A suspect has been arrested by the University of California Police Department in the assault last week on a conservative activist on Berkeley's Sproul Plaza.
Zachary Greenberg, 28, was arrested and booked into jail Friday afternoon for the Feb. 19 assault of Hayden Williams, a Leadership Institute field representative who was recruiting students for the right-wing student group Turning Point. The attack was caught on camera.
In a statement, Berkeley said it would formally present the case to the Alameda County District Attorney's Office for consideration of the filing of criminal charges:
Today, an Alameda County Superior Court Judge issued a warrant for the arrest of the suspect in the matter involving a February 19 assault on Sproul Plaza. Zachary Greenbergwas arrested by the University of California Police Department (UCPD) on the warrant and booked into jail at 1 p.m.
UCPD will formally present the case to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office for consideration of the filing of criminal charges. Once the matter is presented and reviewed by the District Attorney’s Office, additional information will be made available regarding a charging decision.
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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
Monday, March 04, 2019
Indiana lawmakers lay out their thoughts on hate crime bill
With state legislators about halfway through their work for this year's session, Wayne County's lawmakers were in town on Friday to talk with the public about the work they've done so far and some of the bills that have made headlines.
State Rep. Brad Barrett and State Sen. Jeff Raatz took part in the second of three planned Legislative Forum events on the Indiana University East campus.
For an hour Friday morning, they took questions from an audience of about 30 people on topics that included hate crime legislation, workforce development, teacher pay, payday lending, charter schools and redistricting reform.
The issue that took up the most time was a bill that would address hate crimes in Indiana. Senate Bill 12 originally specified a list of protected characteristics, including gender identity, race and sexual orientation. But the Senate later amended the bill to take out that list, instead adding a provision that would allow judges to consider bias more generally as an aggravating circumstance when considering sentencing for a crime.
Raatz voted in favor of the change and explained Friday his reasoning for that decision, saying he believed the initial version of the bill wasn't inclusive enough.
"That's the big fight behind the concept of why would we put five or six characteristics of an individual in there when it needs to encompass everybody. I can understand the angst in not having a list, but the list isn't encompassing and so why would we put the spotlight on certain characteristics of folks or behavior and leave out everything else?
"This thing's turned into a real divisive issue, which seems like exactly what we're trying to fix is divisive issues," he said. "We want to be inclusive, and our state constitution talks about treating all Hoosiers equally. I think we've got to get into the habit of doing that as a community and as a state."
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State Rep. Brad Barrett and State Sen. Jeff Raatz took part in the second of three planned Legislative Forum events on the Indiana University East campus.
For an hour Friday morning, they took questions from an audience of about 30 people on topics that included hate crime legislation, workforce development, teacher pay, payday lending, charter schools and redistricting reform.
The issue that took up the most time was a bill that would address hate crimes in Indiana. Senate Bill 12 originally specified a list of protected characteristics, including gender identity, race and sexual orientation. But the Senate later amended the bill to take out that list, instead adding a provision that would allow judges to consider bias more generally as an aggravating circumstance when considering sentencing for a crime.
Raatz voted in favor of the change and explained Friday his reasoning for that decision, saying he believed the initial version of the bill wasn't inclusive enough.
"That's the big fight behind the concept of why would we put five or six characteristics of an individual in there when it needs to encompass everybody. I can understand the angst in not having a list, but the list isn't encompassing and so why would we put the spotlight on certain characteristics of folks or behavior and leave out everything else?
"This thing's turned into a real divisive issue, which seems like exactly what we're trying to fix is divisive issues," he said. "We want to be inclusive, and our state constitution talks about treating all Hoosiers equally. I think we've got to get into the habit of doing that as a community and as a state."
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Ilhan Omar Makes Most Blatant Anti-Semitic Remarks Of Her Career
Omar — who is a well-documented anti-Semite — was flanked by fellow far-left Democrat Reps. Rashida Tlaib (MI) and Pramila Jayapal (WA) during the event at a Busboys and Poets restaurant.
Omar has been under intense scrutiny from forces across the political spectrum for promoting anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and using anti-Semitic tropes, which earned her condemnation from her own party.
"But at an event last night, Omar went much farther," NYMag reported. "After an audience member shouted out, 'It’s all about the Benjamins,' at which she smiled, she proceeded to state, 'I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is okay to push for allegiance to a foreign country.'"
In one exchange, Omar claimed without proof that her "Jewish colleagues" "designed" a plan "to end the debate" on Israel by accusing her of being anti-Semitic.
More/video here
Average tax refund jumps to $3,100, dents Democrat claims of tax cut trickery
The average tax refund so far this filing season is more than $3,100, the Treasury Department reported Thursday, putting things on track and denting Democrats’ claims that the 2017 tax cuts were actually hurting Americans’ wallets.
Returns are still coming in more slowly than in 2018, and not as many have been finalized by the IRS.
But the average refund is $3,143, topping last year’s $3,103.
That’s a major change from just a week ago, when the average refund was about $2,600 — and some prominent Democrats suggested the 2017 tax overhaul had backfired.
“The average tax refund is down about $170 compared to last year,” Sen. Kamala D. Harris tweeted Feb. 11, little more than a week into the tax-filing season. “Let’s call the president’s tax cut what it is: a middle-class tax hike to line the pockets of already wealthy corporations and the 1 percent.”
