Rabu, 17 Agustus 2016

Salisbury News

Salisbury News


New Clinton Effort Tries to Tap the Power of ‘Dreamers’

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 09:00 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary Clinton's campaign is launching a new effort to tap into the political power of young, undocumented immigrants, hoping to capitalize on Donald Trump's promises to make deporting them a top priority of his presidency.

The 730,000 young people brought to the U.S. as children without legal status are prohibited from voting. Known as Dreamers, they've proven themselves to be a powerful organizing force in American politics, mounting a high-profile public campaign that pressured President Barack Obama to grant many of them and their parents reprieves from deportation though two executive orders.

Clinton's national voter registration program, called "Mi Sueño, Tu Voto/My Dream, Your Vote," is being launched on the four-year anniversary of the 2012 order that temporarily shielded from deportation some young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children and allowed them to work legally.

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Police Investigate Boat Explosion, and Arrest Motorist with Drugs and Guns

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 08:30 PM PDT


Last Friday evening, a Pennsylvania woman suffered severe abdominal injuries when she fell from a jet ski in Ocean City and was struck by the high-pressure water stream from the vessel.

Nathalie Busunga, 22, of Swarthmore, was a passenger aboard the watercraft that was traveling at about 20 to 25 knots in the Isle of Wight Bay near Swordfish Basin when she slipped off the stern of the vessel.

The operator, John Thompson, 44, of Wilmington, Delaware, said his passenger began complaining of internal pain soon after the fall so they went to Thunder Island and he called 911. Basunga was taken to Peninsula Regional Medical Center by Ocean City first responders.

The incident was reported to the Coast Guard and remains under investigation.

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On Sunday, officers and members of the Coast Guard on a saturation patrol off Ocean City stopped two jet skis for operating after sunset.

Both operators were suspected of being impaired. Justin Robert Drost, 35, of Baltimore, refused to take any sobriety tests. James Henry Stephens, 34, of Ocean City, agreed to be tested and showed signs of impairment.

Both men were charged with two counts of boating while impaired. They are scheduled to appear in Worcester District Court on October 7.


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Maryland Natural Resources Police officers investigated a boat explosion and a jet ski accident, arrested a motorist carrying drugs and loaded guns, and charged an unlicensed fishing guide in recent cases.

The investigation continues into a boat explosion and fire in St. Mary's County Sunday afternoon that left two people injured.

Officers responded to the Piney Point launch ramp shortly after 6 p.m. to find the incinerated shell of an 18-foot Sea Ray and six dazed passengers being tended to by local first responders.

Jimmy Francisco Gomez, 20, of Oxford, Pennsylvania, who is the boat owner, told officers that he had turned on the vessel's ventilation blower for two to three minutes before turning on the ignition. The explosion and fire did not begin until several minutes later.

Two passengers, ages 42 and 27, from Hyattsville, suffered burns and were flown to Medstar Washington Hospital Center for treatment. The remaining four passengers received minor burns and declined further treatment.

The 31-year-old vessel is believed to be a total loss.

The Maryland Fire Marshal's Office is the lead agency in the investigation.

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Officers returning from a training exercise Tuesday arrested a West Virginia man and charged him with possession of drugs and loaded weapons after a traffic stop on I-70 in Washington County.

Curtis Anthony Shaffer, 30, of Fairmont, was pulled over at about 5:30 p.m., after he sped past a marked patrol vehicle at more than 100 mph and swerved onto the shoulder.

After stopping the vehicle, officers detected the smell of marijuana and asked the driver if he was transporting anything dangerous. Shaffer handed officers a bag of marijuana and told them there was a loaded weapon under the front seat and two more in the car's trunk.

During their search, officers found the three handguns—two loaded and one unloaded— and a large amount of ammunition along with marijuana and cocaine.

Shaffer was charged with four counts of illegal weapons possession and two counts of drug possession. He posted bond and was released. He is scheduled to appear in Washington District Court on October 12.

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A West Virginia man is scheduled to be in Washington County District Court on October 7 to answer charges that he acted as a fishing guide on the Potomac River without obtaining a license.

Douglas Scott Boyles, 35, of Berkley Springs, was stopped near Weverton, Maryland by an officer on patrol who noticed that none of the three people in his guided float trip through Class III rapids was wearing a life jacket, as required.

Boyles told the officer that he was working under the license of another guide, who also is employed by White Fly Outfitters, based in Harper's Ferry. Maryland law requires that each guide working for a business be individually licensed. Boyles did not have a valid fishing license.

Boyles was charged with failing to wear a life jacket as required, operating as an unlicensed commercial fishing guide in non-tidal waters and failing to have a valid fishing license while guiding. If found guilty on all charges, he could be fined as much as $2,500.

Global money-printing signals economy in freefall

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 08:00 PM PDT

Desperate central banks running out of ammunition

The policy of quantitative easing – otherwise known as "printing" money – is being employed worldwide at a record-breaking pace, signaling to many analysts that the global economy is in freefall.

Central banks are spending $200 billion a month pumping money into their economies, buying bonds as a pace even higher than during the worst of the financial crisis in 2008, reports the digital global business news publication Quartz.

The emergency measure, however, doesn't seem to be helping, with low growth persisting while interest rates hover near zero.

In the U.S., the Federal Reserve policy of printing money to buy Treasury Department-issued government debt began under President George W. Bush and accelerated under President Obama.

A chart produced by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis shows the adjusted monetary base of the United States rose from $1.772 trillion on Jan. 14, 2009, to $3.996 trillion on March 16, 2016.

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Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 07:37 PM PDT

National Weather Service Wakefield Va issues Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico, Worcester [MD] and Accomack [VA] till 11:15 PM EDT.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT UNTIL 11PM EDT WED

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 07:30 PM PDT


... A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT SOUTHWESTERN WORCESTER... SOMERSET... SOUTHWESTERN WICOMICO AND NORTH CENTRAL ACCOMACK COUNTIES THROUGH 11 PM EDT...

AT 1019 PM EDT... RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF DEAL ISLAND TO NEAR LAWSONIA. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 30 MPH.

WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... FRUITLAND... POCOMOKE CITY... PRINCESS ANNE... UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE... HEBRON... LAWSONIA... WEST POCOMOKE... WESTOVER... MARION STATION... SAXIS... WHITEHAVEN... SHELLTOWN... SANFORD... UPPER FAIRMOUNT... DAMES QUARTER... TRINITY... REHOBETH... TEMPERANCEVILLE... BYRDTOWN AND ORIOLE.

STRONG WIND GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. THESE WIND GUSTS ARE CAPABLE OF KNOCKING DOWN TREE LIMBS... SMALL OR WEAKENED TREES... AND BLOWING AROUND TRASH CANS... POTTED PLANTS... LAWN FURNITURE AND OTHER LIGHT OUTDOOR OBJECTS.

MOTORISTS SHOULD USE EXTRA CAUTION IN THE VICINITY OF THESE STORMS. BE PREPARED FOR RAPID CHANGES IN WEATHER AND ROAD CONDITIONS. HEAVY RAIN COULD CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS... AND POSSIBLE MINOR FLOODING OF DITCHES AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.

FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE MORE THAN 10 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE.

Jeffrey Thompson gets 3 months' jail for corrupting D.C. elections

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 07:30 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (ABC7) — WASHINGTON (AP) -- A District of Columbia businessman who poured millions of illegal dollars into city, state and federal elections -- helping a mayor of Washington get elected and then creating a scandal that helped drum that mayor from office -- was sentenced Monday to three months in prison.

Jeffrey Thompson acknowledged setting up a $650,000 slush fund to help Vincent Gray defeat then-mayor Adrian Fenty in 2010. Thompson, 61, also gave more than $600,000 in illegal funds to help Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential bid.

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly went beyond the recommendation of prosecutors in sentencing Thompson to prison. The government had asked for six months of home confinement, partly because of cooperation by Thompson that did not result in criminal charges. The judge ordered Thompson to serve three months of home confinement and three years of probation following his jail term.

The most prominent figure in the scandal was Gray, who denied all wrongdoing and was not charged after a five-year investigation of his 2010 campaign.

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Schweizer: Hillary's in 'Complete Violation' of Her Memo of Understanding With Obama

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 07:00 PM PDT

During the Sunday edition of Fox News Channel's "Justice," Breitbart editor at large and author of "Clinton Cash" Peter Schweizer said Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is in "complete violation" of the memorandum of understanding she signed for the Obama administration promising to disclose all Clinton Foundation donors.

