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Saturday, March 24, 2018

Central Bank Money Rules the World

Central bank credit that supports markets — is not just creation of the Fed, but by central banks and institutions around the world colluding together. Global markets are too deeply connected these days to consider the Fed in isolation.

Since last month’s correction, the world has been watching the Fed because its policies have global implications. And worldwide sell-offs sent a clear sign to Fed Chair Powell to relax with the rate hikes.

When fears arise that central bank QE will recede on one side of the world, we see more volatility and rumors of hawkishness. To counter those fears, there will be a move toward dovish policy on the other side of the world.

Central banks operate in collusion. When the Fed signals it is raising rates, or markets over-react negatively to the threat, another central bank steps in. By colluding, other central banks offer even more dark money-QE to keep the party going.

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South Africa's white farmers more likely to be killed than police

White farmers in South Africa have the most dangerous job in the country, are twice as likely to be murdered than police and are killed at four times the rate of the wider community, a rights group claims.

This week, as the government moves to seize all white-owned land without compensation, civil rights organisation AfriForum claimed there had been 109 attacks which left 15 white farm workers dead so far this year.

This follows 82 killings and 423 attacks in 2016, though none of the figures can be verified because the South African government has refused to release farm murder statistics since 2007.

Some of the killings are reported to have been barbaric, with farm owners tortured, raped, burned alive and slaughtered in front of their families.

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Trump Base Revolts Over Signing of Budget Bill

“This is the day that The Swamp won”

Donald Trump’s base of hardcore supporters is in uproar over his decision to sign a $1.3 trillion spending measure which puts more money towards walls being built in other countries than the wall that was Trump’s centerpiece campaign promise.

Despite suggesting he would veto the bill earlier in the day, Trump signed it hours later while complaining that in future he would call on Congress to, “give me a line item veto for all government spending bills.”

Trump said the $1.6 billion the bill made available for the wall along the Mexican border only equates to “short term funding, but it’s immediate.”

“We’re going to be starting work literally on Monday” on border wall projects, Trump said.

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Michael Pillsbury: Trump Seeks to Thwart China’s Hundred-Year Plan for Economic and Military Dominance

China expert Michael Pillsbury of the Hudson Institute, author of The Hundred-Year Marathon: China’s Secret Strategy to Replace America as the Global Superpower, joined SiriusXM host Rebecca Mansour on Thursday’s Breitbart News Tonight to defend President Donald Trump’s trade battle with China.

Pillsbury noted that Trump praised Chinese President Xi and thanked China for its assistance with the North Korean nuclear missile crisis even as tariffs were announced, framing the situation as a “major negotiation” between friendly states with competing interests rather than an all-out “trade war.”

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Trump, Congress Fund Planned Parenthood

President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans broke their promise to conservative voters by including funding for Planned Parenthood, which receives approximately $500 million in taxpayer funding each year, in the omnibus bill that Trump signed into law on Friday.

Trump, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and other Republican leaders promised their voters for years that they would defund Planned Parenthood if given the chance to govern.

Now, with Republican majorities in the House and Senate and a Republican in the White House, the nation’s number one killer of unborn children will continue receiving hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer funding.

Planned Parenthood receives approximately $500 million in taxpayer funding every year through Medicaid and Title X grants for family planning.

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‘Congress Is Broken,’ Say Pro-Life Leaders on GOP Broken Promises in Omnibus

The omnibus spending bill is drawing the ire of national pro-life leaders and members of Congress who say many Republicans have broken their promises to the base of the party by funding Planned Parenthood and rejecting an amendment that would provide conscience protections for healthcare workers who refuse to participate in abortions.

“It is incredibly disheartening that conscience language was not included especially given that it is reflective of the majority of Americans’ views in addition to the fact that for 10 years strong this has been a priority for pro-life groups, who received assurance from Leadership that it was also a priority,” said Vice President of Government Affairs for March for Life, Tom McClusky. “In addition, included in this bill is continued funding for our nation’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, despite the current investigations into the trafficking of baby parts and the recent GAO report confirming the billions of taxpayer dollars it has received in recent years.”

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Dallas police believe they may have caught serial killer after man charged with murdering woman, 81

A Dallas man has been charged with murdering an 81-year-old woman by smothering her with a pillow before stealing her jewellery - and cops fear the killer could have multiple victims.

Police already had Billy Chemirmir, 45, under surveillance for attempting to kill a woman using a similar method when they saw him dumping a jewellery box bearing the name of Lu 'Kim' Harris, who they tracked down to a home where she was found dead.

Sources told local media officers suspect Chemirmir had multiple victims, all of them elderly, who he duped into letting him into their homes by posing as a health worker or maintenance man.

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Nearly two out of five cases of cancer avoidable, research shows

Nearly 40% of all cancers diagnosed in the UK every year could be avoided through lifestyle changes, according to new research.

Smoking is the biggest avoidable cause of cancer, followed by excess weight, overexposure to UV radiation from the sun and sunbeds, drinking alcohol, eating too little fibre, and outdoor air pollution, a study by Cancer Research UK found.

Experts presenting the data warned that with smoking rates continuing to go down and rates of obesity on the increase, obesity could overtake smoking as the biggest killer.

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Ex-police sergeant gets 120 years in Florida child porn case

A former Florida police sergeant was sentenced to 120 years in federal prison for making and possessing child pornography, including images downloaded on his patrol car's computer.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan on Thursday sentenced former Live Oak police Sgt. Kyle Adam Kirby after a jury found him guilty of producing, possessing and accessing images of child sexual abuse.

Federal prosecutors say the 37-year-old Kirby used his patrol car's computer to download child pornography dating back to December 2014.

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Pat Buchanan Asks "Will The Deep State Break Trump?"

