DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Friday, March 13, 2015
AP Sues For Hillary Clinton Records
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Associated Press filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the State Department to force the release of email correspondence and government documents from Hillary Rodham Clinton’s tenure as secretary of state.
The legal action comes after repeated requests filed under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act have gone unfulfilled. They include one request AP made five years ago and others pending since the summer of 2013.
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The legal action comes after repeated requests filed under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act have gone unfulfilled. They include one request AP made five years ago and others pending since the summer of 2013.
More
Mutating Bird Flu May Pose Pandemic Threat
A wave of H7N9 bird flu in China that has spread into people may have the potential to emerge as a pandemic strain in humans, scientists said on Wednesday.
The H7N9 virus, one of several strains of bird flu known to be able to infect humans, has persisted, diversified and spread in chickens across China, the researchers said, fuelling a resurgence of infections in people and posing a wider threat.
"The expansion of genetic diversity and geographical spread indicates that, unless effective control measures are in place, H7N9 could be expected to persist and spread beyond the region," they said in a study published in the journal Nature.
The H7N9 bird flu virus emerged in humans in March 2013 and has since then infected at least 571 people in China, Taipei, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Canada, killing 212 of them, according to February data from the World Health Organization (WHO).
More here
The H7N9 virus, one of several strains of bird flu known to be able to infect humans, has persisted, diversified and spread in chickens across China, the researchers said, fuelling a resurgence of infections in people and posing a wider threat.
"The expansion of genetic diversity and geographical spread indicates that, unless effective control measures are in place, H7N9 could be expected to persist and spread beyond the region," they said in a study published in the journal Nature.
The H7N9 bird flu virus emerged in humans in March 2013 and has since then infected at least 571 people in China, Taipei, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Canada, killing 212 of them, according to February data from the World Health Organization (WHO).
More here
Vets affairs officer sent email mocking returning vets' mental health
A manager at a medical center from veterans in Indianapolis has been removed from her $80,000 position over an email that mocked the mental health of returning combat veterans.
Robin Paul, a manager at the Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center, sent the email making light of mental health issues and patient's suffering to her staff on December 18.
It featured a series of photos of a Christmas elf posing as one of the hospital's patients, pleading for Xanax and hanging itself with an electrical cord.
Paul oversees a staff of more than 30 health care professionals in the Seamless Transition Integrated Care Clinic, which is responsible for assisting new veterans with their VA benefits, services and programs, to include mental health.
The email was forward to The Indianapolis Star, who reported it on Monday and the next day Paul was placed on paid administrative leave pending further investigation.
Paul's boss Tom Mattice described the email as 'completely and totally unacceptable.'
'It in no way reflects the attitudes of our staff toward our patients. We take great pride in the quality of care and the empathetic outreach we provide to the veterans we have the honor of serving,' he said.
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Robin Paul, a manager at the Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center, sent the email making light of mental health issues and patient's suffering to her staff on December 18.
It featured a series of photos of a Christmas elf posing as one of the hospital's patients, pleading for Xanax and hanging itself with an electrical cord.
Paul oversees a staff of more than 30 health care professionals in the Seamless Transition Integrated Care Clinic, which is responsible for assisting new veterans with their VA benefits, services and programs, to include mental health.
The email was forward to The Indianapolis Star, who reported it on Monday and the next day Paul was placed on paid administrative leave pending further investigation.
Paul's boss Tom Mattice described the email as 'completely and totally unacceptable.'
'It in no way reflects the attitudes of our staff toward our patients. We take great pride in the quality of care and the empathetic outreach we provide to the veterans we have the honor of serving,' he said.
More
Hillary Clinton Could Face Jail Time
The Obama administration will soon find itself in court having to explain to federal judges why it never told anyone former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton used a secret email address, potentially spoiling dozens of open records requests, experts said Wednesday.
And Mrs. Clinton could face up to three years in prison per message if she is found to have broken her word and handled classified information on the secret account, one open records expert told The Washington Times.
The legal challenges have already begun, with The Associated Press filing a federal lawsuit saying the State Department has foiled five years’ worth of requests for Mrs. Clinton’s emails, but never told them or the court that she kept her own server — meaning that her emails weren’t being searched.
Meanwhile, the White House tried to keep Mrs. Clinton at arm’s length, insisting she alone can answer questions about what she did, and saying that none of Mr. Obama’s aides were involved in helping her decide which emails to turn over to the State Department and which to delete.
