Nowadays, trade and "prosperity" are dependent on currencies that are created out of thin air via borrowing or printing.
So here's the story explaining why "free" trade and globalization create so much wonderful prosperity for all of us: I find a nation with cheap labor and no environmental laws anxious to give me cheap land and tax credits, so I move my factory from my high-cost, highly regulated nation to the low-cost nation, and keep all the profits I reap from the move for myself. Yea for free trade, I'm now far wealthier than I was before.
That's the story. Feel better about "free" trade and globalization now? Oh wait a minute, there's something missing--the part about "prosperity for all of us." Here's labor's share of U.S. GDP, which includes imports and exports, i.e. trade:
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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
Thursday, August 16, 2018
Alabama Coal Mine Reopens, Names Excavator After President
An Alabama coal mine is reopening thanks to President Trump’s efforts to save the coal industry from the job-killing regulatory burdens implemented by the Obama administration.
The Alabama coal mine, which closed in 2014, was highlighted by The Atlantic last month wherein former coal miner Randy Johnson said he would reopen his business and rehire his 22 coal miners. Johnson even named his new excavator “Trump” in tribute to the president he says helped save his business:
Randy Johnson looked on as his new 220-ton excavator carved up the ground, clearing the field of rocks to help unearth the coal underneath. Four weeks earlier, the central Alabama mine’s 22 employees had gathered to christen the $2.7 million purchase, painting “TRUMP” in white block letters along the excavator’s side. The day I visited, a recent Friday in July, those letters gleamed under the punishing southern sun, the machine’s every move—every swivel at the base, every curl of the claw—an implicit tribute to the 45th president. [Emphasis added]
It’s tradition in the mining industry to name the “big machines.” Apart from the land itself, they represent the bulk of capital for a new site. For Johnson, though, this excavator was emblematic of much more. The 71-year-old Alabama native and mining veteran had bowed out of the industry in 2014, when he says the Obama administration’s “war on coal” pummeled the market. But with Donald Trump’s election came a wave of “optimism,” he told me: optimism that the crush of regulations would ebb, that the “dirty” caricatures of the industry, aggravated by Barack Obama, would start to soften. So at the turn of the year, when he learned of an idle reserve in Bessemer, Johnson reopened his company, called one of his old foremen, and made the largest investment of his career. [Emphasis added]
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The Alabama coal mine, which closed in 2014, was highlighted by The Atlantic last month wherein former coal miner Randy Johnson said he would reopen his business and rehire his 22 coal miners. Johnson even named his new excavator “Trump” in tribute to the president he says helped save his business:
Randy Johnson looked on as his new 220-ton excavator carved up the ground, clearing the field of rocks to help unearth the coal underneath. Four weeks earlier, the central Alabama mine’s 22 employees had gathered to christen the $2.7 million purchase, painting “TRUMP” in white block letters along the excavator’s side. The day I visited, a recent Friday in July, those letters gleamed under the punishing southern sun, the machine’s every move—every swivel at the base, every curl of the claw—an implicit tribute to the 45th president. [Emphasis added]
It’s tradition in the mining industry to name the “big machines.” Apart from the land itself, they represent the bulk of capital for a new site. For Johnson, though, this excavator was emblematic of much more. The 71-year-old Alabama native and mining veteran had bowed out of the industry in 2014, when he says the Obama administration’s “war on coal” pummeled the market. But with Donald Trump’s election came a wave of “optimism,” he told me: optimism that the crush of regulations would ebb, that the “dirty” caricatures of the industry, aggravated by Barack Obama, would start to soften. So at the turn of the year, when he learned of an idle reserve in Bessemer, Johnson reopened his company, called one of his old foremen, and made the largest investment of his career. [Emphasis added]
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Man charged in Capital Gazette shooting asks for time to consider insanity plea
The man charged in the death of five people in the Capital Gazette newsroom may be considering a plea of not criminally responsible by reason of insanity, according to court records requesting more time to consider that defense.
Jarrod Ramos’ attorney has filed a motion Monday claiming there is “good cause” to extend the plea deadline. Maryland law requires a defendant enter a plea of not criminally responsible by reason of insanity when the defendant enters his or her official plea. A judge can allow an extension if there is good cause.
