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Saturday, February 09, 2019

Testimony Reveals FBI Official in Charge of Clinton, Trump Probes Was Excluded From Key Meetings, Decisions

Closed-door testimony by former head of counterintelligence Bill Priestap reveals handpicked group ran the investigations outside of his control

Bill Priestap, the high-ranking FBI official responsible for overseeing both the Clinton email investigation and the agency’s counterintelligence investigation into the Trump campaign appeared to not have been in real control of his own investigations.

In closed-door testimony before congressional lawmakers in June last year, Priestap, who served as the head of the FBI’s counterintelligence division, acknowledged it was mostly FBI agent Peter Strzok and FBI analyst Jonathan Moffa who were “driving the train.”

Talking to lawmakers, Priestap described the unusual circumstances under which he inherited the team in January 2016, saying the members had been previously handpicked by an unknown high ranking official at the FBI.

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Joe Biden embraced segregation in 1975, claiming it was a matter of 'black pride'

Joe Biden, weighing a 2020 White House bid, once advocated continued school segregation in the United States, arguing that it benefited minorities and that integration would prevent black people from embracing “their own identity.”

Biden was speaking in 1975, when he opposed the federally mandated busing policy designed to end segregation in schools. In the past few decades, he has claimed he wanted desegregation but believed the policy of busing would not achieve it. Last year, he stated he had voted heroically to protect busing.

In 2008, after being chosen as Barack Obama's vice-presidential running mate he said: "The struggle for civil rights was the animating political element of my life." He appears poised to make his civil rights record a centerpiece of any campaign, telling an audience in Fort Lauderdale this week that "I came out of the civil rights movement. He added that he first became aware of what an "awful thing" segregation was as a third grader, when he asked his mother why a bus was taking black children to a school away from where they lived.

But 44 years ago, facing a backlash against busing from white voters, the future vice president voiced concerns not just about the policy of busing, which he had supported when first seeking election in 1972, but about the impact of desegregation on American society. He argued that segregation was good for blacks and was what they wanted.

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Exhumed Remains of Karl Marx

Earlier this morning, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker became the latest socialist to throw his hat in the ring for the US Presidency…

He announced his candidacy with a new website and two-minute video full of the usual collective hoopla.

Bear in mind that Booker raised taxes by 20% while serving as mayor of the City of Newark, and as Senator he has been vocally in favor of everything from nationalized healthcare to so-called ‘baby bonds’ where the US Treasury manages savings accounts for new-born babies.

Booker joins an unparalleled group of socialists that are all coming for your wealth… Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, and Kristen Gillibrand.

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Is WBOC Punishing Bill?

Have you noticed when its warm out you don't see them sending reporters out for live shots but when its 20 degrees they send this guy out to freeze his butt off. 

So True...


Warren Won’t Say If She Listed Herself As ‘American Indian’ On Other Documents

Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren did not deny that there could be other documents where she self-identified as “American Indian” while speaking to reporters on Wednesday afternoon.

Her conversation with reporters comes a day after The Washington Post obtained a form that Warren filled out in April 1986 for a legal license in Texas shows she identified herself as “American Indian.”

WATCH:

1/4 French Believe 'Elites' Using Mass Migration to 'Replace' Europeans

A study claims that up to a quarter of the French population not only believe in a conspiracy of “elites” but also think those same elites are using mass migration to replace European populations.

The study, released by Jean-Jaurès Foundation and Conspiracy Watch, is the second of its kind and looks at the extent to which the French believe in various so-called conspiracy theories.

The study found that 27 per cent of French believe in an “Illuminati” of elites who control the population while one quarter say they believe in the theory of the “Great Replacement,” Le Point reports.

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Dick Morris: How The Clintons Made Money From Huawei

When Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies, was arrested in Canada on Dec. 1 through an extradition warrant from the United States, American media described in detail how the company had apparently conspired to evade U.S. sanctions on Iran.

Huawei has long been involved in helping terrorist states and seemingly seeking to thwart U.S. sanctions. Meng is the daughter of Huawei’s founder, Ren Zhengfei.

As details of Huawei’s complicity with Iran emerge, it is time to look back on the Clinton family and its close relationship with Huawei. When their connection was first exposed more than a decade ago, it just seemed like another shady Clinton deal. But now, it becomes clear that Huawei has been central to the Iranian efforts to evade first U.N. and then U.S. sanctions.

The Clintons were apparently conspiring with the enemy.

Huawei has long been a bad actor in undermining U.S. foreign policy. The company has had a deep and long term relationship with the Clinton family.

Huawei and the Clintons’ ties began when Terry McAuliffe, the Clintons’ top fundraiser and future governor of Virginia, bought a Chinese car company - GreenTech Automotive - and moved it to the U.S. in the hopes that it would produce electric cars.

