When United booted a paying customer from first class to make room for a member of Congress, the Internet erupted with good and healthy egalitarian outrage. But don’t blame the airline.
The congresswoman in question was Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas. And until she lands on the no-fly list, no airline is safe. Jackson Lee has been terrorizing the skies since coming to Congress in 1995.
The Democrat has developed a reputation for making life hell for any clerk, stewardess, or pilot unwilling or unable to make her three-and-a-half-hour flight anything less than glamorous. She takes advantage of federal travel perks to book multiple flights (only to cancel at the last minute and at no charge). She demands an upgrade to premier seats. She expects, in her words, “to be treated like a queen.”
Sometimes it gets ugly. For instance, when one peasant of a flight attendant failed to serve the food Jackson Lee requested, the congresswoman went wild. "Don't you know who I am?" she reportedly shrieked. "I'm Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. Where is my seafood meal? I know it was ordered!"
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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, December 27, 2017
Sen. Manchin: 'I've Moved On' From Allegations Against Trump; Al Franken Should Stay
(CNSNews.com) - At least four senators reportedly are urging Al Franken to reconsider his resignation from the Senate following sexual harassment allegations, Politico reported, and one of them is Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), who said Franken is entitled to due process.
Manchin also said he's "moved on" from the sexual harassment allegations against President Trump and will not call for an investigation.
Manchin told CNN's "New Day" that Senator Franken has asked for an ethics committee investigation, and he should get one.
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Manchin also said he's "moved on" from the sexual harassment allegations against President Trump and will not call for an investigation.
Manchin told CNN's "New Day" that Senator Franken has asked for an ethics committee investigation, and he should get one.
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Spinal-Cord Implants to Numb Pain May Be Alternative to Pills
For millions of Americans suffering from debilitating nerve pain, a once-overlooked option has emerged as an alternative to high doses of opioids: implanted medical devices using electricity to counteract pain signals the same way noise-canceling headphones work against sound.
The approach, called neuro-modulation, has been a godsend for Linda Landy, who was a 42-year-old runner when a foot surgery went awry in 2008. She was diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome, a condition dubbed the suicide disease by doctors: The pain is so unrelenting that many people take their own lives.
Last November, Landy underwent surgery to get an Abbott Laboratories device that stimulates the dorsal root ganglion, a spot in the spine that was the pain conduit for her damaged nerves. A year after getting her implant, called DRG, she’s cut drastically on pain pills.
“The DRG doesn’t take the pain completely away, but it changes it into something I can live with,” said Landy, a mother of three in Fort Worth, Texas. She’s now now able to walk again and travel by plane without using a wheelchair. “It sounds minor, but it’s really huge.”
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The approach, called neuro-modulation, has been a godsend for Linda Landy, who was a 42-year-old runner when a foot surgery went awry in 2008. She was diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome, a condition dubbed the suicide disease by doctors: The pain is so unrelenting that many people take their own lives.
Last November, Landy underwent surgery to get an Abbott Laboratories device that stimulates the dorsal root ganglion, a spot in the spine that was the pain conduit for her damaged nerves. A year after getting her implant, called DRG, she’s cut drastically on pain pills.
“The DRG doesn’t take the pain completely away, but it changes it into something I can live with,” said Landy, a mother of three in Fort Worth, Texas. She’s now now able to walk again and travel by plane without using a wheelchair. “It sounds minor, but it’s really huge.”
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Distracted Dogging: Legal in Most States, Controversial in All
“A 10-pound dog can turn into 300 pounds of force at 30 miles an hour,” said Richard Romer, AAA’s state relations manager. “Going on a trip with Fido can really turn fatal if it’s not restrained.”
But while traffic safety experts say a dog moving freely in a car can be dangerous for the driver, passengers, other motorists and the pet, it’s perfectly legal in most states.
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Subject: Bikers for Trump rolls on into political sphere
A year after President Trump’s historic upset victory, the grass-roots biker movement he inspired has become a bona fide political organization that is boosting Republican candidates across the country and making inroads in unexpected places, such as in Amish and Mennonite communities.
That’s right — Amish families are showing up in their horse-drawn buggies at Bikers for Trump rallies staged in barns in rural Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Chris Cox, the founder and leader of Bikers for Trump, said the Amish already had an affinity for the leather-and-chrome crowd.
“The biker is trusted because of the work that they do in raising money for veterans and Toys for Tots and fighting domestic violence and child abuse,” he said. “So we’ve really got a much bigger reach and platform than I ever imagined.”
More here
New year, new law: Maryland smoke alarm law takes effect Jan. 1
Following a nationwide trend to transition to smoke alarms that don't need battery replacements for 10 years, a new smoke alarm law is taking effect on Jan. 1, 2018 in Maryland. The post New year, new law: Maryland smoke alarm law takes effect Jan. 1 appeared first on WTOP.
READ MORE: New year, new law: Maryland smoke alarm law takes effect Jan. 1
READ MORE: New year, new law: Maryland smoke alarm law takes effect Jan. 1
Salisbury Wastewater Treatment Plant
The Salisbury Wastewater Treatment Plant, in Wicomico County on the Eastern Shore, has the capacity to treat about seven million gallons of wastewater a day (including about a million gallons daily from a local Perdue Farms poultry processing plant).
The Salisbury plant has a long history of violations, including in 2016, when the plant discharged 416,651 pounds of nitrogen pollution into a tributary to the Wicomico River, according to EPA data. That was four times its permit limit and also higher than a more relaxed interim limit set by the state. The facility also discharged 9,467 pounds of phosphorus last year, which was 22 percent above its permit legal limit.
In 2017, the Salisbury plant also violated its permit limits. From January through September of this year, it discharged more than three times the total amount of nitrogen that it is allowed to release in a full year, according to state and federal records.
