Democratic Rep. Collin Peterson (Minn.) is bucking his party's leadership and calling for Democrats to approve funding for a wall on the southern border.
Peterson, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, has not been a supporter of President Donald Trump but told KFGO's "News & Views" that it is time for Democrats to compromise.
"Give Trump the money," Peterson said. "I'd give him the whole thing … and put strings on it so you make sure he puts the wall where it needs to be. Why are we fighting over this? We're going to build that wall anyway, at some time."
Trump has demanded more than $5 billion in funds to build the wall, which Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) called "immoral" and refused to allow any money to go toward. This apparently colored Peterson's assessment of the situation. The congressman told KFGO that there is not a clear path to a deal to end the ongoing partial government shutdown.
"I don't know how we get [to a deal]," he said. "The White House hasn't called me. When I bring up what I have to say [to Democrats], they look at me cross-eyed."
Peterson said money could be used for improving security at ports of entry as well as assisting the Border Patrol. He argued Trump could still use the money well if Congress does not just give him a "blank check."
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Kamala Harris Stacks Presidential Campaign With Hillary Clinton Alums
Dem super lawyer Marc Elias announced as part of newly launched 2020 campaign
The newly launched Kamala Harris presidential campaign is stacked with top officials from Hillary Clinton's failed 2016 campaign, including her lawyer Marc Elias.
The abundance of Clinton staffers joining Harris is unsurprising, as many went straight from the 2016 trail to work in her new senate office in 2017. Those moves were considered a signal to insiders that a presidential campaign may be in the works.
The Harris campaign announced on Monday that Elias, Clinton's top lawyer, will be its general counsel; Lily Adams, Clinton's Iowa communications director and daughter of former Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards, will be its national communications director; Angelique Cannon, Clinton's deputy national finance director and national finance director for Senate Majority PAC, will be its national finance director; and David Huynh, Clinton's director of delegate operations and ballot access, will be its senior adviser.
Elias was most recently in the spotlight a few months ago as the top lawyer for former Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson during the Florida recount, which ended with Republican Sen. Rick Scott holding on to his victory.
Neither Elias nor the Harris campaign responded to inquiries on whether Elias has agreed to exclusively provide legal services to her campaign, or whether he would be able to work with her potential opponents in the primary.
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The newly launched Kamala Harris presidential campaign is stacked with top officials from Hillary Clinton's failed 2016 campaign, including her lawyer Marc Elias.
The abundance of Clinton staffers joining Harris is unsurprising, as many went straight from the 2016 trail to work in her new senate office in 2017. Those moves were considered a signal to insiders that a presidential campaign may be in the works.
The Harris campaign announced on Monday that Elias, Clinton's top lawyer, will be its general counsel; Lily Adams, Clinton's Iowa communications director and daughter of former Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards, will be its national communications director; Angelique Cannon, Clinton's deputy national finance director and national finance director for Senate Majority PAC, will be its national finance director; and David Huynh, Clinton's director of delegate operations and ballot access, will be its senior adviser.
Elias was most recently in the spotlight a few months ago as the top lawyer for former Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson during the Florida recount, which ended with Republican Sen. Rick Scott holding on to his victory.
Neither Elias nor the Harris campaign responded to inquiries on whether Elias has agreed to exclusively provide legal services to her campaign, or whether he would be able to work with her potential opponents in the primary.
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Offshore Wind Farms: Allaying Concerns About Hurricanes and About Fishing by Dr. Jeff Masters
America’s only offshore wind farm is the 30-megawatt Block Island Wind Farm, a set of five 600-foot tall wind turbines located about four miles southeast of Block Island, Rhode Island. Construction began in May 2015 and the farm began producing power in December 2016, allowing the island to draw power from another source besides their expensive diesel generator.
With the National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimating that U.S. coastal waters have approximately 4,000 gigawatts of offshore wind energy resources (if all the resources over the waters from the shore out to 50 nautical miles out are included), the U.S. offshore wind energy business is set to boom, with several large projects due to break ground in 2019 and 2020—for example, an 800-megawatt farm (100 turbines) 14 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, and a 400-megawatt farm (50 turbines) 15 miles south of the Rhode Island coast. The Block Island Wind Farm is an interesting testing ground, then, to study the controversial aspects of offshore wind farms, such as their vulnerability to hurricanes, and their impacts on local fishing.
With the National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimating that U.S. coastal waters have approximately 4,000 gigawatts of offshore wind energy resources (if all the resources over the waters from the shore out to 50 nautical miles out are included), the U.S. offshore wind energy business is set to boom, with several large projects due to break ground in 2019 and 2020—for example, an 800-megawatt farm (100 turbines) 14 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, and a 400-megawatt farm (50 turbines) 15 miles south of the Rhode Island coast. The Block Island Wind Farm is an interesting testing ground, then, to study the controversial aspects of offshore wind farms, such as their vulnerability to hurricanes, and their impacts on local fishing.
Democrats are now the ‘No Deal’ party
Last week, Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia offered President Trump some advice on how to end the current border wall standoff. “Always try to find a solution in which both sides come out ahead,” Warner told the president. It’s good advice. Trump is taking it. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer are not.
On Saturday, Trump offered Democrats a win-win compromise. In addition to his 230-mile physical barrier, Trump said he would support three years of legislative relief for 700,000 Dreamers as well as a three-year extension for 300,000 other immigrants whose temporary protected status is expiring.
These extensions, Trump said, would give Congress time to “work on a larger immigration deal, which everybody wants — Republicans and Democrats.” His offer, Trump said, was “straightforward, fair, reasonable and common sense, with lots of compromise,” adding that “both sides in Washington must simply come together . . . and find solutions.”
The Democrats’ response? Pelosi called the offer a “non-starter” even before Trump delivered his speech. Schumer declared it “one-sided and ineffective.” That’s ridiculous. Obviously, Trump’s proposal is only an opening bid. But instead of making a counteroffer and negotiating in good faith, Democrats are demanding unconditional surrender.
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On Saturday, Trump offered Democrats a win-win compromise. In addition to his 230-mile physical barrier, Trump said he would support three years of legislative relief for 700,000 Dreamers as well as a three-year extension for 300,000 other immigrants whose temporary protected status is expiring.
These extensions, Trump said, would give Congress time to “work on a larger immigration deal, which everybody wants — Republicans and Democrats.” His offer, Trump said, was “straightforward, fair, reasonable and common sense, with lots of compromise,” adding that “both sides in Washington must simply come together . . . and find solutions.”
The Democrats’ response? Pelosi called the offer a “non-starter” even before Trump delivered his speech. Schumer declared it “one-sided and ineffective.” That’s ridiculous. Obviously, Trump’s proposal is only an opening bid. But instead of making a counteroffer and negotiating in good faith, Democrats are demanding unconditional surrender.
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Supreme Court silent on Trump’s appeals to end DACA
The Supreme Court closed the door at least temporarily on President Trump’s effort to end protections for the hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children.
The high court again remained silent Tuesday on three related appeals of the president’s order, which aimed to shut the program down.
Unless the court breaks with its normal procedure, the nine justices would not be able to hear arguments and decide the case in its current term, which ends in June.
If they eventually agree to hear the matter, it most likely would be decided during their nine-month term that begins in October, meaning a ruling could come in the 2020 presidential election year.
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The high court again remained silent Tuesday on three related appeals of the president’s order, which aimed to shut the program down.
Unless the court breaks with its normal procedure, the nine justices would not be able to hear arguments and decide the case in its current term, which ends in June.
If they eventually agree to hear the matter, it most likely would be decided during their nine-month term that begins in October, meaning a ruling could come in the 2020 presidential election year.
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Trump: Media Smear of Covington Students Highlights the ‘Evil’ of ‘Fake News’
President Donald Trump spoke Tuesday in support of the Covington Catholic High School students after they were unfairly accused of instigating a confrontation with leftist protestors in Washington, DC.
“Nick Sandmann and the students of Covington have become symbols of Fake News and how evil it can be,” Trump wrote on Twitter.
