In U.S., Record-Low 47% Extremely Proud to Be Americans
by Jeffrey M. Jones
Gallup
July 2, 2018
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- This Fourth of July marks a low point in U.S. patriotism. For the first time in Gallup's 18-year history asking U.S. adults how proud they are to be Americans, fewer than a majority say they are "extremely proud." Currently, 47% describe themselves this way, down from 51% in 2017 and well below the peak of 70% in 2003.
The latest results are based on a June 1-13 poll. When Gallup first asked the question in 2001, 55% of Americans said they were extremely proud. After the 9/11 terror attacks caused the public to rally around the nation and its leaders, the percentage expressing extreme pride in the country increased to 65%, and went up further to 70% less than two years later.
By 2005, about the time George W. Bush was set to begin his second term in office and the U.S. was going on its second year of military involvement in Iraq, the percentage extremely proud to be Americans fell to 61%. It held in the high 50% range between 2006 and 2013, but has fallen at least marginally each year since 2015, about the time the 2016 presidential campaign was getting underway.
While the 47% who are extremely proud to be Americans is a new low, the vast majority of Americans do express some level of pride, including 25% who say they are "very proud" and 16% who are "moderately proud." That leaves one in 10 who are "only a little" (7%) or "not at all" proud (3%).
The combined 72% who are extremely or very proud to be Americans is also the lowest in Gallup's trend.
National Pride Dropping Most Among Democrats, Liberals
Currently, 32% of Democrats -- down from 43% in 2017 and 56% in 2013 -- are extremely proud. The decline preceded the election of Donald Trump but has accelerated in the past year.
Less than half of independents, 42%, are also extremely proud. That is down slightly from 48% a year ago, and 50% in 2013.
As has typically been the case, Republicans are more inclined to say they are extremely proud to be Americans than are Democrats and independents. Seventy-four percent of Republicans are extremely proud, which is numerically the highest over the last five years.
With the large decline among Democrats, the Republican-Democratic gap in extreme pride has grown from 15 percentage points in 2013 to 42 points today.
Political liberals are even less likely than Democrats to say they are extremely proud -- just 23% do so, compared with 46% of moderates and 65% of conservatives. Extreme pride among liberals has dropped nine points in the past year and 28 points since 2013.
Other demographic differences in national pride largely reflect the political leanings of U.S. adults. Young adults, college graduates, nonwhites and women -- all Democratic-leaning groups -- are below the national average in terms of being extremely proud to be Americans. Meanwhile, older adults, those without a college degree, whites and men -- who are more Republican-leaning -- are above the average.
Most of these subgroups have seen declines in patriotism at some point over the last five years, with those declines greatest among nonwhites, young adults and college graduates.
Implications
Fewer than half of U.S. adults are extremely proud to be Americans, something that had not been seen in the prior 17 years Gallup has asked the public about its national pride. Politics appears to be a factor, with sharp declines evident among Democrats and political liberals and no decrease among Republicans and conservatives. Left-leaning groups' antipathy toward Donald Trump and their belief that other countries look unfavorably on the president are likely factors in their decline in patriotism, particularly the sharp drops in the past year. But the declines began before Trump was elected.
National pride may be just one of a growing number of issues -- including opinions about guns, labor unions and the environment -- for which party loyalties are pushing Democrats and Republicans to adopt divergent views. These changes are making each party's base more homogenous but increasingly different from one another.
Friday, July 06, 2018
WAIT UNTILL ONE OF THE PEACEKEEPERS GETS SHOT
NYC Will Send ‘Mobile Trauma Units’ or buses filled with counselors and peacekeepers, to crime scenes throughout the city in an effort to ease tensions in communities after acts of violence
The Crime Report
July 5, 2018
New York City will spend $1.8 million this year to roll out “mobile trauma units” — buses filled with counselors and peacekeepers — to crime scenes throughout the city in an effort to ease tensions in communities after acts of gun violence, the Wall Street Journal reports. The buses will be deployed in January 2019 to each borough. Some team members have prior criminal records and former gang affiliations. Known as “violence interrupters,” they use their credibility and connections to resolve disputes before they escalate. “A lot of people don’t realize once the funeral is over, once the candles stop burning, once the media is gone, people are still suffering, people are still afraid,” said Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson, former chair of the City Council’s public safety committee, who pushed for the initiative.
Eric Cumberbatch of the Mayor’s Office to Prevent Gun Violence said the program will likely cost $875,000 annually following the roll out. He said the program would help community members heal while allowing anti-violence advocates to take responsibility in ensuring public safety. Like the New York Police Department’s mobile-command posts, the advocates’ units will stay at crime scenes up to a week after crimes are committed. Eugene O’Donnell, a professor of law and police studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said it would be hard to justify the use of such a program. “They’re going to try to stop retaliation. The claim will be since they intervened, there was no retaliation action,” O’Donnell said. “As with any preventive strategy, it’s going to be hard in this case to prove if they’ve actually had any success.”
The Crime Report
July 5, 2018
New York City will spend $1.8 million this year to roll out “mobile trauma units” — buses filled with counselors and peacekeepers — to crime scenes throughout the city in an effort to ease tensions in communities after acts of gun violence, the Wall Street Journal reports. The buses will be deployed in January 2019 to each borough. Some team members have prior criminal records and former gang affiliations. Known as “violence interrupters,” they use their credibility and connections to resolve disputes before they escalate. “A lot of people don’t realize once the funeral is over, once the candles stop burning, once the media is gone, people are still suffering, people are still afraid,” said Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson, former chair of the City Council’s public safety committee, who pushed for the initiative.
Eric Cumberbatch of the Mayor’s Office to Prevent Gun Violence said the program will likely cost $875,000 annually following the roll out. He said the program would help community members heal while allowing anti-violence advocates to take responsibility in ensuring public safety. Like the New York Police Department’s mobile-command posts, the advocates’ units will stay at crime scenes up to a week after crimes are committed. Eugene O’Donnell, a professor of law and police studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said it would be hard to justify the use of such a program. “They’re going to try to stop retaliation. The claim will be since they intervened, there was no retaliation action,” O’Donnell said. “As with any preventive strategy, it’s going to be hard in this case to prove if they’ve actually had any success.”
EL CHAPO REALLY NOT SO HOTSO
Redacted material revealed a peek at governments evidence that El Chapo was never the Sinaloa Cartel leader and who was/is the leader of the cartel
By Chivis Martinez
Borderland Beat
July 3, 2018
Borderland Beat followers:
Some of you are upset I removed a document from my post titled "Government has evidence indicating El Chapo was not top leader of SinaloaCartel". The document, which is a letter of reply, includes redacted material, essentially naming 9 pieces of evidence from 41 in the hands of the government. The government disclosed as having this evidence, without producing additional context with respect to the potentially exculpatory evidence, indicating El Chapo was not the top leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, and never had been. This is one of the charges against him. Only now, two months before trial, that the defense was made aware that such evidence existed.
There appears to have been a malfunction with the government website, possibly in the process of uploading the document on to the website, whereas the redacted information could be compromised.
This was revealed to me, by a BB follower, who determined how to expose the reacted material, that is under the text, and blackened out in a court filing. Although it is not the entire list of material the government has, it gives a glimpse into what is claimed.
When the error was discovered, the document was then prohibited in accessing by the public. I decided at that time to remove the document from my BB post and my Scribd page, along with the revealed information the BB follower had posted on comments.
However, after thinking about it for a day, I have proceeded with this post I had in draft and share it with readers, revealing the 9 points of evidence disclosed.
It begins from 1999, which at the time the government determined there was no premier leader governing but rather leaderless allied groups. From 2002 that perception changes.
First count in the indictment. Count 1 charges that from 1989 to 2014, Mr. Guzmán engaged in a continuing criminal enterprise and that he “occupied supervisory and management positions,” and was “one of several principal administrators, organizers and leaders of the continuing criminal enterprise.” Doc. No. 14 at 5; see also 21 U.S.C. § 848(b).
That the government can claim with a straight face that those specific items are not favorable or exculpatory strains credulity. For example:
Item 4 states
That the “government has information from 1999, that there was no particular leader of the alliance among the defendant, Arturo Beltran Leyva, Guero Palma and el Azul.
Item 5 states
That the “government has information from 2002 that the defendant was a lieutenant of Mayo’s
Item 9 states
that the “government has information from 2007 that Mayo was the ‘king’ of trafficking in Mexico, and was stronger than the defendant
Item 10 states
that the “government has information from 2007 that the defendant was an “enforcer” for the Sinaloa Cartel, El Azul was the “brains,” and Mayo was the leader of the Sinaloa Ca
Item 11 states
that the “government has information from 2007 that the defendant and Alfredo Beltran Leyva (“Mochomo”) worked under Mayo
Item 12 states
That the “government has information from 2008 that the defendant did not take any action without the approval of El Azul and Mayo
Item 19 states
That the “government has information from 2009 that one or more individuals believed ‘Mayo’ was the leader of ‘all of the mafia in Mexico,’ and not the defendant as most people believed
Item 21 states that
The “government has information from 2010 that Mayo was the head of the Sinaloa Cartel and conflicting information that the defendant had ascended to the head of the Cartel.”
Item 23 states
That the “government has information from 2011 that Mayo was higher ranking than the defendant, that Mayo told the defendant what to do and that Mayo was satisfied the public perception is that the defendant is the head of the Sinaloa Cartel, because it allowed Mayo to keep a lower profile because law enforcement’s focus was on the defendant.”
By Chivis Martinez
Borderland Beat
July 3, 2018
Borderland Beat followers:
Some of you are upset I removed a document from my post titled "Government has evidence indicating El Chapo was not top leader of SinaloaCartel". The document, which is a letter of reply, includes redacted material, essentially naming 9 pieces of evidence from 41 in the hands of the government. The government disclosed as having this evidence, without producing additional context with respect to the potentially exculpatory evidence, indicating El Chapo was not the top leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, and never had been. This is one of the charges against him. Only now, two months before trial, that the defense was made aware that such evidence existed.
There appears to have been a malfunction with the government website, possibly in the process of uploading the document on to the website, whereas the redacted information could be compromised.
This was revealed to me, by a BB follower, who determined how to expose the reacted material, that is under the text, and blackened out in a court filing. Although it is not the entire list of material the government has, it gives a glimpse into what is claimed.
When the error was discovered, the document was then prohibited in accessing by the public. I decided at that time to remove the document from my BB post and my Scribd page, along with the revealed information the BB follower had posted on comments.
However, after thinking about it for a day, I have proceeded with this post I had in draft and share it with readers, revealing the 9 points of evidence disclosed.