A review of MDE inspection records for the plant show an extensive list of problems stretching back years, including a plant superintendent not certified to supervise the facility in 2016. In addition, a June 26, 2017, letter from MDE to the city of Salisbury described 15 sewage overflows from the plant from May 2013 to December 2016. The letter also detailed 63 permit limit violations for excessive releases of nitrogen, copper and chlorine. The plant on September 29, 2016, released 177,880 gallons of sewage into the Wicomico River during a rainfall. More than 76,000 gallons overflowed on June 30, 2016, due to a construction error, according to state records.
Between 2005 and 2010, Salisbury spent more than $80 million on a major upgrade and rebuilding of the plant. But the improvements did not work as advertised to reduce nitrogen pollution, triggering a lawsuit and protracted legal battle between the city and the contractors. Meanwhile, pollution kept flowing into the Wicomico River, inspiring the state to slap $333,750 in fines on Salisbury from 2012 through 2017, according to EPA records.
[This is from a recent report by the Environmental Integrity Project, which is a consortium of former EPA enforcement attorneys. For questions about that report, please contact EIP Director of Communications Tom Pelton at (202) 888-2703 or tpelton@environmentalintegrity.org]
The Salisbury plant has a long history of violations, including in 2016, when the plant discharged 416,651 pounds of nitrogen pollution into a tributary to the Wicomico River, according to EPA data. That was four times its permit limit and also higher than a more relaxed interim limit set by the state. The facility also discharged 9,467 pounds of phosphorus last year, which was 22 percent above its permit legal limit.
In 2017, the Salisbury plant also violated its permit limits. From January through September of this year, it discharged more than three times the total amount of nitrogen that it is allowed to release in a full year, according to state and federal records.
A review of MDE inspection records for the plant show an extensive list of problems stretching back years, including a plant superintendent not certified to supervise the facility in 2016. In addition, a June 26, 2017, letter from MDE to the city of Salisbury described 15 sewage overflows from the plant from May 2013 to December 2016. The letter also detailed 63 permit limit violations for excessive releases of nitrogen, copper and chlorine. The plant on September 29, 2016, released 177,880 gallons of sewage into the Wicomico River during a rainfall. More than 76,000 gallons overflowed on June 30, 2016, due to a construction error, according to state records.
Between 2005 and 2010, Salisbury spent more than $80 million on a major upgrade and rebuilding of the plant. But the improvements did not work as advertised to reduce nitrogen pollution, triggering a lawsuit and protracted legal battle between the city and the contractors. Meanwhile, pollution kept flowing into the Wicomico River, inspiring the state to slap $333,750 in fines on Salisbury from 2012 through 2017, according to EPA records.
[This is from a recent report by the Environmental Integrity Project, which is a consortium of former EPA enforcement attorneys. For questions about that report, please contact EIP Director of Communications Tom Pelton at (202) 888-2703 or tpelton@environmentalintegrity.org]
How Willie Nelson's song 'Pretty Paper' is a true story
A 92-year-old woman has opened up about how her late father worked on his hands and knees as a paralyzed street vendor becoming the true story and inspiration behind a popular Christmas-time song by country singer Willie Nelson.
The emotional and sad ballad 'Pretty Paper' has pulled at the heartstrings of listeners for years with a lyric about holiday shoppers moving past a disabled street vendor selling 'pretty paper, pretty ribbons' for pennies while crawling 'all alone on a sidewalk' in downtown Fort worth, Texas.
The specific vendor Nelson sings about in the song was named Frankie Brierton, from Santo, Texas.
The father-of-one could be found outside of the now-closed Leonard's Department Store in the area selling pencils and papers to anyone who would purchase them.
His daughter, 92-year-old Lillian Compte, explained to DailyMail.com how her father became disabled.
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The emotional and sad ballad 'Pretty Paper' has pulled at the heartstrings of listeners for years with a lyric about holiday shoppers moving past a disabled street vendor selling 'pretty paper, pretty ribbons' for pennies while crawling 'all alone on a sidewalk' in downtown Fort worth, Texas.
The specific vendor Nelson sings about in the song was named Frankie Brierton, from Santo, Texas.
The father-of-one could be found outside of the now-closed Leonard's Department Store in the area selling pencils and papers to anyone who would purchase them.
His daughter, 92-year-old Lillian Compte, explained to DailyMail.com how her father became disabled.
More
Food plant worker gets jail time for contaminating chicken which led to massive 2016 recall
An employee at a chicken processing plant in Minnesota has been convicted of intentionally contaminating chicken and causing a massive poultry recall in 2016.
According to Food Safety News, in June of 2016 the Minnesota-based GNP Company had to recall almost 56,000 pounds of “Gold’n Plump” and “Just BARE” branded chicken after it was found to be contaminated by sand and black soil. After an investigation, 37-year-old Faye Slye of Cold Spring, Minnesota, reportedly confessed to contaminating chicken with plastic bags of dirt and sand she’d filled from the plant’s parking lot.
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According to Food Safety News, in June of 2016 the Minnesota-based GNP Company had to recall almost 56,000 pounds of “Gold’n Plump” and “Just BARE” branded chicken after it was found to be contaminated by sand and black soil. After an investigation, 37-year-old Faye Slye of Cold Spring, Minnesota, reportedly confessed to contaminating chicken with plastic bags of dirt and sand she’d filled from the plant’s parking lot.
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http://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/2017/12/26/food-plant-worker-gets-jail-time-for-contaminating-chicken-which-led-to-massive-2016-recall.html
NOI 12/26/17 Wicomico Dwelling Fire Hill Street
NOTICE OF INVESTIGATION
Date: December 26, 2017
Time: 7:12 a.m.
Location / Address: 610 Hill Street, Salisbury, Wicomico County
Type of Incident: Fire
Description of Structure / Property: Two story wood framed multi-unit dwelling
Owner / Occupants: GNI Properties
Injuries or Deaths: None
Estimated $ Loss: Structure: $5,000 Contents: $1,500
Smoke Alarm Status: None
Fire Alarm / Sprinkler Status: n/a
Arrests(s): None
Primary Responding Fire Department: Salisbury
# of Alarms: 1 # Of Firefighters: 20
Time to Control: 20 minutes
Discovered By: Occupant
Area of Origin: Bathroom
Preliminary Cause: Under Investigation
NFL Cancels Final ‘Sunday Night Football’ Game Of Season
The NFL announced Tuesday that the final “Sunday Night Football” game of the season has been canceled, according to CNN.
