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Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Black Friday is dying a slow death
Black Friday is losing its relevancy to US shoppers.
The holiday, which takes place the day after Thanksgiving, has historically been the biggest shopping day of the year in the US.
But over the last several years, shopper traffic in stores on Black Friday has been falling with many retailers like Walmart, Target, and Amazon kicking off their holiday discounts online several weeks in advance.
Foot traffic in stores this year is expected to fall by about 3.5% on Black Friday compared to last year, according to data from the location tracking service Foursquare.
That's coming on the heels of several years of declines.
Last year, about 102 million shoppers hit stores over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, down from 147 million in 2012, according to the National Retail Federation.
That doesn't mean people aren't shopping during the holidays anymore. They just aren't saving their purchases for Black Friday, or for Cyber Monday, for that matter. Many are choosing to shop online, rather than in stores.
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The holiday, which takes place the day after Thanksgiving, has historically been the biggest shopping day of the year in the US.
But over the last several years, shopper traffic in stores on Black Friday has been falling with many retailers like Walmart, Target, and Amazon kicking off their holiday discounts online several weeks in advance.
Foot traffic in stores this year is expected to fall by about 3.5% on Black Friday compared to last year, according to data from the location tracking service Foursquare.
That's coming on the heels of several years of declines.
Last year, about 102 million shoppers hit stores over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, down from 147 million in 2012, according to the National Retail Federation.
That doesn't mean people aren't shopping during the holidays anymore. They just aren't saving their purchases for Black Friday, or for Cyber Monday, for that matter. Many are choosing to shop online, rather than in stores.
More
The 18 best TV shows right now, according to critics
The Critics Choice Awards released its annual nominations of the past year's best television shows.
This year, HBO leads the pack with 22 nominations. There's a tie for second place between ABC and Netflix, with each earning 14. And FX takes the third position with 12 nominations.
"In this golden age of peak TV, viewers have an embarrassment of riches to choose from every day and night," said Joey Berlin, the president of the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, which gives out the awards. "The Critics' Choice Awards are chosen to help people find the best of the best."
The winners will be announced in a televised ceremony on Sunday, December 11, at 8 p.m. on A&E.
Here are the critics' top TV shows and the awards they're nominated for:
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This year, HBO leads the pack with 22 nominations. There's a tie for second place between ABC and Netflix, with each earning 14. And FX takes the third position with 12 nominations.
"In this golden age of peak TV, viewers have an embarrassment of riches to choose from every day and night," said Joey Berlin, the president of the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, which gives out the awards. "The Critics' Choice Awards are chosen to help people find the best of the best."
The winners will be announced in a televised ceremony on Sunday, December 11, at 8 p.m. on A&E.
Here are the critics' top TV shows and the awards they're nominated for:
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Here's how much the highest-paid stars on TV actually make
How much is Hollywood shelling out to get the biggest stars to move to TV?
In this age of wall-to-wall programming, marquee names have become essential in bringing sizable audiences to shows.
And with at least 50 different producers of TV shows, the competition is getting fierce and driving salaries to new highs.
Star salaries can range from $1.1 million an episode for the main players of HBO's "Game of Thrones" to as small as $20,000 per episode for the actors who play the Lyon kids on Fox's "Empire."
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In this age of wall-to-wall programming, marquee names have become essential in bringing sizable audiences to shows.
And with at least 50 different producers of TV shows, the competition is getting fierce and driving salaries to new highs.
Star salaries can range from $1.1 million an episode for the main players of HBO's "Game of Thrones" to as small as $20,000 per episode for the actors who play the Lyon kids on Fox's "Empire."
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The last Democratic president?
President Barack Obama told reporters Sunday that he's not concerned he might be the last Democratic president.
But the president, speaking to reporters at an economic cooperation summit in Lima, did acknowledge the Democratic Party has some soul-searching to do.