McAuliffe got Huawei to invest in GreenTech through a financing firm called Gulf Coast Funds Management, headed by Hillary’s brother, Tony Rodham. Gulf Coast, boasting the Rodham name, agreed to help Huawei get visas for its top executives under the EB-5 program, which awards visas to those who invest at least $500,000 in the U.S. to create jobs.

The feds had already turned Huawei down because of its links to the Chinese military.

Huawei’s misdeeds are plentiful.

It helped Saddam Hussein install fiber optic cables in violation of U.S. sanctions.

It also helped the Taliban by installing a phone system in Kabul, Afghanistan.

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It "Haunts My Life": Americans Over-60 Owe $86 Billion In Student Loan Debt They Can't Discharge In Bankruptcy

A generation of Americans over 60 years old owe $86 billion in student loan debt, according to a new write-up by the Wall Street Journal. This stunning sum is comprised not only of older people who took out loans for their children, but also some who took out loans for themselves during the last recession, under the guise that it would bolster their employment prospects.

About 93% of all new private student loan money to undergrads during the current academic year included parent or adult signatures, which is up from 74% in 2008. Federal loans account for more than 90% of student debt, but the private market for these loans is also growing.
According to the report, borrowers in their 60s owed an average of $33,800 in 2017, which is up 44% from 2010. Total student loan debt was up 161% for people aged 60 and older in the seven years preceding 2017. This was the biggest increase for any age group over that span of time.

The result has been the monetary suffocation of a generation. Some people are even having their Social Security checks garnished. The federal government, who also happens to be the largest student loan lender, garnished the Social Security benefits or tax refunds of more than 40,000 people aged 65 or older in 2015 because of defaulting on student loan debt. That figure is up an astounding 362% from the decade prior.

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GOP Virginia House Speaker Breaks Silence — He Could Be Next Governor

Republican Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Kirk Cox, who could potentially become the Commonwealth’s next governor after recent turmoil, released his first statement since the most recent developments on Wednesday evening.

Cox’s statement comes as Gov. Ralph Northam, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax and Attorney General Mark Herring are each embroiled in separate scandals. If all three Democrats were to resign, Cox would take over as governor.

“The last seven days have been tumultuous for our Commonwealth. The revelations against and admissions by the leaders of the executive branch are disturbing,” Cox began. “The allegations of sexual assault against Lt. Governor Fairfax are extremely serious. The Lt. Governor, the alleged victim, and Virginians all deserve a full airing of the facts.”

“Our diverse Commonwealth has been deeply shaken by these developments, but nonetheless remains economically vibrant, fiscally sound, safe and secure,” the statement continued. “We have weathered the storms of four centuries and will weather this one as well. We continue to pray for Virginia during this difficult time.”

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Green New Deal? World’s Largest Polluter Is Government

Remember the 2015 Animas River spill? And all the Cold War nuclear testing?

Proponents of a “Green New Deal” that advocates “massive government intervention” to stop “man-made climate change” are ignoring one significant fact: the government is by far the largest polluter in the world.

Which makes sense because who’s holding the government accountable? Does the government fear government fines for violations? In reality, the government typically avoids paying out pollution claims by claiming “sovereign immunity.”

Yet the proposed “Green New Deal” relies on “government intervention” to work. According to Grabien:

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Dem Congresswoman Threatens Teenage Conservative, Says He Should 'Learn Her Name' and Be Afraid of Her!

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY, NY, UNITED STATES – 2015/12/06: Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez. Mayor Bill de Blasio led a rally of elected officials and first responders 7 World Trade Center to call on Congress to extend the Zadroga Act before recess. 

Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez went after conservative teenager CJ Pearson on Tuesday, saying that he should “learn her name” and that he’s “right to be afraid of us” — referring to herself and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

During the State of the Union address, Pearson, a 16-year-old political commentator, noted on Twitter that Ocasio-Cortez was talking through President Donald Trump’s “entire speech and the woman next to her keeps trying to look the other way.”

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Vanessa Tyson could spell doom for Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax

Vanessa Tyson, the woman accusing Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax of sexual assault, is a political — and perhaps legal — wrecking ball for the Democratic rising star who until this week was positioned to take over as governor.

Fairfax risks not only his political career but also criminal charges, with Tyson alleging an assault at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, where a 15-year statute of limitations allows five more months for Tyson to pursue the case.

The lieutenant governor has denied Tyson's claim, saying the experience was “100 percent” consensual and asserting that the Washington Post’s decision not to publish an earlier investigation was exonerating. The Post said, however, that Fairfax in his assertion falsely claimed inconsistencies in Tyson’s account, rejecting his description of the accusation as a political smear.

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Save The Date...


Nancy Pelosi: Banning Late-Term Abortions Is ‘Really Quite A Sad Thing’

"I hope that in his family, he never has to face that crisis"

Following President Trump's emphatic defense of the unborn in the face of such moral evils like late-term abortions during the State of the Union address on Tuesday night, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the ban on such a practice is "really quite a sad thing."

