Wants more gun owners to discourage crime
Brazil’s new president Jair Bolsonaro announced he would immediately ease gun laws and fight “the Marxist trash” he says is being taught in Brazil’s classrooms.
The former paratrooper plans to make it easier for adults over 25 to own firearms as long as they don’t have a criminal record.
“One of the goals to take Brazil from the worst positions in the world’s education rankings is to combat the Marxist trash that has settled in educational institutions,” he tweeted, translated from Portuguese. “Together with the Minister of Education and others involved we will evolve into forming citizens and no more political militants.”
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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
Thursday, January 03, 2019
MAN ASSAULTED BY LEFTIST AT VAPE SHOP SPEAKS OUT
Latest victim of Trump Derangement Syndrome isn’t backing down
A viral video exposes a leftist who tried to deny a Trump supporter from purchasing a product at a vape shop in Georgia.
The Trump supporter from the video, Ian Furgeson, joins Alex via Skype to discuss the insanity of liberal snowflakes who can’t accept Trump is their president.
More/Video
A viral video exposes a leftist who tried to deny a Trump supporter from purchasing a product at a vape shop in Georgia.
The Trump supporter from the video, Ian Furgeson, joins Alex via Skype to discuss the insanity of liberal snowflakes who can’t accept Trump is their president.
More/Video
NY Gov. Cuomo Pardons 22 at Risk of Being Deported
Granting pardons to 29 people, including 22 immigrants who were at risk of being deported, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo took a swipe at President Donald Trump for shutting down the federal government "over his obsession with keeping immigrants out."...
Jane Curtin shares New Year’s resolution: ‘To make sure that the Republican Party dies’
Jane Curtin hasn’t changed since “Weekend Update,” but there was no Dan Aykroyd to rebut her this time.
On its New Year’s Eve broadcast Monday night, CNN posted clips of celebrities giving their New Year’s resolution.
“My New Year’s resolution is to make sure that the Republican Party dies,” said Ms. Curtin, one of the original “Saturday Night Live” cast members.
The short five-second clip — Ms. Curtin’s wasn’t featured on the show — went viral overnight and into Tuesday morning, making the 70s-era comedienne a social-media trending topic.
“Jane Curtin is all of us,” proclaimed liberal Twitterer Shauana (@GoldenGateBlond).
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On its New Year’s Eve broadcast Monday night, CNN posted clips of celebrities giving their New Year’s resolution.
“My New Year’s resolution is to make sure that the Republican Party dies,” said Ms. Curtin, one of the original “Saturday Night Live” cast members.
The short five-second clip — Ms. Curtin’s wasn’t featured on the show — went viral overnight and into Tuesday morning, making the 70s-era comedienne a social-media trending topic.
“Jane Curtin is all of us,” proclaimed liberal Twitterer Shauana (@GoldenGateBlond).
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Report: Federal Prosecutors Investigating Trump Inauguration Spending
Federal prosecutors in New York are investigating President Donald Trump’s inaugural committee amid suspicion that a portion of the $107 million it raised was misspent, according to a report.
The Wall Street Journal states the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office is in the beginning stages of probing whether the committee’s most prominent donors made sizable contributions “in exchange for access to the incoming Trump administration, policy concessions or to influence official administration positions.”
The Journal reports:
The investigation partly arises out of materials seized in the federal probe of former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen’s business dealings, according to people familiar with the matter.
In April raids of Mr. Cohen’s home, office and hotel room, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents obtained a recorded conversation between Mr. Cohen and Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former adviser to Melania Trump, who worked on the inaugural events. In the recording, Ms. Wolkoff expressed concern about how the inaugural committee was spending money, according to a person familiar with the Cohen investigation.
Federal prosecutors have asked Richard Gates, a former campaign aide who served as the inaugural committee’s deputy chairman, about the fund’s spending and its donors, according to people familiar with the matter.
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The Wall Street Journal states the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office is in the beginning stages of probing whether the committee’s most prominent donors made sizable contributions “in exchange for access to the incoming Trump administration, policy concessions or to influence official administration positions.”
The Journal reports:
The investigation partly arises out of materials seized in the federal probe of former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen’s business dealings, according to people familiar with the matter.
In April raids of Mr. Cohen’s home, office and hotel room, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents obtained a recorded conversation between Mr. Cohen and Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former adviser to Melania Trump, who worked on the inaugural events. In the recording, Ms. Wolkoff expressed concern about how the inaugural committee was spending money, according to a person familiar with the Cohen investigation.
Federal prosecutors have asked Richard Gates, a former campaign aide who served as the inaugural committee’s deputy chairman, about the fund’s spending and its donors, according to people familiar with the matter.
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Cop-killer Mumia Abu-Jamal granted appeal, spurring outrage from widow of slain police officer
The widow of a Philadelphia police officer who was gunned down 37 years ago in the line of duty is "outraged" over a judge's decision last week to grant her husband's killer a chance to appeal his conviction.
On Thursday, Judge Leon Tucker granted Mumia Abu-Jamal another opportunity to appeal his 1981 conviction in the death of Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner. Abu-Jamal spent three decades on death row before his sentence in the shooting death of Faulkner was thrown out over flawed jury instructions.
Prosecutors agreed to a sentence of life without parole, and Abu-Jamal's final appeal was rejected by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 2012. However, the judge ruled on Thursday that former Justice Ronald Castille should have recused himself because of statements he made as a prosecutor about police killers that suggest potential bias.
"I'm absolutely outraged with Leon Tucker. Tucker has no merit on this judgment. [Castille] had nothing to say about Mumia Abu-Jamal, he had no prejudice," said Maureen Faulker in an exclusive interview on "Fox and Friends" Sunday. "This is going to open the door for so many murderers to be able to do this and appeal this."
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On Thursday, Judge Leon Tucker granted Mumia Abu-Jamal another opportunity to appeal his 1981 conviction in the death of Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner. Abu-Jamal spent three decades on death row before his sentence in the shooting death of Faulkner was thrown out over flawed jury instructions.
Prosecutors agreed to a sentence of life without parole, and Abu-Jamal's final appeal was rejected by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 2012. However, the judge ruled on Thursday that former Justice Ronald Castille should have recused himself because of statements he made as a prosecutor about police killers that suggest potential bias.
"I'm absolutely outraged with Leon Tucker. Tucker has no merit on this judgment. [Castille] had nothing to say about Mumia Abu-Jamal, he had no prejudice," said Maureen Faulker in an exclusive interview on "Fox and Friends" Sunday. "This is going to open the door for so many murderers to be able to do this and appeal this."
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https://www.foxnews.com/us/widow-of-slain-police-officer-outraged-after-her-husbands-killer-mumia-abu-jamal-is-granted-appeal
Demographic And Pension Disaster: Illinois Population Drops For Fifth Consecutive Year
It is the same depressing story to which Illinoisans have grown accustomed: Population is collapsing and it's only getting worse.
Illinois had one of the largest population busts in the nation this year according to new data published Dec. 19 from the US Census Bureau. Illinois is the sixth-largest state, with a population estimated at 12,741,080. Since 2013, the state had seen more than 100,000 residents leave, when the population was 12.9 million.
"Illinois suffered the second-largest numeric loss (45,116) of any state, following only New York, which was down 48,510 residents but has a much larger overall population of more than 19.5 million," said the Chicago Tribune.
The population bust was also evident in other "high tax" states such as West Virginia, Louisiana, Hawaii, Mississippi, Alaska, Connecticut, and Wyoming. No other states in the Midwest had declines like Illinois.
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Illinois had one of the largest population busts in the nation this year according to new data published Dec. 19 from the US Census Bureau. Illinois is the sixth-largest state, with a population estimated at 12,741,080. Since 2013, the state had seen more than 100,000 residents leave, when the population was 12.9 million.
"Illinois suffered the second-largest numeric loss (45,116) of any state, following only New York, which was down 48,510 residents but has a much larger overall population of more than 19.5 million," said the Chicago Tribune.
The population bust was also evident in other "high tax" states such as West Virginia, Louisiana, Hawaii, Mississippi, Alaska, Connecticut, and Wyoming. No other states in the Midwest had declines like Illinois.
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Taking on Housing Crisis, Minneapolis Votes to End Single-Family Zoning
In a bold move to address its affordable-housing crisis and confront a history of racist housing practices, Minneapolis has decided to eliminate single-family zoning, a classification that has long perpetuated segregation.
The Minneapolis City Council voted last Friday to get rid of the category and instead allow residential structures with up to three dwelling units — like duplexes and triplexes — in every neighborhood. Minneapolis is believed to be the first major city in the United States to approve such a change citywide.
Peggy Reinhardt, 75, an advocate who supported the decision, hopes the change will mean more housing options around her Uptown Minneapolis neighborhood. She sees young couples in apartments who cannot afford to scale up to $400,000 houses, while elderly residents nearby are “house rich and cash poor” and have few options to downsize in their neighborhood.
“It’s that missing middle,” she said.
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The Minneapolis City Council voted last Friday to get rid of the category and instead allow residential structures with up to three dwelling units — like duplexes and triplexes — in every neighborhood. Minneapolis is believed to be the first major city in the United States to approve such a change citywide.
Peggy Reinhardt, 75, an advocate who supported the decision, hopes the change will mean more housing options around her Uptown Minneapolis neighborhood. She sees young couples in apartments who cannot afford to scale up to $400,000 houses, while elderly residents nearby are “house rich and cash poor” and have few options to downsize in their neighborhood.
“It’s that missing middle,” she said.
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Angela Merkel: Nation States Must "Give Up Sovereignty" To New World Order
“Nation states must today be prepared to give up their sovereignty”, according to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who told an audience in Berlin that sovereign nation states must not listen to the will of their citizens when it comes to questions of immigration, borders, or even sovereignty.
