Despite concerns being raised about border patrol agents using pepper spray and tear gas on migrants illegally attempting to cross the border, the agency used the same methods at a higher rate under President Barack Obama than during President Donald Trump's first two years in office, according to government data reported by the Washington Examiner.
In 2013, U.S. Customs and Border Protection used Pava Capsaicin, known as pepper spray, at a rate three times higher than that of the agency in 2017, Trump's first year in office.
Pepper spray was used 151 times in 2013, 109 times in 2014, and 95 times in 2015, according to data from the Department of Homeland Security. The numbers dropped significantly in 2015 and 2016, down to 30 and 49 incidents respectively.
In 2017, the agency reported 56 incidents of pepper spray use. In the first nine months of 2018, 43 incidents were reported.
The frequency of tear gas use by Customs and Border Patrol, while lower than 2012, has increased closer to levels seen at the beginning of the Obama administration.
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Thursday, November 29, 2018
University Overrules Student Body Who Voted to Bring Chick-fil-A to Campus
Students at Rider University last spring supported opening a Chick-fil-A on campus, but this fall they were given a new survey with their first choice conspicuously absent.
Rider’s administrators had removed Chick-fil-A as an option after a "difficult assessment of competing interests," in which the universityfound the chicken restaurant was "widely perceived to be in opposition to the LGBTQ+ community." This charge stems from Chick-fil-A’s late founder S. Truett Cathy and his son, CEO Dan Cathy, supporting "the biblical definition of the family unit."
Rider’s president and vice president for student affairs wrote in a statement that it would violate "our values of inclusion" to allow a Chick-fil-A franchise to sell chicken on Rider’s campus.
"The choices in this situation, like in so many others, were imperfect," wrote Rider president Gregory G. Dell’Omo and VP for student affairs Leanna Fenneberg. "They challenged us to reflect on our values and consider what kind of community we want to provide for those who live and learn at Rider University. Ultimately, we decided to lean in the direction of creating a welcoming environment where differences can be appreciated and where each individual can expect to experience dignity and respect."
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Rider’s administrators had removed Chick-fil-A as an option after a "difficult assessment of competing interests," in which the universityfound the chicken restaurant was "widely perceived to be in opposition to the LGBTQ+ community." This charge stems from Chick-fil-A’s late founder S. Truett Cathy and his son, CEO Dan Cathy, supporting "the biblical definition of the family unit."
Rider’s president and vice president for student affairs wrote in a statement that it would violate "our values of inclusion" to allow a Chick-fil-A franchise to sell chicken on Rider’s campus.
"The choices in this situation, like in so many others, were imperfect," wrote Rider president Gregory G. Dell’Omo and VP for student affairs Leanna Fenneberg. "They challenged us to reflect on our values and consider what kind of community we want to provide for those who live and learn at Rider University. Ultimately, we decided to lean in the direction of creating a welcoming environment where differences can be appreciated and where each individual can expect to experience dignity and respect."
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Landowners Hail Property Rights Victory At Supreme Court In Frog Habitat Dispute
A unanimous Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the Fish and Wildlife Service was wrong to designate a 1,500 acre tract of land in Louisiana as a “critical habitat” for the endangered dusky gopher frog, even though the species has not lived there for decades.
“I am really overjoyed that an eight to nothing court agreed with me that the service’s decision was absurd and nightmarish for property rights in the United States,” landowner Edward Poitevent told The Daily Caller News Foundation in a Tuesday interview.
“We all actually thought something like this would happen, but what’s really stunning is this is an eight to nothing decision,” Poitevent said.
The Fish and Wildlife Service told Poitevent in 2011 his land, which has been in his family for generations, would be listed as backup critical habitat for the dusky gopher frog, which hasn’t been seen there since 1965. The only known domain of the frogs was a single pond in southern Mississippi as of 2001, but the government said the Louisiana zone was the only other possible habitat it could identify.
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“I am really overjoyed that an eight to nothing court agreed with me that the service’s decision was absurd and nightmarish for property rights in the United States,” landowner Edward Poitevent told The Daily Caller News Foundation in a Tuesday interview.
“We all actually thought something like this would happen, but what’s really stunning is this is an eight to nothing decision,” Poitevent said.
The Fish and Wildlife Service told Poitevent in 2011 his land, which has been in his family for generations, would be listed as backup critical habitat for the dusky gopher frog, which hasn’t been seen there since 1965. The only known domain of the frogs was a single pond in southern Mississippi as of 2001, but the government said the Louisiana zone was the only other possible habitat it could identify.
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Is Natty Boh at risk of extinction? Court case involving PBR could decide its fate.
The future of Baltimore’s classic beer label National Bohemian is in jeopardy as its parent company, Pabst Brewing Co., pursues a lawsuit against MillerCoors in court this month.
While National Bohemian has not been brewed in Maryland since 1996, the brand is still widely popular in Charm City. As recently as 2011, 90 percent of sales of National Bohemian, known colloquially as Natty Boh, came from the Baltimore area, the Sun reported at the time.
Those sales could come to an abrupt halt if the lawsuit filed by Pabst Blue Ribbon against MillerCoors in Milwaukee County Circuit Court is unsuccessful.
Here’s what you need to know:
What is the dispute?
Since 1999, Pabst Brewing Co. has contracted MillerCoors to produce, package and ship nearly all of Pabst Blue Ribbon products, including smaller beer labels like Natty Boh and Lone Star. MillerCoors recently notified Pabst of the intention to discontinue the companies’ partnership after the contract runs out in 2020, according to a Nov. 12 report from the Associated Press.
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While National Bohemian has not been brewed in Maryland since 1996, the brand is still widely popular in Charm City. As recently as 2011, 90 percent of sales of National Bohemian, known colloquially as Natty Boh, came from the Baltimore area, the Sun reported at the time.
Those sales could come to an abrupt halt if the lawsuit filed by Pabst Blue Ribbon against MillerCoors in Milwaukee County Circuit Court is unsuccessful.
Here’s what you need to know:
What is the dispute?
Since 1999, Pabst Brewing Co. has contracted MillerCoors to produce, package and ship nearly all of Pabst Blue Ribbon products, including smaller beer labels like Natty Boh and Lone Star. MillerCoors recently notified Pabst of the intention to discontinue the companies’ partnership after the contract runs out in 2020, according to a Nov. 12 report from the Associated Press.
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Illegal immigrant mother sues U.S. government for $60 million over child death
HOUSTON — The mother of a toddler who died weeks after being released from the nation’s largest family detention center filed a legal claim seeking $60 million from the U.S. government for the child’s death.
Attorneys for Yazmin Juarez submitted the claim against multiple agencies Tuesday. Juarez’s 1-year-old daughter, Mariee, died in May.
Juarez’s lawyers said Mariee developed a respiratory illness while she and her mother were detained at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas. They accused U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement of releasing the pair while Mariee was still sick.
The girl died six weeks later in Philadelphia.
Washington-based law firm Arnold & Porter said it will file a lawsuit if the government doesn’t settle its claim. R. Stanton Jones, a lawyer at the firm, said the government has six months to respond before his firm can file suit.
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Attorneys for Yazmin Juarez submitted the claim against multiple agencies Tuesday. Juarez’s 1-year-old daughter, Mariee, died in May.
Juarez’s lawyers said Mariee developed a respiratory illness while she and her mother were detained at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas. They accused U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement of releasing the pair while Mariee was still sick.
The girl died six weeks later in Philadelphia.
Washington-based law firm Arnold & Porter said it will file a lawsuit if the government doesn’t settle its claim. R. Stanton Jones, a lawyer at the firm, said the government has six months to respond before his firm can file suit.
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Al Gore to host 24-hour climate change TV special featuring Moby, Goo Goo Dolls
Al Gore will host a 24-hour broadcast special on climate change next month featuring an array of celebrities and musical performances by artists that include Moby and the Goo Goo Dolls.
The former vice president on Tuesday announced the eighth annual “24 Hours of Reality: Protect Our Planet, Protect Ourselves,” which will be televised in more than 125 countries and streamed live online at 24HoursofReality.org, according to a news release.
The special will include performances by Moby, the Goo Goo Dolls, Sting & Shaggy, Jeff Goldblum & the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, among others, as well as celebrity appearances by Jaden Smith, Bill Nye, Téa Leoni, Claire Danes and Cody Simpson.
“Our health depends on the health of the planet,” Mr. Gore said in a statement. “The climate crisis is not an abstract issue; it has direct impacts on us and the people we love the most. I’m looking forward to exploring the climate and health connection on this year’s 24 Hours broadcast and to discussing how we can take bold and ambitious action to ensure that future generations can live long, healthy lives full of opportunity and promise.”
The special will air live from Los Angeles starting Monday, Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. local time.
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The former vice president on Tuesday announced the eighth annual “24 Hours of Reality: Protect Our Planet, Protect Ourselves,” which will be televised in more than 125 countries and streamed live online at 24HoursofReality.org, according to a news release.
The special will include performances by Moby, the Goo Goo Dolls, Sting & Shaggy, Jeff Goldblum & the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, among others, as well as celebrity appearances by Jaden Smith, Bill Nye, Téa Leoni, Claire Danes and Cody Simpson.
“Our health depends on the health of the planet,” Mr. Gore said in a statement. “The climate crisis is not an abstract issue; it has direct impacts on us and the people we love the most. I’m looking forward to exploring the climate and health connection on this year’s 24 Hours broadcast and to discussing how we can take bold and ambitious action to ensure that future generations can live long, healthy lives full of opportunity and promise.”
The special will air live from Los Angeles starting Monday, Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. local time.
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Ex-Staffer Says Facebook Has 'A Black People Problem'
A former African American Facebook staffer unloaded on the social media platform Tuesday, charging the tech giant has “a black people problem.”
In his post, Mark Luckie explains why he quit, and how he believes Facebook is failing its black employees and black users.
“You can see this reflected in everything from the guest lists of Facebook's external programs, the industry events the company has historically sponsored, the creators and influencers who appear in Explore tabs on Instagram, the power users who are verified on the platforms, and more,” he wrote.
Luckie shared the post with all employees at Facebook earlier this month before he exited the company.
The former staffer said black employees like him are often met with surprise by co-workers who say things like “I didn't know black people worked at Facebook."