It begins from 1999, which at the time the government determined there was no premier leader governing but rather leaderless allied groups. From 2002 that perception changes.
First count in the indictment. Count 1 charges that from 1989 to 2014, Mr. Guzmán engaged in a continuing criminal enterprise and that he “occupied supervisory and management positions,” and was “one of several principal administrators, organizers and leaders of the continuing criminal enterprise.” Doc. No. 14 at 5; see also 21 U.S.C. § 848(b).
That the government can claim with a straight face that those specific items are not favorable or exculpatory strains credulity. For example:
Item 4 states
That the “government has information from 1999, that there was no particular leader of the alliance among the defendant, Arturo Beltran Leyva, Guero Palma and el Azul.
Item 5 states
That the “government has information from 2002 that the defendant was a lieutenant of Mayo’s
Item 9 states
that the “government has information from 2007 that Mayo was the ‘king’ of trafficking in Mexico, and was stronger than the defendant
Item 10 states
that the “government has information from 2007 that the defendant was an “enforcer” for the Sinaloa Cartel, El Azul was the “brains,” and Mayo was the leader of the Sinaloa Ca
Item 11 states
that the “government has information from 2007 that the defendant and Alfredo Beltran Leyva (“Mochomo”) worked under Mayo
Item 12 states
That the “government has information from 2008 that the defendant did not take any action without the approval of El Azul and Mayo
Item 19 states
That the “government has information from 2009 that one or more individuals believed ‘Mayo’ was the leader of ‘all of the mafia in Mexico,’ and not the defendant as most people believed
Item 21 states that
The “government has information from 2010 that Mayo was the head of the Sinaloa Cartel and conflicting information that the defendant had ascended to the head of the Cartel.”
Item 23 states
That the “government has information from 2011 that Mayo was higher ranking than the defendant, that Mayo told the defendant what to do and that Mayo was satisfied the public perception is that the defendant is the head of the Sinaloa Cartel, because it allowed Mayo to keep a lower profile because law enforcement’s focus was on the defendant.”
AN OH SHIT MOMENT
A wife is dreaming in bed.
She suddenly wakes up and shouts, “Quick, my husband just got home!”
Her husband wakes up, grabs his clothes and jumps out the window.
A LESSON WELL LEARNED
What do we learn from cows, buffaloes, rhinoceroses and elephants?
It is impossible to reduce one’s weight by eating green grass and salads, and by walking.
ALGEBRA LESSON
Dear Algebra
Please stop asking us to find your X.
She’s never coming back and don’t ask Y.
IT’S HARD TO TOP THIS TATTOO
A young lady on the beach was wearing a string bikini. Right beneath her belly button she had a tattoo which read:
Boner Entrance
Underneath the words was an arrow pointing to her twat.
A wife is dreaming in bed.
She suddenly wakes up and shouts, “Quick, my husband just got home!”
Her husband wakes up, grabs his clothes and jumps out the window.
A LESSON WELL LEARNED
What do we learn from cows, buffaloes, rhinoceroses and elephants?
It is impossible to reduce one’s weight by eating green grass and salads, and by walking.
ALGEBRA LESSON
Dear Algebra
Please stop asking us to find your X.
She’s never coming back and don’t ask Y.
IT’S HARD TO TOP THIS TATTOO
A young lady on the beach was wearing a string bikini. Right beneath her belly button she had a tattoo which read:
Boner Entrance
Underneath the words was an arrow pointing to her twat.
Thursday, July 05, 2018
MORALE BOOSTING STOP FOR THE STANLEY CUP
The coveted trophy visited the newsroom of the Capital Gazette one week after five staff members were killed in a mass shooting
The National Hockey League’s top trophy, the Stanley Cup, is the hardest of all sports trophies to win. Last month, the Washington Capitals won the cup for the first time in its 44 year franchise history.
By tradition, every player and team staff member of the NHL championship team gets to keep the Stanley Cup for 24 hours. Thus the cup has traveled to places all over Canada, to some U.S. places and to places in Russia, Sweden and other European countries.
On Thursday of last week, Jarrod Ramos took a shotgun to the newsroom of the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland and killed five members of the newspaper’s staff. Craig Leydig, the Washington Capitals equipment manager, had been interviewed by the paper shortly before the mass shooting.
Leydig decided to use part of his 24 hours with the cup by taking it to the temporary newsroom of the Gazette. The visit turned out to be a real morale booster. Reporter Rick Hutzell said:
“We want to thank Craig for coming in with the Stanley Cup. It was clearly a big morale boost for everyone, particularly the hockey fans in the newsroom. The number of selfies that came out of this was huge and will be treasured forever.”
Alexander (the Great) Ovechkin, captain of the team, also won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Although he owns a 5-bedroom home in McLean, Virginia, Ovechkin is expected to take his 24-hour turn with the cup in Moscow.
In November 2017 Ovechkin started a movement called PutinTeam in support of Russian President Vladimir Putin. You can bet that Putin will get to touch the Stanley Cup when Alexander the Great brings it to Russia.
Meanwhile a distraught staff at the Capital Gazette feels better after getting to touch the coveted trophy.
The National Hockey League’s top trophy, the Stanley Cup, is the hardest of all sports trophies to win. Last month, the Washington Capitals won the cup for the first time in its 44 year franchise history.
By tradition, every player and team staff member of the NHL championship team gets to keep the Stanley Cup for 24 hours. Thus the cup has traveled to places all over Canada, to some U.S. places and to places in Russia, Sweden and other European countries.
On Thursday of last week, Jarrod Ramos took a shotgun to the newsroom of the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland and killed five members of the newspaper’s staff. Craig Leydig, the Washington Capitals equipment manager, had been interviewed by the paper shortly before the mass shooting.
Leydig decided to use part of his 24 hours with the cup by taking it to the temporary newsroom of the Gazette. The visit turned out to be a real morale booster. Reporter Rick Hutzell said:
“We want to thank Craig for coming in with the Stanley Cup. It was clearly a big morale boost for everyone, particularly the hockey fans in the newsroom. The number of selfies that came out of this was huge and will be treasured forever.”
Alexander (the Great) Ovechkin, captain of the team, also won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Although he owns a 5-bedroom home in McLean, Virginia, Ovechkin is expected to take his 24-hour turn with the cup in Moscow.
In November 2017 Ovechkin started a movement called PutinTeam in support of Russian President Vladimir Putin. You can bet that Putin will get to touch the Stanley Cup when Alexander the Great brings it to Russia.
Meanwhile a distraught staff at the Capital Gazette feels better after getting to touch the coveted trophy.
MAXINE WATERS IS RUNNING SCARED
by Bob Walsh
Maxine Waters is a well-known and little-respected congresswoman from California. She is said to be so stupid that she sleeps at night in her office because she is not smart enough to find her way to work in the morning otherwise. I have doubt about that, I am sure she has some flunky to drive her. That being said there is no doubt that she has the I.Q. of a dog turd.
In any event she has just cancelled two events, one in Alabama and one in Texas, due to what she describes as hostile mail and one serious death threat. (I wonder why hostile mail should bother her. She has urged fellow liberals to verbally assault republicans while they have dinner with their families in public places.) I guess she can throw mudballs but when they come her way she pisses herself.
In any event threatening to actually kill people (assuming her assertion is accurate) is both counterproductive and stupid. I would encourage people to not do it.
EDITOR'S NOTE: What does that tell you about the people that keep reelecting Waters if she has the I.Q. of a dog turd.
Maxine Waters is a well-known and little-respected congresswoman from California. She is said to be so stupid that she sleeps at night in her office because she is not smart enough to find her way to work in the morning otherwise. I have doubt about that, I am sure she has some flunky to drive her. That being said there is no doubt that she has the I.Q. of a dog turd.
In any event she has just cancelled two events, one in Alabama and one in Texas, due to what she describes as hostile mail and one serious death threat. (I wonder why hostile mail should bother her. She has urged fellow liberals to verbally assault republicans while they have dinner with their families in public places.) I guess she can throw mudballs but when they come her way she pisses herself.
In any event threatening to actually kill people (assuming her assertion is accurate) is both counterproductive and stupid. I would encourage people to not do it.
EDITOR'S NOTE: What does that tell you about the people that keep reelecting Waters if she has the I.Q. of a dog turd.
A SUSPICIOUS PERSON
by Bob Walsh
Oregon State Representative Janell Bynum is black and female. Her district is just south of Portland. On Tuesday she was out knocking on doors, seeking feedback from her constituents. She was contacted by a local cop, who told her that a citizen had called in and said she seemed to be spending a lot of time outside of homes in the area.
She managed to get the "concerned citizen" on the phone, the constituent apologized. The cop was very friendly about the whole incident and it was apparently settled with no hard feelings on any side.
Maybe the caller thought she was an exceptionally well dressed and unsuccessful porch pirate.
EDITORS NOTE: 'If you see something, say something' ... especially if you're white and what you see is a black person.
Oregon State Representative Janell Bynum is black and female. Her district is just south of Portland. On Tuesday she was out knocking on doors, seeking feedback from her constituents. She was contacted by a local cop, who told her that a citizen had called in and said she seemed to be spending a lot of time outside of homes in the area.
She managed to get the "concerned citizen" on the phone, the constituent apologized. The cop was very friendly about the whole incident and it was apparently settled with no hard feelings on any side.
Maybe the caller thought she was an exceptionally well dressed and unsuccessful porch pirate.
EDITORS NOTE: 'If you see something, say something' ... especially if you're white and what you see is a black person.
THE PERILS OF BEING A MOUTHY TEENAGER
by Bob Walsh
There is definitely a downside to being a mouthy teenager. Somebody who has a gun handy might take offense.
Julie Schenecker, 57, had just about had it with her two teenage kids mouthing off at her. She says. Beau, age 13, and Calyx, 16, were shot to death by their mother while their father was stationed with the U. S. Army in Qatar. She shot her son Beau twice in the head with a .38 because he was being mouthy in the van on the way to soccer practice. She then drove home ($440,000 house) and shot her daughter Calyx. The girl, who was a track star, was at the time pounding on her computer. She also caught two in the face.
She shot the kids in 2011 and was convicted in 2014. She is now asking for a new trial. It took the original jury two hours to reject her insanity defense and find her guilty. She is now asserting that the finding was in error and wants a new trial because she was really, really and truly stark raving bonkers and shouldn't have to spend the rest of her life in prison just because she killed her kids. She is claiming inadequate defense by her public defender. There is no doubt that she actually committed the acts she is accused of.
There is definitely a downside to being a mouthy teenager. Somebody who has a gun handy might take offense.
