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Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Houston DA and Sheriff Plan to Stop Charging Marijuana Users

For decades the American public has been forced to endure government policies on marijuana that are unbelievably idiotic and harmful to millions of completely innocent people. They’re so dumb that Americans have been ignoring these laws en masse, even though it threatens their safety, freedom, and prosperity. These policies are so outrageous that over the last few years, even local and state governments have been ignoring the asinine drug laws crafted by the feds.

The latest example of this resistance comes from Houston, Texas, the largest city in the state. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, Sheriff Ed Gonzales, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, and Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo have decided that they will no longer charge anyone caught with less than 4 ounces of marijuana. The new policy will take effect on March 1st.

Anyone caught with pot will have to endure a four-hour drug class, and the marijuana in their possession will be confiscated by the police. No court appearances, no jail time, and no criminal records that could ruin the lives of harmless drug users. The officials behind this policy believe that it will save the county $10 million per year, keep 12,000 people out of the justice system, and give more resources to law enforcement for dealing with violent criminals.

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REMINDER: Coffee With Your Council Tomorrow Night!


Paul Craig Roberts Explains The Stakes For Trump And All Of Us

We need to understand, and so does President Trump, that the hoax “war on terror” was used to transform intelligence agencies, such as the NSA and CIA, and criminal investigative agencies, such as the FBI, into Gestapo secret police agencies. Trump is now threatened by these agencies, because he rejects the neoconservative’s agenda of US world hegemony that supports the gigantic military/security annual budget.

Our secret police agencies are busy at work planting “intelligence” among the presstitute media that Trump is compromised by “Russian connections” and is a security threat to the United States. The plan is to make a case in the media, as was done against President Nixon, and to force Trump from office. To openly take on a newly elected president is an act of extraordinary audacity that implies enormous confidence, or else desperation, on the part of the police state agencies.

Here you can see CNN openly cooperating with the CIA in treating wild and irresponsible speculation that Trump is under Russian influence as if it is an established fact.

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Poplar Hill Mansion hosts Celtic Tea March 16

Come celebrate St. Patrick's Day at Poplar Hill Mansion at our Celtic Tea on March 16th at 11:30a.m. 

We will have special live musical guests with Mickey Justice and Mike O’Loughlin playing some of your favorite acoustic Irish music. 

The menu will feature Creamy Broccoli Soup, Assorted Savories (Corned Beef Sandwiches, Meat and Onion Bridies, Colcannon Bites, and Cucumber Sandwiches), Homemade Irish Soda Scones with clotted cream and jam, Assorted Desserts (Chocolate Stout Cupcakes, Apple Oatmeal Cookies, and Lemon Mint Cheesecake Bites), and Irish Breakfast Tea. 

Bring a friend to this fun event! Cost is $22.00 per person and everyone has a chance to win door prizes. RSVP early as seats are very limited. All proceeds go towards the preservation of Salisbury's Oldest House, Poplar Hill Mansion, a 501(c)-3. Call 410-749-1776 or email curator@poplarhillmansion.org for more information or to RSVP.

Two Females Missing From Pocomoke



KNOWN FOR POLITICAL TEMPERANCE, IOWA MOVES SHARPLY RIGHT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- After decades as the crossroads of prairie populists and checkbook conservatives, Iowa has suddenly become solidly Republican like many of its Midwestern neighbors.

It was one of four states - along with Kentucky, Missouri and New Hampshire - that flipped to complete GOP control in the November election, but Iowa's rush of new legislation has been the most intense.

In an all-night session last week, Iowa lawmakers approved a bill similar to one enacted in Wisconsin six years ago that strips most public sector unions of long-held collective bargaining rights, including health insurance.

Jeff Orvis, a veteran northern Iowa high school teacher, said he sees the measure leaving permanent damage to Iowa's century-old reputation for quality schools, enshrined on the state's 2004 commemorative quarter: "Foundation in education."

"Now, I don't even see how Iowa is going to attract good teachers," said Jeff Orvis, a union representative from northern Iowa. "That's my biggest worry."

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Registration under way for St. Paddy’s Day run/walk


Registration is under way for MAC’s 18th annual St. Paddy’s Day 5k Run/2-Mile Walk, set for Saturday, March. 18.
The event begins at the Salisbury Elks Lodge, with late registration and check-in beginning at 2 p.m.; the run/walk will step off at 3 p.m. The scenic course will wind through the park and zoo.
Registration is $25 for walkers; $25 for runners in advance and $35 the day of the race. The first 200 registrants are guaranteed an event T-shirt.


States Ask Trump To Overturn Obama Election Action

State officials across the nation are fighting former President Barack Obama’s last-minute decision to impose federal authority over state-run election systems, The Daily Caller News Foundation has learned.

The National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), which includes officials from all 50 states and U.S. territories, appealed to President Donald Trump in a resolution approved Saturday at the group’s winter meeting to overturn the Obama policy, but doing so may encounter unexpected resistance from the new administration.

Obama ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Jan. 6, 2017, to classify local and state election systems under the new federal designation of “critical infrastructure.”

By a voice vote, the NASS declared that it “opposes the designation of elections as critical infrastructure,” with opposition cutting across party lines. The NASS includes 33 Republicans, 21 Democrats and one independent.

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Food stamps and sweets: Should they be kept apart?

(CBS NEWS) - The food-stamp program is credited with helping 44 million people in America afford groceries, providing what supporters say is a needed benefit for some of the country’s most vulnerable.

Yet critics of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) say the anti-hunger program is easily abused, and the latest questions about the program are stirring a hornet’s nest of debate. One hot-button issue: Should food-stamp recipients be banned from buying soda and candy?

House lawmakers on Thursday heard experts discuss the issue in what appeared to be a fact-finding mission, as the House Agriculture Committee said it wanted to hear the “pros and cons.”

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LIVE in Jacksonville: Townhall On Immigration

Somerset County Sheriff's Office reports most recent arrests

Maurice McKinley Turner Jr. of Princess Anne, arrested 2-2-17 on warrants for failing to appear in court. Turner was later held on a $15,000 bond.

Nora Mae Church of Princess Anne, arrested 2-4-17 on a Worcester County Sheriff’s Office warrant. Church was later released to Worcester County Deputies.

