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Saturday, April 06, 2019

Marxist plan for the USA: Turn America into another USSR

America is being attacked from within by Marxists whose primary goal is to overthrow the government and replace it with an oppressive communist regime. To further that goal, the Marxist Obama administration planted communists throughout the government. All branches of government have been compromised by people who have no allegiance to the United States of America. They are not loyal to the United States or the American people. They are only loyal to their ideology, and their ideology is oppressive global Marxism..

Moreover, Congress has been infiltrated by socialists whose purpose is to stall, interfere, disrupt and create discord and gridlock in Congress. Their mission is to interfere with government and bring the system down so the Marxists behind them can gain more power. The socialist morons in Congress, useful idiots, are assisted by the Marxist media, whose job is to promote false and misleading communist propaganda, like the Russian Delusion scam, and to divert our attention away from the crimes of Marxists and their brainless morons in government.

Furthermore, Marxist within our government and the media have made a mockery of our Constitution and our rights under it. They turned sexual preference into gay rights and abortion into women’s rights. Everything they do is designed to undermine the Constitution, divide the population and promote godlessness. They pit men against women, homosexuals against heterosexuals, and blacks and latinos against whites. Divide and conquer is their preferred tactic. But make no mistake, Marxists want to control the lives of the masses, regardless of race, sex or sexual preference.

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Planned Parenthood Pressured California to Force Churches to Pay for Abortions

Internal emails between Planned Parenthood and the California Health and Human Services (CHHS) agency reveal the abortion industry giant pressured the state agency to force religious groups and churches to cover elective abortions.

Three churches filed a notice of appeal Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California that includes the emails revealing conversations between Planned Parenthood and the state health agency, reported Catholic News Agency (CNA) Friday.

In the emails, lobbyists for the abortion vendor insisted that religious groups, churches, and, specifically, Catholic colleges, be forced to offer coverage for elective abortions.

More here

2 Texas Border Politicians, 1 Judge, 1 Lawyer Arrested on Federal Fraud Charges

MCALLEN, Texas – A former border county commissioner, a former city commissioner, and a local attorney face federal fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges. The charges come in connection with a long-term bribery scheme over construction contracts. A former municipal judge already pleaded guilty to his role in the case.

This week, federal agents arrested former Hidalgo County Commissioner Arturo “A.C.” Cuellar Jr., 65, former Hidalgo City Commissioner John Cuellar, 56, and local attorney Daniel Garcia on fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy charges, information provided to Breitbart News by the U.S. Attorney’s Office revealed. The arrest comes just days after Rio Grande City Municipal Judge Leo Lopez pleaded guilty to his role in the case.

The two newly arrested politicians and the attorney are expected to go before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on Monday where they will be formally notified of the charges filed against them.

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Minnesota lawmakers vote to give illegal immigrants driver's licenses

Minnesota lawmakers approved a measure that would allow illegal immigrants in the state to obtain a driver's license.

The bill, which passed the Democratic-controlled state House by 74-52 largely along party lines, represents a massive political victory for state Democrats who have been pushing for expanding basic rights for illegal immigrants.

“Immigrants, whether they are documented or undocumented, are Minnesotans. They are part of the fabric of our communities,” said Democratic House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler. “It is time that we helped take away this shadow of not having a driver’s license.”

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The Freshman Democrats in the House

The 116th Congress was sworn in, and all day long, the media was salivating and fawning over the “remarkable diversity” of the new Democrat members. It was a day of “firsts,” we were told. It was indeed a day of many firsts. While the new Democrat majority offers many members of note, we wanted to highlight a few “firsts” who are examples of the “diversity” that was sworn in…….

Here are the Top 'Most Diverse' House Freshwomen...

#1. Ilhan Omar: the first person who married her brother - in order to commit immigration fraud - ever to be elected to Congress. Omar is also the first open supporter of female genital mutilation to ever be elected to Congress. Amazing diversity!

#2. Rashida Tlaib: One of the first Muslim Brotherhood-linked and anti-Semitic candidates to be elected to Congress. She also claims to be a “Palestinian.” And she knows how to swear. Tlaib quote: "Impeach the Mother F_ _ _ _ _ _ President" (First words out of her mouth after being sworn in.)