Julie Schenecker, 57, had just about had it with her two teenage kids mouthing off at her. She says. Beau, age 13, and Calyx, 16, were shot to death by their mother while their father was stationed with the U. S. Army in Qatar. She shot her son Beau twice in the head with a .38 because he was being mouthy in the van on the way to soccer practice. She then drove home ($440,000 house) and shot her daughter Calyx. The girl, who was a track star, was at the time pounding on her computer. She also caught two in the face.
She shot the kids in 2011 and was convicted in 2014. She is now asking for a new trial. It took the original jury two hours to reject her insanity defense and find her guilty. She is now asserting that the finding was in error and wants a new trial because she was really, really and truly stark raving bonkers and shouldn't have to spend the rest of her life in prison just because she killed her kids. She is claiming inadequate defense by her public defender. There is no doubt that she actually committed the acts she is accused of.
THREE THINGS THAT CAN CAUSE YOU A LOT OF GRIEF
1) Believing The Cops Know You Are The Good Guy Just Because You Are
2) Believing You Don't Have To Follow The Cops Directions Because You Are The Good Guy
3) Thinking The Cops Won't Shoot You If You Reach For The Gun, Because You Are The Good Guy
by Bob Walsh
This unfortunate multi-layered visit from the fuck-up fairy cost a young man his life. It seems that Jason Washington was trying to break up a fight in a sports bar at 1:30 a.m. Officers from the Portland State University Police responded to the incident at the Cheerful Tortoise bar and saw Washington reaching for a gun on the floor. They ordered him REPEATEDLY and LOUDLY to not touch the gun. He grabbed the gun. They shot him. He died.
It turns out the gun was his. It fell out of his holster while he was playing peacemaker (shitty holster, another morality tale there) and hit the floor about the time the cops showed up.
The two campus cops had been with the force for 16 years and four years. The University is in the city and has a student population of 27,000. They did not arm their cops until mid-2015, after six months of training. There is the to-be-expected screaming from liberals to disarm the department and downgrade it to a security guards and not a police force.
It is not known yet how drunk or sober Washington might have been. Fortunately there are a million witnesses, some of them sober, and mucho cell phone footage so what actually happened is not really in question. Under the law that will be good for the cops and the university. The court of public opinion will make it's own judgment, in all probability regardless of the facts.
2) Believing You Don't Have To Follow The Cops Directions Because You Are The Good Guy
3) Thinking The Cops Won't Shoot You If You Reach For The Gun, Because You Are The Good Guy
by Bob Walsh
This unfortunate multi-layered visit from the fuck-up fairy cost a young man his life. It seems that Jason Washington was trying to break up a fight in a sports bar at 1:30 a.m. Officers from the Portland State University Police responded to the incident at the Cheerful Tortoise bar and saw Washington reaching for a gun on the floor. They ordered him REPEATEDLY and LOUDLY to not touch the gun. He grabbed the gun. They shot him. He died.
It turns out the gun was his. It fell out of his holster while he was playing peacemaker (shitty holster, another morality tale there) and hit the floor about the time the cops showed up.
The two campus cops had been with the force for 16 years and four years. The University is in the city and has a student population of 27,000. They did not arm their cops until mid-2015, after six months of training. There is the to-be-expected screaming from liberals to disarm the department and downgrade it to a security guards and not a police force.
It is not known yet how drunk or sober Washington might have been. Fortunately there are a million witnesses, some of them sober, and mucho cell phone footage so what actually happened is not really in question. Under the law that will be good for the cops and the university. The court of public opinion will make it's own judgment, in all probability regardless of the facts.
TRUMP SUPPORTERS INFURIATED OVER WALLMART T-SHIRT
Calls for boycott of Walmart swamp the internet
One item on Walmart’s website is a T-shirt bearing the words “Impeach 45.” ‘45’ is a reference to the 45th U.S. president, Donald Trump. The shirt was available in adult sizes and in baby onesies.
The T-shirt so infuriated Trump supporters, that the internet was swamped with calls for a boycott of Walmart.
Ryan Fournier, chairman of Students for Trump, ignited the social media fury Monday night after he saw the T-shirt on Walmart’s website. Fournier tweeted, “why are you selling Impeach 45 baby clothes on your website????? What kind of message are you trying to send?”
The T-shirts are not sold in Walmart stores and the shirt on the website is not sold directly by Walmart, but by a third-party seller, Old Glory Music & Entertainment, a Connecticut-based vendor.
Glenn Morelli, president of Old Glory Music & Entertainment, responded to the uproar by telling Bloomberg News:
“We carry over 10,000 politically inspired T-shirts dealing with all aspects of politics, from liberal to conservative thought. We are an American company and we are proud to be American, and this is what we do: We sell T-shirts for a living.”
Walmart has removed the T-shirt from its website but it can still be ordered through other online retailers such as Amazon and Bonanza. So, will there be calls for a boycott of Amazon? I doubt it. I’ll bet the infuriated Ryan Fournier is a frequent buyer of items listed by Amazon.
Will there be a boycott of Walmart? Of course not! While a few ardent Trump supporters will boycott the retail giant, the Walmartians will keep coming and coming, and shortly, so will the boycotting Trumpites.
One item on Walmart’s website is a T-shirt bearing the words “Impeach 45.” ‘45’ is a reference to the 45th U.S. president, Donald Trump. The shirt was available in adult sizes and in baby onesies.
The T-shirt so infuriated Trump supporters, that the internet was swamped with calls for a boycott of Walmart.
Ryan Fournier, chairman of Students for Trump, ignited the social media fury Monday night after he saw the T-shirt on Walmart’s website. Fournier tweeted, “why are you selling Impeach 45 baby clothes on your website????? What kind of message are you trying to send?”
The T-shirts are not sold in Walmart stores and the shirt on the website is not sold directly by Walmart, but by a third-party seller, Old Glory Music & Entertainment, a Connecticut-based vendor.
Glenn Morelli, president of Old Glory Music & Entertainment, responded to the uproar by telling Bloomberg News:
“We carry over 10,000 politically inspired T-shirts dealing with all aspects of politics, from liberal to conservative thought. We are an American company and we are proud to be American, and this is what we do: We sell T-shirts for a living.”
Walmart has removed the T-shirt from its website but it can still be ordered through other online retailers such as Amazon and Bonanza. So, will there be calls for a boycott of Amazon? I doubt it. I’ll bet the infuriated Ryan Fournier is a frequent buyer of items listed by Amazon.
Will there be a boycott of Walmart? Of course not! While a few ardent Trump supporters will boycott the retail giant, the Walmartians will keep coming and coming, and shortly, so will the boycotting Trumpites.
OBAMA’S AFFIRMATIVE ACTION POLICIES DUMPED BY TRUMP
Trump Officials Reverse Obama’s Policy on Affirmative Action in Schools
By Erica L. Green, Matt Apuzzo and Katie Benner
The New York Times
July 3, 2018
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said Tuesday that it was abandoning Obama administration policies that called on universities to consider race as a factor in diversifying their campuses, signaling that the administration will champion race-blind admissions standards.
In a joint letter, the Education and Justice Departments announced that they had rescinded seven Obama-era policy guidelines on affirmative action, which, the departments said, “advocate policy preferences and positions beyond the requirements of the Constitution.”
“The executive branch cannot circumvent Congress or the courts by creating guidance that goes beyond the law and — in some instances — stays on the books for decades,” said Devin M. O’Malley, a Justice Department spokesman.
Striking a softer tone, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos wrote in a separate statement: “The Supreme Court has determined what affirmative action policies are constitutional, and the court’s written decisions are the best guide for navigating this complex issue. Schools should continue to offer equal opportunities for all students while abiding by the law.”
The Trump administration’s moves come with affirmative action at a crossroads. Hard-liners in the Justice and Education Departments are moving against any use of race as a measurement of diversity in education. And the retirement of Justice Anthony M. Kennedy at the end of this month will leave the Supreme Court without its swing vote on affirmative action while allowing
President Trump to nominate a justice opposed to policies that for decades have tried to integrate elite educational institutions.
A highly anticipated case is pitting Harvard against Asian-American students who say one of the nation’s most prestigious institutions has systematically excluded some Asian-American applicants to maintain slots for students of other races. That case is clearly aimed at the Supreme Court.
“The whole issue of using race in education is being looked at with a new eye in light of the fact that it’s not just white students being discriminated against, but Asians and others as well,” said Roger Clegg, the president and general counsel of the conservative Center for Equal Opportunity. “As the demographics of the country change, it becomes more and more problematic.”
Democrats and civil rights organizations denounced the administration’s decisions. Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the House Democratic leader, said the “rollback of vital affirmative action guidance offends our nation’s values” and called it “yet another clear Trump administration attack on communities of color.”
Guidance documents like those rescinded on Tuesday do not have the force of law, but they amount to the official view of the federal government. School officials who keep their race-conscious admissions policies intact would do so knowing that they could face a Justice Department investigation or lawsuit, or lose funding from the Education Department.
The Obama administration believed that students benefited from being surrounded by diverse classmates, so in 2011, the administration offered schools a potential road map to establishing affirmative action policies and race-based considerations that could withstand legal scrutiny from an increasingly skeptical Supreme Court.
In a pair of policy guidance documents issued in 2011, the Obama Education and Justice Departments informed elementary and secondary schools and college campuses of “the compelling interests” established by the Supreme Court to achieve diversity. They concluded that the court “has made clear such steps can include taking account of the race of individual students in a narrowly tailored manner.”
But Trump Justice Department officials identified those documents as particularly problematic and full of “hypotheticals” intended to allow schools to skirt the law.
The Trump administration’s decision returned the government’s policies to the George W. Bush era. The administration did not formally reissue the Bush-era guidance but in recent days did repost a Bush administration affirmative action policy document online. That document states, “The Department of Education strongly encourages the use of race-neutral methods for assigning students to elementary and secondary schools.” For several years, that document had been replaced by a note declaring that the policy had been withdrawn.
The Education Department had last reaffirmed its position on affirmative action in schools in 2016 after a Supreme Court ruling said schools could consider race as one factor among many. In that case, Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, a white woman claimed she was denied admission because of her race.
“It remains an enduring challenge to our nation’s education system to reconcile the pursuit of diversity with the constitutional promise of equal treatment and dignity,” Justice Kennedy wrote for the 4-to-3 majority.
Some colleges, such as Duke and Bucknell universities, said they would wait to see how the Education Department proceeds in issuing new guidance. Other colleges said they would proceed with diversifying their campuses as the Supreme Court intended.
Melodie Jackson, a Harvard spokeswoman, said the university would “continue to vigorously defend its right, and that of all colleges and universities, to consider race as one factor among many in college admissions, which has been upheld by the Supreme Court for more than 40 years.”
