Our health care system is deeply broken
If the U.S. health care system was a country, it would have the fifth largest GDP on the entire planet.
At this point only the United States, China, Japan and Germany have a GDP that is larger than the 3.5 trillion dollar U.S. health care market. If that sounds obscene to you, that is because it is obscene. We should want people to be attracted to the health care industry because they truly want to help people that are suffering, but instead the primary reason why people are drawn to the health care industry these days is because of the giant mountains of money that are being made. Like so many other things in our society, the health care industry is all about the pursuit of the almighty dollar, and that is just wrong.
In order to keep this giant money machine rolling, the health care industry has to do an enormous amount of marketing. If you can believe it, a study that was just published found that at least 30 billion dollars a year is spent on such marketing.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Friday, January 11, 2019
Subject: FARRELL: Bill Barr’s First Order Of Business? Find Out What Obama Knew And When He Knew It
At 1:50 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, Federal Bureau of Investigation attorney Lisa Page revealed President Obama’s direct involvement in the insidiously corrupt Clinton email investigation, texting her “secret society” conspirator boyfriend, FBI Special Agent Peter Strzok: “Yes, bc potus wants to know everything we are doing.”
Page’s text was a reply to Strzok, confirming that she was preparing talking points for FBI Director James Comey to brief Obama on the sham investigation.
You will recall that in 2015 Obama lied to CBS’ Bill Plante when answering how he learned Hillary Clinton had used an unsecured email server. “The same time everybody else learned it, through news reports,” Obama said.
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Page’s text was a reply to Strzok, confirming that she was preparing talking points for FBI Director James Comey to brief Obama on the sham investigation.
You will recall that in 2015 Obama lied to CBS’ Bill Plante when answering how he learned Hillary Clinton had used an unsecured email server. “The same time everybody else learned it, through news reports,” Obama said.
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Jeff Bezos leaves $137B on the line without prenup in divorce
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and his wife, MacKenzie, who announced they are divorcingafter 25 years of marriage, did not have a prenuptial agreement — meaning they will divide their gargantuan fortune equally, according to a report on Thursday,
Bezos, 54 — who sits at the top of Forbes’ world billionaires ranking with a real-time worth of $137.1 billion — and MacKenzie, 48, an award-winning novelist, live in Washington state, a “community property state,” meaning divorcing couples without a prenup split assets 50-50, according to TMZ, which cited “sources with direct knowledge” of their arrangement.
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Bezos, 54 — who sits at the top of Forbes’ world billionaires ranking with a real-time worth of $137.1 billion — and MacKenzie, 48, an award-winning novelist, live in Washington state, a “community property state,” meaning divorcing couples without a prenup split assets 50-50, according to TMZ, which cited “sources with direct knowledge” of their arrangement.
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Conservatives Donate To New Pro-Trump Facebook Alternative
The creators of TrumpTown.com — a new Facebook alternative for conservatives — have launched an emergency initiative through GoFundMe to help fund their fight against the extreme censorship of mainstream social networks like Facebook and Twitter.
While TrumpTown.com’s soft launch in November was a roaring success, just like any other internet start-up, securing funding to help maintain the site and more importantly, aid its growth, became a top priority according to the site’s founder, Addison Riddleberger.
“Facebook, Twitter, and Google have sold their souls to the liberal left and will fight to put Democrats in power — even if that means censoring conservatives and purging them from their social networks,” Riddleberger stated. “The revolution isn’t in the streets, it’s on the internet — we’re finally fighting back and we need your support today.”
He explained that Silicon Valley, angel investors, and venture capital groups are either afraid or opposed to this upcoming “social media revolution.” Because of the corporate opposition, they’ve launched an exclusive GoFundMe that will allow Americans fed-up with Facebook, Twitter, and Google to assist in funding development and exponential growth of TrumpTown.com.
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While TrumpTown.com’s soft launch in November was a roaring success, just like any other internet start-up, securing funding to help maintain the site and more importantly, aid its growth, became a top priority according to the site’s founder, Addison Riddleberger.
“Facebook, Twitter, and Google have sold their souls to the liberal left and will fight to put Democrats in power — even if that means censoring conservatives and purging them from their social networks,” Riddleberger stated. “The revolution isn’t in the streets, it’s on the internet — we’re finally fighting back and we need your support today.”
He explained that Silicon Valley, angel investors, and venture capital groups are either afraid or opposed to this upcoming “social media revolution.” Because of the corporate opposition, they’ve launched an exclusive GoFundMe that will allow Americans fed-up with Facebook, Twitter, and Google to assist in funding development and exponential growth of TrumpTown.com.
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Revealed: Number Registered to Vote in Los Angeles County Far Exceeds Population of US Citizens
A leftover from earlier in the week that I wanted to make sure didn't get buried amid fast-moving news cycles: The state of California is being forced to purge up to one-and-a-half million voters from its statewide rolls, following a legal settlement that arose from a Judicial Watch lawsuit. This development follows similar outcomes in Kentucky and Ohio, also spurred by the conservative watchdog group's legal actions. The Washington Free Beacon has details:
Judicial Watch sued the county and state voter-registration agencies, arguing that the California government was not complying with a federal law requiring the removal of inactive registrations that remain after two general elections, or two to four years. Inactive voter registrations, for the most part, occur when voters move to another country or state or pass away but remain on the rolls. The lawsuit alleged that Los Angeles County, with its more than 10 million residents, has more voter registrations than it has citizens old enough to register with a registration rate of 112 percent of its adult citizen population. The entire state of California had a registration rate of 101 percent of age-eligible citizens, the lawsuit said, citing data published by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
And via the Sacramento Bee, the state is now actively investigating whether non-citizens participated in recent California elections after they were improperly registered to vote through a Department of Motor Vehicles error (a cynic might put the word "error" in scare quotes):
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Judicial Watch sued the county and state voter-registration agencies, arguing that the California government was not complying with a federal law requiring the removal of inactive registrations that remain after two general elections, or two to four years. Inactive voter registrations, for the most part, occur when voters move to another country or state or pass away but remain on the rolls. The lawsuit alleged that Los Angeles County, with its more than 10 million residents, has more voter registrations than it has citizens old enough to register with a registration rate of 112 percent of its adult citizen population. The entire state of California had a registration rate of 101 percent of age-eligible citizens, the lawsuit said, citing data published by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
And via the Sacramento Bee, the state is now actively investigating whether non-citizens participated in recent California elections after they were improperly registered to vote through a Department of Motor Vehicles error (a cynic might put the word "error" in scare quotes):
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Army officer that served in Afghanistan fatally shot outside Virginia Wawa
A U.S. military officer was fatally shot at a convenience store in Virginia on Tuesday in what police believe might be a random act of violence.
Robert Gooch, 34, was with his 13-year-old daughter at a Wawa store in Chesterfield County around 7 p.m. to buy popcorn before watching a movie, the Richmond-Times Dispatch reported.