While rushing through the halls of Congress, a reporter with The Daily Callerconfronted the House Speaker to get her thoughts on President Trump's call for a ban on late-term abortions. Her answer was typical Nancy Pelosi.

"It’s really quite a sad thing when you know that we’ll be talking about something that applies to the health and life — health and ability to have other children of women," said Pelosi. "I hope that in his family, he never has to face that crisis and apply his attitude toward it."

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WATCH: Joy Behar Darkened Skin To Dress As 'African Woman' For Halloween

"I went as a beautiful African woman."
Video from a 2016 taping of "The View" reveals co-host Joy Behar darkened her skin to dress like an "African woman" for Halloween when she was 29.

The segment was focused on the "feminist statement" of embracing naturally curly hair. This triggered Behar to show off a photo of her 29-year-old self in the controversial costume, proudly boasting about her natural curls and how "cute" she was.

Former co-host Raven-Symoné was shocked when the photo first appeared on screen. "Joy, is that you, Joy?" she asked. "Joy, is that you? Joy, are you black?"

"I was so cute," Behar said.

"Are you my auntie, Joy?" Raven-Symoné joked.

"I was 29," explained Behar. “I went as a beautiful African woman."

"Oh, you ain’t black," Raven-Symoné muttered in response.

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Lost Dog 2-8-19: UPDATE

Joe can you please share on your fb page and blog the post at the top of my fb page? I rescued this poor little guy and he slipped out of his harness with his newly adoptive parents. He is terrified and was last seen in the Fruitland/Salisbury area running between the Sonic building and Emily Dr. He traveled across the little bridge under construction and was behind Coulborn Woods. I am going back out this morning because I am the one at the shelter he built a bond with. 443-235-1058.

President Trump Approval Rating Jumps to 49% Following Brilliant State of the Union Speech

President Trump holds a 49% approval rating today after nearly two years into his first term despite a continued barrage of fake news and vicious media attacks.

This comes after a brilliant State of the Union speech that enjoyed 76% approval rating with the American public.

President Trump is tied with Barack Obama at the same point in his presidency despite the fawning press for the former president.

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Rand Paul Calls for Senate Hearings on FBI Methods and Selective Prosecution of Trump Officials!

Senator Rand Paul took to Twitter on Thursday to blast the Senate for allowing perjurers like James Clapper to get off scot-free while aggressively pursuing anyone associated with President Donald Trump.

The Kentucky senator declared that the Senate should investigate FBI methods and selective prosecution of Trump officials.

“Justice is supposed to be blind. Why is it that an admitted liar like James Clapper perjured himself to Congress and got off scot-free? But if you’re somehow associated with @realDonaldTrump, then they will pursue you relentlessly? This shouldn’t be a one-way street!” Senator Paul tweeted.

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It Had to Be Said--> Ben Stein on Ocasio-Cortez: "She Doesn't Know her Ass From Her Elbow"

The radical Democrat-Socialist plan will destroy the country in months… if not days.

The plan ends air travel with ocean bridges, ends traditional forms of energy and will kill millions, ends nuclear energy, mandates all new jobs must be unionized and gives free money for not working.

Why do Democrats hate this country so much?

Americans for Tax Reform has more details on the stupendously stupid and deranged plan.

On Thursday morning Ben Stein weighed in on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s latest nonsensical blatherings.

Ben Stein wonders why anyone would listen to Ocasio-Cortez who doesn’t “know her ass from her elbow.”

POLL: Will Socialists Like Ocasio-Cortez Destroy The Democrat Party?

Ben Stein: I make of it the fact that we listen to her is just amazing, the fact that we pay any attention to her is just amazing. She doesn’t know her ass from her elbow on investments and return on investments.

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POLL STUNNERS: Both CBS and CNN Polls: 76 Percent of Viewers Approve President Trump's State of the Union Speech; CBS: 72 Percent Approve His Immigration Ideas!

CBS News and CNN released instant polls taken immediately after President Trump’s State of the Union address with both polls finding 76 percent of those who watched approved of the speech. The CBS poll 72 percent approved of Trump’s immigration proposals while the CNN poll showed 76 percent approval with 59 percent “very positive.”

CBS Evening News anchor Jeff Glor reported on the poll results.

UPDATE: CBS provided approval by party ID: Republicans 97%, Democrats 30% and Independents 82%.

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Deadly drug-resistant TB a 'blinking red' global threat

Deadly, drug-resistant tuberculosis -- as lethal as Ebola and tough to treat in even the best hospitals -- is a "blinking red" worldwide threat, the head of a global health fund warned in an interview with AFP.

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is on a mission to eradicate the three epidemics and plans to spend around $12 billion on it over the next three years.

