wall.
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Blue State Blues: Clinton Lawyer Lanny Davis Exploited Michael Cohen to Attack Trump
Attorney Lanny Davis represented President Bill Clinton in the 1990s during the Monica Lewinsky scandal and the subsequent impeachment. He did enough to keep Clinton in office, and went on to serve as a surrogate for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaigns.
But it is unclear what, if any, benefit Davis provided to his client Michael Cohen, the former personal attorney for President Donald Trump who was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison.
Cohen hired Davis last July — though Davis’s statement at the time suggested it was he who selected Cohen, not the other way around.
Davis said he had followed Cohen’s case in the media and had spoken to him for two weeks. “Then I read his words published on July 2” — an ABC News interview with former Clinton spokesman George Stephanopoulous, in which Cohen hinted he could turn on Trump — and “recognized their sincerity,” Davis said.
So after a former Clinton aide elicited the right responses, a former Clinton lawyer was convinced to take the case.
Davis had already published a book claiming Clinton deserved to win the 2016 presidential election, and calling for Trump to be ousted from office. In addition to removing Trump under the 25th Amendment for “mental disorder,” Davis argued that the way Trump had won the election was sufficient grounds for impeachment.
He concluded:
Whether to decide to impeach and remove President Trump cannot be clear until all the evidence is fully and fairly examined, giving Trump due process and the right to present his own evidence and rebuttal. But not to begin the process and conduct a bipartisan impeachment investigation, given the undisputed facts and conduct already on the public record, is not acceptable. The American people, who saw him achieve the highest office in an impaired election process, deserve no less.
Davis understood that Cohen could provide new “facts” to bring down the president.
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But it is unclear what, if any, benefit Davis provided to his client Michael Cohen, the former personal attorney for President Donald Trump who was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison.
Cohen hired Davis last July — though Davis’s statement at the time suggested it was he who selected Cohen, not the other way around.
Davis said he had followed Cohen’s case in the media and had spoken to him for two weeks. “Then I read his words published on July 2” — an ABC News interview with former Clinton spokesman George Stephanopoulous, in which Cohen hinted he could turn on Trump — and “recognized their sincerity,” Davis said.
So after a former Clinton aide elicited the right responses, a former Clinton lawyer was convinced to take the case.
Davis had already published a book claiming Clinton deserved to win the 2016 presidential election, and calling for Trump to be ousted from office. In addition to removing Trump under the 25th Amendment for “mental disorder,” Davis argued that the way Trump had won the election was sufficient grounds for impeachment.
He concluded:
Whether to decide to impeach and remove President Trump cannot be clear until all the evidence is fully and fairly examined, giving Trump due process and the right to present his own evidence and rebuttal. But not to begin the process and conduct a bipartisan impeachment investigation, given the undisputed facts and conduct already on the public record, is not acceptable. The American people, who saw him achieve the highest office in an impaired election process, deserve no less.
Davis understood that Cohen could provide new “facts” to bring down the president.
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Clinton Foundation Whistleblowers Testify: "It Operated As An Unregistered Foreign Agent"
John Moynihan and Lawerence W. Doyle, both graduates of the Catholic Jesuit College of the Holy Cross and former expert forensic government investigators, gave their shocking testimony before congress based on a nearly two year investigation into the foundation’s work both nationally and internationally. They were assisted by three other highly trained experts in taxation law and financial forensic investigations. The forensic investigators stressed that they obtained all the documentation on the foundation legally and through Freedom of Information Request Acts from the IRS and other agencies.
Former Utah U.S. Attorney General John Huber, who resigned when he was appointed by former Department of Justice Attorney General Jeff Sessions to investigate the Clinton Foundation and the issues surrounding the approval to sell 20 percent of U.S. Uranium assets to Russia, declined to attend the hearing. Chairman Mark Meadows, R-NC, who oversaw the hearing stated that it was disappointment that Huber declined, leaving Congress in the dark regarding the DOJ’s investigation.
Investigations into the Clinton Foundation have always been plagued by politics but Moynihan wanted to make clear in his opening statement that this investigation was one of many his firm has conducted on nonprofits and had nothing to do with politics.
Doyle and Moynihan have amassed 6,000 documents in their nearly two-year investigation through their private firm MDA Analytics LLC. The documents were turned over more than a year and a half ago to the IRS, according to John Solomon, who first published the report last week in The Hill.
“The investigation clearly demonstrates that the foundation was not a charitable organization per se, but in point of fact was a closely held family partnership,” said Doyle, who formerly worked on Wall Street and has been involved with finance for the last ten years conducting investigations.
“As such it was governed in a fashion in which it sought in large measure to advance the personal interests of its principals as detailed within the financial analysis of this submission and further confirmed within the supporting documentation and evidence section.”
The Clinton Foundation operated as a foreign agent ‘early in its life’ and ‘throughout it’s existence’ and did not operate as a 501c3 charitable foundation as required, and is not entitled to its status as a nonprofit, alleged two highly qualified forensic investigators, accompanied by three other investigators, said in explosive testimony Thursday to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
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The Democrats' power grab in New Jersey
You can count on New Jersey to raise the bar in corrupt politics. This week, Democrats there have crafted a scheme to strengthen their already solid grip on power. They are writing gerrymandering into the state’s constitution. To pass their blatantly undemocratic move, they’re using every trick they can to circumvent opposition.
The current method of drawing districts in New Jersey isn’t perfect, but it's straightforward enough. Each party chairman picks five people to sit on a redistricting commission. Typically, each party submits a map, and an independent arbitrator, picked by the New Jersey Supreme Court, decides which map most closely matches the state’s constitutional mandate that districts be compact and contiguous and don’t give partisan advantage.
Democrats, despite controlling both the state assembly and state Senate, want even more power.
Their proposal is a constitutional amendment that would grant politicians more control over the process, define “competitiveness” to Democratic advantage, and almost certainly give Democrats even more legislative seats by requiring boundaries to reflect recent statewide elections where Democrats have done better than Republicans.
Under the proposal, party chairmen would each appoint two members, rather than five, to the redistricting commission. The state Senate president, state Senate minority leader, assembly speaker, and assembly minority leader would each nominate two members. The final member and tiebreaker would come from the state Supreme Court.
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The current method of drawing districts in New Jersey isn’t perfect, but it's straightforward enough. Each party chairman picks five people to sit on a redistricting commission. Typically, each party submits a map, and an independent arbitrator, picked by the New Jersey Supreme Court, decides which map most closely matches the state’s constitutional mandate that districts be compact and contiguous and don’t give partisan advantage.
Democrats, despite controlling both the state assembly and state Senate, want even more power.
Their proposal is a constitutional amendment that would grant politicians more control over the process, define “competitiveness” to Democratic advantage, and almost certainly give Democrats even more legislative seats by requiring boundaries to reflect recent statewide elections where Democrats have done better than Republicans.
Under the proposal, party chairmen would each appoint two members, rather than five, to the redistricting commission. The state Senate president, state Senate minority leader, assembly speaker, and assembly minority leader would each nominate two members. The final member and tiebreaker would come from the state Supreme Court.
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USA Today Coverage of Athlete’s Tweets Is Vigilantism, Not Journalism
This week, I did something that USA Today’s executive leadership apparently hadn’t done lately: I read the newspaper’s “principles of ethical conduct for newsrooms.”
It’s pretty highfalutin. The media manifesto of virtue, posted online, applies to all employees “working with any news platform, including newspapers, websites, mobile devices, video, social media channels, and live story events.”
Whether writing online or covering breaking developments, USA Today’s journalists are supposedly committed to:
It’s pretty highfalutin. The media manifesto of virtue, posted online, applies to all employees “working with any news platform, including newspapers, websites, mobile devices, video, social media channels, and live story events.”
Whether writing online or covering breaking developments, USA Today’s journalists are supposedly committed to:
Seeking and reporting the truth in a truthful way.
Serving the public interest.
Exercising fair play.
Acting with integrity.
Now, let’s compare the lofty rhetoric with low-blow reality.
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Serving the public interest.
Exercising fair play.
Acting with integrity.
Now, let’s compare the lofty rhetoric with low-blow reality.