And the platform suffers because of it.
“We are continually missing opportunities to engage with groups whose use of our family of products is fundamentally different than the general population,” he wrote.
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In his post, Mark Luckie explains why he quit, and how he believes Facebook is failing its black employees and black users.
“You can see this reflected in everything from the guest lists of Facebook's external programs, the industry events the company has historically sponsored, the creators and influencers who appear in Explore tabs on Instagram, the power users who are verified on the platforms, and more,” he wrote.
Luckie shared the post with all employees at Facebook earlier this month before he exited the company.
The former staffer said black employees like him are often met with surprise by co-workers who say things like “I didn't know black people worked at Facebook."
And the platform suffers because of it.
“We are continually missing opportunities to engage with groups whose use of our family of products is fundamentally different than the general population,” he wrote.
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Update: GM - up to 14,700 possible Layoffs
DETROIT — General Motors will lay off 14,700 factory and white-collar workers in North America and put five plants up for possible closure as it restructures to cut costs and focus more on autonomous and electric vehicles.
The reduction includes 8,100 white-collar workers, some of whom will take buyouts and others who will be laid off. Most of the affected factories build cars that won't be sold in the U.S. after next year. They could close or they could get different vehicles to build. They will be part of contract talks with the United Auto Workers union next year.
The salaried employee reductions amount to 15 percent of GM's North American workforce out of 54,000. At the factories, 3,000 workers could lose jobs in Canada and another 3,600 in the U.S. Some U.S. workers would transfer to truck and SUV plants where GM is increasing output, the company said.
GM, the largest automaker in the U.S., whose brands include the Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC, said the moves will save $6 billion in cash by the end of next year, including $4.5 billion in recurring annual cost reductions and a $1.5 billion reduction in capital spending.
Those cuts are in addition to $6.5 billion the company has announced by the end of this year.
GM doesn't foresee an economic downturn and is making the cuts "to get in front of it while the company is strong and while the economy is strong," CEO Mary Barra told reporters.
Barra said GM is still hiring people with expertise in software and electric and autonomous vehicles, and many of those who will lose their jobs are now working on conventional cars with internal combustion engines.
Barra said the industry is changing rapidly and moving toward electric propulsion, autonomous vehicles and ride-sharing, and GM must adjust with it.
The company, she said, has invested in newer architectures for trucks and SUVs so it can cut capital spending while still raising investment in autonomous and electric vehicles.
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The reduction includes 8,100 white-collar workers, some of whom will take buyouts and others who will be laid off. Most of the affected factories build cars that won't be sold in the U.S. after next year. They could close or they could get different vehicles to build. They will be part of contract talks with the United Auto Workers union next year.
The salaried employee reductions amount to 15 percent of GM's North American workforce out of 54,000. At the factories, 3,000 workers could lose jobs in Canada and another 3,600 in the U.S. Some U.S. workers would transfer to truck and SUV plants where GM is increasing output, the company said.
GM, the largest automaker in the U.S., whose brands include the Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC, said the moves will save $6 billion in cash by the end of next year, including $4.5 billion in recurring annual cost reductions and a $1.5 billion reduction in capital spending.
Those cuts are in addition to $6.5 billion the company has announced by the end of this year.
GM doesn't foresee an economic downturn and is making the cuts "to get in front of it while the company is strong and while the economy is strong," CEO Mary Barra told reporters.
Barra said GM is still hiring people with expertise in software and electric and autonomous vehicles, and many of those who will lose their jobs are now working on conventional cars with internal combustion engines.
Barra said the industry is changing rapidly and moving toward electric propulsion, autonomous vehicles and ride-sharing, and GM must adjust with it.
The company, she said, has invested in newer architectures for trucks and SUVs so it can cut capital spending while still raising investment in autonomous and electric vehicles.
More
Poll: 7 In 10 Mexicans Have Negative View Of Migrant Families Arriving To Their Country
A new poll by El Universal, a Mexican newspaper, found that a majority of Mexicans have a negative view of the migrant caravan marching through their country.
Thousands of members of the caravan are currently camping out in Tijuana, Mexico as they attempt to cross the southern U.S. border or claim asylum. Mexicans have expressed displeasure that the migrants are settling in their home cities and towns.
The El Universal poll, as reported by NBC News, found that seven in 10 Mexicans have a negative view of the arrival of migrant families. Further, 52 percent support blocking migrants from entering the country without documentation and 55 percent think President-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador should be tougher on future caravans.
In October, just six in 10 Mexicans had a negative view of the migrants.
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Thousands of members of the caravan are currently camping out in Tijuana, Mexico as they attempt to cross the southern U.S. border or claim asylum. Mexicans have expressed displeasure that the migrants are settling in their home cities and towns.
The El Universal poll, as reported by NBC News, found that seven in 10 Mexicans have a negative view of the arrival of migrant families. Further, 52 percent support blocking migrants from entering the country without documentation and 55 percent think President-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador should be tougher on future caravans.
In October, just six in 10 Mexicans had a negative view of the migrants.
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Michigan Democrats threatening to pull $2B tax credit from GM
LANSING (WJBK) - Lansing Democrats are threatening to pull $2 billion dollars in tax credits from General Motors--
In the wake of the automaker's decision to layoff Michigan workers, Michigan Democrats are threatening to pull $2 billion dollars in tax credits from General Motors.
On a scale of 1-10 the impact on this state, State Sen. Morris Hood (D-Detroit) considers this a 10.
"Whenever we lose one job, two jobs, and the amount of jobs we're losing -- I consider it a 10," he said.
Next March, GM's Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant is history, and in June, the workers at Warren Transmission Operations are also out of work.
Democrats in the Michigan Legislature are now on a mission to repeal the state's $2 billion tax credits for GM. The Senate Democratic leader argues the state, local and federal governments saved GM -- and now this.
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In the wake of the automaker's decision to layoff Michigan workers, Michigan Democrats are threatening to pull $2 billion dollars in tax credits from General Motors.
On a scale of 1-10 the impact on this state, State Sen. Morris Hood (D-Detroit) considers this a 10.
"Whenever we lose one job, two jobs, and the amount of jobs we're losing -- I consider it a 10," he said.
Next March, GM's Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant is history, and in June, the workers at Warren Transmission Operations are also out of work.
Democrats in the Michigan Legislature are now on a mission to repeal the state's $2 billion tax credits for GM. The Senate Democratic leader argues the state, local and federal governments saved GM -- and now this.
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Lost Dogs 11-28-18: UPDATE
Ohio 'appears' to be first State to accept Bitcoin for Taxes
The U.S. state of Ohio is poised to become the first state to accept Bitcoin (BTC) as tax payment, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports today, Nov. 25.
As the WSJ writes, the move initially applies only to businesses, with plans to extend the offering to individual taxpayers in future. Starting this week, Ohio-based businesses will be able register to pay all of their taxes in the leading cryptocurrency. The payments are reportedly set to be processed via crypto payments service BitPay.
As the WSJ reports, the crypto-friendly move was initiated by state Treasurer Josh Mandel, who told reporters he is looking to “plan[t] a flag” for Ohio in terms of national cryptocurrency adoption:
“I do see [bitcoin] as a legitimate form of currency.”
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As the WSJ writes, the move initially applies only to businesses, with plans to extend the offering to individual taxpayers in future. Starting this week, Ohio-based businesses will be able register to pay all of their taxes in the leading cryptocurrency. The payments are reportedly set to be processed via crypto payments service BitPay.
As the WSJ reports, the crypto-friendly move was initiated by state Treasurer Josh Mandel, who told reporters he is looking to “plan[t] a flag” for Ohio in terms of national cryptocurrency adoption:
“I do see [bitcoin] as a legitimate form of currency.”
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GM will No longer make these 6 Cars
(CNN) — General Motors will end production of six sedans by the end of 2019.
North American customers want SUVs, crossovers, hatchbacks and trucks. Sedans have fallen out of favor.
As GM (GM) adjusts to changing customer behavior it is also planning ahead for the future. The company announced massive layoffs and is closing five North American facilities as it transitions to self-driving, electric cars of the future.
The soon-to-be closed plants mean GM will no longer make these cars:
Buick LaCrosse
January – September sales: 13,409, down 14.2%
The LaCrosse is a large car built by a brand that was a pioneer in small crossovers. Buick is still shifting heavily toward crossovers: Sales of the Encore and Enclave crossovers are both up this year. But Buick is struggling after turning itself around a few years ago.
North American customers want SUVs, crossovers, hatchbacks and trucks. Sedans have fallen out of favor.
As GM (GM) adjusts to changing customer behavior it is also planning ahead for the future. The company announced massive layoffs and is closing five North American facilities as it transitions to self-driving, electric cars of the future.
The soon-to-be closed plants mean GM will no longer make these cars:
Buick LaCrosse
January – September sales: 13,409, down 14.2%
The LaCrosse is a large car built by a brand that was a pioneer in small crossovers. Buick is still shifting heavily toward crossovers: Sales of the Encore and Enclave crossovers are both up this year. But Buick is struggling after turning itself around a few years ago.
Cadillac CT6
5 Reasons Americans Are Living Through a Sex Recession
No civilization in human history has been as sex-drenched as modern-day America. TV shows, music, and even commercials constantly reference sex. An unlimited number of free pornographic clips of every imaginable variety and sort are available to anyone with an Internet connection, and Americans have a libertine attitude about sex. It has gotten so over-the-top that I had an acquaintance who managed to get lots of TV and press attention just by writing a book saying that she’s not a virgin, but that she intends to remain chaste until marriage.
Yet, intriguingly, according to a much-discussed article in The Atlantic, Americans are in the middle of a sex recession.
To the relief of many parents, educators, and clergy members who care about the health and well-being of young people, teens are launching their sex lives later. From 1991 to 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey finds, the percentage of high-school students who’d had intercourse dropped from 54 to 40 percent. In other words, in the space of a generation, sex has gone from something most high-school students have experienced to something most haven’t. (And no, they aren’t having oral sex instead—that rate hasn’t changed much.)
