October can be an unforgiving month.
The terrible stock market crash that signaled the beginning of the Great Depression was in October of 1929.
The stock market crash known as Black Monday was in October of 1987.
In 1997, the Asian financial crisis sparked another stock market crash in… you guessed it—October.
And back in 2007 at the height of the giant bubble that almost brought down the entire financial system, the stock market peaked once again in... October.
It’s not that October is particular cursed. Maybe it’s just a coincidence. But I do find it strangely ominous that asset prices seemed to have peaked last month (October) and have been in decline ever since.
Real estate prices are starting to show signs of strain; more than one-third of homes for sale had a large price cut in October– the most discounting in the past eight years.
Corporate and government bonds are falling.
The S&P 500 is down 7%, and the big popular technology stocks that have been fueling the boom in stock prices for the past several years have been violently declining.
Facebook is down 36% from its peak. Apple is down 18% (and down more today on news of production cuts for iPhones). Semiconductor giant NVIDIA is down 45%.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
Senate Democrats sue Trump to block Matt Whitaker's appointment as acting attorney general
Senate Democrats on Monday sued President Trump to block his decision to name Matthew Whitaker as acting attorney general.
Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Monday. In the 17-page complaint, Democrats said Whitaker’s appointment by Trump earlier this month violates the Appointments Clause of the Constitution.
The clause requires that the Senate confirm high-level federal government officials, including the attorney general, before they exercise the duties of the office.
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Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Monday. In the 17-page complaint, Democrats said Whitaker’s appointment by Trump earlier this month violates the Appointments Clause of the Constitution.
The clause requires that the Senate confirm high-level federal government officials, including the attorney general, before they exercise the duties of the office.
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Former Ohio Judge Who Brutally Beat His Wife, Then Was Hired By Cleveland Mayor, Accused Of Stabbing His Wife To Death
On Saturday, a former Ohio judge named Lance Mason who was hired by Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson in 2017 despite the fact that the former judge had been jailed after punching his wife 20 times and slamming her head into a car’s dashboard in 2014, was arrested and accused of stabbing that same wife to death in her home.
After the arrest on Saturday, Jackson, who had hired Mason as a minority business development director over 15 other candidates, fired Mason. He stated, "I extend my deepest condolences to the family of Ms. Aisha Fraser, especially to her children.”
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After the arrest on Saturday, Jackson, who had hired Mason as a minority business development director over 15 other candidates, fired Mason. He stated, "I extend my deepest condolences to the family of Ms. Aisha Fraser, especially to her children.”
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Migrant caravan at US border is harboring more than 500 criminals, Homeland Security claims
More than 500 criminals are traveling with the migrant caravan that’s massed on the other side of a San Diego border crossing, homeland security officials said Monday afternoon.
The revelation was made during a conference call with reporters, with officials asserting that "most of the caravan members are not women and children". They claimed the group is mostly made up of single adult or teen males and that the women and children have been pushed to the front of the line in a bid to garner sympathetic media coverage.
“All legal options are on the table and we have been negotiating with all our partners in central America with ways to deal with the caravan," one official said when asked about reports that the U.S. government is planning to make asylum-seekers remain on the Mexican side of the border while their claims are being reviewed.
Homeland Security officials say there are currently 6,000 people in Tijuana waiting to be processed at the San Ysidro border crossing, with more on the way.
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The revelation was made during a conference call with reporters, with officials asserting that "most of the caravan members are not women and children". They claimed the group is mostly made up of single adult or teen males and that the women and children have been pushed to the front of the line in a bid to garner sympathetic media coverage.
“All legal options are on the table and we have been negotiating with all our partners in central America with ways to deal with the caravan," one official said when asked about reports that the U.S. government is planning to make asylum-seekers remain on the Mexican side of the border while their claims are being reviewed.
Homeland Security officials say there are currently 6,000 people in Tijuana waiting to be processed at the San Ysidro border crossing, with more on the way.