The victim's father, Robert Gooch III, told the news outlet that his son was heading toward his car after leaving the store, roughly 15 miles southwest of Richmond, when the incident occurred. He said Gooch pushed his daughter out of the way and told her to "get down" and to call her grandfather.
“He’s an Army officer and he understands how to give orders and get things done,” the father said. “He’s not somebody who would ever panic. He was calm and in charge.”
The father-of-three was reportedly shot multiple times before he was transported to the hospital, where he died.
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Robert Gooch, 34, was with his 13-year-old daughter at a Wawa store in Chesterfield County around 7 p.m. to buy popcorn before watching a movie, the Richmond-Times Dispatch reported.
The victim's father, Robert Gooch III, told the news outlet that his son was heading toward his car after leaving the store, roughly 15 miles southwest of Richmond, when the incident occurred. He said Gooch pushed his daughter out of the way and told her to "get down" and to call her grandfather.
“He’s an Army officer and he understands how to give orders and get things done,” the father said. “He’s not somebody who would ever panic. He was calm and in charge.”
The father-of-three was reportedly shot multiple times before he was transported to the hospital, where he died.
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Scientists Making War on 'Traditional Masculinity' Are Political Hacks
This week, the American Psychological Association proved once again that it is a political body rather than a scientific one.
This isn’t the first time a major mental health organization has favored politics over science—in 2013, the American Psychiatric Association famously reclassified “gender identity disorder” in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, calling it “gender dysphoria” and then explaining that living with the delusion that you are a member of the opposite sex is not actually a mental disorder at all.
That ruling was based on zero scientific evidence—much like the original DSM-5 classification of pedophilia as a “sexual orientation” before it was renamed “pedophilic disorder” under public pressure.
The latest example of the American Psychological Association’s political hackery concerns the topic of “traditional masculinity.”
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This isn’t the first time a major mental health organization has favored politics over science—in 2013, the American Psychiatric Association famously reclassified “gender identity disorder” in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, calling it “gender dysphoria” and then explaining that living with the delusion that you are a member of the opposite sex is not actually a mental disorder at all.
That ruling was based on zero scientific evidence—much like the original DSM-5 classification of pedophilia as a “sexual orientation” before it was renamed “pedophilic disorder” under public pressure.
The latest example of the American Psychological Association’s political hackery concerns the topic of “traditional masculinity.”
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FACT CHECK: ‘MORE AMERICANS WILL DIE FROM DRUGS THIS YEAR THAN WERE KILLED IN THE ENTIRE VIETNAM WAR’
“More Americans will die from drugs this year than were killed in the entire Vietnam War,” President Donald Trump said in his address to the nation on border security Tuesday night.
Verdict: True
Recent trends in overdose deaths suggest that more people in the U.S. will die from overdoses this year than Americans killed in the Vietnam War. Around 58,000 service members died in the war, while there were about 70,000 overdose deaths in 2017.
Fact Check:
Trump cited drug deaths while highlighting problems caused by drugs coming across the southern border. “Our southern border is a pipeline for vast quantities of illegal drugs, including meth, heroin, cocaine and fentanyl,” he said.
The National Archives count 58,220 U.S. military personnel who died in the Vietnam War, according to records gathered in 2008. Another 1,592 wereunaccounted for as of October 2018. The Vietnam War memorial wall listed 58,318 names in May 2017, including 16 clergy members and 120 individuals who listed foreign countries as their home.
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Verdict: True
Recent trends in overdose deaths suggest that more people in the U.S. will die from overdoses this year than Americans killed in the Vietnam War. Around 58,000 service members died in the war, while there were about 70,000 overdose deaths in 2017.
Fact Check:
Trump cited drug deaths while highlighting problems caused by drugs coming across the southern border. “Our southern border is a pipeline for vast quantities of illegal drugs, including meth, heroin, cocaine and fentanyl,” he said.
The National Archives count 58,220 U.S. military personnel who died in the Vietnam War, according to records gathered in 2008. Another 1,592 wereunaccounted for as of October 2018. The Vietnam War memorial wall listed 58,318 names in May 2017, including 16 clergy members and 120 individuals who listed foreign countries as their home.
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The WWI Conspiracy - Part Three: A New World Order
Each year, we lay the wreath. We hear “The Last Post.” We mouth the words “never again” like an incantation. But what does it mean? To answer this question, we have to understand what WWI was.
WWI was an explosion, a breaking point in history. In the smoldering shell hole of that great cataclysm lay the industrial-era optimism of never-ending progress. Old verities about the glory of war lay strewn around the battlefields of that “Great War” like a fallen soldier left to die in No Man’s Land, and along with it lay all the broken dreams of a world order that had been blown apart. Whether we know it or not, we here in the 21st century are still living in the crater of that explosion, the victims of a First World War that we are only now beginning to understand.
In the first two parts of this series we have seen how the WWI conspiracy came to be.
See "Part 1 - To Start A War" here...
See "Part 2 - The American Front" here...
But more important by far is the question of why it happened. For what purpose was such carnage released upon the world? What did the First World War mean?
Part Three - A New World Order
...by the time the battle finished 10 months later, a million casualties lay in its wake. A million stories of routine bravery, like that of the French communications officer. And Verdun was far from the only sign that the stately, sanitized version of 19th century warfare was a thing of the past. Similar carnage played out at the Somme and Gallipoli and Vimy Ridge and Galicia and a hundred other battlefields. Time and again, the generals threw their men into meat grinders, and time and again the dead bodies lay strewn on the other side of that slaughter...
But how did such bloodshed happen? For what purpose? What did the First World War mean?
More
WWI was an explosion, a breaking point in history. In the smoldering shell hole of that great cataclysm lay the industrial-era optimism of never-ending progress. Old verities about the glory of war lay strewn around the battlefields of that “Great War” like a fallen soldier left to die in No Man’s Land, and along with it lay all the broken dreams of a world order that had been blown apart. Whether we know it or not, we here in the 21st century are still living in the crater of that explosion, the victims of a First World War that we are only now beginning to understand.
In the first two parts of this series we have seen how the WWI conspiracy came to be.
See "Part 1 - To Start A War" here...
See "Part 2 - The American Front" here...
But more important by far is the question of why it happened. For what purpose was such carnage released upon the world? What did the First World War mean?
Part Three - A New World Order
...by the time the battle finished 10 months later, a million casualties lay in its wake. A million stories of routine bravery, like that of the French communications officer. And Verdun was far from the only sign that the stately, sanitized version of 19th century warfare was a thing of the past. Similar carnage played out at the Somme and Gallipoli and Vimy Ridge and Galicia and a hundred other battlefields. Time and again, the generals threw their men into meat grinders, and time and again the dead bodies lay strewn on the other side of that slaughter...