#3. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Let’s just say she's the first person elected to Congress who lied about being from the Bronx, and thus, made up her life story. She’s also an overt Marxist. (Not even covert!)

#4. Abigail Spanberger: The first substitute teacher from an Islamist school (nicknamed by law enforcers as ‘terror high’) ever to be elected to Congress.

#5. Donna Shalala: Rep. Shalala was HHS Secretary from 1993 to 2001 under Bill Clinton and worked from 2015 to 2017 at the Clinton Foundation, and in 2016 she admitted in an interview that some significant Clinton Foundation donors received “courtesy appointments” in the Clinton State Department. To top it off, apparently she can’t let go of politics: at 78, she’s the oldest female House freshman in history.

These are just a few examples of the “firsts” that the media has been celebrating. If you are looking for politicians who show an open disdain and animosity for American principles and values, you can always count on the Democrat Party.

The stupidity of the American people never ceases to amaze me. How do these losers get elected? If the media and the voters paid as much attention to them as they do Melania’s shoes…..

WAKE UP AMERICA BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE. SOUND THE ALARM

Ex-Dem. staffer admits doxing GOP senators attending Kavanaugh hearing

A former Democratic Senate staffer admits trying to threaten and intimidate several Republican Senators and their families by posting their home addresses and phone numbers online.

It’s a practice known as “doxing.”

Personal information belonging to Republicans Lindsey Graham, Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee was posted on Wikipedia and Twitter at the same time the three were taking part in a contentious hearing last September for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Two other GOP senators were targeted a few days later in the same way.

Jackson Cosko, 27, of D.C. pleaded guilty to five federal offenses: two counts of making public restricted personal information, one count of computer fraud, one count of witness tampering and one count of obstruction of justice.

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Let us reflect on the 10 commandments of Maryland crab feasts:

Did AOC Just Use Black Voice?

Kids Aren’t Born Transgender, So Don’t Let Advocates Bamboozle You

People who pursue a cross-sex identity aren’t born that way, and children should not be encouraged to “transition” to the opposite sex, according to a reference work endorsed by the American Psychological Association.

Yet every day I hear from another parent who tells me that a child’s therapist, after an appointment or two, strongly recommends that the parent allow the child to change his or her name and personal pronouns, live as the opposite sex, and get on the track toward irreversible medical interventions.

Laura Haynes, a licensed psychologist in California, recently reviewed the APA Handbook of Sexuality and Psychology and highlighted its research findings about transgender children.

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‘Reparations’ is a recipe for strife, not justice

Reparations for slavery used to be a fringe idea, but it’s gaining traction among mainstream Democrats.

Texas Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee has sponsored a bill to study the question, and she has garnered support from Democratic presidential hopefuls Cory Booker, Liz Warren and Beto O’Rourke. At The New York Times, David Brooks now backs it.

Which just goes to prove that there’s nothing so ill-considered that it won’t be taken up by a liberal.

Let’s concede that, when a wrong has been done, reparations should be paid. That’s a foundational principle in law and religion. Slavery was a grievous wrong, and when the slaves were emancipated, they were owed something for their forced labor. And what assistance was offered at the time was inadequate and short-lived.

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WSJ Columnist Savages NYT's Shoddy Reporting On Mueller Report "Cover Up"

Unwilling (or unable) to let the Mueller probe die its long-overdue death, the New York Times on Thursday published a front-page story casting doubt on AG William Barr's summary of the report's conclusions, citing an undisclosed number of anonymous sources purportedly hailing from inside the investigation to report that Mueller's findings were "more critical" on the subject of whether Trump obstructed justice than Barr had let on.

The report followed the release of Barr's summary by more than a week, and in that time, Mueller and his team have made no public statements, while Jerry Nadler and the Democrats in control of the House Judiciary Committee have threatened to subpoena the full, unredacted report (despite concerns that a judge would need to sign off on the release of any materials from Mueller's grand jury hearings).

Specifically, the investigation "sources" purportedly told the NYT that they felt Barr should have included more information from their summaries of the reports' findings, which were handed to Barr along with the report - suggesting that the AG actively tried to "cover up" the true nature of the report and its findings.