Meanwhile, the U.S. teen pregnancy rate has plummeted to a third of its modern high. When this decline started, in the 1990s, it was widely and rightly embraced. But now some observers are beginning to wonder whether an unambiguously good thing might have roots in less salubrious developments. Signs are gathering that the delay in teen sex may have been the first indication of a broader withdrawal from physical intimacy that extends well into adulthood.
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Yet, intriguingly, according to a much-discussed article in The Atlantic, Americans are in the middle of a sex recession.
To the relief of many parents, educators, and clergy members who care about the health and well-being of young people, teens are launching their sex lives later. From 1991 to 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey finds, the percentage of high-school students who’d had intercourse dropped from 54 to 40 percent. In other words, in the space of a generation, sex has gone from something most high-school students have experienced to something most haven’t. (And no, they aren’t having oral sex instead—that rate hasn’t changed much.)
Meanwhile, the U.S. teen pregnancy rate has plummeted to a third of its modern high. When this decline started, in the 1990s, it was widely and rightly embraced. But now some observers are beginning to wonder whether an unambiguously good thing might have roots in less salubrious developments. Signs are gathering that the delay in teen sex may have been the first indication of a broader withdrawal from physical intimacy that extends well into adulthood.
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Cargill Tests Robotic Cattle Driver As A Way To Improve Worker Safety
"A young man did nothing to provoke this 1,600-pound Angus steer who turned on him in an instant," Churchill said of one incident last year. The man crawled through an escape hatch, and ended up with a dislocated shoulder and few fractured ribs.
Working with cattle is dangerous: The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 2017, cattle injured 1,360 workers. And those attacks can sometimes be fatal.
So, when Churchill first saw a video of a robot, developed by a Russian tech company for security purposes, it gave him an idea.
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Health Experts: Video Game 'Fortnite' Is As Addictive As Heroin
Health experts have come out declaring the video game Fortnite to be just as addictive as the drug heroin. And with millions of daily active players, Fortnite Battle Royale is currently the most popular game on the globe, heightening the concerns.
According to VGR, the Fortnite hype has taken the world over, and almost everyone has heard of it.Unfortunately, some people are addicted to this video game, and the latest report indicates that this addiction can be very harmful. It appears that there are some Fortnite players who can’t live without the game, and their addiction is even being compared to that of a heroin addiction.
Just last month, there have been several reports about how Fortnite has ruined numerous marriages. According to a report by The New York Post, over 200 marriages have been ruined by the highly addictive video game. This time, experts are comparing Fortnite to heroin because of how bad it is, and it doesn’t seem that things are getting any better.
“These numbers equate to roughly 5% of the 4,665 petitions we have handled since the beginning of the year,” a Divorce Online spokesperson wrote in a press release.
“It is no surprise to us that more and more people are having relationship problems because of our digital addictions.”
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According to VGR, the Fortnite hype has taken the world over, and almost everyone has heard of it.Unfortunately, some people are addicted to this video game, and the latest report indicates that this addiction can be very harmful. It appears that there are some Fortnite players who can’t live without the game, and their addiction is even being compared to that of a heroin addiction.
Just last month, there have been several reports about how Fortnite has ruined numerous marriages. According to a report by The New York Post, over 200 marriages have been ruined by the highly addictive video game. This time, experts are comparing Fortnite to heroin because of how bad it is, and it doesn’t seem that things are getting any better.
“These numbers equate to roughly 5% of the 4,665 petitions we have handled since the beginning of the year,” a Divorce Online spokesperson wrote in a press release.
“It is no surprise to us that more and more people are having relationship problems because of our digital addictions.”
More
Angela Merkel: In This Day and Age States Must Be Ready to Give Up Sovereignty – Nationalist Countries are Not Patriotic
Germany, a country of 82 million, welcomed from 800,000 to over one million migrants and unvetted “refugees” in 2015.
Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed close over 280,000 migrants in 2016.
In April 2017 after several Islamist terror attacks and after Islamists tried to blow up a bus carrying a top German soccer team, Merkel told reporters that “there is no doubt” that some refugees pose a security threat.
A new tradition started in Germany this Christmas season.
This year the popular Berlin Christmas market is surrounded by a metal fence reinforced by giant sand bags.
The Diversity barriers are back.
Via Vlad Tepes:
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Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed close over 280,000 migrants in 2016.
In April 2017 after several Islamist terror attacks and after Islamists tried to blow up a bus carrying a top German soccer team, Merkel told reporters that “there is no doubt” that some refugees pose a security threat.
A new tradition started in Germany this Christmas season.
This year the popular Berlin Christmas market is surrounded by a metal fence reinforced by giant sand bags.
The Diversity barriers are back.
Via Vlad Tepes:
More
Ten Reasons Why Governments Fail
When politicians and bureaucrats fail to deliver what they promise - which happens a lot - we're often told that the problem can be solved if only we get the right people to run the government instead.
We're told that the old crop of government agents were trying hard enough. Or that they didn't have the right intentions. While it's true that there are plenty of incompetent and ill-intentioned people in government, we can't always blame the people involved. Often, the likelihood of failure is simply built in to the institution of government itself. In other words, politicians and bureaucrats don't succeed because they can't succeed. The very nature of government administration is weighted against success.
Here are ten reasons why:
We're told that the old crop of government agents were trying hard enough. Or that they didn't have the right intentions. While it's true that there are plenty of incompetent and ill-intentioned people in government, we can't always blame the people involved. Often, the likelihood of failure is simply built in to the institution of government itself. In other words, politicians and bureaucrats don't succeed because they can't succeed. The very nature of government administration is weighted against success.
Here are ten reasons why:
I. Knowledge
Government policies suffer from the pretense of knowledge . In order to perform a successful market intervention, politicians need to know more than they can. Market knowledge is not centralized, systematic, organized and general, but dispersed, heterogeneous, specific, and individual. Different from a market economy where there are many operators and a constant process of trial and error, the correction of government errors is limited because the government is a monopoly. For the politician, to admit an error is often worse than sticking with a wrong decision - even against own insight.
Government policies suffer from the pretense of knowledge . In order to perform a successful market intervention, politicians need to know more than they can. Market knowledge is not centralized, systematic, organized and general, but dispersed, heterogeneous, specific, and individual. Different from a market economy where there are many operators and a constant process of trial and error, the correction of government errors is limited because the government is a monopoly. For the politician, to admit an error is often worse than sticking with a wrong decision - even against own insight.
II. Information Asymmetries
While there are also information asymmetries in the market, for example between the insurer and the insured, or between the seller of a used car and its buyer, the information asymmetry is more profound in the public sector than in the private economy. While there are, for example, several insurance companies and many car dealers, there is only one government. The politicians as the representatives of the state have no skin in the game and because they are not stakeholders, they will not spend much efforts to investigate and avoid information asymmetries. On the contrary, politicians are typically eager to provide funds not to those who need them most but to those who are most relevant in the political power game.
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While there are also information asymmetries in the market, for example between the insurer and the insured, or between the seller of a used car and its buyer, the information asymmetry is more profound in the public sector than in the private economy. While there are, for example, several insurance companies and many car dealers, there is only one government. The politicians as the representatives of the state have no skin in the game and because they are not stakeholders, they will not spend much efforts to investigate and avoid information asymmetries. On the contrary, politicians are typically eager to provide funds not to those who need them most but to those who are most relevant in the political power game.
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A Resurgent Crispin Odey: "We Are At The Start Of A Profound, 25 Year Bear Market"
Two years after British billionaire Crispin Odey decided it was time to not only "fight the Fed" but launched a brutal and bloody crusade against central banks around the world, in which he bet virtually everything on a "violent unwind" of the QE bubble, loading up on gold and shorting every government bond he could find, something strange is happening: Odey appears to be winning.
In some ways, it has been a pyrrhic victory: managing billions in assets several years ago, Odey Asset Management has shrunk substantially in the past 2 years, and as of October 2018 AUM had dropped to $828 million, while the OEI MAC fund is down to just $250 million.
More importantly, Odey was not wiped out and is still managing money after an abysmal stretch in which the hedge funds lost 21.3% in 2015, 49% in 2016 and 22.3% in 2017. Fast forward to 2018, when Odey is enjoying his best performance in a decade, up 49.8% YTD, his second best year on record after the 67.7% return in 2007.
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In some ways, it has been a pyrrhic victory: managing billions in assets several years ago, Odey Asset Management has shrunk substantially in the past 2 years, and as of October 2018 AUM had dropped to $828 million, while the OEI MAC fund is down to just $250 million.
More importantly, Odey was not wiped out and is still managing money after an abysmal stretch in which the hedge funds lost 21.3% in 2015, 49% in 2016 and 22.3% in 2017. Fast forward to 2018, when Odey is enjoying his best performance in a decade, up 49.8% YTD, his second best year on record after the 67.7% return in 2007.
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6 Memorable Clashes at Presidential News Conferences
President Donald Trump and CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta have their own styles that may seem outside the lines of “decorum” to some. But presidential duels with reporters aren’t unique to the current president or any network.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a new set of rules for journalists Monday evening after reinstating Acosta’s press pass. CNN dropped its lawsuit against the Trump administration.
The White House revoked Acosta’s hard pass after a Nov. 7 news conferencewhere the reporter refused to yield the microphone after Trump sought to move on to another reporter.
Trump lectured Acosta: “CNN should be ashamed of itself having you working for them. You are a rude, terrible person. You shouldn’t be working for CNN.”
The new White House rules state: “A journalist called upon to ask a question will ask a single question and then will yield the floor to other journalists.”
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White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a new set of rules for journalists Monday evening after reinstating Acosta’s press pass. CNN dropped its lawsuit against the Trump administration.
The White House revoked Acosta’s hard pass after a Nov. 7 news conferencewhere the reporter refused to yield the microphone after Trump sought to move on to another reporter.
Trump lectured Acosta: “CNN should be ashamed of itself having you working for them. You are a rude, terrible person. You shouldn’t be working for CNN.”
The new White House rules state: “A journalist called upon to ask a question will ask a single question and then will yield the floor to other journalists.”
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Hillary Clinton Urges Europe To Halt Immigration Wave She Helped Create
After blaming everyone but herself for her embarrassing upset loss to Donald Trump in the 2016 US presidential election, Hillary Clinton has finally admitted what millions of Americans have known for years now: Maybe Trump made some good points.