Covington student Nick Sandmann and his classmates were accused of mocking liberal Native American activist Nathan Phillips while wearing a Trump campaign Make America Great Again hat after the March for Life on Friday. The school announced Tuesday that it will be closed due to safety issues.
Prominent media figures and celebrities rushed to judgment on social media, vigorously condemning the behavior of the boys. Others expressed threats of violence and tried to expose their identities online.
The president expressed optimism that their case could be a teaching moment for the media and the rest of the country to wait for the facts before rushing to judgment.
“They have captivated the attention of the world, and I know they will use it for the good – maybe even to bring people together,” Trump wrote. “It started off unpleasant, but can end in a dream!”
More here
“Nick Sandmann and the students of Covington have become symbols of Fake News and how evil it can be,” Trump wrote on Twitter.
Covington student Nick Sandmann and his classmates were accused of mocking liberal Native American activist Nathan Phillips while wearing a Trump campaign Make America Great Again hat after the March for Life on Friday. The school announced Tuesday that it will be closed due to safety issues.
Prominent media figures and celebrities rushed to judgment on social media, vigorously condemning the behavior of the boys. Others expressed threats of violence and tried to expose their identities online.
The president expressed optimism that their case could be a teaching moment for the media and the rest of the country to wait for the facts before rushing to judgment.
“They have captivated the attention of the world, and I know they will use it for the good – maybe even to bring people together,” Trump wrote. “It started off unpleasant, but can end in a dream!”
More here
Ann Coulter: Blexit Is ‘Contrary to the Entire Media Narrative’ About Black Americans
After delivering an explosive speech to a massive crowd at a BLEXIT rally in Los Angeles on Sunday, Ann Coulter spoke to Breitbart News about the uniqueness of BLEXIT and ways to employ Americans by building a border wall.
“As the saying goes, the saying invented by me, our blacks are better than their blacks And oh boy are these kids great, and also better attractive,” Ann Coulter stated about the Blexit attendees.
Coulter also discussed why President Trump seems to be getting no credit from the black and Latino communities for the things he does to help them.
“He needs to build a wall. He needs to actually build it, not just keep talking about it,” Coulter said of President Trump. “One of the great things about the wall, and there are many great things about the wall, but it cuts off a huge flow of illegal alien cheap labor. Wages go up. Across the board, wages go up.”
“From observing Black Lives Matters, we have a lot of young black men who are unemployed and they’ve got a lot of energy. It sounds like a joke, but I wanted the infrastructure bill first, and you know what is a huge infrastructure plan? Building a wall. If all they were doing is digging a hole and then refilling it. That would employ so many young men,” Coulter explained. “I think he could wipe out black unemployment and youth unemployment. But black youth unemployment is astronomical.”
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“As the saying goes, the saying invented by me, our blacks are better than their blacks And oh boy are these kids great, and also better attractive,” Ann Coulter stated about the Blexit attendees.
Coulter also discussed why President Trump seems to be getting no credit from the black and Latino communities for the things he does to help them.
“He needs to build a wall. He needs to actually build it, not just keep talking about it,” Coulter said of President Trump. “One of the great things about the wall, and there are many great things about the wall, but it cuts off a huge flow of illegal alien cheap labor. Wages go up. Across the board, wages go up.”
“From observing Black Lives Matters, we have a lot of young black men who are unemployed and they’ve got a lot of energy. It sounds like a joke, but I wanted the infrastructure bill first, and you know what is a huge infrastructure plan? Building a wall. If all they were doing is digging a hole and then refilling it. That would employ so many young men,” Coulter explained. “I think he could wipe out black unemployment and youth unemployment. But black youth unemployment is astronomical.”
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Ocasio-Cortez Claims World Will End in 12 Years
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) said climate change is a "generational" issue for younger Americans and referred to it as "our World War II" during an event commemorating Martin Luther King, Jr on Monday.
Ocasio-Cortez also claimed the world will end in 12 years, Fox News reports.
"Millennials and people, you know, Gen Z and all these folks that will come after us are looking up and we’re like: ‘The world is gonna end in 12 years if we don’t address climate change and your biggest issue is how are we gonna pay for it?'" Ocasio-Cortez said.
Ocasio-Cortez also criticized politicians and Trump administration officials for not addressing the issue.
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Ocasio-Cortez also claimed the world will end in 12 years, Fox News reports.
"Millennials and people, you know, Gen Z and all these folks that will come after us are looking up and we’re like: ‘The world is gonna end in 12 years if we don’t address climate change and your biggest issue is how are we gonna pay for it?'" Ocasio-Cortez said.
Ocasio-Cortez also criticized politicians and Trump administration officials for not addressing the issue.
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Candace Owens: Blexit Is a ‘Revolutionary Declaration of Independence’
“It’s beyond a war. It’s a declaration of independence, right? It’s revolutionary. It’s letting people know that we don’t have to be oppressed because we are minorities,” Candace Owens said of the BLEXIT movement. “We should not feel like we are separate from the American dream. I mean, I am shocked to see like, I have this vision and so many Latino people responded and said, ‘Put us in BLEXIT. We’re the L.’ And here we are. We are in downtown Los Angeles.”
She added, “It really means something. It totally pulls at my heart. I’m just blessed to have this much support and love.”
Owens says BLEXIT gives timid Trump supporters the ability to publicly support him and his agenda.
“I think it gives people the permission to outwardly support him. People have been hiding and nervous to say something. Everyone that I know is doing better under this president than they were under Barack Obama, but we’re so shamed. We’re told that we’re not allowed to like Trump.
More here
Charlie Kirk: Blexit Is the ‘Beginning of the End of the Democrat Party’
Charlie Kirk told Breitbart News on Sunday that the Blexit movement, led by Candace Owens, is “the beginning of the end of the Democrat Party.”
“I would like to see nothing more than the Left be held accountable for all the horrible things they’ve done to the black community — the lies, the misrepresentations, the ravaging of their communities,” said Kirk to Breitbart News in Los Angeles at Owens’ very first Blexit event of 2019.
“Look, I come from Chicago, which is plagued by gun violence, plagued by poverty,” continued Kirk, “We have Democrat city council members-- only Democrat city council members, only Democrat congressmen. The last Republican mayor was in 1931, and yet they still blame Republicans for all their problems.”
“The Democrats own the problems of the black community, and it’s going to be Donald Trump, it’s going to be free markets, it’s going to be conservatives, that are finally going to make this community prosperous again,” said Kirk, “Blexit is really the beginning of the end of the Democrat Party.”
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[Meet the Blexiteers: ‘There Are More Options Than Just Being Democrat’]
“I would like to see nothing more than the Left be held accountable for all the horrible things they’ve done to the black community — the lies, the misrepresentations, the ravaging of their communities,” said Kirk to Breitbart News in Los Angeles at Owens’ very first Blexit event of 2019.
“Look, I come from Chicago, which is plagued by gun violence, plagued by poverty,” continued Kirk, “We have Democrat city council members-- only Democrat city council members, only Democrat congressmen. The last Republican mayor was in 1931, and yet they still blame Republicans for all their problems.”
“The Democrats own the problems of the black community, and it’s going to be Donald Trump, it’s going to be free markets, it’s going to be conservatives, that are finally going to make this community prosperous again,” said Kirk, “Blexit is really the beginning of the end of the Democrat Party.”
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[Meet the Blexiteers: ‘There Are More Options Than Just Being Democrat’]
Former Democrat: The Truth is Democrats Won't Build Wall Because They're Under Influence of Mexican Mafia!
A former Democrat and current Trump supporter unloaded on Democrats. Jeffrey Peterson says the reason the Democrats will never support the border wall – the reason is that they are being paid off by the Mexican cartels.
Jeffrey Peterson states in his profile on Twitter that he is a former Democrat who ‘walked away’. He now is a Trump supporter! He claims that the Democrats will never give in on a wall due to the Democrats being funded by the Mexican mafia. He says he has connections with Arizona politics and says Mexico is the main reason the wall is not supported by the Democrat Party!
