Judicial Watch attorneys obtained blockbuster testimony from former State Department official John Hackett, who was Director for Information Programs and Services (IPS), which handles records management at the State Department, Mr. Hackett testified under oath that he had raised concerns about former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s missing emails.
Her staff had “culled out 30,000” of the secretary’s “personal” emails without following strict National Archives standards, he said in his deposition. The full transcript deposition is here.
His testimony came as part of a series of court-ordered depositions and questions under oath of senior Obama-era State Department officials, lawyers, and Clinton aides.
Hackett also revealed that he believed there was interference with the formal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) review process related to the classification of Clinton’s Benghazi-related emails.
Hackett served first as deputy director then as director for Information Programs and Services, which handles the FOIA request program and the retirement of and declassification of documents at the State Department. He was at the department from April 2013 to March 2016.
In March 2015, Clinton told reporters that she and her staff had deleted more than 30,000 emails “because they were personal and private about matters that I believed were within the scope of my personal privacy.” ABC News reported: “However, after a year-long investigation, the FBI recovered more than 17,000 emails that had been deleted or otherwise not turned over to the State Department, and many of them were work-related, the FBI has said.”
Hackett recalled a conversation about requesting rules or parameters from Secretary Clinton or her attorneys that they used to segregate her personal and official work emails.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Tuesday, July 09, 2019
A plant that causes permanent burns & blindness is spreading across the US
Having a walk among flowers and plants is one of the best things about summer BUT health officials are warning people about a wild plant which has a great danger to those who touch it.
Hogweed is the name of the plant, or Heracleum mantegazzianum, which is now rapidly growing is many states throughout the U.S.
A single touch of the plant’s sap leads to serious burns and permanent blindness also.
It is widely known as giant cow parsley, giant cow parsley, cartwheel-flower or hogsbane.
The plant has been seen in the states of Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Vermont, New York, Virginia, and Washington.
The plant grows up to 14 feet and has dark green leaves which reach up to 5 feet in diameter AND has an empty, thick stem which has white hairs and purple specks and dots, with amazingly beautiful white flowers, but don’t let that fool you, this is one of the most dangerous plants in the planet.
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Hogweed is the name of the plant, or Heracleum mantegazzianum, which is now rapidly growing is many states throughout the U.S.
A single touch of the plant’s sap leads to serious burns and permanent blindness also.
It is widely known as giant cow parsley, giant cow parsley, cartwheel-flower or hogsbane.
The plant has been seen in the states of Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Vermont, New York, Virginia, and Washington.
The plant grows up to 14 feet and has dark green leaves which reach up to 5 feet in diameter AND has an empty, thick stem which has white hairs and purple specks and dots, with amazingly beautiful white flowers, but don’t let that fool you, this is one of the most dangerous plants in the planet.
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Gun-Controlled Chicago: At Least 66 Shot, 5 Killed, over July 4th Weekend
At least 66 people were shot, five fatally, over July Fourth weekend in gun-controlled Chicago.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports that a woman was killed “before dawn” July 4, 2019, on West Wilcox Street. “Another man was killed and three others were wounded in Humboldt Park on the West Side” during an 11:30 am drive-by shooting on July 4.
A 37-year-old man named Oliver Booth was shot and killed around 2:47 am Friday. Minutes later, at roughly 2:55 am, 22-year-old Akeelah D. Addison was shot in the head and killed “in the 4200 block of South Wells Street in Fuller Park.”
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The Chicago Sun-Times reports that a woman was killed “before dawn” July 4, 2019, on West Wilcox Street. “Another man was killed and three others were wounded in Humboldt Park on the West Side” during an 11:30 am drive-by shooting on July 4.
A 37-year-old man named Oliver Booth was shot and killed around 2:47 am Friday. Minutes later, at roughly 2:55 am, 22-year-old Akeelah D. Addison was shot in the head and killed “in the 4200 block of South Wells Street in Fuller Park.”
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Nolte: Democrats Just Had Their Worst Week in 47 Years
Not since the 1972 discovery that George McGovern’s vice presidential pick, Thomas Eagleton, had been hospitalized and given electroshock treatments have the Democrats had a worse week than the one we just concluded.
Because Democrats live on social media and watch CNN, they don’t know this yet…
But they had a catastrophic week — hoo, boy, did they ever — a week that will haunt them straight through to November 2020.
Let us count the ways…
Every industry in Trump’s America is expanding and thriving … except for the media.
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Because Democrats live on social media and watch CNN, they don’t know this yet…
But they had a catastrophic week — hoo, boy, did they ever — a week that will haunt them straight through to November 2020.
Let us count the ways…
- The Fake News Media Is the Only Shrinking Institution in America’s Booming Economy
Every industry in Trump’s America is expanding and thriving … except for the media.
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Christian family details crackdown on church in China
The Sunday service this week at an unassuming church in Taiwan was especially moving for one man. It was the first time Liao Qiang had worshipped publicly since authorities shut down his church in China seven months ago.
The 49-year-old arrived in Taiwan last week after fleeing China with five family members. He and his 23-year-old daughter, Ren Ruiting, described living under constant surveillance for the past seven months after authorities detained them and dozens of other members of their prominent but not government-sanctioned church in December.
China’s ruling Communist Party has carried out a widespread crackdown on all religious institutions in recent years, including bulldozing churches and mosques, barring Tibetan children from Buddhist religious studies and incarcerating more than a million members of Islamic ethnic minorities in what are termed “re-education centers.” President and party leader Xi Jinping has ordered that all religions must “Sini-cize” to ensure they are loyal to the officially atheistic party.