Schweizer noted that there are currently "at least 1,100" undisclosed Clinton Foundation donors.

Partial transcript as follows:

"Barack Obama, to his wisdom, required Hillary Clinton before she became secretary of state to sign that Memorandum of Understanding you are talking about. We now know that two planks of that they completely violated. Number one, they said they were going to turn over all the names of all the donors on an annual basis to the Clinton Foundation. We now know that there's at least 1,100 they have still not disclosed and we don't know who the names of all the people giving them money. And the second one is precisely this: she said there would be no overlapping of the two and clearly that's happening in the new batch of e-mails. Complete violation of her agreement with Barack Obama."

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Business owner says he will move 150-person office out of Baltimore if minimum wage goes to $15

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 06:30 PM PDT

One Baltimore business owner says he will have to move his 150-person office out of the city if a hotly debated bill to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour is approved.

CMD Outsourcing Solutions Inc.'s customer service call center, which serves higher education institutions nationwide, has been in Baltimore City for 17 years. The company's current office is along East Pratt Street near the Inner Harbor. But as the City Council gets ready to vote Monday on a bill to raise the minimum wage by 2022, CMD CEO Russ Causey said the effects of the legislation could force him to move his business.

"I love the city. That's why I started my business here," he said. "This [bill] would move our rates up to a level that we would have no choice but to leave."

This contrasts with the views of some local business owners who have said it doesn't make sense to leave the city because even with increased costs, the location provides access to the highest concentration of potential customers and potential income.

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Benghazi Victims’ Lawyer: Hillary Clinton Is ‘Totally Exposed’

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 06:00 PM PDT

TEL AVIV — In the newly filed lawsuit on behalf of the families of the Benghazi attack victims, Hillary Clinton does not have diplomatic immunity and she is "totally exposed" to legal ramifications, according to the lawyer for the news-making case.

Larry Klayman, founder of Freedom Watch USA, had the lawsuit served to Clinton last week on behalf of Patricia Smith and Charles Woods, the parents of Sean Smith and Tyrone Woods respectively, both of whom were murdered in the September 11, 2012 attacks.

Klayman spoke Sunday night during an interview on this reporter's talk radio program,Aaron Klein Investigative Radio, broadcast on New York's AM 970 The Answer and News Talk 990 AM in Philadelphia.

Part of the lawsuit charges that Clinton defamed the victims' families and was responsible for "intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress" by "directly brand[ing] Plaintiffs as liars." She did so, the complaint alleges, when she contradicted the families over allegations that the Benghazi attacks were the result of a terrorist onslaught and not a protest over an anti-Muhammad video.

Regarding that section of the lawsuit, Klayman stated on the radio Sunday:

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SCHOOL POLICE BEING USED AS AUXILIARY BALTIMORE POLICE OFFICERS?

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 05:30 PM PDT

BALTIMORE - As advocates for youth and families in Baltimore City, the Coalition to Reform School Discipline thanks the Department of Justice (DOJ) for its thorough investigation and applauds its recommendations for sweeping reforms in response to overwhelming evidence of decades of constitutional violations of citizens' rights by the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) that significantly impact African-American communities and individuals with disabilities. While the DOJ report focuses on BPD, we are especially troubled by findings that the City has used the Baltimore School Police as an auxiliary of BPD and that there is a clear lack of coordination between the two forces. This raises questions about whether school resources allocated to school police are being used to support the role of BPD. City Schools' resources would be better spent on academic services, restorative practices, and ongoing professional development involving administrators, teachers, and school police.

DOJ further found that the BPD policies, procedures, training, and oversight are significantly deficient, contributing to unconstitutional and illegal practices, including the excessive use of force against young people. At the moment, Baltimore School Police have no policies, limited training relevant to working with youth, and insufficient oversight. The concerns in the DOJ report apply to school police, and it should trouble parents that City Schools is moving forward with redeploying officers into schools without proper policies in place. The Coalition to Reform School Discipline has expressed concerns about the lack of policies, procedures and proper oversight for the Baltimore School Police for nearly two years. We believe that clear policies and training governing how and when school police interact with students, school employees and the community are critical. We encourage City Schools to move swiftly to implement comprehensive policies and procedures with input from the community, students and advocates that ensure that students' rights are protected.

We acknowledge, and are hopeful, about the willingness of Acting School Police Chief Hamm to tackle these difficult issues. We are encouraged that school based arrests declined last year; however, there is significant work that still needs to be done to ensure that City Schools provides safe and positive learning environments for all students.

The Maryland Coalition to Reform School Discipline is committed to making school discipline practices in Maryland schools fair, appropriate, and designed to keep youth in school and on track to graduate. Unfortunately, discipline disparities plague the system and the discipline continuum also includes arrest-often for minor actions traditionally handled in the schoolhouse. Our members include direct service and public policy advocates working in support of families and communities to make schools a safe and welcoming environment, responsive to students' socio-emotional and academic needs.

Rudy Giuliani says Wisconsin riots prove Trump's right that 'law and order is out of control'

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 05:00 PM PDT

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani condemned overnight riots in Wisconsin and said they were proof that law and order was 'out of control,' while defending the black officer who shot a black man at a traffic stop in Milwaukee.

'Now we have two black men – a black perpetrator running away and a black police officer,' the former mayor said on Fox and Friends Monday.

'What was the black police off supposed to do, wait and get shot and then shoot back? Doesn't his life matter? Doesn't the fact that he had to take action in self defense matter?' Giuliani asked.

He then turned to Donald Trump's call for 'law and order' during his presidential campaign.

'Is the new rule I have to get shot first before I shoot back? Of course it isn't if they can riot over something like this It makes Donald Trump's point that law and order is out of control in America,' said Giuliani, who during his time in office oversaw a crackdown on serious as well as petty offenses.

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Emergency Preparedness Night At The Shorebirds

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 04:30 PM PDT


Trump: Hillary Lacks The Stamina To Defeat ISIS

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 04:00 PM PDT

Donald Trump slammed Hillary Clinton on Monday during his anti-terrorism speech arguing that the former secretary of state "lacks the mental and physical stamina" to defeat ISIS.

While speaking at Youngstown State University in Ohio, Trump said, "Incident after incident proves again and again Hillary Clinton lacks the judgment — as said by Bernie Sanders — stability, and temperament and the moral character to lead our nation."

"Importantly, she also lacks the mental and physical stamina to take on ISIS and all of the many adversaries we face," Trump said. "Not only in terrorism but in trade and every other challenge we must confront to turn our great country around. It is now time for a new approach."

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Troopers Arrest Allegany Co. Man For Distribution Of Child Pornography

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 03:45 PM PDT


(CUMBERLAND, MD) – Maryland State Police today arrested an Allegany County man on charges of distribution and possession of child pornography after a five-month investigation.

The accused is identified as Patrick Ortiz, 51, of Cumberland, Md. He is charged with five counts of distribution of child pornography and five counts of possession of child pornography.

In March 2016, an investigator with the Maryland State Police Computer Crimes Unit initiated an investigation after encountering an individual on the Internet who distributed child pornography files. The files obtained over the Internet were identified as child pornography. The investigation led to the identification of an address in Cumberland, Md., where the suspect was located.

State Police Computer Crimes Unit investigators obtained a search warrant for the residence. The search warrant was served early this morning by troopers, members of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and investigators from Homeland Security Investigations and the Combined County Criminal Investigations unit.

Investigators identified the accused as the individual who distributed the child pornography via the Internet. He was arrested and charged. Computers found at the home were recovered and will be examined at the State Police Computer Crimes Unit forensic lab.

Mother Who Confronted Son During Riots, Family Displaced By Fire

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 03:30 PM PDT

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — She received national attention and even support from the president. Toya Graham was caught physically removing her teenage son from participating in the Baltimore unrest in April 2015. Now, she faces a new battle, one that could leave her family of six homeless.

Graham is no stranger to fighting battles, most notably, the one involving her 17-year-old son, Michael Singleton, more than a year ago.

In the midst of the unrest near Mondawmin Mall after the death of Freddie Gray, Toya spotted her then-16-year-old son and forced him out of the chaos between Baltimore police and dozens of teens. This time around, Toya's battle is finding a place for her and her family to live.

The kitchen to the home where Toya and her family of six have lived since April caught fire Saturday afternoon while her son, Michael, who is now home from Job Corps, was cooking.

Michael says he was warming up a pot of cooking oil when he left for just a few minutes to go to the bathroom just off the kitchen. When he returned… "The pot is smoking, it was like smoking, so I went to go reach for it and then it burst out into flames," Michael said.