“It is becoming more obvious with each passing day that the men and the movement that broke Lyndon Johnson’s authority in 1968 are out to break Richard Nixon,” wrote David Broder on Oct. 8, 1969.

“The likelihood is great that they will succeed again.”

A columnist for The Washington Post, Broder was no fan of Nixon.

His prediction, however, proved wrong. Nixon, with his “Silent Majority” address rallied the nation and rocked the establishment. He went on to win a 49-state victory in 1972, after which his stumbles opened the door to the establishment’s revenge.

Yet, Broder’s analysis was spot on. And, today, another deep state conspiracy, to break another presidency, is underway.

Consider. To cut through the Russophobia rampant here, Trump decided to make a direct phone call to Vladimir Putin. And in that call,Trump, like Angela Merkel, congratulated Putin on his re-election victory.

Instantly, the briefing paper for the president’s call was leaked to the Post. In bold letters it read, “DO NOT CONGRATULATE.”

Whereupon, the Beltway went ballistic.

How could Trump congratulate Putin, whose election was a sham? Why did he not charge Putin with the Salisbury poisoning? Why did Trump not denounce Putin for interfering with “our democracy”?

Amazing. A disloyal White House staffer betrays his trust

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NFL star Michael Bennett indicted over injury to paraplegic woman at Super Bowl 51

Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Michael Bennett was accused Friday in an indictment of rushing onto the field at last year’s Super Bowl and injuring a 66-year-old paraplegic woman working as a security guard, Texas prosecutors said.

A Houston grand jury returned the indictment charging Bennett with shoving past the woman as he tried to get on the field after the game to celebrate with his brother.

Bennett, 32, was charged with a felony count of injury to the elderly. A warrant for his arrest was issued by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

Bennett was in the stands for the game as a spectator. He was in Houston for Super Bowl 51 to watch his brother, a member of the New England Patriots. The Pats won the game after rallying from a 28-point deficit against the Atlanta Falcons.

“NRG Security personnel, including the 66-year-old disabled victim, told Bennett he had to use a different entrance for field access,” the DA’s office said in a news release.

“Instead, he pushed through them, including the elderly woman who was part of the security team,” according to the release.

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http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2018/03/23/nfl-star-michael-bennett-indicted-over-injury-to-paraplegic-woman-at-super-bowl-51.html

BofA defrauded clients as it secretly routed trades to Bernie Madoff

Bank of America secretly routed trades in order to enrich clients like Bernie Madoff while misleading other customers through “masked” messages for five years through 2013, according to the $45 million settlement with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman on Friday.

BofA, which is led by CEO Brian Moynihan, sold stock at discounted prices to ultra-fast electronic trading companies, even though they told clients that they were being routed to public markets at fair prices by the bank’s in-house brokers, according to the settlement.

“Bank of America Merrill Lynch went to astonishing lengths to defraud its own institutional clients about who was seeing and filling their orders, who was trading in its dark pool, and the capabilities of its electronic trading services,” Schneiderman said in a statement.

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WATCH: Powerful Testimony Of Luby’s Shooting Survivor Is Just As Relevant Today As It Was Decades Ago

On October 16, 1991, a man drove his truck into a Luby’s Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas. After crashing into the building, he opened fire on the restaurant patrons with a Ruger P89 and a Glock 17 — both handguns.

The shooter killed 23 people that day before taking his own life. Until 2007, the Luby’s Cafeteria attack stood as the deadliest mass-shooting in United States history.

Dr. Suzanna Gratia-Hupp, a survivor of the attack, later testified before Congress regarding the incident. Many years later, Gratia-Hupp’s testimony only seems to gain relevance as an indictment against ineffective, virtue-signaling gun control legislation:

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Dude Who Claimed Sex With Obama Is Livid At Media’s Obsession With Stormy Daniels

The man, who once claimed without evidence to have had sex with former President Barack Obama, is now livid the media and public are believing adult film star Stormy Daniels’ relationship with President Donald Trump.

Larry Sinclair, a 50-something-year-old man, alleged he had sexual relations with Obama in 1999. The story included a limousine, cocaine and a host of other interesting tidbits. There are few reports of the incident because Sinclair could never provide hard evidence, and he has a very long rap sheet.

News broke in early January that Trump’s lawyer paid Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, a large sum in order to keep her affair with the president secret.

Michael Cohen, a longtime lawyer for the Trump Organization, wasreportedly the architect of the $130,000 payment to Stephanie Clifford in October 2016. Clifford alleged the sexual encounter with the president occurred in July 2006, when she and the president met at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe.

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Gun Control March Organizer Mocks Teens Who Disagree

One of the students who survived the attack at a Florida high school last month where 17 students and staff were killed mocked teens who disagree with the premise of the March for Our Lives protest taking place on Saturday in Washington, DC to demand more restrictive gun laws.

A host of National Public Radio’s Morning Edition asked Cameron Kasky, 17, about young people who disagree with him about guns.

“I’ve read some really interesting op-eds by students about your age who say, you know, ‘I’m growing up in rural America. Guns are part of my family’s culture. I like target shooting. I don’t think guns are a bad thing,’” Noel King noted.

“What do you say to a 17-year-old who fundamentally disagrees with you about some of this stuff?” King asked.

“Well, I say we’re marching to protect you from other people like you who have guns,” Kasky said. “And I say that target shooting, while it is a sport, we’ve become the targets.”

“We’re the targets now,” Kasky said. “We are running away from people like you.”

More here

Omnibus Bill Includes Specific Clause Barring Funding for Donald Trump ‘Wall’

The 2,232 page Omnibus bill includes a specific clause barring funding for a wall on the southern border that mirrors the new prototypes already there.

The bill reads:

The amounts designated in subsection (a)(2) through (a)(4) shall only be available for operationally effective designs deployed as of the date of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017, (Public Law 115–31), such as currently deployed steel bollard designs, that prioritize agent safety.