Joseph Janell Bradley of Salisbury, arrested 2-4-17 on warrants for criminal contempt, and failing to appear in court. Bradley was later held on a $9,000 bond.

Stephen Vincent Schuckert of Princess Anne, arrested 2-6-17 for driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while impaired by alcohol, driving while impaired by drugs and alcohol, and driving while impaired by drugs. Schuckert was later released on signature pending District Court actions. The arrest was the result of a traffic stop conducted by Deputies in the area of the Mt. Vernon Fire Department.

Michelle Denise Dryden of Crisfield, arrested 2-10-17 on a parole retake warrant. Dryden was later held without bond.

Rodney William Burke of Crisfield, arrested 2-11-17 on a warrant for bond revocation. Burke was later held without bond.

Cody Lee Boswell of Crisfield, arrested 2-12-17 for 2nd degree assault. Boswell was later released on a $10,000 unsecured bond. The arrest was the result of a domestic investigation in the area of Hinman Lane, Crisfield.

Timothy David Wolfe Jr. of Millsboro Delaware, arrested 2-16-17 on a warrant for violation of probation. Wolfe was later held on a $20,000 bond.

Tyrone Antio Greene of Salisbury, arrested 2-16-17 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Greene was later held on a $ 10,000 bond.

Roger Ellis Lloyd Jr. of Middle River Maryland, arrested 2-17-17 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Lloyd was later held on a $500.00 bond.

Public Comments Sought On Possible Uses For Ilia Fehrer Nature Preserve

SNOW HILL – Worcester County is currently soliciting public input on a forest stewardship plan for the Ilia Fehrer Nature Preserve.

The plan, which outlines the various sections of the 437-acre preserve, will serve as a guide for future activity on the property.

“The purpose is to identify the existing features of the property in addition to laying out a roadmap for future activities on the property,” said David Bradford, Worcester County’s deputy director of environmental programs.

The Ilia Fehrer Nature Preserve, located on Assateague Road just east of Berlin, was acquired by the county in 2011 with the assistance of state and federal partners as well as from The Trust for Public Land. The property, much of which runs along Ayres Creek, is located within the Holly Grove Swamp area, the largest block of unprotected forestland in the county.

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TRUMP 100% RIGHT! The Media Does NOT Want You To See This 2-Minute Video From Sweden

Vandals damage 100 headstones at Jewish cemetery, police say


(CNN)Even from the air it looks chaotic, like someone has angrily scattered previously tidy rows of toy blocks.


A view from the ground shows a more somber reality -- scores of granite and marble tombstones, toppled and damaged in a historic Jewish cemetery at a time tensions in the nation's Jewish communities are already high.


A vandal or vandals toppled and damaged more than 100 headstones at the Chesed Shel Emeth Society cemetery in the St. Louis suburb of University City within the past week, police said Monday. Workers spent part of Tuesday using crane trucks to upright some stones and documenting which memorials will need replacing altogether.


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GRAPH: How much debt did each president leave the country?


Take a look at how much debt each president left the country.

President Franklin Roosevelt, who presided over most of World War II, left the country with more debt than any other president to date. Public debt as a share of GDP was at 95.7 percent in 1944, his last full calendar year in office.

There was no public debt in 1836, President Andrew Jackson's final year in office. Presidents Martin Van Buren, John Tyler and Franklin Pierce are the only other presidents to leave office with debt at 1 percent of GDP or less.

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Friday, 2/17 was Random Acts of Kindness Day In Salisbury

Former President Obama and his Paid Thugs Trying to Topple Trump

The violent thugs who disrupted Rep. Tom McClintock’s recent town hall meeting in Roseville, CA were clearly organized and had a plan. There was nothing organic about that town hall riot, or any of the other town hall meetings held by Congressional Republicans around the country, ending in violent protests.

“From California to Florida, liberal activists are bringing the fight to the doorsteps of GOP lawmakers, marching on the streets of their hometowns and making legislators’ lives miserable as they attend meetings and town halls with constituents,” The Hill recently wrote. “Hundreds of protesters lined the streets of downtown Janesville, Wis., on Saturday—just blocks from the home of Speaker Paul Ryan (R)—to protest President Trump’s executive order on immigration.”

There is a playbook for this: It’s called Indivisible: A practical guide for resisting the Trump Agenda. Written by former congressional staffers who watched the rise of the Tea Party, they have launched an aggressive assault promoting a radical progressive agenda intent on crushing the Trump Administration and the United States of America.

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Md. college student opened care package from mom...

(LEONARDTOWN, Md.) — Connor Cox’s mom is an expert at getting revenge.

When Cox, who is a freshman at Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, thought he was opening up his usual care package from his mom, what he found inside instead was trash.

“I got two boxes and I opened one and it had food in it and I realized there wasn’t food in the other one,” Cox, 18, told ABC News. “It was a bunch of trash, tissues [and] soda cans.”

Cox, who is originally from Leonardtown, Maryland, immediately called his mother Terri to ask what was with the box of trash.

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State Police Arrest Suspect Involved In Somerset County Homicide

Rodney Columbus Christopher, aka “Mookie”
(PRINCESS ANNE, MD) — Maryland State Police arrest the suspect responsible for the murder of a 26 year old woman in Somerset County last December.

The accused is identified as Rodney Columbus Christopher, also known as “Mookie”, 35, of Princess Anne. He is charged with first degree murder and other related criminal charges. Christopher was arrested in Baltimore at 6:00 a.m. this morning. He was transported to Somerset County Detention Center where he is currently being held without bond.

The victim, identified as Tawanda L. Blake, 26, of Pocomoke, Md, was pronounced dead shortly after 2:00 a.m. on December 17, 2016 at Peninsula Regional Medical Center. Autopsy results ruled Blake’s death as a homicide by a single gunshot wound.

Early this morning, investigators from the Maryland State Apprehension Team and the United States Marshal’s Service located Christopher in Baltimore City. Throughout the investigation, police learned he was staying at a relative’s apartment, where he was subsequently apprehended without incident.