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Group Fights for Records on Clinton Foundation Donor on Panel

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 03:00 PM PDT

Conservative watchdog group Citizens United is pursuing legal action against the State Department in an attempt to compel the agency to hand over records involving a major Clinton Foundation donor who was assigned to a government intelligence advisory board despite no evident qualifications for the job.

Citizens United attorneys appeared in federal court Friday to argue the case against Rajiv Fernando, a stock trader and Democratic donor.

"The only reason why Mr. Fernando was appointed to this board of security experts was because of his big donations to the Clinton Foundation," David Bossie, the president of Citizens United, toldABC News. "The American people have a right to see these documents before the November election."

ABC News reported in early June that Fernando, who specialized in electronic investing, sat on the International Security Advisory Board to help advise Clinton on nuclear weapons issues while she served as secretary of state.

The panel is composed primarily of nuclear scientists, security experts, and former members of Congress, raising questions from ABC News in 2012 over Fernando's lack of experience in the field.

"As you can see from the attached, it's natural to ask how he got onto the board when compared to the rest of the esteemed list of members," Jamie Mannina, a former Clinton press aide, wrote in one of the emails.

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Structure Fire In Salisbury, Cook Out Restaurant

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 02:33 PM PDT

Salisbury Stations 16, 1 and 2  and Station 3 from Fruitland are being dispatched to the Cook Out Restaurant at 1115 South Salisbury Blvd for a structure fire.

Fire department on scene, nothing showing.

Situation is under control.

OC Likely To Follow Fed’s Lead On Looser Drone Regs

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 02:30 PM PDT

OCEAN CITY — After deeming most or all of Ocean City essentially a "no fly zone" for unmanned, remote-controlled aircraft, or drones, resort officials last week learned new federal regulation set to take effect later this month could open up more areas under certain restrictions.

Last month, the Police Commission initiated a conversation about drone use in and around Ocean City and essentially determined much of the resort area was off limits to the popular gadgets. For one thing, there was an existing prohibition from operating drones within five miles of an airport, which would encompass much of the resort area.

Other prohibitions existed on flying the unmanned aircraft over areas where large groups gather, which would encompass much of the beach and Boardwalk, particularly during the summer. In addition, there were existing restrictions on operating drones near other aircraft, including the banner planes that cruise up and down the coast.

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Trump’s favorite general has master plan to wallop radical Islam

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 02:00 PM PDT

Lt. Gen. Flynn: 'We totally have lacked imagination, and we've forgotten how to win'

The former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency says the United States must get serious about defeating radical Islam, and he's laying out a plan to do it – a plan he says is dependent upon GOP nominee Donald Trump winning the White House in November.

Retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn is a frequent cable news contributor, and he spoke on behalf of Trump last month at the Republican National Convention. He is also author of "The Field of Fight: How We Can Win the Global War on Radical Islam and Its Allies."

In his book, Flynn said it's long past time for the U.S. to stop "participating" in the war against radical Islam and start winning it. He believes America is just spinning its wheels while ISIS and other enemies pursue an announced, strategic campaign against the West.

"We totally have lacked imagination, and we've forgotten how to win, actually," Flynn told WND and Radio America. "And we have to stop being politically correct about this enemy. We have to clearly define it."

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MARYLAND FOOD BANK TEAMS UP WITH WHITE MARLIN OPEN

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 01:30 PM PDT

The reels have been pulled in, the prize money has been awarded, but what happens now? The White Marlin Open is the world's largest billfish tournament and we were incredibly happy to hear that they have partnered with the Maryland Food Bank to use their huge following to help those in need. We spoke with Butch Langenfelder, Food Sourcing Manager of the Maryland Food Bank, to find out what happens to all of the fish caught during the tournament.

As the Food Sourcing Manager, Langenfelder is responsible for acquiring and sourcing donations from businesses and farmers, often working closely with corporations to collect donations. Butch has been working for the Maryland Food Bank for 10 years, and, after working with the White Marlin Open for the last 7 of those, he says, "as long as I am alive, I will be a part of the White Marlin Open." The Maryland Food Bank is thrilled to work with the White Marlin Open since they rarely get fresh fish and high protein items through donations.

While anglers are not required to donate their catches, they find that many of them are excited for the opportunity to help their local community by donating their haul. The Maryland Food Bank averages 1,500 to 2,000 pounds of donated fish each year from the White Marlin Open – that's a lot of fish! Can you imagine what it would cost the organization to purchase 2,000 pounds of fresh fish?! The best part is that all of the donations went to three local pantries: Diakonia in West Ocean City, Son'Spot Ministries in Ocean City, and St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Ocean City. "Everyone was super appreciative," Langenfelder told us.

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Hillary Clinton has no home base of support

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 01:00 PM PDT

Her economic plan would leave the U.S. flirting with recession

he's a real nowhere girl. Sitting in her nowhere world. Making all her nowhere plans for nobody.

Poor Hillary Clinton. She's trying so fervently to come up with at least one new, inspiring idea to jump-start a moribund economy and help the financially stressed-out middle class. She's like the economics professor in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off": "Anyone? Anyone?" But the left's idea cupboard is pitifully empty. They literally, not figuratively, have nothing to offer except tax, spend, spin and then hit the button again.

So in her speech on Thursday on the economy, she proposed last week's leftover cold porridge. And it doesn't taste any better today than when President Obama first served it up.

In her missive on the economy, Hillary pledged a jobs program "within my first hundred days in office." Sure. But her former boss, Barack Obama, has had not just 100 but closer to 3,000 days to come up with a jobs program. Where are the jobs? Where are the pay raises? Where is the growth?

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BREAKING NEWS: 9 Yr Old Dies In Boating Accident Near OC

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 01:15 PM PDT


Fifteen Guantanamo Detainees Sent to United Arab Emirates

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 12:30 PM PDT

The Pentagon has transferred 15 Guantanamo detainees to the United Arab Emirates, the largest transfer of detainees during the Obama administration. The transfer reduces to 61 the number of detainees still held at the detention facility and is another sign that the Obama administration continues pressing with efforts to reduce the prison population.

Twelve of the 15 detainees transferred to the United Arab Emirates are from Yemen, while the remaining three detainees are from Afghanistan.

Monday's transfer leaves 20 detainees at Guantanamo who have been cleared for release, the majority of whom are Yemeni. Their transfers have been problematic because they are prevented from returning to their home country and the Obama administration is being forced to look for third countries willing to take in the transferred Yemeni detainees.

The Yemeni nationals transferred to UAE are: Muhammad Ahmad Said Al-Adahi, Abdel Qadir Al-Mudafari, Zahir Umar Hamis bin Hamdun, Bashir Nasir Ali Al-Marwalah, Mahmud Abdulaziz Al-Mujahid, Majid Mahmud Abdu Ahmed, Abd Al-Muhsin Abd Al-Rab Salih Al-Busi, Abd Al-Rahman Sulayman, Saeed Ahmed Mohammed Abdullah Sarem Jarabh, Mohammed Nasir Yahi Khussrof Kazaz, Abdul Muhammad Ahmad Nassar Al-Muhajari and Ayyub Mursid Ali Salih.

The Afghan detainees transferred to UAE are Obaidullah, Muhammad Kamin, and Hamid Al-Razak.

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Will Americans Truly Wake Up?

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 12:15 PM PDT


'Millions' of Volkswagen cars can be unlocked via hack

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 12:00 PM PDT

A sizeable proportion of 100 million Volkswagen Group cars sold since 1995 can be unlocked remotely by hackers, a team of researchers has said.

The problem affects a range of vehicles manufactured between 1995 and 2016 - including VWs and models from the company's Audi, Seat and Skoda brands.

A homemade radio costing about £30 is the only hardware an attacker requires.

Volkswagen said it was working with the researchers and added that several new vehicles were unaffected by the issue.

Two separate attacks affecting different models are described in a paper by researchers from the University of Birmingham and German security firm Kasper & Oswald.

With the second method, an older cryptographic scheme in some other brands was found to have a similar, albeit more complex vulnerability.

The team showed it was possible for a malicious hacker to spy on key fob signals to target cars via a cheap, homemade radio.

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AMEN

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 11:45 AM PDT


Is it constitutional to draw a congressional district that only one party can win?

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 11:30 AM PDT

A Crop of legal challenges to contorted legislative districts in states like Maryland will soon give the Supreme Court its best opportunity in years to consider whether maps drawn for partisan advantage deprive voters of an equal voice in elections.