The league had yet to announce who would play during the primetime game next Sunday, but with the chance that none of the matchups would have playoff implications for one or both of the teams, they opted not to schedule the game.
The other problem the league faced was broadcasting a game on New Year’s Eve, which would invite lower number of viewers traditionally on that night.
Instead, fans can settle in for seven games at kick-off at 1 p.m. eastern Sunday and a total of 9 games starting at 4:25 p.m. eastern time.
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The league had yet to announce who would play during the primetime game next Sunday, but with the chance that none of the matchups would have playoff implications for one or both of the teams, they opted not to schedule the game.
The other problem the league faced was broadcasting a game on New Year’s Eve, which would invite lower number of viewers traditionally on that night.
Instead, fans can settle in for seven games at kick-off at 1 p.m. eastern Sunday and a total of 9 games starting at 4:25 p.m. eastern time.
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Donald Trump Pays for Christmas Dinner for Hundreds of Law Enforcement Members Working the Holiday
President Donald Trump personally paid for hundreds of Christmas dinners for members of law enforcement who were working over the holiday.
Hundreds of Christmas dinners were served on Christmas day to members of the Secret Service, the White House Military Office, and the Palm Beach Sheriff Department, according to a source speaking to CNN’s Noah Gray.
The meals were described as a “full Christmas spread” and included turkey and a dessert buffet. The meals were served from 1-7 p.m. so that everyone could get food on a rotating shift.
Trump is spending his Christmas holiday at his club at Mar-a-lago.
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Hundreds of Christmas dinners were served on Christmas day to members of the Secret Service, the White House Military Office, and the Palm Beach Sheriff Department, according to a source speaking to CNN’s Noah Gray.
The meals were described as a “full Christmas spread” and included turkey and a dessert buffet. The meals were served from 1-7 p.m. so that everyone could get food on a rotating shift.
Trump is spending his Christmas holiday at his club at Mar-a-lago.
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NOI 12 25 17 Wicomico Accidental SF Dwelling Pittsville Rd Pittsville
NOTICE OF INVESTIGATION |
Date: December 25, 2017
Time: 10:16 am
Location / Address: 7871 Pittsville Road, Pittsville, Wicomico County
Type of Incident: Fire
Description of Structure / Property: one story wood framed single family dwelling
Owner / Occupants: Robert Messick
Injuries or Deaths: none
Estimated $ Loss: Structure: $ 40,000.00 Contents: $ 10,000.00
Smoke Alarm Status: present / not working
Fire Alarm / Sprinkler Status: n/a
Arrests(s): n/a
Primary Responding Fire Department: Pittsville Volunteer Fire Department
# of Alarms: 1 # Of Firefighters: 25
Time to Control: 50 minutes
Discovered By: passerby
Area of Origin: living room
Preliminary Cause: Accidental as a result of a woodstove chimney igniting combustibles
Additional Information: Occupants are being assisted by the American Red Cross
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Tuesday, December 26, 2017
Delaware State Police Receives Contributions to Purchase K9 Ballistic Vests
Those who contributed to the K9 Unit fund for the purchase of these new vests included:
Brennen Wright a student at Appoquinimink High School. As part of his senior project he raised funds along with Valerie DeLisle of the DeLisle K9 Officer Safety Foundation to donate ballistic vests for different police departments throughout the state of Delaware. The Veterinary Specialty Center of Delaware donated to Brennen's project for a vest to specifically be given to DSP. Another vest that was donated this year was in memory of Sergeant Rodney H. Bond Jr.
Ken and Annmarie Kowrach supported the K9 Unit to show thanks and appreciation on behalf of one of our graduating handlers, Cpl/1 Brian Page (Troop 7).
Heather Stuttard made a donation to the K9 Unit in memory of her beloved German Shepherd, Zak. She has also made a second donation in memory of her mother, Diane Stuttard, who recently passed away.
Rich DeZao of the St. Polycarps Squire Circle has made annual donations to the K9 Unit for the purchase of ballistic vests. The Squires have also conducted fundraisers at their church in order to support the Unit.
Crystal Rau conducted a fundraiser earlier in the year specifically to contribute to the purchase of the new vests.
Through all of the support and contributions this year, the unit was able to purchase seven new vests to outfit their K9s! The vests are crucial to the dog’s safety when responding to potentially lethal incidents, and they will help protect the K9s from gun shots, stabbings, explosives, and blunt force trauma.
The Delaware State Police K9 Unit is extremely thankful for all the assistance and support they have received to help keep their partners safe!
2 Virginia deputies shot responding to domestic dispute on Christmas Eve
Two Virginia deputies were shot when a man fired at them during a Christmas Eve dispute with his daughter, police said.
Three deputies responded to a “domestic incident” just before 4 p.m. at a home in Loudoun County, about 30 miles northwest of Washington, D.C., police said. The deputies found Douglas V. Johnson Jr., 39, arguing with his 19-year-old daughter in the house and attempted to calm him, according to FOX5DC.
About an hour later, Johnson walked upstairs and into a bedroom closet. Two of the deputies attempted to arrest him when he reached for a gun and fired a spray of bullets, striking both the officers. One deputy deployed his taser and struck Johnson.
The two deputies, a man and a woman, were hospitalized and treated for gunshot wounds to one arm and their legs.
“I am proud of the actions and bravery of our deputies tonight and would like to thank the community for the outpouring of support we have already received,” Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman said in a news release.
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Three deputies responded to a “domestic incident” just before 4 p.m. at a home in Loudoun County, about 30 miles northwest of Washington, D.C., police said. The deputies found Douglas V. Johnson Jr., 39, arguing with his 19-year-old daughter in the house and attempted to calm him, according to FOX5DC.