"I am not worried about being the last Democratic president … not even for a while," Obama said during a press conference. "And I say that not being cute — the Democratic nominee won the popular vote, and obviously this is an extremely competitive race, and I would expect that future races will be competitive."
Earlier this year, when a Donald Trump victory still seemed a long shot, former President George W. Bush said he feared he would be the last Republican president. The comments prompted a Fox News reporter to ask Obama on Sunday if he felt the same way about his party, now that the tables have turned and that Republicans control all three branches of the federal government, nearly two-thirds of state legislatures, and more than 30 governorships.
"I certainly think it's true that politics in America right now are a little bit up for grabs. That some of the old alignments in both parties, Democrat and Republican, are being reshaped," Obama said. "Democrats do have to do some thinking about how do we make sure that the message we have is received effectively and results in winning elections."
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But the president, speaking to reporters at an economic cooperation summit in Lima, did acknowledge the Democratic Party has some soul-searching to do.
"I am not worried about being the last Democratic president … not even for a while," Obama said during a press conference. "And I say that not being cute — the Democratic nominee won the popular vote, and obviously this is an extremely competitive race, and I would expect that future races will be competitive."
Earlier this year, when a Donald Trump victory still seemed a long shot, former President George W. Bush said he feared he would be the last Republican president. The comments prompted a Fox News reporter to ask Obama on Sunday if he felt the same way about his party, now that the tables have turned and that Republicans control all three branches of the federal government, nearly two-thirds of state legislatures, and more than 30 governorships.
"I certainly think it's true that politics in America right now are a little bit up for grabs. That some of the old alignments in both parties, Democrat and Republican, are being reshaped," Obama said. "Democrats do have to do some thinking about how do we make sure that the message we have is received effectively and results in winning elections."
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Claims of votes by the dead, felons cloud North Carolina governor race
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Reuters) - North Carolina's gubernatorial race was undecided 10 days after the Nov. 8 vote and new allegations by the Republican incumbent's campaign about felons and dead people casting ballots could leave the outcome in limbo for weeks.
Republican Governor Pat McCrory, trailing Democratic challenger Roy Cooper by about 6,300 votes according to the state elections website Friday afternoon, has not conceded. Under state law, Friday was the deadline for counties to certify their results.
But challenges over the validity of hundreds of votes and reviews of provisional ballots were expected to delay the reports from many, if not all, of the state's 100 counties, elections officials said.
The uncertainty has been punctuated this week by a war of words, with McCrory's campaign accusing Cooper of being lax on voter fraud and Cooper's campaign calling the incumbent dishonest and desperate.
"It is unfortunate to see that rather than accepting the results, Pat McCrory is going to go down by besmirching Republican election officials (and) by impugning voters," Marc Elias, a lawyer for the Cooper campaign, said in a call with reporters on Friday.
McCrory's campaign, however, argues it is following the legal process to ensure all legitimate votes are counted.
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Republican Governor Pat McCrory, trailing Democratic challenger Roy Cooper by about 6,300 votes according to the state elections website Friday afternoon, has not conceded. Under state law, Friday was the deadline for counties to certify their results.
But challenges over the validity of hundreds of votes and reviews of provisional ballots were expected to delay the reports from many, if not all, of the state's 100 counties, elections officials said.
The uncertainty has been punctuated this week by a war of words, with McCrory's campaign accusing Cooper of being lax on voter fraud and Cooper's campaign calling the incumbent dishonest and desperate.
"It is unfortunate to see that rather than accepting the results, Pat McCrory is going to go down by besmirching Republican election officials (and) by impugning voters," Marc Elias, a lawyer for the Cooper campaign, said in a call with reporters on Friday.
McCrory's campaign, however, argues it is following the legal process to ensure all legitimate votes are counted.