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Returns are still coming in more slowly than in 2018, and not as many have been finalized by the IRS.
But the average refund is $3,143, topping last year’s $3,103.
That’s a major change from just a week ago, when the average refund was about $2,600 — and some prominent Democrats suggested the 2017 tax overhaul had backfired.
“The average tax refund is down about $170 compared to last year,” Sen. Kamala D. Harris tweeted Feb. 11, little more than a week into the tax-filing season. “Let’s call the president’s tax cut what it is: a middle-class tax hike to line the pockets of already wealthy corporations and the 1 percent.”
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Another Big Blue State Rejects A Major Pillar Of Democrats’s Climate Agenda
A Maine lawmaker is pulling his bill imposing a carbon tax on citizens as the state sought to be the first to adopt one of the key pillars of the Democratic Party.
State Rep. Deane Rykerson, a Democrat from Kittery, Maine, announced Thursday that he is pulling a bill imposing the nation’s first statewide carbon tax. He intends instead on creating a “Carbon Pricing Study Group” that will explore the tax and recommend solutions. State Republicans are cheering the decision.
“This is a middle- and low-income family crushing tax,” Nick Isgro, mayor of Waterville, told reporters Thursday, adding in a subsequent tweet to his followers that “the sponsor [Rykerson] now wants the tax bill replaced with a study. Thank you all…WIN!” Maine’s decision to ding the proposal comes amid a similarly crushing defeat in the state of Washington.
Washington voters rejected two ballot measures imposing a carbon tax, one of which was designed to be revenue neutral. Initiative 1631 was the third attempt to impose a carbon tax in Washington state. Voters rejected a similar ballot measure in 2016, and carbon tax legislation failed earlier in 2018.
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State Rep. Deane Rykerson, a Democrat from Kittery, Maine, announced Thursday that he is pulling a bill imposing the nation’s first statewide carbon tax. He intends instead on creating a “Carbon Pricing Study Group” that will explore the tax and recommend solutions. State Republicans are cheering the decision.
“This is a middle- and low-income family crushing tax,” Nick Isgro, mayor of Waterville, told reporters Thursday, adding in a subsequent tweet to his followers that “the sponsor [Rykerson] now wants the tax bill replaced with a study. Thank you all…WIN!” Maine’s decision to ding the proposal comes amid a similarly crushing defeat in the state of Washington.
Washington voters rejected two ballot measures imposing a carbon tax, one of which was designed to be revenue neutral. Initiative 1631 was the third attempt to impose a carbon tax in Washington state. Voters rejected a similar ballot measure in 2016, and carbon tax legislation failed earlier in 2018.
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WV GOP Displays Poster Suggesting Rep. Omar Is A Terrorist
The West Virginian GOP displayed a poster in the state Capitol implying that Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar was a terrorist Friday.
The poster shows the World Trade Center in flames on 9/11 with the caption “‘NEVER FORGET’ — YOU SAID…” with a photo of Omar underneath it. The second half of the caption reads, “I AM THE PROOF – YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN.”
The House’s sergeant-at-arms, Anne Lieberman, allegedly made a racist comment about Muslims during the confrontation over the poster. Despite her denial, Lieberman announced her resignation hours later, according to NBC News.
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The poster shows the World Trade Center in flames on 9/11 with the caption “‘NEVER FORGET’ — YOU SAID…” with a photo of Omar underneath it. The second half of the caption reads, “I AM THE PROOF – YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN.”
The House’s sergeant-at-arms, Anne Lieberman, allegedly made a racist comment about Muslims during the confrontation over the poster. Despite her denial, Lieberman announced her resignation hours later, according to NBC News.
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West Virginia House Passes Campus Carry for Self-Defense
The West Virginia House of Delegates passed legislation Wednesday night to allow concealed permit holders to carry a gun for self-defense while on campus.
The legislation now heads to the West Virginia Senate.
WOWK-TV reports that the legislation, HB 2519, was sponsored by Del. Jim Butler (R-Mason County). It would allow carry on college campuses but bans “firearms [in] stadiums with more than 1,000 seats, daycare centers and campus law enforcement buildings.”
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The legislation now heads to the West Virginia Senate.
WOWK-TV reports that the legislation, HB 2519, was sponsored by Del. Jim Butler (R-Mason County). It would allow carry on college campuses but bans “firearms [in] stadiums with more than 1,000 seats, daycare centers and campus law enforcement buildings.”
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Trump to sign executive order requiring colleges, universities to support free speech on campus
President Trump intends to sign an executive order that would put at risk federal research funding to colleges and universities that fail to protect free speech on campus, he announced Saturday.
“Today I am proud to announce that I will be very soon signing an executive order requiring colleges and universities to support free speech if they want federal research dollars,” the president said during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Oxon Hill, Md.
“If they want our dollars, and we give it to them by the billions, they’ve got to allow people like Hayden and many other great young people and old people, to speak, free speech,” said Trump. “If they don’t, it will be very costly. That will be signed very soon.”
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“Today I am proud to announce that I will be very soon signing an executive order requiring colleges and universities to support free speech if they want federal research dollars,” the president said during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Oxon Hill, Md.