Good-government groups believe the justices are poised to take up redistricting cases from North Carolina or Wisconsin — or both — in the next term. The plaintiffs are challenging the legality of one party drawing an electoral map that all but guarantees its candidates will win nearly all the seats.

Either case could have implications for Maryland, where squirrelly congressional lines have helped Democrats control seven of the state's eight House seats, but have drawn criticism from analysts, voters and the high court itself. The late Justice Antonin Scalia described Maryland's congressional map as a "crazy quilt" in a redistricting case last year.

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Wow! Hillary Struggles to Fill High School Gym in City of 776,000 Democrats

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 11:15 AM PDT

Hillary held a small rally today at West Philadelphia High School in Philadelphia.
In 2015 there were 776,750 registered Democrats in Philadelphia.
But Hillary could only fill a high school gym.
And it's a SMALL gym.
Only dozens of Democrats lined up for the small rally.
View image on TwitterView image on Twitter
ONLY DOZENS SHOW UP FOR HILLARY PHILADELPHIA RALLY IN CITY OF 800,000 DEMOCRATS
It was another embarrassing display.
It's a good thing the liberal media sent reporters – so they could help fill up the stands.

Ex-aides: Pa. AG Kane leaked files, lied for revenge

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 11:00 AM PDT



NORRISTOWN, Pa. — A perjury and obstruction trial set for closing arguments Monday pits Pennsylvania's attorney general against two former confidants who testified that she leaked grand jury evidence to a newspaper and lied about it under oath.

Kathleen Kane, a first-term Democrat, is charged with releasing secret files to embarrass a rival prosecutor and then inventing a story to frame someone else for the leak.

"Revenge is best served cold. Her words," a prosecutor said in opening statements, nodding to Kane at the defense table.

The tale of personal feuds and political gossip spun in the suburban Philadelphia courtroom last week often seemed petty. But there were times the testimony veered into what prosecutors called Kane's taste for "cloak-and-dagger" techniques.

Her political consultant described being taken by her security agents to a Philadelphia parking garage to be frisked for a wire - and stripped of his wallet, cellphone and keys - all so he could have lunch with Kane at a hotel.

They met to concoct a cover story for the grand jury, consultant Josh Morrow testified Thursday at the Montgomery County trial.

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Today's Survey Question 8-17-16

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 10:45 AM PDT


Navy names ship after gay rights advocate Harvey Milk

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 10:30 AM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Navy is naming a ship in honor of the late gay rights leader Harvey Milk, who served in the Navy for four years before he began a career in San Francisco city government.

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said Tuesday that Milk displayed tremendous courage fighting for the rights of the LGBT community. The ship is one of a new fleet of replenishment oilers that will be built in San Diego.

Milk's career as a Navy officer, however, ended with an "other than honorable" discharge, due to allegations of fraternization with enlisted personnel.

Some argue that Milk was forced out of the military because he was gay. A defense official said Tuesday that Milk accepted the other than honorable discharge to avoid possible disciplinary action.

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Can You Relate?

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 10:15 AM PDT


Liberals rally to sink Obama trade deal

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 10:00 AM PDT

Liberals are amping up their opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) on and off of Capitol Hill, amid escalating concerns that the package will get an 11th hour vote after the November elections.

Republican leaders in both chambers have said it's unlikely the mammoth Pacific Rim trade deal will reach the floor this year. But the accord remains a top priority for President Obama in the twilight of his final term, and the critics — leery of pro-TPP members in both parties — aren't taking anything for granted.

Liberal TPP opponents this month have launched a new wave of petition campaigns and fundraising drives; a free concert series is touring the country through the summer; and lawmakers on Capitol Hill are vowing to do "everything we possibly can," in the words of Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), to block a vote this year.

"Make no mistake about it, Speaker [Paul] Ryan and the administration are working hand-in-hand to plot a path for the TPP in a lame duck session of Congress," DeLauro, who's among the loudest TPP critics, said this week in an email. "They will do everything possible to try to pass the TPP after the election."

Fueling those concerns, Obama on Friday sent notice to Congress that he intends to deliver TPP implementing legislation to Capitol Hill later in the year — a maneuver dictated by the fast-track trade resolution Congress passed in 2015.

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Obama Provides Clinton’s First Line of Defense Amid Scandals

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 09:53 AM PDT

Just as stunning as the unending stream of reports of scandal and subterfuge that has come to define Hillary Clinton's tenure as secretary of state is the Obama administration's tireless effort to keep a lid on it.

Whether it's the Justice Department taking a pass when afforded the opportunity to investigate or the State Department steadfastly defending every controversy, President Obama's administration has emerged as a first line of defense for the woman who would carry on his legacy.

The kid-glove treatment of Mrs. Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee, has helped shield her from bad headlines as Republican nominee Donald Trump has been battered by the news media over his remarks on the stump and rants on Twitter.

The administration's protectiveness toward Mrs. Clinton has outraged Republicans and raised eyebrows among ethicists.

Aine Donovan, director of the Ethics Institute at Dartmouth College, said the Obama administration definitely has a problem with the appearance that it has failed to pursue questions of misconduct by Mrs. Clinton.

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Gingrich Calls Out BLM for 'False Narratives'

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 09:45 AM PDT

Newt Gingrich on Monday called out the Black Lives Matter movement for focusing too much of its attention on "false narratives" instead of the innocent people being "killed routinely" in the streets of Chicago.

Appearing on Fox News' "Fox & Friends" show, Gingrich criticized the riots in Milwaukee over the weekend over a police-shooting that based on early reports seems justified.

Meanwhile, on the same day, five people were killed in Chicago, and over the past week, Gingrich said, 99 people were shot and 24 killed.

"I don't understand the Black Lives Matter's inability to see innocent people killed who aren't involved with a policeman," Gingrich said. "Everybody's just blasé, nobody pays attention, it's not a national scandal. … We're focusing on Baltimore, which turned out to be a false narrative, but we're not focusing on Chicago where American citizens are being killed routinely.

"Why aren't the BLM folks concerned about black, innocent civilians who are being killed by other folks in the neighborhood, and why aren't we insisting on safe neighborhoods?"

Meanwhile, the officer involved in the fatal shooting was black, and officials say cameras show the man who was killed wielded a gun and aimed it at the officer.

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Dakota Pipeline Fight Revives Labor-Environmental Split

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 09:37 AM PDT

Nearly a year after President Obama rejected the Keystone XL pipeline, controversy over another oil pipeline project threatens to deepen divisions between two key Democratic constituencies, labor unions and environmentalists.

The Dakota Access pipeline, which will carry oil from North Dakota's Bakken shale formation through four states, has drawn vehement opposition from environmental groups. It was recently targeted by a string of arson attacks.

On the other side of the fight is organized labor, which says the pipeline is a source of high-paying union jobs. Many of the unions going to bat for the pipeline also supported Keystone XL, the rejection of which drove a wedge between segments of the labor and environmental movements.

The planned $3.7 billion, 1,172-mile pipeline will carry oil from the Bakken through North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Illinois. All four states have signed off on the project, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gave it the final regulatory go-ahead late last month.

Tensions have flared since then as environmental groups seek to block the pipeline's construction. It was hit with three arson attacks in early August, and 12 protesters were arrested on Thursday after clashing with police.

Two environmental groups, EarthJustice and Oil Change International, are leading opposition to the project, organizing online petitions asking the Army Corps of Engineers to reject it.

The cause has drawn high-profile support from celebrities Leonardo DiCaprio, Rosario Dawson, and Shailene Woodley. Native American tribes along the pipeline route have also protested its construction.


More here

Aetna to Quit Most Obamacare Markets, Joining Major Rivals

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 09:30 AM PDT

Health insurer Aetna Inc. will stop selling individual Obamacare plans next year in 11 of the 15 states where it had been participating in the program, joining other major insurers who've pulled out of the government-run markets in the face of mounting losses.

It will exit markets including North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Florida, and keep selling plans in Iowa, Delaware, Nebraska and Virginia, Aetna said in a statement Monday. In most areas it's exiting, Aetna will offer individual coverage outside of the program's exchanges.

The decision by Aetna is the latest blow to President Barack Obama's signature domestic policy law. While it has brought coverage to millions, the new markets have proven volatile for some of the largest for-profit insurers, and UnitedHealth Group Inc. and Humana Inc. are also pulling out, after posting hundreds of millions of dollars of their own losses. Aetna said earlier this year that it expects to lose $300 million on the plans.