"We should all be more worried about multi-drug-resistant TB than we are. It gets nothing like the level of attention it should," Peter Sands, Global Fund's head, told AFP during a visit to New Delhi.

Tuberculosis has become resistant to anti-microbials in an estimated 600,000 cases worldwide.

The disease "does not obey borders or need visas, nor pay attention to how wealthy you are. At the moment, about 25 percent of those 600,000 cases are being diagnosed and treated", said Sands, who became head of the organisation last year.

"If you look across the threats to global health security, this is one where the light should be blinking red."

More here

[LEGAL immigrants to the US are screened for TB. Illegals, of course, are not. --Editor]

Meeting Materials - 2-11-19 - Council Meeting

Attached is the Agenda Packet for Monday’s Council Meeting; it is posted on the City website at the link below:

https://salisbury.md/city-council/expanding-relocating/2019-city-council-agendas

Another State Wants Every Gun Owner To Hand Over Their Social Media Accounts And Internet Search History

Unconstitutional gun law ideas seem to spread from one state to another like some kind of insidious virus.

Late last year, an Orwellian gun bill was presented in New York state. If signed into law, anyone who wants to buy a gun would have to turn over three years of their social media history and one year of their internet search history.

“A three-year review of a social media profile would give an easy profile of a person who is not suitable to hold and possess a firearm,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, who has proposed the legislation with New York State Senator Kevin Parker. (source)

Before purchasing a gun, applicants would have to turn over their social media passwords to accounts like Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram. They would also have to allow police to see a year’s worth of their searches on Google, Yahoo, and Bing.

That law would also require anyone renewing their permit for a pistol to be subject to this invasion of privacy as well.

In the article, This Anti-Gun Bill Would Require the Social Media History and Internet Search History of Prospective Buyers, Daisy Luther wrote (emphasis mine):

Remember, these things never stop with just one state.

It’s easy to scoff and say, “Those crazy people in New York are getting what they voted for.” I know someone’s going to say it so there, I said it for you.

But that’s short-sighted, and dare I say, ignorant of the way the world works.

Look at all the states that have recently flipped from red to blue in the midterm elections. If you don’t think it could ever happen where you are, you’re not paying attention. Please keep in mind that I am neither a Democrat nor a Republican, but am referring to some party generalizations here. (source)

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News Release: Comptroller Urges Marylanders to Save During Shop Maryland Energy Weekend February 16 to 18

Sales tax waived on qualifying ENERGY STAR products 

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -  Comptroller Peter Franchot is urging Marylanders to take advantage of big savings as part of the annual Shop Maryland Energy weekend from Saturday, February 16, through Monday, February 18. On these three days, consumers will not pay the state's six percent sales tax on qualifying ENERGY STAR appliances.
"Shop Maryland Energy weekend is a great time to take advantage of potentially hundreds of dollars in savings on ENERGY STAR products that are good for the environment," Comptroller Franchot said. "This program boosts sales during an otherwise down time for businesses and gives consumers an incentive to purchase energy-efficient appliances."
The Comptroller will visit locally-owned retailers in the following cities and towns to promote Shop Maryland Energy weekend. Details about each visit will be released ahead of the planned stops.
  • Silver Spring: Friday, February 8
  • Rising Sun: Monday, February 11
  • Hagerstown: Tuesday, February 12
  • Cambridge: Thursday, February 13
  • Pikesville: Thursday, February 14
During the Shop Maryland Energy event, air conditioners, washers and dryers, furnaces, heat pumps, standard-size refrigerators, compact fluorescent and LED light bulbs, dehumidifiers and programmable thermostats that have been designated as meeting or exceeding the applicable ENERGY STAR efficiency requirements developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy will be tax-free. A list of ENERGY STAR items may be found at energystar.gov/products or at marylandtaxes.com.

PP Exposed!

Starting School After Labor Day Receives Strong Bipartisan Support From 70 Percent Of Marylanders, Elected Officials

Former Governor, Senate President, Numerous Members Of General Assembly Pledged Strong Support For Common Sense Action