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Monday, November 21, 2016
Appellate Hearing on Thursday, November 10 for Records about Exchange of Gitmo Prisoners for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl
(Washington DC) – Judicial Watch today announced that oral argument will be held on Thursday, November 10, 2016, in its appeal of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit seeking an Obama Defense Department memo regarding the exchange of five senior al Qaeda leaders held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. Bergdahl walked off his post in Afghanistan, was held captive for five years, and is now facing a court-martial (Judicial Watch v Department of Defense (No. 1:14-cv-01935)).
Date: Thursday, November 10, 2016
Time: 9:30 a.m. ET
Location: Courtroom 31
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
333 Constitution Ave. N.W.
Washington, DC 20001
A lower court found the document, known as the “Lumpkin Memorandum,” was exempt from production under FOIA Exemption B5’s “deliberative process privilege.”
Judicial Watch contends that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel expressly adopted the memo, making it a final agency decision. Final decisions are not protected from disclosure under the deliberative process privilege.
Bergdahl left his post and was held captive by the Taliban-aligned Haqqani network in Afghanistan from June 2009 until May 2014. The circumstances surrounding Bergdahl’s disappearance and subsequent capture have become the subject of intense controversy. He was released on May 31, 2014, as part of a prisoner exchange by the Obama administration that included the five Taliban leaders. The Government Accountability Office found that the Obama administration violated “clear and unambiguous” law in the prisoner swap. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 says that all prisoner transfers from Guantanamo Bay require 30 days’ notice to Congress. No such notice was provided in Bergdahl’s case.
“Tomorrow’s court hearing highlights how the Obama administration doesn’t want to the American people to know its reasons for its dangerous terrorist swap for Sgt. Bergdahl,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.
Source
Date: Thursday, November 10, 2016
Time: 9:30 a.m. ET
Location: Courtroom 31
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
333 Constitution Ave. N.W.
Washington, DC 20001
A lower court found the document, known as the “Lumpkin Memorandum,” was exempt from production under FOIA Exemption B5’s “deliberative process privilege.”
Judicial Watch contends that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel expressly adopted the memo, making it a final agency decision. Final decisions are not protected from disclosure under the deliberative process privilege.
Bergdahl left his post and was held captive by the Taliban-aligned Haqqani network in Afghanistan from June 2009 until May 2014. The circumstances surrounding Bergdahl’s disappearance and subsequent capture have become the subject of intense controversy. He was released on May 31, 2014, as part of a prisoner exchange by the Obama administration that included the five Taliban leaders. The Government Accountability Office found that the Obama administration violated “clear and unambiguous” law in the prisoner swap. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 says that all prisoner transfers from Guantanamo Bay require 30 days’ notice to Congress. No such notice was provided in Bergdahl’s case.
“Tomorrow’s court hearing highlights how the Obama administration doesn’t want to the American people to know its reasons for its dangerous terrorist swap for Sgt. Bergdahl,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.
Source
Hamilton actor who lectured Pence probably wishes he NEVER tweeted this
Two days after Hamilton actor Brandon Victor Dixon delivered a message to Mike Pence following the conclusion of the show, all eyes have been on him.
The hypocrisy in the message he sent has already been pointed out. While he spoke as if he was assuming Pence was a racist, telling him “we, sir, we are the diverse America,” he and the cast don’t practice what they preach. In fact, they had generated controversy months ago when they were looking for actors, specifically stating that they preferred non-white actors.
Now, people have been looking into his past tweets before he was in the public eye, and one in particular stood out.
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Top Obama IRS Official Admitted Cincinnati Office Targeted Groups Based on ‘Guilt by Association’
WASHINGTON—Judicial Watch announced today that it has obtained 1593 pages of new documents from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), including notes from a 2011 interoffice meeting revealing a top IRS official admitted that Cincinnati office agents were targeting organizations requesting tax exempt status based on “guilt by association” and “party affiliation.” According to former IRS Director of the Office of Rulings and Agreements Holly Paz, “they think they know what the org is really doing, rather than looking at actual activities.”