No this wasn’t something Adolf Hitler said many decades ago, this is what German Chancellor Angela Merkel told attendants at an event by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Berlin. Merkel has announced she won’t seek re-election in 2021 and it is clear she is attempting to push the globalist agenda to its disturbing conclusion before she stands down.
“In an orderly fashion of course,” Merkel joked, attempting to lighten the mood. But Merkel has always had a tin ear for comedy and she soon launched into a dark speech condemning those in her own party who think Germany should have listened to the will of its citizens and refused to sign the controversial UN migration pact:
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No this wasn’t something Adolf Hitler said many decades ago, this is what German Chancellor Angela Merkel told attendants at an event by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Berlin. Merkel has announced she won’t seek re-election in 2021 and it is clear she is attempting to push the globalist agenda to its disturbing conclusion before she stands down.
“In an orderly fashion of course,” Merkel joked, attempting to lighten the mood. But Merkel has always had a tin ear for comedy and she soon launched into a dark speech condemning those in her own party who think Germany should have listened to the will of its citizens and refused to sign the controversial UN migration pact:
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The #MeToo War on Males
The #MeToo Movement originated with good intentions, to show support for the sexually harassed or raped. But as with everything else, the politically correct warriors have taken over. As this year is ending, people should be examining why it has gone too far and how it has hurt many victims instead of helping them.
American Thinker interviewed Dr. Paul Nathanson, a gender relations professor, who has defined the field of hatred, contempt, and prejudice against men in the current culture, and authored four books on the subject with Katherine Young. For the past thirty years he has researched this subject, and now believes, “The MeToo Movement has declared war on men, undermined the rule of law, and have become vigilantes. In the 1960s I considered myself a feminist. As a gay man, I thought feminism was removing gender barriers with a rhetoric all about equality of pay and opportunity. But now it has moved to identity politics. Justice means ‘justice for our group,’ not what is just.”
Dr. Nathanson believes women need to be accountable for their own behavior and thinks it ridiculous that there are outcries for songs such as “Baby It’s Cold Outside” and that there are demands that the Disney song, “Kiss the Girl” to be banned.” William Shatner, who played Captain Kirk in Star Trek, put it succinctly, “the man in the song is just offering an invitation and presenting an argument for not leaving. He is not saying ‘I'm closing the door and you can't leave.’ It's not force, it's verbal persuasion, which works in the act.” Similarly, the Disney song is trying to prompt a shy boy to “kiss the girl,” not rape the girl.
In the 1970s, another song by Helen Reddy, “I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar” woke up an entire generation of feminists who thought of it as an empowering anthem. In other words, women were raised to stand up for themselves. Dr. Nathanson believes that women should think about taking matters into their own hands by getting out of the toxic #MeToo environment even if it means losing prestige, or financial gain. “If someone doesn’t agree with the #MeToo identity politics they are called a traitor or heretic. But this movement is not empowering women to be independent and to stand up for themselves. There is an implication that women cannot rely on themselves to survive in this brutal world that men have created.”
He wants to call out those that are using feminism to inspire hatred. For example, Senator Mazie Hirono from Hawaii thinks that any woman who makes an accusation should be believed and forget due process. Remember her saying,
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American Thinker interviewed Dr. Paul Nathanson, a gender relations professor, who has defined the field of hatred, contempt, and prejudice against men in the current culture, and authored four books on the subject with Katherine Young. For the past thirty years he has researched this subject, and now believes, “The MeToo Movement has declared war on men, undermined the rule of law, and have become vigilantes. In the 1960s I considered myself a feminist. As a gay man, I thought feminism was removing gender barriers with a rhetoric all about equality of pay and opportunity. But now it has moved to identity politics. Justice means ‘justice for our group,’ not what is just.”
Dr. Nathanson believes women need to be accountable for their own behavior and thinks it ridiculous that there are outcries for songs such as “Baby It’s Cold Outside” and that there are demands that the Disney song, “Kiss the Girl” to be banned.” William Shatner, who played Captain Kirk in Star Trek, put it succinctly, “the man in the song is just offering an invitation and presenting an argument for not leaving. He is not saying ‘I'm closing the door and you can't leave.’ It's not force, it's verbal persuasion, which works in the act.” Similarly, the Disney song is trying to prompt a shy boy to “kiss the girl,” not rape the girl.
In the 1970s, another song by Helen Reddy, “I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar” woke up an entire generation of feminists who thought of it as an empowering anthem. In other words, women were raised to stand up for themselves. Dr. Nathanson believes that women should think about taking matters into their own hands by getting out of the toxic #MeToo environment even if it means losing prestige, or financial gain. “If someone doesn’t agree with the #MeToo identity politics they are called a traitor or heretic. But this movement is not empowering women to be independent and to stand up for themselves. There is an implication that women cannot rely on themselves to survive in this brutal world that men have created.”
He wants to call out those that are using feminism to inspire hatred. For example, Senator Mazie Hirono from Hawaii thinks that any woman who makes an accusation should be believed and forget due process. Remember her saying,
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Mueller Gang Lies and Tries to Delay Jerome Corsi Case Because of Partial Government Shutdown - Judge Rejects Mueller's Request!
On December 10, 2018, Cristina Laila from TGP reported that Conservative journalist and author, Dr. Jerome Corsi filed a federal lawsuit against Robert Mueller over alleged grand jury leaks, illegal surveillance and other Constitutional violations and is seeking $350 million in damages.
Corsi was in plea negotiations with Robert Mueller after being questioned by the special counsel for over 40 hours about his ‘inside sources’ at WikiLeaks and alleged advance knowledge Julian Assange was going to release John Podesta’s emails – but backed out after he said Mueller was coercing him to lie to a judge.
Mueller and his team have been leaking information about the investigation into Corsi to left-wing journalists and the author is demanding $100 million in damages and $250 million in punitive damages.
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Corsi was in plea negotiations with Robert Mueller after being questioned by the special counsel for over 40 hours about his ‘inside sources’ at WikiLeaks and alleged advance knowledge Julian Assange was going to release John Podesta’s emails – but backed out after he said Mueller was coercing him to lie to a judge.
Mueller and his team have been leaking information about the investigation into Corsi to left-wing journalists and the author is demanding $100 million in damages and $250 million in punitive damages.
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Trump pledges to cut off aid to Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador
President Trump said Friday that the U.S. would cut off aid to three Central American countries that are “doing nothing for the United States but taking our money.”
“Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are doing nothing for the United States but taking our money. Word is that a new Caravan is forming in Honduras and they are doing nothing about it. We will be cutting off all aid to these 3 countries - taking advantage of U.S. for years!” Trump said in a tweet.
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“Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are doing nothing for the United States but taking our money. Word is that a new Caravan is forming in Honduras and they are doing nothing about it. We will be cutting off all aid to these 3 countries - taking advantage of U.S. for years!” Trump said in a tweet.
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Journalist, 26, dies one day after she was found unconscious and hospitalized with H1N1 swine flu
A 26-year-old political journalist has died one day after she was found unconscious and barely breathing at her apartment in Southern California and placed into a medically-induced coma.
Bre Payton, a staff writer for right-wing news website The Federalist and a frequent TV commentator, was admitted into the ICU at a hospital in San Diego on Thursday morning.
After hours of tests doctors determined she was suffering from the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu, as well as possible meningitis, according to a CaringBridge page set up for her.
News of her hospitalization broke Friday morning. Just before noon Pacific, Federalist publisher Ben Domenech confirmed on Twitter that she had died.
'Bre has passed. We are devastated. Last we saw her, she was her funny, smart, vivacious self. Now lost to us so suddenly,' Domenech wrote.
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Bre Payton, a staff writer for right-wing news website The Federalist and a frequent TV commentator, was admitted into the ICU at a hospital in San Diego on Thursday morning.
After hours of tests doctors determined she was suffering from the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu, as well as possible meningitis, according to a CaringBridge page set up for her.
News of her hospitalization broke Friday morning. Just before noon Pacific, Federalist publisher Ben Domenech confirmed on Twitter that she had died.
'Bre has passed. We are devastated. Last we saw her, she was her funny, smart, vivacious self. Now lost to us so suddenly,' Domenech wrote.
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Illegals and the American Dream
When talking about immigration, Democrats like to conflate illegal and legal immigration, dropping the word “illegal” and spouting meaningless babble about no human being illegal. They like to preach that illegal immigrants commit crimes at a lower rate than American citizens, a factoid that has been exposed as a lie.
The murder of legal immigrant and Newman Police Corporal Ronil Singh on Christmas night by an illegal alien in the sanctuary state of California shows not only that the claims by Chuck Schumer and the “bride of Chucky” Nancy Pelosi that the Democrats support border security is a deadly and bald-faced lie. It highlights the difference between legal and illegal immigrants, between those who love America and want to be Americans and those who murder them.
Pelosi and Schumer like to talk about the “Dreamers.” Well, Ronil Singh had dreams, too:
Ronil Singh came to the U.S. from his native Fiji to fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming an officer, joining a small-town police force in California and working to improve his English. The day after Christmas, he stopped another immigrant, this one in the country illegally, who shot and killed the corporal, authorities said Thursday…
"This suspect is in our country illegally. He doesn't belong here. He is a criminal," Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson, whose agency is leading the investigation, told reporters.
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The murder of legal immigrant and Newman Police Corporal Ronil Singh on Christmas night by an illegal alien in the sanctuary state of California shows not only that the claims by Chuck Schumer and the “bride of Chucky” Nancy Pelosi that the Democrats support border security is a deadly and bald-faced lie. It highlights the difference between legal and illegal immigrants, between those who love America and want to be Americans and those who murder them.
