WASHINGTON — More than four months after active-duty troops deployed to southern U.S. states for border security support, congressional Democrats remain unconvinced their presence is needed there.
“Border security is important, but we have other needs in the world,” said House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, D-Wash., during a hearing on the topic Tuesday morning. “We also have ISIS and Syria and Russia and China … (The southern border) is not primary to the military’s mission.”
The border support mission, which began shortly before the midterm elections, has been attacked by critics for months as President Donald Trump politicizing both the immigration debate and military personnel.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Thursday, January 31, 2019
Federal pay raise legislation advances in House and Senate
In a 259 to 161 vote, the House passed legislation that would provide for an across-the-board, 2.6 percent federal civilian employee pay raise.
If passed by the Senate, the legislation would counteract a federal pay freeze instituted by President Donald Trump in late 2018, which Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., called “insulting and embarrassing” on top of the impacts already imposed by the government shutdown.
The bill also includes three amendments that clarify the pay raise’s applicability to certain employees at the IRS, NASA and the Secret Service.
Republican congressmen attempted to bring the legislation back to committee for consideration, saying that the bill did not go through normal order and that not all employees deserve a pay raise.
“Everybody doesn’t deserve a pay raise all the time,” said Rep. Rob Woodall, R-Ga., adding that the legislation makes “no effort to reward the high performers and train up the low performers.”
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If passed by the Senate, the legislation would counteract a federal pay freeze instituted by President Donald Trump in late 2018, which Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., called “insulting and embarrassing” on top of the impacts already imposed by the government shutdown.
The bill also includes three amendments that clarify the pay raise’s applicability to certain employees at the IRS, NASA and the Secret Service.
Republican congressmen attempted to bring the legislation back to committee for consideration, saying that the bill did not go through normal order and that not all employees deserve a pay raise.
“Everybody doesn’t deserve a pay raise all the time,” said Rep. Rob Woodall, R-Ga., adding that the legislation makes “no effort to reward the high performers and train up the low performers.”
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House Dems Face Pressure on Border Security From Constituents
Questions over immigration, border security dog Democrats at district town halls
The government shutdown may be over, but House Democrats are still facing pressure by constituents to address border security.
At town halls over the weekend, voters had their first opportunity to weigh in on the dispute that shuttered the federal government for more than a month. Although the impasse reached a short-term resolution on Friday it was still front and center in voters' minds.
"I don't understand how anybody can think that you can have a compromise and have [a] discussion when Nancy Pelosi stands up there and says, ‘I'll give him $1 for whatever the wall is,'" George Rogero told Democratic congressman Sean Patrick Maloney during a town hall in New York. "So when you talk about compromise, unfortunately, a lot of times a compromise means we get what we want and you don’t get anything."
In response, Maloney said he was open to "real" border security, including physical barriers where necessary, but would oppose a "sea-to-shining-sea" wall across the entirety of the border.
Maloney's colleagues in the House Democratic majority faced similar questions over the weekend. The issue of border security was particularly salient at town halls hosted by freshman Democrats, many of whom represent districts Trump carried on his way to the White House in 2016.
Freshman representative Kendra Horn (Okla.) said she was committed to working "across the aisle" to secure the border and avert another government shutdown when asked about the topic during a town hall on Saturday.
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The government shutdown may be over, but House Democrats are still facing pressure by constituents to address border security.
At town halls over the weekend, voters had their first opportunity to weigh in on the dispute that shuttered the federal government for more than a month. Although the impasse reached a short-term resolution on Friday it was still front and center in voters' minds.
"I don't understand how anybody can think that you can have a compromise and have [a] discussion when Nancy Pelosi stands up there and says, ‘I'll give him $1 for whatever the wall is,'" George Rogero told Democratic congressman Sean Patrick Maloney during a town hall in New York. "So when you talk about compromise, unfortunately, a lot of times a compromise means we get what we want and you don’t get anything."
In response, Maloney said he was open to "real" border security, including physical barriers where necessary, but would oppose a "sea-to-shining-sea" wall across the entirety of the border.
Maloney's colleagues in the House Democratic majority faced similar questions over the weekend. The issue of border security was particularly salient at town halls hosted by freshman Democrats, many of whom represent districts Trump carried on his way to the White House in 2016.
Freshman representative Kendra Horn (Okla.) said she was committed to working "across the aisle" to secure the border and avert another government shutdown when asked about the topic during a town hall on Saturday.
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Mark Meadows to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Lawmakers are busy, not 'just sitting around eating bonbons'
Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., told Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., that lawmakers need more than three days’ notice to attend questioning because they are busy and not just “sitting around eating bonbons.”
The two butted heads during the first meeting of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform since Democrats took control of the House, which was also the first time Meadows and the freshman congresswoman appeared at a committee meeting together.
Meadows and other Republicans on the Oversight Committee told Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Md., that they believe members should get five days’ notice to attend questioning of witnesses by Democratic staff lawyers.
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The two butted heads during the first meeting of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform since Democrats took control of the House, which was also the first time Meadows and the freshman congresswoman appeared at a committee meeting together.
Meadows and other Republicans on the Oversight Committee told Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Md., that they believe members should get five days’ notice to attend questioning of witnesses by Democratic staff lawyers.
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Iran Vows to Send Man Into Space Within Five Years
Tehran space program widely believed to be cover for nuclear-capable ICBM
Iran is working to send a man into space within the next five years as part of its contested rocket launching program that is widely believed by the United States and other governments to be a cover for the Islamic Republic's work on advanced intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
Iran first launched a satellite into space in 2009, and since the signing of the landmark nuclear deal that freed up billions in cash windfalls, it has continued to work on advanced rocket systems that are very similarly related to ICBM technology, which could carry a nuclear weapon.
A recent report on Iran's space program carried by one of the country's state news channels disclosed this month that Tehran now has a new goal: To launch a man into space within the next five years.
"In the framework of a five-year plan, we intend to launch a man into space on our own, in order to become one of the aerospace industry powers," the news report stated, according to a translationprovided by the Middle East Media Research Institute. "We hope to see that day."
However, the U.S. diplomatic and national security class has accused Iran of using its space program as a cover to test-fire advance ballistic missile technology such as that needed to launch a nuclear weapon long distances.
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Iran is working to send a man into space within the next five years as part of its contested rocket launching program that is widely believed by the United States and other governments to be a cover for the Islamic Republic's work on advanced intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
Iran first launched a satellite into space in 2009, and since the signing of the landmark nuclear deal that freed up billions in cash windfalls, it has continued to work on advanced rocket systems that are very similarly related to ICBM technology, which could carry a nuclear weapon.
A recent report on Iran's space program carried by one of the country's state news channels disclosed this month that Tehran now has a new goal: To launch a man into space within the next five years.
"In the framework of a five-year plan, we intend to launch a man into space on our own, in order to become one of the aerospace industry powers," the news report stated, according to a translationprovided by the Middle East Media Research Institute. "We hope to see that day."
However, the U.S. diplomatic and national security class has accused Iran of using its space program as a cover to test-fire advance ballistic missile technology such as that needed to launch a nuclear weapon long distances.
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Unredacted lawsuit reveals Purdue Pharma's tactics to make billions selling OxyContin
The secrets of the Sackler family, the pharmaceutical dynasty who own the company accused of sparking America's opioid crisis with its mass production and aggressive marketing of OxyContin, have been laid bare in court despite their efforts to keep them private.
On Monday, Suffolk County Superior Court Judge Janet Sanders rejected the family's attempts to keep the lawsuit filed against them and their company, Purdue Pharma, by the state of Massachusetts sealed, saying the details they seek to protect belong in the public domain.
The full lawsuit - which has been heavily redacted and has not been released publicly - was ordered to be released, free of redacts, by February 1.
Unredacted parts of the lawsuit have alleged that Purdue was advised by global consulting firm McKinsey & Co on strategies to boost the drug’s sales and how to 'counter the emotional messages' of mothers whose children had overdosed, according to ProPublica.
The documents alleged that the company gave millions to two executives who were convicted of fraudulently marketing OxyContin to keep them quiet.
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On Monday, Suffolk County Superior Court Judge Janet Sanders rejected the family's attempts to keep the lawsuit filed against them and their company, Purdue Pharma, by the state of Massachusetts sealed, saying the details they seek to protect belong in the public domain.
The full lawsuit - which has been heavily redacted and has not been released publicly - was ordered to be released, free of redacts, by February 1.
Unredacted parts of the lawsuit have alleged that Purdue was advised by global consulting firm McKinsey & Co on strategies to boost the drug’s sales and how to 'counter the emotional messages' of mothers whose children had overdosed, according to ProPublica.
The documents alleged that the company gave millions to two executives who were convicted of fraudulently marketing OxyContin to keep them quiet.
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Va. Seafood Dealer Goes to Prison for Counterfeit Crab Scheme
The owner of a wholesale seafood dealer in Newport News will spend nearly four years in federal prison and pay $15,000 in fines, for passing off foreign crab meat as “Product of USA” blue crab.
75-year-old James R. Casey was sentenced in a federal courtroom for conspiring to commit Lacy Act violations for false seafood labeling.