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https://www.foxnews.com/us/migrant-caravan-may-be-in-tijuana-for-the-long-haul-while-u-s-shuts-down-san-diego-area-crossing
Hollywood Actors Threaten To Boycott Georgia After Democrat's Loss
Several Hollywood actors are calling for a boycott of Georgia’s film industry after Republican Brian Kemp officially won the state’s gubernatorial contest against Democrat Stacey Abrams.
But like the threats to move to Canada if Donald Trump won in 2016, these are also more than likely going to be hollow.
To all my friends who are studio and network executives, if you choose to shoot movies and tv in Georgia, don’t bother to call me.https://t.co/gtIKNJBhNF— Ron Perlman (@perlmutations) November 17, 2018
Before Kemp was even certified as the official victor, actors were already threatening to boycott working in Georgia, a state with a large film industry that’s been dubbed the Hollywood of the South; complete with a hashtag: #boycottGeorgia
Abrams has since responded to the calls for a boycott from Hollywood elitists, saying that while she appreciates Hollywood’s calls for action, she does not want them to hurt people who make a living in the state’s film industry. Instead, the Democratic politician wants the actors to get involved in a new voting rights organization she is launching called “Fair Fight Georgia.”
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But like the threats to move to Canada if Donald Trump won in 2016, these are also more than likely going to be hollow.
To all my friends who are studio and network executives, if you choose to shoot movies and tv in Georgia, don’t bother to call me.https://t.co/gtIKNJBhNF— Ron Perlman (@perlmutations) November 17, 2018
Before Kemp was even certified as the official victor, actors were already threatening to boycott working in Georgia, a state with a large film industry that’s been dubbed the Hollywood of the South; complete with a hashtag: #boycottGeorgia
Abrams has since responded to the calls for a boycott from Hollywood elitists, saying that while she appreciates Hollywood’s calls for action, she does not want them to hurt people who make a living in the state’s film industry. Instead, the Democratic politician wants the actors to get involved in a new voting rights organization she is launching called “Fair Fight Georgia.”
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SARSOUR SAYS WHITE NATIONALISM IS THE ‘REAL THREAT’ IN LETTER ABOUT LOUIS FARRAKHAN’S ANTI-SEMITISM
Women’s March leader Linda Sarsour published a letter on Sunday criticizing the repeated calls for them to denounce Nation of Islam leader and known anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan while also denouncing anti-Semitism.
Sarsour’s letter begins with a background of her and fellow Women’s March leader Tamika D. Mallory’s familiarity and relationship with Farrakhan.
She was quick, however, to criticize how people have demanded her and the Women’s March organization as a whole to denounce the NOI leader following recent anti-Semitic crimes like the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, which Farrakhan was not involved in.
Sarsour did reject anti-Semitism and pointed to previous efforts of hers to help the Jewish community. She raised nearly $165,000 for a Jewish cemetery in Colorado that wasvandalized last December.
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Sarsour’s letter begins with a background of her and fellow Women’s March leader Tamika D. Mallory’s familiarity and relationship with Farrakhan.
She was quick, however, to criticize how people have demanded her and the Women’s March organization as a whole to denounce the NOI leader following recent anti-Semitic crimes like the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, which Farrakhan was not involved in.
Sarsour did reject anti-Semitism and pointed to previous efforts of hers to help the Jewish community. She raised nearly $165,000 for a Jewish cemetery in Colorado that wasvandalized last December.
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The Obama White House Spent 8 Years Attacking Fox News
I didn't have cable on Election Day 2016, but my TV package did include CNN, and so that's what we watched in my house that night. As the night progressed and it was clear that Donald Trump was about to pull off a stunning upset, it was amusing to see the election night panel desperately trying to explain to the audience Hillary's potential paths to victory. It was impossible for them to hide their shock and dismay. Van Jones looked on the verge of tears, and I'm surprised none of them spontaneously combusted.
Without a doubt, CNN has repeatedly proved itself to be an anti-Trump network. They were before the election, they were on Election Day, and they have been ever since. Unlike past Republican presidents who have been treated unfairly by the mainstream media, President Trump has not been shy about calling them out on it.