But how did such bloodshed happen? For what purpose? What did the First World War mean?
More
For Most U.S. Students, Lead Testing Isn't Required for Their School's Water
Federal regulations neither require schools to test their water nor have a single health standard for drinking water. The resulting patchwork of state policies can have a big impact on how -- and whether -- they respond to lead found in water.
Five years after the Flint water crisis reminded Americans about the danger of lead in drinking water, nearly half of U.S. students are attending schools in states that don’t have programs or requirements to test tap water in schools, according to a new report.
And the 24 states, plus the District of Columbia, that do require testing for lead or have programs to conduct that testing lack uniformity in how they go about it, researchers from Harvard University and the University of California pointed out in the report, released Wednesday. Only seven states and D.C. require water tests in schools; in the other 17 states with programs, participation is voluntary.
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Five years after the Flint water crisis reminded Americans about the danger of lead in drinking water, nearly half of U.S. students are attending schools in states that don’t have programs or requirements to test tap water in schools, according to a new report.
And the 24 states, plus the District of Columbia, that do require testing for lead or have programs to conduct that testing lack uniformity in how they go about it, researchers from Harvard University and the University of California pointed out in the report, released Wednesday. Only seven states and D.C. require water tests in schools; in the other 17 states with programs, participation is voluntary.
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CNN's Acosta Confirms Walled Part of the Border is Crisis-Free
CNN reporter Jim Acosta confirmed no crisis existed along a walled portion of the U.S.-Mexico border during a visit Thursday.
In a video shared to Twitter, Acosta pointed to "some of the steel slats that the president's been talking about." Walking along the border in McAllen, Texas, Acosta noted that the president has warned of a national emergency at the unwalled portion of the southern border. Acosta observed that this emergency did not exist along the portion of the border that had already been secured with steel slats.
"As we're walking along here we're not saying any kind of imminent danger," he remarked, patting the border barrier with his hand as he filmed himself. "There are no migrants trying to rush towards this fence."
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In a video shared to Twitter, Acosta pointed to "some of the steel slats that the president's been talking about." Walking along the border in McAllen, Texas, Acosta noted that the president has warned of a national emergency at the unwalled portion of the southern border. Acosta observed that this emergency did not exist along the portion of the border that had already been secured with steel slats.
"As we're walking along here we're not saying any kind of imminent danger," he remarked, patting the border barrier with his hand as he filmed himself. "There are no migrants trying to rush towards this fence."
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Subject: New York environmental officials encouraging hunters to kill ‘exotic,’ non-native sika deer
Conservation officials in New York are hoping to locate an “exotic,” non-native species of the elk family that has reportedly been spotted in the central part of the state and may have potential to infect the native white-tailed deer population with a deadly disease.
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation has purportedly received multiple trail camera photos of a male sika deer, a species of small elk that is native to Japan and Eastern Asia,New York Upstate reported. At least two separate sources have sent the photos to officials.
One man interviewed by the publication, Jerry Grigonis, of Fulton, said he first noticed the deer on his trail camera in Granby, a small town in Oswego County, in November.
The sika deer has not before been found in New York except for on a private hunting reserve on Long Island, New York Upstate reported, citing a 2003 report from Newsday. Other states where the sika deer can be found include Texas, Virginia and along the eastern shore of Maryland.
Officials are concerned the sika deer could carry chronic wasting disease, “a fatal, neurological illness occurring in North American cervids (members of the deer family), including white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, and moose,” according to the U.S. Geological Survey. If it does, there is potential that this species could spread the illness to the local white-tailed deer population.
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The New York Department of Environmental Conservation has purportedly received multiple trail camera photos of a male sika deer, a species of small elk that is native to Japan and Eastern Asia,New York Upstate reported. At least two separate sources have sent the photos to officials.
One man interviewed by the publication, Jerry Grigonis, of Fulton, said he first noticed the deer on his trail camera in Granby, a small town in Oswego County, in November.
The sika deer has not before been found in New York except for on a private hunting reserve on Long Island, New York Upstate reported, citing a 2003 report from Newsday. Other states where the sika deer can be found include Texas, Virginia and along the eastern shore of Maryland.
Officials are concerned the sika deer could carry chronic wasting disease, “a fatal, neurological illness occurring in North American cervids (members of the deer family), including white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, and moose,” according to the U.S. Geological Survey. If it does, there is potential that this species could spread the illness to the local white-tailed deer population.
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I'm a Conservative Female College Student. Here's How I Overcame Fear and Became Confident.
“I’m not usually friends with Republicans, but I guess I’ll make an exception for you.”
The words were said in jest to me, but I knew there was truth in them. They confirmed my biggest fear, going into my freshman year of college—that my conservatism would create a barrier to forming true and lasting friendships.
When I arrived on campus, I danced around the topic of politics in conversation, but it was difficult.
For students at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., politics is the driving force behind a lot of social engagement.
Making matters worse, my first year in college came as animosity and division over the election of President Donald Trump was palpable not only on campus, but across the nation.
With that, I stayed silent as disparaging jokes were made about Republicans. I didn’t raise my hand in class during political discussions for fear of being ostracized by my peers and penalized by my professors.
When peers asked me about myself, I avoided talking about politics. I was so careful, I didn’t find out one of my roommates was conservative until mid-October.
But the situation more than nagged at me. As time wore on, I realized my behavior was unsustainable. I knew I was not being my true self. Politics is infused into the social atmosphere at my college, and all too often I was forced to bite my tongue or keep new friends at arm’s length.
I decided I was not going to let a hostile political environment control my college experience.
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The words were said in jest to me, but I knew there was truth in them. They confirmed my biggest fear, going into my freshman year of college—that my conservatism would create a barrier to forming true and lasting friendships.
When I arrived on campus, I danced around the topic of politics in conversation, but it was difficult.
For students at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., politics is the driving force behind a lot of social engagement.
Making matters worse, my first year in college came as animosity and division over the election of President Donald Trump was palpable not only on campus, but across the nation.
With that, I stayed silent as disparaging jokes were made about Republicans. I didn’t raise my hand in class during political discussions for fear of being ostracized by my peers and penalized by my professors.
When peers asked me about myself, I avoided talking about politics. I was so careful, I didn’t find out one of my roommates was conservative until mid-October.
But the situation more than nagged at me. As time wore on, I realized my behavior was unsustainable. I knew I was not being my true self. Politics is infused into the social atmosphere at my college, and all too often I was forced to bite my tongue or keep new friends at arm’s length.
I decided I was not going to let a hostile political environment control my college experience.
More
Nervous but unified, GOP sticks with Trump in shutdown fight
Few Republicans joined House Democrats on Thursday as they voted to reopen government agencies that have been partially shut down for nearly three weeks, a sign they are sticking with President Trump as he fights to secure funding for his border wall.