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Jeffrey Peterson states in his profile on Twitter that he is a former Democrat who ‘walked away’. He now is a Trump supporter! He claims that the Democrats will never give in on a wall due to the Democrats being funded by the Mexican mafia. He says he has connections with Arizona politics and says Mexico is the main reason the wall is not supported by the Democrat Party!
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Maxine Waters Spotted Flying First Class During Govt Shutdown - Reading an Article About Herself!
Must be nice to be Mad Max.
Benny Johnson, a reporter for The Daily Caller snapped the picture of Mad Max sitting First Class on a flight to DC.
Mr. Johnson said that Maxine Waters was reading an article about herself.
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Benny Johnson, a reporter for The Daily Caller snapped the picture of Mad Max sitting First Class on a flight to DC.
Mr. Johnson said that Maxine Waters was reading an article about herself.
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At LAST! SCOTUS Takes Up First Second Amendment Case In Nearly A Decade
Justice Clarence Thomas had criticized the Supreme Court for not taking up Second Amendment cases. After the landmarkHeller decision in 2008, which affirmed “the Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home” within federal enclaves, it was expanded to the states in the McDonald decision two years later. Since then, case after case was not granted an audience before the high court.
Whether it be so-called assault weapons bans in deep blue states to concealed carry, the Supreme Court has rejected scores of Second Amendment cases. Two of the most disappointing were Wollard v. Gallagher (2013) and Drake v. Jerejian (2014), which argued that the good reason provisions in Maryland and New Jersey concealed carry laws were unconstitutional. The Jerjerian case also could have decided whether it was an American’s constitutional right to carry a firearm in public for self-defense, which the National Rifle Association noted is one of the last remaining legal questions to be answered. With may issue and shall issue states firmly established, and with a legitimate constitutional question concerning carry rights, there was pressure for SCOTUS to take on these cases.
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Whether it be so-called assault weapons bans in deep blue states to concealed carry, the Supreme Court has rejected scores of Second Amendment cases. Two of the most disappointing were Wollard v. Gallagher (2013) and Drake v. Jerejian (2014), which argued that the good reason provisions in Maryland and New Jersey concealed carry laws were unconstitutional. The Jerjerian case also could have decided whether it was an American’s constitutional right to carry a firearm in public for self-defense, which the National Rifle Association noted is one of the last remaining legal questions to be answered. With may issue and shall issue states firmly established, and with a legitimate constitutional question concerning carry rights, there was pressure for SCOTUS to take on these cases.
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Ocasio-Cortez doesn't care about other Democrats criticisms
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez admitted that she gives “zero” f–ks when her Democratic colleagues criticize the youngest woman elected to the House for speaking her mind.
Appearing on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on Monday, she was asked about how she feels when other Democrats admonish her by saying “Wait your turn” and “Don’t make waves.”
Colbert asked: “I want to ask this question in a respectful manner, knowing also that you’re from Queens, so you will understand this question. On a scale from zero to some, how many f–ks do you give?”
“I think it’s zero,” the 29-year-old said.
Ocasio-Cortez, who has become a force on Twitter and amassed more than 2.5 million followers, said she doesn’t always fire back at her critics on the social networking site because she doesn’t want to go after “some innocent bystander.”
But “If you have a blue check, if you’re in my mentions, if you’re being sassy in a way that I think is unjustified, and if I haven’t eaten in two to three hours,” she said she will.
The freshman lawmaker was enlisted last week to give Democrats some pointers on how to use social media to their advantage.
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Appearing on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on Monday, she was asked about how she feels when other Democrats admonish her by saying “Wait your turn” and “Don’t make waves.”
Colbert asked: “I want to ask this question in a respectful manner, knowing also that you’re from Queens, so you will understand this question. On a scale from zero to some, how many f–ks do you give?”
“I think it’s zero,” the 29-year-old said.
Ocasio-Cortez, who has become a force on Twitter and amassed more than 2.5 million followers, said she doesn’t always fire back at her critics on the social networking site because she doesn’t want to go after “some innocent bystander.”
But “If you have a blue check, if you’re in my mentions, if you’re being sassy in a way that I think is unjustified, and if I haven’t eaten in two to three hours,” she said she will.
The freshman lawmaker was enlisted last week to give Democrats some pointers on how to use social media to their advantage.
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D.C. City Council Overrides Mayor’s Veto to Decriminalize Fare Evasion
WASHINGTON— The D.C. City Council voted 11 to 2 to override Mayor Muriel Bowser’s veto of their bill to decriminalize fare evasion on the metro on Tuesday, prompting the District to join the likes of California, Seattle, Portland and New York where such measures have already been enacted.
“With today’s vote, the Council sent a clear message that it is committed to progressive criminal justice reform that dismantles the systemic racial and economic injustice that has only harmed our communities,” said Nassim Moshiree, Policy Director of the ACLU of the District of Columbia. “We once again extend our deepest gratitude to Councilmember Charles Allen for shepherding this bill in the council, to Councilmember Trayon White for introducing it and to all of the Councilmembers who stood firm in their vote.”
Trayon White made headlines earlier this year when he accused Jews of controlling the weather. The ACLU-DC did not comment on White’s remarks then and today said they “don’t see what those remarks have to do with the fare evasion decriminalization bill.”
Proponents of the decriminalization bill, including White, cited a disproportionate effect of such laws on people of color.
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“With today’s vote, the Council sent a clear message that it is committed to progressive criminal justice reform that dismantles the systemic racial and economic injustice that has only harmed our communities,” said Nassim Moshiree, Policy Director of the ACLU of the District of Columbia. “We once again extend our deepest gratitude to Councilmember Charles Allen for shepherding this bill in the council, to Councilmember Trayon White for introducing it and to all of the Councilmembers who stood firm in their vote.”
Trayon White made headlines earlier this year when he accused Jews of controlling the weather. The ACLU-DC did not comment on White’s remarks then and today said they “don’t see what those remarks have to do with the fare evasion decriminalization bill.”
Proponents of the decriminalization bill, including White, cited a disproportionate effect of such laws on people of color.
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Want To Heal The Internet? Ban All Collection Of User Data
The social media/search giants have mastered the dark arts of obfuscating how they're reaping billions of dollars in profits from monetizing user data, and lobbying technologically naive politicos to leave their vast skimming operations untouched.
I've been commenting on the cancerous disease that's taken control of the Internet-- what Shoshana Zuboff calls Surveillance Capitalism--for many years. Here is a selection of my commentaries:
800 Million Channels of Me (February 21, 2011)
The New Facebook Buttons: Promote, Despise, Abandon (November 1, 2012)
How Much of our Discord Is the Result of the "Engagement" Advert Revenue Model of Social Media? (October 24, 2017)
Are Facebook and Google the New Colonial Powers? (September 18, 2017)
Hey Advertisers: The Data-Mining Emperor Has No Clothes (September 15, 2017)
The Demise of Dissent: Why the Web Is Becoming Homogenized (November 17, 2017)
Should Facebook, Google and Twitter Be Public Utilities? (March 5, 2018)
Should Facebook and Google Pay Users When They Sell Data Collected from Users?(March 22, 2018)
The Blowback Against Facebook, Google and Amazon Is Just Beginning (April 27, 2018)
How Far Down the Big Data/'Psychographic Microtargeting' Rabbit Hole Do You Want to Go? (April 25, 2018)
If you've followed any of my analyses, it will come as no surprise that I've concluded the only way to restore the health of the Internet is to ban all collection of user data. That's right, a 100% total ban on collecting any user data whatsoever.
We need to distinguish between customer/supplier data and user data. If a social media or other corporation wants to collect data from people who pay it money for services rendered, or from suppliers that it pays for services, then that process of data collection should be 100% transparent.
A customer pays for a service in cash; a user pays nothing. A company might want to collect data from its paying customers in order to upsell them or serve them better, and corporations who produce goods and services might want to collect data from the suppliers they pay.
