Six alumni of Harvard University have been charged in the DOJ’s ongoing investigation into the college admissions scandal.
According to a report from the Crimson, six Harvard University alumni are were included in the DOJ’s bombshell report on college admissions fraud. 50 parents were charged with participating in a wide-ranging college admissions scheme run by William “Rick” Singer. Some of the parents allegedly paid Singer to concoct fraudulent standardized test scores for their children. Others allegedly conspired with Singer to bribe athletic coaches at top universities. In many cases, the students were recruited for sports they did not play in exchange for large sums of money. In some instances, Harvard graduate Mark E. Riddell was allegedly paid by Wilson to answer SAT questions for students. In one instance, the DOJ claims Riddell took an exam for a student in its entirety.
The Crimson report lists several graduates who were named as participants in the alleged scam. The report claims that these parents used bribes to earn admissions for their children at top universities.
More
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
Democratic Superstars Get Away with Questioning the Integrity of Elections
Andrew Gillum and Stacey Abrams were 2018 runner-up candidates for governor in the country's third- and ninth-largest states, are considered "rising stars" in the Democratic Party, and are engaging in "horrifying," "shocking" rhetoric that is "threatening our democracy."
That's according to Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine. That's what they said about Donald Trump, after all, for questioning the results an election that hadn't even happened yet. Surely they must feel the same about Gillum and Abrams doing the same.
Gillum and Abrams have, to varying degrees, openly impugned the integrity of their governor's race losses in Florida and Georgia, to the sound of crickets in mainstream and liberal media.
Clinton, Kaine, Democrats, and the media were understandably vexed when Trump infamously said he would keep us all "in suspense" about accepting the results of the 2016 election. Even now, cable news talkers wonder in hushed tones if Trump would refuse to accept a 2020 defeat and leave the White House, or something.
More
That's according to Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine. That's what they said about Donald Trump, after all, for questioning the results an election that hadn't even happened yet. Surely they must feel the same about Gillum and Abrams doing the same.
Gillum and Abrams have, to varying degrees, openly impugned the integrity of their governor's race losses in Florida and Georgia, to the sound of crickets in mainstream and liberal media.
Clinton, Kaine, Democrats, and the media were understandably vexed when Trump infamously said he would keep us all "in suspense" about accepting the results of the 2016 election. Even now, cable news talkers wonder in hushed tones if Trump would refuse to accept a 2020 defeat and leave the White House, or something.
More
Why California Is Suing Its Own Cities
Not many governors decide to sue a city in their state within a few weeks of taking office. Gavin Newsom, the new Democratic governor of California, however, did just that, signaling his seriousness about addressing the state’s chronic but worsening housing shortage.
Under a 2017 state law, California cities and counties are required to include, as part of their long-term plans, a “housing element for the preservation, improvement and development of housing.” About 10 percent of the cities in the state have failed to do so. With his lawsuit, Newsom went after the biggest of these, Huntington Beach in Orange County, south of Los Angeles.
Housing activists are delighted. California has passed any number of robust housing laws over the years, but very little has been done in terms of enforcement. In addition to the lawsuit, Newsom has threatened to withhold transportation dollars from cities that fail to play by the required development rules. “If there’s no sticks, then these laws don’t mean anything, which has been the tradition around these state laws,” says Laura Clark, who directs YIMBY Action, a San Francisco group that pushes for more housing construction. “The local jurisdictions just ignore them and there’s no consequences.”
More
Under a 2017 state law, California cities and counties are required to include, as part of their long-term plans, a “housing element for the preservation, improvement and development of housing.” About 10 percent of the cities in the state have failed to do so. With his lawsuit, Newsom went after the biggest of these, Huntington Beach in Orange County, south of Los Angeles.
Housing activists are delighted. California has passed any number of robust housing laws over the years, but very little has been done in terms of enforcement. In addition to the lawsuit, Newsom has threatened to withhold transportation dollars from cities that fail to play by the required development rules. “If there’s no sticks, then these laws don’t mean anything, which has been the tradition around these state laws,” says Laura Clark, who directs YIMBY Action, a San Francisco group that pushes for more housing construction. “The local jurisdictions just ignore them and there’s no consequences.”
More
‘Damn socialism, why are you chasing me?’ Chinese-Americans see ghost of communism in Democrats’ leftward turn
IRVINE, Calif.— When Saga Zhou first moved to the United States from China in 2009, she steered clear of politics. The Communist Party rules supreme in China, so most Chinese immigrants bring a built-in aversion to political involvement.
But Zhou’s interest in politics was piqued as she began to see the American Left embracing policies that reminded her of those she’d fled in China.
One such policy was the Left’s support for late-term abortion. When she lived in China, Zhou, like many young Chinese, didn’t consider abortion to be a big deal. But her view changed after moving to America, getting married, and bearing two children.
“After I became a mother, my understanding about life fundamentally changed,” she told me when we met at a Panera Bread in Irvine. “Now I am totally a mother.”
More
But Zhou’s interest in politics was piqued as she began to see the American Left embracing policies that reminded her of those she’d fled in China.
One such policy was the Left’s support for late-term abortion. When she lived in China, Zhou, like many young Chinese, didn’t consider abortion to be a big deal. But her view changed after moving to America, getting married, and bearing two children.
“After I became a mother, my understanding about life fundamentally changed,” she told me when we met at a Panera Bread in Irvine. “Now I am totally a mother.”