Public Defender William Davis wrote there are more than 800 documents to review in seeking the extension. Some materials, like crime scene photographs, he argued, have not been given to the defense yet.
Davis wrote he and Ramos need more time to review the records while considering the plea. Davis emphasized the reference to the plea in his request.
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Jarrod Ramos’ attorney has filed a motion Monday claiming there is “good cause” to extend the plea deadline. Maryland law requires a defendant enter a plea of not criminally responsible by reason of insanity when the defendant enters his or her official plea. A judge can allow an extension if there is good cause.
Public Defender William Davis wrote there are more than 800 documents to review in seeking the extension. Some materials, like crime scene photographs, he argued, have not been given to the defense yet.
Davis wrote he and Ramos need more time to review the records while considering the plea. Davis emphasized the reference to the plea in his request.
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Share program in favor of dockless Bird, Lime options
Baltimore has shut down its problem-plagued bike share program after less than two years and entered into a pilot program with two firms that offer dockless scooters and bikes, Mayor Catherine Pugh said Wednesday. The city has entered into agreements to allow Bird, which launched a pilot fleet of more than 60 dockless, electric scooters in the city this summer, and Lime, which offers dockless bicycles and scooters, to each place 1,000 scooters or bikes on the streets. The bikes and scooters will come at no cost to the city, unlike the now-canceled program, which cost the city a total of $3.2 million, according to the Department of Transportation.
Four Girls Fight Off Would-Be Kidnapper at Summer Festival
The girls protected themselves the only way they knew how — kicking and scratching their attempted kidnapper and throwing a cup of iced coffee in his face.
That was the scene in Millington, Mich., a small village with 1,000 residents situated 35 miles north of Flint, on the evening of Aug. 10. A 22-year-old man, identified as Bruce Hipkins, tried to abduct Allison Eickhoff, 11, her father and the police said.
At about 10 p.m., Allison, her 13-year-old sister Lauren, and two of their friends were outside the Speedway convenience store on State Road, having just come from the village’s annual Old-Fashioned Summer Festival, where the community had gathered for street parties, tractor shows, a frog-jumping contest and a lively parade.
The man followed the girls out of the Speedway and across the street into a parking lot. According to the Millington Police, he grabbed Allison by the face and mouth and told her she was coming with him.
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That was the scene in Millington, Mich., a small village with 1,000 residents situated 35 miles north of Flint, on the evening of Aug. 10. A 22-year-old man, identified as Bruce Hipkins, tried to abduct Allison Eickhoff, 11, her father and the police said.
At about 10 p.m., Allison, her 13-year-old sister Lauren, and two of their friends were outside the Speedway convenience store on State Road, having just come from the village’s annual Old-Fashioned Summer Festival, where the community had gathered for street parties, tractor shows, a frog-jumping contest and a lively parade.
The man followed the girls out of the Speedway and across the street into a parking lot. According to the Millington Police, he grabbed Allison by the face and mouth and told her she was coming with him.
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Why the Explosive Report on Catholic Church Abuse Is Unlikely to Yield Criminal Charges
The searing grand jury report issued Tuesday in Pennsylvania that accuses bishops and other Roman Catholic Church leaders in that state of covering up child sexual abuse by more than 300 priests has prompted growing calls for justice, while leaving Americans wondering about the broader impact of the revelations on the church and other institutions.
But a web of legal barriers stands in the way of prosecuting most of the cases, and efforts to ease those barriers have repeatedly run into political opposition and fierce lobbying by the church and other groups. Pennsylvania lags behind many other states in coming to grips with the problem, despite a series of grand jury investigations stretching back 15 years.
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But a web of legal barriers stands in the way of prosecuting most of the cases, and efforts to ease those barriers have repeatedly run into political opposition and fierce lobbying by the church and other groups. Pennsylvania lags behind many other states in coming to grips with the problem, despite a series of grand jury investigations stretching back 15 years.