Court documents show Casey, owner of Casey’s Seafood, told his employees to blend foreign crab meat with Atlantic blue crab meat, labeling the blended crab meat as “Product of USA”. He apparently even directed employees to stick those labels directly on top of labels that read “Product of Brazil” or “Product of China.” The foreign crab came from both of those countries, and also Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Central America, and some of it wasn’t even blue crab.
And it wasn’t just a few tubs of crab meat— Casey and his workers falsely labeled at least 397,917 pounds of crab meat, with a retail value in the millions of dollars, according to prosecutors. The illegal practice went on from at least 2012 through 2015. It was sold in grocery stores like Harris Teeter and Farm Fresh.
When Casey pleaded guilty back in September, he admitted to prosecutors that the conspiracy started after a decline in the blue crab population made crab prices spike, and Casey’s Seafood couldn’t process enough Atlantic blue crab to meet customer demands.
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75-year-old James R. Casey was sentenced in a federal courtroom for conspiring to commit Lacy Act violations for false seafood labeling.
Court documents show Casey, owner of Casey’s Seafood, told his employees to blend foreign crab meat with Atlantic blue crab meat, labeling the blended crab meat as “Product of USA”. He apparently even directed employees to stick those labels directly on top of labels that read “Product of Brazil” or “Product of China.” The foreign crab came from both of those countries, and also Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Central America, and some of it wasn’t even blue crab.
And it wasn’t just a few tubs of crab meat— Casey and his workers falsely labeled at least 397,917 pounds of crab meat, with a retail value in the millions of dollars, according to prosecutors. The illegal practice went on from at least 2012 through 2015. It was sold in grocery stores like Harris Teeter and Farm Fresh.
When Casey pleaded guilty back in September, he admitted to prosecutors that the conspiracy started after a decline in the blue crab population made crab prices spike, and Casey’s Seafood couldn’t process enough Atlantic blue crab to meet customer demands.
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NAACP Blames President Donald Trump for Alleged Racist, Homophobic Attack on Actor
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored Persons (NAACP), the country’s most influential civil rights organization, has blamed President Donald Trump for Tuesday morning’s attack on actor Jussie Smollett.
The Empire star was allegedly attacked by two men wearing ski masks in the early hours of Jan. 29 in Chicago. TMZ first reported that Smollett had identified the two attackers as white, and that he had told police that they had yelled, “This is MAGA country!”.
However, the Chicago Police Department has disputed that he told them that, at least initially, or identified the race of the attackers, who allegedly used racist and homophobic language and placed a rope around Smollett’s neck. The Daily Beast reported that Chicago police said the race and gender of the alleged assailants remained unknown.
Additionally, in their initial report, Jussie Smollett did not tell police his attackers yelled “MAGA.” Chicago Police PIO added: “I’m not saying it’s not true. He could have remembered later, but he did not tell officers that in the initial report.” 2/2
— Rob Elgas (@RobElgasABC7) January 29, 2019
More here
[Related: No footage yet of alleged attack on ‘Empire’ actor]
The Empire star was allegedly attacked by two men wearing ski masks in the early hours of Jan. 29 in Chicago. TMZ first reported that Smollett had identified the two attackers as white, and that he had told police that they had yelled, “This is MAGA country!”.
However, the Chicago Police Department has disputed that he told them that, at least initially, or identified the race of the attackers, who allegedly used racist and homophobic language and placed a rope around Smollett’s neck. The Daily Beast reported that Chicago police said the race and gender of the alleged assailants remained unknown.
Additionally, in their initial report, Jussie Smollett did not tell police his attackers yelled “MAGA.” Chicago Police PIO added: “I’m not saying it’s not true. He could have remembered later, but he did not tell officers that in the initial report.” 2/2
— Rob Elgas (@RobElgasABC7) January 29, 2019
More here
[Related: No footage yet of alleged attack on ‘Empire’ actor]
Kamala Harris stands by 'Medicare-for-all'
Kamala Harris is sticking by her full-throated support of ‘Medicare-for-all’ – despite a barrage of criticism from Republicans and even a potential Democratic primary rival for comments suggesting it would mean the end of private health insurance.
"Medicare-for-all is the plan that she believes will solve the problem and get all Americans covered. Period,” Harris campaign national press secretary Ian Sams told Fox News.
“She has co-sponsored other pieces of legislation that she sees as a path to getting us there, but this is the plan she is running on,” he added, suggesting potential support for other options as well.
The freshman California senator and former state attorney general – who launched her presidential bid last week – was asked Monday at a CNN town hall in Iowa if people could keep their current health insurance under her “Medicare for All” plan.
She seemed to suggest they couldn’t.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/kamala-harris-stands-by-medicare-for-all-amid-criticism-over-insurance-comments
"Medicare-for-all is the plan that she believes will solve the problem and get all Americans covered. Period,” Harris campaign national press secretary Ian Sams told Fox News.
“She has co-sponsored other pieces of legislation that she sees as a path to getting us there, but this is the plan she is running on,” he added, suggesting potential support for other options as well.
The freshman California senator and former state attorney general – who launched her presidential bid last week – was asked Monday at a CNN town hall in Iowa if people could keep their current health insurance under her “Medicare for All” plan.
She seemed to suggest they couldn’t.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/kamala-harris-stands-by-medicare-for-all-amid-criticism-over-insurance-comments
DACA Amnesty-for-Border Wall Deal Rejected Across Party Lines
Two plans to give potential millions of illegal aliens amnesty in exchange for securing some border wall funding lacks support among elected Republicans, Democrats, and American voters.
House Democrats’ top lawmaker, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), said he does not “expect” there to be a border wall funding deal reached that includes an amnesty for illegal aliens.
In comments to the media on Tuesday, Hoyer said Democrats would not accept a deal that gives amnesty to anywhere between 700,000 to 1.8 million illegal aliens enrolled and eligible in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
“I don’t expect that to be part of the negotiation,” Hoyer said. Instead, Hoyer said Democrats are looking to push through a standalone amnesty bill.
Likewise, an amnesty-for-wall funding deal has been shunned by Trump’s base of supporters, as well as the vast majority American voters — including Republicans, Democrats, and swing voters.
More here
House Democrats’ top lawmaker, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), said he does not “expect” there to be a border wall funding deal reached that includes an amnesty for illegal aliens.
In comments to the media on Tuesday, Hoyer said Democrats would not accept a deal that gives amnesty to anywhere between 700,000 to 1.8 million illegal aliens enrolled and eligible in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
“I don’t expect that to be part of the negotiation,” Hoyer said. Instead, Hoyer said Democrats are looking to push through a standalone amnesty bill.
Likewise, an amnesty-for-wall funding deal has been shunned by Trump’s base of supporters, as well as the vast majority American voters — including Republicans, Democrats, and swing voters.
More here
Sergey Brin Foundation Named in Dark-Money Campaign Finance Complaint
A complaint filed in Colorado is asking the newly elected Democrat Secretary of State to investigate a donation from the Sergey Brin Family Foundation to one of the state's leading liberal organizations, ProgressNow Colorado.
Brin is one of the co-founders of Google, and has an estimated net worth of over $50 billion.
The accusations in the complaint could bruise the political left's infrastructure in the state, meaning the request for a deeper investigation is a test of Secretary of State Jena Griswold's pledge to "combat secret political spending."
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Brin is one of the co-founders of Google, and has an estimated net worth of over $50 billion.
The accusations in the complaint could bruise the political left's infrastructure in the state, meaning the request for a deeper investigation is a test of Secretary of State Jena Griswold's pledge to "combat secret political spending."
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Dover Man Indicted on Multiple Counts of Violation of Privacy
Sussex County- The Delaware State Police have arrested a Dover man on multiple counts of Violation of Privacy.
The investigation began on September 29, 2018 when the Delaware State Police were made aware of an incident involving the report of inappropriate photography by a hired adult photographer at the Sussex Technical High School Homecoming Dance.
Through further investigations it was discovered that, 34-year-old Elias R. Stephens had been intentionally secretly videotaping, photographing, or filming under females’ clothing for the purpose of viewing their body or undergarments while he was working for an entertainment company and operating a photo booth.
Detectives were able to identify multiple victims spanning throughout the entire State of Delaware. On January 15, 2019, Stephens was indicted on 80 counts of Violation of Privacy (Felony). During the investigation, Stephens had relocated to Mississippi. He was taken into custody by the Long Beach Police Department in Mississippi on January 17, 2019.
Stephens was extradited back to Delaware on January 29, 2019 where he was charged with 80 counts of Violation of Privacy and arraigned before the Justice of the Peace Court 3. He was committed to the Sussex Correctional Institution on $160,000.00 secured bond with the following conditions:
- No contact with any of the victims
- If the defendant posts bond: GPS monitoring and pre-trial supervision
- The defendant may not possess any device capable of taking pictures or videos
Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact Troop 4, Detective R. Mears at 302-752-3809. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or via the internet at http://delaware.crimestoppersweb.com
Due to the sensitivity of this case, and in consideration of the victims, only limited information will be released.
Blackburn: 'Medicare for All' Too Expensive to Consider
Allowing Medicaid for all, as Sen. Kamala Harris has said she backs as part of her 2020 presidential campaign, would be a mistake that would be too expensive to afford, Sen. Marsha Blackburn said Wednesday.
"I'm telling you, just don't do it," the Tennessee Republican said on Fox News' "America's Newsroom."