Banning the collection of any data from users would of course destroy much of the revenues of companies such as Facebook, Google , Twitter, Instagram et al. It would also destroy the perverse incentives these corporations have institutionalized and excused as "garsh, you can't stop the advance of technology," as if their pursuit of Surveillance Capitalism were somehow an inevitable outcome of the Internet rather than a malign disease that's undermining democracy and the free flow of diverse opinions and dissent that is the foundation of functional democracy.
More
I've been commenting on the cancerous disease that's taken control of the Internet-- what Shoshana Zuboff calls Surveillance Capitalism--for many years. Here is a selection of my commentaries:
800 Million Channels of Me (February 21, 2011)
The New Facebook Buttons: Promote, Despise, Abandon (November 1, 2012)
How Much of our Discord Is the Result of the "Engagement" Advert Revenue Model of Social Media? (October 24, 2017)
Are Facebook and Google the New Colonial Powers? (September 18, 2017)
Hey Advertisers: The Data-Mining Emperor Has No Clothes (September 15, 2017)
The Demise of Dissent: Why the Web Is Becoming Homogenized (November 17, 2017)
Should Facebook, Google and Twitter Be Public Utilities? (March 5, 2018)
Should Facebook and Google Pay Users When They Sell Data Collected from Users?(March 22, 2018)
The Blowback Against Facebook, Google and Amazon Is Just Beginning (April 27, 2018)
How Far Down the Big Data/'Psychographic Microtargeting' Rabbit Hole Do You Want to Go? (April 25, 2018)
If you've followed any of my analyses, it will come as no surprise that I've concluded the only way to restore the health of the Internet is to ban all collection of user data. That's right, a 100% total ban on collecting any user data whatsoever.
We need to distinguish between customer/supplier data and user data. If a social media or other corporation wants to collect data from people who pay it money for services rendered, or from suppliers that it pays for services, then that process of data collection should be 100% transparent.
A customer pays for a service in cash; a user pays nothing. A company might want to collect data from its paying customers in order to upsell them or serve them better, and corporations who produce goods and services might want to collect data from the suppliers they pay.
Banning the collection of any data from users would of course destroy much of the revenues of companies such as Facebook, Google , Twitter, Instagram et al. It would also destroy the perverse incentives these corporations have institutionalized and excused as "garsh, you can't stop the advance of technology," as if their pursuit of Surveillance Capitalism were somehow an inevitable outcome of the Internet rather than a malign disease that's undermining democracy and the free flow of diverse opinions and dissent that is the foundation of functional democracy.
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Kamala Harris’s Presidential Pitch: Higher Taxes, Medicare For All And Reduced Bail
Kamala Harris is running for president on a platform of raising taxes on the wealthy, implementing a Socialist healthcare system and reforming state cash bail systems in favor of poor inmates, The Washington Post reports.
The U.S. senator from California will compete with other Democrats for the chance to challenge President Donald Trump in 2020. Harris announced the start of her campaign Monday.
Harris intends to make taxes a focal point of her campaign, contrasting her tax package with the legislation Trump and Congressional Republicans passed in December 2017.
Harris’s tax plan, proposed Oct. 18, is a Robin Hood-type plan that would hike tax rates on wealthier Americans to cover the cost of tax credits, up to $3,000 for individuals and $6,000 for families, offered to people making under $100,000 a year. The tax credits would not be available for Americans who do not earn a paycheck.
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The U.S. senator from California will compete with other Democrats for the chance to challenge President Donald Trump in 2020. Harris announced the start of her campaign Monday.
Harris intends to make taxes a focal point of her campaign, contrasting her tax package with the legislation Trump and Congressional Republicans passed in December 2017.
Harris’s tax plan, proposed Oct. 18, is a Robin Hood-type plan that would hike tax rates on wealthier Americans to cover the cost of tax credits, up to $3,000 for individuals and $6,000 for families, offered to people making under $100,000 a year. The tax credits would not be available for Americans who do not earn a paycheck.
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Sanders: Trump Accepted Invite to Give SOTU at House, 'We're Moving Forward Until Something Changes'
On Tuesday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Hannity,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders stated that the president accepted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) earlier invitation to give the State of the Union in front of the House and “we’re moving forward until something changes on that front.”
Sanders said, “Nancy Pelosi invited the president. He accepted. She cited security concerns as a potential reason to delay that. The United States Secret Service and DHS have addressed those concerns. And we’re moving forward until something changes on that front.”
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Sanders said, “Nancy Pelosi invited the president. He accepted. She cited security concerns as a potential reason to delay that. The United States Secret Service and DHS have addressed those concerns. And we’re moving forward until something changes on that front.”
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Sheriff: Armed Robber Demands Drugs, Gets Shot Dead by Pharmacist
Louisiana’s St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office says an armed robber entered a drug store Monday, demanded drugs, and was shot dead.
The Sheriff’s Office used a Facebook post to explain that deputies were called to the drug store just before six o’clock p.m. and arrived to find “that a masked man entered the store with a handgun and ordered the clerk and the pharmacist behind the counter and demanded drugs.” There was a struggle, during which the pharmacist pulled his own gun and shot the suspect, who fled the store and died a short distance away.
WDSU reports that a subsequent update from the sheriff’s office reveals that the suspect used a zip tie on the hands of the store’s clerk but “the pharmacist was able to get his gun before the suspect used a zip tie on him.”
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The Sheriff’s Office used a Facebook post to explain that deputies were called to the drug store just before six o’clock p.m. and arrived to find “that a masked man entered the store with a handgun and ordered the clerk and the pharmacist behind the counter and demanded drugs.” There was a struggle, during which the pharmacist pulled his own gun and shot the suspect, who fled the store and died a short distance away.
WDSU reports that a subsequent update from the sheriff’s office reveals that the suspect used a zip tie on the hands of the store’s clerk but “the pharmacist was able to get his gun before the suspect used a zip tie on him.”
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Kamala Harris, the Democrats' dishonest, authoritarian candidate
When you look at the Senate Democrats who have announced their presidential campaigns so far, you notice that each one has a theme. For example, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has made her career about reform of the financial industry. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., has made hers about preventing workplace sexual harassment. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who has all but announced his candidacy with his tour of Iowa, has made his campaign about what Democrats still have to offer the working class.
But what about Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., who announced her candidacy on Monday?
Look only at her two years in the Senate and two relevant data points pop up. First, there’s her recent attempt, along with Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, to apply an anti-Catholic religious test to a judicial nominee because he belonged to the Knights of Columbus. This was too much even for her fellow Democrats to bear — not a single one objected to a resolution that implicitly rebuked Harris and Hirono for their behavior.
The second relevant point is Harris’ conduct during the Justice Brett Kavanaugh hearings. No, not the contentious second round of Kavanaugh hearings involving sexual misconduct allegations, but the relatively placid first round in early September. During that process, Harris insinuated, through a line of questioning, that Kavanaugh had held a highly improper conversation about the Russia investigation with someone at the law firm President Trump had hired. After casting this slanderous aspersion, Harris then knowingly lied to journalists in order to prejudice public opinion against Kavanaugh's nomination. She falsely assured reporters that she had "good reason" and "reliable" evidence that Kavanaugh had indeed discussed the Russia investigation with lawyers at Trump's firm.
Then, as it turned out, she didn't have any evidence at all. She had been bluffing, the way unethical prosecutors do when trying to get people to plead guilty to offenses they didn't commit. But this wasn’t some police interrogation room — it was a Senate committee hearing.
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But what about Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., who announced her candidacy on Monday?
Look only at her two years in the Senate and two relevant data points pop up. First, there’s her recent attempt, along with Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, to apply an anti-Catholic religious test to a judicial nominee because he belonged to the Knights of Columbus. This was too much even for her fellow Democrats to bear — not a single one objected to a resolution that implicitly rebuked Harris and Hirono for their behavior.