The new documents came in response to a Judicial Watch October 2013 a Freedom of Information (FOIA) lawsuit (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. Internal Revenue Service (No. 1:13-cv-01559)) against the IRS seeking the following:
All records related to the number of applications received or related to communications between the IRS and members of the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate regarding the review process for organizations applying for tax exempt status under 501(c)(4);
All records concerning communications between the IRS and the Executive Branch or any other government agency regarding the review process for organizations applying for tax exempt status under 501(c)(4);
Copies of any questionnaires and all records related to the preparation of questionnaires sent to organizations applying for 501(c)(4) tax exempt status.
All records related to Lois Lerner’s communication with other IRS employees, as well as government or private entity outside the IRS regarding the review and approval process for 501 (c)(4) applicant organizations.
The new documents came in response to a Judicial Watch October 2013 a Freedom of Information (FOIA) lawsuit (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. Internal Revenue Service (No. 1:13-cv-01559)) against the IRS seeking the following:
All records related to the number of applications received or related to communications between the IRS and members of the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate regarding the review process for organizations applying for tax exempt status under 501(c)(4);
All records concerning communications between the IRS and the Executive Branch or any other government agency regarding the review process for organizations applying for tax exempt status under 501(c)(4);
Copies of any questionnaires and all records related to the preparation of questionnaires sent to organizations applying for 501(c)(4) tax exempt status.
All records related to Lois Lerner’s communication with other IRS employees, as well as government or private entity outside the IRS regarding the review and approval process for 501 (c)(4) applicant organizations.
One Million Residents To Travel In Maryland Over Thanksgiving: AAA
More than one million Maryland residents are expected to travel this Thanksgiving holiday, and the vast majority of those will take to the roads by car and spend less money to fill their gas tanks, according to estimates from AAA Mid-Atlantic.
AAA is projecting the number of Thanksgiving holiday travelers, nationwide and in Maryland, will increase for the eighth consecutive year. Nationwide, 48.7 million Americans are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home this Thanksgiving, a 1.9 percent increase over 2015, and the most Thanksgiving travelers since 2007.
The Maryland travel forecast is a 3 percent increase and the highest travel volume in over 10 years, since 2005, the agency says. AAA defines the Thanksgiving holiday travel period as Wednesday, Nov. 23, through Sunday, Nov. 27.
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AAA is projecting the number of Thanksgiving holiday travelers, nationwide and in Maryland, will increase for the eighth consecutive year. Nationwide, 48.7 million Americans are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home this Thanksgiving, a 1.9 percent increase over 2015, and the most Thanksgiving travelers since 2007.
The Maryland travel forecast is a 3 percent increase and the highest travel volume in over 10 years, since 2005, the agency says. AAA defines the Thanksgiving holiday travel period as Wednesday, Nov. 23, through Sunday, Nov. 27.
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Weekly Update: Clinton Accountability Continues
Obama IRS Official Admits Cincinnati Office Targeted Groups Based on ‘Guilt by Association’
We know now, right from the horse’s mouth, how the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has targeted Tea Party and conservative groups during the Obama administration. In the notes of a top IRS official, written down during a 2011 interoffice meeting, we discovered that Cincinnati office agents were targeting organizations requesting tax-exempt status based on “guilt by association” and “party affiliation.” According to Holly Paz, former IRS director of the Office of Rulings and Agreements, “They think they know what the org is really doing, rather than looking at actual activities.” This revelation, among others, comes from1,593 pages of new documents obtained by Judicial Watch in late October from the IRS.