Previous Governor Martin O’Malley And Senate President Mike Miller Expressed Strong Support For Starting School After Labor Day
In 2013 Governor O’Malley Enacted Legislation To Form A Task Force To Review A Post-Labor Day Start Date For Maryland Public Schools - This Legislation Passed Both The Senate And The House Of Delegates With Near Unanimous Support By A Total Vote Of  170 - 7. (“Senate Bill 963,” Maryland General Assembly   
  • Governor O’Malley Stated That He Was "Tempted” To Sign An Executive Order To Start School After Labor Day. COMPTROLLER FRANCHOT: “So I’d respectfully ask each of you if you would like to join the movement and let summer be summer by signing our petition.” GOVERNOR O’MALLEY: “Sign me up… I’ll sign your petition… I’ll sign your petition… I’ll sign. I’m for that. In fact, I’ve been tempted to do an executive order extending summer by another month.” (Board Of Public Works, 9/3/14)  
Senate President Miller Stated That He “Supports” Starting School After Labor Day. The topics covered during the legislative session vary widely, but Miller make sure to keep up with legislation that affects education in Maryland. He supports a bill that would move the beginning of the school year to after Labor Day…” (Sarah Miller, “Views On The Upcoming Legislative Session,” The Calvert Gazette, 12/26/13)
Since 2013 Five Bills Supporting School After Labor Day Have Been Introduced, With Nearly Sixty Sponsors; Twenty Nine Legislators Who Sponsored Previous Bills Are Still Serving In The General Assembly
House Bill 1069 Introduced In 2013, Was Sponsored By Twelve Different Legislators.
  • Legislators Currently Serving Who Sponsored The Bill: Del. Anne Healey, Del. Kumar Barve, Del. Alonzo Washington (“House Bill 1069,” Maryland General Assembly)  
House Bill 389 Introduced In 2015, Was Sponsored By Twenty Different Legislators.
  • Legislators Currently Serving Who Sponsored The Bill: Sen. Pamela Beidle, Sen. Mary Beth Carozza, Del. Anne Healey, Del. Darryl Barnes, Del. Wendell Beitzel, Del. Mark Chang, Del. Diana Fennell, Del. Tawanna Gaines, Del. Jeff Ghrist, Del. Cheryl Glenn, Del. Keith Haynes, Del. Bob Long, Del. Charles Otto, Del. Neil Parrott, Del. Jay Walker, Del. Alonzo Washington (“House Bill 389,” Maryland General Assembly)
Senate Bill 455 Introduced In 2015, Was Sponsored By Nine Different Legislators.
  • Legislators Currently Serving Who Sponsored The Bill: Sen. Bob Cassilly, Sen. Steve Hershey, Sen. Michael Hough, Sen. J.B. Jennings, Sen. Kathy Klausmeier (“Senate Bill 455,” Maryland General Assembly)  
House Bill 1349 Introduced In 2016, Was Sponsored By Twelve Different Legislators.
  • Legislators Currently Serving Who Sponsored The Bill: Sen. Mary Beth Carozza, Del. Eric Bromwell, Del. Anne Healey, Del. Chris Adams, Del. Curt Anderson, Del. Carl Anderton, Del. Wendell Beitzel, Del. Kevin Hornberger, Del. Johnny Mautz, Del. Charles Otto, Del. Sheree Sample-Hughes, Del. Alonzo Washington (“House Bill 1349," Maryland General Assembly)    
Senate Bill 767 Introduced In 2016, Was Sponsored By Two Different Legislators.
  • Legislator Currently Serving Who Sponsored The Bill: Sen. Jim Rosapepe (“Senate Bill 767,” Maryland General Assembly)

Can You Say, Salisbury Maryland?


Disaster Zone: Will Anyone Resign in Virginia?

On Tuesday, it took me several meaty paragraphs just to explain the basics of the parody-level rolling disaster known as Virginia Democratic politics. Since then, it's somehow gotten worse. The Democratic Governor flip-flopped about his blackface yearbook photo, admitted to another instance in which he worse blackface, and refused to resign -- a mess that came to light following hisghoulish defense of infanticide, which reportedly moved disgusted former medical school classmates to blow the whistle on the racist photograph. Meanwhile, the Democratic Lieutenant Governor is denying a specific and serious sexual assault charge from a fellow liberal Democrat. We addressed that element of this shinola storm in a previous post, and will return to in a moment.

Then we had the revelation that, with whispers swirling around Richmond, the third-ranking Democrat in the State also wore blackface (or "dark makeup," as theNew York Times euphemistically described it, at first) in the 1980's. On the plus side for Attorney General Mark Herring, we haven't seen a picture documenting this racist incident. In the negative column, he just recently called for the governor's resignation...over blackface:

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Fairfax Given Until Monday To Resign Or Face Impeachment After Second Sex-Assault Claim

Update3: Patrick Hope, a Democratic member of the Virginia House of Delegates, tweeted on Friday that he will be introducing articles of impeachment if Fairfax hasn't resigned by Monday.

Update2: Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) has called for Fairfax to resign following the second allegation against the embattled Virginia Lt. Governor.

Update: A second woman has stepped forward to accuse Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Faifax of sexual assault.

Meredith Watson, a friend of Fairfax's at Duke University when they were both undergraduates, alleges that Fairfax raped her in a "premeditated and aggressive" assault in 2000.

Speaking through an attorney, Nancy Erika Smith, Wilson said that she shared her claim immediately after it happened with several classmates who have provided statements, while her lawyer added that Wilson shared her account with friends in several Facebook messages and emails.

Smith said the details of Watson’s attack are similar to those described by Tyson.

Kaneedreck Adams, 40, an attorney who attended Duke with Watson and said in the spring of 2000, when they lived across from each other in on-campus apartments, Watson came to her crying.