In an interview with the Guardian that has infuriated the "new face" of the Democratic Party that Clinton once purported to lead - ie, those "Democratic Socialist" millennials who celebrated the rise of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the former secretary of state and senator from New York said Western Europe needed to do something to lessen the flow of migrants from the Middle East and North Africa if it wants to stop the surging support experienced by anti-establishment and eurosceptic populist parties that have seized power in Hungary, Poland, Austria, Italy and elsewhere.
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In an interview with the Guardian that has infuriated the "new face" of the Democratic Party that Clinton once purported to lead - ie, those "Democratic Socialist" millennials who celebrated the rise of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the former secretary of state and senator from New York said Western Europe needed to do something to lessen the flow of migrants from the Middle East and North Africa if it wants to stop the surging support experienced by anti-establishment and eurosceptic populist parties that have seized power in Hungary, Poland, Austria, Italy and elsewhere.
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CNN commentator calls for elimination of Israel, endorses violent Palestinian ‘resistance’
CNN commentator Marc Lamont Hill, in a Wednesday speech to the United Nations, called for violent resistance against Israel and advocated expanding Palestine “from the river to the sea,” a phrase used by those who believe that Israel should be eliminated.
Hill, who has a long history of anti-Semitism, made the remarks at a U.N. event commemorating the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. He said the international community should boycott Israel and allow Palestinians more space to engage in violence against the Jewish state, arguing that violence was also employed in the struggles of African Americans.
More here
Hill, who has a long history of anti-Semitism, made the remarks at a U.N. event commemorating the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. He said the international community should boycott Israel and allow Palestinians more space to engage in violence against the Jewish state, arguing that violence was also employed in the struggles of African Americans.
More here
Head of George Soros philanthropic foundation calls for congressional oversight of Facebook
The head of billionaire George Soros' philanthropic organization has called for 'congressional oversight' of Facebook after the company confirmed it had hired a public relations firm to dig up dirt on Soros.
'Sorry, but this needs independent, congressional oversight,' Open Society Foundations President Patrick Gaspard wrote on Twitter Wednesday, following Facebook's admission it had hired the Definers PR firm.
'So @facebook decides to drop a turkey on Thanksgiving eve, with admission that Definers was tasked by company leadership to target and smear George Soros because he publicly criticized their out of control business model,' Gaspard wrote.
Earlier Wednesday, Facebook's outgoing Head of Communications and Policy Elliot Schrage published a blog post detailing the company's decision to hire Definers Public Affairs, a Republican-affiliated firm, to research Soros.
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'Sorry, but this needs independent, congressional oversight,' Open Society Foundations President Patrick Gaspard wrote on Twitter Wednesday, following Facebook's admission it had hired the Definers PR firm.
'So @facebook decides to drop a turkey on Thanksgiving eve, with admission that Definers was tasked by company leadership to target and smear George Soros because he publicly criticized their out of control business model,' Gaspard wrote.
Earlier Wednesday, Facebook's outgoing Head of Communications and Policy Elliot Schrage published a blog post detailing the company's decision to hire Definers Public Affairs, a Republican-affiliated firm, to research Soros.
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Trump Threatens To Declassify "Devastating" Docs If Democrats Investigate Him
If only to vent his frustrations about GM, the stock market chaos, and the prospect of turning over power to the Democrats (who have gleefully bragged about the many investigations they're planning to launch in January), President Trump has given a series of freewheeling interviews over the past two days where he has threatened a government shutdown, expressed his regret over choosing Fed Chairman Jerome Powell and even opined that Janet Yellen was "too short" to be chairwoman of the Federal Reserve.
And in his latest informal chat with the New York Post from behind the Resolute Desk, the president threatened once again to retaliate against Democrats if they try to "play tough" by investigating him - this time by declassifying a wide swath of "devastating" documents related to the Mueller probe, which he had initially planned to do in September before changing his mind.
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And in his latest informal chat with the New York Post from behind the Resolute Desk, the president threatened once again to retaliate against Democrats if they try to "play tough" by investigating him - this time by declassifying a wide swath of "devastating" documents related to the Mueller probe, which he had initially planned to do in September before changing his mind.
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Did Chief Justice Roberts just urinate on my leg?
Chief Justice John Roberts recently wrote, "We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges."
The chief justice knows that this is not true, and I find it extremely insulting that he believes that I am stupid enough to believe it. As he relieved himself on my leg, he told me it was raining. Roberts's statement was a response to President Trump's criticism of "Obama judges" who ruled against the administration.
The president replied, "Sorry Chief Justice John Roberts, but you do indeed have 'Obama judges,' and they have a much different point of view than the people who are charged with the safety of our country. It would be great if the 9th Circuit was indeed an 'independent judiciary'[.]"
Dov Fischer at the American Spectator claimed, "[I]t sounds ridiculous – even borderline delusional – to deny that today's federal judiciary is chock-full of Obama judges and Clinton judges on a mission to stop President Trump's agenda."
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The chief justice knows that this is not true, and I find it extremely insulting that he believes that I am stupid enough to believe it. As he relieved himself on my leg, he told me it was raining. Roberts's statement was a response to President Trump's criticism of "Obama judges" who ruled against the administration.
The president replied, "Sorry Chief Justice John Roberts, but you do indeed have 'Obama judges,' and they have a much different point of view than the people who are charged with the safety of our country. It would be great if the 9th Circuit was indeed an 'independent judiciary'[.]"
Dov Fischer at the American Spectator claimed, "[I]t sounds ridiculous – even borderline delusional – to deny that today's federal judiciary is chock-full of Obama judges and Clinton judges on a mission to stop President Trump's agenda."
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Privacy Advocate Warns About USPS's Informed Delivery
The United States Postal Service's Informed Delivery system could be used by thieves to steal your mail, CBS News is reporting.
The system allows people to receive email from the post office with a preview of what is coming in that day's mail. The network news noted people can sign up for the service by verifying their identities by providing answers to questions like past cities and streets where they have lived.
But privacy advocate Adam Levin warns that kind of information could already be available on the dark web or found on social media sites by criminals.
And scammers, with the right information, are able to register and provide a separate email address, according to CBS News. They then can monitor when people are getting things like credit cards and checks and get them out of mailboxes soon after delivery.
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The system allows people to receive email from the post office with a preview of what is coming in that day's mail. The network news noted people can sign up for the service by verifying their identities by providing answers to questions like past cities and streets where they have lived.
But privacy advocate Adam Levin warns that kind of information could already be available on the dark web or found on social media sites by criminals.
And scammers, with the right information, are able to register and provide a separate email address, according to CBS News. They then can monitor when people are getting things like credit cards and checks and get them out of mailboxes soon after delivery.
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Good Guy with a Gun Kills Mall Shooter on Thanksgiving
A good guy with a gun shot and killed an attacker at an Alabama mall “within seconds” of that attacker shooting and wounding two people.
WVTM reports that the good guy, a Hoover, Alabama, police officer, shot the gunman, who was then pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident occurred at Riverchase Galleria.
Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis said, “From the time that shooting took place, they engaged and it was safe within seconds that it happened. You don’t see that too often. So very, very proud of that.”
Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato said, “Unfortunately, an individual lost his life. Unfortunately, one of our police officers had to engage that individual. He did so as a professional. He did so at the risk of his own life. But he stepped in to protect thousands, and I’m grateful for that.”
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WVTM reports that the good guy, a Hoover, Alabama, police officer, shot the gunman, who was then pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident occurred at Riverchase Galleria.
Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis said, “From the time that shooting took place, they engaged and it was safe within seconds that it happened. You don’t see that too often. So very, very proud of that.”
Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato said, “Unfortunately, an individual lost his life. Unfortunately, one of our police officers had to engage that individual. He did so as a professional. He did so at the risk of his own life. But he stepped in to protect thousands, and I’m grateful for that.”
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Hayward: Fentanyl Is the Real Chemical Weapon Attack at the U.S. Border
Fentanyl is a powerful and deadly synthetic drug often mixed with other street drugs to make them more potent. It is largely manufactured in China and pushed across the porous southern border into the United States by Central and South American gangs. It kills tens of thousands of Americans every year.
Fentanyl is incredibly dangerous because of its potency, the poor quality control of the labs that make it, its tendency to induce respiratory failure, and its resistance to the emergency antidotes carried by first responders. Its potency makes it highly portable and its ever-changing formula makes it difficult for law enforcement to detect.
The Centers for Disease Control counted 72,000 overdose deaths last year. Fentanyl is believed to have played a role in nearly half of them nationwide, with much higher percentages in hot spots like Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Ohio.
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FACT CHECK: DID THE US REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS MORE THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY LAST YEAR?
Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro claimed that the U.S. reduced its carbon dioxide emissions more than any other country in 2017.
“The United States was the number one country in cutting emissions in the last year when it comes to carbon emissions, largely because of fracking replacing coal. So natural gas fracking is significantly less emitting than is the use of coal and coal energy,” he said.
Verdict: True
The U.S. reduced carbon emissions by over 40 million tonnes last year, more than any other country. On a percentage change basis, however, the U.S. fell outside the top 20 for emissions reductions in 2017.
Fact Check:
Shapiro was speaking at Ohio State University on Nov. 13 when he made the claim.
The oil giant BP tracks the global carbon emissions produced by oil, gas and coal and publishes its findings annually. Its 2018 report shows that U.S. carbon emissions dropped to 5.1 billion tonnes in 2017, a decline of nearly 42 million tonnes over 2016 levels.
Last year marked the ninth time this century that the U.S. had the largest reduction in global carbon emissions, according to BP.
Ukraine had the second-largest reduction in 2017 – 21 million tonnes – followed by Mexico, the U.K. and South Africa, which saw reductions of 15 million, 12 million and 10 million tonnes, respectively.
While the U.S. had the largest reduction in 2017, it fell outside the top 20 when measuring the year over year change on a percentage basis.
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“The United States was the number one country in cutting emissions in the last year when it comes to carbon emissions, largely because of fracking replacing coal. So natural gas fracking is significantly less emitting than is the use of coal and coal energy,” he said.
Verdict: True
The U.S. reduced carbon emissions by over 40 million tonnes last year, more than any other country. On a percentage change basis, however, the U.S. fell outside the top 20 for emissions reductions in 2017.