"That should be the reaction, because it is too expensive to afford, at $32.6 trillion over a decade."
Further, said Blackburn, the $700 billion that was taken out of Medicare to back up Obamacare should be replaced.
"Rural hospitals are closing," said Blackburn. "We don't need more government-run healthcare."
Many of the proposals being pushed in the Democrat-controlled House are extreme, said Blackburn.
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"I'm telling you, just don't do it," the Tennessee Republican said on Fox News' "America's Newsroom."
"That should be the reaction, because it is too expensive to afford, at $32.6 trillion over a decade."
Further, said Blackburn, the $700 billion that was taken out of Medicare to back up Obamacare should be replaced.
"Rural hospitals are closing," said Blackburn. "We don't need more government-run healthcare."
Many of the proposals being pushed in the Democrat-controlled House are extreme, said Blackburn.
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Parasite spread by CATS 'may lead to schizophrenia in humans'
A common parasite spread by cats that is carried by two billion people may lead to schizophrenia, researchers fear.
Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), which can spread to people through contact with cat litter trays and eating uncooked meat, is usually harmless.
But now, the largest study of its kind, has found having the parasite could raise the risk of developing schizophrenia by 50 per cent.
Unusual links between T. gondii and mind-altering behavior, such as risk-taking, depression and car accidents, already exist.
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Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), which can spread to people through contact with cat litter trays and eating uncooked meat, is usually harmless.
But now, the largest study of its kind, has found having the parasite could raise the risk of developing schizophrenia by 50 per cent.
Unusual links between T. gondii and mind-altering behavior, such as risk-taking, depression and car accidents, already exist.
More
Report: Cuba’s Communists Selling Humanitarian Aid to Tornado Victims
Local Communist Party officials in the Regla neighborhood of Havana, Cuba, are selling chicken and rice to locals in the aftermath of a devastating and rare tornado that left much of the capital in tatters, the independent outlet Cubanet reported this week.
Other media, like the independent newspaper 14 y medio and Miami’s Telemundo affiliate in the United States, have received similar reports that victims of the tornado – responsible for at least four deaths and over 100 injuries – ventured to a local government food post expecting humanitarian aid, but found they were expected to pay for government-provided aid, instead.
Cubanet interviewed several victims in the Regla community of Havana, who said they approached a local government post seeking food and other aid, believing it to be complimentary as is customary in an emergency. Instead, they found small food posts selling chicken and rice for 1.65 Cuban pesos (about $0.06) an ounce. As the neighborhood has not had electricity since the tornado, many residents had no choice but to buy the food, which quickly ran out after a long line formed to buy it.
“In such a situation, it was assumed that the State would immediately create the conditions to offer free cooked food to these people [the victims],” the newspaper argued. “On the contrary, government businesses offered special sales of eggs and crackers … the ‘special’ does not refer to discounts, but to the fact that these virtually disappeared products were available at all.”
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Other media, like the independent newspaper 14 y medio and Miami’s Telemundo affiliate in the United States, have received similar reports that victims of the tornado – responsible for at least four deaths and over 100 injuries – ventured to a local government food post expecting humanitarian aid, but found they were expected to pay for government-provided aid, instead.
Cubanet interviewed several victims in the Regla community of Havana, who said they approached a local government post seeking food and other aid, believing it to be complimentary as is customary in an emergency. Instead, they found small food posts selling chicken and rice for 1.65 Cuban pesos (about $0.06) an ounce. As the neighborhood has not had electricity since the tornado, many residents had no choice but to buy the food, which quickly ran out after a long line formed to buy it.
“In such a situation, it was assumed that the State would immediately create the conditions to offer free cooked food to these people [the victims],” the newspaper argued. “On the contrary, government businesses offered special sales of eggs and crackers … the ‘special’ does not refer to discounts, but to the fact that these virtually disappeared products were available at all.”
More
Apple iCloud bug ‘let ANYONE read your private iPhone notes’
APPLE reportedly covered up a major privacy breach that gave hackers partial access to user iCloud accounts.
The supposed flaw was allegedly "kept secret" by Apple – and quietly fixed without alerting users to the problem.
Apple's iCloud tech – featured on iPhones – was reportedly breached
Apple ranks iCloud privacy high on its list of priorities, after a 2014 leak exposed almost 500 private photos of female celebrities, including Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Upton.
The service stores Apple customers' files on servers, which can be accessed digitally at any time – freeing up space on your device, and keeping media backed up safely.
But a new report by The Hacker News claims that Apple "suffered a privacy breach" late last year.
The breach supposedly gave attackers access to view iCloud back-ups of files in the Notes app – where people store important notes, reminders and media.
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The supposed flaw was allegedly "kept secret" by Apple – and quietly fixed without alerting users to the problem.
Apple's iCloud tech – featured on iPhones – was reportedly breached
Apple ranks iCloud privacy high on its list of priorities, after a 2014 leak exposed almost 500 private photos of female celebrities, including Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Upton.
The service stores Apple customers' files on servers, which can be accessed digitally at any time – freeing up space on your device, and keeping media backed up safely.
But a new report by The Hacker News claims that Apple "suffered a privacy breach" late last year.
The breach supposedly gave attackers access to view iCloud back-ups of files in the Notes app – where people store important notes, reminders and media.
More
America's Shameful War
An ancient Hindu prayer says, ‘Lord Shiva, save us from the claw of the tiger, the fang of the cobra, and the vengeance of the Afghan.’
The United States, champion of freedom and self-determination, is now in its 18th year of colonial war in Afghanistan. This miserable, stalemated conflict is America’s longest and most shameful war. So far it has cost over $1 trillion and killed no one knows how many Afghans.
This conflict began in 2001 on a lie: namely that Afghanistan was somehow responsible for the 9/11 attacks on the US. These attacks were planned in Europe and the US, not Afghanistan, and apparently conducted (official version) by anti-American Saudi extremists. This writer remains unconvinced by the official versions.
We still don’t know if Osama bin Laden instigated the attacks. He was murdered rather than brought to trial. Dead men tell no tales. However, Mullah Omar, leader of Afghanistan’s Taliban movement, told my late friend journalist Arnaud de Borchgrave that bin Laden was not involved in 9/11. Who benefited? Certainly not the Afghans. They have been at war for the past 40 years.
As I wrote in my first book, ‘War at the Top of the World,’ Afghanistan’s Pashtun tribal majority were fierce fighters and were incredibly brave. Their Taliban movement was a tribal-nationalist-Islamist force devoted to fighting communism, drug dealing and foreign influence. Taliban stamped out the Afghan opium trade and had just about crushed the drug-dealing Russian-backed Tajik northern alliance – until the US invaded in 2001. The Afghan drug lords quickly became US allies and remain so today.
Taliban was not a ‘terrorist movement,’ as western war propaganda falsely claimed. Twenty years earlier their fathers were hailed ‘freedom fighters’ by President Ronald Reagan when they were fighting Soviet occupation. Taliban’s Pashtun warriors wanted all foreigners out of their nation and the right to run their own affairs according to Islamic principles.
The US has savaged Afghanistan, one of the world’s poorest countries. US B-52 and B-1 heavy bombers are razing tribal villages, predator killer drones attack most road movement, US-paid Afghan puppet forces, many former Communists, routinely torture and murder. All this while the US-installed yes-man regime in Kabul does nothing to halt massive drug dealing and human rights abuses.
More
The United States, champion of freedom and self-determination, is now in its 18th year of colonial war in Afghanistan. This miserable, stalemated conflict is America’s longest and most shameful war. So far it has cost over $1 trillion and killed no one knows how many Afghans.
This conflict began in 2001 on a lie: namely that Afghanistan was somehow responsible for the 9/11 attacks on the US. These attacks were planned in Europe and the US, not Afghanistan, and apparently conducted (official version) by anti-American Saudi extremists. This writer remains unconvinced by the official versions.
We still don’t know if Osama bin Laden instigated the attacks. He was murdered rather than brought to trial. Dead men tell no tales. However, Mullah Omar, leader of Afghanistan’s Taliban movement, told my late friend journalist Arnaud de Borchgrave that bin Laden was not involved in 9/11. Who benefited? Certainly not the Afghans. They have been at war for the past 40 years.
As I wrote in my first book, ‘War at the Top of the World,’ Afghanistan’s Pashtun tribal majority were fierce fighters and were incredibly brave. Their Taliban movement was a tribal-nationalist-Islamist force devoted to fighting communism, drug dealing and foreign influence. Taliban stamped out the Afghan opium trade and had just about crushed the drug-dealing Russian-backed Tajik northern alliance – until the US invaded in 2001. The Afghan drug lords quickly became US allies and remain so today.
Taliban was not a ‘terrorist movement,’ as western war propaganda falsely claimed. Twenty years earlier their fathers were hailed ‘freedom fighters’ by President Ronald Reagan when they were fighting Soviet occupation. Taliban’s Pashtun warriors wanted all foreigners out of their nation and the right to run their own affairs according to Islamic principles.
The US has savaged Afghanistan, one of the world’s poorest countries. US B-52 and B-1 heavy bombers are razing tribal villages, predator killer drones attack most road movement, US-paid Afghan puppet forces, many former Communists, routinely torture and murder. All this while the US-installed yes-man regime in Kabul does nothing to halt massive drug dealing and human rights abuses.