A spokeswoman for the University of Michigan, which won a major Supreme Court case in 2003, suggested that the flagship university would like more freedom to consider race, not less. But it is already constrained by state law. After the case, Michigan voters enacted a constitutional ban on race-conscious college admissions policies.
“We believe the U.S. Supreme Court got it right in 2003 when it affirmed our law school’s approach at the time, which allowed consideration of race as one of many factors in the admissions process,” said Kim Broekhuizen, the Michigan spokeswoman. “We still believe that.”
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has indicated that he will take a tough line against such views. Federal prosecutors will investigate and sue universities over discriminatory admissions policies, he said.
But a senior Justice Department official denied that these decisions were rolling back protections for minorities. He said they were instead hewing the department closer to the letter of the law. In the departments’ letter, officials wrote that “the protections from discrimination on the basis of race remain in place.”
“The departments are firmly committed to vigorously enforcing these protections on behalf of all students,” the letter said.
Anurima Bhargava, who headed civil rights enforcement in schools for the Justice Department under President Barack Obama and helped write that administration’s guidance, said the withdrawal of the guidelines was timed for brief filings in the Harvard litigation, due at the end of the month.
“This is a wholly political attack,” Ms. Bhargava said. “And our schools are the place where our communities come together, so our schools have to continue to promote diversity and address segregation, as the U.S. Constitution demands.”
Catherine Lhamon, who served as the Education Department’s head of civil rights under Mr. Obama, called the departments’ move confusing.
“There’s no reason to rethink or reconsider this, as the Supreme Court is the highest court in the land and has spoken on this issue,” Ms. Lhamon said.
On Friday, the Education Department began laying the groundwork for the shift, when it restored on its civil rights website the Bush-era guidance. Conservative advocacy groups saw that as promising. Mr. Clegg, of the Center for Equal Opportunity, said that preserving the Obama-era guidance would be akin to “the F.B.I. issuing a document on how you can engage in racial profiling in a way where you won’t get caught.”
Ms. DeVos has seemed hesitant to wade in on the fate of affirmative action policies, which date back to a 57-year-old executive order by President John F. Kennedy, who recognized systemic and discriminatory disadvantages for women and minorities. The Education Department did not partake in the Justice Department’s formal interest in Harvard’s litigation.
“I think this has been a question before the courts and the courts have opined,” Ms. DeVos told The Associated Press.
But Ms. DeVos’s new head of civil rights, Kenneth L. Marcus, may disagree. A vocal opponent of affirmative action, Mr. Marcus was confirmed last month on a party-line Senate vote, and it was Mr. Marcus who signed Tuesday’s letter.
Under Mr. Marcus’s leadership, the Louis D. Brandeis Center, a human rights organization that champions Jewish causes, filed an amicus brief in 2012, the first time the Supreme Court heard Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin. In the brief, the organization argued that “race conscious admission standards are unfair to individuals, and unhealthy for society at large.”
The organization argued that Asian-American students were particularly victimized by race “quotas” that were once used to exclude Jewish people.
As the implications for affirmative action for college admissions play out in court, it is unclear what the decision holds for elementary and secondary schools. New York City is embroiled in a debate about whether to change its entrance standard — currently a single test — for its most prestigious high schools to allow for more black and Latino students.
By Erica L. Green, Matt Apuzzo and Katie Benner
The New York Times
July 3, 2018
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said Tuesday that it was abandoning Obama administration policies that called on universities to consider race as a factor in diversifying their campuses, signaling that the administration will champion race-blind admissions standards.
In a joint letter, the Education and Justice Departments announced that they had rescinded seven Obama-era policy guidelines on affirmative action, which, the departments said, “advocate policy preferences and positions beyond the requirements of the Constitution.”
“The executive branch cannot circumvent Congress or the courts by creating guidance that goes beyond the law and — in some instances — stays on the books for decades,” said Devin M. O’Malley, a Justice Department spokesman.
Striking a softer tone, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos wrote in a separate statement: “The Supreme Court has determined what affirmative action policies are constitutional, and the court’s written decisions are the best guide for navigating this complex issue. Schools should continue to offer equal opportunities for all students while abiding by the law.”
The Trump administration’s moves come with affirmative action at a crossroads. Hard-liners in the Justice and Education Departments are moving against any use of race as a measurement of diversity in education. And the retirement of Justice Anthony M. Kennedy at the end of this month will leave the Supreme Court without its swing vote on affirmative action while allowing
President Trump to nominate a justice opposed to policies that for decades have tried to integrate elite educational institutions.
A highly anticipated case is pitting Harvard against Asian-American students who say one of the nation’s most prestigious institutions has systematically excluded some Asian-American applicants to maintain slots for students of other races. That case is clearly aimed at the Supreme Court.
“The whole issue of using race in education is being looked at with a new eye in light of the fact that it’s not just white students being discriminated against, but Asians and others as well,” said Roger Clegg, the president and general counsel of the conservative Center for Equal Opportunity. “As the demographics of the country change, it becomes more and more problematic.”
Democrats and civil rights organizations denounced the administration’s decisions. Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the House Democratic leader, said the “rollback of vital affirmative action guidance offends our nation’s values” and called it “yet another clear Trump administration attack on communities of color.”
Guidance documents like those rescinded on Tuesday do not have the force of law, but they amount to the official view of the federal government. School officials who keep their race-conscious admissions policies intact would do so knowing that they could face a Justice Department investigation or lawsuit, or lose funding from the Education Department.
The Obama administration believed that students benefited from being surrounded by diverse classmates, so in 2011, the administration offered schools a potential road map to establishing affirmative action policies and race-based considerations that could withstand legal scrutiny from an increasingly skeptical Supreme Court.
In a pair of policy guidance documents issued in 2011, the Obama Education and Justice Departments informed elementary and secondary schools and college campuses of “the compelling interests” established by the Supreme Court to achieve diversity. They concluded that the court “has made clear such steps can include taking account of the race of individual students in a narrowly tailored manner.”
But Trump Justice Department officials identified those documents as particularly problematic and full of “hypotheticals” intended to allow schools to skirt the law.
The Trump administration’s decision returned the government’s policies to the George W. Bush era. The administration did not formally reissue the Bush-era guidance but in recent days did repost a Bush administration affirmative action policy document online. That document states, “The Department of Education strongly encourages the use of race-neutral methods for assigning students to elementary and secondary schools.” For several years, that document had been replaced by a note declaring that the policy had been withdrawn.
The Education Department had last reaffirmed its position on affirmative action in schools in 2016 after a Supreme Court ruling said schools could consider race as one factor among many. In that case, Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, a white woman claimed she was denied admission because of her race.
“It remains an enduring challenge to our nation’s education system to reconcile the pursuit of diversity with the constitutional promise of equal treatment and dignity,” Justice Kennedy wrote for the 4-to-3 majority.
Some colleges, such as Duke and Bucknell universities, said they would wait to see how the Education Department proceeds in issuing new guidance. Other colleges said they would proceed with diversifying their campuses as the Supreme Court intended.
Melodie Jackson, a Harvard spokeswoman, said the university would “continue to vigorously defend its right, and that of all colleges and universities, to consider race as one factor among many in college admissions, which has been upheld by the Supreme Court for more than 40 years.”
A spokeswoman for the University of Michigan, which won a major Supreme Court case in 2003, suggested that the flagship university would like more freedom to consider race, not less. But it is already constrained by state law. After the case, Michigan voters enacted a constitutional ban on race-conscious college admissions policies.
“We believe the U.S. Supreme Court got it right in 2003 when it affirmed our law school’s approach at the time, which allowed consideration of race as one of many factors in the admissions process,” said Kim Broekhuizen, the Michigan spokeswoman. “We still believe that.”
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has indicated that he will take a tough line against such views. Federal prosecutors will investigate and sue universities over discriminatory admissions policies, he said.
But a senior Justice Department official denied that these decisions were rolling back protections for minorities. He said they were instead hewing the department closer to the letter of the law. In the departments’ letter, officials wrote that “the protections from discrimination on the basis of race remain in place.”
“The departments are firmly committed to vigorously enforcing these protections on behalf of all students,” the letter said.
Anurima Bhargava, who headed civil rights enforcement in schools for the Justice Department under President Barack Obama and helped write that administration’s guidance, said the withdrawal of the guidelines was timed for brief filings in the Harvard litigation, due at the end of the month.
“This is a wholly political attack,” Ms. Bhargava said. “And our schools are the place where our communities come together, so our schools have to continue to promote diversity and address segregation, as the U.S. Constitution demands.”
Catherine Lhamon, who served as the Education Department’s head of civil rights under Mr. Obama, called the departments’ move confusing.
“There’s no reason to rethink or reconsider this, as the Supreme Court is the highest court in the land and has spoken on this issue,” Ms. Lhamon said.
On Friday, the Education Department began laying the groundwork for the shift, when it restored on its civil rights website the Bush-era guidance. Conservative advocacy groups saw that as promising. Mr. Clegg, of the Center for Equal Opportunity, said that preserving the Obama-era guidance would be akin to “the F.B.I. issuing a document on how you can engage in racial profiling in a way where you won’t get caught.”
Ms. DeVos has seemed hesitant to wade in on the fate of affirmative action policies, which date back to a 57-year-old executive order by President John F. Kennedy, who recognized systemic and discriminatory disadvantages for women and minorities. The Education Department did not partake in the Justice Department’s formal interest in Harvard’s litigation.
“I think this has been a question before the courts and the courts have opined,” Ms. DeVos told The Associated Press.
But Ms. DeVos’s new head of civil rights, Kenneth L. Marcus, may disagree. A vocal opponent of affirmative action, Mr. Marcus was confirmed last month on a party-line Senate vote, and it was Mr. Marcus who signed Tuesday’s letter.
Under Mr. Marcus’s leadership, the Louis D. Brandeis Center, a human rights organization that champions Jewish causes, filed an amicus brief in 2012, the first time the Supreme Court heard Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin. In the brief, the organization argued that “race conscious admission standards are unfair to individuals, and unhealthy for society at large.”
The organization argued that Asian-American students were particularly victimized by race “quotas” that were once used to exclude Jewish people.
As the implications for affirmative action for college admissions play out in court, it is unclear what the decision holds for elementary and secondary schools. New York City is embroiled in a debate about whether to change its entrance standard — currently a single test — for its most prestigious high schools to allow for more black and Latino students.
TROOP F GOT AN F
Former Mass. State Police trooper pleads guilty in overtime fraud case
By Travis Andersen and Andrea Estes
The Boston Globe
July 3, 2018
A retired Massachusetts State Police veteran has admitted writing phony traffic tickets and falsifying hundreds of hours of overtime, becoming the first trooper convicted in the burgeoning fraud scandal, according to documents unsealed Tuesday in federal court.