The House, led mostly by Democrats, approved legislation to fund the nation’s agriculture and food stamp programs as well as a bill to pay for the departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development. The votes were part of a Democratic plan to ramp up the pressure on Republicans to cave in and agree to open the government without any of the border wall funding Trump is demanding.
Read the full story here
The House, led mostly by Democrats, approved legislation to fund the nation’s agriculture and food stamp programs as well as a bill to pay for the departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development. The votes were part of a Democratic plan to ramp up the pressure on Republicans to cave in and agree to open the government without any of the border wall funding Trump is demanding.
Read the full story here
Trump Orders FEMA To Stop Sending Money To California After "Disgraceful" Fires
Update: California Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D) said that Trump's threat to pull FEMA funding for California "insults the memory of those who died" in the 2018 wildfires. A total of 98 civilians and six firefighters were killed during the 8,527 fires which raged throughout California last year, burning a cumulative 1,893,913 acres - the largest amount of burned acreage recorded in a fire season according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire).
***
President Trump on Wednesday announced over Twitter that he has ordered the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to top sending money to California "unless they get their act together, which is unlikely."
"Billions of dollars are sent to the State of California for Forrest fires that, with proper Forrest Management, would never happen," Trump tweeted just one day after California Governor Gavin Newsom was sworn in, adding "It is a disgraceful situation in lives & money!"
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***
President Trump on Wednesday announced over Twitter that he has ordered the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to top sending money to California "unless they get their act together, which is unlikely."
"Billions of dollars are sent to the State of California for Forrest fires that, with proper Forrest Management, would never happen," Trump tweeted just one day after California Governor Gavin Newsom was sworn in, adding "It is a disgraceful situation in lives & money!"
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The Night Fact Checking Died
I regret to inform you, but late last night, fact checking passed away.
The fact check, reborn on November 9th, 2016 at 10:47 a.m., left us too soon, but not without countless "Four Pinocchios," "Pants on Fires," and thousands of "false and misleading claims."
The media's response to President Trump's oval office address, where he advanced his arguments for border security and an end to the government shutdown, officially killed fact checking.
After hours of cable news hosts and pundits questioning whether they should even air the first oval office address of a sitting president of the United States, the networks relented. But they would be ready—armed with a team of fact checkers, ready to triumphantly call out Trump's "lies."
Well, it turns out, the mainstream press doesn't really know what a fact is. Or how arguments work. Let me try to explain: One can use facts and figures to try to persuade others to an argument. It's called a nuanced debate.
Despite the fact Trump didn't say anything false, our arbiters of The Truth™ had to "fact check" him anyway. And … it didn't go well.
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The fact check, reborn on November 9th, 2016 at 10:47 a.m., left us too soon, but not without countless "Four Pinocchios," "Pants on Fires," and thousands of "false and misleading claims."
The media's response to President Trump's oval office address, where he advanced his arguments for border security and an end to the government shutdown, officially killed fact checking.
After hours of cable news hosts and pundits questioning whether they should even air the first oval office address of a sitting president of the United States, the networks relented. But they would be ready—armed with a team of fact checkers, ready to triumphantly call out Trump's "lies."
Well, it turns out, the mainstream press doesn't really know what a fact is. Or how arguments work. Let me try to explain: One can use facts and figures to try to persuade others to an argument. It's called a nuanced debate.
Despite the fact Trump didn't say anything false, our arbiters of The Truth™ had to "fact check" him anyway. And … it didn't go well.
More
Democrats Cracking on the Wall?
Congressional Democrats are ditching House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s ardent opposition to any barrier or wall along the U.S. border with Mexico, as the partial government shutdown continues and President Donald Trump takes his case directly to the border itself.
““If we have a partial wall, if we have fencing, if we have technology used to keep our border safe, all of that is fine,” Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL), the chairwoman of the Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), said on CNN.
“Certainly you need barriers and we support barriers,” Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) added.
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) also backed a barrier along the U.S. border with Mexico.
“Some fencing is useful, some barriers are useful,” Merkley said. “There’s a lot of surveillance technology. I’ve been to some cities on the border that have triple fencing and have more personnel and have the technology to see the people moving in the middle of the night.”
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““If we have a partial wall, if we have fencing, if we have technology used to keep our border safe, all of that is fine,” Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL), the chairwoman of the Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), said on CNN.
“Certainly you need barriers and we support barriers,” Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) added.
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) also backed a barrier along the U.S. border with Mexico.
“Some fencing is useful, some barriers are useful,” Merkley said. “There’s a lot of surveillance technology. I’ve been to some cities on the border that have triple fencing and have more personnel and have the technology to see the people moving in the middle of the night.”
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Even Older Drugs Are Getting Steep Price Hikes
It's a common belief that rising drug prices are due to the high cost of cutting-edge medications, with manufacturers charging a bundle to make back development expenses for their new products.
But drug companies have also been steadily hiking prices on older brand-name drugs, a new study reports.
Increasing prices for brand-name pills outpaced the nation's overall rate of inflation nearly fivefold between 2005 and 2016, with consumers paying about 9 percent more every year for the same old drugs between 2005 and 2016.
The price of injectable brand-name drugs increased by 15 percent yearly during the same period, researchers found.
"In the brand-name market, prices are increasing really fast and that's almost solely due to inflation in existing products," said lead researcher Inmaculada Hernandez. She's an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy.
The EpiPen and brand-name insulin products are two prime examples of drugs that have been on the market for a long time, yet have undergone massive price hikes in recent years, Hernandez noted.
More here
But drug companies have also been steadily hiking prices on older brand-name drugs, a new study reports.
Increasing prices for brand-name pills outpaced the nation's overall rate of inflation nearly fivefold between 2005 and 2016, with consumers paying about 9 percent more every year for the same old drugs between 2005 and 2016.
The price of injectable brand-name drugs increased by 15 percent yearly during the same period, researchers found.
"In the brand-name market, prices are increasing really fast and that's almost solely due to inflation in existing products," said lead researcher Inmaculada Hernandez. She's an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy.
The EpiPen and brand-name insulin products are two prime examples of drugs that have been on the market for a long time, yet have undergone massive price hikes in recent years, Hernandez noted.
More here
Actor Robert Davi: ‘Rotten Corpse’ Schumer Lying About Border Wall
Veteran actor Robert Davi eviscerated Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) for reversing his support for a U.S.-Mexico border wall and criticized media networks for ignoring the New York Democrat’s “flip-flopping” on the issue.
“My dear Mr. Schumer, what I find that you are doing is absolutely disingenuous,” Davi began in a video shared to his Twitter account.
“How many times are you going to continue to sit there like a rotten corpse with a bald-faced lie on your face? I saw you, sir, vote for the wall.” the Die Hard actor continued as he wagged his finger disapprovingly. “You voted for a wall, sir, several years ago. So did Ms. Pelosi.”