Mrs. Clinton’s office remained silent a day after the former first lady and potential 2016 presidential candidate held a press conference admitting she kept a private email server out of “convenience,” belatedly went through and found public records among her emails and then deleted nearly 32,000 emails she and her lawyers deemed private.
There's lots more here
And Mrs. Clinton could face up to three years in prison per message if she is found to have broken her word and handled classified information on the secret account, one open records expert told The Washington Times.
The legal challenges have already begun, with The Associated Press filing a federal lawsuit saying the State Department has foiled five years’ worth of requests for Mrs. Clinton’s emails, but never told them or the court that she kept her own server — meaning that her emails weren’t being searched.
Meanwhile, the White House tried to keep Mrs. Clinton at arm’s length, insisting she alone can answer questions about what she did, and saying that none of Mr. Obama’s aides were involved in helping her decide which emails to turn over to the State Department and which to delete.
Mrs. Clinton’s office remained silent a day after the former first lady and potential 2016 presidential candidate held a press conference admitting she kept a private email server out of “convenience,” belatedly went through and found public records among her emails and then deleted nearly 32,000 emails she and her lawyers deemed private.
There's lots more here
It Takes At Least 170 Days to Fire a Government Employee
A minimum of 170 days is required to fire a federal employee for poor performance, if a government agency properly follows the required dismissal process.
The government firing process is so lengthy that departments often keep bad employees to avoid it, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
“The time and resource commitment needed to remove a poor performing permanent employee can be substantial,” the GAO said. “It can take six months to a year (and sometimes longer) to dismiss an employee.”
In order to fire a government worker federal managers can consult a 12-step flow chart, which the GAO provided in the report released Monday. The report examined the “long-standing personnel issue” of the government’s inability to fire bad employees.
Federal agencies have two procedural options when faced with firing a poor worker: chapters 43 and 75 of title 5 of the United States Code, and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) implementing regulations.
There's more..
The government firing process is so lengthy that departments often keep bad employees to avoid it, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
“The time and resource commitment needed to remove a poor performing permanent employee can be substantial,” the GAO said. “It can take six months to a year (and sometimes longer) to dismiss an employee.”
In order to fire a government worker federal managers can consult a 12-step flow chart, which the GAO provided in the report released Monday. The report examined the “long-standing personnel issue” of the government’s inability to fire bad employees.
Federal agencies have two procedural options when faced with firing a poor worker: chapters 43 and 75 of title 5 of the United States Code, and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) implementing regulations.
There's more..
PayPal Purchases Israeli Cybersecurity
The terms of the deal were not announced, but some reports this week said PayPal, which is being spun off by online giant eBay, was paying $60 million for CyActive, reports AFP.
"Our goal is to extend our global security leadership, and bolster our efforts in predictive threat detection and prevention," said PayPal chief technology officer James Barrese in a blog post.
"The acquisition of CyActive will bring great talent and immediately add 'future-proof' technology to PayPal's world-class security platform. With CyActive, we'll have even more ways to proactively predict and prevent security threats from ever affecting our customers."
CyActive, which launched in 2013, specializes in "predictive cybersecurity," or heading off online attacks before they happen.
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Henry Hudson drivers dodge $40M at cashless toll
Drivers continue to evade tolls at the cashless span, but the MTA deems it a success and it's headed for other bridges and highways including the State Thruway
Unpaid tolls and related debt at the Henry Hudson Bridge have now topped $40 million, according to the latest figures provided by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Between November 2012 — when the crossing switched to completely cashless tolling — through September 2014, drivers without E-ZPass failed to pay $4 million in toll bills mailed to them. In addition, those motorists accumulated an estimated $40 million in late fees and violation charges.
That's double the debt since a year ago, when drivers logged $2.2 million in owed tolls and $21.4 million in related charges from November 2012 through March 2014.
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Unpaid tolls and related debt at the Henry Hudson Bridge have now topped $40 million, according to the latest figures provided by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Between November 2012 — when the crossing switched to completely cashless tolling — through September 2014, drivers without E-ZPass failed to pay $4 million in toll bills mailed to them. In addition, those motorists accumulated an estimated $40 million in late fees and violation charges.
That's double the debt since a year ago, when drivers logged $2.2 million in owed tolls and $21.4 million in related charges from November 2012 through March 2014.