In contrast, Taiwan’s democratically elected government has long taken a hands-off approach to religion on the island, where most follow Buddhism and traditional Chinese beliefs, but where Christianity and other religions also thrive.
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The 49-year-old arrived in Taiwan last week after fleeing China with five family members. He and his 23-year-old daughter, Ren Ruiting, described living under constant surveillance for the past seven months after authorities detained them and dozens of other members of their prominent but not government-sanctioned church in December.
China’s ruling Communist Party has carried out a widespread crackdown on all religious institutions in recent years, including bulldozing churches and mosques, barring Tibetan children from Buddhist religious studies and incarcerating more than a million members of Islamic ethnic minorities in what are termed “re-education centers.” President and party leader Xi Jinping has ordered that all religions must “Sini-cize” to ensure they are loyal to the officially atheistic party.
In contrast, Taiwan’s democratically elected government has long taken a hands-off approach to religion on the island, where most follow Buddhism and traditional Chinese beliefs, but where Christianity and other religions also thrive.
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NYT: Middle-Class Americans Must Sacrifice Their Suburbs to Aid Poor Immigrants
The federal government must force tens of millions of suburban voters to sacrifice their houses’ value, their quiet schools, and their green neighborhoods so poor immigrants can have cheaper rents and investors can build more houses, according to the New York Times‘ editorial board.
“The federal government is an irresistible force when it chooses to prioritize an issue. It is past time to prioritize the availability of affordable housing” for immigrants, says the July 7 editorial, titled “A New Approach on Housing Affordability.”
The editorial starts with a complaint about housing prices — but it never mentions the obvious fix: Ending the federal policy of annually importing 1 million immigrant workers, consumers, and renters, which inflates housing prices and class competition for good neighborhoods and good schools. Reduced immigration, in contrast, would raise Americans’ salaries, lower their housing prices, improve their schools, and also disappoint real-estate investors.
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“The federal government is an irresistible force when it chooses to prioritize an issue. It is past time to prioritize the availability of affordable housing” for immigrants, says the July 7 editorial, titled “A New Approach on Housing Affordability.”
The editorial starts with a complaint about housing prices — but it never mentions the obvious fix: Ending the federal policy of annually importing 1 million immigrant workers, consumers, and renters, which inflates housing prices and class competition for good neighborhoods and good schools. Reduced immigration, in contrast, would raise Americans’ salaries, lower their housing prices, improve their schools, and also disappoint real-estate investors.
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The Democrats’ Situational Racism
Democrats and their media allies are floundering in the face of a covfefe-strength hurricane of great economic news and an incumbent president who is fulfilling his campaign promises. What he hasn’t yet accomplished is not for lack of trying; instead the unfinished agenda is attributable to a hostile Congress and Judiciary.
When all else fails for the left, they drag out the race card. Why not? It’s worked in the past, ushering in our first black president in 2008. At least that’s how Barack Obama is described. In reality he is only half black, with a black father (officially the Kenyan Barack Senior, or possibly Frank Marshall Davis, according to some). His mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, was as white as Joe Biden or Elizabeth Warren.
The media of the time called for the half-white portion of Obama’s heritage to be ignored rather than muddy the waters of his being America’s first black president. Yet during the Obama presidency, for different political reasoning the media went out of its way to make a point of the mixed heritage of another individual, specifically George Zimmerman.
The situation was George killing, in self-defense, the paragon of virtue and honor, black teenager Trayvon Martin, prompting the New York Times, and then other media to refer to Zimmerman as a “white Hispanic”.
From the Huffington Post, critiquing CNN’s repeated use of the expression: “By labeling Zimmerman a ‘white Hispanic,’ they serve their obvious political bias, but also they cynically serve their financial interests by keeping the race angle as part of the story’s subtext.”
More here
When all else fails for the left, they drag out the race card. Why not? It’s worked in the past, ushering in our first black president in 2008. At least that’s how Barack Obama is described. In reality he is only half black, with a black father (officially the Kenyan Barack Senior, or possibly Frank Marshall Davis, according to some). His mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, was as white as Joe Biden or Elizabeth Warren.
The media of the time called for the half-white portion of Obama’s heritage to be ignored rather than muddy the waters of his being America’s first black president. Yet during the Obama presidency, for different political reasoning the media went out of its way to make a point of the mixed heritage of another individual, specifically George Zimmerman.
The situation was George killing, in self-defense, the paragon of virtue and honor, black teenager Trayvon Martin, prompting the New York Times, and then other media to refer to Zimmerman as a “white Hispanic”.
From the Huffington Post, critiquing CNN’s repeated use of the expression: “By labeling Zimmerman a ‘white Hispanic,’ they serve their obvious political bias, but also they cynically serve their financial interests by keeping the race angle as part of the story’s subtext.”
More here
These Are All the Businesses You Never Knew Were Owned by Amazon
Everything about Amazon in 2019 is inconceivably big: Amazon will make up an estimated 38% of the US e-commerce market this year, according to the online commerce research firm eMarketer, and already dominates 67% of the online books, music, and video market; 46% of the online computer and electronics market; 45% of the online toy market; and 34% of online furniture sales. And with more than $25 billion in revenue just from Amazon Web Services last year, Amazon is the world’s largest cloud services provider.
Its sheer size and influence has caught the attention of regulators and lawmakers like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who proposed a plan to break up Amazon and other technology companies in March. In its defense, Amazon said it makes up just 4% of all US retail sales.