Just after 1:30 a.m. on Saturday, December 17, 2016, troopers from the Princess Anne Barrack responded to a shooting at the American Legion in the 31000-block of Perryhawkin Road in Princess Anne. Blake was found lying in the parking lot. Emergency medical personnel responded and transported her to the hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries.

State Police investigators from the Criminal Enforcement Division at the Princess Anne Barrack and the Homicide Unit took the lead in the investigation. Blake was the only victim hit when several shots were fired on the parking lot. There were several other people present at the time of the incident.

As investigators continue the investigation, anyone with information about this shooting is urged to contact Maryland State Police at the Princess Anne Barrack at 443-260-3700. Callers may remain confidential.

Week Six: More Shore Funding

Governor Hogan in Salisbury

The highlight of week six in session actually happened right here at home on the Shore - Governor Hogan paid our area a visit to make some pretty important announcements. This week also ushered in a change in the state constitution. A resolution, with an accompanying bill, will now allow the Maryland Attorney General to sue the federal government without the Governor’s approval.

The Greater Salisbury Committee hosted Governor Larry Hogan and Comptroller Peter Franchot at Headquarters Live in downtown Salisbury where they held a question and answer session that focused on the importance of bipartisanship. Afterward, Governor Hogan, joined by Salisbury Mayor Jacob Day and Wicomico County Executive Bob Culver, visited the Chamber of Commerce for a press conference. Our Governor announced the commitment of $1 million in funding for the Downtown Revitalization Plan, funds to complete theupgrades to Arthur W Perdue Stadium, and an additional $29 million for projects in all three lower Shore counties! The funding covers construction projects for West Salisbury Elementary School and Parkside High School. Governor Hogan continued the good news with an investment of $368 million in Lower Eastern Shore transportation projects. Our meetings throughout the Summer with the Governor’s staff have paid off!

After the press conference came to an end on Monday, I hit the road back to Annapolis where I began the week by leading the prayer at the beginning of session. I attended the Maryland Municipal League (MML) Legislative Committee with the chair of the Appropriations Committee in regards to Highway User Revenues. Two members of the MML Legislative Committee are from Salisbury. This week also featured one of my favorite days, Chicken Day, where we were given the opportunity to enjoy lunch provided by the Hurlock Lions Club. It was incredible to share one of the many great things the Shore has to offer with over 100 delegates in attendance. The lunch was a great preparation for our Environment and Transportation Committee, which handles farm bills. The committee is in full stride now, with some hearings lasting as late as midnight.

This week brought visitors from the Shore to your office in Annapolis from:

The weekly Eastern Shore Delegation met on Friday and welcomed Wor-Wic Community College, Chesapeake College, Maryland Department of Agriculture, and the Rural Health Association.
Our 2017 Scholarship Application is now available! If you live in District 38B and are interested in applying, please send an email to Carl.Anderton@house.state.md.us. Applicants must have plans to attend college in Maryland.
As always, if you would like to contact us with an idea, issue, or concern,
please either call: 410-841-3431 or email carl.anderton@house.state.md.us.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Teen confesses to throwing wood block at President's motorcade; charges expected

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (WPEC) - President Donald Trump's visits to Palm Beach are nothing short of drama, but on Friday, tension was heightened when the president's motorcade was struck by a small hard object.

PBSO has identified the object as a 2 x 4 piece of wood, and has found the culprits behind the act - a group of local teenagers.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office was assisting the United States Secret Service Friday morning for the Trump motorcade movement from Palm Beach International Airport along Southern Boulevard to his destination at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach.

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Stockman Warns Trump "Flynn's Gone But They're Still Gunning For You, Donald"

General Flynn's tenure in the White House was only slightly longer than that of President-elect William Henry Harrison in 1841. Actually, with just 24 days in the White House, General Flynn's tenure fell a tad short of old "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too". General Harrison actually lasted 31 days before getting felled by pneumonia.

And the circumstances were considerably more benign. It seems that General Harrison had a fondness for the same "firewater" that agitated the native Americans he slaughtered at the famous battle memorialized in his campaign slogan. In fact, during the campaign a leading Democrat newspaper skewered the old general, who at 68 was the oldest US President prior to Ronald Reagan, saying:

Give him a barrel of hard [alcoholic] cider, and… a pension of two thousand [dollars] a year… and… he will sit the remainder of his days in his log cabin.

That might have been a good idea back then (or even now), but to prove he wasn't infirm, Harrison gave the longest inaugural address in US history (2 hours) in the midst of seriously inclement weather wearing neither hat nor coat.

That's how he got pneumonia! Call it foolhardy, but that was nothing compared to that exhibited by Donald Trump's former national security advisor.

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Recent Press Releases From The Department Of Justice


Missouri Man Charged With Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS

Wisconsin Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIL

Virginia Man Sentenced to 102 Months in Prison for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIL


California Man Agrees to Plead Guilty to Plotting Violent Attacks and Buying Firearms for Shooter in San Bernardino Terrorist Attack

Two New York City Residents Pleaded Guilty to All Charges in Terrorism Case

Fifth-grader asks police for help with math homework, and this was their response

When Molly Draper found out her 10-year-old daughter, Lena, messaged the local police department on Facebook requesting help with her math homework, she couldn’t believe it.

Not only that: they actually responded.

Lena sent a message to the Marion, Ohio, Police Department’s Facebook page last week, explaining that she was having trouble with her fifth-grade math assignment.

Instead of turning her away, Draper says Marion Police Dept. Lt. B.J. Gruber, the officer who runs the page, simply responded, “Ok with what?”

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Homeland Security Press Releases 2-21-17


 Below is a list of press releases that have been released today concerning border security and immigration enforcement.

Fact Sheet: Executive Order: Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements

Secretary Kelly Issues Implementation Memoranda on Border Security and Interior Enforcement Executive Orders

Q&A: DHS Implementation of the Executive Order on Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States

Q&A: DHS Implementation of the Executive Order on Border Security and Immigration Enforcement

Fact Sheet: Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States

JUST IN: New Trump Deportation Rules Allow Far More Expulsions

WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday released a set of documents translating President Trump’s executive orders on immigration and border security into policy, bringing a major shift in the way the agency enforces the nation’s immigration laws.