The second relevant point is Harris’ conduct during the Justice Brett Kavanaugh hearings. No, not the contentious second round of Kavanaugh hearings involving sexual misconduct allegations, but the relatively placid first round in early September. During that process, Harris insinuated, through a line of questioning, that Kavanaugh had held a highly improper conversation about the Russia investigation with someone at the law firm President Trump had hired. After casting this slanderous aspersion, Harris then knowingly lied to journalists in order to prejudice public opinion against Kavanaugh's nomination. She falsely assured reporters that she had "good reason" and "reliable" evidence that Kavanaugh had indeed discussed the Russia investigation with lawyers at Trump's firm.
Then, as it turned out, she didn't have any evidence at all. She had been bluffing, the way unethical prosecutors do when trying to get people to plead guilty to offenses they didn't commit. But this wasn’t some police interrogation room — it was a Senate committee hearing.
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High School Teacher Suspended For Showing Fox News Documentary About Due Process In College
A high school teacher in the wealthy suburban New York town of Bedford has been suspended for showing his students a Fox News documentary as part of a lesson plan to prepare them for college.
Mike Poplardo is an economics teacher at Fox Lane High School in Bedford. In May of 2018, he spent two days on a “mini-unit” designed to prepare students for college. During this lesson, he showed students the Fox News documentary titled “Fox News Reporting: The Truth about Sex and College.”
The documentary (which includes commentary from this reporter), hosted by Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum, tells the stories of several male students who say they were falsely accused of sexual assault, in one instance also talking to the female accuser for her perspective. It also debunks some common myths surrounding sexual assault statistics.
Poplardo did not show the documentary to warn male students that they will be falsely accused by women. Instead, he used the film as a jumping off point to a larger discussion about sexual assault.
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Mike Poplardo is an economics teacher at Fox Lane High School in Bedford. In May of 2018, he spent two days on a “mini-unit” designed to prepare students for college. During this lesson, he showed students the Fox News documentary titled “Fox News Reporting: The Truth about Sex and College.”
The documentary (which includes commentary from this reporter), hosted by Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum, tells the stories of several male students who say they were falsely accused of sexual assault, in one instance also talking to the female accuser for her perspective. It also debunks some common myths surrounding sexual assault statistics.
Poplardo did not show the documentary to warn male students that they will be falsely accused by women. Instead, he used the film as a jumping off point to a larger discussion about sexual assault.
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Biden: GOP Stole Florida and Georgia Governorships with ‘Voter ID Laws’
Former Vice President Joe Biden blamed Democrat losses in Florida and Georgia’s 2018 gubernatorial races on Republican-driven electoral fraud via “voter ID laws” that “keep people from being able to vote.”
Biden also linked President Donald Trump to “white supremacists” and the “forces of hate” that led to the murder of Martin Luther King in 1968.
Biden made his allegations during Monday’s National Action Network’s annual breakfast in Washington, DC.– an organization founded and run by Al Sharpton.
Upon taking the stage, Biden embraced Sharpton.
Biden said:
"Years ago, there used to be a poll tax. Now, as our last speaker pointed out, just last year 24 states — 24 states — introduced or enacted at least 70 bills to make it harder for people to vote. They now use the voter ID laws like the poll taxes used to be used. Simply designed to keep people from being able to vote..."
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Biden also linked President Donald Trump to “white supremacists” and the “forces of hate” that led to the murder of Martin Luther King in 1968.
Biden made his allegations during Monday’s National Action Network’s annual breakfast in Washington, DC.– an organization founded and run by Al Sharpton.
Upon taking the stage, Biden embraced Sharpton.
Biden said:
"Years ago, there used to be a poll tax. Now, as our last speaker pointed out, just last year 24 states — 24 states — introduced or enacted at least 70 bills to make it harder for people to vote. They now use the voter ID laws like the poll taxes used to be used. Simply designed to keep people from being able to vote..."
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Congressman to Dems: Don’t Let Rashida Tlaib Use Taxpayer Funds for West Bank Trip
A Republican lawmaker is trying to stop fellow congresswoman Rashida Tlaib from leading a taxpayer-funded congressional trip to the West Bank.
The trip led by Palestinian-American Tlaib would coincide with the annual Israel mission by AIPAC — a longstanding tradition for freshman lawmakers. Michigan Democrat Tlaib called the AIPAC trip “one-sided” and said her own trip would include a visit to the West Bank village of Beit Ur al-Foqa, where her grandmother lives.
In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and circulated to other congressional offices, Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas) said that a trip to “Israel’s nemesis” would harm Israel-U.S. relations and “undo years of goodwill built by the foreign policy and Israeli-American communities.”
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The trip led by Palestinian-American Tlaib would coincide with the annual Israel mission by AIPAC — a longstanding tradition for freshman lawmakers. Michigan Democrat Tlaib called the AIPAC trip “one-sided” and said her own trip would include a visit to the West Bank village of Beit Ur al-Foqa, where her grandmother lives.
In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and circulated to other congressional offices, Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas) said that a trip to “Israel’s nemesis” would harm Israel-U.S. relations and “undo years of goodwill built by the foreign policy and Israeli-American communities.”
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Thief steals former Maryland Sen. Mikulski's famed footstool, employee reports
At 4 feet 11, former U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski almost stood a little shorter this week after a thief stole her famous footstool out of a car in Hampden.
Mikulski’s signature footstool, which she uses for speaking engagements, was stolen out of an employee’s car on Falls Road in Hampden, according to an internet post from the employee Monday.
The employee posted the story to the social media platform Nextdoor asking neighbors for help after a thief broke into her car and stole a bag containing the collapsible stool. She believed the thief mistook the bag for a purse and might have discarded the stool nearby upon discovery.
The employee asked to not be identified for safety reasons.
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Mikulski’s signature footstool, which she uses for speaking engagements, was stolen out of an employee’s car on Falls Road in Hampden, according to an internet post from the employee Monday.
The employee posted the story to the social media platform Nextdoor asking neighbors for help after a thief broke into her car and stole a bag containing the collapsible stool. She believed the thief mistook the bag for a purse and might have discarded the stool nearby upon discovery.
The employee asked to not be identified for safety reasons.
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Bloomberg wants private, armed police force patrolling Johns Hopkins University
Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire ex-mayor of New York and benefactor of the Johns Hopkins University, said Tuesday it’s “ridiculous” the institution doesn’t have an armed police force.
“When you have a city that has the murder rate that Baltimore has, I think it’s ridiculous to think that they shouldn’t be armed,” Bloomberg said of the Hopkins security force.
Bloomberg, a potential Democratic candidate for president in 2020, spoke to reporters after closed-door meetings at the State House in Annapolis with Democratic lawmakers and state Attorney General Brian Frosh.
Johns Hopkins is seeking approval from the General Assembly for a private police force to patrol the university campus in Homewood, the hospital campus in East Baltimore and the Peabody Institute in Mount Vernon. The proposal has support from some key leaders, including powerful Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, but has met with opposition from others.
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“When you have a city that has the murder rate that Baltimore has, I think it’s ridiculous to think that they shouldn’t be armed,” Bloomberg said of the Hopkins security force.
Bloomberg, a potential Democratic candidate for president in 2020, spoke to reporters after closed-door meetings at the State House in Annapolis with Democratic lawmakers and state Attorney General Brian Frosh.
Johns Hopkins is seeking approval from the General Assembly for a private police force to patrol the university campus in Homewood, the hospital campus in East Baltimore and the Peabody Institute in Mount Vernon. The proposal has support from some key leaders, including powerful Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, but has met with opposition from others.
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CNN's Kirsten Powers: Covington Kids Called Classmate 'N***er' with Gesture
CNN political analyst and USA Today columnist Kirsten Powers bizarrely claimed on Monday that Covington Catholic High School students referred to a black classmate as a racial slur with silent hand gestures to their harassers — who were actually saying the word.
The alleged gesture occurred in the lead up to a confrontation between some of the school’s students and a Native American activist on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during Friday’s March for Life event in Washington, D.C.