For all its length, the NYT report was light on details, tried to establish the narrative of a brewing feud between Mueller and Barr, to men who share a 30-year-friendship and, according to Barr, a mutual respect. The gist of the NYT report is that the Mueller team is worried that by releasing Barr's summary of the conclusions, the AG would allow the narrative of no collusion, no obstruction to "harden" in the public view before the full redacted report is released (Barr, of course, has promised to release, and President Trump has said that the public should be allowed to see it).

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Brain damage from alcohol lasts up to six weeks after quitting

Alcohol-induced brain damage continues up to six weeks after stopping drinking, experts have warned.

It’s well known that excessive boozing isn’t good for the brain but up until now, little was understood about how long it takes to repair itself after going sober.

Booze danger greater than first thought
Scientists in Alicante, Spain and Mannheim in Germany have now found that the brain continues to be damaged for longer than previously thought. Their findings were published in JAMA Psychiatry.

They scanned the brains of 90 volunteer patients who were staying in a rehabilitation unit in a German hospital.

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RAND PAUL BLOCKING RELEASE OF MUELLER REPORT TO FORCE INVESTIGATION OF CLINTON, COMEY, BRENNAN

Rand Paul is continuing to block a resolution that would see the Mueller report made public, in an effort to force investigations into whether Hillary Clinton’s campaign funded the dossier of dirt on Trump that is thought to have led to the special Counsel ‘collusion’ investigation.

“What we don’t know is was President Obama told that the evidence to get this investigation started was paid for by the Hillary Clinton campaign?” Paul said, referring to the infamous Steele dossier.

“We need to know that.” Paul said, adding that communications between Obama-era officials including James Comey and John Brennan, the former respective heads of the FBI and CIA, also need to be made public so the “entire story” can be understood.

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US Consumer Credit Storms Above $4 Trillion, As Credit Card Debt Hits New All Time High

After a few months of wild swings in mid 2018, in February US consumer credit continued to normalize, rising by $15.2 billion, slightly below the $17 billion expected, following January's $17.7 billion increase. The continued increase in borrowings saw total credit storm above $4 trillion, and hit a new all time high of $4.045 trillion on the back of a America's ongoing love affair with auto and student loans, and of course credit cards. That said, as shown in the chart below, there has been a decisive slowdown in total monthly consumer credit creation, which has shrunk notably from $26 billion last July to just over $15 billion in February.

Revolving credit increased by $3.0 billion, an increase from January's $2.6 billion, rising to $1.061 trillion, a new all time high in total credit card debt outstanding.

There was a small decline in the monthly increase in non-revolving credit, i.e. student and auto loans, which jumped by $12.2 billion, down from the $15.1 billion increase in January, and bringing the nonrevolving total also to a new all time high of $2.984 trillion.

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TRUMP TO SKIP ‘BORING’ WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS DINNER — HOLD MAGA RALLY INSTEAD!




President Trump will skip this year’s annual White House correspondents dinner in favor of holding a MAGA rally, he told reporters Friday.

Responding to rumors he might attend this year’s event due to the media’s huge Russia collusion fail, Trump said he’d rather be at a rally with supporters than at the “boring” dinner.

“The the dinner is so boring and so negative that we’re going to hold a very positive rally instead,” Trump said outside the White House. “The correspondents’ dinner is too negative. I like positive things.”

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Angry White Kansas Congressman Blasts "Divisive" 'Angry White Male' Course At KU.

A Kansas congressman weighed in on the University of Kansas offering an "angry white male" course after Campus Reform's reporting.

The class, which is officially titled, "Angry White Male Studies," is being offered during the fall 2019 semester, is scheduled to be taught by Christopher Forth, the Dean's Professor of Humanities and Professor of History. According to the course description, the class will explore "the deeper sources of this emotional state while evaluating recent manifestations of male anger” in Europe and the U.S. since the 1950s.

The University of Kansas did not return a request for comment from Campus Reform but one Kansas congressman offered his take on Twitter.
"Instead of a course to unite people and empower women, KU has decided to offer a class that divides the student population and could pose a Title IX violation by creating a hostile campus environment based on gender," Rep. Ron Estes (R-KS) tweeted.
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Missing Cat


A recent report from Kaiser Health News raises serious concerns about the spread of “medieval diseases” that are resurging in some parts of the US.