“If they want our dollars, and we give it to them by the billions, they’ve got to allow people like Hayden and many other great young people and old people, to speak, free speech,” said Trump. “If they don’t, it will be very costly. That will be signed very soon.”
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Sanders: I Don't Want Any Advice From Hillary
Sanders: 'We got a letter someplace from Hillary Clinton thanking me' for help in 2016
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) said Friday he wasn't interested in receiving advice from Hillary Clinton on the 2020 campaign trail, as other Democrats running for president have done.
Sanders fought Clinton for the Democratic nomination in 2016, and there are still raw feelings in both camps after the bitterly contested race. Clinton blamed Sanders in part for her eventual loss to President Donald Trump, and Sanders supporters point to the Democratic National Committee machinations on her behalf that they say rigged the nomination process.
"The View" co-host Meghan McCain asked Sanders what he thought Clinton did wrong to lose to "someone like Trump."
"I’m not enthusiastic in going back to 2016," Sanders said. "But I think, in some ways, she didn’t reach out to working-class people the way I think she should have. There were states where she did not campaign as vigorously as she should have, in Wisconsin, Michigan, maybe some other states. But that was 2016."
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Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) said Friday he wasn't interested in receiving advice from Hillary Clinton on the 2020 campaign trail, as other Democrats running for president have done.
Sanders fought Clinton for the Democratic nomination in 2016, and there are still raw feelings in both camps after the bitterly contested race. Clinton blamed Sanders in part for her eventual loss to President Donald Trump, and Sanders supporters point to the Democratic National Committee machinations on her behalf that they say rigged the nomination process.
"The View" co-host Meghan McCain asked Sanders what he thought Clinton did wrong to lose to "someone like Trump."
"I’m not enthusiastic in going back to 2016," Sanders said. "But I think, in some ways, she didn’t reach out to working-class people the way I think she should have. There were states where she did not campaign as vigorously as she should have, in Wisconsin, Michigan, maybe some other states. But that was 2016."
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Report: Top Social Media Execs Helping Biden Appeal to Young Voters
Top executives from social media companies like Twitter and NowThis have been reportedly giving former Vice President Joe Biden advice on how to best use their platforms to appeal to young voters as Biden nears making a final decision about running for president.
CNBC reported on Wednesday that an executive from Twitter in addition to the president of NowThis News, Athan Stephanopoulos, have been briefing Biden on “strategies for appealing to young voters if he were to run for president again.”
“We work with elected officials, candidates and former politicians regularly when it comes to them getting the most out of Twitter,” a spokesman for Twitter told CNBC about the unnamed executive who has reportedly been advising Biden.
Stephanopoulos, of NowThis, confirmed to CNBC that he has given Biden advice on how to engage young voters on issues like immigration, criminal justice reform, and climate change.
“We are trying to reinforce that news outlets like NowThis are an important place to spend time and reach these audiences,” Stephanopoulos reportedly told the outlet. “Candidates will have to take a stand on these issues as it relates to talking to this whole new generation of voters.”
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CNBC reported on Wednesday that an executive from Twitter in addition to the president of NowThis News, Athan Stephanopoulos, have been briefing Biden on “strategies for appealing to young voters if he were to run for president again.”
“We work with elected officials, candidates and former politicians regularly when it comes to them getting the most out of Twitter,” a spokesman for Twitter told CNBC about the unnamed executive who has reportedly been advising Biden.
Stephanopoulos, of NowThis, confirmed to CNBC that he has given Biden advice on how to engage young voters on issues like immigration, criminal justice reform, and climate change.
“We are trying to reinforce that news outlets like NowThis are an important place to spend time and reach these audiences,” Stephanopoulos reportedly told the outlet. “Candidates will have to take a stand on these issues as it relates to talking to this whole new generation of voters.”
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Washington Post issues lengthy correction over Covington Catholic confrontation
The Washington Post published a lengthy editor’s note Friday acknowledging errors in its coverage of a viral incident between high school student Nicholas Sandmann and Native American demonstrator Nathan Phillips in January.
Sandmann, 16, a student at Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky , was at the center of the Post’s coverage of the Jan. 18 incident on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. But the incident also involved Sandmann’s fellow students — many, like Sandmann himself, sporting “Make America Great Again” hats — in an apparent confrontation with Phillips. Phillips is seen in the viral video standing face to face with Sandmann while playing his drum, surrounded by the other students.
The Post is facing a $250 million defamation lawsuit from Sandmann, filed in February.
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Sandmann, 16, a student at Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky , was at the center of the Post’s coverage of the Jan. 18 incident on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. But the incident also involved Sandmann’s fellow students — many, like Sandmann himself, sporting “Make America Great Again” hats — in an apparent confrontation with Phillips. Phillips is seen in the viral video standing face to face with Sandmann while playing his drum, surrounded by the other students.
The Post is facing a $250 million defamation lawsuit from Sandmann, filed in February.
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Fake Hate Crimes' Real Victims
Washington gave an interview from her hospital bed, describing the unique and precious life that was taken that day. Jazmine was "so much fun”, a seven-year-old who would "boss everyone around…..The teachers loved her…. She brought so much joy and happiness to everybody around her. When she walks into a room, Jazmine is gonna kiss and hug everybody, even if she didn't know you."