Your Judicial Watch obtained these new documents through a 2013 Freedom of Information (FOIA) lawsuit (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. Internal Revenue Service(No. 1:13-cv-01559)) against the IRS. Included among these IRS documents are handwritten notes from an unidentified source taken during an interoffice meeting in the Washington headquarters, which apparently took place in or around August 2011. According to an IRS court filing provided to Judicial Watch by the agency, the notes reflected a conversation between “four Chief Counsel employees (Victoria Judson, Janine Cook, Susan Brown, and Don Spellmann), Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division employee Nalee Park, and former IRS employee Sarah Hall Ingram.” The notes reveal Holly Paz’s concerns about the Cincinnati office’s targeting of groups based upon ideology and party affiliation:
Holly – Cinci paralyzed by letting any issue go unaddressed. They think they know what the org is really doing, rather than looking at actual activities. Q’s were not activity based, but guilt by association questions – like q’s asking party affiliations …
They see approval of something that will turn out to be very bad org – terrified of that – that’s why they personally will need to have power to say yes. Agents felt if they could ask enough questions, they will find a problem. Agents were jumping to negative conclusions and assumptions – particularly where relationship with political groups or affiliations.
More
We know now, right from the horse’s mouth, how the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has targeted Tea Party and conservative groups during the Obama administration. In the notes of a top IRS official, written down during a 2011 interoffice meeting, we discovered that Cincinnati office agents were targeting organizations requesting tax-exempt status based on “guilt by association” and “party affiliation.” According to Holly Paz, former IRS director of the Office of Rulings and Agreements, “They think they know what the org is really doing, rather than looking at actual activities.” This revelation, among others, comes from1,593 pages of new documents obtained by Judicial Watch in late October from the IRS.
Your Judicial Watch obtained these new documents through a 2013 Freedom of Information (FOIA) lawsuit (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. Internal Revenue Service(No. 1:13-cv-01559)) against the IRS. Included among these IRS documents are handwritten notes from an unidentified source taken during an interoffice meeting in the Washington headquarters, which apparently took place in or around August 2011. According to an IRS court filing provided to Judicial Watch by the agency, the notes reflected a conversation between “four Chief Counsel employees (Victoria Judson, Janine Cook, Susan Brown, and Don Spellmann), Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division employee Nalee Park, and former IRS employee Sarah Hall Ingram.” The notes reveal Holly Paz’s concerns about the Cincinnati office’s targeting of groups based upon ideology and party affiliation:
Holly – Cinci paralyzed by letting any issue go unaddressed. They think they know what the org is really doing, rather than looking at actual activities. Q’s were not activity based, but guilt by association questions – like q’s asking party affiliations …
They see approval of something that will turn out to be very bad org – terrified of that – that’s why they personally will need to have power to say yes. Agents felt if they could ask enough questions, they will find a problem. Agents were jumping to negative conclusions and assumptions – particularly where relationship with political groups or affiliations.
More
Suspect arrested in killing of San Antonio police officer
The suspect in the murder of a San Antonio police detective was arrested Monday afternoon.
San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said that 31-year-old Otis Tyrone McKane was taken into custody without incident at around 4:30 p.m. local time.
McManus said authorities had pulled over a car McKane was a passenger in on Interstate 10, on the eastern edge of San Antonio. The car was being driven by a woman and a 2-year-old child was also in the vehicle. It was not immediately clear what connection McKane had to the woman and child.
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San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said that 31-year-old Otis Tyrone McKane was taken into custody without incident at around 4:30 p.m. local time.
McManus said authorities had pulled over a car McKane was a passenger in on Interstate 10, on the eastern edge of San Antonio. The car was being driven by a woman and a 2-year-old child was also in the vehicle. It was not immediately clear what connection McKane had to the woman and child.
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NEW TO TOWN: THE BERLIN BUTCHER SHOP
We love nothing more than featuring a new business in our community and today’s highlight is The Berlin Butcher Shop located at 101 Williams Street in Berlin, MD. Having opened only seven weeks ago, business owner, Lisa Hall, says that the positive response from people within the community is overwhelming. So, we asked Lisa how this all began. Lisa tells us that this has actually been a dream of hers for the past four or five years because a traditional butcher shop has unfortunately found its place on the “near extinction list” in terms of business models.
“For years, shoppers have been pushed further and further to chain stores because they didn’t have any options. Five years ago, people were really becoming more conscience of where their food came from and today, it is more so than ever,” Hall told us. “I didn’t have a butcher, but then I met Matt at the Food Lion here in Berlin. After meeting Matt, everything just started to fall into place.”