A recent report from Kaiser Health News raises serious concerns about the spread of “medieval diseases” that are resurging in some parts of the US

“Infectious diseases - some that ravaged populations in the Middle Ages - are resurging in California and around the country, and are hitting homeless populations especially hard,” the report explains.
Los Angeles recently experienced an outbreak of typhus — a disease spread by infected fleas on rats and other animals — in downtown streets. Officials briefly closed part of City Hall after reporting that rodents had invaded the building.

People in Washington state have been infected with Shigella bacteria, which is spread through feces and causes the diarrheal disease shigellosis, as well as Bartonella quintana, which spreads through body lice and causes trench fever.

Hepatitis A, also spread primarily through feces, infected more than 1,000 people in Southern California in the past two years. The disease also has erupted in New Mexico, Ohio and Kentucky, primarily among people who are homeless or use drugs. (source)

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THE DUMBEST MAN IN WASHINGTON D.C.?

Race faker Rachel Dolezal reaches settlement in Washington state welfare fraud case

Rachel Dolezal, the former NAACP leader who pretended to be black before being unmasked as white, has reached a settlement in a welfare fraud case brought by the state of Washington.

An attorney for Dolezal, who legally changed her name to Nkechi Diallo in 2016, confirmed that she accepted a diversion agreement on March 25, under which she will pay undisclosed restitution and complete 120 hours of community service.

The onetime president of the NAACP's Spokane chapter was charged with theft by welfare fraud, perjury and false verification for public assistance.

Court documents alleged that she illegally received $8,747 in food assistance and $100 in child care assistance from August 2015 through November 2017.

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House Democrats Pass Gun Ban for Former Boyfriends, Dating Partners

House Democrats passed a gun ban for former boyfriends, dating partners convicted of abuse and/or stalking.

The gun ban for boyfriends, dating partners is an expansion of the Violence Against Women Act. TIME magazine quoted Nancy Pelosi describing the new gun controls as “common-sense reforms that will save lives and that no one should object to.”

She added, “There should be nothing partisan or political about ending the scourge of domestic violence and sexual assault, which one in three women faces today.”

But Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) intimates that the addition of the gun ban was purely partisan. He noted that there was bipartisan support for renewing the Violence Against Women Act before it expired in February, renewing it in what was then its current form. However, he says, “Nancy Pelosi forced it to expire so she could use women as part of some political leverage.”

The end result was expanding gun bans for spouses and co-parents to cover former boyfriends and dating partners as well.

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Target Raises Wages as CEOs Compete for Workers in ‘Hire American’ Economy

Retailer Target Corp. is raising starter wages to $13 per hour, marking a continued rise in blue-collar wages amid President Donald Trump’s “Hire American” economic policy.

In 2017, the company predicted it would raise starting wages to $11 per hour. But in March 2018, growing competition for workers forced it to accept another raise to $12 an hour. It is now promising to set the minimum wage to $13 by June, marking a 28 percent increase in two years.

Similar rises are being seen throughout the economy as Trump’s opposition to cheap-labor migration in 2017 and 2018 is forcing investors and CEOs to compete for labor by offering higher wages. The New York Times reported:

More here

10 Things Americans Do the Rest of the World Finds Weird

GEORGE MASON STUDENTS WON’T FEEL ‘HAPPY, SAFE’ WITH BRETT KAVANAUGH ON CAMPUS

Some students at George Mason University want Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh fired from a summer teaching position because of sexual misconduct allegations against him that have been widely discredited.

Kavanaugh is slated to teach a course on the originals of the American Constitution at the university’s Antonin Scalia Law School in the U.K. from July 22–Aug. 2, but his appointment is being protested by some, WDVM News reported last Friday.

“It is a rare opportunity for students to learn from a Supreme Court justice, and we believe that contributes to making our law program uniquely valuable for our students,” reads a statement from the law school.

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Study: Raising Minimum Wage Could Lead to More Crime

Raising the minimum wage could lead to additional property crimes and hit taxpayers with $2.4 billion in associated costs, a new study by the National Bureau of Economic Research says.