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Twitter CEO: Alex Jones Suspended for 'Inciting Violence'
The CEO of Twitter provided more insight Wednesday as to why the social media network suspended conspiracy theorist Alex Jones from tweeting for a week.
Jack Dorsey spoke with multiple news organizations during a media tour in Washington, D.C., a list that included The Hill. He told the website that Jones posted a link to a Periscope video in which he appeared to incite violence.
"We were getting a number of reports around the tweet and the Periscope that the content was inciting violence, which is against our terms of service and we took action," Dorsey told The Hill.
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Jack Dorsey spoke with multiple news organizations during a media tour in Washington, D.C., a list that included The Hill. He told the website that Jones posted a link to a Periscope video in which he appeared to incite violence.
"We were getting a number of reports around the tweet and the Periscope that the content was inciting violence, which is against our terms of service and we took action," Dorsey told The Hill.
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New Zealand Bans Home Sales To Most Foreigners: 'It's Not A Right, It's A Privilege'
Determined to combat New Zealand's lofty housing prices, the country's lawmakers have trained their aim at a distant target: the buyers beyond their borders. By a close vote Wednesday, the Parliament passed a law banning most nonresident foreigners from purchasing existing homes or residential land.
The goal is simple, according to the bill's backers: to correct a domestic housing market that has seen prices skyrocket and homeownership plunge in the past decade. By thinning the pool of potential buyers, lawmakers hope to ease the property shortage that has been blamed for the country's bind.
"If you've got the right to live in New Zealand permanently, you've got the right to buy here. But otherwise it's not a right, it's a privilege," David Parker, New Zealand's minister for economic development and trade, said in a speech from the Parliament floor Wednesday. "We believe it's the birthright of New Zealanders to buy homes in New Zealand in a market that is shaped by New Zealand buyers, not by international price pressures."
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The goal is simple, according to the bill's backers: to correct a domestic housing market that has seen prices skyrocket and homeownership plunge in the past decade. By thinning the pool of potential buyers, lawmakers hope to ease the property shortage that has been blamed for the country's bind.
"If you've got the right to live in New Zealand permanently, you've got the right to buy here. But otherwise it's not a right, it's a privilege," David Parker, New Zealand's minister for economic development and trade, said in a speech from the Parliament floor Wednesday. "We believe it's the birthright of New Zealanders to buy homes in New Zealand in a market that is shaped by New Zealand buyers, not by international price pressures."
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Senior Chinese Monk Resigns After Sexual Misconduct Allegations
A top Buddhist monk in China has resigned from his post after accusations of sexual misconduct by multiple nuns.
Xuecheng was the president of the Buddhist Association of China. A statement on the organization's website posted Wednesday said that Xuecheng's resignation had been accepted at a council meeting.
Xuecheng "was an influential political adviser to the central government while heading the national Buddhist association," and is viewed as "one of China's best known monks and authors," according to The Associated Press.
He has publicly denied the reports of misconduct.
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Xuecheng was the president of the Buddhist Association of China. A statement on the organization's website posted Wednesday said that Xuecheng's resignation had been accepted at a council meeting.
Xuecheng "was an influential political adviser to the central government while heading the national Buddhist association," and is viewed as "one of China's best known monks and authors," according to The Associated Press.
He has publicly denied the reports of misconduct.
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Bills And Bulletproof Backpacks: Safety Measures For A New School Year
As students prepare to go back to school, more and more parents are thinking about school safety. A recent poll found 34 percent of parents fear for their child's physical safety at school. That's almost triple the number of parents from 2013.
And yet schools are among the safest places for kids. According to one study, shooting incidents involving students have actually gone down since the 1990s.
But that hasn't stopped parents, schools and lawmakers from acting on their concerns. They're beefing up security and looking at ways to identify potential threats. Some parents are even investing in bulletproof school supplies.
What schools and governments are doing
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And yet schools are among the safest places for kids. According to one study, shooting incidents involving students have actually gone down since the 1990s.
But that hasn't stopped parents, schools and lawmakers from acting on their concerns. They're beefing up security and looking at ways to identify potential threats. Some parents are even investing in bulletproof school supplies.