The clause allows Democrats to say that the bill does not fund Trump’s wall, and allows Republicans claiming that border security funding includes funding for a “wall system.” Speaker Paul Ryan’s office issued talking points praising the funding for “95 miles of border wall system.”

The funding will be primarily used for border fencing and “bollard” fencing.

Here is a list of what the omnibus bill plans to spend on the following border security projects:

Hillary fundraiser causes a stink with the DNC

Just as Democratic donors thought they’d finally put away wallets for Hillary Clinton, she’s coming back to NYC for a fund-raiser for her nonprofit — while also creating a party stink by throwing the bash at the exact same time as an event for DNC chairman Tom Perez.

Clinton will be in town on April 30 for her “Onward Together” organization, to support young political leaders.

With great fanfare, Clinton announced in an email to her 2016 supporters that she is launching the Onward Together Leadership Council and that they could become charter members — in return for coughing up at least $10,000.

The email states, “Charter members . . . are an esteemed network of supporters who pledge to contribute $10,000 and up. Members will receive updates, briefings and invitations . . .”

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Chinese space station 'will crash into Earth over Easter weekend'

According to the European Space Agency's Space Debris Office in Darmstadt, Germany, debris from Tiangong-1 will splash down between March 30 and April 2 across the northern hemisphere.

The space agency said these dates were "highly variable" and that it would be offering revised forecasts every couple of days.

"At no time will a precise time/location prediction from ESA be possible," it explained in a statement .

"This forecast was updated approximately weekly through to mid-March, and is now being updated every 1~2 days."

Worryingly, the space station contains a rocket fuel called hydrazine, which can cause liver and nerve damage to humans after long-term exposure.

It's been on a collision course with Earth since China lost control of it in 2016.

"There is a chance that a small amount of Tiangong-1 debris may survive reentry and impact the ground," explains Aerospace , a technical and scientific research development that assists NASA.

"Should this happen, any surviving debris would fall within a region that is a few hundred kilometers in size and centered along a point on the Earth that the station passes over."

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Charles P. Lazarus, Toys ‘R’ Us Founder, Dies at 94

Charles P. Lazarus, who founded Toys “R” Us, the toy store chain that for decades captured the hearts of American consumers but that eventually faded and succumbed to bankruptcy, died on Thursday. He was 94.

His family said Mr. Lazarus, who lived in Manhattan, died of respiratory failure at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.

Mr. Lazarus’s death comes one week after Toys “R” Us announced that it would start liquidating its stores in the United States. Loaded down by debt and unable to attract new investment, the chain could no longer compete with more nimble toy sellers like Amazon and Walmart, and last September it filed for bankruptcy.

In the months since, company executives were unable to convince lenders that they had a viable plan to turn around the flagging business, and a dismal holiday sales season signaled that Toys “R’’ Us was nearing the end. The closings announced last week could result in more than 30,000 employees’ losing their jobs.

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Bombshell reveal: A grand jury already is hearing evidence on DOJ and FBI scandals

We are on the verge of a huge political explosion. While there have been calls for a special counsel to investigate the DOJ and FBI scandals, and many conservatives have been outraged at the seeming passivity of "Gentleman Jeff" Sessions (aka Sessionzzz in some quarters), it now is clear (as I have already figured) that a grand jury far outside the Beltway already is hearing evidence dug up by DOJ inspector general Michael Horowitz, whose report is now believed to be coming in April. Following release of that report, expect heads to explode all over the media, all over the Deep State, and among NeverTrumps.

The first hint that the wheels of justice already are turning came on March 7, when A.G. Sessions revealed to Shannon Bream:

I have appointed a person outside of Washington, many years in the Department of Justice to look at all the allegations that the House Judiciary Committee members sent to us; and we're conducting that investigation.

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PBS Details Tavis Smiley's Alleged Sexual Misconduct in Countersuit

PBS has issued a response to axed host Tavis Smiley's lawsuit — and it details witness accounts about the talk show host's alleged sexual harassment and dalliances with subordinates.

The 32-page answer and countersuit, filed in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, alleges Smiley violated the network's morals clause and seeks $1.9 million in returned salary plus unspecified damages. It comes four months after the host's self-titled show was dropped over an investigation into claims of sexual harassment, and two months after Smiley sued PBS for breach of contract and, among other things, being "racially hostile" in their working relationship. (He's seeking damages in the "multiple millions.")

Smiley has been very public in his denial of sexual harassment allegations — allegations that took him off the air just weeks after a similar scenario saw Charlie Rose kicked off the broadcaster. Smiley has also said no complaints had been filed. But, among the more interesting pieces in the filing, is the detail that Smiley informed PBS' third-party investigator that he was the subject of two workplace discrimination or harassment/retaliation claims. The host also admits to "probably" telling sex jokes in the workplace and that he "may" have sent pornographic images to subordinates.

Witness statements add fuel to the harassment argument with claims of Smiley "commenting about subordinates’ body parts in the presence of a colleague," "informing a female subordinate that he would like to see her on her back more often," "informing a subordinate that he thought she must be good in bed," "persistently pursuing subordinates for sex" and, among other things, "having or requesting sexual encounters with subordinates in hotels or at his home."

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Man who posted photos online of dead wife and child on Facebook faces life in prison if convicted

A jury will reconvene on Monday to decide the fate of a North Carolina man who allegedly murdered his wife and two-year-old daughter and then posted images of their corpses on Facebook as 'trophies.'

Elhadji Diop, 55, faces life in prison if he is convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Aminata Drame, 40, and their daughter, Fatim.

The family immigrated to the United States from Somalia.

Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman told jurors in a Raleigh courtroom on Friday that the pictures Diop posted on Facebook of his dead wife and daughter are enough proof to show he is guilty of murder.
Freeman said that Diop posted the photos on social media as if the bodies of his wife and daughter were 'like trophies,' according to WRAL-TV.