Chris Cevilla, Jazmine's father, mourned that the "precious moments a father is supposed to experience with his daughter have been stolen from me … I'm not going to be able to see her graduate. Prom. None of that."
Jazmine's sister, Alxis Dilbert, and their mother described the shooter to police as a blue-eyed white man, driving a red pick-up truck. The face in the police sketch could be the poster model for any nightmare vision of an Aryan Nations boogeyman. His skin is pale. His clear, blue eyes are cold and merciless. His long, straight nose is thin; his nostrils delicate. His pale cheeks are hollow. The red pickup truck is the very vehicle the stereotype would require for a Southern, white supremacist. The only missing accoutrements are a Confederate flag and a MAGA hat.
Nation of Islam activist Deric Muhammad had insisted that a "white supremacist" murdered Jazmine. At a "Justice for Jazmine" rally, Muhammad asked, "Whose child?" In reply, the crowd chanted "Our child," multiple times. Rapper and activist A. J. McQueen demanded, "Let's talk about race! Imagine a baby girl. What if her first words were 'Please don't shoot'? Let's talk about race!"
When Jazmine Barnes was the victim of a white man, she was front page news. After January 6, 2019, when a black man was charged with Jazmine's murder, her name disappeared from the national conversation.
More here
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Biden Calls Mike Pence A 'Decent Guy.' Then This Happens.
Former Vice President Joe Biden was shamed Thursday evening by LGBT activists for merely calling Vice President Mike Pence a "decent guy" during a speech in Omaha, Nebraska. In cowardly fashion, Biden — who's a top contender to be the Democrats' 2020 Trump-challenger, though he's yet to officially throw his hat in the ring — walked back the utterly mild compliment.
"Sex and the City" actress and former New York gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon was one of the high-profile leftists who lashed out at Biden for the remark.
"[Joe Biden] you’ve just called America’s most anti-LGBT elected leader 'a decent guy,'" she posted in a tweet. "Please consider how this falls on the ears of our community."
Biden quickly walked back the remark in a reply to Nixon.
"Sex and the City" actress and former New York gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon was one of the high-profile leftists who lashed out at Biden for the remark.
"[Joe Biden] you’ve just called America’s most anti-LGBT elected leader 'a decent guy,'" she posted in a tweet. "Please consider how this falls on the ears of our community."
Biden quickly walked back the remark in a reply to Nixon.
Maryland State Police Arrest Talbot Co. Woman On Child Abuse, DUI Charges
The suspect is identified as Elizabeth Newnam, 29, of Easton, Md. She is charged with one count of second degree child abuse, one count of neglect of a minor, one count of reckless endangerment, one count of second degree assault, one count of disorderly conduct and driving under the influence. Newnam was arrested at the scene without incident and taken to the Maryland State Police Easton Barrack for processing. Newnam was later transported to the Caroline County Detention Center where she is currently being held without bond.
Shortly after 7:00 p.m. yesterday, the Maryland State Police received a call from a motorist reporting that a child was left along the side of MD. Rt. 328 near Asbury Drive in Denton, MD. Troopers from the Maryland State Police Easton Barrack were immediately dispatched to the location.
The preliminary investigation indicates that Newnam was standing outside of her vehicle when a motorist driving by observed her throwing something into a nearby field. State police investigators were told by a witness it appeared as if she had struck a deer. The witness told investigators they turned their vehicle around to help Newnam, who returned to her vehicle and quickly fled the scene. The witness remained at the scene and walked over to where Newnam was standing and located a child with visible injuries. The witness immediately contacted the Easton barrack and was able to provide the vehicle color, make and registration. The information was dispatched to troopers nearby and moments later, troopers located Newnam inside her vehicle not far from the location where she initially left the 18- month-old child.
Newnam was located on MD. Rt. 328 at Kingston Landing Rd. with her one- year- old child son in the vehicle with her. State Police investigators believe Newnam’s son was in the vehicle when she dropped the 18-month-old child off on the side of the road. During contact with Newnam, troopers detected signs of possible impairment. Newnam was taken into custody without incident. Caroline County EMS responded to the location of the 18-month-old child and transported him to the University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Easton.
Caroline County EMS personnel and deputies from the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office responded and assisted at the scene. The Maryland Department of Social Services also assisted. The investigation is ongoing.
Joe Biden’s History On Race Looms As He Weighs Presidential Bid
Former Vice President Joe Biden, who is reportedly on the verge of launching his third presidential campaign, has a history of making racially charged remarks.
Biden’s history of questionable remarks on race looms as he enters a crowded Democratic primary where racial issues have taken center stage.
1975: Biden Says De-Segregation ‘Codifies The Concept That A Black Is Inferior To A White’
Biden expressed a separate-but-equal view toward racial desegregation efforts in schools during a 1975 interview with U.S. News & World Report reviewed by The Daily Caller News Foundation.
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Biden’s history of questionable remarks on race looms as he enters a crowded Democratic primary where racial issues have taken center stage.
1975: Biden Says De-Segregation ‘Codifies The Concept That A Black Is Inferior To A White’
Biden expressed a separate-but-equal view toward racial desegregation efforts in schools during a 1975 interview with U.S. News & World Report reviewed by The Daily Caller News Foundation.