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Republicans Take Bold Tack Against Democratic Gerrymander In The Supreme Court
A coalition of Republican voters made a pair of bold requests while asking the Supreme Court to uphold a lower court ruling striking down a Democratic gerrymander in Maryland.
Their case, one of several pending before the justices on this topic, could clear the way for greater judicial scrutiny over redistricting. The Supreme Court has yet to find partisan line-drawing, called gerrymandering, unlawful.
“The practice of partisan gerrymandering — aided in modern times by sophisticated software and the most detailed troves of data imaginable — is at war with [our] system of government,” the Republican motion reads. “It aims to insulate those in power — those whom the public has taken into their trust — from being held to account. Its purpose is to reduce the franchise to a charade — a meaningless exercise, the outcome of which is preordained by computer scientists and political consultants turned cartographers.”
In an aggressive move, the plaintiffs are asking the Court to summarily affirm the lower court, meaning they want the justices to uphold the lower court decision without briefing and oral arguments.
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Their case, one of several pending before the justices on this topic, could clear the way for greater judicial scrutiny over redistricting. The Supreme Court has yet to find partisan line-drawing, called gerrymandering, unlawful.
“The practice of partisan gerrymandering — aided in modern times by sophisticated software and the most detailed troves of data imaginable — is at war with [our] system of government,” the Republican motion reads. “It aims to insulate those in power — those whom the public has taken into their trust — from being held to account. Its purpose is to reduce the franchise to a charade — a meaningless exercise, the outcome of which is preordained by computer scientists and political consultants turned cartographers.”
In an aggressive move, the plaintiffs are asking the Court to summarily affirm the lower court, meaning they want the justices to uphold the lower court decision without briefing and oral arguments.
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Inside Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Strange Allure Among Conservatives
If you’ve been paying at least moderate attention, you’d have noticed that the tidal wave of criticism and scrutiny over Congresswoman-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez among conservatives has just the slightest tinge of agreement.
It should be strange to no one: Immigration hawks love pointing out how Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, as recently as 2015, felt about how open borders affects unskilled labor (to its detriment). Sanders is no less an avowed socialist as Ocasio-Cortez, yet for her part, the point of agreement among conservatives appears to be big tech’s cozying up to American power-centers.
All it took was one big Amazon deal.
After local governments countrywide spent months stooping as low as they could for CEO Jeff Bezos, the tech behemoth officially announced in November the location of their new headquarters in New York and D.C. New York in particular offered billions in subsidies and tax breaks to the e-commerce company.
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It should be strange to no one: Immigration hawks love pointing out how Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, as recently as 2015, felt about how open borders affects unskilled labor (to its detriment). Sanders is no less an avowed socialist as Ocasio-Cortez, yet for her part, the point of agreement among conservatives appears to be big tech’s cozying up to American power-centers.
All it took was one big Amazon deal.
After local governments countrywide spent months stooping as low as they could for CEO Jeff Bezos, the tech behemoth officially announced in November the location of their new headquarters in New York and D.C. New York in particular offered billions in subsidies and tax breaks to the e-commerce company.
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Top Officials in Obama's FBI and DOJ Worked Sundays and Overtime to Plot Against and Frame Incoming Trump Administration!
The Deep State actors in the attempt to overthrow the Trump Administration were corrupt and criminal but they weren’t lazy. Before President-elect Trump’s Inauguration, these corrupt employees of the Obama Administration even worked overtime and on the weekends to usurp the will of the American people.
As they worked to set up the team Trump team, the crooked Deep State players were diligent in their plans to protect and cover-up the Clintons and the Obama Administration and their own criminal acts. In early January 2017, shortly before President Trump’s Inauguration, fired FBI leaker and liar James Comey met with President Obama in the White House with other Deep State players –
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Former NFL Player Gets Hit With Massive Lawsuit Judgement Over Drunk Driving Death
Former Dallas Cowboys player Josh Brent is on the hook for millions of dollars following a civil case of a drunk driving death.
Brent killed his teammate Jerry Brown while drunk driving in Texas back in 2012. Now, he will owe Brown’s estate more than $10 million.
Dallas News reported the following:
Jurors on Thursday found a nightclub partly to blame for overserving former Dallas Cowboy Josh Brent the night he drove drunk and killed teammate and best friend Jerry Brown.
The civil court jury awarded Brown’s mother and his estate $25 million. Beamers shared about half the blame with Brent — 48 percent each — with the final 4 percent lying with the victim.
A jury sentenced Brent to probation at his criminal trial after Jackson testified that she had forgiven him. She said that’s what her son would have wanted and that she and Brent had stayed in touch.
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Brent killed his teammate Jerry Brown while drunk driving in Texas back in 2012. Now, he will owe Brown’s estate more than $10 million.
Dallas News reported the following:
Jurors on Thursday found a nightclub partly to blame for overserving former Dallas Cowboy Josh Brent the night he drove drunk and killed teammate and best friend Jerry Brown.
The civil court jury awarded Brown’s mother and his estate $25 million. Beamers shared about half the blame with Brent — 48 percent each — with the final 4 percent lying with the victim.
A jury sentenced Brent to probation at his criminal trial after Jackson testified that she had forgiven him. She said that’s what her son would have wanted and that she and Brent had stayed in touch.
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Michael Reagan: All Is Fair in the War on Trump
Publishers Notes: The last sentence nails it!
It’s not like it was something we didn’t already know.
But what the FBI and Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s did to President Trump’s former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn is fresh proof that there are two kinds of justice operating in the Washington swamp.
One kind — the mean, devious, throw-the-book-at-‘em kind — is used for prosecuting Donald Trump and his people.
The other kind of justice — the nice, easy-going, so-what kind — is used for not looking into the law-breaking email fiascos of Hillary and the financial fishiness of the Clinton Crime Syndicate.
Hillary continues to skate free, unbothered by the FBI or any federal agency for the dirty things she and the Obama administration’s injustice department did during the 2016 election to try to defeat Donald Trump.
But not General Flynn.
His life was ruined by the FBI bosses who set out to nail him — and did.
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It’s not like it was something we didn’t already know.
But what the FBI and Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s did to President Trump’s former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn is fresh proof that there are two kinds of justice operating in the Washington swamp.
One kind — the mean, devious, throw-the-book-at-‘em kind — is used for prosecuting Donald Trump and his people.
The other kind of justice — the nice, easy-going, so-what kind — is used for not looking into the law-breaking email fiascos of Hillary and the financial fishiness of the Clinton Crime Syndicate.
Hillary continues to skate free, unbothered by the FBI or any federal agency for the dirty things she and the Obama administration’s injustice department did during the 2016 election to try to defeat Donald Trump.
But not General Flynn.
His life was ruined by the FBI bosses who set out to nail him — and did.
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What Shall We Do with Lizzy Warren?
One of the best sea shanties is “What Shall We Do with a Drunken Sailor?” traced to whalers out of Connecticut and Massachusetts in the 1830s, according to folklorist Stan Hugill “Shanties From the Seven Seas” Mystic Seaport Museum.
“Drunken Sailor” is a fine ditty, each repeating verse ten or six beats, followed by the same six beat finish. The Irish Rovers have a classic rendition.
A modern version is here:
What shall we do with a lame-duck Lizzy,
What shall we do with a lame-duck Lizzy,
What shall we do with a lame-duck Lizzy
early in the morning?
Way-hay, up she rises
Way-hay, up she rises
Way-hay, up she rises
Early in the morning
Put her in the long boat 'til she's sober…
Pull out the bung and wet her all over…
Put her in the scuppers with the deck pump on her…
Early in the morning…
Re-elected only a month ago by Massachusetts voters to her second U.S. Senate term, Warren drunk on self-righteous smugness, has already been declared a “dead presidential candidate walking” by her erstwhile friends.
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“Drunken Sailor” is a fine ditty, each repeating verse ten or six beats, followed by the same six beat finish. The Irish Rovers have a classic rendition.
A modern version is here:
What shall we do with a lame-duck Lizzy,
What shall we do with a lame-duck Lizzy,
What shall we do with a lame-duck Lizzy
early in the morning?
Way-hay, up she rises
Way-hay, up she rises
Way-hay, up she rises
Early in the morning
Put her in the long boat 'til she's sober…
Pull out the bung and wet her all over…
Put her in the scuppers with the deck pump on her…
Early in the morning…
Re-elected only a month ago by Massachusetts voters to her second U.S. Senate term, Warren drunk on self-righteous smugness, has already been declared a “dead presidential candidate walking” by her erstwhile friends.