Matt DiPietro, Butcher for the Berlin Butcher Shop comes from a very long line of small business owners and butchers. Believe it or not, Matt is actually a 4th generation butcher. His great-grandparents owned a store in upper New York and the entrepreneur bug stayed in the family, carrying down to Matt’s grandfather and father. Featured in the Shop are photos of Matt as a teenage boy helping his own Dad in their family store, along with a newspaper clipping of his great-grandparent’s store from the early 20th century. Matt moved to the area about ten years ago to help a friend open a bar in town. After staying with that business for only a year, Matt ventured out into town and began bartending and meeting more locals. When the manager position at the Food Lion became available, Matt jumped at the opportunity that he already knew he could do well, thus meeting Lisa Hall in the process. And the rest, they say, is history.
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“For years, shoppers have been pushed further and further to chain stores because they didn’t have any options. Five years ago, people were really becoming more conscience of where their food came from and today, it is more so than ever,” Hall told us. “I didn’t have a butcher, but then I met Matt at the Food Lion here in Berlin. After meeting Matt, everything just started to fall into place.”
Matt DiPietro, Butcher for the Berlin Butcher Shop comes from a very long line of small business owners and butchers. Believe it or not, Matt is actually a 4th generation butcher. His great-grandparents owned a store in upper New York and the entrepreneur bug stayed in the family, carrying down to Matt’s grandfather and father. Featured in the Shop are photos of Matt as a teenage boy helping his own Dad in their family store, along with a newspaper clipping of his great-grandparent’s store from the early 20th century. Matt moved to the area about ten years ago to help a friend open a bar in town. After staying with that business for only a year, Matt ventured out into town and began bartending and meeting more locals. When the manager position at the Food Lion became available, Matt jumped at the opportunity that he already knew he could do well, thus meeting Lisa Hall in the process. And the rest, they say, is history.
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Prof. John Banzhaf: Trump’s Victory Can Help Wussified College Students Grow Up
Professor John Banzhaf, public interest law professor at George Washington University, appeared on Friday’s Breitbart News Daily to talk about his latest article, “Trump May Trim PC Excesses and Wussification on Campuses.”
SiriusXM host Alex Marlow ran through some of the more ridiculous methods people on the Left have employed to cope with their emotional devastation after the 2016 election, most of which involve treating grown men and women like small children, giving them toys and puppies to work out their anxiety.
“I’m not at all surprised that they’re getting so upset about political developments because they do this in other areas,” said Prof. Banzhaf. “I ran across one where a woman actually went for counseling because her roommate used the word ‘bitch’ with respect to her. Two other students ran in for counseling because they saw a mouse, and they needed counseling.”
“Others have talked about a national pantywaist crisis, political correctness run amok, a generation of young people that have never had the opportunity to solve their own problems,” he noted. “They don’t seem to have as much grit as previous generations. We have helicopter parents; kid gets anything less than an A, and not only is the kid upset, the parents are swooping in. So when it comes to something which, you know, can be a little bit more upsetting than a mouse – which is our national election and people who are being appointed – it is not at all surprising that they’re acting like that.”
“The point that I tried to make in my piece is, it’s bad enough when it happens at the undergraduate level. But when it happens in a law school, like the University of Michigan, where they had Play-Doh and bubbles and so on, it is much more serious because those kids are adults.
More here
SiriusXM host Alex Marlow ran through some of the more ridiculous methods people on the Left have employed to cope with their emotional devastation after the 2016 election, most of which involve treating grown men and women like small children, giving them toys and puppies to work out their anxiety.
“I’m not at all surprised that they’re getting so upset about political developments because they do this in other areas,” said Prof. Banzhaf. “I ran across one where a woman actually went for counseling because her roommate used the word ‘bitch’ with respect to her. Two other students ran in for counseling because they saw a mouse, and they needed counseling.”