For example, this tweet from August of this year:
"Unable to function" is probably an understatement. As Trump continued his attacks on the media, particularly CNN, the narrative of a constitutional crisis evolved. Trump criticizing the media, particularly CNN, was somehow an attack on the free press! Can you imagine? Calling out bias is apparently unconstitutional in the eyes of the media talking heads.
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Without a doubt, CNN has repeatedly proved itself to be an anti-Trump network. They were before the election, they were on Election Day, and they have been ever since. Unlike past Republican presidents who have been treated unfairly by the mainstream media, President Trump has not been shy about calling them out on it.
For example, this tweet from August of this year:
"Unable to function" is probably an understatement. As Trump continued his attacks on the media, particularly CNN, the narrative of a constitutional crisis evolved. Trump criticizing the media, particularly CNN, was somehow an attack on the free press! Can you imagine? Calling out bias is apparently unconstitutional in the eyes of the media talking heads.
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I Identify as a Jesus-Follower Far More Than as an Older, White, Male, Conservative American
It’s true that I prefer the Republican Party platform to the Democratic Party platform, hands down. It’s true that I’m a moral conservative when it comes to social issues like abortion, homosexuality, gender distinctions, and the meaning of marriage. And that means that, demographically, I fit right in with the older, white, male, Republican crowd. But that is absolutely not my place of personal identity. My identity flows from my relationship with the Lord and is fueled by His calling and His Word.
Put another way, I do not long to uphold the status quo of America. To the contrary, everything in me challenges the status quo when the status quo challenges godly values and godly ways.
I am a revolutionary at heart, and I burn to see radical change come, both to America and to the nations.
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Put another way, I do not long to uphold the status quo of America. To the contrary, everything in me challenges the status quo when the status quo challenges godly values and godly ways.
I am a revolutionary at heart, and I burn to see radical change come, both to America and to the nations.
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Pelosi’s Bid For House Speaker Hangs In The Balance As Handful Of Dems Revolt
A handful of Democrats vowed Monday to oppose Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s bid to retake the speaker of the House, putting the California Democrat’s chances of retaking the job in peril.
Sixteen Democrats — 12 incumbent representatives, three incoming House freshmen and one candidate who has not yet won his seat — signed a letter opposing Pelosi’s campaign. They claim the party needs a new direction.
“Our majority came on the backs of candidates who said that they would support new leadership because voters in hard-won districts, and across the country, want to see real change in Washington,” they wrote. “We promised to change the status quo, and we intend to deliver on that promise. ”
The letter puts a substantial crimp in Pelosi’s plan. She needs 218 votes among lawmakers present and voting to be elected speaker in January. House Democrats won 233 seats, meaning she can only afford to lose 15 votes.
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Sixteen Democrats — 12 incumbent representatives, three incoming House freshmen and one candidate who has not yet won his seat — signed a letter opposing Pelosi’s campaign. They claim the party needs a new direction.
“Our majority came on the backs of candidates who said that they would support new leadership because voters in hard-won districts, and across the country, want to see real change in Washington,” they wrote. “We promised to change the status quo, and we intend to deliver on that promise. ”
The letter puts a substantial crimp in Pelosi’s plan. She needs 218 votes among lawmakers present and voting to be elected speaker in January. House Democrats won 233 seats, meaning she can only afford to lose 15 votes.
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Forecasters warn Thanksgiving could be the coldest on record
Another blast of cold air is expected to bring one of the coldest Thanksgivings on record for some Northeast cities.
A strong area of high pressure from the Arctic Circle will descend southward acrossCanada and into the Northeast, sending temperatures plummeting toward levels more common on New Year's Day, not Thanksgiving Day.
The weather is expected to plunge into the low twenties in Manhattan and could hit the mid teens in the coldest projected Thanksgiving on record since 1996, meteorologists told The New York Post.
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A strong area of high pressure from the Arctic Circle will descend southward acrossCanada and into the Northeast, sending temperatures plummeting toward levels more common on New Year's Day, not Thanksgiving Day.