But taken as a whole, Amazon is much more than a retail platform. The company — which originally incorporated on July 5, 1994, under the business name “Cadabra” and started selling books under the new name Amazon on July 16, 1995 — has expanded into a complex web of businesses and subsidiaries that make it easy to walk into and difficult to walk out of. Its reach stretches from review sites like Goodreads to shoe sales on Zappos to devices like Ring to baby clothing sold in its marketplace to educational tools for teachers, like entire math curriculums.
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Its sheer size and influence has caught the attention of regulators and lawmakers like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who proposed a plan to break up Amazon and other technology companies in March. In its defense, Amazon said it makes up just 4% of all US retail sales.
But taken as a whole, Amazon is much more than a retail platform. The company — which originally incorporated on July 5, 1994, under the business name “Cadabra” and started selling books under the new name Amazon on July 16, 1995 — has expanded into a complex web of businesses and subsidiaries that make it easy to walk into and difficult to walk out of. Its reach stretches from review sites like Goodreads to shoe sales on Zappos to devices like Ring to baby clothing sold in its marketplace to educational tools for teachers, like entire math curriculums.
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War Is Being Waged on Speech in America Today
Two little words found in the Pledge of Allegiance seem to be coming under heavy enemy fire of late: not just “liberty and justice,” but the words “for all.” The Founders intended a nation designed to foster opposing points of view in these United States be they majority or minority views. I
n a culture where progressives parse out everyone and everything into an intersectional society occupied by separates which are not equal, perhaps it is time to acknowledge that battle lines are drawn, skirmishes are being fought, and a digital war is being waged in America today to limit and ultimately remove political speech from the public square.
As the Democrat Party careens down a minacious road to marginalize and regulate political speech, it is vital to recognize the conflict that is being played out in the body politic. Do we fully comprehend that we are traversing a highway to hell fraught with dangerous assaults to one of our most sacred and foundational constitutional liberties?
This road was initially carved out and paved when Congress passed laws designed to restrict campaign contributions. But the Supreme Court came along with a bulldozer and thwarted these efforts in a landmark decision known as Citizens United.
More here
n a culture where progressives parse out everyone and everything into an intersectional society occupied by separates which are not equal, perhaps it is time to acknowledge that battle lines are drawn, skirmishes are being fought, and a digital war is being waged in America today to limit and ultimately remove political speech from the public square.
As the Democrat Party careens down a minacious road to marginalize and regulate political speech, it is vital to recognize the conflict that is being played out in the body politic. Do we fully comprehend that we are traversing a highway to hell fraught with dangerous assaults to one of our most sacred and foundational constitutional liberties?
This road was initially carved out and paved when Congress passed laws designed to restrict campaign contributions. But the Supreme Court came along with a bulldozer and thwarted these efforts in a landmark decision known as Citizens United.
More here
Home Depot shoppers call for boycott over co-founder's support for Donald Trump
Consumers have taken to social media to call for a boycott of Home Depot after the company's co-founder, Bernie Marcus said he would be donating to President Donald Trump's re-election campaign.
Marcus spoke on his support of Trump in an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. While he criticized the president's communication skills, Marcus admired him for "boosting U.S. jobs, confronting China on trade and taking action against Iranian and North Korean aggression."
"He's got a businessman's common sense approach to most things," he told AJC. "Now, do I agree with every move he makes? No, I don't, but the truth is he has produced more than anybody else. He has. If we look at this country I would say we are better off today than we were eight years ago or six years ago."
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Marcus spoke on his support of Trump in an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. While he criticized the president's communication skills, Marcus admired him for "boosting U.S. jobs, confronting China on trade and taking action against Iranian and North Korean aggression."
"He's got a businessman's common sense approach to most things," he told AJC. "Now, do I agree with every move he makes? No, I don't, but the truth is he has produced more than anybody else. He has. If we look at this country I would say we are better off today than we were eight years ago or six years ago."
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Restaurant tapes Colin Kaepernick jersey to floor as welcome mat
**Some of the language used in the post below may be considered offensive**
Virginia Beach resident James Perry said he walked into Krossroads Rock and Country Bar in the Pleasant Valley Shopping Center Thursday and saw the jersey at the front entrance.
“What went through my mind was like 'Wow, is this real or is it a joke?' How would you feel if someone taped a police officer’s uniform down?" Perry asked.
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Editor's note: This incident happened in September of 2016. Why is the media is releasing it again?
Attorney releases statement for family of toddler who tragically died on cruise ship
A local family is grieving after a toddler fell to her death from a cruise ship docked in Puerto Rico. Now the family attorney is speaking out.
A Port Authority spokesman says the child's grandfather was playing with the 18-month-old inside the ship. He lost his balance and the girl fell out the window.
The grandfather works for St. Joseph County and the child's father is Officer Alan Wiegand with the South Bend Police Department.
Authorities say they're investigating this as an accident. The family is not allowed to leave Puerto Rico until the investigation is complete.
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A Port Authority spokesman says the child's grandfather was playing with the 18-month-old inside the ship. He lost his balance and the girl fell out the window.
The grandfather works for St. Joseph County and the child's father is Officer Alan Wiegand with the South Bend Police Department.
Authorities say they're investigating this as an accident. The family is not allowed to leave Puerto Rico until the investigation is complete.
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Monthly Crimes Reported to the WCSO June 2019
- Sector 1- Salisbury, Allen, Deer Harbour, Fruitland, Fox Chase
- Sector 2- Parsonsburg, Delmar
- Sector 3- Delmar, Log Cabin Road, Adkins Road
- Sector 4- Nanticoke, Waterview, White Haven, Tyaskin
- Sector 5- Booth Street, Reservation
- Sector 6- Hebron, Mardela Springs, Sharptown
- Sector 7- Pittsville, Willards, Powellville
H. Ross Perot, Politician, Businessman and Texan, Dies at 89
Perot, who celebrated his 89th birthday last month, was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year. Perot's family said he died Tuesday morning at home, surrounded by his devoted family.