Pelosi and Schumer like to talk about the “Dreamers.” Well, Ronil Singh had dreams, too:
Ronil Singh came to the U.S. from his native Fiji to fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming an officer, joining a small-town police force in California and working to improve his English. The day after Christmas, he stopped another immigrant, this one in the country illegally, who shot and killed the corporal, authorities said Thursday…
"This suspect is in our country illegally. He doesn't belong here. He is a criminal," Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson, whose agency is leading the investigation, told reporters.
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House probe of FBI-DOJ's alleged anti-Trump, pro-Clinton bias hits unceremonious end -- with no report
House Republicans unceremoniously ended their investigation into the way the FBI and the Department of Justice handled Hillary Clinton’s email scandal and the bias allegations against President Trump.
The House probe was led by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the Judiciary Committee and sought to look into allegations that the FBI and the DOJ were biased against Trump during the 2016 presidential election and favored Clinton’s candidacy.
Two Republicans chairing the committees – Reps. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., and Robert Goodlatte, R-Va. – said in a letter Friday that the DOJ must appoint a special counsel to investigate the “seemingly disparate treatment” of the investigations into Clinton’s use of private emails and Trump’s alleged ties to Russia.
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The House probe was led by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the Judiciary Committee and sought to look into allegations that the FBI and the DOJ were biased against Trump during the 2016 presidential election and favored Clinton’s candidacy.
Two Republicans chairing the committees – Reps. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., and Robert Goodlatte, R-Va. – said in a letter Friday that the DOJ must appoint a special counsel to investigate the “seemingly disparate treatment” of the investigations into Clinton’s use of private emails and Trump’s alleged ties to Russia.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-republicans-unceremoniously-end-probe-into-fbi-doj-bias-against-trump-in-favor-of-clinton
City corrections officer reinstated after bagels cost him job
His bagel defense survived a schmear campaign.
A city correction officer won back his job after a yearlong struggle that all started when he chowed down on some poppy-seed bagels — and lit up a routine drug test with traces of morphine and codeine.
The amounts were enough to get him fired, until an obscure city commission took the extraordinary step of overruling the Correction Department’s commissioner.
Officer Eleazar Paz was reinstated to his $82,000 post on Christmas Eve, bringing to full circle a back-and-forth legal battle that spanned nearly all of 2018.
“I wanted to cry when I heard they would take me back,” the 49-year-old Rikers officer said Wednesday.
“It was unbelievable what happened to me, because I didn’t do anything wrong.”
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A city correction officer won back his job after a yearlong struggle that all started when he chowed down on some poppy-seed bagels — and lit up a routine drug test with traces of morphine and codeine.
The amounts were enough to get him fired, until an obscure city commission took the extraordinary step of overruling the Correction Department’s commissioner.
Officer Eleazar Paz was reinstated to his $82,000 post on Christmas Eve, bringing to full circle a back-and-forth legal battle that spanned nearly all of 2018.
“I wanted to cry when I heard they would take me back,” the 49-year-old Rikers officer said Wednesday.
“It was unbelievable what happened to me, because I didn’t do anything wrong.”
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Dems Introduced Bill Requiring Mexico To Pay For The Wall, And No One Seems To Have Noticed
Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas introduced legislation forbidding construction of a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border — unless Mexico pays for it.
Lee introduced the Protect American Taxpayers and Secure Border Act into the House on Dec. 19, which would “prohibit taxpayer funds from being used to build a wall between Mexico and the United States,” and further require that any barrier constructed on the southern border “be paid for using funds provided by the Government of Mexico.”
She referred the bill to the House Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Homeland Security, and already has four cosponsors: Democratic Reps. Karen Bass of California, Marcia Fudge of Ohio, Joaquin Castro of Texas and Yvette Clarke of New York.
The Texas congresswoman has remained largely silent on the proposed legislation, as have the bill’s other sponsors.
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Lee introduced the Protect American Taxpayers and Secure Border Act into the House on Dec. 19, which would “prohibit taxpayer funds from being used to build a wall between Mexico and the United States,” and further require that any barrier constructed on the southern border “be paid for using funds provided by the Government of Mexico.”
She referred the bill to the House Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Homeland Security, and already has four cosponsors: Democratic Reps. Karen Bass of California, Marcia Fudge of Ohio, Joaquin Castro of Texas and Yvette Clarke of New York.
The Texas congresswoman has remained largely silent on the proposed legislation, as have the bill’s other sponsors.
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Baltimore Mayor Believes NRA Promotes Ownership Of Rocket Launchers!
Like many other Democrats, Baltimore mayor Catherine Pugh has a bizarre understanding of what the National Rifle Association actually does. She seems to think the NRA promotes the ownership of rocket launchers.
The Blaze reports:
Baltimore mayor apparently thinks the NRA supports private ownership of rocket launchers — and she’s fundraising off it
Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh (D) apparently believes that the National Rifle Association advocates for the personal use and ownership of rocket launchers, if one of her recent tweets is to be believed.
As a result, social media users mocked Pugh mercilessly over her assertion.
What’s more, however, is that the Pugh campaign has sent out an email using the claim to fundraise.
Say what?
The Baltimore Police Department’s latest gun buyback program — which is intended to reduce the number of unregistered weapons on the city’s streets — turned up a rocket launcher.
An actual rocket launcher.
Guidelines for the buyback included $25 for high-capacity magazines, $100 for revolvers and bolt-action or pump-action weapons, and $200 for semi-automatic weapons, according to the Baltimore Sun. The city also offered $500 for fully automatic weapons.
The rocket launcher reportedly fetched $500, though it wasn’t fully automatic.
View image on Twitter.
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The Blaze reports:
Baltimore mayor apparently thinks the NRA supports private ownership of rocket launchers — and she’s fundraising off it
Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh (D) apparently believes that the National Rifle Association advocates for the personal use and ownership of rocket launchers, if one of her recent tweets is to be believed.
As a result, social media users mocked Pugh mercilessly over her assertion.
What’s more, however, is that the Pugh campaign has sent out an email using the claim to fundraise.
Say what?
The Baltimore Police Department’s latest gun buyback program — which is intended to reduce the number of unregistered weapons on the city’s streets — turned up a rocket launcher.
An actual rocket launcher.
Guidelines for the buyback included $25 for high-capacity magazines, $100 for revolvers and bolt-action or pump-action weapons, and $200 for semi-automatic weapons, according to the Baltimore Sun. The city also offered $500 for fully automatic weapons.
The rocket launcher reportedly fetched $500, though it wasn’t fully automatic.
View image on Twitter.
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FLASHBACK: Many Democrats Still In The Senate Today Voted To Secure The Border In 2006!
Democrats are acting like a border wall would be the worst thing in the world. But they didn’t always feel that way. In fact, back in 2006, many of the Democrats who are still in the Senate now voted for the Secure Fence Act.
Byron York writes at the Washington Examiner:
When Democrats embraced the ‘Southern Border Fencing Strategy’
In 2006 Congress passed the Secure Fence Act, which mandated the construction of multilayer pedestrian fencing along about 600 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border. It passed with big, bipartisan majorities: 283 votes in the House and 80 in the Senate. Some top Democrats who are still in the Senate today supported the fence: Chuck Schumer, Dianne Feinstein, Ron Wyden, Debbie Stabenow, and Sherrod Brown.
Just the next year, Congress made clear it didn’t really mean what it said. The new law was amended to make fence building optional.
In 2013, Congress got back into the fence game. The Gang of Eight comprehensive immigration reform bill included something called the “Southern Border Fencing Strategy.” It called for 700 miles of at least single-layer pedestrian fencing along the border. It wasn’t a standalone measure; the fence was to be part of a broader package of border security measures alongside provisions that would create a process by which the nation’s 11 million illegal immigrants would ultimately gain a path to citizenship.
So what has changed? It almost seems like Democrats are fighting the border wall just because Trump wants it.
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Byron York writes at the Washington Examiner:
When Democrats embraced the ‘Southern Border Fencing Strategy’
In 2006 Congress passed the Secure Fence Act, which mandated the construction of multilayer pedestrian fencing along about 600 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border. It passed with big, bipartisan majorities: 283 votes in the House and 80 in the Senate. Some top Democrats who are still in the Senate today supported the fence: Chuck Schumer, Dianne Feinstein, Ron Wyden, Debbie Stabenow, and Sherrod Brown.
Just the next year, Congress made clear it didn’t really mean what it said. The new law was amended to make fence building optional.
In 2013, Congress got back into the fence game. The Gang of Eight comprehensive immigration reform bill included something called the “Southern Border Fencing Strategy.” It called for 700 miles of at least single-layer pedestrian fencing along the border. It wasn’t a standalone measure; the fence was to be part of a broader package of border security measures alongside provisions that would create a process by which the nation’s 11 million illegal immigrants would ultimately gain a path to citizenship.
So what has changed? It almost seems like Democrats are fighting the border wall just because Trump wants it.
More
New FL Secretary of State Bad News For Brenda Snipes!
Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Mike Ertel was announced as Secretary of State by Governor-elect Ron DeSantis midday on Friday. As someone who has known Ertel for a half decade, Floridians could not have hoped for a better selection for this top post that oversees the election process.
Following the disastrous “performances” by Broward County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes and Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher, many in Florida were left wondering what protections would be put in place to make sure corruption and incompetence would not embarrass Florida in the 2020 presidential elections.
Frankly, they should rest easy with Ertel at the helm. Elected four times back-to-back by residents in Seminole County, he has always operated with the utmost honor and integrity. He does not endorse in political contests or get involved in partisan matters, he just counts the votes and focuses on making sure the process is as simple and secure as possible for voters.
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Following the disastrous “performances” by Broward County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes and Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher, many in Florida were left wondering what protections would be put in place to make sure corruption and incompetence would not embarrass Florida in the 2020 presidential elections.