About an hour later, Johnson walked upstairs and into a bedroom closet. Two of the deputies attempted to arrest him when he reached for a gun and fired a spray of bullets, striking both the officers. One deputy deployed his taser and struck Johnson.
The two deputies, a man and a woman, were hospitalized and treated for gunshot wounds to one arm and their legs.
“I am proud of the actions and bravery of our deputies tonight and would like to thank the community for the outpouring of support we have already received,” Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman said in a news release.
More
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/12/25/2-virginia-deputies-shot-responding-to-domestic-dispute-on-christmas-eve.html
'It's Noticeable': Ravens President Tells Fans Anthem Protests Hurt Attendance
The president of the Baltimore Ravens told fans and sponsors in a letter that its game attendance during the 2017 season has been hurt by players' national anthem protests.
Team President Dick Cass made the announcement this week, the Wall Street Journal reported.
On "Fox & Friends," Pete Hegseth said the Ravens' attendance at M&T Bank Stadium declined this year despite the fact the team is second in their division behind the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He also said that the protest by about a dozen players at the Ravens' September game in London could be chiefly to blame.
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Team President Dick Cass made the announcement this week, the Wall Street Journal reported.
On "Fox & Friends," Pete Hegseth said the Ravens' attendance at M&T Bank Stadium declined this year despite the fact the team is second in their division behind the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He also said that the protest by about a dozen players at the Ravens' September game in London could be chiefly to blame.
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41 Million Americans Are Living In Poverty This Christmas
Even though the stock market continues to set new record high after new record high, poverty is exploding all over America.
It is being reported that 41 million people are living in poverty at this moment, and 9 million of them do not receive a single penny of income from anyone. Once you have been unemployed for long enough, you don’t qualify for unemployment payments any longer, and once you are on the street there is nowhere for other governments programs to send a check to. I have previously discussed the rising epidemic of homelessness in our nation, but most people don’t want to think about that sort of a thing these days. Even though New York City has the most homeless since the Great Depression, and even though homelessness in Los Angeles is at an all-time record high, most people want to pretend that everything is just fine.
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It is being reported that 41 million people are living in poverty at this moment, and 9 million of them do not receive a single penny of income from anyone. Once you have been unemployed for long enough, you don’t qualify for unemployment payments any longer, and once you are on the street there is nowhere for other governments programs to send a check to. I have previously discussed the rising epidemic of homelessness in our nation, but most people don’t want to think about that sort of a thing these days. Even though New York City has the most homeless since the Great Depression, and even though homelessness in Los Angeles is at an all-time record high, most people want to pretend that everything is just fine.
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FBI Deputy Director McCabe "Retiring" After "Trump Insurance Policy" Debacle
Just hours after the FBI’s top lawyer, James Baker, was reassigned, WaPo reports that FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe will retire in a few months - once he becomes fully eligible for pension benefits.
McCabe, who has been the target of Republican critics for more than a year, spent hours in Congress this past week, facing questions behind closed doors from members of three committees.
Republicans said they were dissatisfied with his answers:
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McCabe, who has been the target of Republican critics for more than a year, spent hours in Congress this past week, facing questions behind closed doors from members of three committees.
Republicans said they were dissatisfied with his answers:
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Shirley Phillips Died Monday At 95, (Phillips Crab House/Restaurant)
Obama Was a State Sponsor of Terror
It should not surprise or shock anyone that President Barack Hussein Obama has been revealed to have derailed the investigation and prosecution of Iran’s terrorist sock puppet, Hezb’allah, and its drug-running operation in order to complete the fatally flawed Iran nuclear deal. Obama gave aid and comfort to terrorist groups and their state sponsors from the day he was sworn in, to the point of actual criminality.
Consider the case of Bowe Bergdahl, the deserter who left his post and his comrades in an Afghanistan combat zone to “find himself” and also to find the Taliban. Former U.N. ambassador and National Security Adviser Susan Rice, propagator of the Benghazi video lie, laughably said on the same talk show circuit that Bowe Bergdahl had “served with distinction.” This was the administration view of the man for whom Obama would trade key Taliban leaders in our custody.
President Obama welcomed and commiserated with Bowe Bergdahl’s parents in the Rose Garden on May 31, 2014. It would be stretching credulity to beyond the breaking point to believe President Obama did not know when it was announced we were trading five top Taliban commanders, soon to be free to return to the terrorist battlefield, for Bergdahl.
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Consider the case of Bowe Bergdahl, the deserter who left his post and his comrades in an Afghanistan combat zone to “find himself” and also to find the Taliban. Former U.N. ambassador and National Security Adviser Susan Rice, propagator of the Benghazi video lie, laughably said on the same talk show circuit that Bowe Bergdahl had “served with distinction.” This was the administration view of the man for whom Obama would trade key Taliban leaders in our custody.
President Obama welcomed and commiserated with Bowe Bergdahl’s parents in the Rose Garden on May 31, 2014. It would be stretching credulity to beyond the breaking point to believe President Obama did not know when it was announced we were trading five top Taliban commanders, soon to be free to return to the terrorist battlefield, for Bergdahl.
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Rabbis Protest Trump’s Re-Nomination of Obama LGBT Agenda Architect
A coalition of rabbis is criticizing the Trump administration for re-nominating radical sexual identity activist Chai Feldblum to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
The Coalition for Jewish Values (CJV), the largest rabbinic public policy organization in America, observes in a press release sent to Breitbart News that Feldblum, the architect of former President Barack Obama’s radical LGBT agenda, “cast the deciding vote when the EEOC termed it ‘unlawful sex discrimination’ to limit locker and shower facilities to those of a single biological gender, and has consistently shown a disregard for religious rights.”
As Obama’s most liberal gender ideology activist, Feldblum has said that whenever LGBT issues conflict with religious liberty and private property rights, religious liberty and private rights should lose.
The coalition notes that, in 2012, Feldblum was a member of the EEOC “when the US Supreme Court unanimously rejected its position, which Chief Justice John Roberts characterized as claiming ‘that the Religion Clauses have nothing to say about a religious organization’s freedom to select its own ministers.’”