More
BERNIE SANDERS’ NEW SPEECHWRITER LAUDED THE ‘ECONOMIC MIRACLE’ OF VENEZUELAN SOCIALISM
Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders hopes a new speechwriter, a former apologist for the socialist government in Venezuela, will help propel his 2020 campaign to victory.
Sanders has hired David Sirota to write speeches and act as a communications consultant as the Democratic-Socialist senator continues his quest to win the Democratic nomination for 2020, the Washington Examiner reported Tuesday.
Sirota exhibited his devotion to Venezuela’s brand of socialism during the years of left-wing strongman Hugo Chavez, whose “brand of socialism achieved real economic gains,” according to Sihota.
The journalist was a contributor to Salon magazine in 2013 when he wrote an essay remembering Chavez, who had recently died, praising the despot’s political legacy as an “economic miracle.”
Sanders has hired David Sirota to write speeches and act as a communications consultant as the Democratic-Socialist senator continues his quest to win the Democratic nomination for 2020, the Washington Examiner reported Tuesday.
Sirota exhibited his devotion to Venezuela’s brand of socialism during the years of left-wing strongman Hugo Chavez, whose “brand of socialism achieved real economic gains,” according to Sihota.
The journalist was a contributor to Salon magazine in 2013 when he wrote an essay remembering Chavez, who had recently died, praising the despot’s political legacy as an “economic miracle.”
The Facts About Gun Control and Homicide Rates
Are there really fewer homicides in countries with gun control?
Are other countries besides the United States dealing with mass shooting?
John Lott of the Crime Prevention Research Center joined The Daily Signal at the Conservative Political Action Conference to share the data about gun use the mainstream media isn’t highlighting.
Read the transcript or listen to the interview on the podcast. Plus: We cover how even Chelsea Clinton isn’t woke enough these days.
Are other countries besides the United States dealing with mass shooting?
John Lott of the Crime Prevention Research Center joined The Daily Signal at the Conservative Political Action Conference to share the data about gun use the mainstream media isn’t highlighting.
Read the transcript or listen to the interview on the podcast. Plus: We cover how even Chelsea Clinton isn’t woke enough these days.
Baltimore mobile hygiene units to combat homelessness unable to operate without approval
BALTIMORE —It's a called radical hospitality. It's a new way of helping the homeless that launched last summer in Baltimore.
It's about an effort to meet the needs of the homeless where they are on the street without access to showers, toilets and a washer and dryer.
A nonprofit called Organization of Hope set up mobile hygiene units near the downtown post office to serve the homeless. Nearly 800 people used the units, but the pilot program to try out the idea ended after four weeks.
Ever since, the vehicles have been parked in storage, unable to operate, the organization's board members say, without the city's approval.
More
It's about an effort to meet the needs of the homeless where they are on the street without access to showers, toilets and a washer and dryer.
A nonprofit called Organization of Hope set up mobile hygiene units near the downtown post office to serve the homeless. Nearly 800 people used the units, but the pilot program to try out the idea ended after four weeks.
Ever since, the vehicles have been parked in storage, unable to operate, the organization's board members say, without the city's approval.
More
*Ugh* Never-Trump Leader Mitt Romney Attacks President Trump for Pointing Out John McCain Lied about Obamacare
Last week Senator Mitt Romney joined other anti-Trump Republican Senators to vote against President Trump’s emergency order on the US southern border.
Today Senator Mitt Romney attacked Republican President Donald Trump for his attacks on John McCain who lied to Americans and voted against Obamacare reform after promising to replace it.
This was after President Trump was asked today about John McCain’s last ditch attacks on the American public.
President Trump pointed out McCain’s lies on Obamacare.
Trump called it “disgraceful.”
More
Today Senator Mitt Romney attacked Republican President Donald Trump for his attacks on John McCain who lied to Americans and voted against Obamacare reform after promising to replace it.
This was after President Trump was asked today about John McCain’s last ditch attacks on the American public.
President Trump pointed out McCain’s lies on Obamacare.
Trump called it “disgraceful.”
More
Illegal Alien Who Used Fake Fed Doc to Get License Committed No Crime, Obama Judge Rules
It is not a crime for an illegal immigrant to use fake federal documents to obtain a legitimate state license, according to a remarkable ruling issued this week by an Obama-appointed judge in south Florida. The defendant, 38-year-old Rubman Ardon Chinchilla, was among 20 people arrested several months ago in a scheme that used bogus immigration documents in driver’s license applications. The man who masterminded the operation, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Cuba, has been charged with fraud.
Chinchilla, a Honduran national, has lived illegally in the U.S. for decades, according to a local newspaper report, and has three American-born children. He works as a roofer and lives in the Broward County city of Ft. Lauderdale. After getting busted using a phony version of a federal document known as an Order of Supervision to get a Florida license, he got indicated with two counts of violating federal law. The illegal immigrant’s attorneys challenged the charges, asserting that the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles doesn’t even allow driver’s license applicants to use an Order of Supervision as proof of legal status in the U.S. In their argument they cited a case in which a California appeals court threw out the conviction of a Chinese man who got two driver’s licenses while living in the U.S. commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom, appointed to the bench in 2014, agreed and threw out the criminal charges against Chinchilla. Siding with the illegal alien’s attorneys, Bloom proclaimed that there is no actual law allowing the federal Order of Supervision form to be used to prove “authorized stay in the United States.” The bizarre reasoning will allow others involved in the recent south Florida fake document sting to use the same argument to avoid justice. The local newspaper article cited earlier in this piece writes this: “It’s a highly technical legal argument, but it’s opening the door for the others arrested in the sting to beat their cases, and maybe even stay in the United States.” Another illegal immigrant arrested along with Chinchilla, Jeovanny Gutierrez Nuñez, is already using Judge Bloom’s decision to get his charges dropped. Federal prosecutors plan to appeal Chinchilla’s case and his lawyers claim that if Bloom’s ruling stands, it will allow the illegal alien to get legal papers because his record will remain clean and he has three U.S.-born kids.