As part of his plea deal with the federal government, Gregory Raftery, 47, will serve time in prison and help prosecutors investigating rampant overtime abuse in the state’s largest law enforcement agency.
Raftery’s plea agreement was signed last Wednesday, the same day FBI agents arrested three other troopers at their homes.
Raftery’s willingness to serve between 12 and 18 months in prison — despite his cooperation — sent a jolt through State Police ranks, with at least 40 current and former troopers under scrutiny related to overtime schemes.
Raftery, a member of the now disbanded Troop E from 2012 to 2017, collected $54,000 for overtime hours he did not work, according to his plea agreement.
He earned $202,769 in 2015, including $82,514 in overtime. In 2016, prosecutors said, he made $219,669, including $87,607 in overtime.
Raftery’s attorney, Thomas J. Butters, declined to comment Tuesday afternoon.
Raftery, of Westwood, worked 22 years for the police force and retired in late March, according to the state retirement board. He began collecting an annual pension of $72,204 last week, and received a payout of $25,392 for unused sick or vacation time.
He is scheduled to be appear in court for sentencing on Sept. 25.
Under the plea deal, prosecutors agreed to recommend a prison sentence of 12 to 18 months, though a federal judge can ignore that recommendation. Raftery will also be required to pay back $51,337.
Following news of the guilty plea, Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin said the department “played a lead role in uncovering the overtime abuse that led to this conviction” and said the agency will continue to turn over results of internal audits to federal and state criminal authorities.
She also said the agency plans to notify the retirement board of Raftery’s guilty plea. The board can halt pension payments when public employees are convicted of crimes related to their jobs.
“Anyone within our ranks who breaks the law does not represent who we are and the values we hold dear,” Gilpin said in a written statement. “Rest assured that no one is more disheartened by this illegal conduct than am I and the overwhelming majority of troopers who exhibit integrity and bravery every day.”
Governor Charlie Baker has said he wants the retirement board to be aggressive in going after the pensions of convicted troopers.
In 2015 and 2016, Raftery signed up for 290 overtime shifts as part of a program called the Accident and Injury Reduction Effort. He regularly left these four-hour shifts one to three hours early or failed to show up for them at all, but still collected the extra pay, according to federal prosecutors.
As part of the scheme, he submitted phony traffic citations for traffic stops that didn’t take place, using driver information he obtained from the State Police computer database. It’s unclear if motorists received bogus tickets from Raftery.
Earlier Wednesday, prosecutors had asked US District Court Judge William Young to shield Raftery’s plea deal from public view until mid-August, arguing that the “disclosure of these materials might jeopardize the ongoing investigation of this case and the safety of potential witnesses.”
Prosecutors had outlined their argument for shielding the case in a separate, sealed filing. Young unsealed the plea deal, but kept the related documents hidden.
Three other veteran troopers were arrested last week and accused of pocketing thousands of dollars for overtime they didn’t work.
Former lieutenant David W. Wilson, 57, of Charlton, former trooper Paul E. Cesan, 50, of Southwick, and Trooper Gary S. Herman, 45, of Chester, were led in and out of the federal courtroom in handcuffs.
They were accused of bilking taxpayers out of tens of thousands of dollars in 2016, submitting “ghost” tickets, filing for no-show shifts, and taking steps to hide their crimes. One was accused of putting in for overtime on the same day he was on bereavement leave.
At the time, Hank Shaw, FBI special agent in charge of the Boston office, said the steps the troopers took to conceal the schemes were as “equally disturbing” as the fraud itself.
“We believe they broke the law for their own personal gain,” said Shaw. “There is no excuse for this type of behavior. The Massachusetts taxpayers deserve honesty from those who serve them.”
Attorney General Maura Healey is also investigating the alleged overtime abuse. Prosecutors from her office have been conducting interviews over the past few weeks, according to someone with direct knowledge.
A spokeswoman for Healey would not comment Tuesday on Raftery’s plea, citing the “ongoing investigation.”
State and federal investigators became involved after the State Police conducted a series of audits that turned up discrepancies in the pay records of dozens of current and former Troop E members. That led to an internal investigation, a referral to Healey’s office, and the disbanding this spring of the entire unit.
By Travis Andersen and Andrea Estes
The Boston Globe
July 3, 2018
A retired Massachusetts State Police veteran has admitted writing phony traffic tickets and falsifying hundreds of hours of overtime, becoming the first trooper convicted in the burgeoning fraud scandal, according to documents unsealed Tuesday in federal court.
As part of his plea deal with the federal government, Gregory Raftery, 47, will serve time in prison and help prosecutors investigating rampant overtime abuse in the state’s largest law enforcement agency.
Raftery’s plea agreement was signed last Wednesday, the same day FBI agents arrested three other troopers at their homes.
Raftery’s willingness to serve between 12 and 18 months in prison — despite his cooperation — sent a jolt through State Police ranks, with at least 40 current and former troopers under scrutiny related to overtime schemes.
Raftery, a member of the now disbanded Troop E from 2012 to 2017, collected $54,000 for overtime hours he did not work, according to his plea agreement.
He earned $202,769 in 2015, including $82,514 in overtime. In 2016, prosecutors said, he made $219,669, including $87,607 in overtime.
Raftery’s attorney, Thomas J. Butters, declined to comment Tuesday afternoon.
Raftery, of Westwood, worked 22 years for the police force and retired in late March, according to the state retirement board. He began collecting an annual pension of $72,204 last week, and received a payout of $25,392 for unused sick or vacation time.
He is scheduled to be appear in court for sentencing on Sept. 25.
Under the plea deal, prosecutors agreed to recommend a prison sentence of 12 to 18 months, though a federal judge can ignore that recommendation. Raftery will also be required to pay back $51,337.
Following news of the guilty plea, Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin said the department “played a lead role in uncovering the overtime abuse that led to this conviction” and said the agency will continue to turn over results of internal audits to federal and state criminal authorities.
She also said the agency plans to notify the retirement board of Raftery’s guilty plea. The board can halt pension payments when public employees are convicted of crimes related to their jobs.
“Anyone within our ranks who breaks the law does not represent who we are and the values we hold dear,” Gilpin said in a written statement. “Rest assured that no one is more disheartened by this illegal conduct than am I and the overwhelming majority of troopers who exhibit integrity and bravery every day.”
Governor Charlie Baker has said he wants the retirement board to be aggressive in going after the pensions of convicted troopers.
In 2015 and 2016, Raftery signed up for 290 overtime shifts as part of a program called the Accident and Injury Reduction Effort. He regularly left these four-hour shifts one to three hours early or failed to show up for them at all, but still collected the extra pay, according to federal prosecutors.
As part of the scheme, he submitted phony traffic citations for traffic stops that didn’t take place, using driver information he obtained from the State Police computer database. It’s unclear if motorists received bogus tickets from Raftery.
Earlier Wednesday, prosecutors had asked US District Court Judge William Young to shield Raftery’s plea deal from public view until mid-August, arguing that the “disclosure of these materials might jeopardize the ongoing investigation of this case and the safety of potential witnesses.”
Prosecutors had outlined their argument for shielding the case in a separate, sealed filing. Young unsealed the plea deal, but kept the related documents hidden.
Three other veteran troopers were arrested last week and accused of pocketing thousands of dollars for overtime they didn’t work.
Former lieutenant David W. Wilson, 57, of Charlton, former trooper Paul E. Cesan, 50, of Southwick, and Trooper Gary S. Herman, 45, of Chester, were led in and out of the federal courtroom in handcuffs.
They were accused of bilking taxpayers out of tens of thousands of dollars in 2016, submitting “ghost” tickets, filing for no-show shifts, and taking steps to hide their crimes. One was accused of putting in for overtime on the same day he was on bereavement leave.
At the time, Hank Shaw, FBI special agent in charge of the Boston office, said the steps the troopers took to conceal the schemes were as “equally disturbing” as the fraud itself.
“We believe they broke the law for their own personal gain,” said Shaw. “There is no excuse for this type of behavior. The Massachusetts taxpayers deserve honesty from those who serve them.”
Attorney General Maura Healey is also investigating the alleged overtime abuse. Prosecutors from her office have been conducting interviews over the past few weeks, according to someone with direct knowledge.
A spokeswoman for Healey would not comment Tuesday on Raftery’s plea, citing the “ongoing investigation.”
State and federal investigators became involved after the State Police conducted a series of audits that turned up discrepancies in the pay records of dozens of current and former Troop E members. That led to an internal investigation, a referral to Healey’s office, and the disbanding this spring of the entire unit.
WHY LOW BID IS NOT ALWAYS WONDERFUL
by Bob Walsh
I worked for 24 years at Deuel Vocational Institution, a state prison facility just outside of Tracy, CA. Due to its rural setting the place operated on well water, which sucked. It wasn't harmful, I know because I got the weekly water reports. From a health standpoint it was just fine. But it looked nasty, tasted bad an on occasion stank.
Roughly ten years ago the state put in a state-of-the-art water treatment plant for the water supply for the prison. I think it was made by Ralph's Storm Door and Water Treatment Company in South Armpit, Macedonia. Many of the parts for it are single-source and odd-size, not easily substitutable. And apparently Ralph doesn't make them any more. So the water treatment plant is down and the state is paying close to $50k per month for bottled water for the prisoners and staff. It has been down for some time and will be down for at least another year.
But they saved $12,743 by buying low bid.
I worked for 24 years at Deuel Vocational Institution, a state prison facility just outside of Tracy, CA. Due to its rural setting the place operated on well water, which sucked. It wasn't harmful, I know because I got the weekly water reports. From a health standpoint it was just fine. But it looked nasty, tasted bad an on occasion stank.
Roughly ten years ago the state put in a state-of-the-art water treatment plant for the water supply for the prison. I think it was made by Ralph's Storm Door and Water Treatment Company in South Armpit, Macedonia. Many of the parts for it are single-source and odd-size, not easily substitutable. And apparently Ralph doesn't make them any more. So the water treatment plant is down and the state is paying close to $50k per month for bottled water for the prisoners and staff. It has been down for some time and will be down for at least another year.
But they saved $12,743 by buying low bid.
Wednesday, July 04, 2018
JULY 4TH SHOULD MEAN MORE THAN JUST A DAY OFF FROM WORK FOR BBQ AND FIREWORKS
4th Of July Quotes From Our Founding Fathers
By Jerry Reynolds
Car Pro
July 2, 2018
Just my humble opinion, but many of our youth today do not realize the true meaning of the 4th of July. It is, after all, our Independence Day. Holidays are always fun and a great time to get together with family and friends, but freedom isn’t free, and never will be. Men and women of America have laid down their lives so we could enjoy living in the greatest nation on earth.