“She was upset,” Adams said. “She told me she had been raped and she named Justin.” -WaPo

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WSJ Warns The New Democratic Agenda Sure Looks Like Socialism

Now that President Trump has criticized the “new calls to adopt socialism in this country,” Democrats and the media are already protesting that the socialist label doesn’t apply to them.
But, as The Wall Street Journal asks (and answers), what are they afraid of - the label or their own ideas - because the new Democratic agenda sure looks like government control over the means of production.

The biggest political story of 2019 is that Democrats are embracing policies that include government control of ever-larger chunks of the private American economy.

Merriam-Webster defines socialism as “any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods.”

The U.S. may not be Venezuela, but consider the Democratic agenda that is emerging from Congress and the party’s presidential contenders. You decide if the proposals meet the definition of socialism.

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John Roberts and liberal justices block Louisiana abortion clinic law

A divided Supreme Court stopped Louisiana from enforcing new regulations on abortion clinics in a test of the conservative court’s views on abortion rights.

The justices said by a 5-4 vote late Thursday that they will not allow the state to put into effect a law that requires abortion providers to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. joined the court’s four liberals in putting a hold on the law, pending a full review of the case.

President Trump’s two Supreme Court appointees, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett M. Kavanaugh, were among the four conservative members of the court who would have allowed the law to take effect.

Kavanaugh wrote a dissenting opinion in which he said the court’s action was premature because the state had made clear it would allow abortion providers an additional 45 days to obtain admitting privileges before it started enforcing the law.

If the doctors succeed, they can continue performing abortions, he said. If they fail, they could return to court, Kavanaugh said.

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Infanticidal Democrats Took Their Cues from Barack Obama

When it comes to the most significant moral issues of our time, no one should be surprised by immoral actions of modern liberals. You can be saddened, shocked, angry, disgusted, and the like, but you should not be surprised. This is certainly true when it comes to the issue of even infanticide.

For decades, Democrats have dehumanized the unborn and argued against protecting the most innocent and helpless among us, even when they escaped death in their mothers' wombs. In order to further their wicked sexual agenda, Democrats at the highest levels have taken some of the most radically gruesome views of life in the womb. No less than Barack Obama took a position on children who survived abortion that can be described only as infanticide.

Obama, while a member of the Illinois state Senate, opposed multiple versions of an Illinois bill that mirrored the federal Born-Alive Infants Protection Act (BAIPA). According to National Right to Life, BAIPA was essentially "a simple two-paragraph proposal – [that] established ... for all federal law purposes, any baby who was entirely expelled from his or her mother, and who showed any of the specified signs of life, was to be regarded as a legal person for however long he or she lived, and that this applied whether or not the birth was the result of an abortion or of spontaneous premature labor."

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Ocasio-Cortez Lies About Her Plan Requiring 'Massive Government Takeover' Hours After Admitting The Opposite

Socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) lied about her "Green New Deal" on Thursday, saying that it is not a "massive government takeover" hours after admitting the exact opposite.

During an interview on MSNBC, Ocasio-Cortez criticized the political Right, saying that the Right was trying to "mis-characterize" her plan.

"One way that the Right does try to mis-characterize what we’re doing as though it’s like some kind of massive government takeover," Ocasio-Cortez said. "Uh, obviously what we're trying to do is, well obviously it's not that because what we're trying to do is release the investments from the federal government to mobilize those resources across the country."

Yet this morning, during a radio interview with NPR, Ocasio-Cortez said the exact opposite.

"As you know, congresswoman, one reason that people who are politically conservative are skeptical of efforts to combat climate change is that it sounds to them like it requires massive government intervention which they just don’t like," host Steve Inskeep said. "Are you prepared to put on the table that yes, they’re actually right, what this requires is massive government intervention?"

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Consumer Credit Hits $4 Trillion As Student, Auto Loans Hit All Time High

After a few months of wild swings, in December US consumer credit normalized rising by $16.6 billion, just below the $17 billion expected, after November's whopping $22.5 billion. The surge in borrowing in November brought the total to just above $4 trillion for the first time ever on the back of a America's ongoing love affair with auto and student loans.

Revolving credit increased by $1.7 billion to $1.045 trillion, a modest slowdown since November's $4.8 billion.

Perhaps more notably, the lowest increase in December credit card usage since 2012.

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Democrat Al Green: His party's sins mean Trump should be impeached. Really

Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, wants to impeach President Trump. Badly. And sometimes ludicrously.

The Texas Democrat wants it so eagerly, in fact, that he often uses whatever is happening in the news cycle at the moment to argue that the time to impeach Trump is now. It doesn’t matter what’s happening: Rep. Green will find a way to tie it back to his obsession with impeaching the current president. This single-minded pursuit of impeachment has, of course, produced some notably absurd moments for the congressman, including when he claimed this week that the chaos in Virginia is further proof that Trump must be impeached.