Initial video of a confrontation between Covington Catholic High School junior Nick Sandmann and Native American activist Nathan Phillips created a firestorm of controversy on social media, with both left and right-wing media observers accusing the student of racism. Sandmann, donning a red Make America Great Again baseball cap, is seen smiling as he stands in front of Phillips, an elder with the Omaha tribe, who is beating a drum close to his face. Some of Sandmann’s classmates were laughing and making hand gestures in what some say were attempts to make fun of Phillips.
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The alleged gesture occurred in the lead up to a confrontation between some of the school’s students and a Native American activist on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during Friday’s March for Life event in Washington, D.C.
Initial video of a confrontation between Covington Catholic High School junior Nick Sandmann and Native American activist Nathan Phillips created a firestorm of controversy on social media, with both left and right-wing media observers accusing the student of racism. Sandmann, donning a red Make America Great Again baseball cap, is seen smiling as he stands in front of Phillips, an elder with the Omaha tribe, who is beating a drum close to his face. Some of Sandmann’s classmates were laughing and making hand gestures in what some say were attempts to make fun of Phillips.
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Washington Post Correction: Nathan Phillips ‘Was Never Deployed to Vietnam’
The Washington Post has walked back claims about the military record of Nathan Phillips, the Native American activist at the center of a national controversy captured on video at Friday’s Woman’s March in Washington, D.C.
In a January 20 report titled — “‘It was getting ugly’: Native American drummer speaks on his encounter with MAGA-hat-wearing teens” — the Post‘s Cleve R. Wootson Jr., Antonio Olivo, and Joe Heim erroneously stated Philips is a veteran of the Vietnam War despite having not been deployed.
On Tuesday, news of the Post’s correction began circulating on social media. “Earlier versions of this story incorrectly said that Native American activist Nathan Phillips fought in the Vietnam War. Phillips served in the U.S. Marines from 1972 to 1976 but was never deployed to Vietnam,” the correction reads. The update does not have a time or date stamp.
The latest blunder follows a string of missteps by the establishment media who rushed to condemn a group of Covington Catholic High School students.
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In a January 20 report titled — “‘It was getting ugly’: Native American drummer speaks on his encounter with MAGA-hat-wearing teens” — the Post‘s Cleve R. Wootson Jr., Antonio Olivo, and Joe Heim erroneously stated Philips is a veteran of the Vietnam War despite having not been deployed.
On Tuesday, news of the Post’s correction began circulating on social media. “Earlier versions of this story incorrectly said that Native American activist Nathan Phillips fought in the Vietnam War. Phillips served in the U.S. Marines from 1972 to 1976 but was never deployed to Vietnam,” the correction reads. The update does not have a time or date stamp.
The latest blunder follows a string of missteps by the establishment media who rushed to condemn a group of Covington Catholic High School students.
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Troopers Arrest Delmar Woman for Aggravated Menacing-Frankford
Frankford- The Delaware State Police have arrested a Delmar woman after a verbal dispute turned physical.
The incident occurred on January 21, 2019 at approximately 1:29 p.m. when Troopers were dispatched to the unit block of Green
Street for a report of a stabbing. Upon arrival, Troopers made contact with 22-year-old Michaela B. Scarborough who was standing outside the residence. Further investigation reveled that Scarborough and her 26 year-old boyfriend had engaged in an argument which led to her obtaining a knife and threatening the victim. The victim subsequently sustained cuts from the knife to his upper extremity and declined medical treatment. Present in the residence during this incident was a two year old child who was not injured.
Street for a report of a stabbing. Upon arrival, Troopers made contact with 22-year-old Michaela B. Scarborough who was standing outside the residence. Further investigation reveled that Scarborough and her 26 year-old boyfriend had engaged in an argument which led to her obtaining a knife and threatening the victim. The victim subsequently sustained cuts from the knife to his upper extremity and declined medical treatment. Present in the residence during this incident was a two year old child who was not injured.
Scarborough was taken into custody without incident and transported back to Troop 4 where she was charged with the following:
- Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony
- Aggravated Menacing
- Terroristic Threatening
- Assault Third Degree
- Endangering the Welfare of a Child
- Offensive Touching
Scarborough was arraigned before the Justice of the Peace Court 3 and was released on $22,501.00 unsecured bond.
Salvini: ‘I Am Proud’ to Have Halted Illegal Immigration
Italy’s indomitable interior minister Matteo Salvini said Tuesday he is “proud” to have put an end to illegal immigration in Italy.
“You enter Italy by saying ‘May I come in’ and ‘Please,’” Mr. Salvini said in a Tweet to his followers, explaining that by combatting illegal immigration he was also fighting human trafficking and the drug trade.
Decrying smugglers and human traffickers, Salvini said he had evidence that “with the money they make—around 3,000 euro for every person they put on the boat—they buy arms and drugs. So stopping the trafficking of human beings does not just mean stopping immigration, but it also means blocking weapon and drug trafficking.”
“So as long as you keep saying, ‘it’s the last boatload, it’s the last boatload, it’s the last boatload,’ the smugglers continue doing their dirty and criminal work,” he said in a television interview he attached to his Tweet.
“My objective, as we are already doing, is to invest money in Africa because I recall that with six euros a day you can give a child room, board, education, healthcare,” he said.
Asked by the television interviewer why the European Union has not adopted this common sense approach, Salvini said that there are other interests at work.
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“You enter Italy by saying ‘May I come in’ and ‘Please,’” Mr. Salvini said in a Tweet to his followers, explaining that by combatting illegal immigration he was also fighting human trafficking and the drug trade.
Decrying smugglers and human traffickers, Salvini said he had evidence that “with the money they make—around 3,000 euro for every person they put on the boat—they buy arms and drugs. So stopping the trafficking of human beings does not just mean stopping immigration, but it also means blocking weapon and drug trafficking.”
“So as long as you keep saying, ‘it’s the last boatload, it’s the last boatload, it’s the last boatload,’ the smugglers continue doing their dirty and criminal work,” he said in a television interview he attached to his Tweet.
“My objective, as we are already doing, is to invest money in Africa because I recall that with six euros a day you can give a child room, board, education, healthcare,” he said.
Asked by the television interviewer why the European Union has not adopted this common sense approach, Salvini said that there are other interests at work.
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Supreme Court Takes Major NRA Second Amendment Case
The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted review in the first Second Amendment case in almost a decade, a case supported by the National Rifle Association (NRA), and perhaps signaling what to expect from the new membership of the Supreme Court.
New York City law forbids residents from owning any handguns without a permit, and that permit allows the holder to possess guns only in their home or en route to or from one of seven shooting ranges in the city. A gun owner cannot transport a firearm outside the home for any other purpose, even if it is unloaded and locked in a case in the trunk of a car.
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New York City law forbids residents from owning any handguns without a permit, and that permit allows the holder to possess guns only in their home or en route to or from one of seven shooting ranges in the city. A gun owner cannot transport a firearm outside the home for any other purpose, even if it is unloaded and locked in a case in the trunk of a car.
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Nancy Pelosi's $2 million in travel junkets is starting to get noticed
Not only was President Trump's masterly counter-move against House speaker Nancy Pelosi an expert power play against the speaker's bid to take the television set away from him at the State of the Union, but it drew attention to something that doesn't get much attention, the fact that she's got some Imelda Marcos-style spending habits in state-financed travel.
According to the Daily Caller, citing Judicial Watch:
Pelosi's trip to Italy and Ukraine from July 30 to Aug. 6, 2015, cost the Air Force $184,587.81, according to documents released Saturday under a 2015 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit by Judicial Watch. Her delegation was made up of nine other members of Congress, including Democratic Reps. Anna Eshoo of California and Marcia Fudge of Ohio.
Four family members, including Pelosi's husband Paul Pelosi, were on the trip. The delegation dined at restaurants including James Beard American Restaurant in Milan, where a five-course meal cost up to $190, according to Fine Dining Lovers. The lawmakers also toured the Vatican and met up with Italian dignitaries, including President Sergio Mattarella and then-Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, according to their itinerary.
