Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, said Tuesday that former FBI lawyer Lisa Page has been more helpful than FBI agent Peter Strzok when it comes to answering their questions about how the FBI handled the Russia and Hillary Clinton investigations.
"She has given us more insights to who was involved in what," Gohmert told Fox News.
"She's a more contrite person," he added. "But make no mistake ... she's a Democrat. She wanted Hillary to win and she did not want Trump to win, and that's been obvious."
Gohmert said Page has not contradicted Strzok, with whom she had an affair that was discovered by the Justice Department's inspector general. The two texted each other anti-Trump messages, which led to GOP claims that the FBI was biased against President Trump and for Clinton.
But Gohmert said Page has generally been more cooperative, which he indicated has opened more doors in the House Republican probe.
Gohmert said, for example, that there are other FBI supervisors involved in the GOP investigation besides Strzok, although he didn't name them. He also indicated that former CIA Director John Brennan and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper could be involved.
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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
Wednesday, July 18, 2018
The Janus Decision Scored a Major Win for Workers' Rights. Here's What Should Come Next.
Last month’s Supreme Court decision in Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees hit public-sector unions like a bombshell.
Now that public-sector unions can no longer extract union fees from workers who want nothing to do with them, public unions will have to work harder to provide services that will prompt workers to join their ranks.
The question explored in the Janus case was whether or not forcing non-members to pay union dues violates their First Amendment rights. That issue was addressed narrowly as a matter of free speech, but more broadly it had much to do with wrongful coercion.
Both members and non-members of public-sector unions can opt out of paying the portion of dues that explicitly goes to the union’s political activities. But, until recently, non-members could still be forced by law to pay what was called a “fair share” fee, because even non-members could receive the benefits of union representation (since unions have a monopoly on worker-employer negotiations).
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Now that public-sector unions can no longer extract union fees from workers who want nothing to do with them, public unions will have to work harder to provide services that will prompt workers to join their ranks.
The question explored in the Janus case was whether or not forcing non-members to pay union dues violates their First Amendment rights. That issue was addressed narrowly as a matter of free speech, but more broadly it had much to do with wrongful coercion.
Both members and non-members of public-sector unions can opt out of paying the portion of dues that explicitly goes to the union’s political activities. But, until recently, non-members could still be forced by law to pay what was called a “fair share” fee, because even non-members could receive the benefits of union representation (since unions have a monopoly on worker-employer negotiations).
More
WATCH: Obama Turns On Identity Politics, Says We Should Understand ‘People Who Are Different Than Us’
Former President Barack Obama has seemingly turned on identity politics and the notion of “intersectionality” — the idea that some people have more layers of oppression than others and are therefore more qualified to speak on issues of race, gender, etc.
While speaking in Johannesburg, South Africa, at an event honoring the 100thanniversary of the late Nelson Mandela’s birth, Obama implored the audience to listen to those who are not like us.
“Democracy demands that we’re able also to get inside the reality of people who are different than us, so we can understand their point of view,” Obama said. “Maybe we can change their minds but maybe they’ll change ours.”
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While speaking in Johannesburg, South Africa, at an event honoring the 100thanniversary of the late Nelson Mandela’s birth, Obama implored the audience to listen to those who are not like us.
“Democracy demands that we’re able also to get inside the reality of people who are different than us, so we can understand their point of view,” Obama said. “Maybe we can change their minds but maybe they’ll change ours.”
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Mass Migration: "The Fatal Solvent Of The EU"
"Far from leading to fusion, Europe's migration crisis is leading to fission", Stanford's historian Niall Ferguson recently wrote."Increasingly, I believe that the issue of migration will be seen by future historians as the fatal solvent of the EU". Week after week, Mr. Ferguson's prediction seems to be turning into a reality.
Not only does Europe continue to fragment as anti-immigration sentiment gathers political strength, but, as a result of the migrant crisis, the EU's border-free internal zone, Europe's most cherished prize after the Second World War, is now defined as "at risk" by the Italian government, among other governments, such and Austria.
Immigration is also redefining the intra-EU contract.
The Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, the so called "Visegrad Group", recently called for EU border defense. "We have to have a Europe capable of defending us", Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said as well, after he was invited to join the Visegrad meeting.
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Not only does Europe continue to fragment as anti-immigration sentiment gathers political strength, but, as a result of the migrant crisis, the EU's border-free internal zone, Europe's most cherished prize after the Second World War, is now defined as "at risk" by the Italian government, among other governments, such and Austria.