More
Chinchilla, a Honduran national, has lived illegally in the U.S. for decades, according to a local newspaper report, and has three American-born children. He works as a roofer and lives in the Broward County city of Ft. Lauderdale. After getting busted using a phony version of a federal document known as an Order of Supervision to get a Florida license, he got indicated with two counts of violating federal law. The illegal immigrant’s attorneys challenged the charges, asserting that the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles doesn’t even allow driver’s license applicants to use an Order of Supervision as proof of legal status in the U.S. In their argument they cited a case in which a California appeals court threw out the conviction of a Chinese man who got two driver’s licenses while living in the U.S. commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom, appointed to the bench in 2014, agreed and threw out the criminal charges against Chinchilla. Siding with the illegal alien’s attorneys, Bloom proclaimed that there is no actual law allowing the federal Order of Supervision form to be used to prove “authorized stay in the United States.” The bizarre reasoning will allow others involved in the recent south Florida fake document sting to use the same argument to avoid justice. The local newspaper article cited earlier in this piece writes this: “It’s a highly technical legal argument, but it’s opening the door for the others arrested in the sting to beat their cases, and maybe even stay in the United States.” Another illegal immigrant arrested along with Chinchilla, Jeovanny Gutierrez Nuñez, is already using Judge Bloom’s decision to get his charges dropped. Federal prosecutors plan to appeal Chinchilla’s case and his lawyers claim that if Bloom’s ruling stands, it will allow the illegal alien to get legal papers because his record will remain clean and he has three U.S.-born kids.
More
Chicago Police Union Wants A Federal Investigation Into City's Prosecutor Over Her 'Interference' In Jussie Smollett Case
Chicago's Fraternal Order of Police is officially requesting a federal investigation into whether the Cook County State's Attorney, Kim Foxx, tried to interfere into the department's investigation of "Empire" star Jussie Smollett on behalf of a former Obama administration official.
CWB Chicago, which has covered the Smollett case from the beginning, reports that Chicago's police union requested the investigation in a letter to John R. Lausch, the U.S. Attorney in Chicago on Monday.
Smollett is accused of staging a "hate crime" outside his Chicago apartment in the early morning hours of January 29, 2019. Smollett claimed to have been assaulted by two white men who beat him, tied a noose around his neck, and splashed him with bleach, before yelling "This is MAGA country" and running off. After an intense investigation involving at least a dozen Chicago Police Department officers, CPD announced that they believed Smollett orchestrated the attack with the help of two friends, brothers he'd met on the set of his hit television show.
More
CWB Chicago, which has covered the Smollett case from the beginning, reports that Chicago's police union requested the investigation in a letter to John R. Lausch, the U.S. Attorney in Chicago on Monday.
Smollett is accused of staging a "hate crime" outside his Chicago apartment in the early morning hours of January 29, 2019. Smollett claimed to have been assaulted by two white men who beat him, tied a noose around his neck, and splashed him with bleach, before yelling "This is MAGA country" and running off. After an intense investigation involving at least a dozen Chicago Police Department officers, CPD announced that they believed Smollett orchestrated the attack with the help of two friends, brothers he'd met on the set of his hit television show.
More
Judge Drops Charges Against Motorist Who Drove Through Black Lives Matter Mob
The case against a driver who struck a protester with his car last October was dismissed by a Multnomah County Circuit Court judge Monday morning because the victim could not stay in court all day.
A spokesman for the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office says the struck protester, Arthuray Dudley, met with a prosecutor on the morning the trial was set to begin and said he could not stay in court all day “because he had conflicting child care issues.”
The District Attorney’s office offered to contact CourtCare, a program that cares for children under 11 years old, to help provide child care. But Dickerson told the court he couldn’t stay.
More
A spokesman for the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office says the struck protester, Arthuray Dudley, met with a prosecutor on the morning the trial was set to begin and said he could not stay in court all day “because he had conflicting child care issues.”
The District Attorney’s office offered to contact CourtCare, a program that cares for children under 11 years old, to help provide child care. But Dickerson told the court he couldn’t stay.
More
KKK, Blackface Virginia Governor Ralph Northam Vetoes Ban on Sanctuary Cities
Republicans in the Virginia General Assembly narrowly passed the legislation along party lines.
Northam also vetoed a bill that would require law enforcement officials to notify the feds when an individual living in the US illegally is released from prison, reported the Times.
Ralph Northam is now on record advocating for the murder of born alive babies and protecting illegal aliens who rape and murder American citizens.
More
Mortgage No More: Baby Boomers Who Rent Are On the Rise
As baby boomers age, more and more of them are choosing to rent instead of own their homes. It's led to a rise in the average age of renters and in renters overall.