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The War Against Globalism
Belgium has joined the list of countries that are rebelling against their elected leadership. Over the weekend the Belgian government fell over Prime Minister Charles Michel’s trip to Morocco to sign the United Nations Migration Agreement. The agreement made no distinction between legal and illegal migrants and regarded immigration as a positive phenomenon. The Belgian people apparently did not agree. Facebook registered 1,200 Belgians agreeing that the Prime Minister was a traitor. Some users expressed concern for their children’s futures, noting that Belgian democracy is dead. Others said they would get yellow vests and join the protests.
The unrest witnessed in a number of places is focused on some specific demands but it represents much broader anger. The French yellow vests initially protested against proposed increases in fuel taxes that would have affected working people dependent on transportation disproportionately. But when that demand was met by the government of President Emmanuel Macron, the demonstrations continued and even grew, suggesting that the grievances with the government were far more extensive than the issue of a single new tax. Perhaps not surprisingly, the French government is seeking for a scapegoat and is investigating “Russian interference.” The US State Department inevitably agrees, claiming that Kremlin directed websites and social media are “amplifying the conflict.”
Some commentators looking somewhat more deeply at the riots in France have even suggested that the real issue just might be regime change, that the Macron government had become so disconnected with many of the voters through both its policies and the rhetoric justifying them that it had lost its legitimacy and there was no possibility of redemption. Any change would have to be an improvement, particularly as a new regime would be particularly sensitive to the sentiments of those being governed, at least initially. One might suggest that the prevailing sentiment that a radical change in government is needed, come what may, to shake up the system might well be called the “Trump phenomenon” as that is more-or-less what happened in the United States.
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The unrest witnessed in a number of places is focused on some specific demands but it represents much broader anger. The French yellow vests initially protested against proposed increases in fuel taxes that would have affected working people dependent on transportation disproportionately. But when that demand was met by the government of President Emmanuel Macron, the demonstrations continued and even grew, suggesting that the grievances with the government were far more extensive than the issue of a single new tax. Perhaps not surprisingly, the French government is seeking for a scapegoat and is investigating “Russian interference.” The US State Department inevitably agrees, claiming that Kremlin directed websites and social media are “amplifying the conflict.”
Some commentators looking somewhat more deeply at the riots in France have even suggested that the real issue just might be regime change, that the Macron government had become so disconnected with many of the voters through both its policies and the rhetoric justifying them that it had lost its legitimacy and there was no possibility of redemption. Any change would have to be an improvement, particularly as a new regime would be particularly sensitive to the sentiments of those being governed, at least initially. One might suggest that the prevailing sentiment that a radical change in government is needed, come what may, to shake up the system might well be called the “Trump phenomenon” as that is more-or-less what happened in the United States.
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HUGE— Strzok’s Phones Scrubbed AFTER He Was Fired — Page’s Phone Scrubbed and Lost for ENTIRE YEAR before It Was Turned Over
Mueller’s Spcecial Counsel team of 13 angry Democrats scrubbed Peter Strzok’s phone and then turned it over to the Office of Inspector General investigators AFTER Peter Strzok was fired.
Peter Strzok was fired from the Special Counsel after text messages surfaced showing that he had a strong hatred for Donald Trump and his supporters.
Peter Strzok was reassigned in the summer of 2017 to the FBI’s human resource department after his dismissal from the Mueller witch hunt in July 2017.
His lover Lisa Page reportedly resigned from the Special Counsel in May 2017 – two weeks before Strzok was fired.
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Peter Strzok was fired from the Special Counsel after text messages surfaced showing that he had a strong hatred for Donald Trump and his supporters.
Peter Strzok was reassigned in the summer of 2017 to the FBI’s human resource department after his dismissal from the Mueller witch hunt in July 2017.
His lover Lisa Page reportedly resigned from the Special Counsel in May 2017 – two weeks before Strzok was fired.
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FBI Releases Key Steele Dossier Document
The FBI on Friday released a two-page document that sheds some light on what former FBI Director James Comey briefed to President-Elect Donald Trump and President Obama regarding the infamous Steele dossier.
The document, first reported by Politico, asserts that Christopher Steele, the former British spy who compiled the dossier, was working “on behalf of private clients” in his investigation of Trump’s possible ties to Russia. His dossier contained “highly politically sensitive information,” according to the summary.
Steele, who is not identified by name in the heavily-redacted document, is also described as collecting information “from a layered network of identified and unidentified subsources, some of which has been corroborated in the past.”
Those characterizations are likely to draw the attention of Republicans, many of whom have accused the FBI of relying too heavily on Steele’s unverified reporting in its investigation of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian government.
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The document, first reported by Politico, asserts that Christopher Steele, the former British spy who compiled the dossier, was working “on behalf of private clients” in his investigation of Trump’s possible ties to Russia. His dossier contained “highly politically sensitive information,” according to the summary.
Steele, who is not identified by name in the heavily-redacted document, is also described as collecting information “from a layered network of identified and unidentified subsources, some of which has been corroborated in the past.”
Those characterizations are likely to draw the attention of Republicans, many of whom have accused the FBI of relying too heavily on Steele’s unverified reporting in its investigation of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian government.
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FBI Docs Reveal: "Flynn Was Not Lying Or Did Not Think He Was Lying"
The Special Counsel’s Office released key documents related to former National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn Friday. Robert Mueller’s office had until 3 p.m. to get the documents to Judge Emmet Sullivan, who demanded information Wednesday after bombshell information surfaced in a memorandum submitted by Flynn’s attorney’s that led to serious concerns regarding the FBI’s initial questioning of the retired three-star general.
The highly redacted documents included notes from former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe regarding his conversation with Flynn about arranging the interview with the FBI. The initial interview took place at the White House on Jan. 24, 2017.
The documents also include the FBI’s “302” report regarding Flynn’s interview with anti-Trump former FBI Agent Peter Strzok and FBI Agent Joe Pientka when they met with him at the White House. It is not, however, the 302 document from the actual January, 2017 interview but an August, 2017 report of Strzok’s recollections of the interview.
Flynn’s attorney’s had noted in their memorandum to the courts that the documents revealed that FBI officials made the decision not to provide Flynn with his Miranda Rights, which would’ve have warned him of penalties for making false statements.
“The agents did not provide Gen. Flynn with a warning of the penalties for making a false statement under 18 U.S.C. 1001 before, during, or after the interview,” the Flynn memo says.
According to the 302, before the interview, McCabe and other FBI officials “decided the agents would not warn Flynn that it was a crime to lie during an FBI interview because they wanted Flynn to be relaxed, and they were concerned that giving the warnings might adversely affect the rapport.”
McCabe, who has since been fired for lying to the DOJ’s Office of Inspector General about leaking information to the media, also asked Flynn not to have his lawyer present during the initial meeting with the FBI agents.
The July 2017 report, however, was the interview with Strzok. It described his interview with Flynn but was not the original Flynn interview.
Apparent discrepancies within the 302 documents are being questioned by may former senior FBI officials, who state that there are stringent policies in place to ensure that the documents are guarded against tampering.
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The highly redacted documents included notes from former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe regarding his conversation with Flynn about arranging the interview with the FBI. The initial interview took place at the White House on Jan. 24, 2017.
The documents also include the FBI’s “302” report regarding Flynn’s interview with anti-Trump former FBI Agent Peter Strzok and FBI Agent Joe Pientka when they met with him at the White House. It is not, however, the 302 document from the actual January, 2017 interview but an August, 2017 report of Strzok’s recollections of the interview.
Flynn’s attorney’s had noted in their memorandum to the courts that the documents revealed that FBI officials made the decision not to provide Flynn with his Miranda Rights, which would’ve have warned him of penalties for making false statements.
“The agents did not provide Gen. Flynn with a warning of the penalties for making a false statement under 18 U.S.C. 1001 before, during, or after the interview,” the Flynn memo says.
According to the 302, before the interview, McCabe and other FBI officials “decided the agents would not warn Flynn that it was a crime to lie during an FBI interview because they wanted Flynn to be relaxed, and they were concerned that giving the warnings might adversely affect the rapport.”