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BREAKING: Luke Perry, star of 'Beverly Hills, 90210' and 'Riverdale' dead at 52
"He was surrounded by his children Jack and Sophie, fiancé Wendy Madison Bauer, ex-wife Minnie Sharp, mother Ann Bennett, step-father Steve Bennett, brother Tom Perry, sister Amy Coder, and other close family and friends," Perry's publicist Arnold Robinson told Fox News Monday. "The family appreciates the outpouring of support and prayers that have been extended to Luke from around the world, and respectfully request privacy in this time of great mourning."
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https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/luke-perry-star-of-beverly-hills-90210-and-riverdale-dead-at-52
'Godfather' actor Gianni Russo says he knows who killed Marilyn Monroe
Long before the murder, the girls and a role in “The Godfather,” Gianni Russo was a 13-year-old with a bum arm. Freshly sprung from Bellevue’s polio ward, he ditched his neglectful parents to sleep on flour sacks in the back of a Little Italy bakery and sell pens in front of the Waldorf-Astoria.
It was 1956 and one of his regular customers was mob boss Frank Costello. The don would throw Russo a fiver and rub the boy’s withered shoulder for luck.
After a few months of that, Russo objected to being touched. Costello respected the kid’s gumption — and was even more impressed when he found out that Gianni’s great-uncle was Angelo Russo, a Sicilian kingpin who had been hanged by the Italian government in 1947 after having played a role in establishing New York’s five crime families.
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It was 1956 and one of his regular customers was mob boss Frank Costello. The don would throw Russo a fiver and rub the boy’s withered shoulder for luck.
After a few months of that, Russo objected to being touched. Costello respected the kid’s gumption — and was even more impressed when he found out that Gianni’s great-uncle was Angelo Russo, a Sicilian kingpin who had been hanged by the Italian government in 1947 after having played a role in establishing New York’s five crime families.
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#RedForEd: Parents and Teachers ‘Scared to Disagree with Striking Teachers Unions’
Teachers unions in West Virginia claim to have walked out of their classrooms a second time in a year “for the kids,” but a resident journalist says many parents and teachers are keeping quiet about their distrust of that claim due to “overwhelming fear and intimidation related to unions.”
Jayme Metzgar — a 17-year West Virginia resident and a senior contributor at the Federalist — wrote Friday that many parents support both higher teacher salaries as well as school choice. Consequently, the unions’ mantra, during its second strike two weeks ago, that school choice options “will hurt public schools and kids” caused parents to question the justification for the strike.
Despite distrust of the unions’ motives, Metzgar said many of these parents and teachers decided to keep quiet, and an investigation into their reasons uncovered fear to challenge the striking teachers.
“This is especially true in the state’s southern coal counties, where organized labor has a long, proud, and sometimes violent history,” Metzgar wrote.
Her observation is especially noteworthy since the West Virginia strike was fueled by #RedforEd, a social media campaign that is the slogan of a socialist movement supported by the national teachers unions and first launched in Arizona by Marxist teacher Noah Karvelis.
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Jayme Metzgar — a 17-year West Virginia resident and a senior contributor at the Federalist — wrote Friday that many parents support both higher teacher salaries as well as school choice. Consequently, the unions’ mantra, during its second strike two weeks ago, that school choice options “will hurt public schools and kids” caused parents to question the justification for the strike.
Despite distrust of the unions’ motives, Metzgar said many of these parents and teachers decided to keep quiet, and an investigation into their reasons uncovered fear to challenge the striking teachers.
“This is especially true in the state’s southern coal counties, where organized labor has a long, proud, and sometimes violent history,” Metzgar wrote.
Her observation is especially noteworthy since the West Virginia strike was fueled by #RedforEd, a social media campaign that is the slogan of a socialist movement supported by the national teachers unions and first launched in Arizona by Marxist teacher Noah Karvelis.
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GOP Sen. Kennedy: My Democrat Colleagues Believe the ‘Border Is a Nuisance’
Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Sen John Kennedy (R-LA) said some of his Democrat colleagues believe the “border is a nuisance.”
When asked about President Donald Trump declaring a national emergency at the border, Kennedy said, “It wasn’t my preferred choice. I would have preferred to have congress do its job. Now not all my colleagues agree with me, but I do believe that we have a have a crisis at the border. We have had in my judgment, a 15-year bipartisan refusal here in Washington, D.C., by both big government Republicans and Ritz-Carlton Democrats to refuse to enforce America’s immigration laws. Trump is enforcing them. Now you may like that or dislike it, but he’s enforcing them. Some of my colleagues don’t agree with him. To them, the border is kind of a nuisance.”
Host Jake Tapper asked, “You are talking about Republican colleagues, too?”
Kennedy clarified, “I’m talking about Democrat colleagues. To them, the border is a nuisance. To some of my Democrat friends, there’s no —they make no distinction between legal and illegal immigration. If you disagree with them, you’re a racist. I believe that legal immigration makes our country stronger. I believe that illegal immigration undermines legal immigration. I believe that illegal immigration is illegal. I mean, duh.”