“Feldblum has been truly unfriendly to accommodation of religious views,” said Eastern Regional Vice President of the CJV Rabbi Steven Pruzansky in the press statement. “The decision to renew her nomination seems jarringly discordant with the Trump Administration’s overall support for religious liberty.”
More here
The Coalition for Jewish Values (CJV), the largest rabbinic public policy organization in America, observes in a press release sent to Breitbart News that Feldblum, the architect of former President Barack Obama’s radical LGBT agenda, “cast the deciding vote when the EEOC termed it ‘unlawful sex discrimination’ to limit locker and shower facilities to those of a single biological gender, and has consistently shown a disregard for religious rights.”
As Obama’s most liberal gender ideology activist, Feldblum has said that whenever LGBT issues conflict with religious liberty and private property rights, religious liberty and private rights should lose.
The coalition notes that, in 2012, Feldblum was a member of the EEOC “when the US Supreme Court unanimously rejected its position, which Chief Justice John Roberts characterized as claiming ‘that the Religion Clauses have nothing to say about a religious organization’s freedom to select its own ministers.’”
“Feldblum has been truly unfriendly to accommodation of religious views,” said Eastern Regional Vice President of the CJV Rabbi Steven Pruzansky in the press statement. “The decision to renew her nomination seems jarringly discordant with the Trump Administration’s overall support for religious liberty.”
More here
College offers ‘Queering the Bible’ course that ‘destabilizes’ Christian faith
Students at a private college just outside Philadelphia will soon be able to take a class that “destabilizes long held assumptions” about the Christian faith called “Queering the Bible.”
Swarthmore College, founded in 1864, plans to usher in 2017 with a religious course that inculcates students with “queer and trans readings of biblical texts.” The one-credit class, first reported Friday by The College Fix, promises to deliver a “complexity of constructions of sex, gender and identity in one of the most influential literary works produced in ancient times.”
“This class destabilizes long held assumptions about what the bible — and religion — says about gender and sexuality,” a summary on the college’s website reads.
The educational watchdog said it could find no other Bible-based classes in 2018 at the school, although one class covered grammar and vocabulary necessary to read the Old Testament in its original Hebrew.
More here
Swarthmore College, founded in 1864, plans to usher in 2017 with a religious course that inculcates students with “queer and trans readings of biblical texts.” The one-credit class, first reported Friday by The College Fix, promises to deliver a “complexity of constructions of sex, gender and identity in one of the most influential literary works produced in ancient times.”
“This class destabilizes long held assumptions about what the bible — and religion — says about gender and sexuality,” a summary on the college’s website reads.
The educational watchdog said it could find no other Bible-based classes in 2018 at the school, although one class covered grammar and vocabulary necessary to read the Old Testament in its original Hebrew.
More here
Trump admin orders sharp drawdown of US refugee resettlement
The Trump administration is dramatically scaling back U.S. refugee resettlement efforts, according to a Thursday Reuters report.
The move comes months after the White House announced plans to significantly curb refugee admissions and to more carefully vet new entrants to the country.
In a Dec. 1 meeting, State Department officials reportedly told nine refugee agencies that resettlement offices throughout the country will not receive federal authorization to resettle nearly as many people in 2018.
Stripped of that necessary approval – and federal funding – dozens of resettlement offices will probably have to close, Reuters reported.
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The move comes months after the White House announced plans to significantly curb refugee admissions and to more carefully vet new entrants to the country.
In a Dec. 1 meeting, State Department officials reportedly told nine refugee agencies that resettlement offices throughout the country will not receive federal authorization to resettle nearly as many people in 2018.
Stripped of that necessary approval – and federal funding – dozens of resettlement offices will probably have to close, Reuters reported.
More
Dershowitz: UN is a 'Place of Hate' for US, Israel
Ambassador Nikki Haley's work to cut millions of dollars from the United Nations' budget sends an important notice that has become a "place of hate" when it comes to the United States and Israel, Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz said Monday.
"As far as what Nikki Haley has done I think it's terrific," Dershowitz told Fox News' "Fox and Friends" program. "It's about time we sent a message to the U.N., which has become a place of hate when it comes to the United States and Israel."
On Sunday, the United States applauded a $285 million cut that had been made in the U.N.'s core budget, after the General Assembly adopted a $5.396 billion budget for 2018-2019, just below the $5.4 billion that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had sought.
The United States provides for 22 percent of the U.N.'s core budget, and Haley commented in a statement that "inefficiency and overspending" were "well known" at the world agency.
"You know that Israel's representative to the U.N. once said that if Algeria introduced a resolution that the Earth was flat, and that Israel flattened it, it would win by a vote of 120 to 63, with 28 abstentions," Dershowitz said Monday.
"There has to be consequences for this kind of voting."
More here
"As far as what Nikki Haley has done I think it's terrific," Dershowitz told Fox News' "Fox and Friends" program. "It's about time we sent a message to the U.N., which has become a place of hate when it comes to the United States and Israel."
On Sunday, the United States applauded a $285 million cut that had been made in the U.N.'s core budget, after the General Assembly adopted a $5.396 billion budget for 2018-2019, just below the $5.4 billion that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had sought.
The United States provides for 22 percent of the U.N.'s core budget, and Haley commented in a statement that "inefficiency and overspending" were "well known" at the world agency.
"You know that Israel's representative to the U.N. once said that if Algeria introduced a resolution that the Earth was flat, and that Israel flattened it, it would win by a vote of 120 to 63, with 28 abstentions," Dershowitz said Monday.
"There has to be consequences for this kind of voting."
More here
Family ordered to take down Christmas display after neighbor said it was ‘offensive’
Mark and Lynn Wivell of Adams County, a Gettysburg subdivision, said they put up their Jesus display last Saturday, FOX43 reported.
"As part of our Christmas decoration, we would display the name Jesus to point out to everyone that we in this family believe that the reason for the season is to celebrate the birth of Jesus," said Mark Wivell told FOX43.