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Did Trump Betray us with Spending Bill?

President Trump signs the $1.3 trillion omnibus that NO ONE READ

On Friday, President Donald Trump signed the 2,232-page, $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill passed by Congress less than 48 hours after it was introduced.

The president held a press conference, declaring that although he was unhappy with several provisions of the bill, he would sign it.

“There are a lot of things I’m unhappy about, but we were forced to sign,” the president said, making a new promise: “I will never sign a bill like this again.”

The president touted the importance of military funding in the omnibus, citing national security concerns as one of the reasons he signed the bill.

“My highest duty is to keep America safe, nothing more important,” Trump said.

Criticizing several spending measures shoehorned into the bill, Trump called on Congress to grant the president a line-item veto power for spending bills. He also demanded that the Senate repeal the filibuster rule, which Democrats have abused to require a 60-vote threshold on nearly every piece of legislation considered by Congress during the Trump presidency.

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Broward Superintendent: Keep Focus on Gun Control, Not 'Fake News' on Obama Policy to End ‘School to Prison Pipeline’

Broward County, Florida, superintendent of schools Robert Runcie says it is “fake news” that his PROMISE school leniency program likely allowed accused school shooter Nikolas Cruz to remain under the radar of law enforcement and, therefore, able to purchase the firearm that killed 17 individuals at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February.

On the eve of a left-wing-orchestrated event called “March for Our Lives” – an adult-led protest that uses students to advocate for gun control – Runcie defends the PROMISE policy that drove down the number of minority student arrests and suspensions in his school district by allowing threatening and even violent behaviors to go unreported.

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Pro-life movement rallies behind student walkout to protest abortion

A California student is challenging his school’s double standard on which causes are permissible to protest by calling for a national school walkout against abortion.

Brandon Gillespie, a student at Rocklin High School, announced Thursday that the pro-life walkout will take place on the morning of April 11 and last 17 minutes.

The proposed demonstration mirrors national student walkouts protesting gun violence in the wake of last month’s shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, said pro-life students deserve “the same respect and accommodation that anti-gun activists experienced” when they staged a walkout on March 14.

“Having opened to door to student-lead walkouts as a way to express a political or cultural viewpoint, schools cannot shut that door to pro-life students who also are moved by the loss of life and horrific realities of the toll of abortion,” Ms. Hawkins said in a statement.

The idea for the pro-life walkout began when Rocklin High history teacher Julianne Benzel asked her class to think about the politics of student protest.

Like many schools, Rocklin High chose not to punish students who participated in the anti-gun demonstration.

Ms. Benzel asked her class whether students who disagree with the anti-gun activists should be allowed to stage their own walkouts without facing disciplinary measures. What about students who want to protest abortion?

More here

A Viewer Writes: Hatians

Good morning Mr. Albero,
I usually go to the Bank of America located across the street from the University in Salisbury. The past 4 to 6 months, I’ve noticed an increase in what appears to be Haitians at the bank. No matter what time I go it seems to be at least a dozen+ of them in the bank at one time. I am just curious if you know anything as to why there are so many immigrants coming into Salisbury now who do have trouble speaking English. Does the mayor have some trade deal with Haiti going on? I seriously feel like I am in Miami minus the weather...

Thanks for your input

Kamala Harris Endorses Former NAACP President in Race for Maryland Governor

Sen. Kamala Harris (D., Calif.) on Friday endorsed Maryland gubernatorial candidate Ben Jealous, becoming the latest nationally-known progressive to back the former NAACP president's bid for governor.

Harris, who many observers believe is weighing a possible 2020 presidential run, did not mention incumbent Gov. Larry Hogan (R.) by name in her endorsement, opting instead to keep the focus on President Donald Trump and the national political environment.

"Ben is a champion of working people," Harris said in a statement, the Washington Post reported. "Everyday we see the damage being done to our country by this administration and we need leaders in our states like Ben, who have shown the political courage our families need right now."

According to a member of the Jealous campaign who spoke to the Post, Harris has also agreed to hold a rally for the former NAACP executive in the near future.

Jealous, a political newcomer who is mounting his first bid for elective office, took to Twitter on Friday to express his gratitude to Harris for the endorsement.

Jealous is one of nine Democrats vying to unseat Hogan this fall. He has attempted to distinguish himself in the crowded primary by staking out left-wing stances in favor of free college tuition, Medicare-for-All, and a $15 minimum wage.

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School Safety???

Yesterday WBOC boasted over and over again about these poles that are somehow going to save our children's lives at Stephen Decatur High School. 

I'm thinking to myself, self, when is the last time I heard of anyone driving their vehicle into the entrance of any school to run over a mass amount of students. 

With all the gun control drama out there, especially recently, you have to think, what in the hell do these poles have to do with correcting and or fixing the GUN problem???

Leave it to your liberal media to get all excited about these poles. We, (the more intelligent) all don't have ADD, Oh Look, A Chicken! 

So to my viewers, I'm really sorry I, (nor any other of our crack reporters) were willing to go to Stephen Decatur High School at 4:00 in the morning to capture this breaking news story. I have to admit, WBOC got one up on me on that one.

Omnibus Spending Bill Allows More Illegal Aliens to Be Released into U.S. Through 'Catch and Release'

The omnibus spending bill, passed by the Republican-controlled House and Senate, will allow more illegal aliens to be released into the United States after they are caught crossing the southern border through the “Catch and Release” program.

The spending bill, which Trump signed despite opposition from conservatives and his base of supporters, paves way for the Catch and Release program to not only continue, but increase in its use.