You read that right: Three Democrats in Virginia get in trouble, so that means the Republican president should leave office.

The fact that Virginia's Democratic governor, Ralph Northam, and its Democratic attorney general, Mark Herring, have not yet resigned despite admitting to wearing blackface when they were younger "is but a symptom of a greater syndrome that currently plagues our country as a result of not acting on President Trump’s bigotry,” Green argued this week.

We’ve done it, folks. We’ve reached the part of the #resistance argument where Trump is responsible for even the sins of Democrats.

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Senate Intel Chairman: ‘We Don’t Have Anything That Would Suggest There Was Collusion’

After more than two years of investigation, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has not found evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government, the committee’s Republican chairman said in interview.

“If we write a report based upon the facts that we have, then we don’t have anything that would suggest there was collusion by the Trump campaign and Russia,” North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr told CBS News.

“If I can finish tomorrow, I would finish tomorrow,” said Burr, adding, “We know we’re getting to the bottom of the barrel because there’re not new questions that we’re searching for answers to.”

The Senate panel has conducted more than 200 witness interviews and reviewed hundreds of thousands of documents as part of an investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. The investigation, which has focused heavily on the collusion question, began in January 2017, alongside a parallel probe run out of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

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Comptroller Franchot Calls on Speaker Busch to Remove Campaign Treasurer Neal Katcef is Anne Arundel County's largest Budweiser distributor

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Comptroller Peter Franchot today issued this statement in response to the introduction of Senate Bill 687 – Alcoholic Beverages – Prohibition of Donations to Regulators. The bill will be heard on February 22 at 1 p.m., in the Senate Education, Health & Environmental Affairs Committee. Below is a copy of the letter Comptroller Franchot sent to Speaker Busch and all members of the Maryland General Assembly:

“Earlier this week, Sen. Ben Kramer introduced a bill that would specifically prohibit me, or members of the Office of the Maryland Comptroller, from accepting campaign contributions from the alcohol, tobacco and motor fuel industries. I believe this is part of the ongoing campaign to punish me for pulling back the curtain on the big beer cartel that has been running Annapolis for decades.

“I will gladly support the bill if this bill applies equally to all members of the Maryland General Assembly, their slate committees, Political Action Committees (PACs) and all of the other backdoor ways they have to raise money from special interests. If we're serious about taking big beer money out of the political process, let's stop playing games and seeking retribution for one person’s support of the family-owned, small business, craft beer industry. Let’s do this right.

“I encourage Speaker of the House, Mike Busch, to lead by example. His campaign treasurer, the person who handles the collection of donations to his election efforts, is Neal Katcef, the biggest Budweiser distributor in Anne Arundel County. First, I would like to say that I have known Neal personally for many years and he has even supported my own campaigns. He is the consummate gentleman and incredibly supportive and generous to the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County community through his charitable activities. He also works professionally and proactively with our Field Enforcement Division. This is not an effort focused on Mr. Katcef as an individual.

“However, how can the Annapolis Machine claim, with straight faces, to be objective on issues affecting Maryland craft beer when a major player in Big Beer literally collects the campaign contributions, writes the checks, and keeps the books for the most powerful man in the House of Delegates?

“It is in that spirit of consistency that I have publicly called for Speaker Busch to remove Mr. Katcef as his official campaign treasurer, effective today, and assign these responsibilities to someone with no ties to Maryland's alcohol, tobacco or motor fuel industries.

“If we are truly serious about making this effort something more than a political stunt from the Annapolis Machine, then it must be a complete, unconditional break with these special interests.”

February 8, 2019
The Honorable Michael E. Busch

Speaker, Maryland House of Delegates

H-101 State House

Annapolis, MD 21401 – 1991

Dear Mr. Speaker:

Nolte: Elizabeth Warren Is Still Lying About Her Indian Heritage

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and the establishment media are hoping to gaslight the American people into believing she has put her Cherokee scandal behind her with an “apology.”

But if you look past the smoke, the mirrors, the parsing and hair-splitting, Warren is still lying about her Indian heritage, still standing by her false claim to Native ancestry.

“I am also sorry for not being more mindful of this decades ago,” Warren told reporters this week. “Tribes and only tribes determine tribal citizenship.”

“This is what I grew up believing with my brothers, this is my family story,” she added.

On Tuesday, the far-left Washington Post published a desperate puff piece to save Warren’s flailing presidential campaign (and deliberately buried the most damaging news): “Elizabeth Warren apologizes for calling herself Native American,” the headline reads, but the headline is not true. Here is what she told the Post…

“I can’t go back,” Warren said. “But I am sorry for furthering confusion on tribal sovereignty and tribal citizenship and the harm that resulted.”