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When asked about President Donald Trump declaring a national emergency at the border, Kennedy said, “It wasn’t my preferred choice. I would have preferred to have congress do its job. Now not all my colleagues agree with me, but I do believe that we have a have a crisis at the border. We have had in my judgment, a 15-year bipartisan refusal here in Washington, D.C., by both big government Republicans and Ritz-Carlton Democrats to refuse to enforce America’s immigration laws. Trump is enforcing them. Now you may like that or dislike it, but he’s enforcing them. Some of my colleagues don’t agree with him. To them, the border is kind of a nuisance.”
Host Jake Tapper asked, “You are talking about Republican colleagues, too?”
Kennedy clarified, “I’m talking about Democrat colleagues. To them, the border is a nuisance. To some of my Democrat friends, there’s no —they make no distinction between legal and illegal immigration. If you disagree with them, you’re a racist. I believe that legal immigration makes our country stronger. I believe that illegal immigration undermines legal immigration. I believe that illegal immigration is illegal. I mean, duh.”
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Eric Holder will not run for president in 2020
Former Attorney General Eric Holder, a confidante of former President Barack Obama and a figure of scorn among congressional Republicans, will not run for president in 2020.
Holder said in a Washington Post op-ed Monday morning that he will instead continue his work, with Obama, on an anti-gerrymandering effort aimed at making districts for the House more competitive, ahead of fast-approaching post-2020 rounds of political line-drawing.
Read the full story here.
Holder said in a Washington Post op-ed Monday morning that he will instead continue his work, with Obama, on an anti-gerrymandering effort aimed at making districts for the House more competitive, ahead of fast-approaching post-2020 rounds of political line-drawing.
Read the full story here.
Rand Paul reportedly to vote against Trump declaring national emergency at border
Sen. Rand Paul reportedly announced that he won't support President Trump declaring a national emergency at the southern border — appearing to push the U.S. Senate toward rejecting the move.
Paul, R-Ky., told a crowd at a dinner at Western Kentucky University on Saturday night that he "can't vote to give extra Constitutional powers to the president."
"I can't vote to give the president the power to spend money that hasn't been appropriated by Congress," Paul said, according to the Bowling Green Daily News. "We may want more money for border security, but Congress didn't authorize it. If we take away those checks and balances, it's a dangerous thing."
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Paul, R-Ky., told a crowd at a dinner at Western Kentucky University on Saturday night that he "can't vote to give extra Constitutional powers to the president."
"I can't vote to give the president the power to spend money that hasn't been appropriated by Congress," Paul said, according to the Bowling Green Daily News. "We may want more money for border security, but Congress didn't authorize it. If we take away those checks and balances, it's a dangerous thing."
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Newsrooms that rushed to report tax refunds were smaller this year go silent on IRS data showing refunds have increased
Tax refunds are up from where they were this time last year by 1.3 percent following the fourth week of the 2019 filing season, according to new Internal Revenue Service data.
To be more specific, the average tax refund has increased to $3,143 from $3,103 last February, according to cumulative statistics comparing the 2018 and 2019 filing seasons.
Oddly enough, certain newsrooms have responded to this development with total silence. I say “odd,” because it was just a few weeks ago that these same newsrooms rushed to report that tax refunds were smaller this year, suggesting either implicitly or explicitly that the decrease was tied to the Republican Party’s tax reform bill.
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To be more specific, the average tax refund has increased to $3,143 from $3,103 last February, according to cumulative statistics comparing the 2018 and 2019 filing seasons.
Oddly enough, certain newsrooms have responded to this development with total silence. I say “odd,” because it was just a few weeks ago that these same newsrooms rushed to report that tax refunds were smaller this year, suggesting either implicitly or explicitly that the decrease was tied to the Republican Party’s tax reform bill.
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American Farm Debt Reaches 1980s Crisis Levels: Agriculture Secretary
Debt among American farmers has increased to $409 billion, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue warned Wednesday. That is up from $385 billion last year and is currently at levels not seen since the agricultural recession (farm crisis) of the 1980s, reported Reuters.
“Farm debt has been rising more rapidly over the last five years, increasing by 30% since 2013 – up from $315 billion to $409 billion, according to USDA data, and up from $385 billion in just the last year – to levels seen in the 1980s,” Perdue said in his testimony to the House Agriculture Committee.
Purdue told lawmakers: “Relatively firm land values have kept farmer debt-to-asset levels low by historical standards at 13.5%, and continued low-interest rates have kept the cost of borrowing relatively affordable.”
“But those average values mask areas of greater vulnerability,” he added.
The agricultural sector has experienced tremendous headwinds in the last five years amid deflationary trends in commodity prices, storms damaging crops, and more recent - supply chain disruptions into China due to President Donald Trump’s trade war.
"As producers are not able to cover year to year expenses with operating loans, they are forced into transforming operating loans into term debt which erodes their creditworthiness," said Luis Ribera, an agricultural economist at Texas A&M University.
"On top of all that then we have the trade war which reduces the demand of US commodities given that tariffs make them more expensive and then depress the prices even more."
US Department of Agriculture chief economist Robert Johansson said farm exports are expected to drop by as much as $1.9 billion this year, citing the deepening trade war.
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“Farm debt has been rising more rapidly over the last five years, increasing by 30% since 2013 – up from $315 billion to $409 billion, according to USDA data, and up from $385 billion in just the last year – to levels seen in the 1980s,” Perdue said in his testimony to the House Agriculture Committee.