Under the Obama administration, undocumented immigrants convicted of serious crimes were the priority for removal. Now, immigration agents, customs officers and border patrol agents have been directed to remove anyone convicted of any criminal offense.

That includes people convicted of fraud in any official matter before a governmental agency and people who “have abused any program related to receipt of public benefits.”

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Millsboro Man Arrested for Burglary of Car Dealership

Jeffrey S. Cannon
Frankford - Detectives with the Troop 4 Criminal Investigations Unit have arrested a Millsboro man for burglary and other related crimes after he broke into a used car dealership twice within two weeks.

Jeffrey S. Cannon, 41 of Millsboro, was arrested on Friday February 17, 2017 after detectives were able to link him to two separated burglaries that occurred at The Used Car Factory, located at 34322 DuPont Boulevard. The first incident occurred on January 23, 2017 when the front door was smashed to gain entry. Once inside, Cannon is alleged to have removed more than $250.00 cash from a register till along with two diagnostic scan tools valued at $5,000.00 a piece. A second incident was reported on February 3, 2017 when once again the front door was smash open and upon making entry, two separate desks were ransacked, causing damage to a computer. Cannon then removed various tools valued at more $9,000.00 from the shop and damaged a car hood that was in for repairs before fleeing the business.

A search warrant was conducted at his residence and detectives were able to recover some of the items that were stolen during both heists. Cannon was charged with two counts of Burglary 3rd, two counts of Possession of Burglary Tools, three counts of Theft over $1500, three counts of Theft under $1500, and four counts of Criminal Mischief. He was arraigned at JP2 and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on $16,400.00 secured bond.

Check out what happened at the 3:55 mark…

LANGUAGE WARNING!

Parking Violation Leads to Heroin Arrests

Derek Hopkins
Quamere Johnson

Magnolia - The Delaware State Police have arrested two people after a parking violation leads to the discovery of heroin.

The incident occurred around 10:00 a.m. Monday February 20, 2017 as a trooper on patrol in the area of the 400 block of Lambert Drive observed a vehicle illegally parked in the roadway. Troopers made contact with the operator, who was identified as Quamere Johnson, 24 of Magnolia, a front seat passenger, idenfied as Derek Hopkins, 22 of Magnolia, and an adult female seated in the rear of the car. Upon speaking with the occupants of the vehicle, an odor of marijuana was detected and all three were removed from the car.

A search of Quamere Johnson revealed 64 bags (.096 grams) of heroin, while Derek Hopkins was found to have 292 bags (4.38 grams) of heroin as well as over $1,000.00 in suspected drug proceeds. Johnson and Hopkins were then taken into custody without incident and transported back to Troop 3 where they were both charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance (Heroin), Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance (Heroin), Conspiracy 2nd, Possession of Marijuana, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Johnson was additionally cited for a parking violation and released after being arraigned at JP2 on a $42,301.00 unsecured bond. Hopkins was committed to James T. Vaughn Correctional Center on $122,300.00 cash bond.

The female was not charged with any crime and was released at the scene.

Swedish cop's viral Facebook rant backs Trump on crime wave

Police investigator Peter Springare isn’t likely to be among those mocking President Trump for his remarks about refugees in Sweden.

Trump’s comments during a Florida campaign rally on Saturday – which some took as a misstatement about a supposed terror attack – dovetail with what Springare has been seeing during a typical week in Orebro, Sweden. Five rapes, three assaults, a pair of extortions, blackmail, an attempted murder, violence against police and a robbery made up Springare’s caseload for a five-day period earlier this month, according to a Feb. 3 Facebook post he wrote. The suspects were all from Muslim-majority countries – Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia and Turkey – save for one Swedish man nabbed in a drug-related case.

“Mohammed, Mahmod, Ali, again and again,” Springare wrote of those arrested.

Springare, who is now being investigated for possible hate crime incitement based on his post, managed to elucidate what Trump only hinted at during a Florida campaign speech – somewhat opaquely.

“You look at what’s happening last night in Sweden,” Trump said. “Sweden. Who would believe this? Sweden. They took in large numbers. They’re having problems like they never thought possible.”

More here

Annual Crisfield Elks Organization Day Celebration Parade

Accident On Route 50 at Sixty Foot Road

Station 7 has been called to an accident at Sixty Foot Road and Ocean Gateway for an accident.  

The accident is in the East bound lanes. Maryland State Police is advising there are 3 patients. 

A third ambulance has been requested from Willards

Two priority 3 patients being transported to PRMC via Pittsville EMS.
One patient being transported by Parsonsburg EMS. 

Leaked Trump Order Targets Legal Immigrants Who Use Government Benefits

After signing several executive orders aimed at deporting undocumented immigrants, President Donald Trump may target legal immigrants next.

A leaked executive order would drastically expand the number of public programs that are off-limits to legal immigrants who aren't citizens, such as green-card holders. If found using them, they could face deportation and their sponsors -- usually a family member or employer -- would have to reimburse the federal government for unauthorized use of those benefits.

Immigrants can currently be deported for using cash welfare or long-term institutionalized care. Under the draft order, they could be deported for using any federal benefit given "on the basis of income, resources or financial need." That could include food stamps, Medicaid, free or reduced school lunch, home heating assistance and college financial aid.

"This is really a major change for social welfare institutions and the social welfare system," said Michael Fix, president of the Migration Policy Institute.

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WORCESTER COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR STEM SUMMER PROGRAMS



Worcester County Economic Development (WCED) is now accepting applications for the 2017 STEM summer enrichment programs. These programs provide exceptional opportunities for Worcester County students ages 12-24 to explore local career paths. Applications are available online at www.chooseworcester.org/STEM and are due no later than March 31. 


“Our unique program continues to gain recognition for the career pathway linkages it provides for students in Worcester County,” WCED Director Merry Mears said.

“Our STEM camp and internship program are recognized by businesses and entrepreneurs in our community, as a workforce development pipeline that offers them the opportunity to home-grow their future workforce,” STEM summer programs coordinator Fawn Mete said.

Pope Francis: Cell Phones at Dinner Table the 'Start of War'

Pope Francis said people need to put down their cell phones and communicate, particularly at the dinner table, according to the New York Post.