“Others have talked about a national pantywaist crisis, political correctness run amok, a generation of young people that have never had the opportunity to solve their own problems,” he noted. “They don’t seem to have as much grit as previous generations. We have helicopter parents; kid gets anything less than an A, and not only is the kid upset, the parents are swooping in. So when it comes to something which, you know, can be a little bit more upsetting than a mouse – which is our national election and people who are being appointed – it is not at all surprising that they’re acting like that.”
“The point that I tried to make in my piece is, it’s bad enough when it happens at the undergraduate level. But when it happens in a law school, like the University of Michigan, where they had Play-Doh and bubbles and so on, it is much more serious because those kids are adults.
More here
Maryland Boy’s Inspirational Recovery From Double Hand Transplant
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — An 8-year-old Maryland boy was the first child in the world to get two new hands in July 2015.
“When I was 2, I had to get my hands cut off because I was sick,” explains Zion Harvey, of Baltimore County.
The procedure, the first-ever bi-lateral hand transplant on a child, was done at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. It’s many miles away from his home, but it’s the place where his life changed forever.
“When I get these hands, I will be proud of what hands I get,” Zion said, pre-surgery.
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“When I was 2, I had to get my hands cut off because I was sick,” explains Zion Harvey, of Baltimore County.
The procedure, the first-ever bi-lateral hand transplant on a child, was done at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. It’s many miles away from his home, but it’s the place where his life changed forever.
“When I get these hands, I will be proud of what hands I get,” Zion said, pre-surgery.
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Repudiation: Democrats Hit New Low in State Legislative Seats
Reid Wilson reports in The Hill that after the Democratic Party hit a new low in state legislative seats “after suffering more losses in November’s elections, highlighting the devastation up and down the party across the nation.” This new low comes after eight years of declining Democratic state legislative seat during President Obama’s term in office.
From The Hill:
Republicans will control 4,170 state legislative seats after last week’s elections, while Democrats will control 3,129 seats in the nation’s 98 partisan legislative chambers. Republicans picked up a net gain of 46 seats in Tuesday’s elections, while Democrats lost 46 seats, according to the latest vote counts from The Associated Press.
Independents and members of minor parties hold 71 seats, including the entire Nebraska Senate, which is nonpartisan. Nearly two weeks after Election Day, about a dozen seats remain too close to call.
“Republicans have been working for this moment for years, to have a federal government with Republican majorities and now at the state level,” said David Avella, who heads GOPAC, a group that grooms young legislative candidates. “We have to deliver on breaking down barriers to job creation, we have to deliver on putting more money in people’s pockets through tax cuts and through higher wages.”
More here
From The Hill:
Republicans will control 4,170 state legislative seats after last week’s elections, while Democrats will control 3,129 seats in the nation’s 98 partisan legislative chambers. Republicans picked up a net gain of 46 seats in Tuesday’s elections, while Democrats lost 46 seats, according to the latest vote counts from The Associated Press.
Independents and members of minor parties hold 71 seats, including the entire Nebraska Senate, which is nonpartisan. Nearly two weeks after Election Day, about a dozen seats remain too close to call.
“Republicans have been working for this moment for years, to have a federal government with Republican majorities and now at the state level,” said David Avella, who heads GOPAC, a group that grooms young legislative candidates. “We have to deliver on breaking down barriers to job creation, we have to deliver on putting more money in people’s pockets through tax cuts and through higher wages.”
More here
How to differentiate deals from duds on Black Friday
(NEW YORK) — Black Friday is the famous time of year for finding great bargains — but are some of those deals really just duds?
Gadget review site, TheWireCutter.com, says deals on quality products aren’t always as plentiful as you’d think.
“We found that somewhere under 1 percent of the deals are worthwhile,” Adam Burakowski, the website’s associate deals editor, told ABC News.
The staff at TheWireCutter.com point out that top-rated items aren’t as likely to be discounted, and that price inflation can take place around the holidays to make discounts look bigger.