It gets worse. According to Judicial Watch itself:
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According to the Daily Caller, citing Judicial Watch:
Pelosi's trip to Italy and Ukraine from July 30 to Aug. 6, 2015, cost the Air Force $184,587.81, according to documents released Saturday under a 2015 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit by Judicial Watch. Her delegation was made up of nine other members of Congress, including Democratic Reps. Anna Eshoo of California and Marcia Fudge of Ohio.
Four family members, including Pelosi's husband Paul Pelosi, were on the trip. The delegation dined at restaurants including James Beard American Restaurant in Milan, where a five-course meal cost up to $190, according to Fine Dining Lovers. The lawmakers also toured the Vatican and met up with Italian dignitaries, including President Sergio Mattarella and then-Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, according to their itinerary.
It gets worse. According to Judicial Watch itself:
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Put corn on your plate, not in your tank
President Trump didn't forget that he promised Iowa's corn growers he be there for them if they helped send him to Washington. He's told the Environmental Protection Agency to start the process of permitting the year-round sale of E15, a gasoline blend that's 15 percent ethanol.
This move is not only a massive handout to special-interest groups, but it also imposes serious costs on the average American family. All the while, it provides virtually zero environmental benefit.
This story begins with the Renewable Fuel Standard, which last decade mandated that more and more biofuels be injected into the fuel supply. The quantities were to increase over time, on the expectation that new technologies would produce an abundance of biofuel from cellulose. But such technological advances in biofuel production didn't materialize. This has meant, under the RFS, an even heavier reliance on corn ethanol. That's cost Americans dearly at the grocery, at the pump, and in everyday life, as anyone who forgets to drain the fuel out of their lawn mower has learned the hard way.
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This move is not only a massive handout to special-interest groups, but it also imposes serious costs on the average American family. All the while, it provides virtually zero environmental benefit.
This story begins with the Renewable Fuel Standard, which last decade mandated that more and more biofuels be injected into the fuel supply. The quantities were to increase over time, on the expectation that new technologies would produce an abundance of biofuel from cellulose. But such technological advances in biofuel production didn't materialize. This has meant, under the RFS, an even heavier reliance on corn ethanol. That's cost Americans dearly at the grocery, at the pump, and in everyday life, as anyone who forgets to drain the fuel out of their lawn mower has learned the hard way.
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Conservatives see Democrats' religious bigotry in growing backlog of judicial nominees
Conservatives are turning up the heat on Senate Democrats to fill the growing number of federal judicial vacancies, blaming the backlog in part on Democrat hostility to the traditional religious beliefs of some White House nominees.
The Judicial Crisis Network has rolled out a $1.5 million cable and digital ad campaign accusing Democrats of “taking their obstruction to disgraceful new lows, shamefully bullying nominees, attacking them because of their faith.”
President Trump on Tuesday released the names of the 51 nominees he intends to renominate to the federal bench, but there are now 163 vacancies, more than the 125 when he took office in 2017, causing consternation on the right.
“Democrats have reached an extreme low with their obstructionist tactics now involving smears and religious tests,” said Penny Nance, president and CEO of Concerned Women for America. “President Trump and Republicans need to expose this extremism for what it is and move forward immediately to confirm constitutionalist judges and fill the record number of judicial vacancies the nation faces.”
More than 30 judicial nominees had passed committee muster and were awaiting floor votes at the end of the year before Senate Democrats blocked them.
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The Judicial Crisis Network has rolled out a $1.5 million cable and digital ad campaign accusing Democrats of “taking their obstruction to disgraceful new lows, shamefully bullying nominees, attacking them because of their faith.”
President Trump on Tuesday released the names of the 51 nominees he intends to renominate to the federal bench, but there are now 163 vacancies, more than the 125 when he took office in 2017, causing consternation on the right.
“Democrats have reached an extreme low with their obstructionist tactics now involving smears and religious tests,” said Penny Nance, president and CEO of Concerned Women for America. “President Trump and Republicans need to expose this extremism for what it is and move forward immediately to confirm constitutionalist judges and fill the record number of judicial vacancies the nation faces.”
More than 30 judicial nominees had passed committee muster and were awaiting floor votes at the end of the year before Senate Democrats blocked them.
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Eric Holder demands Trump congressional probe, cites 'Watergate precedent'
Former Attorney General Eric Holder used the “W”-word — Watergate — in the context of investigating President Trump.
In a tweet Tuesday night, Mr. Holder, who also has made noises about entering the 2020 Democratic presidential contest, cited the investigation that eventually brought down President Nixon as offering a template for how to handle the purported crimes of Mr. Trump and how Congress should proceed.
He said Congress shouldn’t have to wait for Special Counsel Robert Mueller to complete his report before deciding on whether to move toward impeachment, as some Democrats have been itching to do since January 2017.
“Watergate precedent: Congress must use hearings to examine questions surrounding Trump/his Administration,” he wrote.
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In a tweet Tuesday night, Mr. Holder, who also has made noises about entering the 2020 Democratic presidential contest, cited the investigation that eventually brought down President Nixon as offering a template for how to handle the purported crimes of Mr. Trump and how Congress should proceed.
He said Congress shouldn’t have to wait for Special Counsel Robert Mueller to complete his report before deciding on whether to move toward impeachment, as some Democrats have been itching to do since January 2017.
“Watergate precedent: Congress must use hearings to examine questions surrounding Trump/his Administration,” he wrote.
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Here’s How The White House Is Trying To Stop Future Caravans
President Donald Trump’s latest effort to break a stalemate over border wall funding and end a partial government shutdown includes provisions that would seek to stop the formation of Central American migrant caravans.
Trump is currently engaged in a high-stakes fight with Democratic lawmakers over funding for a proposed wall along the U.S. southern border. The two sides remain largely where they were when the shutdown began shortly before Christmas with Democrats saying they will provide only $1.6 billion in border wall funding and President Donald Trump demanding $5.7 billion.
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Trump is currently engaged in a high-stakes fight with Democratic lawmakers over funding for a proposed wall along the U.S. southern border. The two sides remain largely where they were when the shutdown began shortly before Christmas with Democrats saying they will provide only $1.6 billion in border wall funding and President Donald Trump demanding $5.7 billion.
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Senators Want Captured ISIS Fighters Sent to Gitmo
A leading group of Republican senators is petitioning the Trump administration to reopen the Guantanamo Bay prison camp to hundreds of foreign ISIS fighters captured on the battlefield, according to a copy of a letter sent Tuesday to the White House and obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
As the Trump administration continues to take the fight to ISIS forces in Syria and elsewhere, Sens. Tom Cotton (R., Ark,), Ted Cruz (R., Texas), Marco Rubio (R., Fla.), and John Cornyn (R., Texas.) are petitioning the administration to use the prison camp established on the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as a holding facility.
The timing of the letter coincides with the 10-year anniversary of the Obama administration's executive order to close Guantanamo Bay. President Donald Trump reversed this order and the prison remained open, but no new prisoners have been transferred to the facilities during his time in office.
With nearly 700 "battle-hardened terrorists in northeast Syria" currently being held by U.S. coalition partners with the Syrian Democratic Forces, the senators fear these captives could escape or be released from custody so they can again take up arms against U.S. forces and allies.
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As the Trump administration continues to take the fight to ISIS forces in Syria and elsewhere, Sens. Tom Cotton (R., Ark,), Ted Cruz (R., Texas), Marco Rubio (R., Fla.), and John Cornyn (R., Texas.) are petitioning the administration to use the prison camp established on the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as a holding facility.
The timing of the letter coincides with the 10-year anniversary of the Obama administration's executive order to close Guantanamo Bay. President Donald Trump reversed this order and the prison remained open, but no new prisoners have been transferred to the facilities during his time in office.
With nearly 700 "battle-hardened terrorists in northeast Syria" currently being held by U.S. coalition partners with the Syrian Democratic Forces, the senators fear these captives could escape or be released from custody so they can again take up arms against U.S. forces and allies.
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Wasserman Schultz appointed to House committee charged with oversight of Donald Trump
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz is becoming a member of a key House committee that Democrats will use to conduct oversight of President Donald Trump and his administration.