The weather is expected to plunge into the low twenties in Manhattan and could hit the mid teens in the coldest projected Thanksgiving on record since 1996, meteorologists told The New York Post.
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Acosta decision could make it easier for White House to kick reporters out
The decision by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Kelly in Cable News Network v. Donald J. Trump ordering the White House to restore the press pass of reporter Jim Acosta has been hailed as a victory not only for CNN but for the entire press and the cause of journalism. But the end result of Kelly's ruling, and of the CNN lawsuit, might not be happy for reporters and the news organizations that employ them.
The transcript of the Nov. 16 court session in which Kelly delivered his oral ruling was released in group of court papers on Monday. Kelly declared that the White House could not eject Acosta without first providing him due process — specifically, notice of the revocation of his press pass, a chance for Acosta to respond, and a written decision.
In short, the judge said to the White House: You can't throw out a reporter without going through a process. But if you go through a process — which you, the White House, can design — then you can throw the reporter out. In the end, it could be that Kelly's ruling will make it easier for the White House to oust reporters in the future — and to make the decision stick.
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The transcript of the Nov. 16 court session in which Kelly delivered his oral ruling was released in group of court papers on Monday. Kelly declared that the White House could not eject Acosta without first providing him due process — specifically, notice of the revocation of his press pass, a chance for Acosta to respond, and a written decision.
In short, the judge said to the White House: You can't throw out a reporter without going through a process. But if you go through a process — which you, the White House, can design — then you can throw the reporter out. In the end, it could be that Kelly's ruling will make it easier for the White House to oust reporters in the future — and to make the decision stick.
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1,200-Pound Pumpkin Dropped From 100 Feet High in Tewksbury
The owner of a bowling alley in Tewksbury fulfilled a longtime dream by dropping a 1,207-pound pumpkin from a crane 100 feet high onto the parking lot at his business Sunday.
The pumpkin, which was a recent (and late) competitor at the Topsfield Fair in October, fell to the asphalt while about 1,200 people (or about one per pound) looked on, according to the Lowell Sun.
The pumpkin was stuffed with 276 ping pong balls. Onlookers paid $10 per ping pong ball, with the ping pong ball that ended closest to a target on the ground being declared the winner.
The winner took home half the ping pong ball money, or $1,380. The other $1,380 went to a scholarship fund set up by the business, Wamesit Lanes, according to the Lowell Sun.
Source
The pumpkin, which was a recent (and late) competitor at the Topsfield Fair in October, fell to the asphalt while about 1,200 people (or about one per pound) looked on, according to the Lowell Sun.
The pumpkin was stuffed with 276 ping pong balls. Onlookers paid $10 per ping pong ball, with the ping pong ball that ended closest to a target on the ground being declared the winner.
The winner took home half the ping pong ball money, or $1,380. The other $1,380 went to a scholarship fund set up by the business, Wamesit Lanes, according to the Lowell Sun.
Source
A Plea for No Stoned Driving, As Recreational Marijuana Sales Begin in Massachusetts
Mothers Against Drink Driving and Uber are warning about driving under the influence of marijuana on the eve of the first legal retail sales of the brain-altering drug for recreational purposes in Massachusetts.
Uber riders are scheduled to receive an email message from the company Tuesday.
“Driving under the influence, like drunk driving, is preventable. Marijuana usage impacts the skills needed to drive safely. If you are under the influence of any substance, make the right choice and don’t get behind the wheel,” the email message states, according to State House News Service.
Uber and MADD work together to promote alternatives to driving while intoxicated.
The topic is particularly pressing in Massachusetts because marijuana is expected to be legally sold for recreational purposes for the first time in the state on Tuesday morning, in two municipalities – Leicester and Northampton.
Car accidents increased in four states that have legalized marijuana, according to a study released in October by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
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Uber riders are scheduled to receive an email message from the company Tuesday.
“Driving under the influence, like drunk driving, is preventable. Marijuana usage impacts the skills needed to drive safely. If you are under the influence of any substance, make the right choice and don’t get behind the wheel,” the email message states, according to State House News Service.
Uber and MADD work together to promote alternatives to driving while intoxicated.