More
CNN’s Kaczynski Deletes Tweet About Kamala After Campaign Pushes Back
After getting pushback from Sen. Kamala Harris’s (D-CA) campaign, CNN’s Andrew Kaczynski on Tuesday evening deleted an accurate tweet about how Harris backtracked on her call to “eliminate” private health insurance and provide Medicare for all.
At Monday’s CNN’s town hall event in Iowa, CNN host Jake Tapper explicitly asked Harris if people who like their insurance will lose their private insurance under her Medicare-for-all proposal.
After getting backlash from even fellow Democrats, Harris’s camp tried to walk back her remarks on Tuesday evening.
Kaczynski, linking to his network’s scoop about Harris’s backtracking, initially tweeted: “NEW: Kamala Harris is backtracking on her calls to eliminate all private health insurance in supporting Medicare for all, with an advisor and her spokesman saying she’s open to more moderate plans preserving the private health insurance industry.”
After getting pushback from Harris’s campaign, he said he was deleting his original tweet “because multiple Harris campaign spokespeople would like it clarified."
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At Monday’s CNN’s town hall event in Iowa, CNN host Jake Tapper explicitly asked Harris if people who like their insurance will lose their private insurance under her Medicare-for-all proposal.
After getting backlash from even fellow Democrats, Harris’s camp tried to walk back her remarks on Tuesday evening.
Kaczynski, linking to his network’s scoop about Harris’s backtracking, initially tweeted: “NEW: Kamala Harris is backtracking on her calls to eliminate all private health insurance in supporting Medicare for all, with an advisor and her spokesman saying she’s open to more moderate plans preserving the private health insurance industry.”
After getting pushback from Harris’s campaign, he said he was deleting his original tweet “because multiple Harris campaign spokespeople would like it clarified."
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DNC Chair Tom Perez Refuses to Condemn Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar for Anti-Semitism
Democrat National Committee (DNC) chair Tom Perez refused to comment on charges of anti-Semitism against Democrat members of Congress during an appearance on Fox News’ Special Report on Tuesday afternoon, after questions by host Bret Baier.
Baier asked Perez about recent controversies surrounding anti-Semitic comments by first-term Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN), as well as the association of the anti-Trump Women’s March with Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who has a long history of racist and anti-Semitic rhetoric.
Perez did not comment on Tlaib and Omar, as the transcript — via NewsBusters — shows.
Asked again about anti-Semitism — “Is there a concern in your party about this threat?” — Perez dodged the question, pivoting to a false claim that President Donald Trump would not condemn riots in Charlottesville in 2017.
Transcript/video here
Baier asked Perez about recent controversies surrounding anti-Semitic comments by first-term Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN), as well as the association of the anti-Trump Women’s March with Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who has a long history of racist and anti-Semitic rhetoric.
Perez did not comment on Tlaib and Omar, as the transcript — via NewsBusters — shows.
Asked again about anti-Semitism — “Is there a concern in your party about this threat?” — Perez dodged the question, pivoting to a false claim that President Donald Trump would not condemn riots in Charlottesville in 2017.
Transcript/video here
Rand Paul awarded more than $580K after neighbor's attack
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul has been awarded more than $580,000 in damages in a lawsuit against the neighbor who tackled him and broke several of his ribs in a dispute over lawn maintenance.
A jury in Bowling Green, Kentucky, deliberated for less than two hours before delivering the award to the Republican lawmaker, 56, who was attacked while doing yard work at his Kentucky home.
Paul had testified during the three-day trial that he feared for his life as he struggled to breathe after Rene Boucher slammed into him in their upscale Bowling Green neighborhood in late 2017.
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A jury in Bowling Green, Kentucky, deliberated for less than two hours before delivering the award to the Republican lawmaker, 56, who was attacked while doing yard work at his Kentucky home.
Paul had testified during the three-day trial that he feared for his life as he struggled to breathe after Rene Boucher slammed into him in their upscale Bowling Green neighborhood in late 2017.
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BLOOD EMERGENCY DECLARED
United States Postal Service suspends mail delivery in NINE states as deep freeze hits the Midwest
A deadly arctic deep freeze enveloped the Midwest with record-breaking low temperatures on Wednesday, prompting the US Postal Service to take the rare step of suspending mail delivery to nine states in the region.
'Due to the extreme weather conditions caused by Winter Storm Jaden, we have temporarily suspended delivery service in certain locations to ensure the safety and well-being of our employees,' a tweet from the official USPS account posted late on Tuesday read.
USPS said it would suspend mail delivery on Wednesday in parts or all of North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia and Michigan, as the National Weather Service forecast plunging temperatures from one of the coldest air masses in years.
The latest update on USPS service disruption was posted at 8am Eastern.
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'Due to the extreme weather conditions caused by Winter Storm Jaden, we have temporarily suspended delivery service in certain locations to ensure the safety and well-being of our employees,' a tweet from the official USPS account posted late on Tuesday read.
USPS said it would suspend mail delivery on Wednesday in parts or all of North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia and Michigan, as the National Weather Service forecast plunging temperatures from one of the coldest air masses in years.
The latest update on USPS service disruption was posted at 8am Eastern.
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McCarthy: President Offered Shutdown Solutions, Democrats Vacationed
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy lambasted Democrat leaders from the House floor Wednesday for putting politics before country and vacationing during the shutdown.
“Mister Speaker. I rise in opposition of House Resolution 79 – a glorified press release that this majority is having this chamber spend time on at another yet underwhelming legislative week,” McCarthy began.
“At a time when the country expects its leaders in Washington to look forward, this house majority is looking backward,” he charged. “When our country expects solutions, they’re using this chamber to settle political scores.”
The Minority Leader pointed to those “painfully” affected by the 35-day partial government shutdown, calling the shutdown a “shameful record under this [Democrat] majority’s watch.”
“It’s a shutdown that never had to happen,” he contended. McCarthy referenced an appropriations bill the House passed in December to fund the government, secure the border, and provide disaster assistance to Americans affected by hurricanes and fires. McCarthy blamed Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for blocking the bill from passing and thus shutting down the government.
McCarthy recalled the “four reasonable solutions to end the shutdown and secure the shutdown” President Donald Trump offered since the bill was blocked compared to Democrats who “never offered one.”
He went on..
“Mister Speaker. I rise in opposition of House Resolution 79 – a glorified press release that this majority is having this chamber spend time on at another yet underwhelming legislative week,” McCarthy began.
“At a time when the country expects its leaders in Washington to look forward, this house majority is looking backward,” he charged. “When our country expects solutions, they’re using this chamber to settle political scores.”
The Minority Leader pointed to those “painfully” affected by the 35-day partial government shutdown, calling the shutdown a “shameful record under this [Democrat] majority’s watch.”
“It’s a shutdown that never had to happen,” he contended. McCarthy referenced an appropriations bill the House passed in December to fund the government, secure the border, and provide disaster assistance to Americans affected by hurricanes and fires. McCarthy blamed Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for blocking the bill from passing and thus shutting down the government.
McCarthy recalled the “four reasonable solutions to end the shutdown and secure the shutdown” President Donald Trump offered since the bill was blocked compared to Democrats who “never offered one.”
He went on..
Democrats Breaking With Leadership To Support Border Wall Funding
WASHINGTON — A new number of Senate Democrats appear to be supporting the idea of physical barriers on the southern border.
Following the Senate votes that blocked President Donald Trump’s plan to fund the border and Senate Democrats’ plan to re-open the government, West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin told The Daily Caller Thursday that Senate Democrats want some sort of structure on the border, and House Democrats are the holdouts on the issue.
“On the Senate side, we understand. I don’t think any Senators … said they don’t want any secured structure fence or wall or whatever you want to call it,” he said.
Manchin is not alone. Other Democrats have expressed support for a border wall in the past month.
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Following the Senate votes that blocked President Donald Trump’s plan to fund the border and Senate Democrats’ plan to re-open the government, West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin told The Daily Caller Thursday that Senate Democrats want some sort of structure on the border, and House Democrats are the holdouts on the issue.
“On the Senate side, we understand. I don’t think any Senators … said they don’t want any secured structure fence or wall or whatever you want to call it,” he said.
Manchin is not alone. Other Democrats have expressed support for a border wall in the past month.
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CNN’s Lemon: Chaperones Must ‘Educate’ Covington Students About Why MAGA Hats Trigger ‘Marginalized People
CNN host Don Lemon on Tuesday evening ripped the Covington Catholic High School chaperones for not educating the students about why Make America Great Again baseball caps trigger “marginalized people.”
“OK. The MAGA hat, the MAGA hat carries a certain connotation that provokes a conditioned reaction from many people. Especially from marginalized people,” Lemon said. “For example, Pocahontas, right? This was a Native American. Their chaperone should be keenly aware of that. Those kids should know that. And let’s say that the kids didn’t know that because they are kids. Their chaperones should be responsible enough to educate them. After all, they are students.”
CNN host Chris Cuomo said he did not understand why Covington Catholic allowed their students to wear MAGA hats to DC because “wearing the MAGA hat would have still been a violation of endorsing a political position.”