"In business and in life, Ross was a man of integrity and action. A true American patriot and a man of rare vision, principle and deep compassion, he touched the lives of countless people through his unwavering support of the military and veterans and through his charitable endeavors. Ross Perot will be deeply missed by all who loved him. He lived a long and honorable life," the family said.
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Warren Helped Confirm Clueless Obama Bundlers as Ambassadors
Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren's pledge to end the practice of tapping political donors to be ambassadors comes after years of silence during the Barack Obama presidency, when she voted to confirm numerous donors with no diplomatic experience.
Warren's latest proposal, laid out in a Medium post, points to the Trump administration "selling swanky diplomatic posts to rich buffoons."
"This president may think a fat wallet and a big campaign check qualifies someone to represent our country abroad," Warren declared. "I don't."
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Warren's latest proposal, laid out in a Medium post, points to the Trump administration "selling swanky diplomatic posts to rich buffoons."
"This president may think a fat wallet and a big campaign check qualifies someone to represent our country abroad," Warren declared. "I don't."
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WCSO Press Releases - Jul. 9, 2019
Date of Incident: 3 July 2019
Location: Nanticoke Road at Crooked Oak Lane, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Joy M. Mills, 60, Myrtle Beach, SC
Narrative: On 3 July 2019 just before midnight, a deputy stopped a 2002 Kia Spectra operated by Joy Mills of South Carolina after observing a piece of cardboard with a registration plate number inscribed on it. Mills stated that the original plates had been stolen. During a subsequent investigation, the deputy discovered that the vehicle itself had been reported stolen in the State of South Carolina.
The deputy arrested Mills and impounded the stolen vehicle. Mills was transported to the Central Booking Unit where she was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. Following an initial appearance, the Commissioner released Mills on an unsecured bond.
Charges: Theft of Motor Vehicle and Theft $100 - $1,500.00
Date of Incident: 4 July 2019
Location: Rt. 50 at Beaglin Park Drive, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Jeffery M. Stuart, 56, Pittsville, MD
Narrative: On 4 July 2019 at 12:45 am, a deputy stopped a Dodge Neon operated by Jeffery Stuart for erratic driving on Beaglin Park Drive in the vicinity of Rt. 50 in Salisbury. During the encounter the Neon was scanned by a WCSO drug K9 which resulted in a positive alert for the presence of the odor of illegal drugs. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, crack cocaine was located.
The deputy placed Stuart 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 Stuart on Personal Recognizance.
Charges: Possession of Crack Cocaine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Date of Incident: 4 July 2019
Location: Booth Street, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Dalonte M. Waters, 24, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 4 July 2019 at 12:47 PM, a deputy stopped a vehicle operated by Dalonte Waters for a moving violation. Upon making contact with Waters, the deputy detected the odor of marijuana emanating from within Waters’ vehicle. During a subsequent search the deputy located the source of that odor and seized approximately two ounces of marijuana. SBYNEWS
The deputy placed Waters 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 Waters on Personal Recognizance.
Charges: Possession of Marijuana Greater than 10 grams
Date of Incident: 4 July 2019
Location: 22000 block of Wetipquin Road, Quantico, MD
Suspect: Richard Gordon Willinger, Jr., 30, Quantico, MD
Narrative: On 5 July 2019 at 4:00 PM, a deputy arrested Richard Willinger following an investigation into a residential burglary in the 22000 block of Wetipquin Road. During the investigation, the deputy learned that that the resident had fallen asleep in the living room when he was woken up by a loud noise at 4:30 in the morning. The resident recognized a subject known to him as Richard Willinger standing in his living room. It was soon discovered that Willinger had entered the residence through a window. The resident asked Willinger what he was doing but did not receive a response prior to Willinger exiting the residence via the same window.
The resident then observed that cash which had been left on the coffee table was now gone and it is presumed that Willinger had stolen it.
At the conclusion of the investigation, the deputy placed Willinger 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 detained Willinger in the Detention Center without bond.
Charges: Burglary First Degree and Theft $100.00 to $1,500.00
Israel PM Netanyahu Calls for P5+1 Response to Iran
Iran's move to surpass uranium enrichment caps outlined in the Iran nuclear deal has Israel calling for a sanctions response, because "it's for the creation of atomic bombs," according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"Iran has violated its solemn promise under the U.N. Security Council not to enrich uranium beyond a certain level," Netanyahu said in a video shared on Twitter. The enrichment of uranium is made for one reason and one reason only: It's for the creation of atomic bombs."
"The leaders of the P5+1 promised and committed themselves to snap back sanctions the minute Iran did that; it just did," he said.
"Where are you?"
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"Iran has violated its solemn promise under the U.N. Security Council not to enrich uranium beyond a certain level," Netanyahu said in a video shared on Twitter. The enrichment of uranium is made for one reason and one reason only: It's for the creation of atomic bombs."
"The leaders of the P5+1 promised and committed themselves to snap back sanctions the minute Iran did that; it just did," he said.
"Where are you?"
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COURT TO PROBE SCHOOL'S ATTACK ON 'RADICAL CHRISTIAN' PARENTS
The European Court of Human Rights has agreed to take up the case of five children who were seized from their parents by the Norwegian government when school officials secretly decided they were “radical Christians.”
The Alliance Defending Freedom International filed an intervention at the international court in the case Bodnariu v. Norway.