McCabe, who has since been fired for lying to the DOJ’s Office of Inspector General about leaking information to the media, also asked Flynn not to have his lawyer present during the initial meeting with the FBI agents.
The July 2017 report, however, was the interview with Strzok. It described his interview with Flynn but was not the original Flynn interview.
Apparent discrepancies within the 302 documents are being questioned by may former senior FBI officials, who state that there are stringent policies in place to ensure that the documents are guarded against tampering.
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Scores offers Stormy Daniels a job to help pay off fees
Scores must have the biggest heart in the stripping business.
The ever-thoughtful jiggle giant has offered to helpStormy Daniels pay nearly $300,000 in President Trump’s legal fees — by working in its clubs.
Daniels was told to cough up the cash after her defamation suit — in which she claimed Trump had defamed her by saying she lied about her alleged affair with him — was dismissed by a judge.
Now Scores is offering her a big chunk of the door for any shows she agrees to perform at its nation-wide chain of clubs.
The club said, “Scores always attracts the high rollers and upscale clientele, so [it feels] very confident that [it] will be able to help her raise the money needed to pay legal fees.”
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The ever-thoughtful jiggle giant has offered to helpStormy Daniels pay nearly $300,000 in President Trump’s legal fees — by working in its clubs.
Daniels was told to cough up the cash after her defamation suit — in which she claimed Trump had defamed her by saying she lied about her alleged affair with him — was dismissed by a judge.
Now Scores is offering her a big chunk of the door for any shows she agrees to perform at its nation-wide chain of clubs.
The club said, “Scores always attracts the high rollers and upscale clientele, so [it feels] very confident that [it] will be able to help her raise the money needed to pay legal fees.”
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The government is still subsidizing college bureaucracies with student loans
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos caved on Thursday, agreeing to cancel $150 million in student loan debt in line with an Obama-era policy she previously tried to fight off. The specific debtors to whom DeVos finally succumbed qualified for “closed school” loan discharges, or those who attended failed, fraudulent private, for-profit colleges. While these debts were attributed to a specific, dying breed of colleges, the greater effect of student loans across colleges, public and private, nonprofit and for-profit, remains.
Federal financial aid and student loans in particular will continue to act as a piggy bank for bloated campus bureaucracies, and their tuition pricing can continue to spiral out of control.
The Bennett hypothesis (the theory that the less conditional and controlled access to funding directly causes colleges to further hike tuition and fees) has proven itself in abundance in the decades since the term was first coined by former Education Secretary William Bennett. The theory goes that as long as colleges know the taxpayer piggy bank will foot the bill, they'll continue to increase prices — not for student benefit but to essentially widen their profit margins, even at nominally "nonprofit" institutions.
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Federal financial aid and student loans in particular will continue to act as a piggy bank for bloated campus bureaucracies, and their tuition pricing can continue to spiral out of control.
The Bennett hypothesis (the theory that the less conditional and controlled access to funding directly causes colleges to further hike tuition and fees) has proven itself in abundance in the decades since the term was first coined by former Education Secretary William Bennett. The theory goes that as long as colleges know the taxpayer piggy bank will foot the bill, they'll continue to increase prices — not for student benefit but to essentially widen their profit margins, even at nominally "nonprofit" institutions.
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The Perfectly Legal Corruption No One Cares About
The buzz this week in the news was all about corruption. OK, it was about one very specific type of corruption – the President paying women to not go public with allegations of affairs they say happened 12 years ago. But this is Washington, DC, sex scandals are only the tip of the corruption iceberg. Only, unlike anything involving Donald Trump, most of them are perfectly legal and the media has little to no interest in reporting on them.
I don’t know what Trump did 12 years ago, he wasn’t President at the time so I don’t care. I also don’t care if he paid women to keep quiet either because he’d had affairs with them or because it was easier just to throw some money around to make them go away and avoid the hassle. (I covered the reasons why in Thursday’s column here.) I’m not married to him, nor am I responsible for his choices or for those making the allegations.
What I don’t like is when people whose salaries we’re all paying use more of our tax dollars to pay off people they’ve harassed and keep that quiet.
There have been more than 260 settlements costing more than $17 million, paid for by you and me, so our elected Members for Congress can avoid being held responsible for things they’re now clutching their pearls over the President having done with his own money.
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I don’t know what Trump did 12 years ago, he wasn’t President at the time so I don’t care. I also don’t care if he paid women to keep quiet either because he’d had affairs with them or because it was easier just to throw some money around to make them go away and avoid the hassle. (I covered the reasons why in Thursday’s column here.) I’m not married to him, nor am I responsible for his choices or for those making the allegations.
What I don’t like is when people whose salaries we’re all paying use more of our tax dollars to pay off people they’ve harassed and keep that quiet.
There have been more than 260 settlements costing more than $17 million, paid for by you and me, so our elected Members for Congress can avoid being held responsible for things they’re now clutching their pearls over the President having done with his own money.
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Judicial Watch: Hillary Clinton Files New Answers Under Oath about Email System
Judicial Watch announced today Hillary Clinton submitted additional written answers under oath about her email system. Clinton testified that she used the controversial email system for the “purpose of convenience.” Clinton initially objected and refused to answer the questions but was ordered to do so last month by U.S. District Court Judge G Emmet Sullivan.
The court ordered Clinton to “[D]escribe the creation of the clintonemail.com domain name and the decision to set the domain up on the existing server, the date it was decided to create the domain and set it up on the existing server, who made those decisions, and when the domain became operational on the existing server.”
Clinton answered under oath:
"Subject to and without waiving the forgoing objections, Secretary Clinton answers as follows: As Secretary Clinton prepared in late 2008/early 2009 to serve as Secretary of State, she was aware that President Clinton’s office had set up an e-mail system, but she had no role in this process. Secretary Clinton knew that President Clinton’s staff had recently upgraded that system. Secretary Clinton does not know what equipment that system used, how it was created, who decided that the system needed to be upgraded, or who else had accounts on the system. Secretary Clinton believes that one of the President’s aides, Justin Cooper, set up the system. Secretary Clinton decided to use a clintonemail.com account on the system for the purpose of convenience. Secretary Clinton recalls that the clintonemail.com account was created in early 2009. Although Secretary Clinton does not have specific knowledge of the details of the creation of the account, the “domain,” or the “domain name,” her best understanding is that Mr. Cooper set it up."
To another question regarding her October 22, 2015, testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on Benghazi, during which she testified that 90 to 95 percent of her emails “were in the State’s system” and “if they wanted to see them, they would certainly have been able to do so,” Clinton suggests she learned this from her attorneys, who seem to have guessed this answer.
More here
The court ordered Clinton to “[D]escribe the creation of the clintonemail.com domain name and the decision to set the domain up on the existing server, the date it was decided to create the domain and set it up on the existing server, who made those decisions, and when the domain became operational on the existing server.”
Clinton answered under oath:
"Subject to and without waiving the forgoing objections, Secretary Clinton answers as follows: As Secretary Clinton prepared in late 2008/early 2009 to serve as Secretary of State, she was aware that President Clinton’s office had set up an e-mail system, but she had no role in this process. Secretary Clinton knew that President Clinton’s staff had recently upgraded that system. Secretary Clinton does not know what equipment that system used, how it was created, who decided that the system needed to be upgraded, or who else had accounts on the system. Secretary Clinton believes that one of the President’s aides, Justin Cooper, set up the system. Secretary Clinton decided to use a clintonemail.com account on the system for the purpose of convenience. Secretary Clinton recalls that the clintonemail.com account was created in early 2009. Although Secretary Clinton does not have specific knowledge of the details of the creation of the account, the “domain,” or the “domain name,” her best understanding is that Mr. Cooper set it up."
To another question regarding her October 22, 2015, testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on Benghazi, during which she testified that 90 to 95 percent of her emails “were in the State’s system” and “if they wanted to see them, they would certainly have been able to do so,” Clinton suggests she learned this from her attorneys, who seem to have guessed this answer.
More here
When Does Trump Say, 'Enough Is Enough!'?
President Donald Trump is an army of one. At least in Washington, DC and other elite enclaves. Sure, he has his base of deplorables, those who wait on mile-long lines to attend his rallies and those who voted for him two years ago.