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“OK. The MAGA hat, the MAGA hat carries a certain connotation that provokes a conditioned reaction from many people. Especially from marginalized people,” Lemon said. “For example, Pocahontas, right? This was a Native American. Their chaperone should be keenly aware of that. Those kids should know that. And let’s say that the kids didn’t know that because they are kids. Their chaperones should be responsible enough to educate them. After all, they are students.”
CNN host Chris Cuomo said he did not understand why Covington Catholic allowed their students to wear MAGA hats to DC because “wearing the MAGA hat would have still been a violation of endorsing a political position.”
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We’ll have a cure for cancer within a year, scientists claim
A team of Israeli scientists claim they will likely develop a cure for cancer in the next year, The Jerusalem Post reported on Monday.
The new treatment is being developed by Accelerated Evolution Biotechnologies under the leadership of CEO Dr. Ilan Morad, according to the report.
“We believe we will offer in a year’s time a complete cure for cancer,” said Dan Aridor, chairman of the company’s board. “Our cancer cure will be effective from day one, will last a duration of a few weeks and will have no or minimal side-effects at a much lower cost than most other treatments on the market.”
The treatment, called MuTaTo, will use a combination of cancer-targeting peptides and a toxin that will specifically kill cancer cells.
The treatment will eventually be personalized and a specific cocktail of the drugs will be given to patients based on their type of cancer, Morad told the newspaper.
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The new treatment is being developed by Accelerated Evolution Biotechnologies under the leadership of CEO Dr. Ilan Morad, according to the report.
“We believe we will offer in a year’s time a complete cure for cancer,” said Dan Aridor, chairman of the company’s board. “Our cancer cure will be effective from day one, will last a duration of a few weeks and will have no or minimal side-effects at a much lower cost than most other treatments on the market.”
The treatment, called MuTaTo, will use a combination of cancer-targeting peptides and a toxin that will specifically kill cancer cells.
The treatment will eventually be personalized and a specific cocktail of the drugs will be given to patients based on their type of cancer, Morad told the newspaper.
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Why These Feminists Oppose Pelosi’s Equality Act
Four self-described liberal feminists said Monday that “gender equality” legislation pushed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will jeopardize women’s rights and actually promote inequality.
“The Equality Act, which sounds all well and good, is an unmitigated disaster for women and girls,” Kara Dansky, a lawyer and board member at the Women’s Liberation Front, said at an event at The Heritage Foundation featuring her and three other feminists.
“And the thing is, it is not possible to both enshrine gender identity in civil rights law and protect women and girls as a distinct legal category at the same time,” Dansky said. “It’s just not possible.”
The Equality Act would add sexual orientation and gender identity to characteristics protected by the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
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“The Equality Act, which sounds all well and good, is an unmitigated disaster for women and girls,” Kara Dansky, a lawyer and board member at the Women’s Liberation Front, said at an event at The Heritage Foundation featuring her and three other feminists.
“And the thing is, it is not possible to both enshrine gender identity in civil rights law and protect women and girls as a distinct legal category at the same time,” Dansky said. “It’s just not possible.”
The Equality Act would add sexual orientation and gender identity to characteristics protected by the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
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Trump: Republicans 'wasting their time' looking to work with Democrats on wall
President Trump said Thursday that Republicans are “wasting their time” looking for a deal on the border wall since he’s sure Democrats won’t support it.
“Republicans on the Homeland Security Committee are wasting their time,” he tweeted. “Democrats, despite all of the evidence, proof and Caravans coming, are not going to give money to build the DESPERATELY needed WALL. I’ve got you covered. Wall is already being built, I don’t expect much help!”
“With Murders up 33% in Mexico, a record, why wouldn’t any sane person want to build a Wall!” he wrote. “Construction has started and will not stop until it is finished.”
Mr. Trump also signaled that he’s done playing semantics.
“Lets just call them WALLS from now on and stop playing politics,” he tweeted. “A WALL is a WALL!”
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“Republicans on the Homeland Security Committee are wasting their time,” he tweeted. “Democrats, despite all of the evidence, proof and Caravans coming, are not going to give money to build the DESPERATELY needed WALL. I’ve got you covered. Wall is already being built, I don’t expect much help!”
“With Murders up 33% in Mexico, a record, why wouldn’t any sane person want to build a Wall!” he wrote. “Construction has started and will not stop until it is finished.”
Mr. Trump also signaled that he’s done playing semantics.
“Lets just call them WALLS from now on and stop playing politics,” he tweeted. “A WALL is a WALL!”
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Rapes In Salisbury
According to "crime reports" there were only 12 rapes in Salisbury in 2018. However when you look at the statistics on the SPD website it lists 21 rapes.
Crime Reports Rapes
Elizabeth Warren's Wealth Tax Is Another Radically Bad Idea From the Far Left
A radical new tax proposal would hurt the poorest and more vulnerable working-class Americans, and fuel the ever-increasing presence of Washington in our daily lives.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., will reportedly propose soon a wealth tax on the richest Americans.
The tax would be a fundamental departure from our current tax code, adding an entirely new tax system on top of the 70,000 pages of existing tax law.
A wealth tax would hurt every American.
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Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., will reportedly propose soon a wealth tax on the richest Americans.
The tax would be a fundamental departure from our current tax code, adding an entirely new tax system on top of the 70,000 pages of existing tax law.
A wealth tax would hurt every American.
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Kamala Harris: I will not support compromise that includes wall funding 'under any circumstances'
Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., said Monday that she will not support any compromise bill on immigration that includes funding for a southern border wall "under any circumstances."
Harris told voters in Iowa at a CNN town hall that she would not support any bill to avert another shutdown that includes "some" border security funding for a wall or barriers along the border even if it was in exchange for permanent protections to so-called Dreamers.
"Let me be very clear," Harris said. "I’m not going to vote for a wall under any circumstances."
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Harris told voters in Iowa at a CNN town hall that she would not support any bill to avert another shutdown that includes "some" border security funding for a wall or barriers along the border even if it was in exchange for permanent protections to so-called Dreamers.
"Let me be very clear," Harris said. "I’m not going to vote for a wall under any circumstances."
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The Democrats' bidding war — to tax and spend your money
Is Elizabeth Warren’s proposed ‘wealth tax’ constitutional?
Tax Foundation executive vice president Joseph Bishop-Henchman discusses Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-Mass.) newly proposed “wealth tax,” which will take aim at Americans with more than $50 million in assets.
Elizabeth Warren's asset tax. Cory Booker's $50,000 per child subsidy -- and of course, Medicare for all.
It's only January of the traditional "off-year" and the presidential election season is already underway. With so many Democrats looking to challenge President Trump in 2020, how can they possibly distinguish themselves? The answer looks to be: By being lefter.
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Tax Foundation executive vice president Joseph Bishop-Henchman discusses Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-Mass.) newly proposed “wealth tax,” which will take aim at Americans with more than $50 million in assets.
Elizabeth Warren's asset tax. Cory Booker's $50,000 per child subsidy -- and of course, Medicare for all.
It's only January of the traditional "off-year" and the presidential election season is already underway. With so many Democrats looking to challenge President Trump in 2020, how can they possibly distinguish themselves? The answer looks to be: By being lefter.
More
https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/the-democrats-bidding-war-to-tax-and-spend-your-money
Paul Craig Roberts: The Delegitimization Of The White Male
We know that the white male has been delegitimized. Women’s studies, black studies, Latino studies, and Identity Politics have been demonizing, and teaching hatered of, white males since the 1980s. But where did these hate-filled special interest groups get their power? The answer is that effete white males handed it to them.
It was white male university administrators who created the anti-white male propaganda degrees called women’s studies and black studies. It is the white males in the Democratic Party who endorse Identity Politics, an ideology that puts responsibility for all the evil in the world on white males.
The latest white male collapse is that of the president of Notre Dame University. Catholics, themselves formerly a marginalized people in the United States and Great Britain, are guilty, according to Rev. John Jenkins, Notre Dame’s president, of displaying in Notre Dame’s main building a wall mural painted by Luis Gregori in 1880. In the Identity Politics that now rules even Catholic universities, the 1880 painting is viewed in the 21st century as depicting native Americans in stereotypical submissive poses before white European explorers.
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It was white male university administrators who created the anti-white male propaganda degrees called women’s studies and black studies. It is the white males in the Democratic Party who endorse Identity Politics, an ideology that puts responsibility for all the evil in the world on white males.
The latest white male collapse is that of the president of Notre Dame University. Catholics, themselves formerly a marginalized people in the United States and Great Britain, are guilty, according to Rev. John Jenkins, Notre Dame’s president, of displaying in Notre Dame’s main building a wall mural painted by Luis Gregori in 1880. In the Identity Politics that now rules even Catholic universities, the 1880 painting is viewed in the 21st century as depicting native Americans in stereotypical submissive poses before white European explorers.
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Trump: 'Da Nang Dick' Blumenthal Is 'an Embarrassment to Our Country'
President Donald Trump blasted Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D.-Conn., referring to him as “Da Nang Dick” and as “an embarrassment to our country.”
Trump’s comments came in a Monday night tweet.
He wrote: “How does Da Nang Dick (Blumenthal) serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee when he defrauded the American people about his so called War Hero status in Vietnam, only to later admit, with tears pouring down his face, that he was never in Vietnam. An embarrassment to our Country!”