From 2007 to 2017, there was a 43 percent increase in renters over the age of 60, according to a new report from Rent Cafe, a nationwide apartment listing service. As a result, the median age of renters ticked up from 36.7 years old to 38.1. Meanwhile, renting is near a 50-year high, with 36.6 percent of Americans doing it, according to the Pew Research Center.
The causes behind the rise in older renters are both demographic and economic, explains Mark Trekson, research associate for the Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center at the Urban Institute.
Many senior renters, he says, are baby boomers who never purchased a home. Others are people who lost their homes in the Great Recession and have not bought again. The economic downturn also impacted seniors' retirement decisions. “There was a downward shift in mobility after the Great Recession,” Trekson says. As older workers aged out of the workforce, they were more likely to stay in their rental homes because the economic downturn ate away at their savings and nest eggs.
More
From 2007 to 2017, there was a 43 percent increase in renters over the age of 60, according to a new report from Rent Cafe, a nationwide apartment listing service. As a result, the median age of renters ticked up from 36.7 years old to 38.1. Meanwhile, renting is near a 50-year high, with 36.6 percent of Americans doing it, according to the Pew Research Center.
The causes behind the rise in older renters are both demographic and economic, explains Mark Trekson, research associate for the Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center at the Urban Institute.
Many senior renters, he says, are baby boomers who never purchased a home. Others are people who lost their homes in the Great Recession and have not bought again. The economic downturn also impacted seniors' retirement decisions. “There was a downward shift in mobility after the Great Recession,” Trekson says. As older workers aged out of the workforce, they were more likely to stay in their rental homes because the economic downturn ate away at their savings and nest eggs.
More
WCSO Press Release 3-20-19
Date of Incident: 17 March 2019
Location: 300 block of E. Carroll Street, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Michael W. Barger, 59, Laurel, DE
Narrative: On 17 March 2019 at 1:03 AM, a deputy stopped a vehicle operated by Michael Barger for erratic driving and a registration plate violation. During the encounter, the deputy discovered an open warrant from another jurisdiction for Barger’s arrest. The deputy also discovered that Barger had heroin and drug paraphernalia in his possession.
The warrant was for Failure to Appear in Cecil County with a $5,000.00 bond.
The deputy placed Barger under arrest and transported him to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner released Barger on Personal Recognizance on the CDS charges and the warrant.
Charges: Possession of Heroin and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Date of Incident: 18 March 2019
Location: Booth Street at West Road, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Kenneth James Bryant, 25, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 18 March 2019 at 8:16 PM, a deputy stopped a vehicle for an equipment violation on Booth Street in the vicinity of West Road. During the encounter, the deputy detected a strong odor of marijuana emanating from within the passenger compartment of the vehicle. During a subsequent search, the deputy discovered that a passenger, Kenneth Bryant, was in possession of what was identified as oxycodone without a prescription.
The deputy placed Bryant under arrest and transported him to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. Following an initial appearance, the Commissioner released Bryant on Personal Recognizance.
Charges: Possession of Oxycodone
Date of Incident: 18 March 2019
Location: Wicomico County
Suspect: Anthony J. Horton, 42, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 18 March 2019 at 11:35 PM, a deputy attempted to stop a vehicle operated by Anthony Horton for a registration violation and erratic driving in the area of Nanticoke Road and Parsons Road. Instead of stopping, Horton accelerated away from the deputy forcing the deputy to pursue him down Brick Kiln Road to Owens Branch Road and back onto Rt. 50 before turning on to Chippewa Boulevard. During the pursuit, Horton was driving at a high rate of speed and ignoring stop signs. The pursuit came to an end when Horton crashed into a curb on West Road, disabling his vehicle. Instead of staying put, Horton attempted to continue his flight on foot but was quickly apprehended.
During the apprehension process, Horton had to be assisted with placing his hands behind his back to be handcuffed. The deputy, who detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage would subsequently initiate an investigation into driving under the influence of alcohol by Horton.
During subsequent processing, Horton provided a breath sample of .12. The deputy also discovered that Horton’s privilege to drive a vehicle had been suspended by the State of Maryland.
The deputy transported Horton to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. Following an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Horton in the Detention Center without bond pending a District Court bond review.
GOOGLE VP STEPPED IN AFTER EMPLOYEES OFFENDED BY CHRISTIAN VIDEO ON MARRIAGE
Google banned a video explaining Christian teaching on same-sex marriage from advertising on YouTube after backlash from upset employees, according to internal Google communications reviewed by The Daily Caller News Foundation.
The video was flagged in June 2018 in an internal listserv, “Yes at Google,” which is run by Google’s human resources department, according to those communications and other internal documents, which a source shared with TheDCNF on the condition of anonymity.
The listserv has more than 30,000 members and is devoted to policing “microaggressions” and “micro-corrections” within the company, according to its official internal description.
More
The video was flagged in June 2018 in an internal listserv, “Yes at Google,” which is run by Google’s human resources department, according to those communications and other internal documents, which a source shared with TheDCNF on the condition of anonymity.
The listserv has more than 30,000 members and is devoted to policing “microaggressions” and “micro-corrections” within the company, according to its official internal description.
More
Warren Suggests Family Lied To Her About Native American Heritage During CNN Town Hall
During a Monday night town hall event hosted by CNN's Jake Tapper, 2020 presidential hopeful Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) was asked about her “lack of presidential tact” in handling her apparently phony claims of Native American heritage.