On Sunday, the homeowner’s association told the family to take down the sign after a neighbor complained it was offensive. The homeowner’s association also claimed the display was a sign, not a decoration – which is a violation of the rules, USA Today reported.
The family said they have no plans to take down the sign until January 15, when the association requires all displays to be taken down. Family members said they are unsure which neighbor was offended.
"People get offended by different things, but just because something offends you, doesn't mean the whole world has to change to accommodate you, so I would say please be more tolerant," Mark Wivell said.
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Cities, volunteers clash over feeding homeless in public
When Adele MacLean joined others in an Atlanta park to feed the hungry the Sunday before Thanksgiving, she left with a citation and a summons to appear in court.
The case was dropped when she showed up in court earlier this month, but she and her lawyers say the citation for serving food without a permit was improper and demonstrates callousness toward the homeless. The city and some advocates say feeding people on the streets can hinder long-term solutions and raises sanitation concerns.
“I’m still outraged this is happening,” MacLean said after her court appearance Dec. 14. “I’m concerned that the city, whenever they want to crack down on the homeless, they’re going to go after anyone that tries to help them.”
About 40 cities nationwide had active laws to restrict food sharing as of November 2014, and a few dozen more had attempted such restrictions, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless. Interim Director Megan Hustings said she doesn’t have updated numbers but that she’s heard about more cities considering such regulations.
More here
The case was dropped when she showed up in court earlier this month, but she and her lawyers say the citation for serving food without a permit was improper and demonstrates callousness toward the homeless. The city and some advocates say feeding people on the streets can hinder long-term solutions and raises sanitation concerns.
“I’m still outraged this is happening,” MacLean said after her court appearance Dec. 14. “I’m concerned that the city, whenever they want to crack down on the homeless, they’re going to go after anyone that tries to help them.”
About 40 cities nationwide had active laws to restrict food sharing as of November 2014, and a few dozen more had attempted such restrictions, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless. Interim Director Megan Hustings said she doesn’t have updated numbers but that she’s heard about more cities considering such regulations.
More here
Gift-wrapped horse dung 'from American people' left at home of Treasury boss, bomb squad called
A bomb squad investigating a suspicious gift-wrapped Christmas package from “the American people” that was left outside the home of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin found that it was horse manure.
A Los Angeles Police Department bomb squad responded Saturday after a neighbor in the city's Bel Air section reported seeing the package in the driveway of Mnuchin’s residence, KTLA-TV reported.
But it turned out that the package, wrapped in Christmas paper and addressed from "the American people," was filled with horse manure, LAPD Sgt. R. Briggs said. Officials determined that it was not a threat.
A Christmas card discovered inside made negative references to Mnuchin, President Donald Trump and the $1.5 trillion tax bill that Trump signed into law Friday, police said.
More
A Los Angeles Police Department bomb squad responded Saturday after a neighbor in the city's Bel Air section reported seeing the package in the driveway of Mnuchin’s residence, KTLA-TV reported.
But it turned out that the package, wrapped in Christmas paper and addressed from "the American people," was filled with horse manure, LAPD Sgt. R. Briggs said. Officials determined that it was not a threat.
A Christmas card discovered inside made negative references to Mnuchin, President Donald Trump and the $1.5 trillion tax bill that Trump signed into law Friday, police said.
More
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/12/24/bomb-squad-visit-to-treasury-boss-mnuchins-home-is-false-alarm-police-say.html
Great Orators of the Democrat Party
PAST, RECENT, PRESENT
Great Orators of the Democrat Party – PAST:
"One man with courage makes a majority." ~Andrew Jackson
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
"The buck stops here." ~Harry S. Truman
"Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." ~John F. Kennedy
Great Orators of the Democrat Party – RECENT:
"It depends what your definition of 'is' is?''
~William Jefferson Clinton
"Those rumors are false. I believe in the sanctity of marriage."
~John Edwards
"What difference does it make?" (when asked how and why four American heroes died at Benghazi )
~Hillary Clinton
"I invented the Internet."
~Al Gore
" America is, is no longer, uh, what it, uh, could be, uh, what it was once was, uh, and I say to myself, uh, I don't want that future, uh, for my children."
~Barack Obama
"I have campaigned in all 57 states."
~Barack Obama (2008)
"You don't need God anymore; you have us Democrats."
~Nancy Pelosi (2006)
"Paying taxes is voluntary."
~Sen. Harry Reid
"Bill is the greatest husband and father I know. No one is more faithful, true, and honest than he is."
~Hillary Rodham Clinton (1998)
"You have a business. You didn't build that. Someone else did!"
~Barack Obama (2012)
And this gem of wisdom from the Mother Superior of Morons: "We just have to pass the Healthcare Bill to see what's in it."
~Nancy Pelosi (2010 ) (As one physician said, “That is also the perfect definition of a stool sample.”)
"My fear is that the whole Island will become so overly populated that it will tip over and capsize."
~Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga) (speaking at a hearing on Guam 2010)
AND THE VERY LATEST FROM THIS DYSFUNCTIONAL BUNCH OF IDIOTS.......
"My fear is if North Korea nukes us, Trump gonna' get us into a war."
~ Maxine Waters (2017)
No one could make up this stuff – it takes a special kind of God-given stupidy.
Fire causes heavy damage at Eastern Shore Yacht & Country Club
Dispatchers said units responded to the fire at 10:30 p.m. Friday evening. First arriving units from Melfa VFC found heavy smoke and fire conditions and requested additional help.
Reports say the club was in the process of closing down for the evening when the fire ignited, spreading through the building.
Photos: Eastern Shore Yacht & Country Club Fire
The building suffered extremely heavy damage with a large portion of the roof collapsing and over 200,000 gallons of water were used to combat the blaze.
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Haley announces $285M cut in 2018-19 UN operating budget
Haley said the plan calls for a $285 million cut for the 2018-19 fiscal year.
“The inefficiency and overspending of the United Nations are well known,” Haley said. “We will no longer let the generosity of the American people be taken advantage of or remain unchecked."