Frankly, they should rest easy with Ertel at the helm. Elected four times back-to-back by residents in Seminole County, he has always operated with the utmost honor and integrity. He does not endorse in political contests or get involved in partisan matters, he just counts the votes and focuses on making sure the process is as simple and secure as possible for voters.
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ILLEGAL ALIEN COP KILLER WITH GANG AFFILIATIONS - Gustavo Perez Arriaga - Arrested in California on Way to Mexico!
Illegal alien Gustavo Perez Arriaga was arrested near Bakersfield, California on Friday about 280 miles southeast of Newman, California. Arriaga gunned down legal immigrant officer Cpl. Ronil Singh on Christmas day.
Cpl. Ronil Singh leaves a wife and 5-month-old son.
The suspect, Gustavo Perez Arriaga, has known gang affiliations and tried to flee to Mexico after the shooting.
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Cpl. Ronil Singh leaves a wife and 5-month-old son.
The suspect, Gustavo Perez Arriaga, has known gang affiliations and tried to flee to Mexico after the shooting.
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Democrats: A plague on the nation
How as Americans do we explain the intransigence of the left when it comes to national security? 'Tis a mystery. These people, these Democrats in Congress, are among the most privileged persons on the planet. They have enjoyed, more than most, the blessings bequeathed by the Founders, the authors of the Constitution. Yet they are determined, like Obama, to transform us into something this nation was never meant to be: a land without borders. While all of them are on record supporting a border wall in the past, now that Donald Trump is president, they all oppose it with every fiber of their being. They know that it will work, and they cannot abide Trump having a win. These people – Schumer, Pelosi, Gutiérrez, etc. – are truly venal. Governor Brown has effectively destroyed California, now benighted by rampant homelessness and the crime that accompanies a population of illiterate, drug-addicted, gang-affiliated, criminally inclined persons adrift on our streets. And now another young officer has been killed by an illegal alien thanks to the left's obsession with protecting the throngs of migrants crossing the border into the U.S.
It should be obvious to every American by now that our progressive left does not have the best interest of Americans at heart. Quite the opposite. They loathe those of us who put Trump in the White House and are determined to punish us. They intend to raise our taxes to pay for the $100B illegal aliens cost us every year. They need open borders to import future voters; millions of illegals voted in the 2018 election thanks to motor voter bills and states' refusal to require voter ID. The Democrats know they cannot win without cheating. They cheated in 2016 and are still stunned that their carefully calculated strategy did not work – thus, the cover-up, AKA the Mueller investigation, of their many crimes committed over the Obama years, many at the direction of Hillary Clinton with Obama's knowledge and approval. Our once most revered institutions, the DOJ, the FBI, and the CIA, have been thoroughly corrupted. Mueller, a willing participant in that corruption, is up to his eyeballs in the cover-up.
Will any of these people at the DOJ, the FBI, and the CIA, ever be held accountable? To date, they have not been. The power they have within the Deep State is beyond formidable; it is seemingly absolute.
It appears that America has become a sort of medieval oligarchy. Trump, as the outsider he is, is a grave threat to all of those who believed they were in control in perpetuity. They are ready and willing to do anything, no matter how illegal or immoral, to depose him, to expel him from office.
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It should be obvious to every American by now that our progressive left does not have the best interest of Americans at heart. Quite the opposite. They loathe those of us who put Trump in the White House and are determined to punish us. They intend to raise our taxes to pay for the $100B illegal aliens cost us every year. They need open borders to import future voters; millions of illegals voted in the 2018 election thanks to motor voter bills and states' refusal to require voter ID. The Democrats know they cannot win without cheating. They cheated in 2016 and are still stunned that their carefully calculated strategy did not work – thus, the cover-up, AKA the Mueller investigation, of their many crimes committed over the Obama years, many at the direction of Hillary Clinton with Obama's knowledge and approval. Our once most revered institutions, the DOJ, the FBI, and the CIA, have been thoroughly corrupted. Mueller, a willing participant in that corruption, is up to his eyeballs in the cover-up.
Will any of these people at the DOJ, the FBI, and the CIA, ever be held accountable? To date, they have not been. The power they have within the Deep State is beyond formidable; it is seemingly absolute.
It appears that America has become a sort of medieval oligarchy. Trump, as the outsider he is, is a grave threat to all of those who believed they were in control in perpetuity. They are ready and willing to do anything, no matter how illegal or immoral, to depose him, to expel him from office.
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"I Won And He Lost": Trump Slams Romney Over Scathing WaPo Editorial
After criticizing then-candidate Trump during a scripted TV appearance back in 2016, Mitt Romney largely kept quiet as he ran for - and won - his senate seat in Utah (with the help of the president's endorsement). But now, just two days before his swearing-in, Romney is seeking to burnish his reputation as the leader of the Republican "#Resistance" to the president
In a Washington Post op-ed published in Wednesday's paper, Romney revived many of his favorite criticisms of the president, citing his failure to "do the right thing" and "inspire and unite" the American people. Romney had hoped Trump would dispense with the taunting and name-calling embraced by Trump during the campaign once he had won the election, yet "he did not." And while some of Trump's early staffing picks proved encouraging, Romney accused the president of the cardinal sin of American politics: Being profoundly and aggressively unpresidential. Or as Romney puts it, the president's "Character falls short."
In a Washington Post op-ed published in Wednesday's paper, Romney revived many of his favorite criticisms of the president, citing his failure to "do the right thing" and "inspire and unite" the American people. Romney had hoped Trump would dispense with the taunting and name-calling embraced by Trump during the campaign once he had won the election, yet "he did not." And while some of Trump's early staffing picks proved encouraging, Romney accused the president of the cardinal sin of American politics: Being profoundly and aggressively unpresidential. Or as Romney puts it, the president's "Character falls short."
It is well known that Donald Trump was not my choice for the Republican presidential nomination. After he became the nominee, I hoped his campaign would refrain from resentment and name-calling. It did not. When he won the election, I hoped he would rise to the occasion. His early appointments of Rex Tillerson, Jeff Sessions, Nikki Haley, Gary Cohn, H.R. McMaster, Kelly and Mattis were encouraging. But, on balance, his conduct over the past two years, particularly his actions this month, is evidence that the president has not risen to the mantle of the office.
Yet, interestingly enough, it's not Trump's policies to which Romney objects - on the contrary, Romney's list of favorable Trump policies includes almost the entire Trump agenda.
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Yet, interestingly enough, it's not Trump's policies to which Romney objects - on the contrary, Romney's list of favorable Trump policies includes almost the entire Trump agenda.
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Opioid Crisis Leaves 700,000 Americans Dead: "Epidemic Continues To Worsen And Evolve"
More than 700,000 Americans died from drug overdoses from 1999 to 2017, about 10% of them in 2017 alone, according to a new report published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In total, there were a staggering 70,237 drug overdose deaths last year, which is more deaths than all US military fatal casualties of the Vietnam War. Opioids were involved in 67.8%, or 47,600 of those deaths. Of those opioid-related overdose deaths, 59.8% of them, or 28,466, were due to synthetic opioids.
The report, which was published online in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), also examined drug overdose deaths from 2013-17. During that time, "drug overdose death rates increased in 35 of 50 states and DC, and significant increases in death rates involving synthetic opioids occurred in 15 of 20 states," the report said adding that the rapid increase was driven by fentanyl.
Of the 35 districts reporting data, 23 states and DC noticed increased rates of death directly linked to synthetic opioids. Fentanyl overdose deaths surged 150% from 2016 to 2017.
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The report, which was published online in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), also examined drug overdose deaths from 2013-17. During that time, "drug overdose death rates increased in 35 of 50 states and DC, and significant increases in death rates involving synthetic opioids occurred in 15 of 20 states," the report said adding that the rapid increase was driven by fentanyl.
Of the 35 districts reporting data, 23 states and DC noticed increased rates of death directly linked to synthetic opioids. Fentanyl overdose deaths surged 150% from 2016 to 2017.
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Elizabeth Warren Compares Scrutiny Of Native American Heritage Claim To Obama Birtherism
Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s website for her presidential exploratory committee attempts to link questions about her claims of Native American heritage to people who questioned whether former President Barack Obama was born in the United States.
Warren launched the committee Monday, including a website with a “fact squad” meant to push back against criticisms of the senator.
Warren’s website blames “the right-wing machine” for scrutiny of her heritage claims.
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Warren launched the committee Monday, including a website with a “fact squad” meant to push back against criticisms of the senator.
Warren’s website blames “the right-wing machine” for scrutiny of her heritage claims.
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Ocasio-Cortez spokesman says Dems' 'Climate Crisis' panel sounds like 'screen door on a submarine'
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s plan for a new “Climate Cris” panel didn’t go over well with all of her political allies, particularly staffers for newly elected Ne w York Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The California Democrat, who is poised regain her House Speaker role in the near year, championed a new “Select Committee on the Climate Crisis” on Friday, but her younger and more progressive counterparts were not impressed.
“This committee, if it turns out that the rumors about it are true, sounds about as useful as a screen door on a submarine,” said Corbin Trent, a spokesman for Rep.-elect Ocasio-Cortez, The Hill reported Friday. “As it’s portrayed it’s going to be completely incapable of solving the greatest threat to humankind.”
Mrs. Pelosi’s office announced that Rep. Kathy Castor of Florida would chair the committee and bring “urgency to the existential threat of the climate crisis.”
“The American people have demanded action to combat the climate crisis, which threatens our public health, our economy, our national security and the whole of God’s creation,” the Democrat’s statement reads.
Mr. Trent said senior lawmakers are failing to respond to the concerns of Green New Deal backers.
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The California Democrat, who is poised regain her House Speaker role in the near year, championed a new “Select Committee on the Climate Crisis” on Friday, but her younger and more progressive counterparts were not impressed.