The study’s findings were detailed in a report by The Washington Free Beacon on Friday.

The release of the study came as the House Education and Labor Committee advanced the Raise the Wage Act of 2019, which would hike the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour over several years, the Beacon noted.

The study’s findings are counter to a 2016 report by the Council of Economic Advisers. That report had claimed raising the minimum wage to $12 an hour could prevent about 500,000 crimes each year.


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Brian Griffiths: Democrats ignore the will of the public with veto overrides

If you want to see an organization woefully out of touch, look no further than the Maryland Democratic Party. Actions by legislators have shown a party that is disconnected with the electorate and from the consequences of their actions.

I’ve written previously about how Democrats in the General Assembly have taken a radical left turn this session. But what stands out were Democratic efforts to override three bills rejected by Gov. Larry Hogan. All three bills were passed early to require a quick veto by the Governor and allowed the General Assembly ample time to override his vetoes on strictly partisan lines.

The first of these bills overturned Hogan’s executive order requiring local school districts to begin classes after Labor Day and conclude classes before June 15. The partisan nature of this bill and its override becomes apparent in a hurry. The General Assembly voted just a few years prior to study this issue for consideration as future legislation but still voted to pass this bill at the urging of their allies in the Maryland State Education Association.

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Sharpton emerges as kingmaker as 2020 Dems compete for his approval

The Rev. Al Sharpton has emerged as a kingmaker in the crowded 2020 Democratic field, as the party's White House hopefuls lined up this week to pitch their vision of America to him in hopes of receiving his blessing.

All of the top Democratic contenders were in New York City this week, attending Sharpton's National Action Network convention and discussing the issue of racism in America. More speeches were scheduled for Friday.

Among the attendees: former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke; South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg; and U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand and Amy Klobuchar.


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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/sharpton-emerges-as-kingmaker-as-2020-democrats-court-for-his-approval

Rep. Ilhan Omar: Where Are Her Real Loyalties?

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) has questioned the loyalties of Jewish American supporters of Israel. That inevitably raises a question about her own loyalties. You can certainly take the Muslim refugee out of Sharia-controlled Somalia, but can you take Somalia out of the refugee?

In the wake of the 1991 Somali civil war, the Mogadishu-born Omar and her family fled the strife-torn country to neighboring Kenya where they languished for four years in a refugee camp near the border. She and her family finally were warmly embraced by America in 1995 when their application was approved, and the family moved to Minneapolis. Five years later at age 17, she became an American citizen. Finishing college at North Dakota State in political science and international studies, she eventually became involved in American politics culminating in her 2018 election to Congress at age 38. We call that living the American dream. Talk about opportunities in America for a Somali-born Muslim!

Certainly, she should be overwhelmingly thankful to the majority white, traditionally Christian country that welcomed her and her Sunni Muslim family with open arms and ultimately enabled her to become Representative Omar. Well, not so fast. Maybe it’s just me, but I keep waiting to hear from Omar something along the lines of, “I am so deeply grateful to America for taking me and my family in and saving us from a life of misery, poverty and danger. This is why I am totally committed to the core Constitutional values of America that have created such a wonderful and generous country giving me an opportunity I could not have dreamed of anywhere else in the world, particularly Somalia.”


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Blue Collar Workers Enjoy Wage Hikes Thanks to ‘Shortage’ of Foreigners

Wage hikes for America’s blue collar and working class can be readily suppressed and choked by importing more foreign workers for employers, the New York Times admits.

In a piece titled,”Short of Workers, U.S. Builders and Farmers Crave More Immigrants,” the Times admits that President Trump’s tightened “Hire American” labor market through increased immigration enforcement has delivered historic wage hikes to America’s blue collar and working class.

Specifically, in the U.S. construction industry, American workers enjoy a $25.34 average hourly wage today — six percent more in wage earnings when compared to the year before.

The Times acknowledges the blue collar wage hike as “close to the steepest annual increase since the government started keeping track almost 30 years ago.”

Despite foreign-born residents accounting for about one-in-four construction workers in the U.S., as the Times noted, employers and business complain that more foreign workers are necessary to ensure that they do not have to compete for American workers by offering higher wages and better working conditions.