Next year will be the law's fourth of providing coverage under the new markets. Aetna's decision doesn't affect people covered by the company this year, but when they look for 2017 coverage, they'll need to pick a new insurer. The decision raises the prospect that some consumers will only have one insurer to choose from when they buy 2017 coverage.

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Winter Weather Chatter

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 09:23 AM PDT

WINTER WEATHER PART II: Yesterday's Propane Buzz focused entirely on the upcoming winter and some 'forecasting' I had come across from the weekend. This morning, I logged into WeatherBell.com and saw a brief post from Joe Bastardi.

Joe was writing about what he had just seen from the European computer models pursuant to the coming winter. He said that he is 'fired up' about this coming winter, which means he believes it will be cold and snowy. The European model weakens the ENSO signal even more, which "leaves the warm water ring in the Pacific and the warm western Atlantic as the dominant two factors. If this comes to pass and blocking is (in play), it offers the threat of winters that can resemble 1995-1996." for this coming winter.

The 'ENSO Signal' describes the equatorial region off west of South America. ENSO stands for El Nino Southern Oscillation. When it's a 'cold signal', it means that El Nino conditions are off the table, which seems to be the case for this coming year. So that is one very good thing for our chances at a cold winter. When the sea surface temperatures (SST's) are consistently colder than normal below a certain departure from normal, that is when a La Nina event signal comes about. The models are still favoring either a weak La Nina or a La Nada…which is the cute term for neither a La Nina or El Nino influence.

If we have a weak La Nina, or La Nada, these are both good things for us and then you turn to examine what other climate driving factors are then present, which will have more 'control' or 'influence' over the weather we may experience in North America.

As Bastardi points out, which is what Matthew Holliday wrote about in the information I shared yesterday along with Al Marinaro's charts showing what the American computer models were seeing, we're looking at the warm SST's off the Alaskan coast and potentially warmer waters in the western Atlantic, off the American East Coast.

More here

Sheriff Clarke: Progressive policies have hit black community like 'nuclear blast'

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 09:15 AM PDT

A top Wisconsin law enforcement official blames "progressive policies" for the behavior of violent protesters in Milwaukee who took to the streets after Saturday's police shooting of an armed black man.

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke said on Fox News' "America's Newsroom" Monday that "the growth of the welfare state" encourages the destructive behavior seen on Saturday and Sunday nights. Officials said 11 police officers were injured, two civilians were shot, six businesses were burned and several patrol cars were damaged as angry residents gathered to demonstrate two nights in a row in the wake of Sylville K. Smith's death.

"These progressive policies have hit the black community like a nuclear blast, and until we reverse this government dependency, that's what creates all of this – and encourages it, by the way," Clarke said.

Clarke said "an intact family" and the ability to "self-criticize" could help curb such destructive behavior. But he said those values are being trampled by "progressive ideology."

He added, "This dangerous ideology that has been very destructive on the black community, until we push back…this thing's only going to get worse."

At a news conference Monday, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said outsiders were trying to damage a great neighborhood where he lived for 11 years. Barrett said he was concerned about the economic damage being done to the Sherman Park neighborhood.

More here

Warning Re: Phone Scammer Who Says He Is A State Trooper And Demands Money

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 09:08 AM PDT

‘America’s other drug problem’

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 09:07 AM PDT

Dominick Bailey sat at his computer, scrutinizing the medication lists of patients in the geriatric unit.

A doctor had prescribed blood pressure medication for a 99-year-old woman at a dose that could cause her to faint or fall. An 84-year-old woman hospitalized for knee surgery was taking several drugs that were not meant for older patients because of their severe potential side effects.

And then there was 74-year-old Lola Cal. She had a long history of health problems, including high blood pressure and respiratory disease. She was in the hospital with pneumonia and had difficulty breathing. Her medical records showed she was on 36 medications.

"This is actually a little bit alarming," said Bailey, a pharmacist.

[We doctors see death all around us, but we don't like to think about our own]

He was concerned about the sheer number of drugs but even more worried that several of them — including ones to treat insomnia and pain — could suppress Cal's breathing.

An increasing number of elderly patients nationwide are on multiple medications to treat chronic diseases, raising their chances of dangerous drug interactions and serious side effects. Often the drugs are prescribed by different specialists who don't communicate with each other. If those patients are hospitalized, doctors making the rounds add to the list — and some of the drugs they prescribe may be unnecessary or unsuitable.

"This is America's other drug problem — polypharmacy," said Maristela Garcia, director of the inpatient geriatric unit at UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica, Calif. "And the problem is huge."

More here

Farmers Almanac Breaks Out the Cold

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 09:00 AM PDT

The Farmers Almanac prediction for this coming winter breaks out the cold weather for this coming winter. In fact, they are saying 'Return of the Ice Cold Winter' in touting their 200th edition of the famous tome:

"The exceptionally cold conditions will be most prevalent over the Northern Plains, Great Lakes, Midwest, Ohio Valley, Middle Atlantic, Northeast, and New England states. The West however, seems to be spared any extreme cold this winter, with the Almanac predicting milder than normal conditions for many western states. February is the month to really be ready for cold conditions," warns Editor Peter Geiger, Philom., "according to our long-range outlook, many places will see downright frigid temperatures this month, some as low as 40 degrees below zero!"

Here is what their map looks like:

Is "Special Government Employee" Huma Abedin The Smoking Gun In Hillary's "Pay-To-Play" Scheme?

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 08:45 AM PDT

Having previously warned that Hillary "is often confused," Clinton's top aide, Huma Abedin - previously best known for standing by her husband Anthony Weiner after his sexting scandal - is now at the center of the Clinton Foundation - State Department debacle. As Bloomberg reports, for the final eight months of Clinton's reign as Secretary of State, Abedin worked for both The Clinton Foundation and as a "special government employee" at The State Department.

Huma Abedin was previously most infamous as the "good wife" standing by her sexting scandal husband Anthony Weiner...
But, as Bloomberg now reports, Abedin's overlapping jobs bring a renewed focus on Clinton's conflicts of interest while at the State Department...

Huma Abedin stepped down from her post as deputy chief of staff at the State Department and Hillary Clinton's ever-present personal assistant on June 3, 2012. Only she didn't really leave.

Instead, in a reverse twist on a program intended to bring talented outsiders into government, Abedin was immediately rehired as a "special government employee." She also took paying jobs with the Clinton Foundation and Teneo Holdings, a consulting firm with international clients that was co-founded by a foundation official who also was Bill Clinton's long-time personal aide.

Abedin's multitasking in the final eight months of Hillary Clinton's time as the top U.S. diplomat -- and her role as intermediary for some of the same players before that -- are drawing renewed scrutiny after a conservative watchdog group's release last week of a new batch of e-mails to and from Clinton aides. Abedin has become the personification of an election-year debate over whether the nonprofit foundation will create conflicts of interest if Clinton wins the White House.

Clinton was rated trustworthy by just 41 percent of likely voters in a Bloomberg Politics national poll conducted Aug. 5-8. More than half said that the Clinton Foundation's acceptance of foreign contributions while she was secretary of state bothers them "a lot."

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Man PROVES software stole votes in ALL 'Hillary won' counties

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 08:31 AM PDT

What’s Next For Medical Marijuana in Maryland?

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 08:30 AM PDT

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Maryland lawmakers opened the door to medical marijuana over three years ago.

While it still hasn't made its way to patients, Michael Bronfein has spearheaded the effort to make medical marijuana available to those who need it.

Bronfein is the chief executive officer for Curio Wellness, one of 30 companies that just received state approval to grow and process the drug for patients' consumption.

"This is a state where we appreciate the value of pioneering efforts in science and research that help people enjoy better lives," said Bronfein, who cited the presence of Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland and the National Institutes of Health.

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If You Criticize Hillary Online Be Prepared to Confront One of Her Paid Trolls

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 08:28 AM PDT

A PAC that supports Hillary Clinton is preparing to launch an online campaign to fight people who criticize her. This is part of the ongoing Democratic strategy to stifle free speech and harass critics.

The Los Angeles Times reports:

Be nice to Hillary Clinton online — or risk a confrontation with her super PAC

When the Internet's legions of Hillary hecklers steal away to chat rooms and Facebook pages to vent grievances about Clinton, express revulsion toward Clinton and launch attacks on Clinton, they now may find themselves in a surprising place – confronted by a multimillion dollar super PAC working with Clinton.

Hillary Clinton's well-heeled backers have opened a new frontier in digital campaigning, one that seems to have been inspired by some of the Internet's worst instincts. Correct the Record, a super PAC coordinating with Clinton's campaign, is spending some $1 million to find and confront social media users who post unflattering messages about the Democratic front-runner.