Catch and Release is the process where illegal aliens caught by federal immigration officials are released back into the U.S. until their immigration court hearing. Part of the reason for their release into the country is because the federal government refuses to fund the space needed to detain illegal aliens until their hearing.

After being released, illegal aliens often do not show up for their court hearing and become quasi-fugitives living in the interior of the country, adding to the already booming 12 to 30 million illegal alien population.

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Senator Addie Eckardt, District 37 Weekly Wrap-Up March 23, 2018


This Week in Annapolis

This week has been busy as the Senate Committees have started to hear and vote on legislation that the House of Delegates has passed this Session so far. I have also begun to present my legislation that has passed the Senate to the House of Delegates Committees; so far, 15 of my primary sponsored bills have made it through the Senate and will be moving to the House.  

SB 1048 – Secure and Accessible Registration Act, which passed the Senate on March 16, 2018 with a 31-13 vote, would automatically register qualified individuals to vote in Maryland through the Motor Vehicle Administration, the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange, local departments of social services, and the Mobility Certification Office in the Maryland Transit Administration. This would then require an individual to go through the process of having to undo the registration. Additional costs would be attributed to the need for new software allowing for the communication of the registration agencies and the State Board of Elections. This legislation removes the choice of individuals to determine whether or not they would like to be registered voters, taking away the opportunity for initiative and self-engagement.

SB 651 – Environment – Expanded Polystyrene Food Service Products – Prohibition, which would prohibit the use of polystyrene, also known as Styrofoam, throughout the State of Maryland. Amendments were tried twice until SB 651 was re-referred to the Senate Finance Committee, which voted unfavorably on this legislation on March 16, 2018.  

SB 707 – Criminal Law – Firearm Crimes – Rapid Fire Trigger Activator would prohibit a person from transporting, manufacturing, possessing, selling, offering, purchasing, or receiving a rapid fire trigger activator in the State of Maryland; violators would be subject to a maximum of three years imprisonment and/or a fine of $5,000. After numerous amendments were offered and defeated, this legislation passed the Senate Chamber with a 36-11 vote on March 19, 2018. The cross-filed version of this legislation, HB 888 was amended to grandfather those who currently own rapid fire trigger activators and would address any activity regarding these that occurs after October 1, 2018. 

SB 747 – Wildlife Management – Shooting at Nighttime, which would prohibit the Department of Natural Resources from authorizing someone with a Deer Management Permit to shoot a firearm at night to kill deer, was successfully voted unfavorably by the Senate Chamber on March 19, 2018 with a 14-33 vote.

SB 996 – Income Tax – Subtraction Modification – Retirement Income (Hometown Heroes and Veterans Act of 2018) passed the Senate unanimously on March 19, 2018 and will now be moving to the House of Delegates for a hearing. While this initiative began as two separate bills, it was amended to expand the existing retirement income tax subtraction modification for military service workers and correctional officers who are 55 years or older from $10,000 to $15,000.

HB 1302 – Public Safety – Extreme Risk Prevention Orders, which was voted on favorably by the House of Delegates, was heard in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on March 23, 2018. This legislation would allow any interested individual to report someone that is of extreme risk; a judge would then be able to issue an extreme risk prevention order, requiring the reported individual to relinquish all firearms. This legislation could be better amended to allow interested individuals the ability to report someone where then officials can discuss options and make the necessary arrangements, opposed to immediately removing their rights to bear arms.  

SB 610 – Natural Resources – Forest Conservation Act – Standards and Requirements would modify the existing Forest Conservation Act (FCA) by: redefining what forest areas are priorities for retention and protection, modifying the standards for approval of clearing of priority retention areas, increasing the reforestation requirement for approved clearing of priority retention areas, modifying the timing of the review of a forest conservation plan, authorizing local governments to enter into agreements for tree planting, and requiring DNR to publish and periodically update an FCA manual. This legislation is still being worked on by the sponsor and activists and will be addressed again by the Senate on March 26, 2018.
My Bill Hearings This Week

On March 21, 2018, I presented SB 1101 – Health Insurance – Provider Panels – Procedures and Credentialing Practices to Senate Finance Committee; this legislation would streamline the credentialing process of healthcare providers, by limiting the time from 120 to 60 days, as well as broaden the coverage of insurance providers.
School Safety

On March 22, 2018, I attended the hearing on HB 1816 – Safe Schools Act of 2018; this emergency Administration bill requires each local school system to develop a school emergency plan, to complete safety assessments of every public school annually, establishes a Safe school Fund, and increases the mandated appropriation for the Maryland Center for School Safety. On March 23, 2018, SB 1263 – Public Safety – School Mental Health Services and Mental Disorder Weapon Restraining Order and SB 1264 – Primary Secondary Schools – Law Enforcement Presence were heard in Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee: SB 1263 would expand prohibitions on making a threat of mass violence, require local school systems to establish threat assessment teams and mental health counselor services, and establish procedures for the issuance of mental health disorder weapon restraining orders; SB 1264 would require each public school to have an armed school resource officer or have a State Police officer assigned to the school.