The inefficiency and overspending of the United Nations are well known. We will no longer let the generosity of the American people be taken advantage of or remain unchecked."- Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations
She added, “This historic reduction in spending – in addition to many other moves toward a more efficient and accountable U.N. – is a big step in the right direction.”
The U.N. budget now covers a two-year period, beginning in January of an even-numbered year.
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Feds Can't Convict The Bundys
U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro declared a mistrial Wednesday in case against Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, marking the fourth time in the past two years the federal government has failed to convict a member of the Bundy family or their compatriots.
Navarro’s ruling came after numerous instances of prosecutorial misconduct from the team led by acting U.S. attorney for Nevada Steven Myhre. The prosecution violated the Bundys’ right to a fair trial by withholding exculpatory evidence that potentially supports the defense’s case.
Four men on trial for their roles in the 2014 standoff were freed in August after the federal government failed to land any convictions. Two of the men were acquitted of all 10 charges against them. The two other were acquitted of most charges, and the jury was hung regarding four other charges. The men were facing decades long prison sentences if convicted.
The four had already been tried once in April 2017. The trial ended in a hung jury. After delivering convictions against two others in the trial, the jury said they could not reach unanimous agreement to convict the other four. Navarro ordered the jury to continue deliberations but eventually ended the trial, saying the jury was “hopelessly deadlocked.”
More
Navarro’s ruling came after numerous instances of prosecutorial misconduct from the team led by acting U.S. attorney for Nevada Steven Myhre. The prosecution violated the Bundys’ right to a fair trial by withholding exculpatory evidence that potentially supports the defense’s case.
Four men on trial for their roles in the 2014 standoff were freed in August after the federal government failed to land any convictions. Two of the men were acquitted of all 10 charges against them. The two other were acquitted of most charges, and the jury was hung regarding four other charges. The men were facing decades long prison sentences if convicted.
The four had already been tried once in April 2017. The trial ended in a hung jury. After delivering convictions against two others in the trial, the jury said they could not reach unanimous agreement to convict the other four. Navarro ordered the jury to continue deliberations but eventually ended the trial, saying the jury was “hopelessly deadlocked.”
More
Facebook Admits Social Media Harmful to Mental Health
Public starting to view social media like cigarettes
Citing internal and academic research, Facebook admitted its users will feel worse about themselves after spending only 10 minutes absorbing content on the site.
In a company blog post on Friday, Facebook cited studies from the University of Michigan and UC San Diego that revealed how social media negatively impacts the mental health of users.
According to Facebook:
In general, when people spend a lot of time passively consuming information — reading but not interacting with people — they report feeling worse afterward.
In one experiment, University of Michigan students randomly assigned to read Facebook for 10 minutes were in a worse mood at the end of the day than students assigned to post or talk to friends on Facebook.
A study from UC San Diego and Yale found that people who clicked on about four times as many links as the average person, or who liked twice as many posts, reported worse mental health than average in asurvey.
That said, the admission was part of a half-assed attempt at damage control by Facebook, which claimed “it really comes down to how you use the technology.”
Facebook is facing renewed criticism after a recent spat of ex-employees admitted social media was causing severe psychological damage to society, leading to a massive rift in real-life relationships.
“The short-term, dopamine-driven feedback loops we’ve created [including the hearts, likes, and thumbs up of various social media channels] are destroying how society works,” said former Facebook vice president Chamath Palihapitiya. “…There’s no civil discourse, no cooperation; [only] misinformation, mistruth.”
More
Citing internal and academic research, Facebook admitted its users will feel worse about themselves after spending only 10 minutes absorbing content on the site.
In a company blog post on Friday, Facebook cited studies from the University of Michigan and UC San Diego that revealed how social media negatively impacts the mental health of users.
According to Facebook:
In general, when people spend a lot of time passively consuming information — reading but not interacting with people — they report feeling worse afterward.
In one experiment, University of Michigan students randomly assigned to read Facebook for 10 minutes were in a worse mood at the end of the day than students assigned to post or talk to friends on Facebook.
A study from UC San Diego and Yale found that people who clicked on about four times as many links as the average person, or who liked twice as many posts, reported worse mental health than average in asurvey.
That said, the admission was part of a half-assed attempt at damage control by Facebook, which claimed “it really comes down to how you use the technology.”
Facebook is facing renewed criticism after a recent spat of ex-employees admitted social media was causing severe psychological damage to society, leading to a massive rift in real-life relationships.
“The short-term, dopamine-driven feedback loops we’ve created [including the hearts, likes, and thumbs up of various social media channels] are destroying how society works,” said former Facebook vice president Chamath Palihapitiya. “…There’s no civil discourse, no cooperation; [only] misinformation, mistruth.”
More
The City Of Salisbury Is Now Paying For Facebook Video Advertising
Check out the Dance for Kindness 2017 Video! Be Kind and Love One Another this Holiday Season! Thanks to all who participated to make this amazing moment happen!
Publishers Notes: I'll guarantee the link I just provided above will garnish far more hits then what they're paying for on Facebook, not that the video is worthy, "just sayin", right Chuck.
Wife Of Fusion GPS Founder Admits Her Husband Was Behind Fake "RussiaGate" Story
The Russiagate story concocted by Hillary Clinton and the DNC, who coincidently funded Fusion GPS (the firm behind the ‘Trump dossier’ that the entire Russia election meddling is based upon), is
Mary Jacoby, the wife of Fusion GPS founder Glenn Simpson, who is the man in the middle of the entire Russiagate scandal, boasted on Facebook about how ‘Russiagate,’ would not exist if it weren’t for her husband.
A Tablet investigation using public sources to trace the evolution of the now-famous dossier suggests that central elements of the Russiagate scandal emerged not from the British ex-spy Christopher Steele’s top-secret “sources” in the Russian government—which are unlikely to exist separate from Russian government control—but from a series of stories that Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson and his wife Mary Jacoby co-wrote for TheWall Street Journal well before Fusion GPS existed, and Donald Trump was simply another loud-mouthed Manhattan real estate millionaire. Understanding the origins of the “Steele dossier” is especially important because of what it tells us about the nature and the workings of what its supporters would hopefully describe as an ongoing campaign to remove the elected president of the United States.