As WND reported, in 2015 the government agency Barnevernet seized, without notice, the children of Marius and Ruth Bodnariu.
Several of the children were in school but one was an infant.
Officials at first refused to explain their actions. But the couple’s representatives later discovered documentation showing that school officials had accused the couple, without discussing the issue with them, of being “radical Christians who were indoctrinating their children.”
Operatives of the state social services agency had grabbed the family’s two oldest children from school without telling their parents and hid them in an undisclosed location.
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The Alliance Defending Freedom International filed an intervention at the international court in the case Bodnariu v. Norway.
As WND reported, in 2015 the government agency Barnevernet seized, without notice, the children of Marius and Ruth Bodnariu.
Several of the children were in school but one was an infant.
Officials at first refused to explain their actions. But the couple’s representatives later discovered documentation showing that school officials had accused the couple, without discussing the issue with them, of being “radical Christians who were indoctrinating their children.”
Operatives of the state social services agency had grabbed the family’s two oldest children from school without telling their parents and hid them in an undisclosed location.
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DUNKIN’ SUES FRANCHISEES OVER EMPLOYMENT VERIFICATION
Dunkin’ sued several franchisees in federal court this week, seeking to get them to stop running their restaurants after their agreements were terminated over failure to properly determine their employees’ eligibility to work in the U.S.
The lawsuit, against operators of nine locations in Delaware and Pennsylvania, comes amid what appears to be a crackdown on franchisees employment verification practices.
The Canton, Mass.-based coffee and doughnut franchise has filed at least three lawsuits in federal court against numerous franchisees in recent months, arguing in each case that the operators failed to properly vet workers’ employment eligibility.
The franchisees operate more than two-dozen restaurants, representing a significant uptick in terminations by a franchise system that had enjoyed generally good relationships between the franchisor and its operators in recent years.
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The lawsuit, against operators of nine locations in Delaware and Pennsylvania, comes amid what appears to be a crackdown on franchisees employment verification practices.
The Canton, Mass.-based coffee and doughnut franchise has filed at least three lawsuits in federal court against numerous franchisees in recent months, arguing in each case that the operators failed to properly vet workers’ employment eligibility.
The franchisees operate more than two-dozen restaurants, representing a significant uptick in terminations by a franchise system that had enjoyed generally good relationships between the franchisor and its operators in recent years.
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Antifa Is Dangerous and It’s Time for the Feds to Step In
Enough is enough. The U.S. Justice Department needs to immediately open a criminal civil rights investigation of Antifa, an affiliation of radical activists and left-wing groups whose name, ironically enough, is short for “anti-fascists.”
Its attack on journalist Andy Ngo was beyond the pale. Federal law enforcement has an obligation to stop any extremist organization that is apparently organizing and precipitating violent attacks, especially if state and local authorities seem reluctant to take action against what has all the makings of a domestic terrorist organization.
The Portland Police Association released a statement after the attack criticizing the mayor for restricting the ability of the police to stop Antifa, saying, “Our hands are tied.”
The association also says it has no doubt that such restrictions would not have been in place “if this violence had been directed at Antifa.”
The well-known Quillette journalist wasn’t the only bystander attacked, as The Washington Times reports that “two [other] Oregon men—John Blum and Adam Kelly—were mobbed and pummeled by black-masked protesters in a horrific attack that left Mr. Blum bleeding profusely from wounds to his face and skull.”
More here
Its attack on journalist Andy Ngo was beyond the pale. Federal law enforcement has an obligation to stop any extremist organization that is apparently organizing and precipitating violent attacks, especially if state and local authorities seem reluctant to take action against what has all the makings of a domestic terrorist organization.
The Portland Police Association released a statement after the attack criticizing the mayor for restricting the ability of the police to stop Antifa, saying, “Our hands are tied.”
The association also says it has no doubt that such restrictions would not have been in place “if this violence had been directed at Antifa.”
The well-known Quillette journalist wasn’t the only bystander attacked, as The Washington Times reports that “two [other] Oregon men—John Blum and Adam Kelly—were mobbed and pummeled by black-masked protesters in a horrific attack that left Mr. Blum bleeding profusely from wounds to his face and skull.”
More here
The Legal Reason Why Trump MUST Ask About Citizenship On The Census.
Speaking as a lawyer myself: Lawyers are oftentimes annoying. We are oftentimes far more trouble than we are (literally and proverbially) worth. But sometimes — just sometimes — a bit of clever lawyering can truly go the wrong way.
As The Daily Wire reported two weeks ago, the nine robed oracles of the U.S. Supreme Court dealt the Trump administration a substantial legal blow in the case of Department of Commerce v. New York — the case challenging U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross's much-ballyhooed decision to add a question pertaining to citizenship status on the upcoming decennial census, to be held in 2020.
The Court held that, though lacking neither constitutional nor statutory support, the administration's decision to include the citizenship question on the asserted grounds of collecting data for purposes of Voting Rights Act enforcement was "pretextual."
In other words, the Court held that the administration seemed to be harboring an ulterior motive or pernicious agenda, and that this motive or agenda rendered an otherwise-constitutionally and statutorily legitimate census question inclusion "arbitrary and capricious," and thus invalid.
The Court's holding in New York was an astonishing breach of the judicial duty. Justice Clarence Thomas excoriated Chief Justice Roberts' reasoning, decrying it as "the first time ever" that "the Court invalidates an agency action solely because it questions the sincerity of the agency’s otherwise adequate rationale."