Trump’s remarks came after Blumenthal had appeared on MSNBC’s “Rachel Maddow Show.” Blumenthal had questioned the testimony given by Donald Trump Jr. before the judiciary committee.
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Trump’s comments came in a Monday night tweet.
He wrote: “How does Da Nang Dick (Blumenthal) serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee when he defrauded the American people about his so called War Hero status in Vietnam, only to later admit, with tears pouring down his face, that he was never in Vietnam. An embarrassment to our Country!”
Trump’s remarks came after Blumenthal had appeared on MSNBC’s “Rachel Maddow Show.” Blumenthal had questioned the testimony given by Donald Trump Jr. before the judiciary committee.
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Baltimore School Board Votes to Disarm Police in Schools
The Baltimore City school board voted down a measure that would allow police officers to be armed in schools for the defense of students and teachers.
The Baltimore Sun reported that the vote was unanimous in maintaining the current policy of keeping officers disarmed in schools during daytime hours.
Police officers will still be allowed to carry their weapons outside the schools prior to the start of classes and after classes, but they must disarm before entering.
Parent Melissa Schober opposed armed officers by claiming that nearly every person arrested by officers in Baltimore schools has been black.
A group of students going by the name Baltimore Algebra Project protested the idea of arming police, saying, “No guns in schools. We gonna fight for our lives.”
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The Baltimore Sun reported that the vote was unanimous in maintaining the current policy of keeping officers disarmed in schools during daytime hours.
Police officers will still be allowed to carry their weapons outside the schools prior to the start of classes and after classes, but they must disarm before entering.
Parent Melissa Schober opposed armed officers by claiming that nearly every person arrested by officers in Baltimore schools has been black.
A group of students going by the name Baltimore Algebra Project protested the idea of arming police, saying, “No guns in schools. We gonna fight for our lives.”
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Prominent LGBT Activist, Democratic Donor Charged In Teen Sex Abuse Case
"The ones that Terry likes are the young ones."
Prominent LGBT activist, Democratic donor, and strong supporter of Barack Obama, Terry Bean, was indicted earlier this month on two counts of sodomy and one count of sex abuse against a teenage boy.
According to Fox News, the Human Rights Campaign co-founder pleaded not guilty on Thursday after being arraigned for the charges, and was taken into custody at Lane County jail in Oregon. The indictment was made on January 4, but was not made public until Thursday.
Fox News details the long and difficult task that prosecutors faced after Bean was first charged with sexual abuse in 2014:
Bean, a gay rights activist who donated almost $70,000 of his own money to former President Barack Obama’s campaign, was charged with sexual abuse in 2014 but the case was dismissed after the alleged victim did not testify. Prosecutors refiled the charges after this, court records stated, according to The Oregonian. The "alleged victim is not named in the new indictment" but the dates are similar to the previous charges, KGW8 noted.
Bean, a real estate developer, and his former boyfriend, Kiah Lawson, allegedly had sex with a 15-year-old boy in a Eugene, Oregon, hotel in September 2013. They allegedly used the app Grindr to arrange the sexual encounter. Lawson was also charged but his case was dismissed.
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Prominent LGBT activist, Democratic donor, and strong supporter of Barack Obama, Terry Bean, was indicted earlier this month on two counts of sodomy and one count of sex abuse against a teenage boy.
According to Fox News, the Human Rights Campaign co-founder pleaded not guilty on Thursday after being arraigned for the charges, and was taken into custody at Lane County jail in Oregon. The indictment was made on January 4, but was not made public until Thursday.
Fox News details the long and difficult task that prosecutors faced after Bean was first charged with sexual abuse in 2014:
Bean, a gay rights activist who donated almost $70,000 of his own money to former President Barack Obama’s campaign, was charged with sexual abuse in 2014 but the case was dismissed after the alleged victim did not testify. Prosecutors refiled the charges after this, court records stated, according to The Oregonian. The "alleged victim is not named in the new indictment" but the dates are similar to the previous charges, KGW8 noted.
Bean, a real estate developer, and his former boyfriend, Kiah Lawson, allegedly had sex with a 15-year-old boy in a Eugene, Oregon, hotel in September 2013. They allegedly used the app Grindr to arrange the sexual encounter. Lawson was also charged but his case was dismissed.
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Faith-based foster-care providers targeted in religious-freedom battle
A phalanx of left-of-center groups, led by the American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights Campaign, erupted last week after Miracle Hill Ministries received a federal waiver to continue offering services despite only working with foster couples that adhere to traditional Christian beliefs.
That means Miracle Hill does not accept same-sex couples. The ministry based in Greenville, South Carolina, does offer to connect prospective foster parents who disagree with its principles to the state Department of Social Services or one of the state’s 20 other private child-placement agencies.
“Unfortunately, it’s being framed as though we hate other people, and that is the farthest thing from the truth,” said Sandra Furnell, marketing and communications director for Miracle Hill.
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More than 300 arrested, 48 people rescued during human trafficking investigation
LOS ANGELES — A human trafficking sting in California led to hundreds of arrests and nearly 50 people rescued.
Among the 48 victims rescued, 14 were minors, and 339 people were arrested, authorities said Tuesday, announcing results of a recent three-day operation.
Those arrested included pimps who put up victims for sale and people seeking sex with underage teens, officials said, KTLA-TV reported.
One of the victims was a 17-year-old girl lured by a man she met online, KTLA-TV reported. She brought her 14-year-old sister with her, and they were forced into prostitution under threat of violence, the news station said.
The man then sold the girls to another pimp for $6,000, Los Angeles County Assistant Sheriff Maria Gutierrez said. Authorities tracked down the sisters and the suspect.
“We must help the young victims who are lured into sex trafficking and prosecute both the people who pay for sex with children and the traffickers who benefit financially from these horrendous crimes,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey said in a statement.
Authorities said they found 75 men who exchanged thousands of text messages over the three-day period, seeking to purchase sex.
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Among the 48 victims rescued, 14 were minors, and 339 people were arrested, authorities said Tuesday, announcing results of a recent three-day operation.
Those arrested included pimps who put up victims for sale and people seeking sex with underage teens, officials said, KTLA-TV reported.
One of the victims was a 17-year-old girl lured by a man she met online, KTLA-TV reported. She brought her 14-year-old sister with her, and they were forced into prostitution under threat of violence, the news station said.
The man then sold the girls to another pimp for $6,000, Los Angeles County Assistant Sheriff Maria Gutierrez said. Authorities tracked down the sisters and the suspect.
“We must help the young victims who are lured into sex trafficking and prosecute both the people who pay for sex with children and the traffickers who benefit financially from these horrendous crimes,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey said in a statement.
Authorities said they found 75 men who exchanged thousands of text messages over the three-day period, seeking to purchase sex.
More
FaceTime bug lets you listen in on people, even if they haven't picked up their iPhone
There's a FaceTime bug that lets you hear through someone else's iPhone, even if they haven't answered your phone call. It was previously reported on Twitter by user Benji Mobb and reported by 9to5Mac.
CNBC tested it and verified that it's a real bug. I tried placing a video call to my editor from my iPhone using Apple's FaceTime app. Then, before he picked up, I used the menu option to add somebody else to the call and, as 9to5Mac's directions state, I added myself to the call. Suddenly, I could hear my editor, even though he never picked up. We continued having a conversation while his phone only gave him the option to answer. There was no indication that the call had already gone through.
The Verge reports that, if the person you're calling tries to end it by tapping the power button on their phone, it sends video but no audio. That means the person calling you can see a video of you or your surroundings as if you'd answered the call. I replicated this with a friend.
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CNBC tested it and verified that it's a real bug. I tried placing a video call to my editor from my iPhone using Apple's FaceTime app. Then, before he picked up, I used the menu option to add somebody else to the call and, as 9to5Mac's directions state, I added myself to the call. Suddenly, I could hear my editor, even though he never picked up. We continued having a conversation while his phone only gave him the option to answer. There was no indication that the call had already gone through.
The Verge reports that, if the person you're calling tries to end it by tapping the power button on their phone, it sends video but no audio. That means the person calling you can see a video of you or your surroundings as if you'd answered the call. I replicated this with a friend.
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MV Accident/ DUI Arrest
DUI/Drug Related Traffic Crash
Date and Time: 01/29/2019 @ 7:59pm
Location: Us Rt 50 @ Civic Ave Salisbury, Wicomico County 21801
Vehicle: 2017 Kia Optima; Md Reg 5 DL5481
Driver: Robert Lloyd Hamilton; (27) of Ocean City, Md
Narrative: On 01/29/2019 at approximately 7:59pm, Troopers from the Maryland State Police Salisbury Barrack responded to US Rt 50 and Civic Avenue, Salisbury, Maryland for a report of a single vehicle accident. Upon arrival, Troopers observed a black 2017 Kia Optima with front end damage on the shoulder of the roadway. Investigation revealed that the driver struck/ knocking down a light pole at that location. Trooper then made contact with the driver identified as Robert Lloyd Hamilton. Further investigation found that Hamilton was operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and driving without a license. Hamilton was placed under arrest and transported to MSP Salisbury Barrack for processing. Hamilton was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under the influence of alcohol per se, driving without a license, negligent driving and possession of a controlled dangerous substance. He was taken and released to the Wicomico County Detention Center.