For instance, the Black Friday price of one Dyson vacuum that ABC News found was $299, but the the same vacuum was $80 less in August.
Televisions are a different story, though.
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Civil Rights Advocates Praise Jeff Sessions for Protecting Black American Workers
U.S. Civil Rights Commissioner Peter Kirsanow issued high praise for Donald Trump’s “inspired” decision to tap Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions as his Attorney General.
“Senator Sessions is a good man and a great man. He has done more to protect the jobs and enhance the wages of black workers than anyone in either house of Congress over the last 10 years,” Kirsanow told Breitbart.
Indeed, arguably no U.S. lawmaker has worked more tirelessly than Jeff Sessions to uphold the legacy of Civil Rights leader and late-Democratic Congresswoman Barbara Jordan–who, in arguing for immigration reductions, famously declared that immigration policy “ought to be a place where the national interest comes first, last, and always.”
“Of all the Senators and public officials that I’ve dealt with, I cannot think of anyone who has been more devoted to issues related to wages and employment levels of all Americans, but particularly black American workers,” Kirsanow said of Sessions.
"It’s a matter that we have discussed in several Congressional hearings— the most recent of which was in March of this year. He has chaired the [Senate] subcommittee dealing with the impact of… immigration on the employment levels of black Americans."
“He is a man of tremendous integrity. I think it was an inspired pick,” Kirsanow added. “He’s going to be a marvelous Attorney General.”
More here
“Senator Sessions is a good man and a great man. He has done more to protect the jobs and enhance the wages of black workers than anyone in either house of Congress over the last 10 years,” Kirsanow told Breitbart.
Indeed, arguably no U.S. lawmaker has worked more tirelessly than Jeff Sessions to uphold the legacy of Civil Rights leader and late-Democratic Congresswoman Barbara Jordan–who, in arguing for immigration reductions, famously declared that immigration policy “ought to be a place where the national interest comes first, last, and always.”
“Of all the Senators and public officials that I’ve dealt with, I cannot think of anyone who has been more devoted to issues related to wages and employment levels of all Americans, but particularly black American workers,” Kirsanow said of Sessions.
"It’s a matter that we have discussed in several Congressional hearings— the most recent of which was in March of this year. He has chaired the [Senate] subcommittee dealing with the impact of… immigration on the employment levels of black Americans."
“He is a man of tremendous integrity. I think it was an inspired pick,” Kirsanow added. “He’s going to be a marvelous Attorney General.”
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OC emergency calls increased this summer
Calls were up to Ocean City emergency services this summer and they did not go unanswered, even though the number of full-time had dropped.
“We had exceptional availability this summer, arguably, the best one we’ve ever had,” said Fire Chief Chris Larmore said during the mayor council’s Tuesday work session. “When we had a call come in, a staff unit was able to respond all but one time. That one time, they split a crew and was able to answer both calls.”
Each year, Larmore gives the mayor and council his summary of the fire department performed from June 1 to Aug. 31. This year saw the call volume spike from 2,810 in 2015 to 3,218 this last summer.
The fact that the resort’s firefighters missed none of these calls is notable, he said, since full-time staff members dwindled from 43 in 2015 to 41 to this year. The number of part-time firefighters has slightly risen in the past year to 71.
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“We had exceptional availability this summer, arguably, the best one we’ve ever had,” said Fire Chief Chris Larmore said during the mayor council’s Tuesday work session. “When we had a call come in, a staff unit was able to respond all but one time. That one time, they split a crew and was able to answer both calls.”
Each year, Larmore gives the mayor and council his summary of the fire department performed from June 1 to Aug. 31. This year saw the call volume spike from 2,810 in 2015 to 3,218 this last summer.
The fact that the resort’s firefighters missed none of these calls is notable, he said, since full-time staff members dwindled from 43 in 2015 to 41 to this year. The number of part-time firefighters has slightly risen in the past year to 71.
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