Justice Samuel Alito, even more livid, defiantly asserted that "the Federal Judiciary has no authority to stick its nose into the question whether it is good policy to include a citizenship question on the census or whether the reasons given by Secretary Ross for that decision were his only reasons or his real reasons."
More here
As The Daily Wire reported two weeks ago, the nine robed oracles of the U.S. Supreme Court dealt the Trump administration a substantial legal blow in the case of Department of Commerce v. New York — the case challenging U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross's much-ballyhooed decision to add a question pertaining to citizenship status on the upcoming decennial census, to be held in 2020.
The Court held that, though lacking neither constitutional nor statutory support, the administration's decision to include the citizenship question on the asserted grounds of collecting data for purposes of Voting Rights Act enforcement was "pretextual."
In other words, the Court held that the administration seemed to be harboring an ulterior motive or pernicious agenda, and that this motive or agenda rendered an otherwise-constitutionally and statutorily legitimate census question inclusion "arbitrary and capricious," and thus invalid.
The Court's holding in New York was an astonishing breach of the judicial duty. Justice Clarence Thomas excoriated Chief Justice Roberts' reasoning, decrying it as "the first time ever" that "the Court invalidates an agency action solely because it questions the sincerity of the agency’s otherwise adequate rationale."
Justice Samuel Alito, even more livid, defiantly asserted that "the Federal Judiciary has no authority to stick its nose into the question whether it is good policy to include a citizenship question on the census or whether the reasons given by Secretary Ross for that decision were his only reasons or his real reasons."
More here
BERLIN: Planned Power Outage Tomorrow
Berlin Electric has scheduled two town-wide power outages for Wednesday, July 10, 2019 at 12:30 a.m. and Friday, July 12, 2019 at 12:30 a.m. to make repairs to essential equipment. Those on medical devices that require electric should make arrangements for a temporary power source or relocate to a place outside of the Town of Berlin electric footprint. Anyone experiencing issues during the outage should call the Berlin Police Department (410-641-1333) for medical problems 911 should be contacted.
The outages will last approximately 2-3 hours each.
Copycat Blue Bell ice cream licker arrested in Louisiana
A 36-year-old man has been arrested after filming himself copying a teen's viral video in which she licked a half gallon of Blue Bell ice cream in a supermarket, Louisiana authorities said. Assumption Parish Sheriff's Office (APSO) deputies took Lenise Martin III into custody on Saturday, CBS Baton Rouge affiliate WAFB-TV reports.
With two children nearby, Martin took a video of himself inside a Belle Rose store taking a Blue Bell container, licking the ice cream and moving his fingers inside before returning it to the refrigerator. He smiled during the act too.
Investigators say after management became aware of the video, Martin returned to the store and showed the clerk a receipt to prove he'd purchased the ice cream WAFB-TV reported. Management at the store later alerted authorities, who questioned Martin. Deputies then charged him with unlawful posting of criminal activity for notoriety and publicity and tampering with property.
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With two children nearby, Martin took a video of himself inside a Belle Rose store taking a Blue Bell container, licking the ice cream and moving his fingers inside before returning it to the refrigerator. He smiled during the act too.
Investigators say after management became aware of the video, Martin returned to the store and showed the clerk a receipt to prove he'd purchased the ice cream WAFB-TV reported. Management at the store later alerted authorities, who questioned Martin. Deputies then charged him with unlawful posting of criminal activity for notoriety and publicity and tampering with property.
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Barr says he sees a legal path for census citizenship query
EDGEFIELD, South Carolina — Attorney General William Barr said Monday that he sees a legal path to adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census, despite a Supreme Court ruling that blocked its inclusion, at least temporarily.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Barr said the Trump administration will take action in the coming days that he believes will allow the government to ask the controversial question. Barr would not detail the administration's plans, though a senior official said President Donald Trump is expected to issue a presidential memorandum to the Commerce Department instructing it to include the question.
The Supreme Court's June ruling was a blow to Trump , who has been pressing for the government to ask about citizenship on next year's census. The U.S. Census Bureau's experts have said a question asking about citizenship would discourage immigrants from participating in the survey and result in a less accurate census. That in turn would redistribute money and political power away from Democratic-led cities where immigrants tend to cluster to whiter, rural areas where Republicans do well.
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In an interview with The Associated Press, Barr said the Trump administration will take action in the coming days that he believes will allow the government to ask the controversial question. Barr would not detail the administration's plans, though a senior official said President Donald Trump is expected to issue a presidential memorandum to the Commerce Department instructing it to include the question.
The Supreme Court's June ruling was a blow to Trump , who has been pressing for the government to ask about citizenship on next year's census. The U.S. Census Bureau's experts have said a question asking about citizenship would discourage immigrants from participating in the survey and result in a less accurate census. That in turn would redistribute money and political power away from Democratic-led cities where immigrants tend to cluster to whiter, rural areas where Republicans do well.
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Women Get Into Insane Brawl During Chicago Cubs Game In Viral Video
A bunch of women got into an insane brawl in the stands when the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs played each other Sunday.
It’s not clear what started the bizarre altercation, but the women involved were absolutely unloading on each other
I’m not talking about a few minor slaps. I’m talking about women all out swinging on one another. One of the highlights of the majestic film is when security tries to place one woman in cuffs, and then another woman tries to physically stop them!
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It’s not clear what started the bizarre altercation, but the women involved were absolutely unloading on each other
I’m not talking about a few minor slaps. I’m talking about women all out swinging on one another. One of the highlights of the majestic film is when security tries to place one woman in cuffs, and then another woman tries to physically stop them!