Robert Davi then noted how Democrats, including Schumer and then-Sens. Barack Obama (D-IL) and Hillary Clinton (D-NY), voted for The Secure Fence Act of 2006, which funded a 700-mile long border fence to the tune of $50 billion over 25 years.
“How come the networks aren’t showing your flip-flopping?” Davi asked. “Show that CNN, MSNBC! Show Schumer wanting a wall and now saying it’s ‘un-American, it’s immoral.'”
More here
“My dear Mr. Schumer, what I find that you are doing is absolutely disingenuous,” Davi began in a video shared to his Twitter account.
“How many times are you going to continue to sit there like a rotten corpse with a bald-faced lie on your face? I saw you, sir, vote for the wall.” the Die Hard actor continued as he wagged his finger disapprovingly. “You voted for a wall, sir, several years ago. So did Ms. Pelosi.”
Robert Davi then noted how Democrats, including Schumer and then-Sens. Barack Obama (D-IL) and Hillary Clinton (D-NY), voted for The Secure Fence Act of 2006, which funded a 700-mile long border fence to the tune of $50 billion over 25 years.
“How come the networks aren’t showing your flip-flopping?” Davi asked. “Show that CNN, MSNBC! Show Schumer wanting a wall and now saying it’s ‘un-American, it’s immoral.'”
More here
Iran: Hezbollah, Palestinian Terror Groups Armed to ‘Annihilate’ Israel
Senior Iranian officials are warning that terror groups sponsored by the Islamic Republic have been so thoroughly armed that they can "annihilate" Israel in any future conflict.
As the issue of Iran's funding of terrorism—which has grown since it received millions of dollars in cash windfalls from the Obama administration as a result of the now-defunct nuclear agreement—continues to plague U.S. leaders and Arab countries, Tehran is signaling that its investment in these terror groups such as Lebanese Hezbollah has provided them with the military capability to destroy the Jewish state.
"Friends and enemies admit that today Israel is in its worst conditions and the fighters in Palestine and Lebanon are at the peak of their preparedness to confront any aggression by the Zionists and end the disgraceful life of the fake and criminal regime," General Ramezan Sharif, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps public relations department, said on Wednesday.
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As the issue of Iran's funding of terrorism—which has grown since it received millions of dollars in cash windfalls from the Obama administration as a result of the now-defunct nuclear agreement—continues to plague U.S. leaders and Arab countries, Tehran is signaling that its investment in these terror groups such as Lebanese Hezbollah has provided them with the military capability to destroy the Jewish state.
"Friends and enemies admit that today Israel is in its worst conditions and the fighters in Palestine and Lebanon are at the peak of their preparedness to confront any aggression by the Zionists and end the disgraceful life of the fake and criminal regime," General Ramezan Sharif, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps public relations department, said on Wednesday.
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Williams: A Glimmer of Hope in Black Education
In reference to efforts to teach black children, the president of the St. Petersburg, Florida, chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Maria Scruggs, said: “The (school) district has shown they just can’t do it. … Now it’s time for the community to step in.”
That’s a recognition that politicians and the education establishment, after decades of promises, cannot do much to narrow the huge educational achievement gap between Asians and whites on the one hand, and blacks on the other.
The most crucial input for a child’s education cannot be provided by schools or politicians. Continued calls for higher education budgets will produce disappointing results, as they have in the past.
There are certain minimum requirements that must be met for any child, regardless of race, to do well in school. Someone must make the youngster do his homework–and possibly help him with it. Someone must ensure that he gets eight hours of sleep. Someone must feed him wholesome meals, including breakfast. Finally, someone must ensure that he gets to school on time, behaves in school, and respects the teachers.
If these minimum requirements are not met–and they can be met even if a family is poor–all else is for naught.
Scruggs says that it’s time for the black community to accept part of the blame. Part of the problem is the lack of parents’ involvement in their children’s education–for example, they’re not attending parent-teacher nights.
Having children’s books around the house and reading to preschoolers is vitally important. According to Mariah Evans, who headed a 20-year worldwide study that found “the presence of books in the home” to be the top predictor of whether a child will attain a high level of education, “one of the things that is most striking … about it is that the book’s effect appears to be even larger and more important for children from very disadvantaged homes.”
More here
[Dr. Walter E. Williams is the John M. Olin Distinguished Professor of Economics at George Mason University.]
That’s a recognition that politicians and the education establishment, after decades of promises, cannot do much to narrow the huge educational achievement gap between Asians and whites on the one hand, and blacks on the other.
The most crucial input for a child’s education cannot be provided by schools or politicians. Continued calls for higher education budgets will produce disappointing results, as they have in the past.
There are certain minimum requirements that must be met for any child, regardless of race, to do well in school. Someone must make the youngster do his homework–and possibly help him with it. Someone must ensure that he gets eight hours of sleep. Someone must feed him wholesome meals, including breakfast. Finally, someone must ensure that he gets to school on time, behaves in school, and respects the teachers.
If these minimum requirements are not met–and they can be met even if a family is poor–all else is for naught.
Scruggs says that it’s time for the black community to accept part of the blame. Part of the problem is the lack of parents’ involvement in their children’s education–for example, they’re not attending parent-teacher nights.
Having children’s books around the house and reading to preschoolers is vitally important. According to Mariah Evans, who headed a 20-year worldwide study that found “the presence of books in the home” to be the top predictor of whether a child will attain a high level of education, “one of the things that is most striking … about it is that the book’s effect appears to be even larger and more important for children from very disadvantaged homes.”
More here
[Dr. Walter E. Williams is the John M. Olin Distinguished Professor of Economics at George Mason University.]
Nolte: Bill Kristol Launches the Bulwark with a Lie
With most of his money coming from far-left billionaire Pierre Omidyar, Never Trump dead-ender Bill Kristol decided to put the “bull” in Bulwark by launching his new website with a heaping helping of fake news.
With a ton of aid and comfort from the gangsters at CNN and the serial liars at the Washington Post, the Bulwark officially launched this week with the promise to “conserve conservatism” by fighting the Bad Orange Man using the same guys who tanked the 23-year-old Weekly Standard last December.
Naturally, the Bulwark launched with one of those very special kind of lies meant to assure the establishment media that the Bulwark is one of them, in the club, reporting for duty — oh, and if you could invite us over for some cable news hits that would be great cuz we’re dying over here.
Referring to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), the Bulwark story is titled “How AOC Owns the Cons.” And while the story is composed with that well-honed tone of superior snobbery that defines Never Trump, in its defense, it is really, really long (nearly 900 words).
Without question, though, the article’s greatest achievement is how it managed to publish all those words without ever once justifying its own headline.
More here
With a ton of aid and comfort from the gangsters at CNN and the serial liars at the Washington Post, the Bulwark officially launched this week with the promise to “conserve conservatism” by fighting the Bad Orange Man using the same guys who tanked the 23-year-old Weekly Standard last December.