Fact Check:
Shapiro was speaking at Ohio State University on Nov. 13 when he made the claim.
The oil giant BP tracks the global carbon emissions produced by oil, gas and coal and publishes its findings annually. Its 2018 report shows that U.S. carbon emissions dropped to 5.1 billion tonnes in 2017, a decline of nearly 42 million tonnes over 2016 levels.
Last year marked the ninth time this century that the U.S. had the largest reduction in global carbon emissions, according to BP.
Ukraine had the second-largest reduction in 2017 – 21 million tonnes – followed by Mexico, the U.K. and South Africa, which saw reductions of 15 million, 12 million and 10 million tonnes, respectively.
While the U.S. had the largest reduction in 2017, it fell outside the top 20 when measuring the year over year change on a percentage basis.
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A Lesson in Racial Politics From Florida
Now that, finally, the elections in Florida have reached a conclusion, there are lessons worth learning. One is on the subject of race.
There was a fateful anomaly in racial voting in the governor’s race between Democrat Andrew Gillum and Republican Rick DeSantis, now Florida’s governor-elect.
Given that Gillum, formerly mayor of Tallahassee, was running to become the first black governor of Florida, we might have expected black enthusiasm for his candidacy on the order of the waves of black enthusiasm for the presidential candidacy of Barak Obama.
But it didn’t happen.
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There was a fateful anomaly in racial voting in the governor’s race between Democrat Andrew Gillum and Republican Rick DeSantis, now Florida’s governor-elect.
Given that Gillum, formerly mayor of Tallahassee, was running to become the first black governor of Florida, we might have expected black enthusiasm for his candidacy on the order of the waves of black enthusiasm for the presidential candidacy of Barak Obama.
But it didn’t happen.
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Authorities Are Using A "Mysterious New Tool" That Can Unlock Virtually Any Cellphone
Your cellphone is a gold mine of information about where you have been, who you have been talking to, and what you have been doing online. And now a “mysterious new tool” is enabling law enforcement authorities all over the nation to get access to that information on virtually any phone.
So if you end up going to prison someday, it could be the evidence that is pulled out of your cellphone that ultimately puts you away. Of course most Americans never even consider that their own cellphones could be systematically gathering evidence against them. For most of us, cellphones are simply extremely convenient tools that allow us to communicate effectively with the rest of the world. But if the authorities decide to investigate you, your cellphone is going to be one of the first things that they want, and what they find on there could put you behind bars for a very, very long time.
There are some people out there that are still operating under the assumption that the data on their cellphones is safe from the prying eyes of law enforcement authorities. That actually has not been true for a long time, and now a new tool is enabling them to unlock virtually any cellphone. The following comes from WHIO…
Law enforcement agencies are using a mysterious new tool to unlock the cellphones of criminal suspects and access their text messages, emails and voice messages. Some agencies around the country, concerned about security, are not even acknowledging use of the devices. Adding to the secrecy surrounding the new tool, one of the companies that makes and sells the devices to police and government agencies does not display their products on the company website.
These are basically “hacking devices”, and it may take a number of hours, but they will eventually get into your cellphone.
These hacking devices reportedly cost between $15,000 and $30,000, so they are quite expensive, but apparently law enforcement agencies all over the nation have been heavily buying them.
Because if you can get into the cellphone of a suspect, it often provides everything that is needed to solve a case…
More
So if you end up going to prison someday, it could be the evidence that is pulled out of your cellphone that ultimately puts you away. Of course most Americans never even consider that their own cellphones could be systematically gathering evidence against them. For most of us, cellphones are simply extremely convenient tools that allow us to communicate effectively with the rest of the world. But if the authorities decide to investigate you, your cellphone is going to be one of the first things that they want, and what they find on there could put you behind bars for a very, very long time.
There are some people out there that are still operating under the assumption that the data on their cellphones is safe from the prying eyes of law enforcement authorities. That actually has not been true for a long time, and now a new tool is enabling them to unlock virtually any cellphone. The following comes from WHIO…
Law enforcement agencies are using a mysterious new tool to unlock the cellphones of criminal suspects and access their text messages, emails and voice messages. Some agencies around the country, concerned about security, are not even acknowledging use of the devices. Adding to the secrecy surrounding the new tool, one of the companies that makes and sells the devices to police and government agencies does not display their products on the company website.
These are basically “hacking devices”, and it may take a number of hours, but they will eventually get into your cellphone.
These hacking devices reportedly cost between $15,000 and $30,000, so they are quite expensive, but apparently law enforcement agencies all over the nation have been heavily buying them.
Because if you can get into the cellphone of a suspect, it often provides everything that is needed to solve a case…
More
Thousands of French protesters clash with police, call for Macron’s resignation over gas taxes
Thousands of French protesters flooded the nation’s capital Saturday to demonstrate against President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial fuel tax increase -- clashing with policies as they called for Macron’s resignation.
The angry clashes, both in Paris and other towns and cities across the country, mark the eighth day of “yellow jacket” protests against the tax, but have also come to encompass a growing anger against Macron and the French ruling class -- seen by many as out of touch.
The yellow jackets have become a uniform of sorts for the protesters, originating from the neon yellow jackets French drivers are required to keep in their vehicles.
Authorities said that at least 8,000 protesters flooded the Champs-Elysees in Paris alone, with 81,000 protesters in total nationwide compared to 244,000 last Saturday. Police deployed some 3,000 security forces after an attempt to march on the Elysee Palace last week.
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The angry clashes, both in Paris and other towns and cities across the country, mark the eighth day of “yellow jacket” protests against the tax, but have also come to encompass a growing anger against Macron and the French ruling class -- seen by many as out of touch.
The yellow jackets have become a uniform of sorts for the protesters, originating from the neon yellow jackets French drivers are required to keep in their vehicles.
Authorities said that at least 8,000 protesters flooded the Champs-Elysees in Paris alone, with 81,000 protesters in total nationwide compared to 244,000 last Saturday. Police deployed some 3,000 security forces after an attempt to march on the Elysee Palace last week.
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https://www.foxnews.com/world/thousands-of-french-police-use-tear-gas-water-cannon-against-paris-protesters
Luongo: Jumping The Global Warming Shark
There’s a moment near the end of Ayn Rand’s mostly brilliant Atlas Shrugged where she details the unveiling of various government-funded boondoggles whose development we track as the story unfolds.
All of them end in tragedy and mass death.
From trains asphyxiating their passengers to sonic weapons killing spectators, the hubris and ineptitude of the rentier class which took over the U.S. government was on display in all its glory.
So, every time I see some hare-brained idea in service of a politically-motivated lie I just look at my wife, shake my head and say, “Act III, Atlas Shrugged, hon.”
The latest is the patently insane idea of dimming the sun by dispersing sulfate particles into the atmosphere to reflect and absorb some of the energy coming from it to slow the rate of global warming.
I would hope, at the very least, they are thinking of something thoroughly inert like barium sulfate, but they aren’t. They are talking about injecting SO2 into the atmosphere. Another word for SO2 is SMOG. This is the very compound we have been regulating power plants to not emit.
So, that’s it folks. That’s our choice now. Smog or a nice cozy, warm home with abundant food and mild weather for most of the planet.
The sick Marxists that think they run this planet would choose smog every time. I would file this under “Crazytown” but check the RT link above folks, this was written up by Reuters, so this is a trial balloon of the idea for the public to swallow.
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All of them end in tragedy and mass death.
From trains asphyxiating their passengers to sonic weapons killing spectators, the hubris and ineptitude of the rentier class which took over the U.S. government was on display in all its glory.
So, every time I see some hare-brained idea in service of a politically-motivated lie I just look at my wife, shake my head and say, “Act III, Atlas Shrugged, hon.”
The latest is the patently insane idea of dimming the sun by dispersing sulfate particles into the atmosphere to reflect and absorb some of the energy coming from it to slow the rate of global warming.
I would hope, at the very least, they are thinking of something thoroughly inert like barium sulfate, but they aren’t. They are talking about injecting SO2 into the atmosphere. Another word for SO2 is SMOG. This is the very compound we have been regulating power plants to not emit.
So, that’s it folks. That’s our choice now. Smog or a nice cozy, warm home with abundant food and mild weather for most of the planet.
The sick Marxists that think they run this planet would choose smog every time. I would file this under “Crazytown” but check the RT link above folks, this was written up by Reuters, so this is a trial balloon of the idea for the public to swallow.
More
Clintons’ Speaking Tour Opens to 83% Empty Seats, Coughing Fit
Bill and Hillary Clinton’s 13-city speaking tour opened in Toronto to a near-empty arena and a coughing fit.
The Daily Mail reports that this latest money grab from the Clintons managed to attract only 3,300 in a stadium that holds 19,800 — which works out to 83 percent empty. This figure is made even more embarrassing by the fact that as the date of the event neared, the venue was not able to give tickets away at just $6.55 each. Ticket prices started between $200 and $53 Canadian.
On top of that, in the middle of the event, Hillary had one of her famous coughing fits, which was caught on video.
More /video here
The Daily Mail reports that this latest money grab from the Clintons managed to attract only 3,300 in a stadium that holds 19,800 — which works out to 83 percent empty. This figure is made even more embarrassing by the fact that as the date of the event neared, the venue was not able to give tickets away at just $6.55 each. Ticket prices started between $200 and $53 Canadian.
On top of that, in the middle of the event, Hillary had one of her famous coughing fits, which was caught on video.
More /video here
Calif. Agency Took Nine Years to Create Fire Map
Critics blast utility companies, policymakers for deadliest fire in state history
The California state agency charged with overseeing utility companies took nine years to develop a consistent statewide map designating areas at high risk for destructive power-line fires.
Seven of those years took place during outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown’s time in office and six were during the tenure of a president of a key state agency who resigned after a series of leadership scandals.
Longtime critics of the utility companies and their role in sparking some of the state’s worst wildfires are voicing new concerns after reports that PG&E’s transmission line malfunctioned minutes before the start of the Camp Fire, the deadliest, most destructive fire in the state’s history.
Read more
The California state agency charged with overseeing utility companies took nine years to develop a consistent statewide map designating areas at high risk for destructive power-line fires.