While school safety bills are working their way through the legislative process, 13-year-old McKinsey Brown is working to increase awareness and classroom preparedness throughout Queen Anne County and now Talbot County. Through the raising of funds, McKinsey has been purchasing Teach Emergency Action Care Help (T.E.A.C.H.) kits, portable and waterproof trauma kits which would allow first responders to initiate care before more advanced medical assistance can arrive on the scene. With the help of Governor Hogan’s enhanced school funding, McKinsey recently helped Queen Anne County Schools to implement T.E.A.C.H. units in 14 schools with approximately 40-50 units per school. McKinsey now attends school in Talbot County and will be continuing to strive to achieving her mission and greatest hope of placing T.E.A.C.H. kits in every classroom across the nation; for more information regarding McKinsey’s project, please contact Kids Helping Kids at boconnor0410@gmail.com.
Capital Budget

On March 10, 2018, the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee heard approximately 400 State Bond Bill requests; this week, the fiscal 2019 local Senate legislative initiatives were released, granting funding to key projects throughout the State. In Dorchester County, $175,000 was allocated to Patriot Point, a facility targeted at providing outdoor recreational activities for our nation’s wounded, ill, and injured service members and their families. The Chesapeake Grove – Senior Housing and Intergenerational Center, also in Dorchester County, received $1,00,000 for the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Center at Chesapeake Grove. The Avalon Theatre, located in Talbot County, was granted $150,000 for key renovations in order to make the facility ADA compliant and more accessible for all audiences. Wicomico County received $100,000 for Rotary Labyrinth. A separate source of funds was used to fund the House of Delegates projects: The YMCA Senior Center, located in Talbot County, was granted $500,000 for the expansion of a new intergenerational YMCA/Senior Center facility. $500,000 was also allocated to Wicomico County for the Salisbury Revitalization project, including the new Main Street streetscapes and installation of broadband fiber optic cable in Salisbury.
District News

On March 17, 2018, Carpenter Street Saloon held their 35th Annual Shopping Cart Races; thank you for continuing to host this event and for donating the proceeds to local community partners.
 
Congratulations to the Wicomico County Farm Bureau who, on March 17, 2018, celebrated their 88th anniversary. I was joined by Delegate Mary Beth Carozza as we greeted Liz Williams, Miss Wicomico County Farm Bureau.
On March 23, 2018, Sandy Davis, Carol Murphy, Ellen Bethel, and Sandy Truitt from the Delmarva Republican Women came to visit Annapolis and discuss Session so far.

President Trump approved new limits on transgender troops. The policy allows some to continue to serve and lets the Pentagon make exceptions.

Transgender troops who are currently in the United States military may remain in the ranks, the White House said late Friday, but the Pentagon could require them to serve according to their gender at birth.

The policy recommendation that President Trump approved flatly states that “transgender persons who require or have undergone gender transition are disqualified from military service.” But it also largely gives the Pentagon the ability to make exceptions where it sees fit.

Truth


Maryland State Police Helicopter Conducts Aerial Rescue In Allegany County

(CUMBERLAND, Md.) – A Maryland State Police helicopter crew assisted the Allegany County Fire Department and Natural Resources Police with the rescue of two hikers on Friday along the Rocky Gap Run waterway.

Shortly after 3 p.m. on Friday, the Allegany County Fire Department requested assistance from Maryland State Police Aviation Trooper 5 to locate two hikers along the Rocky Gap Run waterway. The hikers, both female, were environmental employees of the Department of Natural Resources who were taking water samples and measurements when one fell into the stream up to her neck.

The hikers called 911 and reported that they were unable to get back to their vehicle, which was approximately 2 miles away. Trooper 5 arrived on scene and the crew quickly located the hikers. The crew assessed their location, considered possible egress routes, the exposure and medical status of the wet victim and determined a hoist mission would be most appropriate.

The crew landed at Rocky Gap to configure the aircraft and consult with ground personnel. Natural Resources Police had arrived on the ground with the hikers and confirmed that both were ambulatory but one was unable to travel the distance back to a vehicle.

The Trooper 5 crew deployed their rescue technician to the stream to provide assistance to the victim and determine a suitable location for a basket deployment. Shortly thereafter the victim in the stream was assisted into the rescue basket and hoisted into the aircraft. Trooper 5 crew members airlifted her to the Rocky Gap helipad to meet with ground ambulance personnel for further medical care. She was transported to Western Maryland Regional Medical Center for treatment of her injuries. The second hiker was uninjured and was able to walk with Natural Resources Police back to retrieve her vehicle.

The Maryland State Police Aviation Command provides 24/7 coverage in Maryland for a variety of airborne public safety missions. State Police AW-139 helicopters based out of seven sections across the state provide medevac, search and rescue, aerial law enforcement, and homeland security services.

Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 50 Unanimously Endorses Bill McDermott for State’s Attorney

Snow Hill – The Worcester County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 50 is both excited and proud to announce that they have unanimously voted to endorse Bill McDermott for State’s Attorney of Worcester County.

Lodge 50 serves approximately 100 deputies who work for The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office as well as officers working for the Snow Hill Police Department, Pocomoke City Police Department and The Ocean Pines Police Department.

Their endorsement followed a candidate’s night forum in which both candidates sought to earn the support of the Lodge.

“Our choice was clear. Only one candidate had the experience, the proven results and had earned the trust of our members. Bill McDermott has been trying the serious cases in Worcester County for a long time – whether it’s a murder or a misdemeanor, he’s reliable, trustworthy and strong. He’s earned our support from years of tireless work, leadership and dedication. We hope the endorsement of this Lodge shows Worcester County citizens that this Lodge stands with Bill, because he’s stands up for them” said, Lodge 50 President, Cpl. Chris Larmore.

Current State’s Attorney Bill McDermott added, “For years I have been working with the good men and women of Lodge 50 to bring murderers, drug dealers, bank robbers and other dangerous criminals to justice. The members of Lodge 50 know that experience isn’t just a campaign slogan, and it’s time to start having an honest conversation about it. The members of Lodge 50 started that dialogue, and I look forward to continuing it with the voters of Worcester County”.

McDermott continued, “To have a unanimous vote within a Lodge is rare, and to have that type of support is truly overwhelming.”

Bill McDermott is the current State’s Attorney for Worcester County, having been appointed by the Circuit Court after the elevation of former State’s Attorney Beau Oglesby to Circuit Court
Judge. Before he was the State’s Attorney he was the Deputy State’s Attorney, responsible for the supervision of the felony circuit court team, along with being responsible for the day to day operations of the Office. Before he was the Deputy State’s Attorney, he was an Assistant State’s Attorney assigned to The Circuit Court felony team.