I hope you’ll pause, give thanks, and remember those who died before us, and are still dying today, to preserve these United States of America. Below are some thoughts from our founding fathers. I hope you enjoy.
George Washington, 1st U.S. President
“While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian.”
–The Writings of Washington, pp. 342-343.
John Adams, 2nd U.S. President and Signer of the Declaration of Independence
“Suppose a nation in some distant Region should take the Bible for their only law Book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited! Every member would be obliged in conscience, to temperance, frugality, and industry; to justice, kindness, and charity towards his fellow men; and to piety, love, and reverence toward Almighty God … What a Eutopia, what a Paradise would this region be.”
–Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, Vol. III, p. 9.
Thomas Jefferson, 3rd U.S. President, Drafter, and Signer of the Declaration of Independence
“God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever; That a revolution of the wheel of fortune, a change of situation, is among possible events; that it may become probable by Supernatural influence! The Almighty has no attribute which can take side with us in that event.”
–Notes on the State of Virginia, Query XVIII, p. 237.
John Hancock, 1st Signer of the Declaration of Independence
“Resistance to tyranny becomes the Christian and social duty of each individual. … Continue steadfast and, with a proper sense of your dependence on God, nobly defend those rights which heaven gave, and no man ought to take from us.”
–History of the United States of America, Vol. II, p. 229.
Benjamin Franklin, Signer of the Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution
“Here is my Creed. I believe in one God, the Creator of the Universe. That He governs it by His Providence. That He ought to be worshipped.
“That the most acceptable service we render to him is in doing good to his other children. That the soul of man is immortal, and will be treated with justice in another life respecting its conduct in this. These I take to be the fundamental points in all sound religion, and I regard them as you do in whatever sect I meet with them.
“As to Jesus of Nazareth, my opinion of whom you particularly desire, I think the system of morals and his religion, as he left them to us, is the best the world ever saw, or is likely to see;
“But I apprehend it has received various corrupting changes, and I have, with most of the present dissenters in England, some doubts as to his divinity; though it is a question I do not dogmatize upon, having never studied it, and think it needless to busy myself with it now, when I expect soon an opportunity of knowing the truth with less trouble. I see no harm, however, in its being believed, if that belief has the good consequence, as probably it has, of making his doctrines more respected and more observed; especially as I do not perceive, that the Supreme takes it amiss, by distinguishing the unbelievers in his government of the world with any peculiar marks of his displeasure.”
–Benjamin Franklin wrote this in a letter to Ezra Stiles, President of Yale University on March 9, 1790.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Most people know only this excerpt from the Declaration of Independence:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
Actually, the declaration is quite lengthy. Here follows the complete text of the Declaration of Independence. I strongly suggest you take the time this 4th of July to read it!
IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America
When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.
By Jerry Reynolds
Car Pro
July 2, 2018
Just my humble opinion, but many of our youth today do not realize the true meaning of the 4th of July. It is, after all, our Independence Day. Holidays are always fun and a great time to get together with family and friends, but freedom isn’t free, and never will be. Men and women of America have laid down their lives so we could enjoy living in the greatest nation on earth.
I hope you’ll pause, give thanks, and remember those who died before us, and are still dying today, to preserve these United States of America. Below are some thoughts from our founding fathers. I hope you enjoy.
George Washington, 1st U.S. President
“While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian.”
–The Writings of Washington, pp. 342-343.
John Adams, 2nd U.S. President and Signer of the Declaration of Independence
“Suppose a nation in some distant Region should take the Bible for their only law Book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited! Every member would be obliged in conscience, to temperance, frugality, and industry; to justice, kindness, and charity towards his fellow men; and to piety, love, and reverence toward Almighty God … What a Eutopia, what a Paradise would this region be.”
–Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, Vol. III, p. 9.
Thomas Jefferson, 3rd U.S. President, Drafter, and Signer of the Declaration of Independence
“God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever; That a revolution of the wheel of fortune, a change of situation, is among possible events; that it may become probable by Supernatural influence! The Almighty has no attribute which can take side with us in that event.”
–Notes on the State of Virginia, Query XVIII, p. 237.
John Hancock, 1st Signer of the Declaration of Independence
“Resistance to tyranny becomes the Christian and social duty of each individual. … Continue steadfast and, with a proper sense of your dependence on God, nobly defend those rights which heaven gave, and no man ought to take from us.”
–History of the United States of America, Vol. II, p. 229.
Benjamin Franklin, Signer of the Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution
“Here is my Creed. I believe in one God, the Creator of the Universe. That He governs it by His Providence. That He ought to be worshipped.
“That the most acceptable service we render to him is in doing good to his other children. That the soul of man is immortal, and will be treated with justice in another life respecting its conduct in this. These I take to be the fundamental points in all sound religion, and I regard them as you do in whatever sect I meet with them.
“As to Jesus of Nazareth, my opinion of whom you particularly desire, I think the system of morals and his religion, as he left them to us, is the best the world ever saw, or is likely to see;
“But I apprehend it has received various corrupting changes, and I have, with most of the present dissenters in England, some doubts as to his divinity; though it is a question I do not dogmatize upon, having never studied it, and think it needless to busy myself with it now, when I expect soon an opportunity of knowing the truth with less trouble. I see no harm, however, in its being believed, if that belief has the good consequence, as probably it has, of making his doctrines more respected and more observed; especially as I do not perceive, that the Supreme takes it amiss, by distinguishing the unbelievers in his government of the world with any peculiar marks of his displeasure.”
–Benjamin Franklin wrote this in a letter to Ezra Stiles, President of Yale University on March 9, 1790.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Most people know only this excerpt from the Declaration of Independence:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
Actually, the declaration is quite lengthy. Here follows the complete text of the Declaration of Independence. I strongly suggest you take the time this 4th of July to read it!
IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America
When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE U.S.A.
by Bob Walsh
I hope you all remember to fly the flag (Yes, the AMERICAN flag) today. I think it is important that the real people let the illegal aliens, liberals, Democraps, goatfuckers and other undesirable assholes know where our loyalty lies.
I hope you all remember to fly the flag (Yes, the AMERICAN flag) today. I think it is important that the real people let the illegal aliens, liberals, Democraps, goatfuckers and other undesirable assholes know where our loyalty lies.
Tuesday, July 03, 2018
빨판 (PPALPAN)
Kim Jong-UN may have played Trump for a ppalpan
The Singapore summit between President Trump and Kim Jong-Un ended with a lot of back slapping and Trump saying “there is no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea.”
After he got back to the U.S., Trump said he was confident that Kim “will live up to” their agreement on denuclearization and a halt to North Korea’s ballistic missile program. Trump also called Kim a “smart cookie.”
A smart cookie indeed! New satellite images show North Korea is expanding its ballistic missile factory, the Chemical Material Institute in Hamhung. Other satellite images show operations continuing at its main uranium enrichment plant in Yongbyon.
It looks as though the smart cookie may have played Trump for a 빨판 (pronounced ppalpan).
The Singapore summit between President Trump and Kim Jong-Un ended with a lot of back slapping and Trump saying “there is no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea.”
After he got back to the U.S., Trump said he was confident that Kim “will live up to” their agreement on denuclearization and a halt to North Korea’s ballistic missile program. Trump also called Kim a “smart cookie.”
A smart cookie indeed! New satellite images show North Korea is expanding its ballistic missile factory, the Chemical Material Institute in Hamhung. Other satellite images show operations continuing at its main uranium enrichment plant in Yongbyon.
It looks as though the smart cookie may have played Trump for a 빨판 (pronounced ppalpan).
P C NOW S O L IN CALIFORNIA
by Bob Walsh
No I do not mean Politically Correct. I mean Protective Custody. The prison system of the formerly great state of California (that I worked for for 24 years) has come to the conclusion that protective custody (now called Sensitive Needs but it is the same thing) has become so violent and full of fake drop-outs and general purpose lops, lames and assholes that it is not worth continuing the program.
The current population of the entire system is about 1/3 sensitive needs inmates.
During 2014 there were eleven inmate on inmate murders in the system. Ten of those were in sensitive needs programs. Most of the dead were sex offenders.
The state prison system hospitals have no "sensitive needs" programs. The general population institutions will begin phasing out of the programs in the near future. The current director, Scott Kiernan, acknowledges that it will probably not be possible to fully eliminate the program, but he believes it can be reduced by a very large degree without a corresponding violence increase.
No I do not mean Politically Correct. I mean Protective Custody. The prison system of the formerly great state of California (that I worked for for 24 years) has come to the conclusion that protective custody (now called Sensitive Needs but it is the same thing) has become so violent and full of fake drop-outs and general purpose lops, lames and assholes that it is not worth continuing the program.
The current population of the entire system is about 1/3 sensitive needs inmates.
During 2014 there were eleven inmate on inmate murders in the system. Ten of those were in sensitive needs programs. Most of the dead were sex offenders.
The state prison system hospitals have no "sensitive needs" programs. The general population institutions will begin phasing out of the programs in the near future. The current director, Scott Kiernan, acknowledges that it will probably not be possible to fully eliminate the program, but he believes it can be reduced by a very large degree without a corresponding violence increase.
I GUESS BROWN VS. BOARD OF EDUCATION DOES NOT APPLY HERE
by Bob Walsh
Because the Little Red School House in the West Village of the People's Republic of New York City is a PRIVATE school, charging over $45,000 per year, they are legally permitted to segregate their students, and they do.
Next school year all non-white students will be placed in the same home room, which has already been done last year for 7th and 8th graders last year. The school director, Philip Kassen, has declined various requests for comment from the media.
Each grade has about 40 students. They stay in their home room group for about 1/3 of the school day. Each grade now has two home room groups, one of which is exclusively non-white.
No one has said that they are pulling their rugrats out because of the policy. Imagine that.
Because the Little Red School House in the West Village of the People's Republic of New York City is a PRIVATE school, charging over $45,000 per year, they are legally permitted to segregate their students, and they do.
Next school year all non-white students will be placed in the same home room, which has already been done last year for 7th and 8th graders last year. The school director, Philip Kassen, has declined various requests for comment from the media.
Each grade has about 40 students. They stay in their home room group for about 1/3 of the school day. Each grade now has two home room groups, one of which is exclusively non-white.
No one has said that they are pulling their rugrats out because of the policy. Imagine that.