More
Kessler: The Real Hillary Clinton
If you want to know why Hillary Clinton thought she could get away with violating federal regulations in order to conceal her emails when she was secretary of state, take a look behind the facade.
Mrs. Clinton pretends to be a compassionate woman who cares about the little people and will champion the middle class if elected president. The reality is that behind the scenes, she is abusive to those same people.
As detailed in my book “The First Family Detail,” Mrs. Clinton is so nasty to Secret Service agents who would lay down their lives for her that being assigned to her detail is considered a form of punishment and the worst assignment in the Secret Service.
Agents say Hillary’s nastiness and contempt for them, and disdain for law enforcement and the military in general, has continued, both when she was secretary of state and now that she is protected as a former first lady, earning her the distinction of being considered the Secret Service’s most detested protectee.
As if that’s not bad enough, an FBI investigation for independent counsel Ken Starr into the suicide of Hillary’s friend and mentor Vince Foster, who was President Clinton’s deputy White House counsel, found that Hillary’s humiliation of Foster in front of White House colleagues triggered his suicide a week later.
When she disagreed with him over a legal interpretation, “Hillary put him [Foster] down really, really bad in a pretty good-size meeting,” former FBI agent Coy Copeland says. “She told him he didn’t get the picture, and he would always be a little hick town lawyer who was obviously not ready for the big time.”
Based on what “dozens” of others who had contact with Foster after that meeting told the agents, “The put-down that she gave him in that big meeting just pushed him over the edge,” Mr. Copeland says. “It was the final straw that broke the camel’s back.”
More here
Mrs. Clinton pretends to be a compassionate woman who cares about the little people and will champion the middle class if elected president. The reality is that behind the scenes, she is abusive to those same people.
As detailed in my book “The First Family Detail,” Mrs. Clinton is so nasty to Secret Service agents who would lay down their lives for her that being assigned to her detail is considered a form of punishment and the worst assignment in the Secret Service.
Agents say Hillary’s nastiness and contempt for them, and disdain for law enforcement and the military in general, has continued, both when she was secretary of state and now that she is protected as a former first lady, earning her the distinction of being considered the Secret Service’s most detested protectee.
As if that’s not bad enough, an FBI investigation for independent counsel Ken Starr into the suicide of Hillary’s friend and mentor Vince Foster, who was President Clinton’s deputy White House counsel, found that Hillary’s humiliation of Foster in front of White House colleagues triggered his suicide a week later.
When she disagreed with him over a legal interpretation, “Hillary put him [Foster] down really, really bad in a pretty good-size meeting,” former FBI agent Coy Copeland says. “She told him he didn’t get the picture, and he would always be a little hick town lawyer who was obviously not ready for the big time.”
Based on what “dozens” of others who had contact with Foster after that meeting told the agents, “The put-down that she gave him in that big meeting just pushed him over the edge,” Mr. Copeland says. “It was the final straw that broke the camel’s back.”
More here
Ron Paul Lambastes Foes of Fed Audit
Likely presidential candidate Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has taken a lot of flak in recent weeks for his "Audit the Fed" bill.
But his father, former presidential candidate and former Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, is having none of the criticism.
"The Federal Reserve and its apologists in Congress and the media have launched numerous attacks on the Audit the Fed legislation," the father, now chairman of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity, writes in a commentary for CNBC.
"These attacks amount to nothing more than distortions about the effects and intent of the audit bill."
When it comes to the argument that the bill will limit the Fed's independence, "neither Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen nor any other opponent of the audit bill has ever been able to identify any provision of the bill giving Congress power to dictate monetary policy," Paul writes.
"This argument is also flawed since the Federal Reserve has never been independent from political pressure," he notes.
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But his father, former presidential candidate and former Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, is having none of the criticism.
"The Federal Reserve and its apologists in Congress and the media have launched numerous attacks on the Audit the Fed legislation," the father, now chairman of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity, writes in a commentary for CNBC.
"These attacks amount to nothing more than distortions about the effects and intent of the audit bill."
When it comes to the argument that the bill will limit the Fed's independence, "neither Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen nor any other opponent of the audit bill has ever been able to identify any provision of the bill giving Congress power to dictate monetary policy," Paul writes.
"This argument is also flawed since the Federal Reserve has never been independent from political pressure," he notes.
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Jeb Bush Calls Obamacare a Federal 'Monstrosity'
Republican presidential contender Jeb Bush said that the Affordable Care Act was a "monstrosity" that consolidated power in Washington and should be repealed once President Barack Obama leaves the White House, Politico reported.