Speaking of her apology last week to a Cherokee tribal chief, Warren said: “I told him I was sorry for furthering confusion about tribal citizenship.”

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Troopers Arrest Delmar Man for Burglary and Multiple Thefts-Delmar

During the early morning hours on February 7, 2019, Troopers responded to the area of Bi State Boulevard and Dorothy Road, Delmar for reports of numerous thefts from motor vehicles. Through investigative measures, Troopers were able to obtain a description of the suspect. As Troopers were patrolling the area, they located a subject matching the description walking southbound on Bi State Boulevard, south of the Country Grove development. A pedestrian stop was initiated on the subject, identified as 30 year-old Jordan E. Dorman who initially provided a false name. Numerous items including cell phone accessories, coins, jewelry, prescription bottle, and cigarettes were recovered from Dorman’s possession. He was also in possession of drug paraphernalia.

Dorman was taken into custody without incident and transported back to Troop 5. It was learned that Dorman was responsible for a burglary in which he conspired with an unknown subject. During this burglary, numerous jewelry items were stolen and pawned at a local pawn shop in Seaford. Dorman was charged with the following:
Burglary Second Degree Dwelling
Theft $1500 or Greater (Felony)
Conspiracy Second Degree
Theft Under $1500 (5 counts)
Attempted to Commit Theft Under $1500 (3 counts)
Theft By False Pretense Under $1500 (2 counts)
Falsifying Business Records (3 counts)
Criminal Impersonation
Selling Stolen Property Under $1500 (3 counts)
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Criminal Mischief Under $1000
Criminal Trespass Third Degree (7 counts)

Dorman was arraigned before the Justice of the Peace Court 2 and committed to the Sussex Correctional Institution on $7,407.00 secured bond.

Number of guns caught by TSA at BWI Airport decreased slightly in 2018

TSA continued to detect firearms at Maryland airports in 2018
Number of guns caught at Maryland airports decreased slightly

LINTHICUM, MD - Transportation Security Administration officers stopped 23 guns at Maryland airports in 2018, 22 of which were detected at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport checkpoints and one at Salisbury Regional Airport. Overall it marked a slight decrease from the 26 caught in 2017 and bucked the national trend of an uptick in the number of firearms travelers have been bringing to the airport during the course of the past several years. No guns were spotted at the Hagerstown Regional Airport checkpoint in Washington County.

In total, 4,239 firearms were discovered in carry-on bags at checkpoints across the country last year, averaging about 11.6 firearms per day, approximately a 7 percent increase nationally in firearm discoveries from the total of 3,957 detected in 2017. Eighty-six percent of firearms detected at checkpoints last year were loaded and nearly 34 percent had a bullet in the chamber.

Travelers who bring firearms to the checkpoint are subject to criminal charges from law enforcement and civil penalties from TSA. Even if a traveler has a concealed weapon permit, firearms are not permitted to be carried onto an airplane. However, travelers with proper firearm permits can travel legally with their firearms in their checked bags if they follow a few simple guidelines.

TSA Firearms Catches at Maryland Airport Checkpoints 

2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport


14


16


24


26


22
Salisbury Municipal Airport
0
0
0
0
1


The top five airports where TSA officers detected guns at checkpoints in 2018 were: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International with 298; Dallas/Fort Worth International with 219; Phoenix Sky Harbor International with 129; Denver International with 126 and Orlando International at 123.

Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality. TSA advises travelers to familiarize themselves with state and local firearm laws for each point of travel prior to departure to ensure that they have the proper gun permits for the states that they are traveling to and from. Airlines may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition so travelers should also contact the airline regarding firearm and ammunition carriage policies prior to arriving at the airport.

Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are unloaded, packed in a hard-side case, locked, and packed separately from ammunition. Ammunition must be in its original box and can be packed inside the hard-side case, next to the firearm. Even if the box of ammunition is not full, the bullets must be in their original case. Then the case with the firearm should be brought to the airline check-in counter and the airline representative informed that the passenger wants to travel with the gun. Firearms are transported inside checked baggage and are placed in the belly of the aircraft.
TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its web site here: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/transporting-firearms-and-ammunition.

As a reminder, individuals who bring weapons to a checkpoint are subject to federal civil penalties of up to $13,000. A typical first offense for carrying a handgun into a checkpoint is $3,900. The complete list of penalties is posted online here:https://www.tsa.gov/travel/civil-enforcement.

National Statistics 2008 to 2018
Year
Nationwide
2018
4,239
2017
3,957
2016
3,391
2015
2,653
2014
2,212
2013
1,813
2012
1,556
2011
1,320
2010
1,123
2009
976
2008
926

TSA officers continued their overall vigilance in protecting our nation’s transportation systems in 2018, including catching unusual prohibited items at the checkpoints. For more specific information on unusual items, visit the TSA Blog at https://www.tsa.gov/blogfor photos and graphics.

BWI gun 8-12-18