In a Facebook post from June 24, 2017, that Tablet has seen in screenshots, Jacoby claimed that her husband deserves the lion’s share of credit for Russiagate. (She has not replied to repeated requests for comment.)
“It’s come to my attention that some people still don’t realize what Glenn’s role was in exposing Putin’s control of Donald Trump,” Jacoby wrote. “Let’s be clear. Glenn conducted the investigation. Glenn hired Chris Steele. Chris Steele worked for Glenn.”
This assertion is hardly a simple assertion of family pride; it goes directly to the nature of what became known as the “Steele dossier,” on which the Russiagate narrative is founded.
More
Mary Jacoby, the wife of Fusion GPS founder Glenn Simpson, who is the man in the middle of the entire Russiagate scandal, boasted on Facebook about how ‘Russiagate,’ would not exist if it weren’t for her husband.
A Tablet investigation using public sources to trace the evolution of the now-famous dossier suggests that central elements of the Russiagate scandal emerged not from the British ex-spy Christopher Steele’s top-secret “sources” in the Russian government—which are unlikely to exist separate from Russian government control—but from a series of stories that Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson and his wife Mary Jacoby co-wrote for TheWall Street Journal well before Fusion GPS existed, and Donald Trump was simply another loud-mouthed Manhattan real estate millionaire. Understanding the origins of the “Steele dossier” is especially important because of what it tells us about the nature and the workings of what its supporters would hopefully describe as an ongoing campaign to remove the elected president of the United States.
In a Facebook post from June 24, 2017, that Tablet has seen in screenshots, Jacoby claimed that her husband deserves the lion’s share of credit for Russiagate. (She has not replied to repeated requests for comment.)
“It’s come to my attention that some people still don’t realize what Glenn’s role was in exposing Putin’s control of Donald Trump,” Jacoby wrote. “Let’s be clear. Glenn conducted the investigation. Glenn hired Chris Steele. Chris Steele worked for Glenn.”
This assertion is hardly a simple assertion of family pride; it goes directly to the nature of what became known as the “Steele dossier,” on which the Russiagate narrative is founded.
More
Vanity Fair brutally mocks Hillary: ‘What the HELL Happened?’ — ‘Time to move on’
A number of editors appear in a video released on Saturday and mock the failed Democratic candidate
If Hillary Clinton runs again for president in 2020, there’s one publication that is not likely to support her: Vanity Fair.
A number of editors appear in a video released on Saturday and mock the failed Democratic candidate.
Recommending some hobbies for Hillary in 2018, one says, “It’s time to start working on your sequel to your book, ‘What Happened’ — ‘What the HELL Happened?’”
“Get someone on your tech staff to disable autofill on your iPhone so that typing in ‘F’ doesn’t become ‘Form exploratory committee for 2020,” another said brutally.
Another adds, “You know how on Anderson Cooper you were telling him about alternate nostril breathing? You seem really adept,” she said, in a coaching sort of tone. “You should try teaching a class,” she added, apparently hoping Hillary will do anything but run again.
More/Video
If Hillary Clinton runs again for president in 2020, there’s one publication that is not likely to support her: Vanity Fair.
A number of editors appear in a video released on Saturday and mock the failed Democratic candidate.
Recommending some hobbies for Hillary in 2018, one says, “It’s time to start working on your sequel to your book, ‘What Happened’ — ‘What the HELL Happened?’”
“Get someone on your tech staff to disable autofill on your iPhone so that typing in ‘F’ doesn’t become ‘Form exploratory committee for 2020,” another said brutally.
Another adds, “You know how on Anderson Cooper you were telling him about alternate nostril breathing? You seem really adept,” she said, in a coaching sort of tone. “You should try teaching a class,” she added, apparently hoping Hillary will do anything but run again.
More/Video
Democrat running for Congress indicted in $803G fraud, embezzlement case
Shaun Brown, 58, appeared in a Norfolk courtroom last week and denied any wrongdoing, the Daily Press of Newport News, Va., reported. She said she intends to fight the charges and be exonerated, the report said.
Brown is next scheduled to appear in court Jan. 12 and will plead not guilty, her attorney, James Ellenson, told the Daily Press.Prosecutors said Brown received about $803,000 via her nonprofit organization as a participant in a U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program.
They alleged that Brown acquired funds by filing false reimbursement claims with the Virginia Department of Health.
More here
Don’t blame Trump for worsened race relations — blame the left
Americans, fully 60 percent of them, say President Donald Trump’s White House has ushered in a new state of worsened race relations around the country, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
But that viewpoint is not exactly based on fact. The numbers only tell half the story.
The larger truth is that angry leftists fueled by Black Lives Matter, antifa thugs, radical feminists and a core of committed Democrats/progressives/socialists, have worsened race relations by orchestrating violent clashes and endorsing chaotic street protests over Trump’s messages and policies on immigration, border security, climate change, historical monuments, tax reform and the like — and have then wrongfully painted these policies as based in racism and misogyny.
And a complicit, anti-Trump mainstream media has run with the messaging.
So now voilà : You have a new survey that shows most in America blame Trump for a rise in racial tensions.
How is this Trump’s fault?
More here
But that viewpoint is not exactly based on fact. The numbers only tell half the story.
The larger truth is that angry leftists fueled by Black Lives Matter, antifa thugs, radical feminists and a core of committed Democrats/progressives/socialists, have worsened race relations by orchestrating violent clashes and endorsing chaotic street protests over Trump’s messages and policies on immigration, border security, climate change, historical monuments, tax reform and the like — and have then wrongfully painted these policies as based in racism and misogyny.
And a complicit, anti-Trump mainstream media has run with the messaging.
So now voilà : You have a new survey that shows most in America blame Trump for a rise in racial tensions.
How is this Trump’s fault?
More here
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