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Halting human trafficking requires public to “see the unseen”

WALDORF, Maryland – Bringing a halt to human trafficking needs help from the public, which must learn to “see the unseen,” an anti-trafficking advocate recently told church members here.

Civilian training is the first step, said Rebecca McDonald, founder and president of Women at Risk, International (WAR), a Michigan-based non-profit organization that works to provide protection to those at risk, for the event.

“Until you take this personally, nothing is going to change,” McDonald told members of the First Baptist Church in Waldorf.

The church partnered with WAR for a seven-hour Civilian First Responder program for 250 attending members, teaching them about what human trafficking is, the horrors of victims’ experience, how they can detect signs of the crime in their community and resources they can contact to get help.

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Biden "Not Sorry For Anything" After Seven Accusers And Countless Groping Videos Threaten 2020 Run

Former Vice President Joe Biden told reporters on Friday that he's not sorry for making inappropriate physical contact with people, including seven women who have accused him of making them highly uncomfortable after grabbing, kissing and making inappropriate comments about their physical appearance.

"I’m sorry I didn’t understand more," Biden told reporters. "I’m not sorry for any of my intentions. I’m not sorry for anything that I have ever done. I have never been disrespectful intentionally to a man or a woman. So that’s not the reputation I’ve had since I was in high school, for god’s sakes."

"The fact of the matter is I made it clear that if I made anyone feel (uncomfortable), I feel badly about that. It was never my intention. Ever," said Biden - without apologizing.

Speaking on Friday to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Construction Conference in Washington DC, Biden joked twice about inappropriate physical contact. Before beginning his speech, he quipped "I just want you to know. I had permission to hug Lonnie," referring to IBEW president Lonnie Stephenson who had just introduced him.

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Maryland becomes first state to outlaw EPS foam food packaging

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland became the first state in the nation to ban expanded polystyrene foam food packaging with the successful passage of state legislation in Annapolis Wednesday.

Sponsored in the State House by District 46 Delegate Brooke Lierman and in the State Senate by District 17 Senator Cheryl Kagan, the bills ban the use of EPS foam cups, plates, and containers, as well as their retail sale, beginning in July of 2020. The packaging is still allowed to be used for foods like raw meat, poultry, and seafood prior to receipt by a food service business.

EPS foam is more problematic than other trash litter, according to a statement by Trash Free Maryland. It breaks down into smaller pieces more easily and quickly, making it more difficult to clean up, and a particular problem for water ways, where such substances break down into “micro plastics” that are digested by marine creatures. At the molecular level the materials can even affect water sources and consumer products for people.


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JORDAN AND MEADOWS RAISE QUESTIONS ABOUT CUMMINGS’S DRUG PRICING INVESTIGATION

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH), Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and Congressman Mark Meadows (R-NC), Ranking Member of the Government Operations Subcommittee, sent letters to twelve pharmaceutical companies targeted by Chairman Cummings’s sweeping drug price investigation.

Excerpts from the letter:
“Although addressing rising drug prices should be a bipartisan issue, Chairman Cummings did not consult with Republican Members before launching his investigation. Now, in light of Chairman Cummings’s recent boast that his investigation has affected pharmaceutical “stock prices”-and the Chairman’s decision to unilaterally release sensitive information obtained by the Committee in another investigation-we feel obliged to inform you about these matters.”
“While we cannot speculate about Chairman Cummings’s motives, we believe the Committee should not pursue an investigation to ‘impact . . . stock prices with regard to drugs’-especially when there is bipartisan interest in real oversight of rising prescription drug prices.”
Full text of the letters can be found here.

Maryland lawmakers move closer to expanding the state’s Dream Act for undocumented immigrants

Maryland lawmakers want to increase the number of undocumented immigrants who are afforded the chance to receive in-state tuition breaks.

The General Assembly approved legislation that expands the Maryland Dream Act, a 2012 law that grants an in-state tuition discount to undocumented immigrants. A Senate bill was sent to the governor’s desk for his signature and a companion bill is scheduled to receive final approval on Friday. The governor has not said whether he will sign the legislation.