Bush made the remarks Friday at a fundraiser for Iowa Rep. David Young in which he also touted his conservative credentials as Florida governor.
Referring to the Obama administration, Bush said, "The thrill is gone. I want to win. I want our party to win," The Daily Iowan reported.
Bush said he favored a "consumer-directed" healthcare plan that restores the patient-doctor relationship. This would give patients more choices and, "if there were to be subsidies," these would be administered by the state.
He said he was against "coercive exchanges," employer mandates, employee mandates, and "requirements of services provided that are extraordinary," according to Politico.
He saw a role for government in providing Americans with catastrophic medical coverage. "The rest of it ought to be shifted back where individuals are empowered to make more decisions themselves," Bush said.
More here
Bush made the remarks Friday at a fundraiser for Iowa Rep. David Young in which he also touted his conservative credentials as Florida governor.
Referring to the Obama administration, Bush said, "The thrill is gone. I want to win. I want our party to win," The Daily Iowan reported.
Bush said he favored a "consumer-directed" healthcare plan that restores the patient-doctor relationship. This would give patients more choices and, "if there were to be subsidies," these would be administered by the state.
He said he was against "coercive exchanges," employer mandates, employee mandates, and "requirements of services provided that are extraordinary," according to Politico.
He saw a role for government in providing Americans with catastrophic medical coverage. "The rest of it ought to be shifted back where individuals are empowered to make more decisions themselves," Bush said.
More here
WSJ: CIA Worked With Marshals to Spy on US Cellphones
The CIA helped provide airborne surveillance technology to the U.S. Marshals Service that can identify the location of any cellphone in the country.
The existence of the technology was first reported last year but the collaboration between the CIA — which helped develop the $100 million technology that tricks phones into revealing their registration data — and the Marshals has only now come to light, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The CIA is legally prohibited from hunting terrorists inside the U.S. while the Marshals are charged with tracking down criminal suspects in the homeland.
The technology, dubbed "dirtbox," is operated from small fixed-wing planes flying over the country vacuuming up cellphone signals by mimicking cellphone towers, and tricks cellphones into revealing their unique registration. Telephone data that is not suspect is "let go," officials say, as the system concentrates on "sought after" numbers.
The technology is capable of pinpointing the location of a phone authorities are searching for within a couple of yards, according to the Journal.
The high-tech collaboration between the CIA, which is barred from conducting most types of operations on U.S. soil, and domestic law enforcement concerns civil libertarians and lawmakers.
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The existence of the technology was first reported last year but the collaboration between the CIA — which helped develop the $100 million technology that tricks phones into revealing their registration data — and the Marshals has only now come to light, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The CIA is legally prohibited from hunting terrorists inside the U.S. while the Marshals are charged with tracking down criminal suspects in the homeland.
The technology, dubbed "dirtbox," is operated from small fixed-wing planes flying over the country vacuuming up cellphone signals by mimicking cellphone towers, and tricks cellphones into revealing their unique registration. Telephone data that is not suspect is "let go," officials say, as the system concentrates on "sought after" numbers.
The technology is capable of pinpointing the location of a phone authorities are searching for within a couple of yards, according to the Journal.
The high-tech collaboration between the CIA, which is barred from conducting most types of operations on U.S. soil, and domestic law enforcement concerns civil libertarians and lawmakers.
More
A Letter to the Editor: 3-13-15
Dear Mr. Albero,
"Salisbury University is home to many great organizations and foundations that promote prosperity and good will in the community. One organization is also home to a foundation made in a founding member’s honor. The Pi Sigma Chapter of Kappa Sigma was chartered on May 9, 2009 by over 50 men who wanted to make a positive influence on the community. Zachary Gerald Knight was the first president of the chapter and the size of Big Z himself was only rivaled by the size of his heart. He led Pi Sigma to be one of the most influential fraternities on campus through his emphasis on community service, his dedication to raise the most money in Relay For Life, and his desire to be inclusive and make every person he met smile.
When he died on June 5, 2010, shock and pain was felt through every life he had touched. However, his parents, Jerry and Sue Knight, knew the tragedy could have some positive effect for others and they established the Zachary Gerald Knight (ZGK) Foundation in his honor. The foundation awards deserving members of the Pi Sigma Chapter at Salisbury University for being positive role models, showing kindness, and leadership in their college career. It is meant to honor the exceptional values and qualities that Zachary held to promote compassion and goodwill to others. Members of the chapter are nominated by those on campus and members of the community that notice their kind acts and positive role-modeling. The foundation, now run by a board of alumni, parents, and family friends, personally reads each nomination and decides which graduating members deserve the award each spring.