“This committee, if it turns out that the rumors about it are true, sounds about as useful as a screen door on a submarine,” said Corbin Trent, a spokesman for Rep.-elect Ocasio-Cortez, The Hill reported Friday. “As it’s portrayed it’s going to be completely incapable of solving the greatest threat to humankind.”
Mrs. Pelosi’s office announced that Rep. Kathy Castor of Florida would chair the committee and bring “urgency to the existential threat of the climate crisis.”
“The American people have demanded action to combat the climate crisis, which threatens our public health, our economy, our national security and the whole of God’s creation,” the Democrat’s statement reads.
Mr. Trent said senior lawmakers are failing to respond to the concerns of Green New Deal backers.
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Timeline: Mitt Romney's History of Backstabbing Donald Trump
Senator-elect Mitt Romney (R-UT) attacked President Donald Trump’s “character” in an op-ed Tuesday evening in the Washington Post.
“His conduct over the past two years, particularly his actions this month [December], is evidence that the president has not risen to the mantle of the office,” Romney wrote.
And yet Romney — who ran in a safe Utah seat rather than in Massachusetts, where he had once been governor, and might have helped Republicans by taking on a Democratic presidential contender — sought, and accepted, Trump’s endorsement for Senate in 2018.
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“His conduct over the past two years, particularly his actions this month [December], is evidence that the president has not risen to the mantle of the office,” Romney wrote.
And yet Romney — who ran in a safe Utah seat rather than in Massachusetts, where he had once been governor, and might have helped Republicans by taking on a Democratic presidential contender — sought, and accepted, Trump’s endorsement for Senate in 2018.
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Gohmert: If Trump Doesn't Get Funding, He Should Keep Gov't Shutdown 'Until Hell Freezes Over'
Friday, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) said on “Fox & Friends” that if President Donald Trump does not get his border wall funding, he should keep the government shutdown going “until hell freezes over.”
“[B]ecause we keep seeing people losing their lives without [a wall], you do it to hell freezes over,” reasoned Gohmert, when asked how long Trump should continue the partial shutdown.
He continued, “Until hell freezes over because we owe it to our country. And the best thing we could do compassionately for Mexico and Central America is not give them money that ends up in the hands of the drug cartels. It’s to secure the border, so the drugs quit coming, and we don’t lose 70,000 more lives a year and Mexico becomes a top 10 economy because we dropped corruption. That’s compassion.”
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“[B]ecause we keep seeing people losing their lives without [a wall], you do it to hell freezes over,” reasoned Gohmert, when asked how long Trump should continue the partial shutdown.
He continued, “Until hell freezes over because we owe it to our country. And the best thing we could do compassionately for Mexico and Central America is not give them money that ends up in the hands of the drug cartels. It’s to secure the border, so the drugs quit coming, and we don’t lose 70,000 more lives a year and Mexico becomes a top 10 economy because we dropped corruption. That’s compassion.”
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Kamala Harris and Mazie Hirono are trying to bar observant Catholics from public office
In September 2017, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., suggested Judge Amy Coney Barrett is too Catholic to serve on the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
More than a year later, Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, and Kamala Harris, D-Calif., have renewed Feinstein’s line of attack, suggesting this month that attorney Brian Buescher may also be unfit to serve as a federal judge on account of his Catholic faith. The only difference between now and September 2017 is that Hirono and Harris are not so explicit in their bigotry.
In a set of written questions submitted to the nominee to the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska, Hirono and Harris zeroed in on Buescher's affiliation with the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic charitable organization founded in 1882. Harris’ questions began by noting that Buescher has been a member of "an all-male society comprised primarily of Catholic men” since 1993. She then asked a number of leading questions, including, “Were you aware that the Knights of Columbus opposed a woman’s right to choose when you joined the organization?” and, “Have you ever, in any way, assisted with or contributed to advocacy against women’s reproductive rights?” and, “Were you aware that the Knights of Columbus opposed marriage equality when you joined the organization?”
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More than a year later, Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, and Kamala Harris, D-Calif., have renewed Feinstein’s line of attack, suggesting this month that attorney Brian Buescher may also be unfit to serve as a federal judge on account of his Catholic faith. The only difference between now and September 2017 is that Hirono and Harris are not so explicit in their bigotry.
In a set of written questions submitted to the nominee to the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska, Hirono and Harris zeroed in on Buescher's affiliation with the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic charitable organization founded in 1882. Harris’ questions began by noting that Buescher has been a member of "an all-male society comprised primarily of Catholic men” since 1993. She then asked a number of leading questions, including, “Were you aware that the Knights of Columbus opposed a woman’s right to choose when you joined the organization?” and, “Have you ever, in any way, assisted with or contributed to advocacy against women’s reproductive rights?” and, “Were you aware that the Knights of Columbus opposed marriage equality when you joined the organization?”
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Greenpeace’s Iconic ‘Rainbow Warrior’ Ship Chopped Up On A Third-World Beach, Sold For Scrap
Greenpeace quietly admitted in November one of its “Rainbow Warrior” boats was “scrapped on a beaching yard in Bangladesh” — a method it spent years campaigning against.
“We have made a mistake, one that we have tried to correct,” Greenpeace International, based in Amsterdam, admitted in mid-November, adding it allowed Rainbow Warrior II “to be scrapped on a beaching yard in Bangladesh, in a way that does not live up to the standards we set ourselves and campaigned with our allies to have adopted across the world.”
However, the embarrassing admission from one of the world’s largest and most prominent environmental groups flew under the radar of major news outlets. Greenpeace quietly put out a press release on its international website, which few noticed.
Greenpeace International did not respond to The Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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“We have made a mistake, one that we have tried to correct,” Greenpeace International, based in Amsterdam, admitted in mid-November, adding it allowed Rainbow Warrior II “to be scrapped on a beaching yard in Bangladesh, in a way that does not live up to the standards we set ourselves and campaigned with our allies to have adopted across the world.”
However, the embarrassing admission from one of the world’s largest and most prominent environmental groups flew under the radar of major news outlets. Greenpeace quietly put out a press release on its international website, which few noticed.
Greenpeace International did not respond to The Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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Florida Sentinel Publishes Exhaustive Parkland Report: Sheriff’s Office ‘Cost Children Their Lives’
Authorities and school officials either failed to act or were unclear about procedures when confronting the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Feb. 14, 911 logs, surveillance videos and interviews show.
The South Florida Sun Sentinel released a minute-by-minute rundown of the Parkland, Florida, shooting in “Unprepared and Overwhelmed.” The Sentinel acknowledged many teachers and police officers were “heroic,” but Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) and the Broward County Sheriff’s Office (BSO) were hesitant and disorganized as a whole.
The shooting left 17 people dead.
“A gunman with an AR-15 fired the bullets, but a series of blunder, bad policies, sketchy training and poor leadership helped him succeed,” the Sentinel wrote.
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The South Florida Sun Sentinel released a minute-by-minute rundown of the Parkland, Florida, shooting in “Unprepared and Overwhelmed.” The Sentinel acknowledged many teachers and police officers were “heroic,” but Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) and the Broward County Sheriff’s Office (BSO) were hesitant and disorganized as a whole.
The shooting left 17 people dead.
“A gunman with an AR-15 fired the bullets, but a series of blunder, bad policies, sketchy training and poor leadership helped him succeed,” the Sentinel wrote.
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Rubino: Three Things That Will Definitely Happen In 2019
Much about 2019 is uncertain. But a few things are pretty much guaranteed, including the following:
1. Government debt will rise at an accelerating rate
Like a life-long dieter who finally gives up and decides to eat himself to death, the US is now committed to trillion-dollar deficits for as far as the eye can see. And that’s – get this – assuming no recession in the coming decade. During the next downturn that trillion will become two or more, but in 2019 another trillion-plus is guaranteed.
But the US debt binge is downright orderly compared to much of the rest of the world.
After Paris nearly burned to the ground last month, president Macron responded – surprise! – with massively higher spending:
Macron Bets Spending Binge Can Save His Plan to Transform France
(Bloomberg) – Emmanuel Macron is rolling the dice with France’s public finances to keep his grand plans for the economy alive after weeks of protests on the streets.
Macron’s government will set out a raft of measures to try to calm the so-called Yellow Vest protests on Thursday and they will almost certainly see France breach the European Union’s budget deficit ceiling next year.
The 40-year-old president is arguing the concessions are necessary to maintain public support for his efforts to make the economy more efficient.
“Macron is now facing an impossible trilemma,” said Bernhard Bartels, associate director at Frankfurt-based Scope Ratings. “You can’t have have popular support, ongoing structural reforms and fiscal consolidation all at the same time.”
Macron’s announcement Monday that he’ll raise the minimum wage, abolish taxes on overtime, and get rid of a controversial tax on pensions will send next year’s budget deficit to about 3.5 percent of output, up from a previous target of 2.9 percent, according to media reports. That’s well beyond the 3 percent limit imposed on members of the euro zone.
China’s growth has been slowing, in part because it eventually had to and in part because the US has finally lost patience with Beijing’s cheating and cybertheft. China’s response:
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1. Government debt will rise at an accelerating rate
Like a life-long dieter who finally gives up and decides to eat himself to death, the US is now committed to trillion-dollar deficits for as far as the eye can see. And that’s – get this – assuming no recession in the coming decade. During the next downturn that trillion will become two or more, but in 2019 another trillion-plus is guaranteed.
But the US debt binge is downright orderly compared to much of the rest of the world.
After Paris nearly burned to the ground last month, president Macron responded – surprise! – with massively higher spending:
Macron Bets Spending Binge Can Save His Plan to Transform France
(Bloomberg) – Emmanuel Macron is rolling the dice with France’s public finances to keep his grand plans for the economy alive after weeks of protests on the streets.