What schools and governments are doing
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Hundreds Of Newspapers Denounce Trump's Attacks On Media In Coordinated Editorials
More than 300 news publications across the country are joining together to defend the role of a free press and denounce President Trump's ongoing attacks on the news media in coordinated editorials publishing Thursday, according to a tally by The Boston Globe.
The project was spearheaded by staff members of the editorial page at the Globe, who write: "This relentless assault on the free press has dangerous consequences. We asked editorial boards from around the country – liberal and conservative, large and small – to join us today to address this fundamental threat in their own words."
Marjorie Pritchard, the Globe's deputy managing editor of the editorial page who spearheaded the effort, told NPR's Morning Edition, "this editorial project is not against the Trump administration's agenda. It's a response to put us into the public discourse and defend the First Amendment."
She said the reason to publish the editorials now was "because the press needs to have a voice on this. ... We've done individual editorials, but I think it's, there is some strength in numbers of just defending a constitutionally enshrined pillar of democracy."
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The project was spearheaded by staff members of the editorial page at the Globe, who write: "This relentless assault on the free press has dangerous consequences. We asked editorial boards from around the country – liberal and conservative, large and small – to join us today to address this fundamental threat in their own words."
Marjorie Pritchard, the Globe's deputy managing editor of the editorial page who spearheaded the effort, told NPR's Morning Edition, "this editorial project is not against the Trump administration's agenda. It's a response to put us into the public discourse and defend the First Amendment."
She said the reason to publish the editorials now was "because the press needs to have a voice on this. ... We've done individual editorials, but I think it's, there is some strength in numbers of just defending a constitutionally enshrined pillar of democracy."
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July Retail Sales Rock, Productivity Soars
Buoyant consumer sentiment boosted retail sales more than expected in July, while bigger than expected productivity gains point toward lower inflation and possible wage gains.
Retail sales, which are the total receipts at stores that sell merchandise and related services to final consumers, rose 0.5 percent in July, according to data released by the Commerce Department Wednesday. Economists had expected sales to rise by just 0.1 percent. The sales numbers were so strong that they exceeded the top range of expectations of economists surveyed by Bloomberg.
Outside of auto and gas sales, retail sales grew an even stronger 0.6 percent.
Productivity, which has had very small gains or even retreated in recent years, rose 2.9 percent in the most recent quarter compared with the prior quarter. That topped expectations for gains of 2.5 percent and was far above the paltry 0.4 percent increase in the first quarter. Productivity measures the growth of labor efficiency in producing goods and services. Rising productivity can hold back inflationary pressures even when the labor market is tight. It can also lead to higher wages in the longer run.
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Retail sales, which are the total receipts at stores that sell merchandise and related services to final consumers, rose 0.5 percent in July, according to data released by the Commerce Department Wednesday. Economists had expected sales to rise by just 0.1 percent. The sales numbers were so strong that they exceeded the top range of expectations of economists surveyed by Bloomberg.
Outside of auto and gas sales, retail sales grew an even stronger 0.6 percent.
Productivity, which has had very small gains or even retreated in recent years, rose 2.9 percent in the most recent quarter compared with the prior quarter. That topped expectations for gains of 2.5 percent and was far above the paltry 0.4 percent increase in the first quarter. Productivity measures the growth of labor efficiency in producing goods and services. Rising productivity can hold back inflationary pressures even when the labor market is tight. It can also lead to higher wages in the longer run.
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DOJ Attorney Faces Deposition In FISA Abuse Probe
DOJ attorney George Toscas will be deposed Thursday as part of a congressional investigation into possible FISA abuse.
Staffers with the House Judiciary and House Oversight Committees will quiz Toscas about DOJ official Bruce Ohr.
Ohr will be interviewed on Aug. 28.
House Republicans will resume an investigation of the FBI and DOJ’s handling of the Russia investigation on Thursday with a deposition of George Z. Toscas, a national security attorney at the Department of Justice.
Toscas, who handles counterterrorism and counterespionage cases, will appear for a deposition at 10 a.m. before staffers with the House Judiciary and House Government & Oversight Committees, a source familiar with the matter tells The Daily Caller News Foundation.