The Boys Are Back Tonight, OC Billiards @ Trader Lee's 8:00 PM NO COVER


What Is Ocean City, Chopped Liver?

Governor Larry Hogan Statement On Chesapeake Bay Funding

ANNAPOLIS, MD –
Governor Larry Hogan today issued the following statement on the U.S. House of Representatives' passage of the omnibus government funding bill that includes Chesapeake Bay funding:

"As governor of Maryland and Chairman of the Chesapeake Executive Council, I would like to thank the House of Representatives for responding to my, the Council's, and many other Marylanders' repeated calls to restore $73 million in critical Chesapeake Bay Program funding. The Chesapeake Bay is our state's greatest natural asset, which is why over the last four years we've invested $4 billion in restoration efforts, a level of commitment that will continue as long as I'm governor. I call upon the Senate to immediately follow the lead of their colleagues in the House, and help us preserve this national treasure."

LEGENDARY COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER 3-24-18


Car Games

Back in the days when families took family vacations in their cars, things were a lot different from what they are now. Travel was much slower because there were no super highways, and most of the roads required speeds, either mandated by law or dictated by conditions, which were far below the 70 mph+ that are attained today on the Interstate Highways. Also, there were no seat belts, and the children in the back seat usually spent most of their time hanging off the back of the front seat. This was a serious impediment to the concentration of my father who was trying to drive.
         
We used to play a game called “counting cows”. Since there were two of us, my sister and I, in the back seat, this made for the perfect arrangement for playing the game. She got all the cows that were in a pasture on her side, and I got all the cows on my side. The problem for anyone playing came about when you passed a graveyard. When you passed a graveyard, you lost all your cows, certainly a far cry from the modern electronic devices used to entertain the children of today. Vehicles of today have VCR’s in them and the children can watch their favorite movies. Or they can play any number of hand-held games-just as entertaining, but not quite as good for the formation of social interaction as the games of old.
         
Another thing we did was count Fords. Since my father was a Ford man, he was the final judge when we would spot one. Of course, as children, we had to point out with our fingers every one that we spotted. The little hands flying in front of his face sometimes caused him to halt the game as we became more animated. There were many variations to counting Fords. We would go by car colors or different makes sometimes. It was possible to identify the different makes in those days because they all didn’t look alike as they do now. A lot of cars now are only identifiable if you know the symbol of the car manufacturer, and not many of us know them all. Many of us can remember when the Labor Day weekend was the time when car manufacturers broke out their “new line” for the coming year. It was a much anticipated occasion for the men of the world. Women didn’t have much to do with cars in those days.  
         
Spotting license plates from all over the country was usually a community effort by everyone in the car. We always thought that a car from the Midwest had come a very long way. To us, someone who had come from Wisconsin or one of the Dakotas was always met with comments that they had really traveled a long way. Now, people just hop on a plane and travel half way across the country in just a few hours.
         
The car games we played helped pass the time and also allowed us to see a lot of new geography. Coming from the flat Eastern Shore, we always marveled at the mountains as we were going through Pennsylvania. There was even a restaurant in Pennsylvania that seemed to be on the precipice of a very steep drop. We stood in amazement at the sheer height. Of course, it didn’t take as much to amaze us in those days. Times change.

Tami Howie: Only Congress Can Regulate the Internet

It’s a no-brainer to support protecting the rights of consumers to unfettered access to the wide-ranging services and sites offered on the internet. But, similarly, states like Maryland must ensure that the robust internet infrastructure that fuels our digital economy continues to advance and make Maryland an attractive place to do business.

There is a way to accomplish both, but the current furor among advocacy groups, state legislators and governors seeking to impose state-by-state solutions, some of which are inconsistent with other state solutions, is not the best approach. While some states have chosen a “go-it-alone” approach, others like Virginia, understand that regulating the internet on a state-by-state basis is not the best policy approach -- particularly as is relates to their state’s economic competitiveness in a digital age that promises such things as automated vehicles, telemedicine, smart cities, and 5G technology.

In Maryland, four different bills in the General Assembly would prevent the State of Maryland from doing business with any internet service provider that does not agree to a laundry list of new state regulations that attempt to protect consumers’ online experience. This is a noble objective intended to pressure internet providers to continue providing consumers unfettered access to internet content and services.

However, such local measures cannot solve this concern. Only Congress can step in and fully protect consumers by developing a framework that regulates the entire Internet industry in a comprehensive, federal manner.

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Man who killed Ohio State student sentenced to life

A registered sex offender convicted of kidnapping, raping and killing an Ohio State University student has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

A judge sentenced 30-year-old Brian Golsby in Columbus on Wednesday for the February 8, 2017 murder of 21-year-old Reagan Tokes.

Jurors found Golsby guilty on nine charges related to Tokes' murder last week, and spent seven hours over two days this week deliberating whether to recommend the death penatly.

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‘Secret Empires’ Author: The Next Frontier in Corruption is China Buying Off Politicians’ Kids

Breitbart News Senior Editor-at-Large Peter Schweizer, author of the book Secret Empires: How the American Political Class Hides Corruption and Enriches Family and Friends, joined SiriusXM host Alex Marlow on Wednesday’s Breitbart News Daily to discuss the corruption rampant among America’s imperial political families, especially those bought off by an increasingly brazen and aggressive China.

Schweizer warned that contrary to the basic assumption of “economic engagement,” which is that authoritarian regimes like China’s become more liberal and more aligned with the United States through commerce and cultural exchange, American political leaders are being profoundly influenced by shared economic interests with the Chinese and are coming to see certain matters Beijing’s way. He cited the family of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as a particularly troubling example.