Seven of those years took place during outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown’s time in office and six were during the tenure of a president of a key state agency who resigned after a series of leadership scandals.
Longtime critics of the utility companies and their role in sparking some of the state’s worst wildfires are voicing new concerns after reports that PG&E’s transmission line malfunctioned minutes before the start of the Camp Fire, the deadliest, most destructive fire in the state’s history.
Read more
State Dept.Funds Nonprofit That Provided ‘Material Support’ to Iran, Hamas
The State Department's bureau of political-military affairs continues to direct tens of millions of dollars to a nonprofit that paid a $2 million-dollar fine and admitted to providing "material support" to Iran, Hamas, and other groups the U.S. considers terrorists or terrorist-linked.
The lucrative contracts for IED and other bomb removal continued despite the Trump administration's tougher policies on Iran and pledge to undertake a maximum diplomatic and financial pressure campaign against Iran and terrorist groups linked to it.
The Norwegian People's Aid, or NPA, an Oslo-based humanitarian non-profit strongly affiliated with labor unions, has at least a six-year history of working for the U.S. Agency for International Development and more recently for the State Department for de-mining and other bomb-removal efforts around the world.
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The lucrative contracts for IED and other bomb removal continued despite the Trump administration's tougher policies on Iran and pledge to undertake a maximum diplomatic and financial pressure campaign against Iran and terrorist groups linked to it.
The Norwegian People's Aid, or NPA, an Oslo-based humanitarian non-profit strongly affiliated with labor unions, has at least a six-year history of working for the U.S. Agency for International Development and more recently for the State Department for de-mining and other bomb-removal efforts around the world.
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Democrat Midterm Wins and the Cult of Diversity
Earlier this week, I received an email from Hillary Clinton's 2020 Presidential campaign – er, I mean her political action committee, Onward Together, trumpeting that 19 of the 23 Democrat women elected to the U.S. House of Representatives last week have never held office.
Same day, I stumbled upon this graphic from MoveOn:
Muslims and American Indians and lesbian mothers, oh my! Halal and gambling for all!
How is any of the "first" traits touted in this graphic a lawmaking skill and qualification?
Despite losing over 900 state elections and 100 national elections in the last decade, I've never vacillated in my belief that Democrats are just flat-out better at selling politics than Republicans are.
The Dishonesty of the Diversity Cult
Donald Trump's glass ceiling-shattering election, as our nation's first true civilian president, was far more historic than Obama's election of our first black president. But in Trump's case, Republicans weren't motivated to make history the way Obama voters were; they were motivated by fear of a President Clinton.
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Same day, I stumbled upon this graphic from MoveOn:
Muslims and American Indians and lesbian mothers, oh my! Halal and gambling for all!
How is any of the "first" traits touted in this graphic a lawmaking skill and qualification?
Despite losing over 900 state elections and 100 national elections in the last decade, I've never vacillated in my belief that Democrats are just flat-out better at selling politics than Republicans are.
The Dishonesty of the Diversity Cult
Donald Trump's glass ceiling-shattering election, as our nation's first true civilian president, was far more historic than Obama's election of our first black president. But in Trump's case, Republicans weren't motivated to make history the way Obama voters were; they were motivated by fear of a President Clinton.
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Obama: Thank me for the oil boom
Former President Barack Obama said he is to thank, not President Trump, for making the U.S. an oil-producing powerhouse.
“I was extraordinarily proud of the Paris accords because ... I know we’re in oil country and we need American energy and, by the way, American energy production,” Obama said at a Rice University gala in Houston on Tuesday.
“You wouldn’t always know it, but it went up every year I was president. That whole, suddenly America’s like the biggest oil producer and the biggest gas — that was me, people," he added to cheers.
More here
“I was extraordinarily proud of the Paris accords because ... I know we’re in oil country and we need American energy and, by the way, American energy production,” Obama said at a Rice University gala in Houston on Tuesday.
“You wouldn’t always know it, but it went up every year I was president. That whole, suddenly America’s like the biggest oil producer and the biggest gas — that was me, people," he added to cheers.
More here
Corsi: I Have Proof Mueller, DOJ Are 'Political Criminals'
Best-selling author Jerome Corsi is preparing to file a criminal complaint against special counsel Robert Mueller and the Department of Justice, which are “being run by criminals.” he told Newsmax Wednesday afternoon in an exclusive interview.
“They are political criminals,” he told Newsmax, "and the way they treated me proves that.
“I am preparing to file a criminal complaint against Mueller and the Department of Justice which will be delivered to [Acting Attorney General Matthew]Whitaker as soon as it’s written up.”
Corsi’s statements appeared to dovetail with comments from President Donald Trump on Twitter and his lawyer, former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, that Mueller is pressuring witnesses to lie.
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“They are political criminals,” he told Newsmax, "and the way they treated me proves that.
“I am preparing to file a criminal complaint against Mueller and the Department of Justice which will be delivered to [Acting Attorney General Matthew]Whitaker as soon as it’s written up.”
Corsi’s statements appeared to dovetail with comments from President Donald Trump on Twitter and his lawyer, former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, that Mueller is pressuring witnesses to lie.
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Kunstler Exposes "The Core Truth" Of The 2016 Russia Collusion Story
Holiday Doings And Undoings
Somehow I doubt that this Christmas will win the Bing Crosby star of approval. Rather, we see the financial markets breaking under the strain of sustained institutionalized fraud, and the social fabric tearing from persistent systemic political dishonesty. It adds up to a nation that can’t navigate through reality, a nation too dependent on sure things, safe spaces, and happy outcomes. Every few decades a message comes from the Universe that faking it is not good enough.
The main message from the financials is that the global debt barge has run aground, and with it, the global economy. That mighty engine has been chugging along on promises-to-pay and now the faith that sustained those promises is dissolving. China, Euroland, and the USA can’t possibly meet their tangled obligations, and are running out of tricks for rigging, gaming, and jacking the bond markets, where all those promises are vested. It boils down to a whole lot of people not getting paid, one way or the other — and it’s really bad for business.
More
Somehow I doubt that this Christmas will win the Bing Crosby star of approval. Rather, we see the financial markets breaking under the strain of sustained institutionalized fraud, and the social fabric tearing from persistent systemic political dishonesty. It adds up to a nation that can’t navigate through reality, a nation too dependent on sure things, safe spaces, and happy outcomes. Every few decades a message comes from the Universe that faking it is not good enough.
The main message from the financials is that the global debt barge has run aground, and with it, the global economy. That mighty engine has been chugging along on promises-to-pay and now the faith that sustained those promises is dissolving. China, Euroland, and the USA can’t possibly meet their tangled obligations, and are running out of tricks for rigging, gaming, and jacking the bond markets, where all those promises are vested. It boils down to a whole lot of people not getting paid, one way or the other — and it’s really bad for business.
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Caravan mostly 'standard' illegal immigrants, not refugees fleeing violence
The Central Americans surging into the U.S. and claiming asylum look a lot more like regular illegal immigrants, eager for better jobs or to reunite with families, than traditional refugees fleeing persecution or violence back home, according to a new report Wednesday that challenges conventional wisdom on the migrants’ motives.
And while they are often referred to as asylum-seekers, few of the migrants from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador — the chief sending countries — are likely to end up winning asylum in the U.S., according to the study by academics at the National Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events (CREATE) at the University of Southern California, and the Institute for Defense Analyses.
Adults are most likely to come for better jobs, the researchers said. They can improve their incomes by 1,200 percent in moving from Central America to the U.S. Children, meanwhile, are coming for economic opportunities but also to reunite with family already in the U.S., they concluded.
“The standard wisdom [that] it’s all about violence could not be supported by our data,” said Detlof von Winterfeldt, a researcher at CREATE.
The academics also found that policy debates in Mexico and the U.S. do correlate with surges in migration, with flash points like President Obama’s 2012 DACA program and the 2013 U.S. Senate debate over legalizing illegal immigrants being followed by increases in Central Americans attempting to enter the U.S. without permission.
By contrast, expectations of tough enforcement at the beginning of the Trump administration correlated with an historic drop in illegal immigration.
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And while they are often referred to as asylum-seekers, few of the migrants from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador — the chief sending countries — are likely to end up winning asylum in the U.S., according to the study by academics at the National Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events (CREATE) at the University of Southern California, and the Institute for Defense Analyses.
Adults are most likely to come for better jobs, the researchers said. They can improve their incomes by 1,200 percent in moving from Central America to the U.S. Children, meanwhile, are coming for economic opportunities but also to reunite with family already in the U.S., they concluded.
“The standard wisdom [that] it’s all about violence could not be supported by our data,” said Detlof von Winterfeldt, a researcher at CREATE.
The academics also found that policy debates in Mexico and the U.S. do correlate with surges in migration, with flash points like President Obama’s 2012 DACA program and the 2013 U.S. Senate debate over legalizing illegal immigrants being followed by increases in Central Americans attempting to enter the U.S. without permission.
By contrast, expectations of tough enforcement at the beginning of the Trump administration correlated with an historic drop in illegal immigration.
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MI6 Scrambling To Stop Trump From Releasing Classified Docs In Russia Probe
The UK's Secret Intelligence Service, otherwise known as MI6, has been scrambling to prevent President Trump from publishing classified materials linked to the Russian election meddling investigation, according to The Telegraph, stating that any disclosure would "undermine intelligence gathering if he releases pages of an FBI application to wiretap one of his former campaign advisers."
Trump's allies, however, are fighting back - demanding transparency and suggesting that the UK wouldn't want the documents withheld unless it had something to hide.
The Telegraph has talked to more than a dozen UK and US officials, including in American intelligence, who have revealed details about the row.
The UK's Secret Intelligence Service, otherwise known as MI6, has been scrambling to prevent President Trump from publishing classified materials linked to the Russian election meddling investigation, according to The Telegraph, stating that any disclosure would "undermine intelligence gathering if he releases pages of an FBI application to wiretap one of his former campaign advisers."
Trump's allies, however, are fighting back - demanding transparency and suggesting that the UK wouldn't want the documents withheld unless it had something to hide.
The Telegraph has talked to more than a dozen UK and US officials, including in American intelligence, who have revealed details about the row.