Date and Time: 01/29/2019 @ 7:59pm
Location: Us Rt 50 @ Civic Ave Salisbury, Wicomico County 21801
Vehicle: 2017 Kia Optima; Md Reg 5 DL5481
Driver: Robert Lloyd Hamilton; (27) of Ocean City, Md
Narrative: On 01/29/2019 at approximately 7:59pm, Troopers from the Maryland State Police Salisbury Barrack responded to US Rt 50 and Civic Avenue, Salisbury, Maryland for a report of a single vehicle accident. Upon arrival, Troopers observed a black 2017 Kia Optima with front end damage on the shoulder of the roadway. Investigation revealed that the driver struck/ knocking down a light pole at that location. Trooper then made contact with the driver identified as Robert Lloyd Hamilton. Further investigation found that Hamilton was operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and driving without a license. Hamilton was placed under arrest and transported to MSP Salisbury Barrack for processing. Hamilton was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under the influence of alcohol per se, driving without a license, negligent driving and possession of a controlled dangerous substance. He was taken and released to the Wicomico County Detention Center.
Some Dems float idea of primary challenge for Ocasio-Cortez
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) has infuriated colleagues by aligning with a progressive outside group that’s threatening to primary entrenched Democrats. Now some of those lawmakers are turning the tables on her and are discussing recruiting a primary challenger to run against the social media sensation.
At least one House Democrat has been privately urging members of the New York delegation to recruit a local politician from the Bronx or Queens to challenge Ocasio-Cortez.
“What I have recommended to the New York delegation is that you find her a primary opponent and make her a one-term congressperson,” the Democrat lawmaker, who requested anonymity, told The Hill. “You’ve got numerous council people and state legislators who’ve been waiting 20 years for that seat. I’m sure they can find numerous people who want that seat in that district.”
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At least one House Democrat has been privately urging members of the New York delegation to recruit a local politician from the Bronx or Queens to challenge Ocasio-Cortez.
“What I have recommended to the New York delegation is that you find her a primary opponent and make her a one-term congressperson,” the Democrat lawmaker, who requested anonymity, told The Hill. “You’ve got numerous council people and state legislators who’ve been waiting 20 years for that seat. I’m sure they can find numerous people who want that seat in that district.”
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Kamala Harris Endorsed The ‘Green New Deal,’ But How Will She Pay For It?
California Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris endorsed a “Green New Deal” that’s gained popularity among Democratic presidential hopefuls, but she didn’t go into how she would pay for it.
“I support a ‘Green New Deal,’ and I will tell you why,” Harris, who is running for president in 2020, said on CNN Tuesday night. “Climate change is an existential threat to us, and we have got to deal with the reality of it.”
Harris added “the plan has to be around investing in solar, in wind” and “we need to be dedicated to that kind of work,” referring to jobs installing wind turbines and solar panels.
A big question dogging “Green New Deal” supporters is how a plan to completely transform the U.S. economy within a decade will be paid for? Harris did not offer any details.
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“I support a ‘Green New Deal,’ and I will tell you why,” Harris, who is running for president in 2020, said on CNN Tuesday night. “Climate change is an existential threat to us, and we have got to deal with the reality of it.”
Harris added “the plan has to be around investing in solar, in wind” and “we need to be dedicated to that kind of work,” referring to jobs installing wind turbines and solar panels.
A big question dogging “Green New Deal” supporters is how a plan to completely transform the U.S. economy within a decade will be paid for? Harris did not offer any details.
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Roger Stone’s Shock And Awe Arrest Is ‘An American Nightmare,’ Says Judge Napolitano
Fox News senior judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano called Roger Stone’s arrest “an American nightmare” and said it was meant to intimidate him and send a message to the public.
“This is jackboots in the morning. This is an American nightmare that they would arrest somebody like this,” Napolitano said on “Fox & Friends” Tuesday.
“[He’s] not a public threat. It’s not a crime of violence. He has no criminal record. His passport expired. He doesn’t own any weapons and they went after him with this kind of fire power,” he continued. “Why did they do that? Probably to intimidate him and to send a message to the public at large: this must be a bad guy or we wouldn’t use that kind of force to arrest him.”
WATCH:
“This is jackboots in the morning. This is an American nightmare that they would arrest somebody like this,” Napolitano said on “Fox & Friends” Tuesday.
“[He’s] not a public threat. It’s not a crime of violence. He has no criminal record. His passport expired. He doesn’t own any weapons and they went after him with this kind of fire power,” he continued. “Why did they do that? Probably to intimidate him and to send a message to the public at large: this must be a bad guy or we wouldn’t use that kind of force to arrest him.”
WATCH:
Baltimore Will Stop Prosecuting Marijuana Possession Cases
Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced Tuesday her office would cease prosecuting people for possessing marijuana regardless of the quantity or the person's criminal history.
Calling the move monumental for justice in Baltimore, Mosby also requested the courts vacate convictions in nearly 5,000 cases of marijuana possession.
"When I ask myself: Is the enforcement and prosecution of marijuana possession making us safer as a city?" Mosby said, "the answer is emphatically 'no.'"
Mosby follows district attorneys in Manhattan and Philadelphia who have scaled back or outright ended marijuana prosecutions. Maryland lawmakers decriminalized possession of up to 10 grams of marijuana in 2014.
But she also stood alone, politically: No police and no other city officials joined her at the announcement.
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Calling the move monumental for justice in Baltimore, Mosby also requested the courts vacate convictions in nearly 5,000 cases of marijuana possession.
"When I ask myself: Is the enforcement and prosecution of marijuana possession making us safer as a city?" Mosby said, "the answer is emphatically 'no.'"
Mosby follows district attorneys in Manhattan and Philadelphia who have scaled back or outright ended marijuana prosecutions. Maryland lawmakers decriminalized possession of up to 10 grams of marijuana in 2014.
But she also stood alone, politically: No police and no other city officials joined her at the announcement.
More
UPDATE: CNN Hid Images and Video of Roger Stone's 72-Year-Old Wife Being Dragged Out of Home Barefoot and In Nightgown!
On Friday the Mueller Special Counsel sent 20-29 armed FBI operatives in six vehicles and a CNN camera crew to film the arrest of Trump associate Roger Stone at his home in a predawn raid.
Roger Stone was arrested barefoot and in his shorts outside his apartment.
On Monday Roger Stone told Judge Napolitano in a FOX Nation interview that his 72-year-old wife was also forced to stand outside barefoot and in her nightgown.
Roger Stone was arrested barefoot and in his shorts outside his apartment.
On Monday Roger Stone told Judge Napolitano in a FOX Nation interview that his 72-year-old wife was also forced to stand outside barefoot and in her nightgown.
Pet Safety in Extreme Cold
As colder temperatures are forecast throughout the week, the Wicomico County Health Department urges residents to take cold weather health risks seriously, including health risks for pets.
Just like humans, pets and animals are susceptible to cold-related illnesses like frostbite and hypothermia. Pets with existing medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, etc. may have more difficulty regulating their body temperatures which makes them even more susceptible to cold-related illness. Use these tips to help keep your pets warm and safe.
Bring your pets inside
If you cannot bring your pet inside, make sure they have fresh, unfrozen water and a shelter with adequate warmth
Do not leave your pet in a car during cold weather
Shorten walks in extremely cold weather to protect you and your pet
Check your pet’s paws for cold-weather injury (i.e. cracked paw pads and bleeding)
Wipe off your pet’s paws as ice melting chemicals can cause illness
Check underneath your car and bang on the hood to dislodge animals sleeping in engine
Take precautions with space heaters around pets to prevent fire and pet injury
For more information about cold weather pet safety, visit the American Veterinary Medical Association’s website at www.avma.org . For more information on general cold weather safety, visit the Wicomico County Health Department’s at www.wicomicohealth.org , our Facebook page, or follow us on Twitter @WicomicoHealth.
Snopes, Fact-Checker For Facebook And Google, Botches Nathan Phillips Fact Check
Snopes, a left-leaning fact-checking website given preferential treatment by both Facebook and Google, flubbed its fact-check of American Indian activist Nathan Phillips’ false claim of being a Vietnam veteran.
Phillips shot to national attention after a viral confrontation between him and a group of high school boys from Covington Catholic high school. Phillips, with the help of credulous national media outlets, said the boys mobbed and racially harassed him as he tried to leave the Indigenous People’s March. Video evidence debunked Phillips’s account.
In addition to botching the details of the confrontation, media outlets also inaccurately reported that Phillips is a Vietnam veteran.
Phillips described himself in interviews as a “Vietnam-times veteran” and groups affiliated with him told The New York Times that he fought in Vietnam. Phillips explicitly claimed in a 2018 Facebook video that he was a Vietnam veteran who served “in theater.”
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Phillips shot to national attention after a viral confrontation between him and a group of high school boys from Covington Catholic high school. Phillips, with the help of credulous national media outlets, said the boys mobbed and racially harassed him as he tried to leave the Indigenous People’s March. Video evidence debunked Phillips’s account.
In addition to botching the details of the confrontation, media outlets also inaccurately reported that Phillips is a Vietnam veteran.