To date, over $10,000 has been awarded to great role models in the fraternity so that they can jump start their post-collegiate lives. We welcome you and the whole community to be a part of the nominating process. To learn more, make a nomination, or make a donation, please go tohttp://zackknightfoundation.org/about-zack/. "
"Salisbury University is home to many great organizations and foundations that promote prosperity and good will in the community. One organization is also home to a foundation made in a founding member’s honor. The Pi Sigma Chapter of Kappa Sigma was chartered on May 9, 2009 by over 50 men who wanted to make a positive influence on the community. Zachary Gerald Knight was the first president of the chapter and the size of Big Z himself was only rivaled by the size of his heart. He led Pi Sigma to be one of the most influential fraternities on campus through his emphasis on community service, his dedication to raise the most money in Relay For Life, and his desire to be inclusive and make every person he met smile.
When he died on June 5, 2010, shock and pain was felt through every life he had touched. However, his parents, Jerry and Sue Knight, knew the tragedy could have some positive effect for others and they established the Zachary Gerald Knight (ZGK) Foundation in his honor. The foundation awards deserving members of the Pi Sigma Chapter at Salisbury University for being positive role models, showing kindness, and leadership in their college career. It is meant to honor the exceptional values and qualities that Zachary held to promote compassion and goodwill to others. Members of the chapter are nominated by those on campus and members of the community that notice their kind acts and positive role-modeling. The foundation, now run by a board of alumni, parents, and family friends, personally reads each nomination and decides which graduating members deserve the award each spring.
To date, over $10,000 has been awarded to great role models in the fraternity so that they can jump start their post-collegiate lives. We welcome you and the whole community to be a part of the nominating process. To learn more, make a nomination, or make a donation, please go tohttp://zackknightfoundation.org/about-zack/. "
Sen. Cornyn: Obama's 'Unilateralism' Reason for Iran Letter
Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn defended the controversial GOP letter to Iranian leaders as he ripped into President Barack Obama for acting like he’s the sole authority on foreign policy in Washington.
In a wide-ranging interview with Yahoo News, the Texas senator said that the president is "in denial" about Iran and that "Congress has a role" to play in the negotiations with the Islamic-led state to prevent the country from building nuclear weapons.
"I know that the president is in denial and wants to reject Congress' appropriate role," Cornyn said during the 30-minute conversation in his office overlooking the Supreme Court. "All our letter pointed out is that our government isn’t a monolith, and that the president doesn’t wield all the authority and power under our Constitution — that we’re a government of separated and divided powers."
He continued, "In particular, I think the important point was made that the term of any agreement [the president] might strike with Iran will not outlast his term of office, absent Congressional approval.
"What the president seems to be on a path to doing is trying to secure some sort of legacy settlement with Iran over its nuclear weapons, but it can’t last more than 21 more months if it was signed today."
Drawn up by Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, the letter from 47 Republican senators warned Iranian leaders that any nuclear deal reducing tough economic sanctions against the Mideast country should have congressional approval or the next president could overturn it in 2017.
"Congress has an appropriate role to play, and the president has rejected that. I think all this letter does is state the fact that the president doesn’t have plenary authority under our form of government."
More
In a wide-ranging interview with Yahoo News, the Texas senator said that the president is "in denial" about Iran and that "Congress has a role" to play in the negotiations with the Islamic-led state to prevent the country from building nuclear weapons.
"I know that the president is in denial and wants to reject Congress' appropriate role," Cornyn said during the 30-minute conversation in his office overlooking the Supreme Court. "All our letter pointed out is that our government isn’t a monolith, and that the president doesn’t wield all the authority and power under our Constitution — that we’re a government of separated and divided powers."
He continued, "In particular, I think the important point was made that the term of any agreement [the president] might strike with Iran will not outlast his term of office, absent Congressional approval.
"What the president seems to be on a path to doing is trying to secure some sort of legacy settlement with Iran over its nuclear weapons, but it can’t last more than 21 more months if it was signed today."
Drawn up by Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, the letter from 47 Republican senators warned Iranian leaders that any nuclear deal reducing tough economic sanctions against the Mideast country should have congressional approval or the next president could overturn it in 2017.