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GOP Rep Jordan on $1.3 Trillion Spending Bill: 'The American People Didn't Elect Democrats to Control the United States Congress --- They Elected Republicans'

Thursday on Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends,” House Freedom Caucus vice chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) slammed GOP leadership for allowing what is predicted to be the passage of a $1.3 trillion spending bill that does not include many of the priorities on which Republicans, including President Donald Trump, campaigned.

Jordan took issue mainly with the funding for Planned Parenthood, restrictions on guns and lack of border wall funding.

“The American people didn’t elect Democrats to control the United States Congress,” Jordan said. “They elected Republicans. I don’t think we told the voters when we were running for the job, and they gave us the privilege to come here and serve that continue to fund Planned Parenthood, and we were going to restrict Second Amendment liberties — let some bureaucrat take away Second Amendment rights and a court of law. I don’t think they said we were going to fund this gateway earmarked boondoggle project and not fund the border wall. The one thing we don’t fund is the one issue we all campaigned on a border security wall, and that is not in the legislation. So it can’t get any worse than this bill. We should stop. We should go back to the drawing board. If we have to do a short-term funding bill, do that. But go back and do something consistent with what the voters elected us to do.”

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5 ‘Secret Empires’ Bombshell Revelations

On Tuesday, the new book Secret Empires: How the American Political Class Hides Corruption and Enriches Family and Friends by Government Accountability Institute President and Breitbart Senior Editor-at-Large Peter Schweizer debuted at #3 on the Amazon bestseller list.

A four-time New York Times bestselling investigative journalist, Schweizer has garnered a reputation for unearthing never-before-revealed facts about how political elites enrich themselves. His last book, Clinton Cash, sparked an FBI investigation into the Clinton Foundation. Now, in Secret Empires, he exposes how top Republicans and Democrats have engineered what he calls “the new corruption”—a system Washington elites use to grease highly lucrative deals by routing them through their children and family members.

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"No Patients Have Experienced Symptoms Of Nerve Agent Poisoning In Salisbury"

Joe, 

Is this the same Salisbury,England that had a 'Sister City' relationship with Salisbury, Md.? 
        
Years ago city delegations would take turns visiting  the other. And good will declarations were sent back and forth at holidays. 

There have been some interesting developments in the alleged poisoning case of the British-Russian double-agent Sergej Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

The British governments standing on the issue is getting worse as more inconsistencies and doubts on its statements come to light. The international support for its claims is weakening.

On March 4 the Skripals collapsed on a public bench in Salisbury in England after they had visited a pub and a restaurant. They were brought to the local hospital. A local policemen was probably also affected. (See our previous posts, liked at the end, for many additional details.) A week later, on March 12, the British government said that a nerve agent was the cause of the incident and accused Russia of being responsible for the act:
Mr Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with Novichok—a military-grade nerve agent developed by Russia. Based on this capability, combined with Russia’s record of conducting state-sponsored assassinations—including against former intelligence officers whom it regards as legitimate targets—the UK Government concluded it was highly likely that Russia was responsible for this reckless and despicable act

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We've Come A Long Way


How about that


The Central Bank Bubble's Bursting: It Will Be Ugly

The global economy has been living through a period of central bank insanity, thanks to a little-understood expansion strategy known as quantitative easing, which has destroyed main-street and benefitted wall street.

Central Banks over the last decade simply created credit out of thin air. Snap a finger, and credit magically appears. Only central banks can perform this type of credit magic. It’s called printing money and they have gone on the record saying they are magic people.

Increasing the money supply lowers interest rates, which makes it easier for banks to offer loans. Easy loans allow businesses to expand and provides consumers with more credit to buy goods and increase their debt. As a country’s debt increases, its currency eventually debases, and the world is currently at historic global debt levels.

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Safe Schools Act Of 2018

Important Legislation Enhances School Safety
Note: House Ways And Means Committee to Hold Hearing on HB 1816 on March 22, 2018, 1:00 PM

“But prayers are not enough. Although our pain remains fresh and the facts remain uncertain, today’s horrible events should not be an excuse to pause our conversation about school safety. Instead, it must serve as a call to action.” - Governor Larry Hogan, March 20, 2018

Safe Schools Act Of 2018

Governor Hogan’s Proposed Legislation Establishes, For The First Time In State History, Statewide School Safety Standards, Including Required Training And Certification For All School Resource Officers And Security Staff. “Each county board shall employ a designated security administrator. Each designated security administrator shall be certified by the Maryland Center for School Safety. School resource officers shall be certified by the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission. The State Board in consultation with the Maryland Center for School Safety, shall adopt regulations that relate to the training and certification of designated security administrators and other school safety personnel. The Maryland Center for School Safety shall develop curriculum and training that will be approved and used by the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission for certification and training of school resource officers.” (“House Bill 1816,” Maryland General Assembly, 3/7/18)

Under The Proposed Legislation, County School Boards Are Required To Prepare School Emergency Plans To Address Behavioral Threats And Emergency Events. “Each county board shall prepare a school emergency plan that includes detailed plans for the manner in which public schools in the county will address: Behavioral threats; and Emergency events. Each school emergency plan prepared in accordance with paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be submitted to the Maryland Center for School Safety for review. The Maryland Center for School Safety shall transmit to the State Board a school emergency plan submitted for review, along with any recommended amendments to the plan. The State Board shall either approve, reject, or propose amendments to a school emergency plan.” (“House Bill 1816,”Maryland General Assembly, 3/7/18)

The Safe Schools Act Of 2018 Establishes The Safe Schools Fund; Fund Will Assist To Implement Emergency Plans And Additional School Safety Improvements. “There is a Safe Schools Fund. The purpose of the Fund is to provide grants to county boards for the implementation of approved school emergency plans and other safety improvements recommended by the Maryland Center for School Safety.” (“House Bill 1816,” Maryland General Assembly, 3/7/18)