Immigration is also redefining the intra-EU contract.
The Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, the so called "Visegrad Group", recently called for EU border defense. "We have to have a Europe capable of defending us", Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said as well, after he was invited to join the Visegrad meeting.
More
Sessions Announces New Taskforce to Tackle Fentanyl
Ten counties to get zero tolerance prosecution for fentanyl offenses
Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Thursday a surge in federal prosecutors to combat the boom in fentanyl trafficking and associated deaths.
"We are going to arrest, prosecute, and convict fentanyl dealers and we are going to put them in jail," Sessions said.
The initiative, operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), will see federal prosecutors targeting synthetic opioid peddling as part of an effort to cut down on the deadliest drugs in America.
Drug overdoses—of which there were some 64,000 fatal instances in 2016—are the leading cause of injury death in the United States, and have single-handedly driven down the life expectancy of white Americans. In his speech, Sessions said the data for 2017 suggest we are not out of the woods yet.
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Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Thursday a surge in federal prosecutors to combat the boom in fentanyl trafficking and associated deaths.
"We are going to arrest, prosecute, and convict fentanyl dealers and we are going to put them in jail," Sessions said.
The initiative, operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), will see federal prosecutors targeting synthetic opioid peddling as part of an effort to cut down on the deadliest drugs in America.
Drug overdoses—of which there were some 64,000 fatal instances in 2016—are the leading cause of injury death in the United States, and have single-handedly driven down the life expectancy of white Americans. In his speech, Sessions said the data for 2017 suggest we are not out of the woods yet.
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Rabid Wolf Blitzer Flips Out On Rand Paul For Standing With Trump, Questioning U.S. Intel
Paul said he thinks partisan hacks attacking Trump may be suffering from “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
An hysterical Wolf Blitzer threw a hissy fit Monday on CNN after Senator Rand Paul said he “absolutely” stands with President Trump after his meeting with Putin in Helsinki and said he thinks partisan hacks attacking Trump may be suffering from “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
While President Donald Trump’s statements on Russia at a joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin were widely condemned by a group of bipartisan lawmakers, at least one US senator took a stand and said he was “absolutely” with the president.
“I think engagement with our adversaries, conversations with our adversaries, is a good idea,” Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said during an interview with CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer. “Even in the height of the Cold War, I think it was a good thing that [President John F. Kennedy] had a direct line to [Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev].”
Paul then went beyond backing Trump’s comments and blamed partisan leanings for the ongoing outrage.
More/Video
An hysterical Wolf Blitzer threw a hissy fit Monday on CNN after Senator Rand Paul said he “absolutely” stands with President Trump after his meeting with Putin in Helsinki and said he thinks partisan hacks attacking Trump may be suffering from “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
While President Donald Trump’s statements on Russia at a joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin were widely condemned by a group of bipartisan lawmakers, at least one US senator took a stand and said he was “absolutely” with the president.
“I think engagement with our adversaries, conversations with our adversaries, is a good idea,” Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said during an interview with CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer. “Even in the height of the Cold War, I think it was a good thing that [President John F. Kennedy] had a direct line to [Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev].”
Paul then went beyond backing Trump’s comments and blamed partisan leanings for the ongoing outrage.
More/Video
Fla. School Shooting Suspect Appears In Court
The alleged Parkland shooter is back in court, as a judge determines how much of his confession should be released to the public.
The 19-year-old appeared in court Monday, where media organizations asked a judge to allow disclosure of the confession video under public records law.
However, the alleged gunman’s attorney argued releasing the statement would jeopardize his right to a fair trail.
The judge deferred her ruling and said she will allow the defense 10 days to appeal.
The teen is accused of killing 17 people during the school shooting in February.
The next hearing is scheduled for next month.
Source
The 19-year-old appeared in court Monday, where media organizations asked a judge to allow disclosure of the confession video under public records law.
However, the alleged gunman’s attorney argued releasing the statement would jeopardize his right to a fair trail.
The judge deferred her ruling and said she will allow the defense 10 days to appeal.
The teen is accused of killing 17 people during the school shooting in February.
The next hearing is scheduled for next month.
Source
Trouble Ahead For The Housing Market
We're starting to see rising supply & flat/declining prices...
Our good friend John Rubino over at DollarCollapse.com just released an analysis titled US Housing Bubble Enters Stage 2: Suddenly Motivated Sellers.