Naturally, the Bulwark launched with one of those very special kind of lies meant to assure the establishment media that the Bulwark is one of them, in the club, reporting for duty — oh, and if you could invite us over for some cable news hits that would be great cuz we’re dying over here.
Referring to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), the Bulwark story is titled “How AOC Owns the Cons.” And while the story is composed with that well-honed tone of superior snobbery that defines Never Trump, in its defense, it is really, really long (nearly 900 words).
Without question, though, the article’s greatest achievement is how it managed to publish all those words without ever once justifying its own headline.
More here
Senate Obstructocrats Consider Blocking All Legislation Until Shutdown Ends
Senate Democrats want Tuesday’s main focus to be on the government shutdown and are therefore considering blocking any legislation, unless it includes reopening the government.
“Senate Democrats should block consideration of any bills unrelated to opening the government until Sen. Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans show a vote on the bipartisan bills the House passed to open the government. Mitch, don’t delay. Lets vote!” said Chris Van Hollen, to which Democrat Sen. Ben Cardin agreed.
“Agreed. This isn’t business as usual,” replied Sen. Ben Cardin, “This is a crisis — Americans are suffering for it.”
More here
Mark Levin: Trump Speech ‘Outstanding’; Pelosi, Schumer ‘Are Pathological Liars’
Tuesday on Fox News Channel’s “Hannity” after President Donald Trump’s Oval Office address and the joint response given by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), syndicated conservative talker Mark Levin praised Trump for the address but excoriated Schumer and Pelosi for their response.
Levin called Pelosi and Schumer “pathological liars” and went on to point out their previous positions on a wall.
“First of all, the president gave an outstanding speech. It was concise. It was compassionate — truly compassionate. He provided the context both in terms of what’s going on in the border: the expense, which is de minimis and who is really responsible. Now, let’s keep a few things in mind when you watch Schumer and Pelosi, they are pathological liars. They have been in Congress over half a century. What the hell have they done about the border? "
More
Levin called Pelosi and Schumer “pathological liars” and went on to point out their previous positions on a wall.
“First of all, the president gave an outstanding speech. It was concise. It was compassionate — truly compassionate. He provided the context both in terms of what’s going on in the border: the expense, which is de minimis and who is really responsible. Now, let’s keep a few things in mind when you watch Schumer and Pelosi, they are pathological liars. They have been in Congress over half a century. What the hell have they done about the border? "
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FLASHBACK: 7 Democrats Who Once Endorsed Border Fence
Prominent leaders of the Democrat Party once fiercely endorsed border security, and had even voted to secure a border fence along the nation’s southern border.
These stringent calls for tougher border policy appear to have ceased since Donald Trump took office as President of the United States.
In 2006, Senate Democrats — including then-senators Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Chuck Schumer, Dianne Feinstein, and Joe Biden — voted to secure a fence along the United States southern border. Check out the instances in which prominent leaders of the Democrat Party championed the border fence and stronger border security overall.
1. Barack Obama
“The bill before us will certainly do some good,” said then-Senator Obama in 2006, adding that the Secure Fence Act would provide “better fences and better security” and that it would make headway against “the tide of illegal immigration in this country.”
“Real reform means stronger border security,” said Obama several years later as president, during his 2013 State Of The Union.
“Independent economists say immigration reform will grow our economy and shrink our deficits by almost one trillion dollars in the next two decades,” said Obama during his 2014 State Of The Union, bringing up his alleged concern about stopping illegal immigration once again.
2. Hillary Clinton
These stringent calls for tougher border policy appear to have ceased since Donald Trump took office as President of the United States.
In 2006, Senate Democrats — including then-senators Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Chuck Schumer, Dianne Feinstein, and Joe Biden — voted to secure a fence along the United States southern border. Check out the instances in which prominent leaders of the Democrat Party championed the border fence and stronger border security overall.
1. Barack Obama
“The bill before us will certainly do some good,” said then-Senator Obama in 2006, adding that the Secure Fence Act would provide “better fences and better security” and that it would make headway against “the tide of illegal immigration in this country.”
“Real reform means stronger border security,” said Obama several years later as president, during his 2013 State Of The Union.
“Independent economists say immigration reform will grow our economy and shrink our deficits by almost one trillion dollars in the next two decades,” said Obama during his 2014 State Of The Union, bringing up his alleged concern about stopping illegal immigration once again.
2. Hillary Clinton
Flashback: Establishment Spent $1 Billion on ‘Virtual Fence’ to Avoid Building Border Fence
Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama successfully wasted $1 billion building an ineffective “virtual fence” of border sensors in place of an effective border fence.
The virtual fence PR strategy successfully diverted public demand for an effective border barrier for several years, while also allowing a continued inflow of migrant workers and consumers into the U.S. economy.
But the strategy also wrecked the public’s trust in the establishment’s much-declared promise to block migration — and so it helped elect anti-establishment President Donald Trump in 2016.
The “virtual fence” idea is being revived as Democrats search for a PR strategy that would allow them to block any wall while also displaying concern about the rising wave of cheap-labor migrants that is flowing into the nation’s blue-collar jobs, schools, and welfare rolls. “The positive, shall we say, almost technological wall, that can be built is what we should be doing,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said January 10.
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[Why do the dems want a 'virtual' wall instead of Mr. Trump's 'beautiful concrete' wall? Because the virtual wall can be turned OFF. --Editor]
The virtual fence PR strategy successfully diverted public demand for an effective border barrier for several years, while also allowing a continued inflow of migrant workers and consumers into the U.S. economy.
But the strategy also wrecked the public’s trust in the establishment’s much-declared promise to block migration — and so it helped elect anti-establishment President Donald Trump in 2016.
The “virtual fence” idea is being revived as Democrats search for a PR strategy that would allow them to block any wall while also displaying concern about the rising wave of cheap-labor migrants that is flowing into the nation’s blue-collar jobs, schools, and welfare rolls. “The positive, shall we say, almost technological wall, that can be built is what we should be doing,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said January 10.
More
[Why do the dems want a 'virtual' wall instead of Mr. Trump's 'beautiful concrete' wall? Because the virtual wall can be turned OFF. --Editor]
5 Senators Reintroduce Wall Act to Fully Fund Border Wall
Five Republican Senators reintroduced the WALL Act Tuesday, a bill to fully fund a wall along the U.S. southern border.
“Their legislation, first introduced last December, is also the first bill that will fund the wall by identifying specific funding sources,” read a Tuesday announcement from the five senators. The five are Senators are Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Mike Rounds (R-SD), John Kennedy (R-LA), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA).
“We need to build the wall,” said Inhofe. “Over the past two weeks, Democrats have refused to secure our border from drugs, human trafficking, and crime all because they are determined to oppose any policy of President Trump—even policies they have supported in the past.”