LEFTIST CANDIDATE WINS MEXICAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Lopez Obrador scores landslide victory as Mexico votes for change
By Marilia Brocchetto, James Griffiths and Samantha Beech
CNN
July 2, 2018
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has declared victory in Mexico's presidential election, as preliminary results showed that the leftist veteran politician, who had presented himself as an agent of change, secured a landslide win.
President-elect Lopez Obrador is estimated to have received over 53% of the vote, more than double the total of his closest rival, according to the country's electoral commission.
"Today, they have recognized our victory," Lopez Obrador, known by his initials AMLO, told a crowd of jubilant supporters at an event in Mexico City late Sunday local time.
President Enrique Peña Nieto called Lopez Obrador shortly beforehand to congratulate him and pledged to help him carry out an orderly transition. Lopez Obrador will formally take power on December 1.
Lopez Obrador had dominated the polls in the run up to Sunday's vote, at times holding a 20-point lead over his rivals. Within two hours of polls closing, three of his main rivals had conceded defeat.
In his speech to supporters, the President-elect said he would forge a new relationship with the US "rooted in mutual respect and in defense of our migrant countrymen who work and live honestly in that country."
He added migration should be done by choice, not because of necessity, promising to "strengthen the internal market to try to produce in the country what we consume and so that Mexicans can work and be happy where they were born, where their family is, where their customs and their cultures are."
Lopez Obrador also promised to tackle violence and wipe out corruption, which he said was the "result of a political regime in decay."
"We are absolutely certain that this evil is the principle cause of social inequality and of economic inequality," he said. "Because of corruption, violence has erupted in our country."
He added that he will pursue a peace plan with representatives of the United Nations, human rights and religious organizations, to help tackle the murder rate, which soared to an all-time high under Peña Nieto, whom critics accused of failing to adequately deal with crime, corruption and economic inequality.
US President Donald Trump congratulated AMLO in a tweet, saying he looked forward to working with him. "There is much to be done that will benefit both the United States and Mexico," Trump said.
AMLO mania
For many of the 89 million eligible Mexican voters, Sunday's election was a referendum on the country's political elite and its economic direction, as well as the tenure of President Enrique Peña Nieto, who was limited to a single six-year term.
Speaking to CNN in Mexico City, where supporters of AMLO thronged the streets into the early hours of Monday morning, voter Maria del Carmen Munoz said she supported Lopez Obrador during his previous two unsuccessful bids for the Presidency "and the third time (was) the charm."
"I have supported him for so long because I believe in him, because the government we have is rotten," she said. Our youth must have a leader to believe in. I am already older, but the young must have faith and hope in a President."
Younger Mexicans, many of whom have grown up surrounded by rampant corruption and drug violence, were expected to have played a key role in choosing the country's direction. Nearly 13 million voters between the ages of 18 and 23 were expected to vote for the first time, according to election officials.
Dario Manuel Lopez Pineda's cited AMLO's record as leader of Mexico City as the reason for supporting him.
"He was the first to give universal pension to seniors, he created 16 high schools in marginal areas," he said. "He created such seemingly insignificant things such as permanent driver licenses so that the government would not keep taking money from the people."
Mexico's new leader will have to contend with Trump's threats to pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement and his calls for the construction of a border wall between the two countries, among other divisive talking points. Lopez Obrador told voters that he is the person for the job.
Lopez Obrador pushed back against plans for a border wall in a book he wrote titled "Oye Trump," or "Listen Trump." He also pledged to propose to keep NAFTA.
He ran on a populist platform to break what he described as the grip that elites -- or "power mafia" --- have on Mexican society. He said he would lower the salaries of top officials and give those at the bottom a pay increase. He promised to sell presidential planes and turn the presidential palace into a public park.
__________
WELCOME TO THE NEW CAPTAIN OF THE TITANIC
by Bob Walsh
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, an avowed socialist and alleged anti-corruption crusader, is the new Presidente of El Estados Unidos Mexicanos.
Of course it is not likely that his predecessors have been open pro-corruption crusaders, so how much will be new and wonderful is highly questionable. He SAYS he has a plan to move against the drug cartels. I guess it's kind of like a secret plan to end the war. He does, however, acknowledge that the economy and social system in Mexico is fucked, with about 2-3% of the population controlling a HUGE amount of the wealth, almost no middle class and the rest of the population essentially serfs, peons or working for the drug cartels or the government, which is essentially the same thing.
I wish him luck. I wish him well. I wish him success. I ain't holding my breath for any of it.
By Marilia Brocchetto, James Griffiths and Samantha Beech
CNN
July 2, 2018
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has declared victory in Mexico's presidential election, as preliminary results showed that the leftist veteran politician, who had presented himself as an agent of change, secured a landslide win.
President-elect Lopez Obrador is estimated to have received over 53% of the vote, more than double the total of his closest rival, according to the country's electoral commission.
"Today, they have recognized our victory," Lopez Obrador, known by his initials AMLO, told a crowd of jubilant supporters at an event in Mexico City late Sunday local time.
President Enrique Peña Nieto called Lopez Obrador shortly beforehand to congratulate him and pledged to help him carry out an orderly transition. Lopez Obrador will formally take power on December 1.
Lopez Obrador had dominated the polls in the run up to Sunday's vote, at times holding a 20-point lead over his rivals. Within two hours of polls closing, three of his main rivals had conceded defeat.
In his speech to supporters, the President-elect said he would forge a new relationship with the US "rooted in mutual respect and in defense of our migrant countrymen who work and live honestly in that country."
He added migration should be done by choice, not because of necessity, promising to "strengthen the internal market to try to produce in the country what we consume and so that Mexicans can work and be happy where they were born, where their family is, where their customs and their cultures are."
Lopez Obrador also promised to tackle violence and wipe out corruption, which he said was the "result of a political regime in decay."
"We are absolutely certain that this evil is the principle cause of social inequality and of economic inequality," he said. "Because of corruption, violence has erupted in our country."
He added that he will pursue a peace plan with representatives of the United Nations, human rights and religious organizations, to help tackle the murder rate, which soared to an all-time high under Peña Nieto, whom critics accused of failing to adequately deal with crime, corruption and economic inequality.
US President Donald Trump congratulated AMLO in a tweet, saying he looked forward to working with him. "There is much to be done that will benefit both the United States and Mexico," Trump said.
AMLO mania
For many of the 89 million eligible Mexican voters, Sunday's election was a referendum on the country's political elite and its economic direction, as well as the tenure of President Enrique Peña Nieto, who was limited to a single six-year term.
Speaking to CNN in Mexico City, where supporters of AMLO thronged the streets into the early hours of Monday morning, voter Maria del Carmen Munoz said she supported Lopez Obrador during his previous two unsuccessful bids for the Presidency "and the third time (was) the charm."
"I have supported him for so long because I believe in him, because the government we have is rotten," she said. Our youth must have a leader to believe in. I am already older, but the young must have faith and hope in a President."
Younger Mexicans, many of whom have grown up surrounded by rampant corruption and drug violence, were expected to have played a key role in choosing the country's direction. Nearly 13 million voters between the ages of 18 and 23 were expected to vote for the first time, according to election officials.
Dario Manuel Lopez Pineda's cited AMLO's record as leader of Mexico City as the reason for supporting him.
"He was the first to give universal pension to seniors, he created 16 high schools in marginal areas," he said. "He created such seemingly insignificant things such as permanent driver licenses so that the government would not keep taking money from the people."
Mexico's new leader will have to contend with Trump's threats to pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement and his calls for the construction of a border wall between the two countries, among other divisive talking points. Lopez Obrador told voters that he is the person for the job.
Lopez Obrador pushed back against plans for a border wall in a book he wrote titled "Oye Trump," or "Listen Trump." He also pledged to propose to keep NAFTA.
He ran on a populist platform to break what he described as the grip that elites -- or "power mafia" --- have on Mexican society. He said he would lower the salaries of top officials and give those at the bottom a pay increase. He promised to sell presidential planes and turn the presidential palace into a public park.
__________
WELCOME TO THE NEW CAPTAIN OF THE TITANIC
by Bob Walsh
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, an avowed socialist and alleged anti-corruption crusader, is the new Presidente of El Estados Unidos Mexicanos.
Of course it is not likely that his predecessors have been open pro-corruption crusaders, so how much will be new and wonderful is highly questionable. He SAYS he has a plan to move against the drug cartels. I guess it's kind of like a secret plan to end the war. He does, however, acknowledge that the economy and social system in Mexico is fucked, with about 2-3% of the population controlling a HUGE amount of the wealth, almost no middle class and the rest of the population essentially serfs, peons or working for the drug cartels or the government, which is essentially the same thing.
I wish him luck. I wish him well. I wish him success. I ain't holding my breath for any of it.
WITH THE SUMMER VACATION IN FULL SWING, KIDS FIND SOME FUN THINGS TO DO
Tires Slashed On About 70 Cars In Galveston Neighborhood
By Bryan Kirk
Clear Lake Patch
July 2, 2018
GALVESTON, TX -- Police are looking for the perpetrators responsible for a rash of tire slashings in a Galveston neighborhood over the weekend.
Officials said dozens of cars parked along the street between 32nd Street to 46th Street, and adjacent to P1/2 to K Streets had their tires slashed.
Residents in the area discovered the flat tires on their vehicles early Saturday, KPRC reported.
Juan Pineda said four of his vehicles had their tires slashed, and that included the tires on his work truck, and is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.
"I looked from that end, to that end, and every car had a flat tire on the street side," Pineda told KTRK.
One neighbor told police he'd seen a man walking up and down the street at about 2:30 a.m., who appeared to be cutting tires.
Police said they'd taken about 70 police reports on slashed tires, and are looking for anyone with surveillance video to see if they can determine how many people were involved in this mass criminal mischief.
By Bryan Kirk
Clear Lake Patch
July 2, 2018
GALVESTON, TX -- Police are looking for the perpetrators responsible for a rash of tire slashings in a Galveston neighborhood over the weekend.
Officials said dozens of cars parked along the street between 32nd Street to 46th Street, and adjacent to P1/2 to K Streets had their tires slashed.
Residents in the area discovered the flat tires on their vehicles early Saturday, KPRC reported.
Juan Pineda said four of his vehicles had their tires slashed, and that included the tires on his work truck, and is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.
"I looked from that end, to that end, and every car had a flat tire on the street side," Pineda told KTRK.
One neighbor told police he'd seen a man walking up and down the street at about 2:30 a.m., who appeared to be cutting tires.
Police said they'd taken about 70 police reports on slashed tires, and are looking for anyone with surveillance video to see if they can determine how many people were involved in this mass criminal mischief.