He reminds us that housing bubbles follow a predictable progression:
Stage 1: Mania -- Prices rise at an accelerating rate as factors like excess central bank liquidity/low credit standards/hot foreign money drive a virtuous bidding cycle well above sustainably afforable levels.
Stage 2: Peak -- Increasingly jittery owners attempt to sell out before the party ends. Supply jumps as prices stagnate.
Stage 3: Bust -- As inventory builds, sellers start having to lower prices. This begins a vicious cycle : buyers go on strike not wanting to catch a falling knife, causing sellers to drop prices further.
More
Our good friend John Rubino over at DollarCollapse.com just released an analysis titled US Housing Bubble Enters Stage 2: Suddenly Motivated Sellers.
He reminds us that housing bubbles follow a predictable progression:
Stage 1: Mania -- Prices rise at an accelerating rate as factors like excess central bank liquidity/low credit standards/hot foreign money drive a virtuous bidding cycle well above sustainably afforable levels.
Stage 2: Peak -- Increasingly jittery owners attempt to sell out before the party ends. Supply jumps as prices stagnate.
Stage 3: Bust -- As inventory builds, sellers start having to lower prices. This begins a vicious cycle : buyers go on strike not wanting to catch a falling knife, causing sellers to drop prices further.
More
Recruiting for 2020 Census Tough When Unemployment is Low
Recruiting enough workers to fill the hundreds of thousands of temporary positions needed to take the 2020 Census won’t be easy, given the current economic climate, but the Census Bureau is more than up to the challenge.
For the decennial census, the Census Bureau will need a large and diverse workforce to follow up by phone or in person with households that do not respond to the questionnaire.
But, the lower the unemployment rate, the harder it can be to recruit.
Before the 2010 Census, unemployment was at its highest levels since the early 1980s. It peaked at 10.0 percent in October 2009 and hovered between 9.3 and 9.8 percent throughout 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Today’s environment is much different, with the unemployment rate down to 4.0 percent as of June 2018.
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For the decennial census, the Census Bureau will need a large and diverse workforce to follow up by phone or in person with households that do not respond to the questionnaire.
But, the lower the unemployment rate, the harder it can be to recruit.
Before the 2010 Census, unemployment was at its highest levels since the early 1980s. It peaked at 10.0 percent in October 2009 and hovered between 9.3 and 9.8 percent throughout 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Today’s environment is much different, with the unemployment rate down to 4.0 percent as of June 2018.
More
IRS Will Now Allow Some Tax Exempt Groups to Keep Donor Data Private
The IRS is moving to protect the identities of political donors after past leaks targeted conservatives.
On Monday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the information is not necessary for the agency to enforce tax laws.
The policy change allows certain tax exempt groups like the NRA to withhold the names of financial donors as long as more than half the money is not spent on campaign activities.
However, the IRS still requires the organizations keep a record of their donor’s names and addresses in case of an audit.
Conservatives have been critical of the IRS since it was found to have targeted groups aligned with the Tea Party under the Obama administration.
Source
On Monday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the information is not necessary for the agency to enforce tax laws.
The policy change allows certain tax exempt groups like the NRA to withhold the names of financial donors as long as more than half the money is not spent on campaign activities.
However, the IRS still requires the organizations keep a record of their donor’s names and addresses in case of an audit.
Conservatives have been critical of the IRS since it was found to have targeted groups aligned with the Tea Party under the Obama administration.
Source
Pat Buchanan: "Trump Calls Off Cold War II"
Beginning his joint press conference with Vladimir Putin, President Trump declared that U.S. relations with Russia have “never been worse.”
He then added pointedly, that just changed “about four hours ago.”
It certainly did. With his remarks in Helsinki and at the NATO summit in Brussels, Trump has signaled a historic shift in U.S. foreign policy that may determine the future of this nation and the fate of his presidency.
He has rejected the fundamental premises of American foreign policy since the end of the Cold War and blamed our wretched relations with Russia, not on Vladimir Putin, but squarely on the U.S. establishment.
In a tweet prior to the meeting, Trump indicted the elites of both parties: “Our relationship with Russia has NEVER been worse thanks to many years of U.S. foolishness and stupidity and now, the Rigged Witch Hunt!”
Trump thereby repudiated the records and agendas of the neocons and their liberal interventionist allies, as well as the archipelago of War Party think tanks beavering away inside the Beltway.
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He then added pointedly, that just changed “about four hours ago.”