"When we're at the table, when we are speaking to others on our telephones, it's the start of war because there is no dialogue," the pontiff said during a speech Friday to a young crowd at a university in Rome.

The pope made the remarks during a 45-minute speech in which he also reprimanded politicians for a lack of dialogue, saying "where even before one [candidate] finishes talking, he is interrupted. Where there is no dialogue, there is violence. Wars start in your heart."

He added: "In the newspapers, we see this one insulting that one, that one says this about the other one."

Being a good listener is important, he said.

More here

Report: Pentagon Working on Drone Laser Missile Zapper

The Pentagon is reportedly rushing to develop a drone laser weapon capable of zapping rockets almost as soon as they are launched.

According to Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Missile Defense Agency said it has conducted tests of a "directed-energy airborne laser" fired from a military drone – a weapon that would be carried by remote-control aircraft over suspected enemy ballistic missile launch sites. The current system relies on "metal-to-metal" missile interceptors guided by radar and satellites, the outlet reported.

This could revolutionize missile defense, dramatically reducing the role of kinetic interceptors," agency spokesman Christopher Johnson told the outlet in an email.

Johnson said five leading defense contractors — Boeing, General Atomics, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon — are studying the technology, and the agency expects to award contracts this year, the newspaper reported.

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Twitter Is Now Deleting Offensive Tweets

Early this month Twitter unveiled a new plan to crack down on harassment. They laid out three new tools to start fighting against abusive accounts and comments.

They neglected to mention, however, the real changes they would be making to punish users for using supposedly offensive language.

Last week we discovered Twitter was punishing accounts for using “offensive” language by removing account features for 12 hours. Now it appears they are “ghost” deleting Tweets they deem offensive.

When a Tweet is ghost deleted, the person who wrote the Tweet still sees it and does not know it is technically deleted. But everyone else trying to find the Tweet cannot see it, and even if you manually enter the Tweet’s URL, it will bring you to a page that says it was deleted.

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Terror plots against U.S. planned by foreign nationals in seven countries on Trump’s ban list

Nationals from seven countries listed on a travel ban issued by President Trump have participated in ongoing terrorist plots against the U.S., according to congressional and law enforcement reports that challenge the widely circulated media criticism that no one from those nations has ever staged an attack on American soil.

A Senate Judiciary Committee report last year found that of the 390 foreign nationals arrested on terrorist-related charges since the Sept. 11 attacks, 67 come from the countries listed in the travel ban.

Joseph Humire, executive director of the Center for a Secure Free Society and an analyst on Islamic terrorism, said the Cato Institute study cited repeatedly in the mainstream media is an “over-simplistic and inadequate” assessment of the terrorist threat. Jihadis driven from their strongholds in other countries are using the banned countries as refuges and jumping-off points for their next missions, he said.

The Homeland Security Department “is seeking to project where [the Islamic State] will go as they lose territory in Syria and Iraq. Countries in chaos or which lack any security relationship with the U.S. are the likeliest destinations,” Mr. Humire said.

Terrorist groups based in Yemen and Somalia have plotted to attack and infiltrate the U.S. for years. Iran’s intelligence service has also tried to mount high-level assassinations, military-type assaults and cyber-attacks.

One of the most noted cases involved a 2011 plot to assassinate Saudi Arabia’s ambassador by bombing a fashionable restaurant in Washington where he often had lunch.

More here

Lawmakers To Debate Bill On Israel Boycott

Later this month, lawmakers in Annapolis hold hearings on legislation that supporters believe would put the state of Maryland clearly on the side of Israel, in a worldwide movement to boycott Israel over its treatment of the Palestinians.

The legislation (HB 949 and SB 739) would ban the state of Maryland from offering procurement contracts, or making any investments in companies that boycott Israel.

The legislation was a topic of conversation on this week's edition of Maryland's News This Week.

The legislation is in response to a worldwide Boycott, Disinvestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement that seeks to put economic pressure on Israel to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians. It is similar to the 1980's movement that put pressure on South Africa to end Apartheid.

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Indiana church's Jesus statue beheaded twice in two weeks

For the second time in two weeks, members of a church on the south side of Indianapolis have found their Jesus statue vandalized, giving it the appearance of being beheaded.

“It makes me sad that somebody would do something like that,” said Pastor Brad Flaskamp. “I was hoping it was just a random act to destroy it in the first place.”

That’s what the pastor and other members of Cottage Avenue Pentecostal Fellowship thought two weeks ago, the first time somebody broke the head off their concrete Jesus statue. The 5-year-old statue stands next to the front door of the church, which has stood in the 800 block of Cottage Avenue for roughly 100 years.

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Bongino: McCain a 'Pawn for the Media' With Trump Complaints

Sen. John McCain has become a "pawn for the media" with his complaints about President Donald Trump, despite being treated poorly by the media himself while he was a presidential candidate, former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino said Monday.

"They beat him up when he was the Republican nominee, despite the fact they loved him before that," Bongino told Fox News' "Fox & Friends" program. "I wish he would see that he is being used here just to destroy Trump. That is his only role here, that [he] be that Republican voice against Trump."

McCain, in an interview Sunday on NBC News' "Meet the Press," said Trump's attacks on the media is "how dictators get started," as such leaders shut down the free press.

On Friday, McCain dealt a flurry of blows against Trump during a speech in Germany, at one point comparing the current political atmosphere to the years under Nazi Germany in the 1930s and 1940s.

"This is really disturbing stuff," said Bongino.

More here

MS-13 Gang Connected To Several Disappearances Of Young Girls In Md.

BALTIMORE(WJZ) — One of the nation’s most violent gangs is connected to a rash of kidnappings of young girls in our region, and likely, a murder. Authorities say they’re recruiting children as young as 11-years-old.

WJZ Investigative reporter Mike Hellgren has the latest on the action being taken against MS-13.

Federal authorities had cracked down on the gang more than a decade ago. Many members did go to prison, but now there is a resurgence.

The gang is believed to be connected to the disappearance of several teenage girls, and one Gaithersburg teen was murdered.

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From The Cradle To The Vat, Russia's 'Temporarily Dead' Await Immortality

SERGIYEV POSAD, Russia -- In this sleepy, conservative town in the heartland of Russian Orthodoxy, an experiment aimed at resurrecting the dead is under way in a frigid backyard laboratory.