Warren, looking uncomfortable as she responded, seemingly blamed her family for lying to her about their heritage before pivoting to health care and other issues.
“How do you respond to people who think that, regardless of the underlying facts, the way you handled the question of your Native American heritage was tone deaf and indicative of a lack of presidential tact?” asked a man attending the event.
More
Warren, looking uncomfortable as she responded, seemingly blamed her family for lying to her about their heritage before pivoting to health care and other issues.
“How do you respond to people who think that, regardless of the underlying facts, the way you handled the question of your Native American heritage was tone deaf and indicative of a lack of presidential tact?” asked a man attending the event.
More
Mark Meadows: US ambassadors conspired with DOJ to take down Trump
Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., hinted Monday the coming release of documents that will "show" U.S. ambassadors conspired with the FBI and the Justice Department to harm President Trump.
“It's additional information that is coming out that will show not only was there no collusion, but there was a coordinated effort to take this president down,” Meadows told Fox News’ Sean Hannity. “We talk about the 'Deep State.' There are players now, even ambassadors, that are sitting ambassadors that were involved in part of this with the FBI-DOJ.”
Meadows did not name any ambassadors.
“As we look at this, it's time to show that we show the American people what's out there, declassify some of those documents,” added Meadows, a member of the House Oversight Committee. “I think when the American people see what I've seen, they will judge for themselves and know that this has all been a hoax.”
More
“It's additional information that is coming out that will show not only was there no collusion, but there was a coordinated effort to take this president down,” Meadows told Fox News’ Sean Hannity. “We talk about the 'Deep State.' There are players now, even ambassadors, that are sitting ambassadors that were involved in part of this with the FBI-DOJ.”
Meadows did not name any ambassadors.
“As we look at this, it's time to show that we show the American people what's out there, declassify some of those documents,” added Meadows, a member of the House Oversight Committee. “I think when the American people see what I've seen, they will judge for themselves and know that this has all been a hoax.”
More
Drones change the way advocates protect the environment
By Whitney Pipkin
Bay Journal
Riverkeepers, researchers and volunteer monitors have long kept an eye on water quality from the ground and from the river. But, with the help of technology that’s suddenly far more accessible, they’re taking to the skies, too.
Unmanned aerial vehicles, also called UAVs or drones, have recently become so affordable and easy to fly that they are winding up in the hands of more environmentalists.
Pipeline opponents and watchdog groups are a perfect example.
“The technology has come along to the point where everyday people can put a camera up in the air and see beyond the tree line or their property line,” said Ben Cunningham, Virginia field coordinator for the Pipeline Compliance Surveillance Initiative, a program that is training volunteers to use drones to keep tabs on controversial natural gas pipeline construction projects.
More
Bay Journal
Riverkeepers, researchers and volunteer monitors have long kept an eye on water quality from the ground and from the river. But, with the help of technology that’s suddenly far more accessible, they’re taking to the skies, too.
Unmanned aerial vehicles, also called UAVs or drones, have recently become so affordable and easy to fly that they are winding up in the hands of more environmentalists.
Pipeline opponents and watchdog groups are a perfect example.
“The technology has come along to the point where everyday people can put a camera up in the air and see beyond the tree line or their property line,” said Ben Cunningham, Virginia field coordinator for the Pipeline Compliance Surveillance Initiative, a program that is training volunteers to use drones to keep tabs on controversial natural gas pipeline construction projects.
More
Police Department Goes to All Co-Ed Lockers/Showers
Eagle Springs, KS – The tiny community of Eagle Springs is exactly what you would expect as far as a town makeup in rural Kansas: 99.4% white residents and a typical split of about 52% male and 48% female. Despite the makeup of the community, since progressive police Chief Mark Hill was hired from the outside (originally from Vermont) he has remained unwaveringly committed to having a “diverse team of law helpers.”
Hill, who says calling officers “helpers” is a good way to “keep their minds from becoming too aggressive” has made sure that in the small department of just 6 members has one white person (himself), an African american, an Asian-American, a Native American, A Latin-American, and one Mixed Race non-American from Morocco who also is in a wheelchair and color-blind. None of the officers are from the area but have all been recruited to one of the smallest yet most diverse departments in the country. It is also split directly down the middle with 3 males and 3 females, however Hill has encouraged that if anyone is interested in not identifying with any gender at all, it may help with some federal grants for equipment.
Until recently, the sleepy but proud town has rolled with the punches. After all, if you’re double parking in the one light town, you’re at fault no matter what race or background the officer who writes the ticket. But the collective eyebrows of the more conservative community have been raised when Mr. Hill announced that he was remodeling the station to eliminate any gender distinction, including the locker room and shower area. Since every shift has at least one male and one female to make everything as even as possible the genders will always mix when getting ready or cleaning up after work.
More Satire Here
Hill, who says calling officers “helpers” is a good way to “keep their minds from becoming too aggressive” has made sure that in the small department of just 6 members has one white person (himself), an African american, an Asian-American, a Native American, A Latin-American, and one Mixed Race non-American from Morocco who also is in a wheelchair and color-blind. None of the officers are from the area but have all been recruited to one of the smallest yet most diverse departments in the country. It is also split directly down the middle with 3 males and 3 females, however Hill has encouraged that if anyone is interested in not identifying with any gender at all, it may help with some federal grants for equipment.