In effect, the effort aims to spend a large sum of money to increase the amount of trolling that already exists online.

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Publishers Notes: BRING IT ON, YYOUR COMMENT WILL NEVER SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY.

Clinton Deletes Statement Supporting Rape Victims

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 08:15 AM PDT

Hillary Clinton's campaign website was edited in recent months to remove a statement supporting rape victims' "right to be believed" after an Arkansas woman resurfaced earlier this year to accuse Bill Clinton of raping her in 1978.

"I want to send a message to every survivor of sexual assault: Don't let anyone silence your voice. You have the right to be heard. You have the right to be believed, and we're with you," Clinton's website once read, according to the website Buzzfeed in a profile of Bill Clinton's rape accuser, Juanita Broaddrick.

Clinton made the supportive statement in a video that her campaign posted online in September.

Broaddrick ended years of silence in January when she tweeted about the alleged rape. The 73-year-old retired nursing executive says that the former president raped her in a Little Rock hotel room. Clinton was running for governor at the time.

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EXHAUSTED HILLARY Is Taking Off Weekends -- And Media Is Covering It Up

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 08:00 AM PDT

By reviewing the activities of Presidential candidates Trump and Clinton a new phenomenon has appeared.While Trump continues to smash Clinton in attendance at events, Hillary appears to have decided to take weekends off.

Clinton took the weekend of August 6th and 7th off and she decided to take three days off this past weekend August 12th through 14th. She also has no events scheduled to participate in this coming Thursday through Saturday August 18th through 20th. This in essence would mean another three days off after three days of events scheduled starting today. In total Clinton has taken 7 days off in August out of the first 14 days and is scheduled to continue with this approach through at least this coming Saturday.

Donald Trump on the other hand has taken only two days off in August, Sunday August 7th and Sunday the 14th. Trump has 7 days where he has participated in more than one campaign event.

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"Nothing Adds Up"

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 07:45 AM PDT

There's a new feature to the Anything-Goes-and-Nothing-Matters economy: Nothing-Adds-Up. The magicians who pretend to measure the growth of GDP (Gross Domestic Product - the monetary value of all the finished goods and services) came up with a second quarter "adjusted" figure of 1.2 percent. That would have to be construed by anyone acquainted with basic econ stats as perfectly dismal. And yet the Bureau of Labor Statistics put out a sparkly Nonfarm Payroll Report of 255,000 for July, way above the forecast 180,000.

There were so many ways to game the jobs number — between people forced to work more than one shit job and the notorious "birth/death model" used to just make up any old number for political purposes — that no one can take this information seriously. Anyway, the GDP number was instantly forgotten and the jobs number launched the stock markets to previously uncharted record altitude.

It's that time of the year for the hedge fund boys, with their testosterone flowing, to start burning down their house rentals in the Hamptons. And it's also the time of year for an ever more stressed financial system to go down in flames. And, of course, it's a presidential election season. Even for one allergic to conspiracy theories, it's not farfetched to imagine a coordinated effort by central banks — under government direction — to generate Money-Out-Of-Thin-Air (QE) for the purpose of allowing "liquidity" flows to end up in US equity and bond markets in order to paint a false picture of "recovery" so as to insure the election of Hillary Clinton. I think that is exactly behind the recent money-printing activities by the Japanese and European Central Banks, and the Bank of England.

Why would it end up in US markets? For bonds, because the Euro and Japanese bond sovereign yields are in sub-zero territory and the BOE just cut its prime rate lower than the US Federal Reserve's prime rate; and for stocks, because the value of the other three currencies is sliding down and the dollar has been rising — so, dump your falling currency for the rising dollar and jam it into rising US stocks. It'll work until it doesn't.

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Hogan Administration Proposes $5 Million in Funding to Assist Ellicott City

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 07:34 AM PDT

Board of Public Works Approves $2.5 Million, Administration Requests Additional $2.5 Million from Catastrophic Fund

ANNAPOLIS, MD -
Governor Larry Hogan's request to provide $2.5 million in funding to assist small businesses and property owners in Ellicott City recover from devastating flooding was approved today by the Board of Public Works. Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford chaired the bi-weekly meeting of the board, with Comptroller Peter Franchot in attendance. Treasurer Nancy Kopp was absent.

In a 2-0 vote, the board approved the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) as an eligible fund manager, and granted the department $2.5 million from the Small, Minority and Women-Owned Business Account to make loans to eligible businesses in Ellicott City.

"I would like to thank Comptroller Franchot for joining with our administration today in support of Ellicott City and the businesses and residents who make it such a special part of our state," said Governor Hogan. "Over the past few weeks, a lot progress has been made to rebuild the community and provide assistance to local residents, but there is still much work to be done. Today's vote will ensure that progress continues in Ellicott City in the months ahead."

Using these funds, DHCD will provide short-term and long-term assistance, in the form of zero and low interest loans, to enable affected businesses to re-open either in Ellicott City or in a temporary, alternate location. The loans will also allow for business and property owners to re-stock inventory, complete repairs, replace furniture and fixtures, reimburse for lost revenues and working capital, and meet other immediate needs.

The Hogan administration also announced that it is requesting the Legislative Policy Committee to approve the transfer of $2.5 million from the Catastrophic Event Fund to DHCD's Neighborhood BusinessWorks program to provide additional aid to Ellicott City businesses and property owners affected by the flooding.

In total, the Hogan administration's proposals announced today will provide $5 million in funding to eligible Ellicott City businesses and residents.

Journalist Flees Milwaukee After Witnessing The Racist Truth About The Milwaukee Riots

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 07:33 AM PDT

Council Passes Emergency Ban Against ‘Chumming Or Blood-Baiting From The Beach’; City Cites Growing Problem With Big Sharks Brought Ashore

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 07:30 AM PDT

OCEAN CITY — Resort officials on Monday passed an emergency ordinance banning an increasingly popular type of shark fishing from the beach that is bringing some big predators right up on the shore.

In response to citizen complaints and concerns, the Mayor and Council passed an ordinance on Monday night that bans shark fishing from the beach by any means other than traditional rod and reel. While the concept certainly isn't new, over the last few weeks some surf fishermen on the beach in the north end of the resort are utilizing non-conventional methods for getting large baits considerably farther out into the ocean including paddling them out by kayak or even launching them from some type of propulsion device including "potato launchers," for example.

As a result, the larger baits, including whole tuna carcasses with the heads still attached, are attracting large sharks much farther out then a traditional surf rod would allow and some sharks are being hauled up onto the beach. At least one and perhaps several surf fishermen are operating a quasi-business with people on the beach allowed to take a turn on the reel and then pose with the big sharks, some eight feet long or longer, once they are on the beach.

Councilman Doug Cymek, who knows a little about shark fishing from his years as a co-director of the now-defunct Ocean City Shark Tournament, broached the subject during Monday's meeting and called for some action from the council to halt the potentially dangerous practice.

"I got several calls," he said. "We don't have anything in our code about chumming for fish from the beach, particularly sharks."

Naturally, traditional surf anglers often catch smaller sand sharks and their dogfish and dusky cousins, but they are not part of the growing problem. Cymek said the problem, which typically occurs early in the morning or later in the evening, needed to be addressed sooner rather than later.

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Burn Down White Suburbs, Sister of Man Killed by Milwaukee Police Urges Rioters

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 07:15 AM PDT

"Take that sh*t to the suburbs. Burn that sh*t down! We need our sh*t! We need our weave!"

Video footage shows the sister of the man shot dead by police in Milwaukee calling on rioters to burn down white suburbs instead of their own neighborhoods.

"Burning down sh*t ain't gonna help nothin'," yells Sherelle Smith.

"You're burnin' down sh*t we need in our community."

"Take that sh*t to the suburbs. Burn that sh*t down!" she demands.

"We need our sh*t! We need our weave! I don't wear it, but we need it!"

More/Video

Where Are All The Supposed Hillary Supporters?

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 07:00 AM PDT

Clinton lead over Trump shrinks to margin-of-error: Bloomberg poll

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 06:53 AM PDT

Clinton's "lead" due to poll manipulation

Is Hillary Clinton squashing Donald Trump into oblivion in the polls? Or is her lead over him perilously shrinking?

One thing we know is: there are countless ways to spin a poll. Consider the case of selective reporting on the most recent Bloomberg national poll.

On Aug. 10, Bloomberg reported "Clinton up 6 on Trump in Two Way Race." But looking at the actual poll, Trump has moved so close to Clinton, the results are within the margin of error.