"Congress has an appropriate role to play, and the president has rejected that. I think all this letter does is state the fact that the president doesn’t have plenary authority under our form of government."
More
Holder, Others in Obama WH Used Fake Names on Official Emails
Outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder has maintained several government email accounts under aliases, according to Politico.
Revelations that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton used a personal email account, rather than one maintained by the Department of State, for government business has raised concerns by lawmakers responsible for the agency's oversight and advocates of governmental transparency.
Holder used a number of pseudonyms, including Henry Yearwood (a combination of family names) and David Kendricks (from two members of The Temptations), according to The Huffington Post. Since all were nonetheless official @usdoj.gov accounts, they are retained on government servers.
A Justice Department spokesman told Huffington that other Cabinet members have also used pen names and that Holder did so to enhance security and thwart efforts to flood his email account. DOJ staff responsible for responding to Freedom of Information requests are aware of the aliases and, when appropriate, have made available messages from all of Holder's accounts, though the confidential addresses are redacted.
Besides Holder, other members of the Obama administration also used aliases, including former Health and Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebelius and former EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, The Associated Press reported in 2013.
Former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel used two BlackBerry phones, one for personal use and the other for his government work. "He understood the need to keep the two separate and to keep government business on his official email," a Pentagon spokesman said.
More here
Revelations that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton used a personal email account, rather than one maintained by the Department of State, for government business has raised concerns by lawmakers responsible for the agency's oversight and advocates of governmental transparency.
Holder used a number of pseudonyms, including Henry Yearwood (a combination of family names) and David Kendricks (from two members of The Temptations), according to The Huffington Post. Since all were nonetheless official @usdoj.gov accounts, they are retained on government servers.
A Justice Department spokesman told Huffington that other Cabinet members have also used pen names and that Holder did so to enhance security and thwart efforts to flood his email account. DOJ staff responsible for responding to Freedom of Information requests are aware of the aliases and, when appropriate, have made available messages from all of Holder's accounts, though the confidential addresses are redacted.
Besides Holder, other members of the Obama administration also used aliases, including former Health and Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebelius and former EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, The Associated Press reported in 2013.
Former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel used two BlackBerry phones, one for personal use and the other for his government work. "He understood the need to keep the two separate and to keep government business on his official email," a Pentagon spokesman said.
More here
Statement From Governor Larry Hogan On House Appropriations Budget Recommendations
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today released the following statement in response to the House Appropriations Committee making its final budget recommendations:
“Just 24 hours after being sworn in as governor, we introduced a structurally balanced budget without raising taxes or increasing state debt, while also announcing record investment in education. Throughout this process and during numerous meetings with both Democratic and Republican legislators, we asked for their ideas on how to further expand our increased investments in education while still adhering to the basic principles originally outlined for a fiscally responsible budget. While this is just the mid-point in a long process, and there are concerns about certain proposals in the committee’s recommendations, I believe we are headed in the right direction overall.
“I want to thank Chairwoman McIntosh, Speaker Busch, and the House for their hard work so far and for their recognition that this year’s budget must put Maryland on sound financial footing.
“Ultimately, the budget process will not be completed without meaningful discussion on the many tax relief measures our administration has introduced for struggling Maryland families, small businesses, retirees, and veterans. We look forward to continuing to work with the leaders of the House and Senate over the next 30 days to meet our goals and we are hopeful that we will be able to reach a bipartisan agreement on the budget.”
How Americans Clobbered an Ammo Ban
At the end of February, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms issued a lengthy epistle on "determining whether certain projectiles are 'primarily intended for sporting purposes.'" Anyone who read the 17-page memo would learn that the ATF was considering a ban on M855 ball ammunition, and that citizens had until March 16 to comment.
Now that the ATF has buckled, and bailed on the rule, we can find lessons in the wreckage.
Anyone who had a glancing familiarity with gun rights or gun owners—anyone, it seems, who didn't work for the ATF—could have predicted the next step. M855 "green tip" ammo flew off the shelves, as ammo and guns have every time President Barack Obama's administration made a move. Obama's election in 2008 kicked off a surge of gun-buying, and it's never been controversial to call him America's "number one gun salesman." On conservative news sites, at gun shows, it's been easy to find people fretting the coming gun grab. And here was the Obama administration, grabbing ammo.