The House Committee on Oversight and Reform has a broad mandate to conduct investigations.
Trump is the committee’s highest-profile business. On Feb. 7, Trump’s former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, is scheduled to testify.
In a statement, Wasserman Schultz said she would “demand swift accountability from this White House. ... The long neglect of meaningful House oversight on our nation’s most serious problems in recent years ends now with Democrats serving in the majority in the House.”
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The House Committee on Oversight and Reform has a broad mandate to conduct investigations.
Trump is the committee’s highest-profile business. On Feb. 7, Trump’s former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, is scheduled to testify.
In a statement, Wasserman Schultz said she would “demand swift accountability from this White House. ... The long neglect of meaningful House oversight on our nation’s most serious problems in recent years ends now with Democrats serving in the majority in the House.”
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Dems Elevate Ocasio-Cortez To 2nd House Committee Alongside Trump-Hater Tlaib
Just days after joining the House Financial Services Committee (alongside such luminaries as Maxine Waters and Al Green), freshman congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) is among a group of the more progressive lawmakers joining the House Oversight Committee, Politico reported Tuesday.
The socialist justice warriorette - and latest poster-person (we are trying to be PC) for the 'center' of the Democratic party (which is just to the right of Marx) - will join fellow freshmen Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), according to Politico.
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The socialist justice warriorette - and latest poster-person (we are trying to be PC) for the 'center' of the Democratic party (which is just to the right of Marx) - will join fellow freshmen Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), according to Politico.
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Caribbean Joe's Opens At 11 AM On Friday: Nathan's Hot Dogs
New York legislature votes to legalize abortion up to birth, let non-doctors commit abortions
ALBANY, New York, January 22, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) – Both chambers of the New York state legislature voted Tuesday on legislation to enshrine a “fundamental right” to abortion in state law and eliminate protections for preborn babies until birth, in votes set to mark the anniversary of Roe v. Wade.
The state Senate voted 38-24 in favor of the so-called “Reproductive Health Act” Tuesday evening, the Albany Times-Union reports, a bill that has repeatedly cleared the state Assembly in years past but been blocked by the formerly-Republican Senate. Following the Senate vote, the Assembly passed it 92-47.
The bill declares that “Every individual who becomes pregnant has the fundamental right to choose to carry the pregnancy to term, to give birth to a child, or to have an abortion,” erases the state’s recognition of preborn babies older than 24 weeks as potential homicide victims, removes abortion from the penal code entirely, and allows licensed health practitioners other than full doctors to commit abortions.
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The state Senate voted 38-24 in favor of the so-called “Reproductive Health Act” Tuesday evening, the Albany Times-Union reports, a bill that has repeatedly cleared the state Assembly in years past but been blocked by the formerly-Republican Senate. Following the Senate vote, the Assembly passed it 92-47.
The bill declares that “Every individual who becomes pregnant has the fundamental right to choose to carry the pregnancy to term, to give birth to a child, or to have an abortion,” erases the state’s recognition of preborn babies older than 24 weeks as potential homicide victims, removes abortion from the penal code entirely, and allows licensed health practitioners other than full doctors to commit abortions.
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Judge Napolitano’s Breakdown Of ‘Unconstitutional Means’ To Gather Evidence Got President Trump’s Attention
Fox News senior judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano accused the FBI of using “unconstitutional means” to obtain information against President Donald Trump on “Fox & Friends” Tuesday.
“One [warrant] is easy to get. One is difficult to get. When the FBI can’t get the more difficult one they get the easy one. And that has corrupted them,” Napolitano said. “And that has enabled them to gather evidence by unconstitutional means and that’s what they did to the president.”
Napolitano was discussing the FBI’s use of FISA practices and said the agency has abused the process to obtain low-standard warrants.
“This is not something normally done by the general counsel of the FBI. If he were doing his job, he would say to them stay away from FISA,” he continued.
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“One [warrant] is easy to get. One is difficult to get. When the FBI can’t get the more difficult one they get the easy one. And that has corrupted them,” Napolitano said. “And that has enabled them to gather evidence by unconstitutional means and that’s what they did to the president.”
Napolitano was discussing the FBI’s use of FISA practices and said the agency has abused the process to obtain low-standard warrants.
“This is not something normally done by the general counsel of the FBI. If he were doing his job, he would say to them stay away from FISA,” he continued.
More
Hate persists-- Covington High School closed Tuesday
The Kentucky high school whose students are at the center of a viral video controversy after last week’s March for Life Rally says it will stay closed Tuesday due to safety concerns.
The announcement by Covington High School Principal Robert Rowe was made in a letter sent to parents, students and staff. Students from the Catholic school are said to be facing death threats – and have been widely maligned and vilified online – after a video clip emerged Saturday that gave some commenters an inaccurate impression that the teens were harassing a Native American man, Nathan Phillips, following the pro-life demonstration.
“After meeting with local authorities, we have made the decision to cancel school and be closed on Tuesday, January 22, in order to ensure the safety of our students, faculty and staff,” Rowe said. “All activities on campus will be canceled for the entire day and evening. Students, parents, faculty and staff are not to be on campus for any reason.”
The Campbell County Boys Basketball team, which was supposed to be playing Covington tonight in a game, also announced its game was canceled Tuesday.
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https://www.foxnews.com/us/covington-high-school-closes-tuesday-as-uproar-persists-following-viral-video-of-confrontation-with-native-american-man
The announcement by Covington High School Principal Robert Rowe was made in a letter sent to parents, students and staff. Students from the Catholic school are said to be facing death threats – and have been widely maligned and vilified online – after a video clip emerged Saturday that gave some commenters an inaccurate impression that the teens were harassing a Native American man, Nathan Phillips, following the pro-life demonstration.
“After meeting with local authorities, we have made the decision to cancel school and be closed on Tuesday, January 22, in order to ensure the safety of our students, faculty and staff,” Rowe said. “All activities on campus will be canceled for the entire day and evening. Students, parents, faculty and staff are not to be on campus for any reason.”
The Campbell County Boys Basketball team, which was supposed to be playing Covington tonight in a game, also announced its game was canceled Tuesday.
More
https://www.foxnews.com/us/covington-high-school-closes-tuesday-as-uproar-persists-following-viral-video-of-confrontation-with-native-american-man
Fox anchor Baier's car flips during Montana vacation
Fox News anchor Bret Baier and his family were in a car accident while vacationing in Montana on Monday.
Baier, 48, who has a wife and two sons, released a statement on Monday night to describe the accident and to thank those who helped him and his family get to the hospital quickly.
“After a weekend of skiing with my wife and two boys in Montana, driving to the airport Monday morning on icy roads, we were involved in a major car crash," Baier said in a statement. "Thanks to a man driving by named Zach who stopped and helped, we were able to climb out of the flipped car. And thanks to the first responders and Montana Highway Patrol – we made it to the hospital quickly. We are very grateful to all of those who helped us out.
"My advice to everyone is to always wear your seat belt and to count your blessings everyday. I tweeted this out as we left the hospital banged up, but alive," he continued. "Don’t take anything for granted – every day is a blessing and family is everything. It’s always good to remind yourself of that before something does it for you."
More here
Baier, 48, who has a wife and two sons, released a statement on Monday night to describe the accident and to thank those who helped him and his family get to the hospital quickly.
“After a weekend of skiing with my wife and two boys in Montana, driving to the airport Monday morning on icy roads, we were involved in a major car crash," Baier said in a statement. "Thanks to a man driving by named Zach who stopped and helped, we were able to climb out of the flipped car. And thanks to the first responders and Montana Highway Patrol – we made it to the hospital quickly. We are very grateful to all of those who helped us out.
"My advice to everyone is to always wear your seat belt and to count your blessings everyday. I tweeted this out as we left the hospital banged up, but alive," he continued. "Don’t take anything for granted – every day is a blessing and family is everything. It’s always good to remind yourself of that before something does it for you."
More here