Bathed in the glow of a floodlight inside a white metal shed, two frosted vats tower before Danila Medvedev. They contain his patients: dozens of cadavers and brains cryogenically frozen at -196 degrees Celsius in the hope that they can one day be brought back to life.

"They are floating in liquid nitrogen, like a child in the mother's womb," Medvedev says, his freezing breath clouding in the air as he surveys his work.

Medvedev is a co-founder and ideologue at KrioRus, one of the world's three leading companies offering cryopreservation -- the deep-freezing of the dead so they can be reanimated when presumed breakthroughs in science and technology have consigned death to the history books.

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Md. reconsiders suspending, expelling younger students

WASHINGTON — Kids in pre-K through second grade could no longer be suspended out of school or expelled under a bill being considered in Maryland.

The only exception would be if a child deliberately brought a gun to school.

In-school suspensions for young students would still be allowed.

Members of the House Ways and Means Committee heard testimony about the bill last week in Annapolis.

“No kid who’s 5 should be suspended or expelled, because it’s not helping the student mature or develop. It’s not effective for the classroom,” said Del. Brooke Lierman, a Democrat representing Maryland’s 46th District who is also the bill’s sponsor.

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Social Science Studies the Most Hazardous Thing on the Road: You

An ordinary car has about 30,000 separate parts, but only one component is persistently prone to catastrophic failure: the driver. Whereas 2 percent of accidents are caused by equipment malfunction, 94 percent are the driver’s fault.

That is why much of the progress in highway safety during the past century has resulted from behavioral science that reveals how drivers interact with their vehicles. The value of this work will only increase as the nation finds itself on the verge of a revolution in personal transportation—the self-driving automobile.

Many safety systems and procedures we take for granted today arose from applied behavioral research—where cognitive science meets engineering, and both advance in tandem. For example, the fact that cars are now equipped with a center-mounted supplementary brake light more easily seen by drivers following behind is thanks to a groundbreaking study of rear-end crashes conducted by California psychologist John Voevodsky in the early 1970s.

Voevodsky was a pioneer in what is now known as the science of human factors and ergonomics. The field had been growing rapidly since World War II, when there was a sudden pressing need to reduce errors and accidents caused by personnel using complicated military systems. Understanding how operators act and designing methods to optimize safety and system performance became increasingly urgent priorities. After the war, as the number of vehicles and drivers rose rapidly, automobile operation became a natural focus for the field.

Human factors, indeed any science, works like a jigsaw puzzle: Each piece of new knowledge helps reveal the shape of the overall pattern and then shows where the next piece needs to go. When Voevodsky began his investigations, many pieces were already in place. In 1955, the Society of Automotive Engineers had collected and published anthropometric data for people ranging in size from the 5th to 95th percentile. Standardized measurement procedures arose and by the early 1960s behavioral science had produced a new tool called the “eyellipse.” It was a set of specifications, based on the location of a driver’s eyes within a car, exactly quantifying the ellipse-shaped field of view available to people of different shapes and heights—including the neck pivot points at which vision is cut off. Those advances provided a basis for evaluating what drivers could and could not see.

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Gorka: ‘Forgotten Man' Was Given a Voice on November 8, and the Media Can't Stand It

Dr. Sebastian Gorka, deputy assistant to President Trump and former national security editor for Breitbart News, joined SiriusXM host Lee Stranahan for Thursday’s Breitbart News Daily.

Stranahan brought up the outrageous allegation by a left-wing blogger that Gorka was a Nazi sympathizer, based on a medal he was seen wearing. The false story was eagerly repeated, without the slightest bit of fact-checking, by Chelsea Clinton and the Southern Poverty Law Center, among others.

“My parents escaped Communist Hungary in 1956,” Gorka recalled. “My father actually escaped from a prison, a Communist prison, because he was an anti-Communist and he had been betrayed and given a life sentence at the age of 20. In exile, he was awarded a medal – it’s the Order of the Vitez – for his resistance to dictatorship in Hungary.”

“That Order, for some people, because it is associated with the regent, Admiral Horthy, they think that makes my father, who escaped from a Communist prison, a fascist, and, therefore, neo-fascist,” he explained.

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Auto Bubble Burst Begins As Subprime Delinquencies Soar To 2009 Levels

For months we've argued that record auto sales have been propped up by low interest rates, a perpetual loosening of auto lending standards with terms being stretched to the max and a wave of leases, all of which have allowed the American consumer to trade up to more expensive vehicles while maintaining low monthly payments.

That said, with rates recently on the rise and a flood of lease returns driving down used cars prices (see "Record High Lease Returns Set To Wreak Havoc On Used Car Prices"), the tailwinds that have propelling auto sales to record highs over the past several months look set to change course.

Certainly, a quick look at the 61+ day delinquencies in General Motors' subprime securitization book would seem support our rather negative thesis on future auto sales with January 2017 delinquency rates soaring to the highest levels since late 2009 / early 2010.

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Comments I Feel Worthy Of A Post

Anonymous said...

Joe your a business man. If you had employees that were failing to show up to work over 70 percent of the time at one of you businesses and over 50 percent at another; what would you do ? This is the situation that the Chief is facing. There isn't any grand scheme to eliminate volunteers. The volunteers are eliminating themselves. You owe it to yourself to dig deeper into the situation. You know people on the other side that can tell you what is really going on. 
February 21, 2017 at 9:52 AM 


JoeAlbero said...

9:52, Yes, I am a business man. Let me school YOU on business.

You see, I have VOLUNTEERS here on Salisbury News. Do they moderate comments 24/7, no. Are there times when I could really use the help and they aren't around, absolutely. HOWEVER, let's NOT FORGET they are VOLUNTEERS.

I appreciate every single thing they do and I MANAGE my business obviously a lot better then the highers ups at the Salisbury Fire Department.

If I treated my VOLUNTEERS like crap, without the respect they deserve and earn, (in your case) they'd be eliminating themselves too.

So there's the difference between someone in a government job and a professional business man.