Macron’s government will set out a raft of measures to try to calm the so-called Yellow Vest protests on Thursday and they will almost certainly see France breach the European Union’s budget deficit ceiling next year.
The 40-year-old president is arguing the concessions are necessary to maintain public support for his efforts to make the economy more efficient.
“Macron is now facing an impossible trilemma,” said Bernhard Bartels, associate director at Frankfurt-based Scope Ratings. “You can’t have have popular support, ongoing structural reforms and fiscal consolidation all at the same time.”
Macron’s announcement Monday that he’ll raise the minimum wage, abolish taxes on overtime, and get rid of a controversial tax on pensions will send next year’s budget deficit to about 3.5 percent of output, up from a previous target of 2.9 percent, according to media reports. That’s well beyond the 3 percent limit imposed on members of the euro zone.
China’s growth has been slowing, in part because it eventually had to and in part because the US has finally lost patience with Beijing’s cheating and cybertheft. China’s response:
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Trump Blames Democrats For Deaths Of Migrant Children
In a series of tweets that are tailor made to elicit howls of outrage from Trump's political opponents, President Trump on Saturday blamed the Democrats for the deaths of two migrant children who have died in the custody of the border patrol over the past month, arguing that if Democrats had only approved money to build the wall, that migrants wouldn't even try to cross into the US in the first place.
The tweet is the first comment from the White House since the death of the second child on Christmas Eve. Following the death of the first migrant child earlier this month, the White House released a statement saying that the "horrific, tragic" death of a child from dehydration was not its responsibility.
According to Trump, "Any deaths of children or others at the Border are strictly the fault of the fault of the Democrats and their pathetic immigration policies that allow people to make the long trek thinking they can enter our country illegally. They can't. If we had a Wall, they wouldn't even try!"
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The tweet is the first comment from the White House since the death of the second child on Christmas Eve. Following the death of the first migrant child earlier this month, the White House released a statement saying that the "horrific, tragic" death of a child from dehydration was not its responsibility.
According to Trump, "Any deaths of children or others at the Border are strictly the fault of the fault of the Democrats and their pathetic immigration policies that allow people to make the long trek thinking they can enter our country illegally. They can't. If we had a Wall, they wouldn't even try!"
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Young Americans for Liberty scores 50 pro-free speech policy changes on campuses across the country
Young Americans for Liberty, a national student group committed to the ideas of liberty, has hit an impressive benchmark to round out 2018 — policy changes at 50 different colleges and universities across the country, all with the intent to better protect free speech rights on campus.
“Most cases have been filed against public colleges/universities that have egregious restrictions against the First Amendment — policies that are typically reformed are ‘time, place, and manner’ restrictions and ‘free speech zones,’” said Kelsey Carroll, YAL’s digital media director.
These 50 policy changes have already made a direct impact on 982,081 students, and will continue to impact incoming students for years to come.
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“Most cases have been filed against public colleges/universities that have egregious restrictions against the First Amendment — policies that are typically reformed are ‘time, place, and manner’ restrictions and ‘free speech zones,’” said Kelsey Carroll, YAL’s digital media director.
These 50 policy changes have already made a direct impact on 982,081 students, and will continue to impact incoming students for years to come.
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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo Pardons 22 Illegals to Prevent Their Deportation
Democrat New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has pardoned 22 illegals to stop them from being deported.
The pardons were mostly for drug possession, but drug dealing, arson and robbery as well.
One of the men Cuomo pardoned set “an acquaintance’s car on fire as an act of mischief,” according to the governor’s statement.
Cuomo also used the statement to trash President Donald Trump.
“While President Trump shuts down the federal government over his obsession with keeping immigrants out, New York stands strong in our support for immigrant communities,” Governor Cuomo said. “These actions will help keep immigrant families together and take a critical step toward a more just, more fair and more compassionate New York.”
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The pardons were mostly for drug possession, but drug dealing, arson and robbery as well.
One of the men Cuomo pardoned set “an acquaintance’s car on fire as an act of mischief,” according to the governor’s statement.
Cuomo also used the statement to trash President Donald Trump.
“While President Trump shuts down the federal government over his obsession with keeping immigrants out, New York stands strong in our support for immigrant communities,” Governor Cuomo said. “These actions will help keep immigrant families together and take a critical step toward a more just, more fair and more compassionate New York.”
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US Marine shot and killed at his barracks in Washington, DC
A US Marine was shot and killed at his barracks in Washington, DC., early Tuesday, authorities said.
The fatal injury, which occurred before dawn on New Year’s Day, was not self-inflicted, Capt. Colleen McFadden told The Post.
The circumstances of the shooting are still being probed, McFadden said.
The serviceman, whose identity is being withheld until his next of kin are notified, was shot around 5 a.m. and hospitalized but died later in the day, the Marine Corps said on its website.
He was on duty at the time of the shooting, which occurred within the confines of the barracks at 8th and I streets.
Officials said there was no threat to the public and no arrests have been made.
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The fatal injury, which occurred before dawn on New Year’s Day, was not self-inflicted, Capt. Colleen McFadden told The Post.
The circumstances of the shooting are still being probed, McFadden said.
The serviceman, whose identity is being withheld until his next of kin are notified, was shot around 5 a.m. and hospitalized but died later in the day, the Marine Corps said on its website.
He was on duty at the time of the shooting, which occurred within the confines of the barracks at 8th and I streets.
Officials said there was no threat to the public and no arrests have been made.
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Tom Fitton and Judicial Watch Reveal Obama and Hillary Knew Arms Were Going to Syria from Libya -- Lied About It Under Oath (VIDEO)!
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton knew that the US was sending arms from Libya to Syria back in 2011, a year before the Benghazi consulate attacks.
Hillary Clinton denied she knew about the weapons shipments during public testimony (under oath) in early 2013 after the deadly Benghazi terrorist attack.
Senator Rand Paul questioned Hillary Clinton about this gun running program back in January 2013 during her testimony on the Benghazi terrorist attack.
In late July 2016 Julian Assange told Democracy Now that the Wikileaks DNC emails contains information on the weapons shipments to Syria.
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Hillary Clinton denied she knew about the weapons shipments during public testimony (under oath) in early 2013 after the deadly Benghazi terrorist attack.
Senator Rand Paul questioned Hillary Clinton about this gun running program back in January 2013 during her testimony on the Benghazi terrorist attack.
In late July 2016 Julian Assange told Democracy Now that the Wikileaks DNC emails contains information on the weapons shipments to Syria.
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Nearly 400 Migrants Died Crossing Unsecured U.S. Border in 2018
Nearly 400 migrants lost their lives while or shortly after crossing the U.S. border with Mexico. More than half died in Texas.
In 2018, at least 376 died while crossing the border from Mexico into the U.S. or shortly thereafter, according to the International Organization for Migration’s Missing Migrant Project. Due to the partial shutdown of the U.S. government, the organization has not updated the numbers since December 21.
The organization reported the deaths of 214 men, 20 women, and four children. In addition, 138 sets of remains could not be identified by age or sex.
Of the reported 376 migrant deaths, more than 230 occurred in Texas, Breitbart News reported. Forty-eight of those occurred in Brooks County alone, which is located about 80 miles north of the Texas-Mexico border.
An exact number of migrant deaths is not known because many deceased migrants are never found.
With the exception of the two Guatemalan children who died recently after crossing the border into New Mexico, the deaths of the other 374 migrants drew little attention from U.S. media.
More here
In 2018, at least 376 died while crossing the border from Mexico into the U.S. or shortly thereafter, according to the International Organization for Migration’s Missing Migrant Project. Due to the partial shutdown of the U.S. government, the organization has not updated the numbers since December 21.
The organization reported the deaths of 214 men, 20 women, and four children. In addition, 138 sets of remains could not be identified by age or sex.
Of the reported 376 migrant deaths, more than 230 occurred in Texas, Breitbart News reported. Forty-eight of those occurred in Brooks County alone, which is located about 80 miles north of the Texas-Mexico border.
An exact number of migrant deaths is not known because many deceased migrants are never found.
With the exception of the two Guatemalan children who died recently after crossing the border into New Mexico, the deaths of the other 374 migrants drew little attention from U.S. media.
More here
OCPD Sees Increase in Reported Phone Scams
OCEAN CITY, MD – The Ocean City Police Department has seen a recent increase in a variety of phone scams in recent weeks. The majority of the scams reported have involved a caller claiming to represent the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The caller will demand immediate payment for unpaid taxes and threaten arrest by local law enforcement if the victim does not comply.
Citizens have reported that the callers are very convincing, stating specific details about the victim or using false IRS identification badge numbers and titles. Often, scammers will alter the caller ID to make it seem as if the IRS is calling.
The IRS offers five simple ways to recognize a suspicious scam call:
The caller demands immediate payment.
The caller does not give the victim the opportunity to question or appeal the amount that is owed.
The caller requires the victim to use a specific payment method, such as a prepaid debit card or gift card.
The caller asks for your credit card information over the phone.
The caller threatens to contact local police or other law enforcement agency to have the victim arrested for not paying.
The IRS assures citizens that the agency does not call to demand immediate payment and will first mail a bill to any taxpayer who owes taxes. For more information and tips to prevent becoming a victim of a similar scam, visit the IRS’s Tax Scams and Consumer Alerts webpage at https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-scams-consumer-alerts.
Citizens have reported that the callers are very convincing, stating specific details about the victim or using false IRS identification badge numbers and titles. Often, scammers will alter the caller ID to make it seem as if the IRS is calling.
The IRS offers five simple ways to recognize a suspicious scam call:
The caller demands immediate payment.
The caller does not give the victim the opportunity to question or appeal the amount that is owed.
The caller requires the victim to use a specific payment method, such as a prepaid debit card or gift card.
The caller asks for your credit card information over the phone.