Inhofe said the Wall Act “fully funds the wall by assessing penalties on illegal immigration and closing loopholes that allow unauthorized immigrants to receive federal benefits, protecting the integrity of hardworking American citizens’ tax dollars. It’s that simple.”
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“Their legislation, first introduced last December, is also the first bill that will fund the wall by identifying specific funding sources,” read a Tuesday announcement from the five senators. The five are Senators are Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Mike Rounds (R-SD), John Kennedy (R-LA), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA).
“We need to build the wall,” said Inhofe. “Over the past two weeks, Democrats have refused to secure our border from drugs, human trafficking, and crime all because they are determined to oppose any policy of President Trump—even policies they have supported in the past.”
Inhofe said the Wall Act “fully funds the wall by assessing penalties on illegal immigration and closing loopholes that allow unauthorized immigrants to receive federal benefits, protecting the integrity of hardworking American citizens’ tax dollars. It’s that simple.”
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Cher Rips Chuck and Nancy over Shutdown: ‘You’re Putting Lives in Danger’
Left-wing pop icon Cher went after Democrat Congressional leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi, accusing them of “putting lives in danger” by failing to end the ongoing government shutdown.
In a now-deleted tweet, Cher warned that Democrats are vulnerable to the political fallout over the shutdown, and that their current refusal to negotiate makes them look like “obstructionist swamp scum.”
"..UR PLAYING RIGHT IN2 HIS HANDS. HE’LL EAT UR LUNCH & STEAL UR LUNCH‼️ YOU’LL B FKD 6 WAYS 2 SUNDAY. DONT DIE ON THIS HILL.."
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In a now-deleted tweet, Cher warned that Democrats are vulnerable to the political fallout over the shutdown, and that their current refusal to negotiate makes them look like “obstructionist swamp scum.”
"..UR PLAYING RIGHT IN2 HIS HANDS. HE’LL EAT UR LUNCH & STEAL UR LUNCH‼️ YOU’LL B FKD 6 WAYS 2 SUNDAY. DONT DIE ON THIS HILL.."
More
“Crisis” of Seriously Ill Migrants Slams Border Patrol — TB, Pneumonia, Influenza, Parasites
Weeks after mainstream media outlets reported that illegal immigrants don’t bring disease into the United States, the Border Patrol reveals that it is getting slammed daily with dozens of illegal immigrants carrying “serious illnesses.” This includes tuberculosis, influenza and pneumonia. In fact, a Guatemalan migrant who died in U.S. custody on Christmas Eve had Influenza B, a virus that causes respiratory infections.
Federal agents are referring 50 illegal immigrants a day for urgent medical care, according to figures obtained by Washington D.C.’s conservative newspaper. Authorities say “it’s unlike anything they’ve ever seen before.” Many of the migrants have tuberculosis, parasites or the flu, the feds confirm. There are also lots of pregnant women about to give birth.
The article quotes Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Kevin McAleenan saying that most of the illegal immigrants were sick when they arrived at the U.S. border. “Many were ill before they departed their homes,” McAleenan said. “We’re talking about cases of pneumonia, tuberculosis, parasites. These are not things that developed urgently in a matter of days.”
A separate story published by a mainstream newspaper on New Year’s Eve discloses that in the last few weeks of 2018 more than 450 illegal immigrants required medical attention for illnesses. More than half were children. In the piece, CBP Commissioner McAleenan refers to the situation as a “crisis.”
Here’s an excerpt from the article: “The ill migrants have been arriving with all kinds of ailments, many with flu or pneumonia that can be particularly pervasive and dangerous this time of year.” It proceeds to reveal that 17 illegal immigrants have been hospitalized and that the Coast Guard has been deployed to help, sending medical teams to Border Patrol sectors getting bombarded with sick migrants. They include Yuma and Tucson, Arizona as well as the Rio Grande Valley.
It’s unbelievable that a “news” narrative can change so quickly in just a few weeks.
More
Federal agents are referring 50 illegal immigrants a day for urgent medical care, according to figures obtained by Washington D.C.’s conservative newspaper. Authorities say “it’s unlike anything they’ve ever seen before.” Many of the migrants have tuberculosis, parasites or the flu, the feds confirm. There are also lots of pregnant women about to give birth.
The article quotes Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Kevin McAleenan saying that most of the illegal immigrants were sick when they arrived at the U.S. border. “Many were ill before they departed their homes,” McAleenan said. “We’re talking about cases of pneumonia, tuberculosis, parasites. These are not things that developed urgently in a matter of days.”
A separate story published by a mainstream newspaper on New Year’s Eve discloses that in the last few weeks of 2018 more than 450 illegal immigrants required medical attention for illnesses. More than half were children. In the piece, CBP Commissioner McAleenan refers to the situation as a “crisis.”
Here’s an excerpt from the article: “The ill migrants have been arriving with all kinds of ailments, many with flu or pneumonia that can be particularly pervasive and dangerous this time of year.” It proceeds to reveal that 17 illegal immigrants have been hospitalized and that the Coast Guard has been deployed to help, sending medical teams to Border Patrol sectors getting bombarded with sick migrants. They include Yuma and Tucson, Arizona as well as the Rio Grande Valley.
It’s unbelievable that a “news” narrative can change so quickly in just a few weeks.
More
Currently 31 National Emergencies; Trump’s Border Emergency Would Make 32
There are currently 31 national emergencies recognized under federal law. If President Donald Trump declares a national emergency over the border crisis, it would increase that number to 32, putting in perspective how common it is for U.S. presidents to exercise that legal authority if he declares a border emergency.
Congress enacted the National Emergencies Act on September 14, 1976, two months before Jimmy Carter was elected president. Since that time and beginning with Carter, presidents have declared 58 states of emergency.
Many national emergencies are of limited duration, such as President Ronald Reagan’s declaring a national emergency in 1985, imposing sanctions on Nicaragua. That emergency lasted several years, ending under President George H.W. Bush.
But most are still ongoing...
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Congress enacted the National Emergencies Act on September 14, 1976, two months before Jimmy Carter was elected president. Since that time and beginning with Carter, presidents have declared 58 states of emergency.
Many national emergencies are of limited duration, such as President Ronald Reagan’s declaring a national emergency in 1985, imposing sanctions on Nicaragua. That emergency lasted several years, ending under President George H.W. Bush.
But most are still ongoing...
More
Graham: If We ‘Undercut’ Trump on Wall, ‘We Deserve to Be Punished’
On Tuesday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Hannity,” Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) stated that now is the best chance for Republicans to get border wall funding for President Trump now, and if they don’t do it “that’s the end of his presidency and the end of our party, and we deserve to be punished if we give in now.”
Host Sean Hannity asked, “[I]f the president doesn’t take the stand here, fully, do you see any other path that he can use that he will get the money to stop the crimes from happening on our southern border, the drug trafficking, human trafficking, some criminal elements that want to cross over our border?”