"He can't win at the ballot box, he can't win in the Congress," said NRA vice president Wayne LaPierre to Fox News last week. "Now, he is trying to act like a dictator and planning on forcing this ban, ammo ban, on the American public by executive regulation."
Outside the conservative media, coverage of the panic came in two flavors. The first: Color stories about people snapping up ammo. The second: Eye-rolling about the Republicans telling people to fight the ATF rule. TheDaily Beast, for example, used a PAC message about the rule from Kentucky Senator Rand Paul as a case study in how he seized on conservative panics to build his e-mail list.
There's more here
Now that the ATF has buckled, and bailed on the rule, we can find lessons in the wreckage.
Anyone who had a glancing familiarity with gun rights or gun owners—anyone, it seems, who didn't work for the ATF—could have predicted the next step. M855 "green tip" ammo flew off the shelves, as ammo and guns have every time President Barack Obama's administration made a move. Obama's election in 2008 kicked off a surge of gun-buying, and it's never been controversial to call him America's "number one gun salesman." On conservative news sites, at gun shows, it's been easy to find people fretting the coming gun grab. And here was the Obama administration, grabbing ammo.
"He can't win at the ballot box, he can't win in the Congress," said NRA vice president Wayne LaPierre to Fox News last week. "Now, he is trying to act like a dictator and planning on forcing this ban, ammo ban, on the American public by executive regulation."
Outside the conservative media, coverage of the panic came in two flavors. The first: Color stories about people snapping up ammo. The second: Eye-rolling about the Republicans telling people to fight the ATF rule. TheDaily Beast, for example, used a PAC message about the rule from Kentucky Senator Rand Paul as a case study in how he seized on conservative panics to build his e-mail list.
There's more here
Border Patrol Preps for Another Surge
According to new Border Patrol statistics and projections, while the surge will likely be smaller this year, Border Patrol is expecting to catch about 39,000 unaccompanied children and about 53,000 families on the southern border in 2015.
If the projections are correct, it would represented a 43 percent decrease in unaccompanied children and a 23 percent decrease in families compared to last year, but even with the projected decline, the number of families crossing the border illegally would be more than triple the number who crossed in 2013, the Times said.
More than half of those crossing appear to be coming through the Rio Grande Valley, which saw a decrease of 17 percent since the same time last year, Border Patrol reported.
"I don't think the conditions in those countries have changed to stop the push" for families and children to immigrate to the U.S., Bryan Johnson, a New York-based lawyer who works for immigrant youth and families, told the Times.
More here
NAACP Battles Latino Groups Over Public Schools
WASHINGTON – A plan that would dedicate two public high schools in suburban Washington to immigrants and students struggling with English is pitting black and Hispanic communities -– usually allies -- against one another.
The Prince George’s County, Md., chapter of the NAACP is strongly opposing the plan -- which would take effect next school year, and cover about 800 students having English language difficulties -- claiming it will pull resources from other students and unfairly redistribute them to Hispanic students. Some critics go so far as to compare the plan to segregation.
“It’s a slap in the face,” Bob Ross, president of the Prince George’s County branch of the NAACP, told FoxNews.com.
Ross believes the proposal to open two new schools violates the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision that ruled separate schools for black and white students violated the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
“It risks turning Prince George’s County into a segregated school system,” Ross said, adding that he realizes the need for better education in the county but believes it should not come at the cost of existing students.
Latino advocacy group CASA de Maryland sees it differently. The group, which has pushed for the schools, argues that it’s not a violation of the Constitution because the schools are not mandatory and are being built to provide options to immigrants
More here
The Prince George’s County, Md., chapter of the NAACP is strongly opposing the plan -- which would take effect next school year, and cover about 800 students having English language difficulties -- claiming it will pull resources from other students and unfairly redistribute them to Hispanic students. Some critics go so far as to compare the plan to segregation.
“It’s a slap in the face,” Bob Ross, president of the Prince George’s County branch of the NAACP, told FoxNews.com.
Ross believes the proposal to open two new schools violates the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision that ruled separate schools for black and white students violated the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
“It risks turning Prince George’s County into a segregated school system,” Ross said, adding that he realizes the need for better education in the county but believes it should not come at the cost of existing students.
Latino advocacy group CASA de Maryland sees it differently. The group, which has pushed for the schools, argues that it’s not a violation of the Constitution because the schools are not mandatory and are being built to provide options to immigrants
More here
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