Yet look at the forces arrayed against him. The US media is on the warpath against Trump and his family, coverage 93 percent negative, although I suspect that number is closer to 100 percent. It’s rare to pick up a US newspaper or watch any television news and see anything remotely positive about Trump. Great economic news is always shrouded in a black cloud, as if low unemployment or strong economic growth is racist, sexist, or simply a mirage.
The Deep State, Democrats and Republicans alike, are in lock step trying to remove Trump from office. If only they were in similar agreement on securing the border, cutting regulations, or growing the economy than they are against Trump.
Rep Adam Schiff thinks Trump is heading to jail. Rep Maxine Waters agrees saying, “President Donald Trump is a ‘criminal’ who should be impeached.” It never ends.
When does Trump say, “Enough is enough!”?
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Yet look at the forces arrayed against him. The US media is on the warpath against Trump and his family, coverage 93 percent negative, although I suspect that number is closer to 100 percent. It’s rare to pick up a US newspaper or watch any television news and see anything remotely positive about Trump. Great economic news is always shrouded in a black cloud, as if low unemployment or strong economic growth is racist, sexist, or simply a mirage.
The Deep State, Democrats and Republicans alike, are in lock step trying to remove Trump from office. If only they were in similar agreement on securing the border, cutting regulations, or growing the economy than they are against Trump.
Rep Adam Schiff thinks Trump is heading to jail. Rep Maxine Waters agrees saying, “President Donald Trump is a ‘criminal’ who should be impeached.” It never ends.
When does Trump say, “Enough is enough!”?
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‘Republican’ PAC that Attacks GOP Bankrolled by Liberal Billionaires
A prominent ‘Republican' women's political action committee that regularly receives national media attention for its criticisms of President Donald Trump and the GOP is bankrolled by three liberal billionaire donors and activists, Federal Election Commission filings show.
Republican Women for Progress, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, was founded by Jennifer Lim and Meghan Milloy, both former employees of Republican organizations. The duo also previously founded Republican Women for Hillary and spoke at the Democratic National Convention in the past.
The Republican Women for Progress PAC was established on Sept. 13 to back their work during the midterm elections, which included throwing more than $800,000 into independent expenditures supporting Democratic candidates in New Jersey, Kentucky, Michigan, and California. The group also came out in opposition of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation.
More here
Republican Women for Progress, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, was founded by Jennifer Lim and Meghan Milloy, both former employees of Republican organizations. The duo also previously founded Republican Women for Hillary and spoke at the Democratic National Convention in the past.
The Republican Women for Progress PAC was established on Sept. 13 to back their work during the midterm elections, which included throwing more than $800,000 into independent expenditures supporting Democratic candidates in New Jersey, Kentucky, Michigan, and California. The group also came out in opposition of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation.
More here
Venezuelans regret gun ban, 'a declaration of war against an unarmed population'
CUCUTA, Venezuela/Colombia border – As Venezuela continues to crumble under the socialist dictatorship of President Nicolas Maduro, some are expressing words of warning – and resentment – against a six-year-old gun control bill that stripped citizens of their weapons.
“Guns would have served as a vital pillar to remaining a free people, or at least able to put up a fight,” Javier Vanegas, 28, a Venezuelan teacher of English now exiled in Ecuador, told Fox News. “The government security forces, at the beginning of this debacle, knew they had no real opposition to their force. Once things were this bad, it was a clear declaration of war against an unarmed population.”
Under the direction of then-President Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan National Assembly in 2012 enacted the “Control of Arms, Munitions and Disarmament Law,” with the explicit aim to “disarm all citizens.” The law took effect in 2013, with only minimal pushback from some pro-democracy opposition figures, banned the legal commercial sale of guns and munitions to all - except government entities.
Chavez initially ran a months-long amnesty program encouraging Venezuelans to trade their arms for electrical goods. That year, there were only 37 recorded voluntary gun surrenders, while the majority of seizures - more than 12,500 – were by force.
In 2014, with Nicolás Maduro at the helm following Chavez’s death but carrying through his socialist “Chavista” policies, the government invested more than $47 million enforcing the gun ban – which has since included grandiose displays of public weapons demolitions in the town square.
A former gun store owner inside Venezuela – who told Fox News he has now been relegated to only selling fishing supplies since the ban – said he can’t sell any type of weaponry - even a slingshot - and underscored that even BB ammunition and airsoft guns are only issued to police and military officers.
The punishment for illicit carrying or selling a weapon now is 20 years behind bars.
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“Guns would have served as a vital pillar to remaining a free people, or at least able to put up a fight,” Javier Vanegas, 28, a Venezuelan teacher of English now exiled in Ecuador, told Fox News. “The government security forces, at the beginning of this debacle, knew they had no real opposition to their force. Once things were this bad, it was a clear declaration of war against an unarmed population.”
Under the direction of then-President Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan National Assembly in 2012 enacted the “Control of Arms, Munitions and Disarmament Law,” with the explicit aim to “disarm all citizens.” The law took effect in 2013, with only minimal pushback from some pro-democracy opposition figures, banned the legal commercial sale of guns and munitions to all - except government entities.
Chavez initially ran a months-long amnesty program encouraging Venezuelans to trade their arms for electrical goods. That year, there were only 37 recorded voluntary gun surrenders, while the majority of seizures - more than 12,500 – were by force.
In 2014, with Nicolás Maduro at the helm following Chavez’s death but carrying through his socialist “Chavista” policies, the government invested more than $47 million enforcing the gun ban – which has since included grandiose displays of public weapons demolitions in the town square.
A former gun store owner inside Venezuela – who told Fox News he has now been relegated to only selling fishing supplies since the ban – said he can’t sell any type of weaponry - even a slingshot - and underscored that even BB ammunition and airsoft guns are only issued to police and military officers.
The punishment for illicit carrying or selling a weapon now is 20 years behind bars.
More
https://www.foxnews.com/world/venezuelans-regret-gun-prohibition-we-could-have-defended-ourselves
Democrats and the border: What they don’t want you to know
Is steel more moral than concrete?
House Democrat leader Nancy Pelosi of California said last week that she and other Democrats consider a border wall “immoral.” But some of the same Democrats who decry President Donald J. Trump’s proposed concrete wall as a 30-foot-tall human-rights violation actually approved 700 miles of steel barriers under the Secure Fence Act of 2006 (SFA).
Give Pelosi this: She is consistent. She voted against SFA. Maybe, deep down, she wants an America without borders.
Meanwhile, these current, former, and then-ascendant Senate Democrats all voted for SFA, which President George W. Bush signed into law. On September 26, 2006, the Senate passed SFA 80–19, with 26 Democrats voting Yea.
Among them:
Chuck Schumer of New York
Debbie Stabenow of Michigan
Ron Wyden of Oregon
Joseph Biden of Delaware (“I voted for the fence related to drugs,” he explained in a 2007 debate. “A fence will stop 20 kilos of cocaine coming through that fence.”)
More Hypocrats here
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/democrats-and-the-border-what-they-dont-want-you-to-know
House Democrat leader Nancy Pelosi of California said last week that she and other Democrats consider a border wall “immoral.” But some of the same Democrats who decry President Donald J. Trump’s proposed concrete wall as a 30-foot-tall human-rights violation actually approved 700 miles of steel barriers under the Secure Fence Act of 2006 (SFA).
Give Pelosi this: She is consistent. She voted against SFA. Maybe, deep down, she wants an America without borders.
Meanwhile, these current, former, and then-ascendant Senate Democrats all voted for SFA, which President George W. Bush signed into law. On September 26, 2006, the Senate passed SFA 80–19, with 26 Democrats voting Yea.
Among them:
Chuck Schumer of New York
Debbie Stabenow of Michigan
Ron Wyden of Oregon
Joseph Biden of Delaware (“I voted for the fence related to drugs,” he explained in a 2007 debate. “A fence will stop 20 kilos of cocaine coming through that fence.”)
More Hypocrats here
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/democrats-and-the-border-what-they-dont-want-you-to-know
Koch Brothers: ‘Serious Mistake’ to End Welfare-Dependent Immigration to U.S.
The pro-mass immigration Koch brothers say ending welfare-dependent immigration to the United States would do “serious harm” to the nation and be a “serious mistake.”