Until recently, the sleepy but proud town has rolled with the punches. After all, if you’re double parking in the one light town, you’re at fault no matter what race or background the officer who writes the ticket. But the collective eyebrows of the more conservative community have been raised when Mr. Hill announced that he was remodeling the station to eliminate any gender distinction, including the locker room and shower area. Since every shift has at least one male and one female to make everything as even as possible the genders will always mix when getting ready or cleaning up after work.
More Satire Here
Md. Rep. Elijah Cummings Accuses White House Of ‘Unprecedented Level Of Stonewalling, Delay And Obstruction’
House Oversight committee chairman Elijah Cummings accused the White House of an “unprecedented level of stonewalling, delay and obstruction” in a Washington Post op-ed published Tuesday as his committee seeks information related to multiple ongoing investigations into the Trump administration.
Cummings said the administration has not turned over “a single piece of paper to our committee or made a single official available for testimony during the 116th Congress” related to the ongoing committee investigations.
CNN reported Friday that though the White House is publicly maintaining they will cooperate with all requests, officials have internally taken an aggressive approach to the oversight requests as part of their strategy which has included slow-walking responses to demands for hearing dates and delaying efforts to turn over documents or schedule transcribed interviews.
More
Cummings said the administration has not turned over “a single piece of paper to our committee or made a single official available for testimony during the 116th Congress” related to the ongoing committee investigations.
CNN reported Friday that though the White House is publicly maintaining they will cooperate with all requests, officials have internally taken an aggressive approach to the oversight requests as part of their strategy which has included slow-walking responses to demands for hearing dates and delaying efforts to turn over documents or schedule transcribed interviews.
More
More Than 120,000 Californians of Color Sent to Prison on Harris’s Watch
While serving as California's top cop, Sen. Kamala Harris (D., Calif.) oversaw the incarceration of at least 127,000 Black and Hispanic Californians, data obtained by the Washington Free Beacon show.
These data, based on reports from and a request to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), almost certainly undercount the total number of individuals who were sent to prison while Harris served as state attorney general. Still, they reveal that at least 44,172 black offenders and 83,370 Hispanic offenders were newly admitted to California's prisons between 2011 and 2016, compared to 48,761 whites and 11,182 "other"-identified individuals.
Percentage-wise, these figures translate into 23.6 percent of new incarcerees being black and 44.5 percent being Hispanic. By way of comparison, as of July 2018, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that 39.1 percent of Californians were Hispanic/Latino and just 6.5 percent were black or African American.
In other words, there is a profound racial disparity between the group sent to prison and California as a whole: the sort of disparity Harris's ideological peers routinely decry as racist.
More
These data, based on reports from and a request to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), almost certainly undercount the total number of individuals who were sent to prison while Harris served as state attorney general. Still, they reveal that at least 44,172 black offenders and 83,370 Hispanic offenders were newly admitted to California's prisons between 2011 and 2016, compared to 48,761 whites and 11,182 "other"-identified individuals.
Percentage-wise, these figures translate into 23.6 percent of new incarcerees being black and 44.5 percent being Hispanic. By way of comparison, as of July 2018, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that 39.1 percent of Californians were Hispanic/Latino and just 6.5 percent were black or African American.
In other words, there is a profound racial disparity between the group sent to prison and California as a whole: the sort of disparity Harris's ideological peers routinely decry as racist.
More
Ben Carson’s 3 Ambitious Agenda Items for Reforming Public Housing
President Donald Trump’s fiscal 2020 spending blueprint would cut the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s budget by 16 percent, but HUD Secretary Ben Carson says he supports the savings.
Carson, who has pushed many reforms on federal housing policies, shared with The Daily Signal his plans for making housing more affordable in the United States and lifting more Americans out of poverty.
Here are three agenda items the HUD secretary says he is working on during 2019:
1. Work Requirements for Rental Assistance
More
Carson, who has pushed many reforms on federal housing policies, shared with The Daily Signal his plans for making housing more affordable in the United States and lifting more Americans out of poverty.
Here are three agenda items the HUD secretary says he is working on during 2019:
1. Work Requirements for Rental Assistance
More
Pence Arrives in Nebraska as Midwest Reels from Historic Floods
Vice President Mike Pence arrived in Nebraska on Tuesday to survey the devastation unleashed across the U.S. Midwest by floods that have killed four people and caused more than a billion dollars in damage to crops, livestock and roads.
The floodwaters have inundated a large swath of farm states Iowa and Nebraska along the Missouri River, North America's longest river, prompting half of Iowa's 99 counties to declare states of emergency.
"Touched down in Omaha, Nebraska to survey flood damage & thank volunteers & emergency personnel," Pence said on Twitter, in a post that included photos of him meeting with the governors of both states and lawmakers.
"The hearts of the American people are with those who have been impacted across the Midwest!" Pence said in the tweet.
More
The floodwaters have inundated a large swath of farm states Iowa and Nebraska along the Missouri River, North America's longest river, prompting half of Iowa's 99 counties to declare states of emergency.
"Touched down in Omaha, Nebraska to survey flood damage & thank volunteers & emergency personnel," Pence said on Twitter, in a post that included photos of him meeting with the governors of both states and lawmakers.
"The hearts of the American people are with those who have been impacted across the Midwest!" Pence said in the tweet.
More
The Differences Between Communism and Socialism
The difference between communism and socialism is not conveniently clear-cut. The two terms are often used interchangeably, but these economic and political theories are not the same. Both communism and socialism arose from protests against the exploitation of the working class during the Industrial Revolution.