Graham said, “This is the best chance I have seen to get a deal. The president made a compelling case tonight for more border security. …"
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Host Sean Hannity asked, “[I]f the president doesn’t take the stand here, fully, do you see any other path that he can use that he will get the money to stop the crimes from happening on our southern border, the drug trafficking, human trafficking, some criminal elements that want to cross over our border?”
Graham said, “This is the best chance I have seen to get a deal. The president made a compelling case tonight for more border security. …"
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Navy Railroaded Marine Operator Falsely Accused of War Crimes
Marine Maj. Fred Galvin petitions for reinstatement
A Marine Special Forces officer has been promoted in retirement after the Navy acknowledged that he was falsely accused of war crimes for leading his men through a terrorist ambush.
The Board for Correction of Naval Records admitted that Marine Maj. Fred Galvin was railroaded when he led the Corps' first special operations unit (MARSOC) into Afghanistan. In March 2007 his unit was attacked by a suicide bomb followed by small arms fire from terrorists. Galvin and his men returned fire, killing 12 enemies, only to see senior military leaders and investigators accuse his men of massacring civilians.
MARSOC was withdrawn from the region before any investigation was completed. The men were put on trial only to be exonerated after it was discovered that the prosecution "was in possession of overwhelmingly clear evidence" and "suppressed exculpating evidence" that the Marines acted in self-defense. The board found that Maj. Galvin not only acted appropriately but paid a career-ending price for the animosity of senior brass looking for a scapegoat. The report cited one officer's conclusion that Galvin "was beset by a perfect storm of toxic officers."
"The convoy's response was irreproachable… the magnitude of [the initial investigator's] errors cannot be overstated," the report says. "The adverse fitness report is inequitable and unjust because it was not fair to relieve him."
More
A Marine Special Forces officer has been promoted in retirement after the Navy acknowledged that he was falsely accused of war crimes for leading his men through a terrorist ambush.
The Board for Correction of Naval Records admitted that Marine Maj. Fred Galvin was railroaded when he led the Corps' first special operations unit (MARSOC) into Afghanistan. In March 2007 his unit was attacked by a suicide bomb followed by small arms fire from terrorists. Galvin and his men returned fire, killing 12 enemies, only to see senior military leaders and investigators accuse his men of massacring civilians.
MARSOC was withdrawn from the region before any investigation was completed. The men were put on trial only to be exonerated after it was discovered that the prosecution "was in possession of overwhelmingly clear evidence" and "suppressed exculpating evidence" that the Marines acted in self-defense. The board found that Maj. Galvin not only acted appropriately but paid a career-ending price for the animosity of senior brass looking for a scapegoat. The report cited one officer's conclusion that Galvin "was beset by a perfect storm of toxic officers."
"The convoy's response was irreproachable… the magnitude of [the initial investigator's] errors cannot be overstated," the report says. "The adverse fitness report is inequitable and unjust because it was not fair to relieve him."
More
Lessie Brown, oldest person in the US, dies at 114 in her Ohio home
Lessie Brown, a 114-year-old Ohio woman who was believed to be the oldest person in the United States, died Tuesday, her grandson said.
Brown, who had been living with one of her daughters, died at the home in Cleveland Heights, according to Ronald Wilson.
Brown said in 2013 it was God's will that she had lived so long. Others in her family attributed her long life to the fact that she ate a sweet potato nearly every day until she was well past 100.
'Oh I don't know. A lot of them say it's because I ate a lot of sweet potatoes, but I don't think that's it. I don't know, God's will,' she told WJW-TV when she celebrated her 109th birthday.
Brown, who had been living with one of her daughters, died at the home in Cleveland Heights, according to Ronald Wilson.
Brown said in 2013 it was God's will that she had lived so long. Others in her family attributed her long life to the fact that she ate a sweet potato nearly every day until she was well past 100.
'Oh I don't know. A lot of them say it's because I ate a lot of sweet potatoes, but I don't think that's it. I don't know, God's will,' she told WJW-TV when she celebrated her 109th birthday.
Here’s Where the Next Crisis Starts
The case for a pending financial collapse is well grounded. Financial crises occur on a regular basis including 1987, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2007-08. That averages out to about once every five years for the past thirty years. There has not been a financial crisis for ten years so the world is overdue. It’s also the case that each crisis is bigger than the one before and requires more intervention by the central banks.
The reason has to do with the system scale. In complex dynamic systems such as capital markets, risk is an exponential function of system scale. Increasing market scale correlates with exponentially larger market collapses.
This means a market panic far larger than the Panic of 2008.
Today, systemic risk is more dangerous than ever because the entire system is larger than before. Due to central bank intervention, total global debt has increased by about $150 trillion over the past 15 years. Too-big-to-fail banks are bigger than ever, have a larger percentage of the total assets of the banking system and have much larger derivatives books.
Each credit and liquidity crisis starts out differently and ends up the same. Each crisis begins with distress in a particular overborrowed sector and then spreads from sector to sector until the whole world is screaming, “I want my money back!”
First, one asset class has a surprise drop. The leveraged investors sell the sinking asset, but soon the asset is unwanted by anyone. Margin calls roll in. Investors then sell good assets to raise cash to meet the margin calls. This spreads the panic to banks and dealers who were not originally involved with the weak asset.
Soon the contagion spreads to all banks and assets, as everyone wants their money back all at once. Banks begin to fail, panic spreads and finally central banks step in to separate winners and losers and re-liquefy the system for the benefit of the winners.
Typically, small investors (and some bankrupt banks) get hurt the worst while the big banks get bailed out and live to fight another day.
More
The reason has to do with the system scale. In complex dynamic systems such as capital markets, risk is an exponential function of system scale. Increasing market scale correlates with exponentially larger market collapses.
This means a market panic far larger than the Panic of 2008.
Today, systemic risk is more dangerous than ever because the entire system is larger than before. Due to central bank intervention, total global debt has increased by about $150 trillion over the past 15 years. Too-big-to-fail banks are bigger than ever, have a larger percentage of the total assets of the banking system and have much larger derivatives books.
Each credit and liquidity crisis starts out differently and ends up the same. Each crisis begins with distress in a particular overborrowed sector and then spreads from sector to sector until the whole world is screaming, “I want my money back!”
First, one asset class has a surprise drop. The leveraged investors sell the sinking asset, but soon the asset is unwanted by anyone. Margin calls roll in. Investors then sell good assets to raise cash to meet the margin calls. This spreads the panic to banks and dealers who were not originally involved with the weak asset.
Soon the contagion spreads to all banks and assets, as everyone wants their money back all at once. Banks begin to fail, panic spreads and finally central banks step in to separate winners and losers and re-liquefy the system for the benefit of the winners.
Typically, small investors (and some bankrupt banks) get hurt the worst while the big banks get bailed out and live to fight another day.
More