It certainly did. With his remarks in Helsinki and at the NATO summit in Brussels, Trump has signaled a historic shift in U.S. foreign policy that may determine the future of this nation and the fate of his presidency.
He has rejected the fundamental premises of American foreign policy since the end of the Cold War and blamed our wretched relations with Russia, not on Vladimir Putin, but squarely on the U.S. establishment.
In a tweet prior to the meeting, Trump indicted the elites of both parties: “Our relationship with Russia has NEVER been worse thanks to many years of U.S. foolishness and stupidity and now, the Rigged Witch Hunt!”
Trump thereby repudiated the records and agendas of the neocons and their liberal interventionist allies, as well as the archipelago of War Party think tanks beavering away inside the Beltway.
More
SCAM ALERT: Police Warn Of E-Mail Scam Targeting Marylanders
The scam e-mail states that they have setup software on the “pornography” websites you have been visiting, and unless you pay the $2,000, they will released footage from your webcam.
Read the full scam e-mail below:
Read the full scam e-mail below:
Maryland Attorney General News Releases Update
Attorney General Frosh Joins Suit to Protect State Taxpayers from Increased Taxes Due to Limitations on State and Local Tax Deductions
Drastically Cutting SALT Deduction Could Cost Maryland Taxpayers Estimated $1.7 Billion in 2018 Alone;
New Federal Tax Law Targets and Will Disproportionately Harm Maryland, While Interfering with States’ Rights to Make Own Fiscal Decisions
BALTIMORE, MD – Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh today joined a lawsuit to protect Maryland and its taxpayers from the drastic curtailment of the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction. The lawsuit argues that the new SALT cap was enacted to target Maryland and similarly situated states, that it interferes with states’ rights to make their own fiscal decisions, and that it will disproportionately harm taxpayers in these states.
The 2017 federal tax law drastically reduced the deduction by capping it at $10,000. Maryland relies on state property and income taxes to fund a variety of critical services, including education, health care, public safety, and other priorities. More than 500,000 Marylanders will lose $6.5 billion in SALT deductions – an average of $11,800 per taxpayer. These changes will also have harmful collateral consequences for the State and its residents. With the decreased value of the property tax deduction, for example, many Marylanders will see decreases in the value of their homes. Maryland residents will have an incentive to move elsewhere, and attracting young families and skilled workers to the State will become more difficult, putting Maryland at a competitive disadvantage.
“Eliminating the SALT deduction will jack up taxes for more than half a million Marylanders,” said Attorney General Frosh. “It is an attack on state sovereignty. It will reduce funding for local law enforcement and for construction of infrastructure statewide, and it will cripple our ability to educate our kids.”
Read more in the full press release:http://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/press/2018/071718.pdf
Drastically Cutting SALT Deduction Could Cost Maryland Taxpayers Estimated $1.7 Billion in 2018 Alone;
New Federal Tax Law Targets and Will Disproportionately Harm Maryland, While Interfering with States’ Rights to Make Own Fiscal Decisions
BALTIMORE, MD – Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh today joined a lawsuit to protect Maryland and its taxpayers from the drastic curtailment of the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction. The lawsuit argues that the new SALT cap was enacted to target Maryland and similarly situated states, that it interferes with states’ rights to make their own fiscal decisions, and that it will disproportionately harm taxpayers in these states.
The 2017 federal tax law drastically reduced the deduction by capping it at $10,000. Maryland relies on state property and income taxes to fund a variety of critical services, including education, health care, public safety, and other priorities. More than 500,000 Marylanders will lose $6.5 billion in SALT deductions – an average of $11,800 per taxpayer. These changes will also have harmful collateral consequences for the State and its residents. With the decreased value of the property tax deduction, for example, many Marylanders will see decreases in the value of their homes. Maryland residents will have an incentive to move elsewhere, and attracting young families and skilled workers to the State will become more difficult, putting Maryland at a competitive disadvantage.
“Eliminating the SALT deduction will jack up taxes for more than half a million Marylanders,” said Attorney General Frosh. “It is an attack on state sovereignty. It will reduce funding for local law enforcement and for construction of infrastructure statewide, and it will cripple our ability to educate our kids.”
Read more in the full press release:http://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/press/2018/071718.pdf
Intel Chair: FBI, DOJ Obstructing Trump Probe in Hope of Dem Takeover in Congress
The chair of the House Intelligence Committee accused the FBI and Department of Justice of stonewalling a sprawling investigation into claims the Trump campaign colluded with Russia with the hope of running out the clock until the November elections, when they anticipate Democrats will regain control of the House and dissolve an ongoing probe that has uncovered evidence U.S. officials sought to cripple Trump's campaign.