The caller threatens to contact local police or other law enforcement agency to have the victim arrested for not paying.
The IRS assures citizens that the agency does not call to demand immediate payment and will first mail a bill to any taxpayer who owes taxes. For more information and tips to prevent becoming a victim of a similar scam, visit the IRS’s Tax Scams and Consumer Alerts webpage at https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-scams-consumer-alerts.
'Real Justice Department' veteran emerges as Mueller's top courtroom adversary
A former federal prosecutor has emerged as special counsel Robert Mueller’s most persistent courtroom critic.
It’s not Rudy Giuliani, a former U.S. attorney and now President Trump’s ubiquitous defender, or any of cable TV’s prosecutors-turned-pundits.
He is Eric A. Dubelier, a litigator for the Reed Smith law firm who knows international law and the D.C. playing field. He served eight years prosecuting cases as a Justice Department assistant U.S. attorney in Washington. He refers to his former employer as “the real Justice Department,” implying that Mr. Mueller’s team is something less.
His biting remarks have come in months of court filings and oral arguments. Mr. Dubelier has depicted Mr. Mueller as a rogue prosecutor willfully ignoring Justice Department guidelines.
He has accused Mr. Mueller of creating a “make-believe crime” against his Russian client, Concord Management and Consulting, which is accused of funding a troll farm that interfered in the 2016 election.
So far, the federal judge presiding over the case has sided with Mr. Mueller.
Mr. Dubelier charges that the Mueller team violated the confidentially of Concord’s counter evidence while hiding documents Concord needs for its defense. The prosecutor wants to “whisper secrets to the judge,” Mr. Dubelier says, as Mr. Mueller is calculating the “short-term political value of a conviction” and not worrying about an appeals court defeat years later.
An example: In a Dec. 20 motion, Mr. Dubelier resurrected a botched case spearheaded by Mr. Mueller’s top prosecutor, Andrew Weissmann...
More here
It’s not Rudy Giuliani, a former U.S. attorney and now President Trump’s ubiquitous defender, or any of cable TV’s prosecutors-turned-pundits.
He is Eric A. Dubelier, a litigator for the Reed Smith law firm who knows international law and the D.C. playing field. He served eight years prosecuting cases as a Justice Department assistant U.S. attorney in Washington. He refers to his former employer as “the real Justice Department,” implying that Mr. Mueller’s team is something less.
His biting remarks have come in months of court filings and oral arguments. Mr. Dubelier has depicted Mr. Mueller as a rogue prosecutor willfully ignoring Justice Department guidelines.
He has accused Mr. Mueller of creating a “make-believe crime” against his Russian client, Concord Management and Consulting, which is accused of funding a troll farm that interfered in the 2016 election.
So far, the federal judge presiding over the case has sided with Mr. Mueller.
Mr. Dubelier charges that the Mueller team violated the confidentially of Concord’s counter evidence while hiding documents Concord needs for its defense. The prosecutor wants to “whisper secrets to the judge,” Mr. Dubelier says, as Mr. Mueller is calculating the “short-term political value of a conviction” and not worrying about an appeals court defeat years later.
An example: In a Dec. 20 motion, Mr. Dubelier resurrected a botched case spearheaded by Mr. Mueller’s top prosecutor, Andrew Weissmann...
More here
The Lord Works In Mysterious Ways...
Chad Ingram
I would like to thank everyone for the calls and texts, they have certainly helped! Now that things are well underway, we want to give everyone an update with exactly what’s going on….
As some of you may know, my dad, has been on dialysis for over two years suffering from end stage kidney failure. He was deemed a viable candidate and placed on the transplant list while we waited patiently for that day to possibly come. Yesterday morning while enjoying family at our beach home, the call finally came, however with an unexpected and devastating twist. I received a call from Melissa Bixby asking for my dad’s blood type and transplant coordinator’s name and number. Stunned and not having any clue as to why she would ask, she broke the devastating news of her brother, Jason Faulkner Sr. Being a member of the Delaware Fire Service family, you either know the person or know someone that knows them. I knew Jason well, his sister and my wife are best friends and have been since growing up together, ironically Kim and I spent last Saturday night together with Melissa, her parents and ours. Jason and I would see each other often at parties or fire functions throughout the year. Stunned and fighting through disbelief we started getting the needed information together. Mom and Dad rushed home from the beach to begin a sequence of tests to determine just how much of a long shot this would be. At just after 9:30 last night, the waiting was over, Jason’s Gift of Life to my dad was a match and was humbly accepted. Just after 12:00 this afternoon, Dad was wheeled back to the operating room to begin his journey and new lease on life in honor of Jason and his family.
We cannot begin to tell you the flood of emotions the last 36 hours has given us, but it can’t be compared to the sorrow Jason’s family has and will continue to endure especially over the next few days. Jason spent most of his life serving his community and country, as a U.S. Marine, Firefighter, and 911 Dispatcher. Now in death, as an organ donor, his gifts will continue to impact so many others, just like they have us.
Please say a prayer for his family and ours, we both could use them right now.
About Jason Faulkner.....
The Indian River Volunteer Fire Company regrets to announce that its Fire Lieutenant Jason M. Faulkner, Sr. has passed away today – January 1, 2019
The Indian River Volunteer Fire Company wishes to offer its condolences and deepest gratitude to the families and loved ones of Jason Faulkner. We wish to offer the Faulkner and Family and extended families our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.
Jason joined the Delaware Fire Service in July 1996 and assisted the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company in the following capacities:
Junior Firefighter;
Active Firefighter;
Second Assistant Chief;
Captain; and
Lieutenant.
Jason has been awarded the Green Cross Award via Hurst – Jaws of Life multiple times for life saving practices in vehicle rescue as well as Indian River’s Firefighter of the Year and Top Incident Responder for many years.
Jason joined the United States Marine Corp and served four years.
Additional information regarding the funeral and memorial services will be announced at a later date.
Additional information may be view via the following: http://www.irvfc.com/profile.cfm?id=36
I would like to thank everyone for the calls and texts, they have certainly helped! Now that things are well underway, we want to give everyone an update with exactly what’s going on….
As some of you may know, my dad, has been on dialysis for over two years suffering from end stage kidney failure. He was deemed a viable candidate and placed on the transplant list while we waited patiently for that day to possibly come. Yesterday morning while enjoying family at our beach home, the call finally came, however with an unexpected and devastating twist. I received a call from Melissa Bixby asking for my dad’s blood type and transplant coordinator’s name and number. Stunned and not having any clue as to why she would ask, she broke the devastating news of her brother, Jason Faulkner Sr. Being a member of the Delaware Fire Service family, you either know the person or know someone that knows them. I knew Jason well, his sister and my wife are best friends and have been since growing up together, ironically Kim and I spent last Saturday night together with Melissa, her parents and ours. Jason and I would see each other often at parties or fire functions throughout the year. Stunned and fighting through disbelief we started getting the needed information together. Mom and Dad rushed home from the beach to begin a sequence of tests to determine just how much of a long shot this would be. At just after 9:30 last night, the waiting was over, Jason’s Gift of Life to my dad was a match and was humbly accepted. Just after 12:00 this afternoon, Dad was wheeled back to the operating room to begin his journey and new lease on life in honor of Jason and his family.
We cannot begin to tell you the flood of emotions the last 36 hours has given us, but it can’t be compared to the sorrow Jason’s family has and will continue to endure especially over the next few days. Jason spent most of his life serving his community and country, as a U.S. Marine, Firefighter, and 911 Dispatcher. Now in death, as an organ donor, his gifts will continue to impact so many others, just like they have us.
Please say a prayer for his family and ours, we both could use them right now.
About Jason Faulkner.....
The Indian River Volunteer Fire Company regrets to announce that its Fire Lieutenant Jason M. Faulkner, Sr. has passed away today – January 1, 2019
The Indian River Volunteer Fire Company wishes to offer its condolences and deepest gratitude to the families and loved ones of Jason Faulkner. We wish to offer the Faulkner and Family and extended families our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.
Jason joined the Delaware Fire Service in July 1996 and assisted the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company in the following capacities:
Junior Firefighter;
Active Firefighter;
Second Assistant Chief;
Captain; and
Lieutenant.
Jason has been awarded the Green Cross Award via Hurst – Jaws of Life multiple times for life saving practices in vehicle rescue as well as Indian River’s Firefighter of the Year and Top Incident Responder for many years.
Jason joined the United States Marine Corp and served four years.
Additional information regarding the funeral and memorial services will be announced at a later date.
Additional information may be view via the following: http://www.irvfc.com/profile.cfm?id=36
CA Broadens Gun Confiscation Laws to Include Ammunition
Aspects of California’s gun confiscation laws broadened on January 1, 2019, as the state added ammunition and certain magazines to the list of items that can be confiscated when firearms are seized.
KRCR reports that Senate Bill 1200, which Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed into law, “adds ammunition and bullet drums to the list of items related to firearms that can be confiscated.”
This means that police executing a Gun Violence Restraining Order can not only sweep a gun owner’s home for firearms, but for ammunition and certain firearm accessories as well.
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KRCR reports that Senate Bill 1200, which Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed into law, “adds ammunition and bullet drums to the list of items related to firearms that can be confiscated.”
This means that police executing a Gun Violence Restraining Order can not only sweep a gun owner’s home for firearms, but for ammunition and certain firearm accessories as well.
More
In defense of Strategic Command's nuclear weapon tweet
The tweet encapsulated military humor in reflection of the command's mission: ensuring that U.S. enemies know the U.S. can utterly destroy them.
Critics of Strategic Command claim its message was inflammatory and unpleasant. They are wrong. This tweet was not a exhortation of bluster, but a statement of fact. U.S. nuclear deterrence is not supposed to be pleasant. Instead, it is supposed to protect the nation from the gravest of threats.