Phillips described himself in interviews as a “Vietnam-times veteran” and groups affiliated with him told The New York Times that he fought in Vietnam. Phillips explicitly claimed in a 2018 Facebook video that he was a Vietnam veteran who served “in theater.”
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MUST SEE: Footage of Shirtless Bernie Sanders in the USSR Drunkenly Singing with Communists in 1988 Surfaces
The video of Bernie was posted to Twitter by Travis Justin, a Navy veteran and leader of “Draft Beto 2020.”
TRAVIS JUSTIN-> NEW: Recently discovered footage from 1988 reveals a shirtless Bernie Sanders with his wife, Jane, on their honeymoon in the USSR, drunkenly signing “This Land Is Your Land” with a group of presumed Soviets.
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Sackler family secrets to be laid bare in OxyContin court case
The secrets of the Sackler family, the pharmaceutical dynasty who own the company accused of sparking America's opioid crisis with its mass production and aggressive marketing of OxyContin, will be laid bare in court despite their efforts to keep them private.
On Monday, Suffolk County Superior Court Judge Janet Sanders rejected the family's attempts to keep the lawsuit filed against them and their company, Purdue Pharma, by the state of Massachusetts sealed, saying the details they seek to protect belong in the public domain.
The full lawsuit - which has been heavily redacted and has not been released publicly - must now be released, free of redacts, by February 1.
It will expose for the first time the tactics the family used to not only push the highly addictive painkiller through the pharmaceutical industry and in to millions of American homes and hospitals, but also the efforts they took to try to 'circumvent safeguards put in place to stop illegal prescription,' according to Sanders.
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On Monday, Suffolk County Superior Court Judge Janet Sanders rejected the family's attempts to keep the lawsuit filed against them and their company, Purdue Pharma, by the state of Massachusetts sealed, saying the details they seek to protect belong in the public domain.
The full lawsuit - which has been heavily redacted and has not been released publicly - must now be released, free of redacts, by February 1.
It will expose for the first time the tactics the family used to not only push the highly addictive painkiller through the pharmaceutical industry and in to millions of American homes and hospitals, but also the efforts they took to try to 'circumvent safeguards put in place to stop illegal prescription,' according to Sanders.
More
The Real Resistance: Washington State Sheriffs Refuse To Enforce Unconstitutional Gun Laws
Washington state recently introduced bills for some of the strictest gun laws in the country but they have some very important opponents: the sheriffs.
Long thought to be the last line of defense between authoritarianism and freedom, sheriffs are in a unique position. As elected officials, basically nobody has authority over them – not the judges, not the Feds – no one except the people who may or may not choose to re-elect them.
What are those new gun laws in Washington?
In November, Washington voters passed a ballot initiative, I-1639. To purchase a semi-automatic rifle, buyers must be over 21, undergo an enhanced background check, must have completed a safety course, and need to wait 9 days to take possession of their weapon. And that’s not all. A gun owner who doesn’t store his or her weapon “properly” can be prosecuted.
And that was just the beginning of the unconstitutional momentum.
Feeling the wind at their backs after the ballot, gun campaigners and liberal legislators have now gone even further in the new legislative session. Bills introduced in the last week to Washington’s Democrat-dominated legislature look to further restrict firearms. Some laws would ban high capacity magazines and plastic guns made with 3D printers. Others would mandate training for concealed carry permits, and remove guns and ammo during and after domestic violence incidents.
Washington’s attorney general, Bob Ferguson, who proposed several of the bills, said in an email: “Now is the time to act. Washingtonians have made it clear that they support common-sense gun safety reforms.” (source)
Things are getting more and more difficult for gun owners in a state that has two very different demographics.
More
Long thought to be the last line of defense between authoritarianism and freedom, sheriffs are in a unique position. As elected officials, basically nobody has authority over them – not the judges, not the Feds – no one except the people who may or may not choose to re-elect them.
What are those new gun laws in Washington?
In November, Washington voters passed a ballot initiative, I-1639. To purchase a semi-automatic rifle, buyers must be over 21, undergo an enhanced background check, must have completed a safety course, and need to wait 9 days to take possession of their weapon. And that’s not all. A gun owner who doesn’t store his or her weapon “properly” can be prosecuted.
And that was just the beginning of the unconstitutional momentum.
Feeling the wind at their backs after the ballot, gun campaigners and liberal legislators have now gone even further in the new legislative session. Bills introduced in the last week to Washington’s Democrat-dominated legislature look to further restrict firearms. Some laws would ban high capacity magazines and plastic guns made with 3D printers. Others would mandate training for concealed carry permits, and remove guns and ammo during and after domestic violence incidents.
Washington’s attorney general, Bob Ferguson, who proposed several of the bills, said in an email: “Now is the time to act. Washingtonians have made it clear that they support common-sense gun safety reforms.” (source)
Things are getting more and more difficult for gun owners in a state that has two very different demographics.
More
Perdue recalls mislabeled dinosaur nuggets containing milk
Perdue recalled over 16,000 pounds of dinosaur chicken nuggets for misbranding and undeclared allergens, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Services announced Monday.
The packaging failed to mention the nuggets contained milk, which is an allergen, according to the USDA website.
The recalled product includes 12-ounce packages of Perdue Fun Shapes Chicken Breast Nuggets with a use by date of March 11, 2019, and lot codes 17009010–19009010.
The products were sold in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
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The packaging failed to mention the nuggets contained milk, which is an allergen, according to the USDA website.
The recalled product includes 12-ounce packages of Perdue Fun Shapes Chicken Breast Nuggets with a use by date of March 11, 2019, and lot codes 17009010–19009010.
The products were sold in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
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Driver, 42, who struck and killed bicyclist 'had her dog's Xanax in her system'
An Oregon driver who struck and killed a bicyclist in 2017 reportedly had her dog's Xanax in her blood.
Shantel Witt, 42, hit 38-year-old Marika Stone with her pickup truck as Stone was cycling with two people in December 2017.
Deputy district attorney Kari Hathorn said at the time that Witt had briefly drove off, but returned to the scene to yell an expletive at Stone's surviving companions.
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Shantel Witt, 42, hit 38-year-old Marika Stone with her pickup truck as Stone was cycling with two people in December 2017.
Deputy district attorney Kari Hathorn said at the time that Witt had briefly drove off, but returned to the scene to yell an expletive at Stone's surviving companions.
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The NFL's Latest Headache
The Raiders are coming to Las Vegas and the excitement is palpable. Three-quarters of a billion dollars of taxpayer money used as Raider bait seemingly hasn’t upset anyone. The arrival of the NFL after the Golden Knights’ first NHL season has local real estate salespeople, developers, casino owners and business folk dreaming of cashing in on a local professional sports bonanza.
Pro sports is seen as the next step in Sin City’s evolution. I’m told Raider Stadium construction is on schedule despite a major concrete malfunction. The eventual parking scheme is, shall we say, untested. But, tickets are selling like hotcakes and the town has gone collectively coocoo for the Raiders as it did with the Golden Knights.
What could go wrong?
Insurance? Or, lack of it? Insurers are leaving the football market fearing Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is the new asbestos.
Steve Fainaru and Mark Fainaru-Wada wrote in a spectacular ‘outside the lines’ piece for ESPN+,
To an increasing number of carriers, football is a dam built atop an earthquake fault. A disaster might never occur, but the specter of huge potential losses is scaring many companies away.
"Thirty years from now, you could be on the hook, and that's a very difficult situation for an insurance company to be in," James Lynch, chief actuary for the Insurance Information Institute in New York told Fainaru and Fainaru-Wada. "This is why the industry is concerned about it. You want to be able to box up that risk."
Having played high school and college football, and now dealing with a variety of neurological issues, the following paragraph resonated with me.
It's not just CTE. CTE isn't going to be the expensive part," said one insurance executive who spoke to Outside the Lines on the condition of anonymity. "Dementia and every case of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's are going to be blamed on football. There will be a bevy of doctors in California and other states, and they're going to say, 'I'm sure it was because you played football.'”
More
Pro sports is seen as the next step in Sin City’s evolution. I’m told Raider Stadium construction is on schedule despite a major concrete malfunction. The eventual parking scheme is, shall we say, untested. But, tickets are selling like hotcakes and the town has gone collectively coocoo for the Raiders as it did with the Golden Knights.
What could go wrong?
Insurance? Or, lack of it? Insurers are leaving the football market fearing Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is the new asbestos.
Steve Fainaru and Mark Fainaru-Wada wrote in a spectacular ‘outside the lines’ piece for ESPN+,
To an increasing number of carriers, football is a dam built atop an earthquake fault. A disaster might never occur, but the specter of huge potential losses is scaring many companies away.
"Thirty years from now, you could be on the hook, and that's a very difficult situation for an insurance company to be in," James Lynch, chief actuary for the Insurance Information Institute in New York told Fainaru and Fainaru-Wada. "This is why the industry is concerned about it. You want to be able to box up that risk."
Having played high school and college football, and now dealing with a variety of neurological issues, the following paragraph resonated with me.
It's not just CTE. CTE isn't going to be the expensive part," said one insurance executive who spoke to Outside the Lines on the condition of anonymity. "Dementia and every case of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's are going to be blamed on football. There will be a bevy of doctors in California and other states, and they're going to say, 'I'm sure it was because you played football.'”
More