Rep. Devin Nunes (R., Calif.), in a wide-ranging audio interview with his House colleague Rep. Sean Duffy (R., Wis.), accused top officials at the FBI and DOJ of "putting all their chips on the Republicans losing the House" so that their Democratic allies can "shut down" the longstanding Intelligence Committee probe, which has unearthed information disputing claims of collusion in recent months.
More here
Rep. Devin Nunes (R., Calif.), in a wide-ranging audio interview with his House colleague Rep. Sean Duffy (R., Wis.), accused top officials at the FBI and DOJ of "putting all their chips on the Republicans losing the House" so that their Democratic allies can "shut down" the longstanding Intelligence Committee probe, which has unearthed information disputing claims of collusion in recent months.
More here
Did we expect president to call Putin a liar on global TV?
President Trump bungled the Helsinki press conference. Of that there is no question. But were his comments treasonous, as former CIA chief John Brennan said? Or was it, as John McCain thundered, “one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory?"
Trump’s critics responded with customary vitriol and excess, attacking the president in such extreme terms that his supporters only dig in even deeper. Democrats and never-Trumpers cannot help themselves; over the past two years, the public has grown weary of the non-stop, five-alarm fires, and they have tuned out.
To be sure, President Trump missed an opportunity to publicly and sternly warn Russian President Vladimir Putin against interfering in future U.S. elections. Just as importantly, he never articulated why it was crucial to reset relations with Russia, as every preceding administration has tried to do. He failed to describe the many arenas in which the two countries could work together.
But really, did anyone really expect him to declare the Russian leader a liar on global TV? What would have been the point of traveling to Helsinki and arranging a summit between the world’s two biggest nuclear powers, only to scuttle the chance at a new and improved relationship?
More
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/07/17/liz-peek-trump-critics-predictably-melt-down-over-helsinki-summit.html
Trump’s critics responded with customary vitriol and excess, attacking the president in such extreme terms that his supporters only dig in even deeper. Democrats and never-Trumpers cannot help themselves; over the past two years, the public has grown weary of the non-stop, five-alarm fires, and they have tuned out.
To be sure, President Trump missed an opportunity to publicly and sternly warn Russian President Vladimir Putin against interfering in future U.S. elections. Just as importantly, he never articulated why it was crucial to reset relations with Russia, as every preceding administration has tried to do. He failed to describe the many arenas in which the two countries could work together.
But really, did anyone really expect him to declare the Russian leader a liar on global TV? What would have been the point of traveling to Helsinki and arranging a summit between the world’s two biggest nuclear powers, only to scuttle the chance at a new and improved relationship?
More
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/07/17/liz-peek-trump-critics-predictably-melt-down-over-helsinki-summit.html
Former Trump critic Rep. Martha Roby wins runoff with president's help
Rep. Martha Roby, R-Ala., prevailed Tuesday in a primary runoff that also pitted two of the 2018 election cycle’s biggest bogeymen against each other: President Trump and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
Roby easily defeated former Rep. Bobby Bright, the man she replaced after she was first elected to Congress in the Tea Party wave of 2010, in a dramatic turnaround from the first round of voting in June. Back then, she could not break 40 percent of the vote, much less the majority required to avoid a runoff. On Tuesday night, she won by a 2-1 margin.
Bright had only recently crossed over from the Democratic Party. It is not unusual for a certain generation of Democrats to become Republicans in the Deep South. But Bright’s record is not especially conservative by Southern standards. He voted for Barack Obama for president and Pelosi for speaker, serving one term when Democrats had the majority and passed Obamacare.
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Roby easily defeated former Rep. Bobby Bright, the man she replaced after she was first elected to Congress in the Tea Party wave of 2010, in a dramatic turnaround from the first round of voting in June. Back then, she could not break 40 percent of the vote, much less the majority required to avoid a runoff. On Tuesday night, she won by a 2-1 margin.
Bright had only recently crossed over from the Democratic Party. It is not unusual for a certain generation of Democrats to become Republicans in the Deep South. But Bright’s record is not especially conservative by Southern standards. He voted for Barack Obama for president and Pelosi for speaker, serving one term when Democrats had the majority and passed Obamacare.
More
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