Proposed Homeland Security guidelines would expand and expedite deportations

The Department of Homeland Security has written new guidelines that would expand the number of immigrants subject to deportation and expedite their removal.

The guidelines, contained in a pair of memos by Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, are not final and must still be signed off on by the White House.

Under the guidelines, children who journeyed to the United States "unaccompanied" and were reunited with parents living in the United States illegally would no longer be protected from deportation, and their parents could be prosecuted if they paid smugglers to bring the children in.

The proposal would also expand the number of people considered criminals and therefore targeted for deportation by including those charged with a crime or suspected of committing one. And it would allow expedited deportation for illegal immigrants who have been in the country for up to two years, instead of the current two weeks.

Read more on WashingtonExaminer.com

LGBT Anti-Trump Protest in DC Fizzles 'Bigly'

WASHINGTON D.C. — Even on a beautiful day with temperatures in the high 60s, organizers could not muster a decent-sized protest turnout against President Donald Trump at an LGBT event on Sunday outside the Trump International Hotel, a few blocks from the White House.

A group of little more than two dozen protesters danced, kissed, held signs, and played music as an almost equal number of photographers captured the spectacle of social justice warriors who lacked any coherent message except free-floating contempt for the president who took office less than one month ago.

More (or less) here

The Russians Are Coming … And Have Been For Years

Earlier this week, residents living along the eastern Connecticut and western Rhode Island shoreline — not to mention the eastern tip of Long Island — received a shot of panic when a sitting congressman took to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to voice concerns over a Russian spy ship parked 30 miles off the mouth of the Thames River.

“Mr. Speaker, as we are sitting here in this Chamber, right now off the coast of Groton, Connecticut, 30 miles from the Groton Navy Sub Base, which is the oldest submarine base in America, there is a Russian spy ship, the Viktor Leonov, that is loitering — as was reported this morning from the Navy and news sources — off the coast, again, within the bare minimum of international waters,” U.S. Representative Joe Courtney, a Democrat and member of the House Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, said.

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Tribes Hope Trump's 'America First' Helps First Americans

Native Americans hope President Donald Trump doesn't forget America's first inhabitants as he promises to put "America first."

Tribes have been reaching out to the Republican administration since it took office last month, saying they're ready to help it meet its campaign promises of improving the economy and creating more jobs for Americans.

Five large tribes in Oklahoma — the Cherokee, Chickasaw , Choctaw, Muscogee Creek and Seminoles — have requested a meeting with the New York billionaire during his first 100 days in office so they can talk about ways to advance their common interests.

Despite uncertainties, many tribal leaders say they're hopeful they can build on the strong relationships enjoyed under prior administrations.

More here

[Even though Minnetonka, Minnesota is surrounded by tribal reservations with desperate poverty, I noted that my Minnetonka moccasins have a label hidden inside that says 'Made in Dominican Republic', and the beadwork for fancier ones is done in Africa. --Editor]

NYC Dad Outraged Over Daughter's 'Anti-Trump' Homework Question

A New York father was outraged when his daughter was asked to complete a homework assignment that ended with a politicized question.

Vincent Ungro of Staten Island told Ed Henry that his 11-year-old daughter brought home an assignment that read as follows:

"President Trump speaks in a very superior and [BLANK] manner, insulting many people.

He needs to be more [BLANK] so the American people respect and admire him," the assignment read, asking the student to fill in the blanks with vocabulary terms.

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"Wake Up America" Dennis Kucinich Defends Trump, Issues Dire Warning About "Deep State"

Dennis Kucinich, Former U.S. Rep. and Democratic presidential candidate, defended Donald Trump on “Mornings with Maria” on Tuesday.

In regards to Michael Flynn’s resignation, Kucinich defended Trump and told America to “Wake Up”

Anti-Russia Game

In the interview, Kucinich blamed factions of the US intelligence community for wanting to end any positive relationship between Russia and the US, hoping for a return of the cold war.

"...the American people have to know that there's a game going on inside the intelligence community... at the bottom of all this is the fact that there are those that seek to separate US from Russia to reignite the cold war... wake up America!!"

Kucinich did not see this as an anti-Trump game, but rather an anti-Russia game:

“It’s not just this administration. I want to remind the views and all those who are on the panel that in the closing months of the Obama administration, they put together a deal with Russia to create peace in Syria. A few days later, a military strike in Syria killed a hundred Syrian soldiers and that ended the agreement. What happened is inside the intelligence and the Pentagon there was a deliberate effort to sabotage an agreement the White House made.”

This is like “Deep State” said Kucinich.

My take: Anyone against war wanting to open ties with Russia has at least something on the ball.

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Melania Trump attacked for reciting 'The Lord's Prayer' at campaign rally

Leftists on social media tore into First Lady Melania Trump, mocking her accent and religion and branding her everything from a hostage to a whore – all for the secular offense of reciting “The Lord’s Prayer.”

Melania Trump began President Trump’s rally Saturday in Florida by delivering the prayer, which Christians – many of whom recite the prayer in church each week – believe was first said by Jesus Christ. The crowd at Orlando-Melbourne Airport received the prayer enthusiastically.

Left-leaning social media users were a different story, however.

“Melania starts the dictatorship rally with the Lord’s Prayer? NOT EVERY AMERICAN IS CHRISTIAN!!!! Country over party,” tweeted @JaimePrimak.

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Trump changes nickname for CNN: 'Very fake news'

President Trump told a CNN reporter today that he’s changing his nickname for the network today from “fake news” to “very fake news.”

During a press conference in which he named names and put the media on notice, Trump told CNN reporter Jim Acosta, “I’m changing it from fake news.”

As Acosta asked a question, Trump continued, “Very fake news,” as the room — including Acosta — burst out into laughter.

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What You Said About ‘Nobody Wants Your Parents’ Stuff’

Our story hit home, as these comments and tips reveal

Sometimes, if you’re a lucky journalist, something you write strikes a chord. I’m grateful to say that just happened with my Next Avenue blog post, “Sorry, Nobody Wants Your Parents’ Stuff,” about challenges boomers and Gen X’ers are facing finding homes for their late parents’ heirlooms (as I experienced after my father died last fall).