Toscas was one of 17 current and former FBI and Justice Department officials included on a list submitted to the two House committees by California Rep. Devin Nunes, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.
Nunes suggested interviewing Toscas and the other officials regarding an investigation into the FBI and Justice Department’s possible abuse of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
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House Republicans will resume an investigation of the FBI and DOJ’s handling of the Russia investigation on Thursday with a deposition of George Z. Toscas, a national security attorney at the Department of Justice.
Toscas, who handles counterterrorism and counterespionage cases, will appear for a deposition at 10 a.m. before staffers with the House Judiciary and House Government & Oversight Committees, a source familiar with the matter tells The Daily Caller News Foundation.
Toscas was one of 17 current and former FBI and Justice Department officials included on a list submitted to the two House committees by California Rep. Devin Nunes, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.
Nunes suggested interviewing Toscas and the other officials regarding an investigation into the FBI and Justice Department’s possible abuse of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
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FLASHBACK: Omarosa Was Fired or Tossed From Govt. Positions Under Clinton… FOUR Different Times
Omarosa goes 5 for 5!
Maybe this is what President Trump really meant by this tweet last week.
5 for 5!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 8, 2018
Here’s something that is not making many headlines in the liberal mainstream media.
Omarosa was fired four times by the Clinton White House.
They say she was very “disruptive.”
Raise your hand if you knew that Omarosa was fired from the Clinton White House not once, not twice, not thrice, but four times before. Have barely seen anything on this: “She was asked to leave as quickly as possible, she was so disruptive.” https://t.co/UC8Ac2kPcS
— Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) August 15, 2018
The Cut reported:
…This is not, in fact, the first time Omarosa has left a White House job under less-than-glorious circumstances. In her 20s, she was a political appointee in the Clinton administration where, according to People, she held four jobs in two years.
Much More
Maybe this is what President Trump really meant by this tweet last week.
5 for 5!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 8, 2018
Here’s something that is not making many headlines in the liberal mainstream media.
Omarosa was fired four times by the Clinton White House.
They say she was very “disruptive.”
Raise your hand if you knew that Omarosa was fired from the Clinton White House not once, not twice, not thrice, but four times before. Have barely seen anything on this: “She was asked to leave as quickly as possible, she was so disruptive.” https://t.co/UC8Ac2kPcS
— Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) August 15, 2018
The Cut reported:
…This is not, in fact, the first time Omarosa has left a White House job under less-than-glorious circumstances. In her 20s, she was a political appointee in the Clinton administration where, according to People, she held four jobs in two years.
Much More
Hillary Clinton Praises 11-Year-Old Girl Who ‘Took a Knee’ During Pledge of Allegiance “Keep Up the Good Work”
On Wednesday, Hillary Clinton praised 11-year-old Mariana Taylor for fighting for her right to protest the pledge of allegiance.
“Keep up the good work,” Hillary said enthusiastically.
The Democrats only defend 1st Amendment rights when it serves their anti-American agenda.
“It takes courage to exercise your right to protest injustice, especially when you’re 11! Keep up the good work Mariana,” Hillary tweeted.
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“Keep up the good work,” Hillary said enthusiastically.
The Democrats only defend 1st Amendment rights when it serves their anti-American agenda.
“It takes courage to exercise your right to protest injustice, especially when you’re 11! Keep up the good work Mariana,” Hillary tweeted.
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Nolte — Media’s Omarosa Hypocrisy: ‘Dog’ Unthinkable, ‘C*nt’ Okay
Which only proves once again just what a sorry bunch of hypocrites and liars the media are.
As we have all seen over the last few years, ever since Trump arrived on the political scene, the media have worked overtime to destroy all kinds of norms regarding civil discourse in America. A new low was hit Monday when the far-left CNN encouraged violence against Trump supporters as a “moral” act.
But the media’s denigration of standards when it comes to treatment of women — okay, Republican women — has been just as shocking.
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$125,000: The Pension-Debt Each Chicagoan Is Really On The Hook For
Chicagoans have no idea how much pension debt Illinois politicians have saddled them with. Officially, Windy City residents are on the hook for $70 billion in total pension shortfalls from the city and its sister governments plus a share of Cook County and state pensions.