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Trump's allies, however, are fighting back - demanding transparency and suggesting that the UK wouldn't want the documents withheld unless it had something to hide.
The Telegraph has talked to more than a dozen UK and US officials, including in American intelligence, who have revealed details about the row.
The UK's Secret Intelligence Service, otherwise known as MI6, has been scrambling to prevent President Trump from publishing classified materials linked to the Russian election meddling investigation, according to The Telegraph, stating that any disclosure would "undermine intelligence gathering if he releases pages of an FBI application to wiretap one of his former campaign advisers."
Trump's allies, however, are fighting back - demanding transparency and suggesting that the UK wouldn't want the documents withheld unless it had something to hide.
The Telegraph has talked to more than a dozen UK and US officials, including in American intelligence, who have revealed details about the row.
More
Hungary’s Top Diplomat Destroys Christiane Amanpour: We’ve Been a Christian Country for a Millennium… Let Us Reject Multiculturalism
Far left reporter Christiane Amanpour invited Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on to discuss his country’s insistence on self-preservation, an idea that absolutely embarrasses the Western globalists today.
Before the questioning began Amanpour accused Hungary of holding “draconian” policies on immigration.
Hungary was one of several countries including the US, Israel and Australia who refused to sign the United Nations Compact on Immigration, a catastrophic plan to flood Western democracies with millions and millions of new third world migrants in the coming years.
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Before the questioning began Amanpour accused Hungary of holding “draconian” policies on immigration.
Hungary was one of several countries including the US, Israel and Australia who refused to sign the United Nations Compact on Immigration, a catastrophic plan to flood Western democracies with millions and millions of new third world migrants in the coming years.
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Has California's Green Ideology Left It Burning?
The state didn't invest in infrastructure and so the fires rage...
Once upon a time, the U.S. government looked ahead to a growing population - and looked to make sure that people would be safe and productive where they lived.
It was understood that while the familiar elements of nature—earth, wind, water, and fire—could be life-giving, they could also be death-bringing. And so, as part of the modern social contract, the state stepped in to aid growth and curb destruction.
Yet today, as wildfires engulf much of California, that social contract has been incinerated.That is, at least 79 are dead, and perhaps 1,000 are missing, yet officials seem mostly helpless to stop the damage. Indeed, the entire state seems to be de-modernizing, as air quality plummets, refugee camps are built, and fears of epidemics re-emerge.
But here’s a bet: that can-do spirit that once aided human flourishing will make a comeback.That is, it’s only a matter of time before Californians—and all Americans—demand that the government once again start putting people first.
Why this confidence? Because it happened before.
Back in 1900, Uncle Sam, having just enumerated the 76.2 million people living in the 45 states plus various territories, could see that more land would have to be opened up for settlement. There were two reasons for this realization, both of which can be found in the life of one man, Theodore Roosevelt.
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Once upon a time, the U.S. government looked ahead to a growing population - and looked to make sure that people would be safe and productive where they lived.
It was understood that while the familiar elements of nature—earth, wind, water, and fire—could be life-giving, they could also be death-bringing. And so, as part of the modern social contract, the state stepped in to aid growth and curb destruction.
Yet today, as wildfires engulf much of California, that social contract has been incinerated.That is, at least 79 are dead, and perhaps 1,000 are missing, yet officials seem mostly helpless to stop the damage. Indeed, the entire state seems to be de-modernizing, as air quality plummets, refugee camps are built, and fears of epidemics re-emerge.
But here’s a bet: that can-do spirit that once aided human flourishing will make a comeback.That is, it’s only a matter of time before Californians—and all Americans—demand that the government once again start putting people first.
Why this confidence? Because it happened before.
Back in 1900, Uncle Sam, having just enumerated the 76.2 million people living in the 45 states plus various territories, could see that more land would have to be opened up for settlement. There were two reasons for this realization, both of which can be found in the life of one man, Theodore Roosevelt.
More
Trump Set To Release Hillary’s 35,000 Missing Emails In Death Blow To Deep State
Alex Jones reveals that President Trump and his administration have obtained copies of Hillary Clinton’s 35,000 emails that went missing from her private server and that Congress will act soon.
British Parents Labeled Racist For Questioning Age Of '15-Year-Old Child' Migrant In Kids' Class
A migrant, claiming to be a 15-year-old pupil at Stoke High School in Ipswich, admits to another student he is 25-years-old, married with children.
When the ‘boy’ was introduced to the school, he was presented as a teenager, born in Iran, with an amazing life story.
Forced to flee the Middle Eastern theocracy, he and his younger brother arrived in the UK, claiming asylum as 15 and 12-years-old boys.
The men were informed that as "child refugees" they should remain in full-time education and that the local authority would look after them until they are 25-years-old.
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When the ‘boy’ was introduced to the school, he was presented as a teenager, born in Iran, with an amazing life story.
Forced to flee the Middle Eastern theocracy, he and his younger brother arrived in the UK, claiming asylum as 15 and 12-years-old boys.
The men were informed that as "child refugees" they should remain in full-time education and that the local authority would look after them until they are 25-years-old.
More
Anthem among health insurers refusing to pay ER bills, doctors say
On Aug., 1, 2017, Brittany Cloyd of Frankfort, Kentucky, said she experienced pain "worse than childbirth." Her mother -- who had been to nursing school -- drove her to the nearest emergency room. Brittany thought her appendix had burst, but tests at the ER found she had ovarian cysts. She was given pain medication and told to follow up with her primary doctor.
Cloyd had an Anthem Blue Cross PPO health insurance plan and thought she would get charged just a co-pay for her ER visit. Instead, 15 days later she received a letter from health insurer Anthem. "Your condition does not meet the definition of emergency," read the letter. She was responsible for the total ER bill -- $12,596.
What Brittany endured is becoming more common in the health insurance industry, according to a Doctor Patient Rights Project (DPRP) study. It highlighted Anthem, which through its affiliated networks is the nation's largest private health insurer. The DPRP contends that Anthem has instituted an organized policy of denial designed to make its subscribers -- particularly those who are poor and reside in rural areas -- too afraid to go to an ER for fear of receiving a bill like Cloyd's, or more, for the visit.
More here
Cloyd had an Anthem Blue Cross PPO health insurance plan and thought she would get charged just a co-pay for her ER visit. Instead, 15 days later she received a letter from health insurer Anthem. "Your condition does not meet the definition of emergency," read the letter. She was responsible for the total ER bill -- $12,596.
What Brittany endured is becoming more common in the health insurance industry, according to a Doctor Patient Rights Project (DPRP) study. It highlighted Anthem, which through its affiliated networks is the nation's largest private health insurer. The DPRP contends that Anthem has instituted an organized policy of denial designed to make its subscribers -- particularly those who are poor and reside in rural areas -- too afraid to go to an ER for fear of receiving a bill like Cloyd's, or more, for the visit.
More here
'Basic Income' Plans Pushed By Democrats Would Likely Kill Recipients' Work Ethic, Think Tank Says
The Democrats are all about free everything. Sen. Bernie Sanders pitches free college tuition. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hypes free health care. But Sens. Cory Booker and Kamala Harris go one step further: They tout free money.
The plan, largely known as "universal basic income" (UBI) would redistribute money from working Americans to low-income citizens. Harris, who, like Booker, is looking to run for president in 2020, unveiled a plan last month that would give families making less than $100,000 a year up to $500 a month, or $6,000 a year, in tax credits. Individuals making less than $50,000 would get up to $250 a month in tax credits from the government.
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The plan, largely known as "universal basic income" (UBI) would redistribute money from working Americans to low-income citizens. Harris, who, like Booker, is looking to run for president in 2020, unveiled a plan last month that would give families making less than $100,000 a year up to $500 a month, or $6,000 a year, in tax credits. Individuals making less than $50,000 would get up to $250 a month in tax credits from the government.
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An 'Independent Judiciary' Reality Check
“The opinion which gives to the judges the right to decide what laws are constitutional and what not, not only for themselves, in their own sphere of action, but for the Legislature and Executive also in their spheres, would make the Judiciary a despotic branch.” —Thomas Jefferson (1804)
Let’s set the record straight…
You may have heard that President Donald Trump is adamant about defending our southern border. Most recently, that defense has been focused on the migrant mobs attempting to breach our border between Tijuana and San Diego.
In a setback to Trump’s efforts, one of Barack Obama’s appointees on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Jon Tigar, blocked Trump’s order requiring that illegal alien asylum applications, the free ticket to America, be processed at legal points of entry. (There’s a reason that circuit is also known as the Ninth Circus and the Nutty Ninth.)
Trump responded to the ruling, “You go the 9th Circuit and it’s a disgrace. And I’m going to put in a major complaint because you cannot win — if you’re us — a case in the 9th Circuit and I think it’s a disgrace. This was an Obama judge.”
On that note, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, in an unprecedented rebuke of a U.S. president, chastised Trump for stating the obvious: that an Obama-appointed federal judge “was an Obama judge.”
More here
Let’s set the record straight…
You may have heard that President Donald Trump is adamant about defending our southern border. Most recently, that defense has been focused on the migrant mobs attempting to breach our border between Tijuana and San Diego.
In a setback to Trump’s efforts, one of Barack Obama’s appointees on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Jon Tigar, blocked Trump’s order requiring that illegal alien asylum applications, the free ticket to America, be processed at legal points of entry. (There’s a reason that circuit is also known as the Ninth Circus and the Nutty Ninth.)
Trump responded to the ruling, “You go the 9th Circuit and it’s a disgrace. And I’m going to put in a major complaint because you cannot win — if you’re us — a case in the 9th Circuit and I think it’s a disgrace. This was an Obama judge.”
On that note, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, in an unprecedented rebuke of a U.S. president, chastised Trump for stating the obvious: that an Obama-appointed federal judge “was an Obama judge.”
More here
Pat Buchanan On Trump's Crucial Test At San Ysidro
Mass migration “lit the flame” of the right-wing populism that is burning up the Old Continent, she said.
Europe must “get a handle on it.”
Europe must send a very clear message — ‘we are not going to be able to continue to provide refuge and support.’” Should Europe fail to toughen up, illegal migration will never cease to “roil the body politic.”
And who is the lady who issued the dire warning and dispensed the tough-love advice to Europe? Marine Le Pen?