While applications of their economic and social policies vary, several modern countries—all ideologically opposed to capitalism—are perceived as either communist or socialist. In order to understand contemporary political debates, it's important to know the similarities and the differences between communism and socialism.
Communism vs. Socialism
In both communism and socialism, the people own the factors of economic production. The main difference is that under communism, most property and economic resources are owned and controlled by the state (rather than individual citizens); by contrast, under socialism, all citizens share equally in all economic resources as allocated by a democratically-elected government. This difference and others are outlined in the table below.
Continue
While applications of their economic and social policies vary, several modern countries—all ideologically opposed to capitalism—are perceived as either communist or socialist. In order to understand contemporary political debates, it's important to know the similarities and the differences between communism and socialism.
Communism vs. Socialism
In both communism and socialism, the people own the factors of economic production. The main difference is that under communism, most property and economic resources are owned and controlled by the state (rather than individual citizens); by contrast, under socialism, all citizens share equally in all economic resources as allocated by a democratically-elected government. This difference and others are outlined in the table below.
Continue
Maryland county, state bills aim to make school drinking water safer
Montgomery County is considering tougher lead standards for public school drinking water, equivalent to the federal standard for bottled water.
And, a bill advancing in Annapolis would require the same change at all Maryland public schools.
Montgomery County Council member Tom Hucker’s bill, introduced last month, would apply to the county’s public schools.
“Scientists know much more today than they did when the assembly passed the current statewide lead standard of 20 parts per billion back in 2006,” Hucker said Tuesday ahead of a public hearing on the bill.
More
And, a bill advancing in Annapolis would require the same change at all Maryland public schools.
Montgomery County Council member Tom Hucker’s bill, introduced last month, would apply to the county’s public schools.
“Scientists know much more today than they did when the assembly passed the current statewide lead standard of 20 parts per billion back in 2006,” Hucker said Tuesday ahead of a public hearing on the bill.
More
FDA approves first postpartum depression drug
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug specifically developed for severe depression after childbirth.
The agency on Tuesday approved Sage Therapeutics' Zulresso, an IV drug given over 2 ½ days.
Sage said Zulresso will cost $34,000 without insurance, plus costs for staying in a hospital or infusion center. Whether the treatment gets covered by insurance is determined by each insurance company, which also sets the out-of-pocket costs, depending on the plan.
In a company-funded study of new mothers with moderate or severe postpartum depression, half the women given Zulresso had depression end within 2 ½ days, about double the rate of those in a comparison group given dummy treatments.
More
The agency on Tuesday approved Sage Therapeutics' Zulresso, an IV drug given over 2 ½ days.
Sage said Zulresso will cost $34,000 without insurance, plus costs for staying in a hospital or infusion center. Whether the treatment gets covered by insurance is determined by each insurance company, which also sets the out-of-pocket costs, depending on the plan.
In a company-funded study of new mothers with moderate or severe postpartum depression, half the women given Zulresso had depression end within 2 ½ days, about double the rate of those in a comparison group given dummy treatments.
More
Republicans propose amendment to limit Supreme Court to 9 justices
Republican Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee said Tuesday he is introducing a constitutional amendment to limit the number of justices on the Supreme Court to nine, after several Democratic presidential candidates have expressed support for expanding the number of justices to 15.
"This Thursday, I will be introducing a constitutional amendment that would limit the number of Supreme Court justices to 9 — the number of seats since 1869," Greene said on Twitter. "The Supreme Court must remain a fair and impartial branch of government not beholden to party ... Schemes to pack the court are dangerous to the Founders' vision of an independent judiciary that serves as a check on both the Executive and Legislative branches of government."
The Constitution doesn't specify the number of justices on the Supreme Court, leaving its composition up to Congress. The number of justices changed several times in early U.S. history before reaching its current total of nine.
More
"This Thursday, I will be introducing a constitutional amendment that would limit the number of Supreme Court justices to 9 — the number of seats since 1869," Greene said on Twitter. "The Supreme Court must remain a fair and impartial branch of government not beholden to party ... Schemes to pack the court are dangerous to the Founders' vision of an independent judiciary that serves as a check on both the Executive and Legislative branches of government."
The Constitution doesn't specify the number of justices on the Supreme Court, leaving its composition up to Congress. The number of justices changed several times in early U.S. history before reaching its current total of nine.
More
Mayor Pugh Sues Owners Of The Pimlico In An Effort To Block Move To Laurel
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Mayor Catherine Pugh has sued the owners of the Pimlico Race Course in an effort of keeping The Preakness in Baltimore.
The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in a Baltimore Circuit Court on behalf of Mayor Pugh, Baltimore City Council, Tony Bridges, Jimmy Mitchell and Pamela Curtis.
The complaint asks the Circuit Court to declare that state law prohibits the Preakness from leaving Pimlico, absent a disaster or emergency.
More
The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in a Baltimore Circuit Court on behalf of Mayor Pugh, Baltimore City Council, Tony Bridges, Jimmy Mitchell and Pamela Curtis.
The complaint asks the Circuit Court to declare that state law prohibits the Preakness from leaving Pimlico, absent a disaster or emergency.
More
Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh’s Healthy Holly LLC Gave Up To $7K To Political Campaigns, Including Her Own
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh’s book company has given $7,040 in political contributions over the last three years, including $5,000 to her own campaign, tax forms show.