But listen to Moody’s Investors Service, the rating agency that’s been most critical of Chicago’s finances, and you’ll get a different picture. Moody’s pegs the total pension debt burden for Chicagoans at $130 billion, nearly double the official numbers. (Yes, by chance the number is eerily similar to the official shortfall of $129 billion facing the five state-run pension funds. But don’t confuse the two.)
That’s scary news for Windy City residents. Barring real reforms, concessions from the unions or bankruptcy, Chicagoans can expect to be hit with whatever series of tax hikes politicians will try to enact to reduce that debt.
That $130 billion is the total Moody’s calculates when adding up the direct pension debt owed by the city government, Chicago Public Schools, the park district and Chicago’s share of various Cook County governments and the five state pension funds. Moody’s takes a more realistic approach to investment assumptions than the city and county governments take.
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But listen to Moody’s Investors Service, the rating agency that’s been most critical of Chicago’s finances, and you’ll get a different picture. Moody’s pegs the total pension debt burden for Chicagoans at $130 billion, nearly double the official numbers. (Yes, by chance the number is eerily similar to the official shortfall of $129 billion facing the five state-run pension funds. But don’t confuse the two.)
That’s scary news for Windy City residents. Barring real reforms, concessions from the unions or bankruptcy, Chicagoans can expect to be hit with whatever series of tax hikes politicians will try to enact to reduce that debt.
That $130 billion is the total Moody’s calculates when adding up the direct pension debt owed by the city government, Chicago Public Schools, the park district and Chicago’s share of various Cook County governments and the five state pension funds. Moody’s takes a more realistic approach to investment assumptions than the city and county governments take.
More
Florida Woman Fined, Sentenced To Community Service For False Rape Accusation
A Florida woman told police back in May that while she was driving in Ocala, a man entered her vehicle and forced her to take him to buy cigarettes and fast food and get cash. She then said the man removed her pants and tried to rape her.
Nicole Marie Hosmer, a 22-year-old from Leesburg, Florida, pleaded “no contest” to falsely reporting that crime to the police, and was sentenced to 50 hours of community service and more than $500 in court fees. If she doesn’t pay or complete those hours, she could face one-and-a-half months in jail, according to the Ocala Star-Banner.
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Nicole Marie Hosmer, a 22-year-old from Leesburg, Florida, pleaded “no contest” to falsely reporting that crime to the police, and was sentenced to 50 hours of community service and more than $500 in court fees. If she doesn’t pay or complete those hours, she could face one-and-a-half months in jail, according to the Ocala Star-Banner.
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Mom Who Spent $25K on Black Panther-Themed Prom Party Accused of Disability Fraud
The Philadelphia mom who gave her son a $25,000 African-themed prom party replete with camels has been accused of illegally taking tens of thousands in disability payments.
Saudia Shuler, 44, made news last week for throwing the lavish prom party, which included camels, a black panther, and costumed characters from the Marvel superhero film Black Panther.
But after her notoriety, city officials began looking into Shuler’s finances and are now charging her with defrauding the city of tens of thousands in disability payments, according to ABC 6.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Attorney for Philadelphia charged Shuler with wire fraud, theft of government funds, and Social Security fraud.
Prosecutors said Shuler signed up for disability benefits saying she is unable to work, even though she is not disabled. They also noted that she has been working in a fast food business during the time she said she could not work and that she took at least $36,000 in disability payments.
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Saudia Shuler, 44, made news last week for throwing the lavish prom party, which included camels, a black panther, and costumed characters from the Marvel superhero film Black Panther.
But after her notoriety, city officials began looking into Shuler’s finances and are now charging her with defrauding the city of tens of thousands in disability payments, according to ABC 6.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Attorney for Philadelphia charged Shuler with wire fraud, theft of government funds, and Social Security fraud.
Prosecutors said Shuler signed up for disability benefits saying she is unable to work, even though she is not disabled. They also noted that she has been working in a fast food business during the time she said she could not work and that she took at least $36,000 in disability payments.
More
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