More/Video
5-in-9 Hispanics, 6-in-10 Black Americans Support Citizenship Question on Census
The majority of Hispanic and black Americans support President Trump’s effort to ask all respondents on the 2020 Census whether or not they are an American citizen, a new poll finds.
The latest Harvard/Harris Poll reveals that a majority of five-in-nine Hispanic voters, or 55 percent, and nearly six-in-ten black American voters, or about 59 percent, said they support a question on the upcoming census that would ask U.S. residents whether they are American citizens or not.
Overall, about 67 percent of U.S. voters said the citizenship question should be on the Census, including 72 percent of white Americans, nearly nine-in-ten Republican voters, 63 percent of swing voters, and 64 percent to 69 percent of working class Americans.
Trump’s Commerce Department first announced last year that the American citizenship question would be put back on the Census for 2020, as Breitbart News noted. Since 1950, the citizenship question has not been asked on the full Census, leaving the nation without an exact estimate of how many citizens and how many non-citizens are in the country.
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The latest Harvard/Harris Poll reveals that a majority of five-in-nine Hispanic voters, or 55 percent, and nearly six-in-ten black American voters, or about 59 percent, said they support a question on the upcoming census that would ask U.S. residents whether they are American citizens or not.
Overall, about 67 percent of U.S. voters said the citizenship question should be on the Census, including 72 percent of white Americans, nearly nine-in-ten Republican voters, 63 percent of swing voters, and 64 percent to 69 percent of working class Americans.
Trump’s Commerce Department first announced last year that the American citizenship question would be put back on the Census for 2020, as Breitbart News noted. Since 1950, the citizenship question has not been asked on the full Census, leaving the nation without an exact estimate of how many citizens and how many non-citizens are in the country.
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Indiana Toddler Falls to Death From Docked Cruise Ship in San Juan
A baby girl on board a cruise ship docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico died Sunday after she reportedly slipped from her grandfather’s grip and tumbled out an open window.
The incident, which occurred on the Royal Caribbean ship, Freedom of the Seas, was confirmed on Twitter by the Department of Public Safety of Puerto Rico and by Anthony Maceira, Puerto Rico’s Secretary for Public Affairs.
“Unfortunately the news of an accident [involving] a baby on a cruise is true,” Maceira wrote, referring to the incident as “a real tragedy.” “The [Department of Public Safety] is working the issue with the seriousness and sensitivity required.”
A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean also confirmed the incident in a statement to PEOPLE.
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RELATED: Family 'in Shock' After Baby Apparently Slips from Grandfather's Hands & Falls from Cruise Ship
The incident, which occurred on the Royal Caribbean ship, Freedom of the Seas, was confirmed on Twitter by the Department of Public Safety of Puerto Rico and by Anthony Maceira, Puerto Rico’s Secretary for Public Affairs.
“Unfortunately the news of an accident [involving] a baby on a cruise is true,” Maceira wrote, referring to the incident as “a real tragedy.” “The [Department of Public Safety] is working the issue with the seriousness and sensitivity required.”
A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean also confirmed the incident in a statement to PEOPLE.
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RELATED: Family 'in Shock' After Baby Apparently Slips from Grandfather's Hands & Falls from Cruise Ship
What the Media’s Selective Silence on Antifa Attack Proves
The muted media response to Antifa’s attack on Andy Ngo, a journalist who was covering an Antifa protest in Portland last week, demonstrates why the media is quickly losing credibility among Americans.
There was little coverage of the attack, which left Ngo hospitalized with a brain hemorrhage. Even outlets that covered the assault, like Yahoo News, published headlines like “Right-wing protesters, ‘antifa’ clashes bring chaos to streets of Portland, Oregon,” which sounds much more neutral than “Antifa bashes journalist.”
Compare that with the coverage of a Trump rally in El Paso that took place in February, where a BBC journalist was shoved by a Trump supporter. Though Trump had nothing to do with the incident, and though the White House later condemned the “act of violence,” multiple publications, including the Washington Post, BuzzFeed, USA Today, The Guardian, and the BBC all portrayed the attack as a natural consequence of President Donald Trump’s criticism of the media.
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There was little coverage of the attack, which left Ngo hospitalized with a brain hemorrhage. Even outlets that covered the assault, like Yahoo News, published headlines like “Right-wing protesters, ‘antifa’ clashes bring chaos to streets of Portland, Oregon,” which sounds much more neutral than “Antifa bashes journalist.”
Compare that with the coverage of a Trump rally in El Paso that took place in February, where a BBC journalist was shoved by a Trump supporter. Though Trump had nothing to do with the incident, and though the White House later condemned the “act of violence,” multiple publications, including the Washington Post, BuzzFeed, USA Today, The Guardian, and the BBC all portrayed the attack as a natural consequence of President Donald Trump’s criticism of the media.
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Missing circus dog ‘Pierre’ found after disappearance in Smyrna
SMYRNA — Pierre the performing dog was in transit to New England Monday after going missing following a Fourth of July performance in Smyrna.
The mixed breed canine was in good shape when located Saturday night after perhaps getting stolen from the Zebrini Family Circus two days earlier.
Smyrna Police spokesman Cpl. Brian Donner said it was “unknown at this time if someone just let the dog out of its kennel or they physically removed it and then brought it back to George C. Wright Memorial Park on North Main Street.”
Zebrini Family Circus spokeswoman Margaret Valencia said 3-year-old Pierre wasn’t prone to straying from his kennel, and speculated that someone may have entered a custom made, air conditioned trailer and seized the four-legged crowd pleaser around 7 p.m.
“Even if the cage is open Pierre gets out he doesn’t wander,” she said.