President Trump’s administration is looking to implement a policy that protects American taxpayers’ dollars from funding the mass importation of welfare-dependent foreign nationals by enforcing a “public charge” rule whereby legal immigrants would be less likely to secure a permanent residency in the U.S. if they have used any forms of welfare in the past, including using Obamacare, food stamps, and public housing.
The immigration controls would be a boon for American taxpayers in the form of an annual $57.4 billion tax cut — the amount taxpayers spend every year on paying for the welfare, crime, and schooling costs of the country’s mass importation of 1.5 million new, mostly low-skilled legal immigrants.
The billionaire Kochs — avid defenders of mass immigration and free trade — are decrying the welfare-dependent immigration ban through their network of organizations.
The Libre Initiative, just one of many Koch-funded groups, wrote a letter to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), claiming that such a policy would harm the nation’s economy and cripple businesses that rely on cheap, foreign labor:
President Trump’s administration is looking to implement a policy that protects American taxpayers’ dollars from funding the mass importation of welfare-dependent foreign nationals by enforcing a “public charge” rule whereby legal immigrants would be less likely to secure a permanent residency in the U.S. if they have used any forms of welfare in the past, including using Obamacare, food stamps, and public housing.
The immigration controls would be a boon for American taxpayers in the form of an annual $57.4 billion tax cut — the amount taxpayers spend every year on paying for the welfare, crime, and schooling costs of the country’s mass importation of 1.5 million new, mostly low-skilled legal immigrants.
The billionaire Kochs — avid defenders of mass immigration and free trade — are decrying the welfare-dependent immigration ban through their network of organizations.
The Libre Initiative, just one of many Koch-funded groups, wrote a letter to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), claiming that such a policy would harm the nation’s economy and cripple businesses that rely on cheap, foreign labor:
President Trump: Democrats Were For Border Walls...Until I Was Elected
So, will we have Shutdown Theater over Christmas or not? From the Oval Office meeting between President Trump, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and soon-to-be House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, it looked that way. It was quite the fireworks show, with Trump saying he would shut down the government over border security, and unlike Chuck, he would win that political battle; a not so subtle jab a the New York Democrat who shut down the government earlier this year over illegal aliens enrolled into DACA. Trump has made a border wall a top action item for his administration. It’s his signature campaign promise that he has to deliver on. In fact, I would say it’s a must-do. The GOP campaigned on repealing Obamacare for nearly a decade and failed. Republicans cannot allow another, and much less complicated, promise get torpedoed. Trump is asking for $5 billion this go-around, but with the GOP House majority about to expire after taking a 40-seat walloping in the 2018 midterms, the White House should go for the full $25 billion to fund the whole wall. What have they got to lose?
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KLAVAN: Democrats Are Shocked Trump Paid Off Women! [Satire]
Democrats are absolutely shocked that Donald Trump would pay off women to keep them from revealing his adulterous affairs. Reeling with moral disillusionment and a deep, deep sense of betrayal, many Democrats and journalists — but I repeat myself — have declared themselves to be in an absolute tizzy of righteous tizziness over the revelations.
Hillary Clinton, a former Democrat something or other, said that she personally could not believe that Trump would sink so low. Pulling her face from the bottom of a salad bowl where she’d been searching for the Chardonnay bottle she accidentally dropped earlier, Hillary told reporters, "I can’t understand why you would give money to one of these bimbos when you could simply intimidate her into silence with threats and then get the media to bury her story and call her names on every news outlet in the United States. And another thing..." Mrs. Clinton continued, and then slipped under the table, where she sang the first three bars of "Never Getting Back Together," to the tune of the "Star Spangled Banner."
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Hillary Clinton, a former Democrat something or other, said that she personally could not believe that Trump would sink so low. Pulling her face from the bottom of a salad bowl where she’d been searching for the Chardonnay bottle she accidentally dropped earlier, Hillary told reporters, "I can’t understand why you would give money to one of these bimbos when you could simply intimidate her into silence with threats and then get the media to bury her story and call her names on every news outlet in the United States. And another thing..." Mrs. Clinton continued, and then slipped under the table, where she sang the first three bars of "Never Getting Back Together," to the tune of the "Star Spangled Banner."
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Georgia Store Owner, Ten Customers Plead Guilty to Food Stamp Fraud
A Georgia store owner and ten of his customers pleaded guilty on Tuesday to food stamp fraud charges for their involvement in a scheme whereby customers traded food stamp benefits for cash.
The Justice Department announced Wednesday that Garland Alford, 75, pleaded guilty to two counts of food stamp fraud for allowing his customers to trade Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for cash or for items not eligible to be purchased with food stamps.
Alford used to be the co-owner of a convenience store called Lake Flea Market & FDR Grocery, located south of Donalsonville, where he carried out the scheme.
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The Justice Department announced Wednesday that Garland Alford, 75, pleaded guilty to two counts of food stamp fraud for allowing his customers to trade Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for cash or for items not eligible to be purchased with food stamps.
Alford used to be the co-owner of a convenience store called Lake Flea Market & FDR Grocery, located south of Donalsonville, where he carried out the scheme.
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Actress Becomes Passionately Pro-Life After Movie Role
Known for Princess Cut, War Room, and other films, Ms. Bratcher said in an essay this week that while researching about the life of Johnson — a former Planned Parenthood employee — her “eyes were opened to the harsh reality of abortion.”
After Ashley got the part, her mother informed her that she had had an abortion when she was 16 years old and that her next pregnancy was with Ashley.
“I was going to abort you,” she told her daughter.
“I was at the clinic sitting on the table when the nurse, who was very pregnant, came in to talk to me. I felt sick. I couldn’t do it. I got up and walked out,” Ashley’s mother told her.
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American University Yoga Club Shuts Down over ‘Cultural Appropriation’
A yoga club at American University has shut down after one student took offense and filed a complaint accusing the group of “cultural appropriation.”
All it took was one student’s complaint to dissolve the Bhakti Yoga and Vegetarian Club that had been active on American University’s (AU) campus for the last seven years.
AU student, Maya Krishnan, took offense to an event in October, in which the yoga club had invited the touring group Viva Kultura to perform on campus for its “India Day” festival.
In an op-ed, Krishnan accused the yoga club of “cultural appropriation,” due to the Viva Kultura group being “almost entirely comprised of white European dancers.”
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All it took was one student’s complaint to dissolve the Bhakti Yoga and Vegetarian Club that had been active on American University’s (AU) campus for the last seven years.
AU student, Maya Krishnan, took offense to an event in October, in which the yoga club had invited the touring group Viva Kultura to perform on campus for its “India Day” festival.
In an op-ed, Krishnan accused the yoga club of “cultural appropriation,” due to the Viva Kultura group being “almost entirely comprised of white European dancers.”
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Giuliani: Trump paid off porn star and Playboy model to protect Melania and Barron
Donald Trump’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, says he has an “enormous number” of witnesses who prove the president paid off two women to protect his family.
Michael Cohen, the president’s former fixer, claimed Trump paid hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal to help his 2016 presidential campaign.
The payments were made close to the 2016 election and not publicly disclosed at the time.
“I can produce an enormous number of witnesses that say the president was very concerned about how this was going to affect his children, his marriage,” Giuliani told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday. “I know what he was concerned about. I can produce 20 witnesses to tell you what he was concerned about.”
“The amount of money is consistent with harassment, not truth. I've been involved in cases like this. When it’s true and you have the kind of money the president has, it's a $1 million settlement."
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Michael Cohen, the president’s former fixer, claimed Trump paid hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal to help his 2016 presidential campaign.
The payments were made close to the 2016 election and not publicly disclosed at the time.
“I can produce an enormous number of witnesses that say the president was very concerned about how this was going to affect his children, his marriage,” Giuliani told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday. “I know what he was concerned about. I can produce 20 witnesses to tell you what he was concerned about.”
“The amount of money is consistent with harassment, not truth. I've been involved in cases like this. When it’s true and you have the kind of money the president has, it's a $1 million settlement."
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Federal Court Blocks Religious Exemption for Obamacare Birth Control Mandate
A federal appeals court blocked the Trump administration’s religious and moral exceptions to the Obamacare birth control mandate from being implemented in five states.