No. It is Hillary Clinton, spouse of the Great Triangulator.
Democrats may have piled on Clinton for selling out progressivism, but her political instincts here are dead on. She has grasped something her party willfully refuses to recognize — the growing salience of the issue of mass illegal migration into Western societies.
According to a new Gallup Poll, concern over immigration and illegal aliens soared from 13 to 21 percent of the public in November, as the No. 1 problem on the minds of the American people.
And this was before Sunday’s violent collision at San Ysidro where the Border Patrol fired rubber bullets and used tear gas to stop a mob of hundreds — out of the thousands of migrants housed in a stadium in Tijuana — from breaching our border and pouring into our country.
TV footage of the attempted breach, and photos and stories that major newspapers are putting on Page One, will sustain the national focus on what, since the election, has re-emerged as the nation’s primary concern.
More
Europe must “get a handle on it.”
Europe must send a very clear message — ‘we are not going to be able to continue to provide refuge and support.’” Should Europe fail to toughen up, illegal migration will never cease to “roil the body politic.”
And who is the lady who issued the dire warning and dispensed the tough-love advice to Europe? Marine Le Pen?
No. It is Hillary Clinton, spouse of the Great Triangulator.
Democrats may have piled on Clinton for selling out progressivism, but her political instincts here are dead on. She has grasped something her party willfully refuses to recognize — the growing salience of the issue of mass illegal migration into Western societies.
According to a new Gallup Poll, concern over immigration and illegal aliens soared from 13 to 21 percent of the public in November, as the No. 1 problem on the minds of the American people.
And this was before Sunday’s violent collision at San Ysidro where the Border Patrol fired rubber bullets and used tear gas to stop a mob of hundreds — out of the thousands of migrants housed in a stadium in Tijuana — from breaching our border and pouring into our country.
TV footage of the attempted breach, and photos and stories that major newspapers are putting on Page One, will sustain the national focus on what, since the election, has re-emerged as the nation’s primary concern.
More
Migrants in Tijuana Regret the Caravan
'I’m Done With the United States’
After fleeing tear gas shot at the U.S. border, Carlos González confessed confusion and second thoughts about the caravan that carried him to doorstep of his dream: life in the United States.
The 40-year-old corn farmer from Honduras, wearing a pink breast cancer awareness hat and an orange work vest, had hopped on the caravan of Central American migrants figuring it would facilitate his entry into the country. It set out from San Pedro Sula, Honduras, on Oct. 12 and for five weeks he could hope and dream—especially as the caravan pushed past police barricades and crossed through closed borders in Guatemala and Mexico.
But the U.S. border has proved impossible so far for the more than 7,000 migrants anxiously arriving in Tijuana, where they’re waiting in the squalor of a small baseball stadium-turned-tent city. It’s just a stone’s throw from the border they hope to cross, which many could not imagine would be so difficult.
“I thought it would be easy,” said González, who traveled north with his wife and two children, ages 4 and 3. He said his family was planning to sign up with Mexican officials for voluntary repatriation.
“We’re here alone, hungry, unprotected. My daughter is sick with diarrhea,” he said from a street by Tijuana’s El Chaparral border crossing, where he hoped to make a little money washing cars. “I don’t want to lose my kids, lose my life.”
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After fleeing tear gas shot at the U.S. border, Carlos González confessed confusion and second thoughts about the caravan that carried him to doorstep of his dream: life in the United States.
The 40-year-old corn farmer from Honduras, wearing a pink breast cancer awareness hat and an orange work vest, had hopped on the caravan of Central American migrants figuring it would facilitate his entry into the country. It set out from San Pedro Sula, Honduras, on Oct. 12 and for five weeks he could hope and dream—especially as the caravan pushed past police barricades and crossed through closed borders in Guatemala and Mexico.
But the U.S. border has proved impossible so far for the more than 7,000 migrants anxiously arriving in Tijuana, where they’re waiting in the squalor of a small baseball stadium-turned-tent city. It’s just a stone’s throw from the border they hope to cross, which many could not imagine would be so difficult.
“I thought it would be easy,” said González, who traveled north with his wife and two children, ages 4 and 3. He said his family was planning to sign up with Mexican officials for voluntary repatriation.
“We’re here alone, hungry, unprotected. My daughter is sick with diarrhea,” he said from a street by Tijuana’s El Chaparral border crossing, where he hoped to make a little money washing cars. “I don’t want to lose my kids, lose my life.”
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Photo: Despondent Child Bride Sold on Facebook Becomes Man's Ninth Wife
More details have been revealed about a child bride from South Sudan who was sold through Facebook, which the social network only took action on two weeks after the auction post had been made. The girl, now 17, is reportedly the man’s ninth wife.
The girl from South Sudan, now 17-years-old, was sold by her family to a man three times her age following a bidding war with “at least four other men,” according to the Associated Press (AP).
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The girl from South Sudan, now 17-years-old, was sold by her family to a man three times her age following a bidding war with “at least four other men,” according to the Associated Press (AP).
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Tennessee hunter spots 12-point albino buck in rare sighting: ‘It was like seeing a ghost’
A hunter in Tennessee said she had a “once-in-a-lifetime experience” after spotting a rare albino buck last week.
Amy Henderson Hall shared a video and photos of the 12-point buck on Facebook, writing the animal “walked right underneath me and hung out with me for 30 minutes.”
“I teared up and was totally amazed,” she said.
Hall told Fox News Tuesday she spotted the buck while hunting on her friend’s property in Williamson County.
“It was a very eerie, ghostly feeling,” she said of the animal, adding it was her first time seeing an albino deer. “It took my breath away.”
White deer are “extremely rare,” according to the website ProtectTheWhiteDeer.com, which is run by a group in Wisconsin that aims to protect the animals. The snowy color is a genetic trait that's inherited, according to the group.
Hall said the buck she saw was a “true albino,” meaning it had a pink nose and eyes, a “result of blood vessels showing through the skin and clear lens of the eyes,” ProtectTheWhiteDeer.com reported.
The site reported only one in an estimated 20,000 deer are born with the condition.
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Amy Henderson Hall shared a video and photos of the 12-point buck on Facebook, writing the animal “walked right underneath me and hung out with me for 30 minutes.”
“I teared up and was totally amazed,” she said.
Hall told Fox News Tuesday she spotted the buck while hunting on her friend’s property in Williamson County.
“It was a very eerie, ghostly feeling,” she said of the animal, adding it was her first time seeing an albino deer. “It took my breath away.”
White deer are “extremely rare,” according to the website ProtectTheWhiteDeer.com, which is run by a group in Wisconsin that aims to protect the animals. The snowy color is a genetic trait that's inherited, according to the group.
Hall said the buck she saw was a “true albino,” meaning it had a pink nose and eyes, a “result of blood vessels showing through the skin and clear lens of the eyes,” ProtectTheWhiteDeer.com reported.
The site reported only one in an estimated 20,000 deer are born with the condition.
More
https://www.foxnews.com/great-outdoors/tennessee-hunter-spots-12-point-albino-buck-in-rare-sighting-it-was-like-seeing-a-ghost
Finland: Majority of Migrants Unemployed
Native birthrates continue to drop
As birth rates continue to decline in Europe, countries have accepted more migrants to replace an aging workforce with young migrants. In Finland’s Joensuu municipality, this clearly isn’t a success, YLE reports.
More than half of migrants, 52 percent, are unemployed in Joensuu and according to Tanja Manner of a local economic center this has a lot to do with “poor Finnish skills” and “prejudice.”
Manner thinks one of the reasons of the high unemployment rate is that employers in the Joensuu municipality “have more prejudice against foreigners” than in the rest of Finland.
Read more
As birth rates continue to decline in Europe, countries have accepted more migrants to replace an aging workforce with young migrants. In Finland’s Joensuu municipality, this clearly isn’t a success, YLE reports.
More than half of migrants, 52 percent, are unemployed in Joensuu and according to Tanja Manner of a local economic center this has a lot to do with “poor Finnish skills” and “prejudice.”
Manner thinks one of the reasons of the high unemployment rate is that employers in the Joensuu municipality “have more prejudice against foreigners” than in the rest of Finland.
Read more
Sweden: Afghan Granted Asylum to Escape Rape Threat, Rapes 15-Year-Old Girl
An Afghan migrant who was granted asylum in Sweden to escape the threat of being raped there, has been convicted of raping a 15-year-old girl in an update to a story covered by Infowars Europe.
The young girl was brutally gang-raped on September 2nd under Central Bridge near Stockholm City Hall by two Afghan migrants who also threatened to kill her, according to prosecutors.
It has now emerged that one of the perpetrators is a 17-year-old migrant who told Swedish authorities he was at risk of sexual assault in his home country in order to gain refugee status, according to local media.
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The young girl was brutally gang-raped on September 2nd under Central Bridge near Stockholm City Hall by two Afghan migrants who also threatened to kill her, according to prosecutors.
It has now emerged that one of the perpetrators is a 17-year-old migrant who told Swedish authorities he was at risk of sexual assault in his home country in order to gain refugee status, according to local media.
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Ben Jones: The Housing Bubble Is Popping Right Now
As we've been tracking here at PeakProsperity.com, the housing market is starting to look quite ill.
After the central bank-driven Grand Reflation following the Great Financial Crisis, home prices are now beginning to nose over from their new bubble-highs.
Has the Housing Bust 2.0 begun? If so, how bad could things get? And what steps should those looking to pick up values at much lower prices in the future be taking?
This week we talk with citizen journalist Ben Jones, property manager and publisher of TheHousingBubbleBlog-- where he tracks the latest headlines and developments in the housing market.
And given the stream of data Ben sees every day, he's extremely pessimistic on home prices in most major markets worldwide:
More
After the central bank-driven Grand Reflation following the Great Financial Crisis, home prices are now beginning to nose over from their new bubble-highs.
Has the Housing Bust 2.0 begun? If so, how bad could things get? And what steps should those looking to pick up values at much lower prices in the future be taking?
This week we talk with citizen journalist Ben Jones, property manager and publisher of TheHousingBubbleBlog-- where he tracks the latest headlines and developments in the housing market.
And given the stream of data Ben sees every day, he's extremely pessimistic on home prices in most major markets worldwide:
More
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