The topic is particularly pressing in Massachusetts because marijuana is expected to be legally sold for recreational purposes for the first time in the state on Tuesday morning, in two municipalities – Leicester and Northampton.
Car accidents increased in four states that have legalized marijuana, according to a study released in October by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
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Candlelight Vigil Tonight For Aaron "BULL" Hudson
Candlelight vigil celebrating the memory of Aaron “Bull” Hudson. 5pm tonight, corner of Division & West Main Street. Please come show your support.
Mayor Day has ordered City flags to half-mast until further notice. A community-coordinated vigil will be held this evening at 5:00 p.m. at the corner of Main St. and N. Division St., at the Community Rock Garden. N. Division St. in front of the GOB, and the Plaza will both be closed from 4 to 6 this evening to accommodate.
Master Police Officer Aaron “Bull” Hudson was a decorated member of our Salisbury Police Department and an integral part of our Salisbury community.
From Third Friday to National Night Out to his daily patrol, Bull has been a familiar face within the Salisbury Community who was known for his outgoing personality. He had a charisma that could bring a smile to your face as he brightened the day of all he came into contact with. Officer Hudson embodied the quintessence of what it means to be a public servant as he was more than a government official, he was a liaison helping to strengthen relationships between our community and law enforcement.
As we take the time to reflect upon Officer Hudson’s legacy and remember his service to our community, let us also keep his wife, Heather, in our thoughts.
In honor of Officer Hudson, the flag of the City of Salisbury is to be flown at half-staff until further notice. Furthermore, the City Park fountain will be illuminated in blue for the remainder of 2018 in awareness of suicide prevention and to pay tribute to the life of Salisbury Police Department Master Police Officer Aaron “Bull” Hudson.
Angry Tijuana Residents Push Back: ‘This Is an Invasion’
Hundreds of angry residents took to the streets of downtown Tijuana on Sunday to protest the caravan of Central American migrants that has been streaming into the city in recent weeks.
Carrying Mexican flags and singing the national anthem, the demonstrators marched to a sports complex where about 2,000 of the migrants are being housed. There, held back by a wall of riot police, they denounced the mostly Honduran migrants as “criminals” and “freeloaders” who were openly flouting Mexican law.
“This is an invasion!” shouted local carpenter Luis Alexis Mendoza, according to the Los Angeles Times. “We demand respect. We demand that our laws be followed.”
Sunday’s anti-caravan march reflected simmering tensions in Tijuana, a sprawling border city of about 1.6 million, over the arrival of the latest Central American caravan. While the city has long been a way-point for migrants of all stripes heading to the U.S., it has not had to deal with the presence of thousands of homeless Central Americans who are waiting indefinitely to apply for asylum at the ports of entry.
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Carrying Mexican flags and singing the national anthem, the demonstrators marched to a sports complex where about 2,000 of the migrants are being housed. There, held back by a wall of riot police, they denounced the mostly Honduran migrants as “criminals” and “freeloaders” who were openly flouting Mexican law.
“This is an invasion!” shouted local carpenter Luis Alexis Mendoza, according to the Los Angeles Times. “We demand respect. We demand that our laws be followed.”
Sunday’s anti-caravan march reflected simmering tensions in Tijuana, a sprawling border city of about 1.6 million, over the arrival of the latest Central American caravan. While the city has long been a way-point for migrants of all stripes heading to the U.S., it has not had to deal with the presence of thousands of homeless Central Americans who are waiting indefinitely to apply for asylum at the ports of entry.
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Democrats’ Redistricting Effort Touts Wins Where Steyer and Soros Invested
The National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC), an effort spearheaded by former Obama-era Attorney General Eric Holder, is claiming victory in several states targeted for a barrage of outside spending by a 527 group led by billionaire activists George Soros and Tom Steyer.
The NDRC believes one of the reasons Republicans have enjoyed a lengthy majority in the House of Representatives is because of gerrymandered house districts. Because state legislative bodies usually draw house districts, the NRDC was trying to elevate some of these elections by putting a national veneer on races that usually come down strictly to local politics.