“There were a lot of people from the public roaming in that area and we knew right away that he hadn’t run away.
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The mixed breed canine was in good shape when located Saturday night after perhaps getting stolen from the Zebrini Family Circus two days earlier.
Smyrna Police spokesman Cpl. Brian Donner said it was “unknown at this time if someone just let the dog out of its kennel or they physically removed it and then brought it back to George C. Wright Memorial Park on North Main Street.”
Zebrini Family Circus spokeswoman Margaret Valencia said 3-year-old Pierre wasn’t prone to straying from his kennel, and speculated that someone may have entered a custom made, air conditioned trailer and seized the four-legged crowd pleaser around 7 p.m.
“Even if the cage is open Pierre gets out he doesn’t wander,” she said.
“There were a lot of people from the public roaming in that area and we knew right away that he hadn’t run away.
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‘Let Us Provide Our Own Security’: Virginia Beach Manager Petitions for Guns at Work
Vincent Smith wasn’t in the office when a fellow Virginia Beach city employee opened fire there, ultimately killing 12 and wounding five in the carnage five weeks ago.
After getting notice of the shooting that afternoon in Building 2 of the Virginia Beach Municipal Center, Smith, 49, raced to the nearby emergency operations center, where he helped out until late in the night.
It was soon clear that although law enforcement arrived within two minutes of the report May 31 of an active shooter, the gunman had been able to move through offices and fire at fellow city employees without being confronted by another firearm.
Now, Smith, the city’s division manager for construction services, is taking action in hopes of preventing such a situation from occurring again.
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After getting notice of the shooting that afternoon in Building 2 of the Virginia Beach Municipal Center, Smith, 49, raced to the nearby emergency operations center, where he helped out until late in the night.
It was soon clear that although law enforcement arrived within two minutes of the report May 31 of an active shooter, the gunman had been able to move through offices and fire at fellow city employees without being confronted by another firearm.
Now, Smith, the city’s division manager for construction services, is taking action in hopes of preventing such a situation from occurring again.
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FBI, ICE find state driver’s license photos are a gold mine for facial-recognition searches
Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Immigration and Customs Enforcement have turned state driver’s license databases into a facial-recognition gold mine, scanning through millions of Americans’ photos without their knowledge or consent, newly released documents show.
Thousands of facial-recognition requests, internal documents and emails over the past five years, obtained through public-records requests by researchers with Georgetown Law’s Center on Privacy and Technology and provided to The Washington Post, reveal that federal investigators have turned state departments of motor vehicles databases into the bedrock of an unprecedented surveillance infrastructure.
Police have long had access to fingerprints, DNA and other “biometric data” taken from criminal suspects. But the DMV records contain the photos of a vast majority of a state’s residents, most of whom have never been charged with a crime.
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Thousands of facial-recognition requests, internal documents and emails over the past five years, obtained through public-records requests by researchers with Georgetown Law’s Center on Privacy and Technology and provided to The Washington Post, reveal that federal investigators have turned state departments of motor vehicles databases into the bedrock of an unprecedented surveillance infrastructure.
Police have long had access to fingerprints, DNA and other “biometric data” taken from criminal suspects. But the DMV records contain the photos of a vast majority of a state’s residents, most of whom have never been charged with a crime.
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Pelosi Rips Ocasio-Cortez, Other Progressives: ‘They’re Four People And That’s How Many Votes They Got’
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Ca.) ripped Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) in a New York Times interview, criticizing the democratic-socialist representative for not having a significant following outside of social media.
Pelosi's criticism targeted Ocasio-Cortez along with other progressives, including: Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D., Mich.) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D., Mass.).
"All these people have their public whatever and their Twitter world," Pelosi told the Times. "But they didn’t have any following. They’re four people and that’s how many votes they got."
The interview addresses the recent $4.6 billion border aid package passed by the House despite resistance from Ocasio-Cortez and the more progressive members in the Democratic caucus.
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Pelosi's criticism targeted Ocasio-Cortez along with other progressives, including: Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D., Mich.) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D., Mass.).
"All these people have their public whatever and their Twitter world," Pelosi told the Times. "But they didn’t have any following. They’re four people and that’s how many votes they got."
The interview addresses the recent $4.6 billion border aid package passed by the House despite resistance from Ocasio-Cortez and the more progressive members in the Democratic caucus.
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Media Push Trump-Jeffrey Epstein Conspiracy Theories Without Evidence
The establishment media are attempting to link President Donald Trump to Jeffrey Epstein without any evidence connecting him to the underage sex-trafficking case against the billionaire hedge fund manager.
Immediately following a Daily Beast report revealing Epstein’s Saturday day arrest, a handful of news figures and outlets posted social media posts and stories painting a picture that the wealthy investor’s arrest was bad news for President Trump — with one editor even going as far to suggest he could be directly implicated in the case.
Tim O’Brien, a Trump biographer and Bloomberg Opinion executive editor, kicked off speculation by tweeting a years-old quote of then-real estate tycoon Trump about Epstein from a New York magazine profile on the billionaire.
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Immediately following a Daily Beast report revealing Epstein’s Saturday day arrest, a handful of news figures and outlets posted social media posts and stories painting a picture that the wealthy investor’s arrest was bad news for President Trump — with one editor even going as far to suggest he could be directly implicated in the case.
Tim O’Brien, a Trump biographer and Bloomberg Opinion executive editor, kicked off speculation by tweeting a years-old quote of then-real estate tycoon Trump about Epstein from a New York magazine profile on the billionaire.
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Here We Go, Caribbean Joe's Opens Today At 1 PM
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