Del. Eric Luedtke (D-Montgomery), the House bill sponsor, said the bill stalled in the Senate last year but moved this session, a sign of the leftward shift in the General Assembly after the November election.

Thursday’s action on the “dreamer” bill came as lawmakers moved quickly to pass bills before the General Assembly ends its 90-day session on Monday night.

“We found that in the original language we passed a few years ago we were excluding kids who by any reasonable standard should have a chance to go to school,” Luedtke said.


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Measles case confirmed in Maryland

BALTIMORE (WBFF) The Maryland Department of Health has confirmed a measles case in a Maryland resident.

The Department says that anyone who visited 4000 Old Court Road in Pikesville on Tuesday in Baltimore County may have been exposed to measles. Possible exposure times were from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The location is an office building with multiple medical practices.

People who may have been exposed at other locations are being notified directly. Measles is a contagious vaccine-preventable viral infection, which is easily spread to un-vaccinated people through coughing, sneezing and secretions from the mouth. The measles virus can stay in the air for up to two hours.

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Jewish American Liberals

Jewish American Liberals
Written by Valerie Sobel.

TO JEWISH AMERICAN LIBERALS,
It’s time for the talk.
From one Jew to another. From one parent/grandparent to another. From one who utters “Never Again!” to another. From one witnessing the vile anti-Semitic floats in Belgian parades to another. From one in horror watching the U.K. descend into 100 monthly anti-Semitic incidents to another. And from one watching, in disbelief, the rise of anti-Semitism in the U.S. to another. We may not agree on much else, but this outrage we have in common.

You are the resounding 72-74% majority of the 5.4 Million American Jewry who have backed the Democratic Party since the sun has risen in the East. We get it; you’re for minority rights because you will forever identify as a minority. You’re forever for JFK , even though his brand of liberalism is long gone and has actually morphed into modern conservatism. You’re forever for FDR, even though it was the Republican Ronald Regan who delivered approximately 6,000,000 Soviet Jews from bondage of Anti-Semitic leftist oppression.

The Democratic Party of the 1950s was the party of the underdog, and you’re forever the underdog, in your mind, in your memory and by virtue of our tiny demographic. Your parents and grandparents have been married to the Democratic party since before you were born, and you can’t let go of what has been engrained in you with mother’s milk. Understandable.
Today is 2019, not the 1950s. And after the devastating failure of your Party to stand with you (as Jews) unequivocally against the rabid Nazi-era anti-Semitism of Democratic Congresswoman Omar, you stand in the final hour of a critical decision, depleted of all excuses for your political loyalty. And you know it.
We’re in the Situation Room of the 11th hour. Let’s connect all the dots together.


First, your history:
• At the UN, your favorite President Barack Obama, famously called for Israel to return to 1967 Borders. You said nothing and continued to exalt his virtue.
• The same man orchestrated UN’s resolution #2334, de facto proclaiming most of Israel illegitimate in Jewish hands. You said nothing and continued to exalt his virtue.

Senator Eckardt Weekly Wrap Up

This Week In Annapolis

We have officially reached the end of the 2019 legislative session, with only one day remaining to get as many good bills passed as possible. I want to thank everyone who has helped this session by coming to Annapolis to testify, calling and emailing your legislators to share your opinion, and those who have made a point to follow legislation that impacts our District and State.

SB 946 – State Prescription Drug Benefits – Retiree Benefits – Revisions passed both the House and the Senate for enrollment on April 3rd. This legislation creates three programs to limit out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for State Retirees who began services before July 1, 2011 as well as their families. While this legislation may appear particularly detailed, the Department of Budget and Management will be setting up communication with all impacted and guaranteeing that all valued retirees understand their benefits and how to receive them.

On April 4th, Governor Hogan vetoed HB 298 – Oysters – Tributary-Scale Sanctuaries – Protection and Restoration. This establishes in statute a network of five oyster sanctuaries (in Harris Creek, the Little Choptank River, the St. Mary’s River, and the Manokin River). On April 5th, the House of Delegates voted 96-43 to override the veto but the Senate has not yet taken it up. I have spoken out many times this session regarding this legislation and will support the Governor’s veto. Moving forward, it is imperative that we include the voices of our watermen in restoration discussions.