Healthy Holly LLC gave $1,000 through a ticket purchase to Baltimore Cuunty Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr.’s campaign, and $1,000 to state Sen. Jill Carter.
The Olszewski campaign has said they were not aware of the contribution, and said they were returning the contribution Tuesday.
A smaller amount, just $40, was donated to the B.E.S.T. Democratic Club PAC in 2016.
More
Healthy Holly LLC gave $1,000 through a ticket purchase to Baltimore Cuunty Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr.’s campaign, and $1,000 to state Sen. Jill Carter.
The Olszewski campaign has said they were not aware of the contribution, and said they were returning the contribution Tuesday.
A smaller amount, just $40, was donated to the B.E.S.T. Democratic Club PAC in 2016.
More
PUGH FALLOUT | Two UMMS board members resign, 4 more take 'voluntary leave of absence'
BALTIMORE (WBFF) - Two board members of the University of Maryland Medical System have resigned, and four more are accepting a "voluntary leave of absence," in light of a controversy with Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh's role on the UMMS board.
The mayor announced yesterday she was stepping down.
Today, UMMS board chairman Stephen A. Burch said he has asked "those Board members whose businesses currently have relationships with the Medical System - August J. Chiasera, Francis X. Kelly, James A. Soltesz and Walter A. Tilley, Jr. - to immediately take a voluntary leave of absence from the Board while we thoroughly review our governance practices and move toward even greater transparency."
More
The mayor announced yesterday she was stepping down.
Today, UMMS board chairman Stephen A. Burch said he has asked "those Board members whose businesses currently have relationships with the Medical System - August J. Chiasera, Francis X. Kelly, James A. Soltesz and Walter A. Tilley, Jr. - to immediately take a voluntary leave of absence from the Board while we thoroughly review our governance practices and move toward even greater transparency."
More
US Government Canceled 362,000 Passports Last Year Over Back-Taxes
Starting in 2021, Americans will require permission to visit Europe... technically the 26 borderless countries within Europe’s Schengen area.
The process will start out simple enough, taking about ten minutes to complete and costing around $8.
The EU estimates it will grant about 95% of the Americans who apply three years of access to the region.
But what if you are part of that unlucky 5%?
Over 12 million Americans travel to Europe each year. So upwards of 600,000 Americans could have trouble entering the EU starting in 2021.
That’s if everything goes according to plan...
More
The process will start out simple enough, taking about ten minutes to complete and costing around $8.
The EU estimates it will grant about 95% of the Americans who apply three years of access to the region.
But what if you are part of that unlucky 5%?
Over 12 million Americans travel to Europe each year. So upwards of 600,000 Americans could have trouble entering the EU starting in 2021.
That’s if everything goes according to plan...
More
OPA Director Ted Moroney announces resignation
In an unexpected turn of events, Ted Moroney on Saturday announced his resignation from the Ocean Pines Board of Directors.
Moroney was appointed to the board in September 2017 to replace Brett Hill after his resignation. He was then elected to a one-year term last August.
He emailed a statement to board members on Saturday that was forwarded to this paper:
“Over the last four months I have been dealing with family issues that were not present when I ran for the board last year. At that time I had retired and planned to downsize and move full time to OP. Since then things have gone 180 degrees and other family issues have changed those plans dramatically. As Colette, Slobodan and Doug know from our work last year, I was fully immersed in my OPA duties.
More
Moroney was appointed to the board in September 2017 to replace Brett Hill after his resignation. He was then elected to a one-year term last August.
He emailed a statement to board members on Saturday that was forwarded to this paper:
“Over the last four months I have been dealing with family issues that were not present when I ran for the board last year. At that time I had retired and planned to downsize and move full time to OP. Since then things have gone 180 degrees and other family issues have changed those plans dramatically. As Colette, Slobodan and Doug know from our work last year, I was fully immersed in my OPA duties.
More
Marriage and Divorce
On their way to get married, a young Catholic couple is involved in a fatal car accident. The couple found themselves sitting outside the Pearly Gates waiting for St. Peter to process them into Heav
After yet another month, St. Peter finally returned, looking somewhat bedraggled. "Yes," he informed the couple,"You can get married in Heaven." "Great!" said the couple, "But we were just wondering, what if things don't work out? Could we also get a divorce in Heaven?" St. Peter, red-faced with anger, slammed his clipboard onto the ground. "What's wrong?" asked the frightened couple. "OH, COME ON!," St. Peter shouted, "It took me three months to find a priest up here! Do you have any idea how long it'll take me to find a lawyer?"
Whilewaiting, they began to wonder: Could they possibly get married in Heaven?When St. Peter showed up, they asked him. St. Peter said, "I don't know This is the first time anyone has asked. Let me go find out,'" and he left. The couple sat and waited, and waited Two months passed and the couple were still waiting. While waiting, they began to wonder what would happen if it didn't work out; could you get a divorce in heaven?
After yet another month, St. Peter finally returned, looking somewhat bedraggled. "Yes," he informed the couple,"You can get married in Heaven." "Great!" said the couple, "But we were just wondering, what if things don't work out? Could we also get a divorce in Heaven?" St. Peter, red-faced with anger, slammed his clipboard onto the ground. "What's wrong?" asked the frightened couple. "OH, COME ON!," St. Peter shouted, "It took me three months to find a priest up here! Do you have any idea how long it'll take me to find a lawyer?"