On Thursday, a split three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld a preliminary injunction by the district court. Judges John Clifford Wallace, a Richard Nixon nominee, and Susan Graber, an appointee of Bill Clinton, upheld the district court’s ruling.
The decision allows the states of California, Delaware, Virginia, Maryland, and New York to ignore the Trump administration’s rules that protect employers with religious or moral objections to abortion-inducing drugs and birth control from being forced to provide them to workers.
In the majority opinion, Wallace wrote that women who are denied free birth control through employer health insurance plans will end up costing states more money.
“The declarations submitted by the states further show that women losing coverage from their employers will turn to state-based programs or programs reimbursed by the state,” he wrote, though he added that the record did not support affirming the district court’s ruling on a nationwide basis.
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On Thursday, a split three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld a preliminary injunction by the district court. Judges John Clifford Wallace, a Richard Nixon nominee, and Susan Graber, an appointee of Bill Clinton, upheld the district court’s ruling.
The decision allows the states of California, Delaware, Virginia, Maryland, and New York to ignore the Trump administration’s rules that protect employers with religious or moral objections to abortion-inducing drugs and birth control from being forced to provide them to workers.
In the majority opinion, Wallace wrote that women who are denied free birth control through employer health insurance plans will end up costing states more money.
“The declarations submitted by the states further show that women losing coverage from their employers will turn to state-based programs or programs reimbursed by the state,” he wrote, though he added that the record did not support affirming the district court’s ruling on a nationwide basis.
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MSP Salisbury - State Police - Assault
First degree assault and MDOP
Date and Time: 12/16/2018 4:10 PM
Location: 8800 block of Mar Lynn Drive, Delmar, MD 21875
Vehicle(s): 2008 Mercedes passenger vehicle
Driver/passengers(s)/pedestrian: Anissa Church-Russell, 41 year old female of Delmar, MD
Victim(s)/Injuries: James Russell 3rd, 41 year old male of Delmar, MD
Accused: Anissa Church-Russell, 41 year old female of Delmar, MD
Charges: First degree assault, second degree assault, MDOP under $1,000, disturbing the peace
Disposition: Taken for processing at central booking
On 12/16/18 at 4:10 PM, troopers from the Maryland State Police Salisbury Barrack were dispatched to the 8800 block of Mar Lynn Drive for a report of an argument in the street. When troopers arrived, a male subject, identified as James Russell 3rd was found to be standing in the street next to a large pile of clothes. While speaking with him it was learned that his wife, Anissa Church-Russell, had ran over his clothes several times and attempted to strike him on several occasions with her vehicle.
A witness was also interviewed at the scene and stated that it appeared that the defendant was attempting to a run over the victim with her vehicle. The witness stated that the victim had to jump out of the way of the vehicle on several occasions to prevent from being run over.
The victim was not struck with the vehicle and did not sustain any injuries as a result of this incident. The defendant was placed under arrest and was taken to the Wicomico County Detention Center to await a court hearing.
Date and Time: 12/16/2018 4:10 PM
Location: 8800 block of Mar Lynn Drive, Delmar, MD 21875
Vehicle(s): 2008 Mercedes passenger vehicle
Driver/passengers(s)/pedestrian: Anissa Church-Russell, 41 year old female of Delmar, MD
Victim(s)/Injuries: James Russell 3rd, 41 year old male of Delmar, MD
Accused: Anissa Church-Russell, 41 year old female of Delmar, MD
Charges: First degree assault, second degree assault, MDOP under $1,000, disturbing the peace
Disposition: Taken for processing at central booking
On 12/16/18 at 4:10 PM, troopers from the Maryland State Police Salisbury Barrack were dispatched to the 8800 block of Mar Lynn Drive for a report of an argument in the street. When troopers arrived, a male subject, identified as James Russell 3rd was found to be standing in the street next to a large pile of clothes. While speaking with him it was learned that his wife, Anissa Church-Russell, had ran over his clothes several times and attempted to strike him on several occasions with her vehicle.
A witness was also interviewed at the scene and stated that it appeared that the defendant was attempting to a run over the victim with her vehicle. The witness stated that the victim had to jump out of the way of the vehicle on several occasions to prevent from being run over.
The victim was not struck with the vehicle and did not sustain any injuries as a result of this incident. The defendant was placed under arrest and was taken to the Wicomico County Detention Center to await a court hearing.
Is the Flynn guilty plea going to be thrown out?
It is always a bad idea to defy an order from a federal judge – especially when the judge whose order has been blown off has a history of vigilance against law enforcement and prosecutorial abuse and has thrown out convictions that resulted from abuse. Yet the nation's premier, most powerful law enforcement agency has just done so.
The Mueller Special Counsel Office's case against General Michael Flynn took a bizarre turn Friday when the FBI failed to provide Judge Emmet G. Sullivan with the original form 302 account of its interview with Flynn in the early days of the Trump administration. General Flynn's guilty plea was based on yielding to the FBI's contention that he lied to them about his (perfectly legal) conversation with Russia's Ambassador Kislyak, concealing their discussion of sanctions. At the point of his guilty plea, General Flynn had been bankrupted by legal fees, and his son was threatened with criminal prosecution.
But in defiance of Judge Sullivan's order, the FBI did not turn over that Form 302 and instead offered a Form 302 of its interview with Peter Strzok, six months later, referencing the original interview with Flynn that was conducted by Strzok and FBI agent Joe Pientka.
Sean Davis of The Federalist has provided a Twitter thread that covers the key points and includes excerpts from the documents:
The Mueller Special Counsel Office's case against General Michael Flynn took a bizarre turn Friday when the FBI failed to provide Judge Emmet G. Sullivan with the original form 302 account of its interview with Flynn in the early days of the Trump administration. General Flynn's guilty plea was based on yielding to the FBI's contention that he lied to them about his (perfectly legal) conversation with Russia's Ambassador Kislyak, concealing their discussion of sanctions. At the point of his guilty plea, General Flynn had been bankrupted by legal fees, and his son was threatened with criminal prosecution.
But in defiance of Judge Sullivan's order, the FBI did not turn over that Form 302 and instead offered a Form 302 of its interview with Peter Strzok, six months later, referencing the original interview with Flynn that was conducted by Strzok and FBI agent Joe Pientka.
Sean Davis of The Federalist has provided a Twitter thread that covers the key points and includes excerpts from the documents:
Fatal Traffic Crash
Date and Time: 12/15/2018 4:10 PM
Location: Old Ocean City Rd West of Richardson Rd, Wicomico County
Vehicle(s): 2008 Toyota Tk
Driver/passengers(s)/pedestrian:
William Joseph Hathaway, Male/36 years of age, Berlin, MD
Driver: William Joseph Hathaway, 36 year old male was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Narrative: MSP Salisbury received a call from a concerned citizen after they passed by a vehicle in a ditch at the above location. After the barrack took the call, several 911 calls were received for the same incident. The occupant and driver was determined to be a William Joseph Hathaway, W/M, 36 years of age, from Berlin, MD. William had called his wife on a cell phone and stated he was okay but someone turned in front of him and he had to swerve into a ditch. She also heard him state to concerned citizens that stopped at the scene that he was okay. However, by the time EMS and troopers arrived, Williams was observed to be non-breathing and slumped over the center console. He was immediately transported to PRMC where he was pronounced dead.
Immediate family was notified by Tfc Shelter and PRMC Staff.
The vehicle was a 2008 Toyota truck with MD reg 17182M8. Minimal damage was sustained by the Toyota, and it does not appear consistent with the driver suffering fatal injuries. There was no airbag deployment.
TFC Kevin Moore, MSP Salisbury, responded for the collision reconstruction.
Investigation is continuing.
Location: Old Ocean City Rd West of Richardson Rd, Wicomico County
Vehicle(s): 2008 Toyota Tk
Driver/passengers(s)/pedestrian:
William Joseph Hathaway, Male/36 years of age, Berlin, MD
Driver: William Joseph Hathaway, 36 year old male was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Narrative: MSP Salisbury received a call from a concerned citizen after they passed by a vehicle in a ditch at the above location. After the barrack took the call, several 911 calls were received for the same incident. The occupant and driver was determined to be a William Joseph Hathaway, W/M, 36 years of age, from Berlin, MD. William had called his wife on a cell phone and stated he was okay but someone turned in front of him and he had to swerve into a ditch. She also heard him state to concerned citizens that stopped at the scene that he was okay. However, by the time EMS and troopers arrived, Williams was observed to be non-breathing and slumped over the center console. He was immediately transported to PRMC where he was pronounced dead.