This post about a heartbreaking, pervasive problem struck a minor chord in a major way: It was the most viewed article in Next Avenue’s history, garnering more than 1.5 million views, 32,000 Facebook shares and 5,500 comments, and was printed over 3,100 times.

I want to share some of the poignant, funny, helpful and angry comments Next Avenue received (shortened for brevity in some instances), as well as a few suggestions readers offered for selling, donating or passing on parents’ possessions.

The Facebook comments mostly fell into one of five camps: “I so relate,” “This is so sad and difficult,” “I feel guilty about what I had to do,” “I won’t let this happen to my kids” and “You’re wrong! People want these possessions.” A few plaintively seemed to ask if anyone wanted the particular items they needed to unload. For instance, Nina Mizrahi posted: Does anyone know of folks who collect old crystal set “radios?” Model Steam engines? Colleen Ferguson queried: Anyone want a 1980s soft-sided waterbed?

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White House denounces threats to Jewish centers

WASHINGTON (CNN) —The White House on Monday denounced a spate of threats made against Jewish Community Centers around the country.

The reaction is notable coming after weeks of criticism that the Trump administration has not been forceful enough to denounce acts of anti-Semitism that have occurred nationwide since his election.

"Hatred and hate-motivated violence of any kind have no place in a country founded on the promise of individual freedom. The President has made it abundantly clear that these actions are unacceptable," said White House deputy press secretary Lindsay Walters.

President Donald Trump's daughter and son-in-law are both Orthodox Jews, as are his grandchildren, something he mentions frequently. On Monday evening, Ivanka Trump tweeted, "America is a nation built on the principle of religious tolerance. We must protect our houses of worship & religious centers. #JCC"

Eleven bomb threats were reported by various centers on Monday alone, according to the JCC Association of North America.

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Father, son killed in head-on collision with each other

A father and son have been killed in a head-on collision with each other in Fayette County, Alabama.

Alabama state troopers say alcohol is a factor in the crash that killed 50-year-old Jeffrey Morris Brasher and 22-year-old Austin Blaine Brasher. They both lived in Bankston, about 67 miles west of Birmingham.

Troopers say the crash occurred around 4.10am on Saturday on Fayette County 49, one mile west of Winfield, when the 2006 Ford pickup the elder Brasher was driving collided with his son's 2004 Chevrolet.

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Meat Plant Raises the Steaks for Freedom

Donald Vander Boon has been operating a meatpacking center in Michigan for almost 15 years -- but thanks to the federal government, it's his freedom that's getting butchered. The Christian family, who proudly says on their website that the company "seeks to glorify and honor God in all we do," were shocked to find out during a visit by the USDA that it wasn't their beef that was being inspected -- but their beliefs.

While officials were touring the plant, they noticed a handful of brochures on the breakroom table about natural marriage. As Don tells it, the article was mixed in with the stacks of newspapers celebrating the recent Supreme Court decision redefining marriage. Even so, the on-site officers took offense to the literature, walked into Don's office, closed both doors, and told him they'd call off the inspection if the material wasn't removed. He was stunned. "From the very beginning, we started the business in faith, and made it clear to employees that we run our business according to Christian principles." But, he said, the company was in an impossible situation. "Within a few hours, I'm being threatened with the closure of my business. [And] if the USDA removes its inspectors, then I'm immediately unable to operate."

According to inspectors, Don's article was "offensive" and had violated a new rule from the Obama administration that gave government officials (including these inspectors) the right to take "immediate and appropriate corrective action" when dealing with anything they considered "harassment." Vander Boon's position on marriage, he was told, qualified. That weighed heavily on the dad of three's mind, especially since the West Michigan Beef Company employed 45 people whose families also relied on them. To keep his doors open, Don made the difficult decision to pull the information on natural marriage.

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TRUMP PROGRESS REPORT

1. Trump erased all mentions on the White House web site of “climate change.” He did that within ONE HOUR of taking the oath of office.

2. Trump issued an Executive order to “ease the burden of Obamacare”

3. Trump returned the bust of Winston Churchill to the oval office

4. Trump withdrew America from the TPP treaty

5. Trump erased all Spanish language from the White House web site. It is now “English Only.”

6. Trump issued an Executive order starting the construction of “THE WALL.”

7. Trump issued an Executive order banning funding to foreign pro-abortion groups.

8. Trump's new Secretary of Defense, James ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis, took the fight to ISIS by bombing them 31 times on his first day as the new Secretary of Defense.

9. Trump announced temporary ban on refugees from Syria and Middle Eastern war zones

10. Trump imposed a media blackout at the Environmental Protection Agency and barred staff from awarding new contracts or grants

11. Trump announced a ban on visas from dangerous Muslim-majority countries with inadequate screening

12. Trump announced the end of “Sanctuary cities” and the defunding of federal funds for any city that chooses to continue breaking the law.

13. Trump announced the hiring of 10,000 new border agents

14. Trump signed an Executive order demanding the Secretary of Homeland Security publish a weekly list of violent crimes committed by illegal aliens.

15. Trump signed an Executive order freezing the hiring of non-essential federal employees

16. Trump said out loud the words “radical Islamic terrorism.”

17. Trump stopped payment on Obama’s final hour giveaway of $220 million to the Palestinian Authority

18. Trump used Executive orders to give the go-ahead to the long-stalled Keystone and Dakota Access Pipelines

19. Trump got the State Department’s entire senior management team to resign in frustration.

20. Trump announced his intention to withdraw From Climate & Environmental Accords Along With UN Funding Cuts of 40%

21. Trump tweeted “Ungrateful TRAITOR Chelsea Manning, who should never have been released from prison, is now calling President Obama a weak leader. Terrible!”

22. Trump announced he’ll begin a major investigation into voter fraud in the 2016 election

23. Trump got the chief of the Border Patrol to leave the agency in frustration at having to actually do his job!

24. State Dept. Arms Control chief fired while on airplane; Trump, told to turn around and fly back!

25. Miami-Dade mayor orders jails to comply with Trump crackdown on ‘sanctuary’ counties

26. Trump White House abruptly halts Obamacare ads.

27. Trump appoints Neil Gorsuch to U.S. Supreme Court, a Justice in the mold of Antonin Scalia

...and all this in less than two weeks in office.