Drawing new house districts will begin again after the completion of the 2020 census, which is why the NDRC is making such a strident push now in what they call a "fight to shift the balance of power away from Republicans before redistricting occurs in 2021."
More here
The NDRC believes one of the reasons Republicans have enjoyed a lengthy majority in the House of Representatives is because of gerrymandered house districts. Because state legislative bodies usually draw house districts, the NRDC was trying to elevate some of these elections by putting a national veneer on races that usually come down strictly to local politics.
Drawing new house districts will begin again after the completion of the 2020 census, which is why the NDRC is making such a strident push now in what they call a "fight to shift the balance of power away from Republicans before redistricting occurs in 2021."
More here
Top Dem Donors Hosted Director from Group that Registered Dead People to Vote
The left's largest network of wealthy donors tapped an individual for a discussion on "expanding the electorate" at its fall investment conference from a group that was caught submitting fraudulent voter registration forms—including registering dead people to vote—and saw one of its employees go to prison for the crime.
The Democracy Alliance, a dark money donor club that consists of more than 100 millionaires and billionaires who each vow to pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into the coffers of progressive groups every year, held its fall investment conference last Thursday and Friday at the Capital Hilton hotel in Washington, D.C., where donors and progressive activists huddled to begin plotting their upcoming strategy for the 2020 elections.
Among the events was a strategy briefing on "expanding the electorate," according to documents obtained on site by the Washington Free Beacon.
DaMareo Cooper, director of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, a progressive nonprofit that works on direct advocacy and engaging voters throughout the state of Ohio, sat on the panel alongside representatives from the New Florida Majority, Center for Community Change Action, and Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
The Ohio Organizing Collaborative raised red flags in 2015 after the vice-chairman of a local board of elections in Ohio began noticing frequent problems with registrations submitted by the group, the Washington Free Beacon previously reported.
"They have turned in roughly 530 voter registrations, of which five of them were dead people," the vice-chairman said at the time. "They actually had the dead people's drivers license numbers and Social Security numbers, and of course they forged the signatures of these dead people."
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The Democracy Alliance, a dark money donor club that consists of more than 100 millionaires and billionaires who each vow to pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into the coffers of progressive groups every year, held its fall investment conference last Thursday and Friday at the Capital Hilton hotel in Washington, D.C., where donors and progressive activists huddled to begin plotting their upcoming strategy for the 2020 elections.
Among the events was a strategy briefing on "expanding the electorate," according to documents obtained on site by the Washington Free Beacon.
DaMareo Cooper, director of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, a progressive nonprofit that works on direct advocacy and engaging voters throughout the state of Ohio, sat on the panel alongside representatives from the New Florida Majority, Center for Community Change Action, and Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
The Ohio Organizing Collaborative raised red flags in 2015 after the vice-chairman of a local board of elections in Ohio began noticing frequent problems with registrations submitted by the group, the Washington Free Beacon previously reported.
"They have turned in roughly 530 voter registrations, of which five of them were dead people," the vice-chairman said at the time. "They actually had the dead people's drivers license numbers and Social Security numbers, and of course they forged the signatures of these dead people."
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China ‘has taken the gloves off’ in its thefts of U.S. technology
U.S. officials say the theft took a year to pull off and involved commercial spies, a Chinese-backed company, a Taiwanese chipmaker and employees affiliated with Micron Technology, a U.S.-based microchip behemoth.
Yet what Micron called “one of the boldest schemes of commercial espionage in recent times” is most notable because it’s not unusual.
Beijing over the last two years has significantly ramped up its swiping of commercial technology and intellectual property, from jet engines to genetically modified rice, as U.S. relations with China have grown more acrimonious under President Trump, according to U.S. officials and security experts.
“They want technology by hook or by crook. They want it now. The spy game has always been a gentleman’s game, but China has taken the gloves off,” said John Bennett, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Francisco office, which battles economic spies targeting Silicon Valley.
“They don’t care if they get caught or if people go to jail. As long as it justifies their ends, they are not going to stop.”
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