Notably, in five months, Clinton's lead over Trump in the Bloomberg poll has shrunk from 18-points to within the margin of error.

In March of 2016, when likely voters were asked to choose between Clinton and Trump "if the election were held today," Clinton bested Trump 54%-36% (18 percentage points).

Read more

As Milwaukee Burned, Chicago Bloodshed Continued with 46 Wounded, 9 Killed in 72 Hours

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 06:45 AM PDT

From Friday afternoon to the first few hours of Monday morning, the perennial weekend bloodletting in Chicago continued with a loss of nine lives among 46 shootings across the city.

Even as the neighboring City of Milwaukee was devolving into chaos with riots sparked by what authorities are calling a justifiable police-involved shooting, Chicago was grinding on with its all too common emulation of a war zone.

Coming off what was one of the most dangerous weeks in the city's history with 100 shot, the weekend was not to be outdone by racking up in just over two days what took four days during the previous week.

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Joe Biden's Awkwardly Long Hug with Hillary Clinton

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 06:37 AM PDT

Vice President Joe Biden met Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton today at the airport in Scranton, and eagerly embraced her. And he wouldn't let go.

For 17 seconds, Biden kept his arms around Hillary's waist as she tapped him on the arm and appeared to be trying to pull free.

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Baltimore officer suspended after calling protesters ‘thugs’

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 06:30 AM PDT

BALTIMORE (AP) — A vice president of Baltimore's police union has been suspended after sending an email to the entire department that referred to demonstrators as "thugs."

Police Lt. Victor Gearhart was referring to a group protesting the state Fraternal Order of Police conference at a downtown hotel.

Department spokesman T.J. Smith said Police Commissioner Kevin Davis was "outraged by the email" and said the message "is not representative of the men and women of this agency."

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Trump's Foreign Policy: Ends 'Era of Nation Building'

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 06:23 AM PDT

Donald Trump set himself apart from Hillary Clinton and President Obama's foreign policy approach during a speech in Youngstown, Ohio on Monday where he laid out his foreign policy approach to deal with the Islamic State (ISIS) and radical Islam in more detail than he has in the past while on the campaign trail.

"If I become president, the era of nation building will be brought to a very swift and decisive end," Trump vowed, adding it's time to "chart a new course."

A Trump administration's foreign policy approach would focus on halting the spread of radical Islam. The GOP nominee said this goal in stopping radical Islam must be shared by Democrats and Republicans, as well as allies overseas, adding that any country who shares in this goal "will be our ally."

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Farmers' Almanac predicts an 'ice cold' winter as it celebrates 200th anniversary

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 06:15 AM PDT

Hundreds of almanacs served a nation of farmers over two centuries ago. These days, only a handful of them remain.

One of them, the Farmers' Almanac based in Lewiston, Maine, is celebrating its 200th edition this month with traditional gardening tips, home-spun humor and life hacks.

In New Hampshire, The Old Farmer's Almanac marks its 225th anniversary with tributes from President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, among articles on mangrove forests and presidential beer preferences. Both have special anniversary sections with articles from the past.

In Maine, the long-term weather forecast calls for a teeth-chattering winter for the eastern two-thirds of the nation. 'We're calling it the return of the old-fashioned winter. The ice cold winter is back,' said Sandi Duncan, managing editor.

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Hillary Clinton Falls Again as Trump Questions Her Health

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 06:07 AM PDT

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stumbled on the podium Monday at her speech in Pennsylvania with Vice President Joe Biden.

Biden steadied Clinton after she awkwardly tipped over.

Clinton's fall comes on the same day as Donald Trump's comments in Ohio questioning Clinton's health.

Trump said that Clinton does not have the mental or physical stamina to defeat ISIS and other global foes.

More/Video

Obamacare Sticker Shock: Average 2017 Premium Surges 24%

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 06:00 AM PDT

The reference, of course, was to the state by state surge in proposed 2017 Obamacare premiums, contrasted with what the government contends is a modest 1.0% inflation rate.

Now, courtesy of a new study by independent analyst Charles Gaba - who has crunched the numbers for insurers participating in the ACA exchanges in all 50 states - we can also calculate what the average Obamacare premium increase across the entire US will be: using proposed and approved rate increase requests, the average Obamacare premium is expected to surge by a whopping 24% this year.

As Politico notes, Cigna and Humana recently revised their rate requests in Tennessee, and the new filings are dramatically higher. Cigna is now asking for a 46% average increase, up from 23%, and Humana is requesting a 44% increase, up from 29%, The Tennessean reported on Friday. Expect these numbers to rise even more as insurance companies exit even more states.

So far, the average approved rate increase is roughly 17% according to weighted averages across just five states, Mississippi, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont, Gaba reports. "Combined, all [five states] only make up around 6.3 percent of the total population," Gaba writes. "The numbers will no doubt jump around quite a bit as additional, larger states are plugged into the mix."

Here is what Charles Gaba calculated:

[I] noted that since I originally crunched the numbers for some states as far back as April, the situation in some states has likely changed somewhat due to carriers dropping out, joining in or re-submitting their rate request filings.

There have been significant changes to the requested rate filings in at least four states: Arizona, Connecticut, Maryland and Tennessee. In all four cases, I'm afraid the statewide weighted average has increased, either due to resubmitted filings, a carrier dropping out or both.

As a result of these updates, the national average increase requested now stands at 23.9%, up from the previous average of 23.3%.

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Five Clinton friends who got special State Department access

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 05:30 AM PDT

Hillary Clinton's campaign has struggled to explain a batch of previously undisclosed emails that contain fresh evidence of cooperation between the State Department and donors to the Clinton Foundation.

The records, which emerged through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by conservative-leaning Judicial Watch, offered a narrow window into the extent to which friends and donors were afforded consideration and access above what was provided to other outsiders.

The emails revived questions about whether the former secretary of state maintained an appropriate distance from her family's philanthropy. While State Department officials denied suggestions that the documents produced any evidence of impropriety, Clinton's criticstook her to task Wednesday for allegedly selling influence through the foundation.

As the Democratic nominee labors to repair a public trust that was damaged badly by the FBI's investigation into her private email use, the signs of quid pro quo contained in the latest records will likely force Clinton to confront the long-simmering controversy surrounding her family's foundation.

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Just How Bad Is (Social) Media Bias In This Election?

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 05:00 AM PDT

Earlier today, I came across an interesting article about media (and social media) bias related to the 2016 Presidential election. The piece was published in the Observer and titled, Tech Companies Apple, Twitter, Google, and Instagram Collude to Defeat Trump. Here are a few excerpts:

The usual suspects from left-leaning major media outlets like The New York Times, MSNBC, CNN and even entertainment networks are doing everything in their power to ensure a Clinton victory. Look no further than to Wolf Blitzer mincing around and drinking wine at the Democratic convention, celebrating Hillary's nomination. But the propaganda skewing this election runs much deeper than just the media: our iPhones, iPads, social media networks, Google and even video games are all in the tank for Hillary Clinton—and it's chilling.

I began looking into how strong the bias and censorship runs in these forums after I did an interview on the pro-Trump podcast, MAGAPod. The show's host, Mark Hammond, was disappointed Apple wouldn't run his show without an "explicit" warning. Hammond's podcast didn't contain content that would be deemed explicit under Apple's policy, and most other shows in the News & Politics category aren't labeled as such.

On June 18, Hammond talked to Sandra, a representative from Apple. She explained that, since the description of his show is pro-Trump, his show is explicit in nature - because the subject matter is Donald Trump. So, an Apple employee concluded the Republican presidential candidate is explicit.

iTunes has dozens of podcasts discussing Osama Bin Laden and Adolf Hitler—none of which is marked explicit. I encouraged Hammond to contact Apple again, via email to their podcast support team. Within 48 hours he received a response from "Tim," who informed Hammond that his podcast would be updated to "clean" within 24 hours.

Further digging on Apple revealed more evidence that the computer giant is feeding users pro-Hillary and anti-Trump propaganda.

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South Dakota farmers sue feds for rigging wetlands process

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 04:30 AM PDT

Agency ruling could cost couple ability to participate in crop insurance, other programs

A husband and wife farming land in South Dakota that has been in their family for more than a century are suing the U.S. Department of Agriculture after the federal agency determined their land contained wetlands – by looking at another parcel 33 miles away.

The feds could choose to penalize Arlen and Cindy Foster by depriving them of the ability to participate in vital federal programs such as crop insurance.