Immediate family was notified by Tfc Shelter and PRMC Staff.
The vehicle was a 2008 Toyota truck with MD reg 17182M8. Minimal damage was sustained by the Toyota, and it does not appear consistent with the driver suffering fatal injuries. There was no airbag deployment.
TFC Kevin Moore, MSP Salisbury, responded for the collision reconstruction.
Investigation is continuing.
The Unintended Consequences of Animal Gene Editing
The purported birth last month of the world’s first gene-edited human babies, claimed by a Chinese scientist, spurred a wave of global outrage. Scientists denounced the (as yet unconfirmed) experiment as irresponsible, and the development reinforced fears that the redesigning of DNA is moving ahead too fast and without necessary oversight.
The proliferation of similar experiments on farm animals in recent years supports those concerns. Though rapid strides have been made to map genomes—the full set of genes for humans, animals, insects and plants—scientists have only begun to understand what the tens of thousands of individual genes do. Moreover, they are far from unraveling how those genes interact with each other.
Scientists around the world are editing the genes of livestock to create meatier pigs, cashmere goats with longer hair and cold-weather cows that can thrive in the tropics. The goals are to improve agricultural productivity, produce hardier beasts and reduce practices that are costly or considered inhumane. But amid some successes, disturbing outcomes are surfacing.
When Chinese researchers deleted a gene that limits muscle growth in mammals so that rabbits would grow leaner, their creations exhibited an unusual characteristic: enlarged tongues. Similar experiments on Chinese pigs led some to develop an additional vertebrae. Gene-edited calves died prematurely in Brazil and New Zealand.
More here
The proliferation of similar experiments on farm animals in recent years supports those concerns. Though rapid strides have been made to map genomes—the full set of genes for humans, animals, insects and plants—scientists have only begun to understand what the tens of thousands of individual genes do. Moreover, they are far from unraveling how those genes interact with each other.
Scientists around the world are editing the genes of livestock to create meatier pigs, cashmere goats with longer hair and cold-weather cows that can thrive in the tropics. The goals are to improve agricultural productivity, produce hardier beasts and reduce practices that are costly or considered inhumane. But amid some successes, disturbing outcomes are surfacing.
When Chinese researchers deleted a gene that limits muscle growth in mammals so that rabbits would grow leaner, their creations exhibited an unusual characteristic: enlarged tongues. Similar experiments on Chinese pigs led some to develop an additional vertebrae. Gene-edited calves died prematurely in Brazil and New Zealand.
More here
Ohio Passes Bill Requiring Greater Food Stamp Oversight
Ohio lawmakers passed a bill this week that would allow the state to have greater oversight of food stamp recipients.
House Bill 119, which passed the Ohio Senate on Wednesday and the Ohio House on Thursday, would allow state officials to review the eligibility of people receiving benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the program responsible for doling out food stamps, every three months instead of every year.
The legislation would also allow the state to provide the same oversight of Medicaid recipients.
More
House Bill 119, which passed the Ohio Senate on Wednesday and the Ohio House on Thursday, would allow state officials to review the eligibility of people receiving benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the program responsible for doling out food stamps, every three months instead of every year.
The legislation would also allow the state to provide the same oversight of Medicaid recipients.
More
Biden Leads Sanders, O'Rourke in Iowa Democratic Caucus Poll
Former Vice President Joe Biden leads the pack among likely Democratic caucusgoers in Iowa, according to a CNN/Des Moines Register poll released Saturday.
The poll shows Biden leading among a field of 20 potential candidates, followed by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and Texas Representative Beto O’Rourke. The poll asked likely caucusgoers who their top choice for president would be among potential candidates for their party’s nomination.
More
The poll shows Biden leading among a field of 20 potential candidates, followed by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and Texas Representative Beto O’Rourke. The poll asked likely caucusgoers who their top choice for president would be among potential candidates for their party’s nomination.
More
Iowa school districts add hunters ed course to PE curriculum
Beginning next Spring, middle school students in two Iowa school districts will receive hunter’s safety as part of their physical education class curriculum.
Both the North Butler and Clarksville Community School Districts will deliver a mandatory hunter safety course in the 7th and 8th grade PE curriculum reports Radio Iowa. Students in grades 9 through 12 will be given a chance to take voluntary classes.
“What we do best is educate our kids,” said Superintendent Joel Foster. “We feel if we educate our kids in how to use weapons responsibly, how to respect them, understand it’s not a video game and those sort of things, that maybe we’ll cut down on our chances of having a severe incident.”
Parents who do not want their children participating in the training can opt out of the class.
More
Both the North Butler and Clarksville Community School Districts will deliver a mandatory hunter safety course in the 7th and 8th grade PE curriculum reports Radio Iowa. Students in grades 9 through 12 will be given a chance to take voluntary classes.
“What we do best is educate our kids,” said Superintendent Joel Foster. “We feel if we educate our kids in how to use weapons responsibly, how to respect them, understand it’s not a video game and those sort of things, that maybe we’ll cut down on our chances of having a severe incident.”
Parents who do not want their children participating in the training can opt out of the class.
More
Western Stagecoach History - an amazing story. (read it to the end)
TRUCKEE, Calif. — Western stagecoach companies were big business in the latter half of the 19th century. In addition to passengers and freight, stages hauled gold and silver bullion as well as mining company payrolls.
Stage robbery was a constant danger and bandits employed many strategies to ambush a stagecoach. Thieves rarely met with much resistance from stage drivers, since they had passenger safety foremost in mind. The gang was usually after the Wells Fargo money box with its valuable contents. Passengers were seldom hurt, but they were certainly relieved of their cash, watches and jewelry. Before the completion of the transcontinental railroad over Donner Pass in 1868, the only transportation through the Sierra was by stage. Rugged teamsters held rein over six wild-eyed horses as they tore along the precipitous mountain trails. The stagecoaches were driven by skilled and fearless men who pushed themselves and their spirited horses to the limit.
One of the most famous drivers was Charles Darkey Parkhurst, who had come west from New England in 1852 seeking his fortune in the Gold Rush. He spent 15 years running stages, sometimes partnering with Hank Monk, the celebrated driver from Carson City. Over the years, Pankhurst's reputation as an expert whip grew.
From 20 feet away he could slice open the end of an envelope or cut a cigar out of a man's mouth. Parkhurst smoked cigars, chewed wads of tobacco, drank with the best of them, and exuded supreme confidence behind the reins. His judgment was sound and pleasant manners won him many friends.
One afternoon as Charley drove down from Carson Pass the lead horses veered off the road and a wrenching jolt threw him from the rig. He hung on to the reins as the horses dragged him along on his stomach. Amazingly, Parkhurst managed to steer the frightened horses back onto the road and save all his grateful passengers.
During the 1850s, bands of surly highwaymen stalked the roads. These outlaws would level their shotguns at stage drivers and shout, "Throw down the gold box!" Charley Parkhurst had no patience for the crooks despite their demands and threatening gestures.
The most notorious road agent was nicknamed "Sugarfoot." When he and his gang accosted Charley's stage, it was the last robbery the thief ever attempted.
Charley cracked his whip defiantly, and when his horses bolted, he turned around and fired his revolver at the crooks. Sugarfoot was later found dead with a fatal bullet wound in his stomach.
In appreciation of his bravery, Wells Fargo presented Parkhurst with a large watch and chain made of solid gold. In 1865, Parkhurst grew tired of the demanding job of driving and he opened his own stage station. He later sold the business and retired to a ranch near Soquel, Calif. The years slipped by and Charley died on Dec. 29, 1879, at the age of 67.
A few days later, the Sacramento Daily Bee published his obituary. It read;
"On Sunday last, there died a person known as Charley Parkhurst, aged 67, who was well-known to old residents as a stage driver. He was, in early days, accounted one of the most expert manipulators of the reins who ever sat on the box of a coach. It was discovered when friendly hands were preparing him for his final rest, that Charley Parkhurst was unmistakably a well-developed woman!"
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