Purdue told lawmakers: “Relatively firm land values have kept farmer debt-to-asset levels low by historical standards at 13.5%, and continued low-interest rates have kept the cost of borrowing relatively affordable.”
“But those average values mask areas of greater vulnerability,” he added.
The agricultural sector has experienced tremendous headwinds in the last five years amid deflationary trends in commodity prices, storms damaging crops, and more recent - supply chain disruptions into China due to President Donald Trump’s trade war.
"As producers are not able to cover year to year expenses with operating loans, they are forced into transforming operating loans into term debt which erodes their creditworthiness," said Luis Ribera, an agricultural economist at Texas A&M University.
"On top of all that then we have the trade war which reduces the demand of US commodities given that tariffs make them more expensive and then depress the prices even more."
US Department of Agriculture chief economist Robert Johansson said farm exports are expected to drop by as much as $1.9 billion this year, citing the deepening trade war.
More
Trump Invites Assaulted Activist Up to Speak
President Donald Trump announced to CPAC on Saturday he would sign an executive order requiring colleges and universities getting federal research money to support free speech, after inviting the conservative activist assaulted last week in Berkeley up to speak during his address.
"Today, I'm proud to announce that I will be very soon signing an executive order requiring colleges and universities to support free speech if they want federal research dollars," Trump said before chants of "USA!" broke out. "If they want our dollars, and we give it to them by the billions, they've got to allow people like Hayden [Williams], and many other great young people and old people to speak. Free speech."
"If they don't, it will be very costly. That will be signed very soon," he added.
Before that, Trump brought up Hayden Williams, a Leadership Institute field representative who was violently attacked in an incident captured on-camera last week while recruiting for a conservative student group at the University of California-Berkeley.
More here
"Today, I'm proud to announce that I will be very soon signing an executive order requiring colleges and universities to support free speech if they want federal research dollars," Trump said before chants of "USA!" broke out. "If they want our dollars, and we give it to them by the billions, they've got to allow people like Hayden [Williams], and many other great young people and old people to speak. Free speech."
"If they don't, it will be very costly. That will be signed very soon," he added.
Before that, Trump brought up Hayden Williams, a Leadership Institute field representative who was violently attacked in an incident captured on-camera last week while recruiting for a conservative student group at the University of California-Berkeley.
More here
Hillary Clinton: 'Racist and White Supremacist Views Are Lifted Up' in the White House
Sunday after receiving The International Unity Award in Selma, Alabama, former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton claimed “racist and white supremacist views are lifted up in the media and the White House.”
Clinton said, “This is a time my friends when fundamental rights, civic virtue, the freedom of the press, the rule of law, truth, facts and reason are under assault. And make no mistake, we are living through a full-fledged crisis in our democracy. Now there may not be —thank God— tanks in the streets but what’s happening goes to the heart of who we are as a nation.”
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Clinton said, “This is a time my friends when fundamental rights, civic virtue, the freedom of the press, the rule of law, truth, facts and reason are under assault. And make no mistake, we are living through a full-fledged crisis in our democracy. Now there may not be —thank God— tanks in the streets but what’s happening goes to the heart of who we are as a nation.”
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Police arrest husband, stepdaughter of woman ‘killed by panhandler' in Baltimore
BALTIMORE, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - The husband and stepdaughter of a woman who was allegedly stabbed to death by a panhandler in Baltimore last December have been arrested for murder in connection with her death Baltimore City Police announced Sunday, according to WBAL-TV.
Keith Smith and his daughter, 28-year-old Valeria Smith, were arrested in Harlingen, Texas, near the U.S./Mexico border, for the murder of Jacquelyn Smith, Acting Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said at a news conference. They were reportedly preparing to leave the country.
WBAL-TV reports on Dec. 1, 2018, Jacquelyn Smith was riding in a car on Valley Street when she saw a woman holding a sign that read “please help me feed my baby.” The woman was also reportedly carrying what appeared to be a baby in her arms.
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Keith Smith and his daughter, 28-year-old Valeria Smith, were arrested in Harlingen, Texas, near the U.S./Mexico border, for the murder of Jacquelyn Smith, Acting Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said at a news conference. They were reportedly preparing to leave the country.
WBAL-TV reports on Dec. 1, 2018, Jacquelyn Smith was riding in a car on Valley Street when she saw a woman holding a sign that read “please help me feed my baby.” The woman was also reportedly carrying what appeared to be a baby in her arms.
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High School Wrestler Ends Career Rather Than Wrestle a Girl During a Match
A Colorado high school student forfeited the state tournament match rather than wrestle a girl during the match.
Brendan Johnston, 18, a senior at the Classical Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., forfeited his match against Jaslynn Gallegos, a senior at Skyview High in the first round of the tournament on Thursday, February 21, KDVR reported.
A few days later on Saturday, February 23, he forfeited the match against Angel Rios, a junior at Valley High, in the third-round consolation match, ending his high school wrestling career.
The student cited his religious and personal beliefs for forfeiting the matches.
“It’s so physical … physically close. I don’t think that’s really appropriate with a young lady. It’s also very aggressive and I’m not really, I guess, comfortable with that,” Johnston told KDVR.