Those serving in Strategic Command recognize this. They recognize that their job is to prepare for America's worst day in history. And to win the day for the nation. It is natural, then, that they want to celebrate this service for the nation. And we should welcome their celebration. After all, it takes special patriots to choose to serve in nuclear forces. Every day they must consider that day will end with them fighting in bunkers, bombers, and ballistic missile submarines, as their families and tens of millions of other Americans die horrible deaths.
Of course, that's the job requirement: readiness to make that hard choice in service of country. But Strategic Command is not a place for military oddballs. Cognizant that unstable or erratic individuals do not match well to thermonuclear weapons, the military ensures that only those with high security clearances, top qualifications, and stable minds make the Strategic Command cut.
More
Critics of Strategic Command claim its message was inflammatory and unpleasant. They are wrong. This tweet was not a exhortation of bluster, but a statement of fact. U.S. nuclear deterrence is not supposed to be pleasant. Instead, it is supposed to protect the nation from the gravest of threats.
Those serving in Strategic Command recognize this. They recognize that their job is to prepare for America's worst day in history. And to win the day for the nation. It is natural, then, that they want to celebrate this service for the nation. And we should welcome their celebration. After all, it takes special patriots to choose to serve in nuclear forces. Every day they must consider that day will end with them fighting in bunkers, bombers, and ballistic missile submarines, as their families and tens of millions of other Americans die horrible deaths.
Of course, that's the job requirement: readiness to make that hard choice in service of country. But Strategic Command is not a place for military oddballs. Cognizant that unstable or erratic individuals do not match well to thermonuclear weapons, the military ensures that only those with high security clearances, top qualifications, and stable minds make the Strategic Command cut.
More
If Ocasio-Cortez's 'Green New Deal' succeeds in 2019 it will be the most radical plan offered in decades
Incoming Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., pledged to voters she would be a far-left outsider who would push her party toward adopting “democratic socialist” policies, including universal health care and free college tuition. So far, she has kept her promise.
Ocasio-Cortez has been calling for the creation of “Green New Deal” legislation, which would eliminate much of the United States’ fossil-fuel consumption. So far, Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Cory Booker, D-N.J., and 40 House Democrats have said they support the proposal.
Although the broad talking points of the plan have been circulating for months, it wasn’t until recently that Ocasio-Cortez provided any details of her proposal. On December 3, according to The Atlantic, Ocasio-Cortez spoke at a town hall led by Sanders and declared, "This is going to be the New Deal, the Great Society, the moon shot, the civil-rights movement of our generation."
The specifics have still not been worked out, but what we know so far about her plan is that it would have catastrophic economic consequences, dramatically increase America’s already skyrocketing debt, and transform the United States into a European-style socialist nation. (And no, these are not exaggerations.)
In a draft resolution to create a House select committee that would be responsible for writing the Green New Deal legislation, Ocasio-Cortez outlines the primary goals of her plan. Among them, Ocasio-Cortez proposes eliminating all fossil-fuel-powered electricity, closing every coal and natural gas power plant in the country, thus destroying the hundreds of thousands of jobs related to these businesses. Even more stunning, all this would occur by 2030, just 10 years after Ocasio-Cortez expects the legislation to be completed.
In its place, nearly all energy would be produced by renewable sources of power, especially wind and solar. This goal would create massive amounts of economic harm. Although economists have yet to provide an analysis of Ocasio-Cortez’s proposal to eliminate all fossil fuels, other studies have found less-extreme policies would be absolutely devastating. A study published in October 2018 by Capital Alpha Partners on behalf of the Institute for Energy Research found a national tax on carbon dioxide would cost the U.S. economy $4.21 trillion to $5.98 trillion, depending on the tax level chosen, in just the first 10 years of the tax scheme. By 2040, as much as $12.32 trillion would be lost. Nearly one-quarter of the country’s GDP, relative to what it would otherwise be, could be lost as a result of a nationwide carbon-dioxide tax. And this far left-wing plan is nowhere near as radical as Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal.
More
Ocasio-Cortez has been calling for the creation of “Green New Deal” legislation, which would eliminate much of the United States’ fossil-fuel consumption. So far, Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Cory Booker, D-N.J., and 40 House Democrats have said they support the proposal.
Although the broad talking points of the plan have been circulating for months, it wasn’t until recently that Ocasio-Cortez provided any details of her proposal. On December 3, according to The Atlantic, Ocasio-Cortez spoke at a town hall led by Sanders and declared, "This is going to be the New Deal, the Great Society, the moon shot, the civil-rights movement of our generation."
The specifics have still not been worked out, but what we know so far about her plan is that it would have catastrophic economic consequences, dramatically increase America’s already skyrocketing debt, and transform the United States into a European-style socialist nation. (And no, these are not exaggerations.)
In a draft resolution to create a House select committee that would be responsible for writing the Green New Deal legislation, Ocasio-Cortez outlines the primary goals of her plan. Among them, Ocasio-Cortez proposes eliminating all fossil-fuel-powered electricity, closing every coal and natural gas power plant in the country, thus destroying the hundreds of thousands of jobs related to these businesses. Even more stunning, all this would occur by 2030, just 10 years after Ocasio-Cortez expects the legislation to be completed.
In its place, nearly all energy would be produced by renewable sources of power, especially wind and solar. This goal would create massive amounts of economic harm. Although economists have yet to provide an analysis of Ocasio-Cortez’s proposal to eliminate all fossil fuels, other studies have found less-extreme policies would be absolutely devastating. A study published in October 2018 by Capital Alpha Partners on behalf of the Institute for Energy Research found a national tax on carbon dioxide would cost the U.S. economy $4.21 trillion to $5.98 trillion, depending on the tax level chosen, in just the first 10 years of the tax scheme. By 2040, as much as $12.32 trillion would be lost. Nearly one-quarter of the country’s GDP, relative to what it would otherwise be, could be lost as a result of a nationwide carbon-dioxide tax. And this far left-wing plan is nowhere near as radical as Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal.
More
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/if-ocasio-cortezs-green-new-deal-succeeds-in-2019-it-will-be-the-most-radical-plan-offered-in-decades
'Swamp cancer' threatens wild ponies at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. Untreated, the infection is invariably fatal.
CHINCOTEAGUE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, Va. — In the cold months, this barrier island is a place of austere stillness, its famed wild ponies grazing along brown marshes, their long faces reflecting in waters often skimmed in ice, their seasonally shaggy coats flickering in the chill breeze.
But the offseason calm covers a foreboding anxiety. There is a danger lurking, literally, underfoot. In recent months, seven of the horses have picked up a fungus-like infection in their hoofs and legs, probably by stepping in contaminated wetlands. Seven have died, including four that were euthanized Friday at a field hospital set up to treat them on the Chincoteague Fairgrounds.
“Shadow, Lightning, Calceti’n and Elusive Star as well as the others received the very best care money could buy,” Denise Bowden, a spokeswoman for the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, which manages the herd, announced on Facebook Friday night. “They just couldn’t fight this off.”
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But the offseason calm covers a foreboding anxiety. There is a danger lurking, literally, underfoot. In recent months, seven of the horses have picked up a fungus-like infection in their hoofs and legs, probably by stepping in contaminated wetlands. Seven have died, including four that were euthanized Friday at a field hospital set up to treat them on the Chincoteague Fairgrounds.
“Shadow, Lightning, Calceti’n and Elusive Star as well as the others received the very best care money could buy,” Denise Bowden, a spokeswoman for the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, which manages the herd, announced on Facebook Friday night. “They just couldn’t fight this off.”
More
The Establishment Will Never Say No To A War
The question before us is a relatively simple one: What would be the criteria for removing our remaining troops from the Iraqi, Syrian, and more general Middle Eastern conflicts? Or, for that matter, from Afghanistan, where we have been trapped for more than 17 long years of still open-ended occupation?
If the answer to that question is that only when each of these countries is a healthy pro-American democracy, and Islamist terrorism has ceased to be an “enduring” threat to the West, then the answer, as the old Bob Mankoff joke has it, is “How about never — is never good for you?”
Or consider what a shocked Lieutenant General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. of the Marines, the incoming commander of Central Command opined after hearing the news of Trump’s withdrawal of 7,000 troops from Afghanistan yesterday:
“If we left precipitously right now, I do not believe [the Afghan forces] would be able to successfully defend their country. I don’t know how long it’s going to take. I think that one of the things that would actually provide the most damage to them would be if we put a timeline on it and we said we were going out at a certain point in time.”
Get that? After 17 years, we’ve gotten nowhere, like every single occupier before us. But for that reason, we have to stay.These commanders have been singing this tune year after year for 17 years of occupation, and secretaries of Defense have kept agreeing with them. Trump gave them one last surge of troops — violating his own campaign promise — and we got nowhere one more time. It is getting close to insane.
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If the answer to that question is that only when each of these countries is a healthy pro-American democracy, and Islamist terrorism has ceased to be an “enduring” threat to the West, then the answer, as the old Bob Mankoff joke has it, is “How about never — is never good for you?”
Or consider what a shocked Lieutenant General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. of the Marines, the incoming commander of Central Command opined after hearing the news of Trump’s withdrawal of 7,000 troops from Afghanistan yesterday:
“If we left precipitously right now, I do not believe [the Afghan forces] would be able to successfully defend their country. I don’t know how long it’s going to take. I think that one of the things that would actually provide the most damage to them would be if we put a timeline on it and we said we were going out at a certain point in time.”
Get that? After 17 years, we’ve gotten nowhere, like every single occupier before us. But for that reason, we have to stay.These commanders have been singing this tune year after year for 17 years of occupation, and secretaries of Defense have kept agreeing with them. Trump gave them one last surge of troops — violating his own campaign promise — and we got nowhere one more time. It is getting close to insane.
More