SB 786 – Public Safety – Rifles and Shotguns – Secondary Transactions was discussed on the Senate floor on April 5th. This legislation addresses background checks for long guns purchased on the secondary market. While the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee amended this legislation to make it less restrictive than the House had sent it over, my colleagues and I are still working to guarantee second amendment rights are not infringed.

The capital budget was finalized this week, providing State funding for key programs in District 37:
  • American Legion Blake-Blackston Post No. 77: $50,000
  • Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum – New Library and Exhibit Building: $250,000
  • Delmarva Community Services – Chesapeake Grove Senior Housing and Intergenerational Center: $200,000
  • Dorchester Center for the Arts: $80,000
  • Maces Lane Community Center: $100,000
  • Peninsula Regional Medical Center: $800,000
  • Richardson Maritime Museum: $20,000
  • Salisbury Elks Lodge No. 817: $95,000
  • YMCA of Chesapeake – St. Michael’s YMCA/Senior Center: $250,000

SB 1051 – Natural Resources – Oysters – Public Fishery Pilot Program 

On April 5th, I presented SB 1051 to the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee. This emergency legislation, which, I believe, is a good faith attempt to bridge the effort to engage the public fisheries watermen in the process of restoration and sustainability of the oyster industry. I believe all parties want a healthy and productive Bay and want the best that science and experience have to offer to work together for future sustainability. We all know and have experienced the intense conflict over the oyster industry that persist even now in our quest to broker sound solutions while respecting the changes before us. In an effort to improve the Bay with restoration through sanctuaries combined with climate change, pollution, and disease, overfishing results.

The bill I presented is the result of suggestions from the watermen, from multi-year discussions with DNR, in response to the OysterFutures process, and the previously passed sanctuary bill. For generations, watermen have lived, worked, and played on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay and they would like for their children and families to do the same, should they so choose. The number of watermen is declining and, financially, this year will be difficult. They are frustrated but, at the same time, are valuable assets in the larger Bay restoration effort.

As the bills mentioned before have passed, another two years will go by without any meaningful engagement with the watermen. I am hoping to use SB 1051 and the pilot presented to bring together all involved, consider all parties, and help to provide some relief for the watermen. If we all truly believe that restoration is the goal and the watermen have a part in the process, then let us involve them in that process. 

My Bills This Week

On April 2nd, SB 178 – Outpatient Mental Health Centers – Medical Directors – Telehealth passed both the Senate and the House of Delegates unanimously. This legislation is now completed and will be going to Governor Hogan for a signature. SB 178 will require regulations governing behavioral health programs to include a provision authorizing a behavioral health program to satisfy any regulatory requirement that the medical director be on site through the use of telehealth by the director.

On the fourth of April, I had two bills pass through the House of Delegates: SB 111 – Dorchester County – Alcoholic Beverages – Class A Licenses and SB 524 – Maryland Medical Assistance Program – Telemedicine – Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners and Psychiatrists. SB 111 is a local Dorchester County bill that will authorize the Board of License Commissioners for Dorchester County to issue a Class A beer, wine and liquor license for premises licensed under a Class B or Class D license. SB 524 will include psychiatric nurse practitioners that are providing Assertive Community Treatment or mobile treatment services to certain Maryland Medical Assistance Program recipients in the types of providers eligible to receive reimbursement for health care services that are delivered through telemedicine and provided to Program recipients.

Also on April 4th, I presented SB 944 – Behavioral Health Programs – Outpatient Mental Health Centers – Medical Directors to the House Health and Government Operations Committee. This legislation would allow for a psychiatric nurse practitioner to serve as a medical director of an outpatient mental health center. This legislation has already been reported favorably by the Committee and is waiting to be presented before the House of Delegates for a vote.

SB 634 – Electric Cooperatives – Powers – Conducting or Communications Facilities was completed and passed both Houses on April 5th. This bill authorizes an electric cooperative to lease existing fiber to last-mile providers and will facilitate internet access in our rural areas. It is the result of a two-year Task Force on Rural Internet, Broadband, Wireless, and Cellular Service; thank you to all who were involved in this process for the focus and persistence to get this measure passed.


President Trump Gifted A Piece Of The Border Wall