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Brendan Johnston, 18, a senior at the Classical Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., forfeited his match against Jaslynn Gallegos, a senior at Skyview High in the first round of the tournament on Thursday, February 21, KDVR reported.
A few days later on Saturday, February 23, he forfeited the match against Angel Rios, a junior at Valley High, in the third-round consolation match, ending his high school wrestling career.
The student cited his religious and personal beliefs for forfeiting the matches.
“It’s so physical … physically close. I don’t think that’s really appropriate with a young lady. It’s also very aggressive and I’m not really, I guess, comfortable with that,” Johnston told KDVR.
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'POMPOUS LITTLE TWIT': Greenpeace Co-Founder Unloads On Ocasio-Cortez
Patrick Moore, the co-founder of Greenpeace, slammed socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) on Saturday for being a hypocrite over living a lifestyle that does not align with her extremist views on climate change.
Moore, who has a Ph.D. in ecology, called out Ocasio-Cortez after she mocked a New York Post article that highlighted her numerous flights and car travel — which are things she attacked in her Green New Deal.
"I also fly & use A/C Living in the world as it is isn’t an argument against working towards a better future," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. "The Green New Deal is about putting a LOT of people to work in developing new technologies, building new infrastructure, and getting us to 100% renewable energy."
Moore fired back: "The "world as it is" has the option of taking the subway rather than a taxi. option of Amtrak rather than plane, option of opening windows rather than A/C. You're just a garden-variety hypocrite like the others. And you have ZERO expertise at any of the things you pretend to know."
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Moore, who has a Ph.D. in ecology, called out Ocasio-Cortez after she mocked a New York Post article that highlighted her numerous flights and car travel — which are things she attacked in her Green New Deal.
"I also fly & use A/C Living in the world as it is isn’t an argument against working towards a better future," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. "The Green New Deal is about putting a LOT of people to work in developing new technologies, building new infrastructure, and getting us to 100% renewable energy."
Moore fired back: "The "world as it is" has the option of taking the subway rather than a taxi. option of Amtrak rather than plane, option of opening windows rather than A/C. You're just a garden-variety hypocrite like the others. And you have ZERO expertise at any of the things you pretend to know."
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Ocasio-Cortez responds after report accuses her of 'Green New Deal' hypocrisy: 'I also fly & use A/C'
The piece mentioned the New York Democrat’s call in January for more sustainable energy solutions: "The world is going to end in 12 years if we don’t address climate change,” she said at the time.
"But the woman who boasts of a “razor-sharp BS detector” seems to have trouble sniffing out her own,” the New York Post reported. “Since declaring her candidacy in May 2017, Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign heavily relied on those combustible-engine cars — even though a subway station was just 138 feet from her Elmhurst [Queens] campaign office. She listed 1,049 transactions for Uber, Lyft, Juno and other car services, federal filings show. The campaign had 505 Uber expenses alone.”
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ocasio-cortez-responds-to-criticism-of-travel-methods-while-pushing-to-address-climate-change
TAX ALERT: Governor Hogan Needs Your Help
Unbelievable. The legislature's fiscal analysts are proposing a senseless property tax increase. Before I was elected governor, Maryland had suffered through eight long years with 40 consecutive tax hikes in a row.
Since the moment I took office, our entire team has worked tirelessly to ease the tax burden left behind by the previous administration, putting over $1.2 billion back into the pockets of hardworking families, retirees, and small businesses.
This year, our administration proposed over $500 million in new tax relief this legislative session - we should be looking for MORE opportunities to CUT taxes, not the other way around.
Now, these legislative analysts want to reverse our incredible economic turnaround by inflicting a $76 million annual property tax hike on you and your family. We absolutely cannot let the General Assembly return to the failed tax-and-spend policies of the past.
Maryland does not have a revenue problem – the legislature has a spending problem. In just two months, they have already called for an additional $5.6 billion in new mandated spending - and they want you to pay for it. That is the kind of unsustainable, and frankly, irresponsible, behavior you elected me to put a stop to.
We need your help NOW. Call the representatives on the House Appropriations and Senate Budget and Taxation committees. Tell them to reject this ridiculous tax hike that will harm families all across our state → https://larryhogan.com/committee-contact/
Since the moment I took office, our entire team has worked tirelessly to ease the tax burden left behind by the previous administration, putting over $1.2 billion back into the pockets of hardworking families, retirees, and small businesses.
This year, our administration proposed over $500 million in new tax relief this legislative session - we should be looking for MORE opportunities to CUT taxes, not the other way around.
Now, these legislative analysts want to reverse our incredible economic turnaround by inflicting a $76 million annual property tax hike on you and your family. We absolutely cannot let the General Assembly return to the failed tax-and-spend policies of the past.
Maryland does not have a revenue problem – the legislature has a spending problem. In just two months, they have already called for an additional $5.6 billion in new mandated spending - and they want you to pay for it. That is the kind of unsustainable, and frankly, irresponsible, behavior you elected me to put a stop to.
We need your help NOW. Call the representatives on the House Appropriations and Senate Budget and Taxation committees. Tell them to reject this ridiculous tax hike that will harm families all across our state → https://larryhogan.com/committee-contact/
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