The Miner County, South Dakota, couple is represented by the Pacific Legal Foundation, which has handled some of the highest-profile land-uses cases recently.

The complaint challenges the feds' determination that 0.8 acres of the Fosters' farm is "wetlands." The government came to the conclusion after reviewing another parcel of land 33 miles away and finding it is similar.

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Senator To Loretta Lynch: Why Did DOJ Nix Clinton Foundation Investigation?

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 04:00 AM PDT

Texas Sen. John Cornyn is demanding answers from Attorney General Loretta Lynch about the Justice Department's decision earlier this year to decline an FBI recommendation to investigate the Clinton Foundation.

The Republican points out in the letter that the DOJ's decision not to pursue an investigation despite the FBI's recommendation is in stark contrast to its decision last month to accept the bureau's recommendation not to charge Clinton following its email probe.

"The outcome in both cases favors Secretary Clinton," Cornyn writes.

On Thursday, CNN reported that the FBI and three Justice Department field offices recommended that Justice Department headquarters open a public integrity investigation into the Clinton family charity.

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Milwaukee Burning: Just The Beginning

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 03:30 AM PDT

Few things in politics are predictable, but one thing is certain: Any police shooting of a fleeing black man, even if he is carrying a gun, will likely trigger a demonstration, if not a riot.

Our reactions to events are dependent on their social definition. The movement known as Black Lives Matter defines the world as a place where American police systematically hunt down black men. Each police shooting of a black man, even before the facts are known and irrespective of the circumstances, is confirmation of this point of view.

To say there have been no unjustified police shootings would be as irresponsible as it is false; but the idea that every police shooting of a black man is part of a systematic campaign of genocide is equally false.

The latest shooting, which took place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, erupted into a frenzy of flames and violence, with calls for dragging white people from their cars and killing them.

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Nancy Pelosi, House Democrats leader, says she's been flooded with 'obscene' calls since DCCC hack

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 03:00 AM PDT

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Saturday that she's been slammed with "obscene and sick calls" after a hacker posted Democratic congressional lawmakers' personal contact information online.

The information was apparently stolen in a hack of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which has personal contact and other information for all of the Democrats in the House, as well as their top aides.

"On a personal note, I was in the air flying from Florida to California when the news broke. Upon landing, I have received scores of mostly obscene and sick calls, voicemails and text messages," Mrs. Pelosi said in a letter to colleagues, telling them to prevent their family and children from getting to the messages, presumably because they were so upsetting.

She said she was changing her phone number and urged other House Democrats to do the same.

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18 Years Later - Pam Martens Sends Another Warning To The Fed & The Clintons

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 02:30 AM PDT

It is the same players that we saw enabling reckless behavior in 1998: Citigroup, the Fed, and the Clinton-led Wall Street Democrats. And, as Jesse notes, here we are again, almost eighteen years later, watching the same short term, selfish characteristics by the big money banks putting the entire economy of productive individuals at risk again...

"There's something big and scary going on behind the scenes but, as usual, the public isn't reading about it on the front pages of the newspapers." Pam Martens and Russ Martens warn that big banks and big insurers send scary signals...

Yesterday, the broad stock market, as measured by the Standard and Poor's 500 Index, declined a modest 0.29 percent while big Wall Street banks like Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase fell by triple that amount. Bank of America, which bought the big retail brokerage firm, Merrill Lynch, in the midst of the 2008 crash, fell by 8.6 times the rate of the decline in the S&P to give up 2.50 percent.
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THE GOP ELITE WANT TO MAKE ESTABLISHMENT GREAT AGAIN

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 02:00 AM PDT

In November, Americans will elect either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton as President. All minor party candidates as well as an upstart "conservative" alternative to Donald Trump have no prayer of victory. Any Republican or conservative who does not support the GOP nominee might as well join former liberal Connecticut Republican Congressman Chris Shays and formally endorse Hillary Clinton.

There are many groups of Republicans who are aiding and abetting Hillary Clinton. The establishment Republicans such as Bill Kristol, Mitt Romney and the Bush family are not supporting Trump. There is also a group of "Never Trump" conservatives such as commentator Glenn Beck and Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse. There are also the former presidential candidates such as Texas Senator Ted Cruz and South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham who signed a pledge to support the nominee, but refuse to follow through on their commitment.

Sadly, these Trump hating GOP leaders are being joined by other groups of disenchanted Republicans. Next week, an alliance of 70 Republicans will send an official letter requesting that the RNC stop supporting the Trump presidential campaign and focus on House and Senate races, in an effort to retain control of Congress. Among this anti-Trump GOP group is former New Hampshire Senator Gordon Humphrey and former Missouri Congressman Tom Coleman.

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Giuliani: 'So Many People Own Hillary There’s Nothing Left of Her'

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 01:30 AM PDT

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani joked on New York AM 970 radio show "The Cats Roundtable" Sunday that so many companies and Russian oligarchs own Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton that "there's nothing left of her."

"Donald Trump is challenging the corrupt, dysfunctional system that we have in Washington," Giuliani told host John Catsimatidis.

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Ten Most Troubling Finds Inside House Probe of Pentagon’s ‘Distorted’ Intel on Islamic State

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 01:00 AM PDT

TEL AVIV – A damning investigation by House Republicans released on Wednesday has found that the intelligence arm of the U.S. Military's Central Command (CENTCOM) routinely produced intelligence that "distorted, suppressed, or substantially altered" the results of the campaign against the Islamic State.

Breitbart Jerusalem reviewed the House report and herein presents the ten most troubling finds, in no particular order.

1 – Top CENTCOM leaders modified intelligence assessments to present an "unduly positive" assessment of combating the Islamic State and training the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF).

The complaint alleges that senior leaders within the CENTCOM Intelligence Directorate and JIC, including the Director of Intelligence and other senior intelligence staff, violated regulations, tradecraft standards, and professional ethics by modifying intelligence assessments to present an unduly positive outlook on CENTCOM efforts to train the ISF and combat ISIL.

Media outlets have also raised allegations of possible reprisals against individuals within the CENTCOM Intelligence Directorate. …

According to multiple interviewees, operational reporting was used as a justification to alter or "soften" an analytic product so it would cast U.S. efforts in a more positive light. No interview provided any instances where operational reporting was used as a justification to come to a more pessimistic conclusion. Additionally, numerous interviewees indicated that analytical products which conflicted with operational reporting were routinely subject to more stringent scrutiny than those that did not.

2 – Intelligence analysts declined to be interviewed, possibly out of fear of reprisals from CENTCOM leadership, while the interviews that did take place were under the watchful eyes of DOD officials.

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Occult Secrets Of The Elite Revealed

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 12:30 AM PDT

Obama's Operation Choke Point Is "Unbridled Abuse Of Executive Power, Completely Outside The Rule Of Law"

Posted: 17 Aug 2016 12:00 AM PDT

In an earlier article I touched on the withering attack on the 2nd Amendment that has subsided to a "dull throb" for the moment. A large portion of that is "Operation Choke Point," the regulatory "assault" instituted by the Federal Government to force the banking industry to deny services to industries, not on the basis of illegality, but incorrectness as judged by the administration.

This cabal is represented by the Office of the Comptroller of Currency, the Federal Reserve, and the FDIC under the "ringmaster" of the Department of Justice. The aforementioned agencies have regulated the banking industry by using their positions as directed by the administration to sever businesses from their connections with the banks. Specifically, the firearms industry, to include (in order) first firearms manufacturers, and the complementary industries that are synergistic with those manufacturers, namely ammunition manufacturers and accessory products for firearms.

The regulators mentioned have used their authority to browbeat the banks into submission and deny businesses in the firearms industry such things as lines of credit, as well as forcing the closure of business and purchasing accounts. Any banks that refused to institute any of these measures against their clients then opened themselves up to inspections, scrutiny, examinations, and harassment from a regulatory perspective. The "cover" phrase for the regulatory agencies: "To promote bank safety and soundness."

"Reputation risk" is the term used by the regulating industries, in essence, to blackball the banks by stating their clients (in this case businesses involved in the firearms industry) were increasing risk for the banks and that the banks themselves were absorbing "negative publicity." The regulators insisted they had an obligation to "protect" the banking industry overall by eliminating the potential for the absorption of bad publicity by one of its members due to negativity associated with that third party. In essence, guilt by association, and in this case guilt not by a court of law as a verdict for a crime, but a bureaucratic regulator operating at the behest of the Obama administration, making its own restrictive "laws" to inhibit legal businesses.

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Frustrating

Posted: 16 Aug 2016 11:30 PM PDT


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