EVERY SECOND AMENDMENT DEFENDER WILL WANT ONE OF THESE CHINESE GUNS
Chinese military has built Star Wars-like laser-firing AK-47s capable of setting people on FIRE half a mile away, researchers claim
By Phoebe Weston
Daily Mail
July 2, 2018
The Chinese military has built a Star Wars-like laser AK-47 capable of causing 'pain beyond endurance', according to researchers.
The handheld weapon can hit targets half a mile away using an energy beam that cannot be seen but causes 'instant carbonisation' of human skin.
The weapon, which is powerful enough to pass through windows, can burn through clothes in a split second, claim scientists who have not been named due to the sensitivity of the project.
Sources say the rifle is ready to be mass produced and will first be distributed to police anti-terrorism squads - though no date has been given for deployment.
The prototype ZKZM-500 was developed Xian Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shaanxi province according to an article by the South China Morning Post.
The weapon weighs around the same as an AK-47 (three kilos, or 6.6lbs) and has a range of 800 metres (0.5 miles).
Sources say the 15mm calibre weapon will be charged using a lithium battery and could be mounted on cars, boats and planes.
It is able to fire more than 1,000 'shots' with each one lasting a maximum of two seconds.
One scientists involved with the project told South China Morning Post the weapon would 'burn through clothes in a split second … If the fabric is flammable, the whole person will be set on fire.'
'The pain will be beyond endurance,' they added.
The researchers said its invisible frequency and the fact it produces no sound gives the advantage of stealthy attacks.
'It will look like an accident,' they said.
Initially, production costs are set to be 100,000 yuan (US$15,000/ £11,000) per unit.
It is reportedly ready for mass production, but maker ZKZM Laser hasn't found a licensed partner yet, according to the SCMP.
Given their potential for misuse, the design and production of the devices will be tightly controlled with government agencies the only permitted customers.
The weapon will likely first roll out to Chinese SWAT units, who could fire the weapons through windows to disable kidnappers in a hostage situation.
The silent weapon could also be used by the military as it can burn through a gas tank and ignite fuel storage.
The SCMP reports that a technical document detailing information about the weapon was released last month on the Public Service Platform for National Civil-Military Integration.
The rifle was described as 'non-lethal' in the paper because the laser rifle does not inflict the penetrative damage of a normal gun.
By Phoebe Weston
Daily Mail
July 2, 2018
The Chinese military has built a Star Wars-like laser AK-47 capable of causing 'pain beyond endurance', according to researchers.
The handheld weapon can hit targets half a mile away using an energy beam that cannot be seen but causes 'instant carbonisation' of human skin.
The weapon, which is powerful enough to pass through windows, can burn through clothes in a split second, claim scientists who have not been named due to the sensitivity of the project.
Sources say the rifle is ready to be mass produced and will first be distributed to police anti-terrorism squads - though no date has been given for deployment.
The prototype ZKZM-500 was developed Xian Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shaanxi province according to an article by the South China Morning Post.
The weapon weighs around the same as an AK-47 (three kilos, or 6.6lbs) and has a range of 800 metres (0.5 miles).
Sources say the 15mm calibre weapon will be charged using a lithium battery and could be mounted on cars, boats and planes.
It is able to fire more than 1,000 'shots' with each one lasting a maximum of two seconds.
One scientists involved with the project told South China Morning Post the weapon would 'burn through clothes in a split second … If the fabric is flammable, the whole person will be set on fire.'
'The pain will be beyond endurance,' they added.
The researchers said its invisible frequency and the fact it produces no sound gives the advantage of stealthy attacks.
'It will look like an accident,' they said.
Initially, production costs are set to be 100,000 yuan (US$15,000/ £11,000) per unit.
It is reportedly ready for mass production, but maker ZKZM Laser hasn't found a licensed partner yet, according to the SCMP.
Given their potential for misuse, the design and production of the devices will be tightly controlled with government agencies the only permitted customers.
The weapon will likely first roll out to Chinese SWAT units, who could fire the weapons through windows to disable kidnappers in a hostage situation.
The silent weapon could also be used by the military as it can burn through a gas tank and ignite fuel storage.
The SCMP reports that a technical document detailing information about the weapon was released last month on the Public Service Platform for National Civil-Military Integration.
The rifle was described as 'non-lethal' in the paper because the laser rifle does not inflict the penetrative damage of a normal gun.
NEW POLL SHOWS RELENTLESS ATTACKS AGAINST TRUMP ARE BACKFIRING AGAINST HIS OPPONENTS
Trump just keeps on confounding his hapless detractors
By Monica Crowley
He Hill
July 2, 2018
The left, much of the media and countless other opponents of President Trump have led a relentless, vicious, multi-pronged and often dishonest assault on him and his agenda since he first emerged as a presidential candidate in 2015. This assault, ramped up significantly during his presidency, has taken many forms: an apparently endless special counsel investigation, constant protests, bureaucratic stonewalling, “Deep State” leaking, continuous lawsuits, manufactured crises and outrage, daily media pounding and often false reporting, smears, personal attacks and abusive, even violent acts targeting his staff and supporters — all designed to cripple his ability to govern effectively.
While Trump’s adversaries have been busy trying to execute their rolling putsch, however, the American people have been busy doing something else: supporting him and his policies. Instead of denting Trump, the perpetual outrage machine is creating the exact opposite dynamic.
The proof is in a stunning new Harvard CAPS/Harris poll just released and conducted after the family-separation issue exploded along the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump now enjoys 47 percent job approval, up 2 points from May. This is remarkable given the constant drumbeat of negative coverage, and it demonstrates yet again his uncanny ability to defy the laws of political gravity. When President Reagan and his policies remained popular in the face of never-ending criticism, he became known as the “Teflon president.” Trump is Teflon on steroids.
Much of his strength is tied to the public’s views on the economy. According to the poll, 69 percent say the economy is “strong,” 58 percent approve of his efforts on job creation, and 57 percent approve of his overall handling of the economy. Perhaps most significantly heading into the 2018 midterm elections, a whopping 68 percent say that their personal economic situation is improving or holding steady. Clearly, voters are experiencing tangible economic benefits as a result of the Trump tax cuts and aggressive deregulation, putting the lie to the Democrats’ sky-will-fall warnings. Given that kitchen-table issues largely drive midterm balloting and Democrats lack a compelling economic message to counter the Trump/GOP successes, Republican candidates are likely to enjoy a significant lift.
Even more striking numbers are evident on immigration. Despite the sound and fury stemming from the recent border controversy, fully 61 percent think current border security is “inadequate,” and when asked if the U.S. should have “open borders” or “secure borders,” 76 percent want the secure kind.
As for Trump’s cardinal promise to “build the wall,” 60 percent support “a combination of physical and electronic barriers” on the southern border and 69 percent want Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to continue its work and not be abolished — despite the left vilifying it as the Gestapo. In fact, 70 percent want even stricter enforcement of immigration law. That includes deportations: 64 percent say those who come into the country illegally should be “sent home” rather than “allowed to stay.” That also applies to parents who cross the border illegally with children in tow: 61 percent say they should be sent home.
And while 88 percent believe families entering the country illegally should be kept together, 53 percent want them held in custody until their case is adjudicated. That figure rises to 55 percent supporting detention for illegals without children. So much for “catch and release.” And on sanctuary cities, an astounding 84 percent oppose their policy of not notifying federal immigration authorities when an illegal alien has been taken into custody. These results put into bold relief just how extremist the Democrats are on these issues.
On Trump’s tariffs, 68 percent believe the U.S. should take steps to address the colossal trade deficit with China, even at risk of a trade war with Beijing.
Perhaps even more alarming for progressives deeply invested in trying to delegitimize Trump via the Russia investigations: 59 percent of those polled say the investigations are “hurting” as opposed to “helping” the country, 59 percent believe “bias” against Trump “played a role in launching investigations against him,” and 64 percent favor the appointment of a second special counsel to investigate the investigators.
It’s evident that despite the nonstop anti-Trump war waged by countless forces, the president and his policies remain considerably popular. The public is largely aligned with his agenda, has become accustomed to his unconventional style and appreciates that he’s smashing the corrupt status quo, improving their lives and doing what it takes to enhance the nation’s security.
Throughout Trump’s brief but stellar political career, one thing has held true: The more he’s attacked, the more he thrives, the more the public rallies to him, the more success he enjoys. Instead of damaging him as intended, the relentless attacks merely bolster him, particularly when joined with the public’s endorsement of his policies. This, of course, only generates even more fury from his adversaries, who know they’re stuck in the infinite purgatory of their futile resistance.
Meanwhile, the great silent majority is pretty well satisfied with the direction of the country — and with the singularly unique president leading it.
By Monica Crowley
He Hill
July 2, 2018
The left, much of the media and countless other opponents of President Trump have led a relentless, vicious, multi-pronged and often dishonest assault on him and his agenda since he first emerged as a presidential candidate in 2015. This assault, ramped up significantly during his presidency, has taken many forms: an apparently endless special counsel investigation, constant protests, bureaucratic stonewalling, “Deep State” leaking, continuous lawsuits, manufactured crises and outrage, daily media pounding and often false reporting, smears, personal attacks and abusive, even violent acts targeting his staff and supporters — all designed to cripple his ability to govern effectively.
While Trump’s adversaries have been busy trying to execute their rolling putsch, however, the American people have been busy doing something else: supporting him and his policies. Instead of denting Trump, the perpetual outrage machine is creating the exact opposite dynamic.
The proof is in a stunning new Harvard CAPS/Harris poll just released and conducted after the family-separation issue exploded along the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump now enjoys 47 percent job approval, up 2 points from May. This is remarkable given the constant drumbeat of negative coverage, and it demonstrates yet again his uncanny ability to defy the laws of political gravity. When President Reagan and his policies remained popular in the face of never-ending criticism, he became known as the “Teflon president.” Trump is Teflon on steroids.
Much of his strength is tied to the public’s views on the economy. According to the poll, 69 percent say the economy is “strong,” 58 percent approve of his efforts on job creation, and 57 percent approve of his overall handling of the economy. Perhaps most significantly heading into the 2018 midterm elections, a whopping 68 percent say that their personal economic situation is improving or holding steady. Clearly, voters are experiencing tangible economic benefits as a result of the Trump tax cuts and aggressive deregulation, putting the lie to the Democrats’ sky-will-fall warnings. Given that kitchen-table issues largely drive midterm balloting and Democrats lack a compelling economic message to counter the Trump/GOP successes, Republican candidates are likely to enjoy a significant lift.
Even more striking numbers are evident on immigration. Despite the sound and fury stemming from the recent border controversy, fully 61 percent think current border security is “inadequate,” and when asked if the U.S. should have “open borders” or “secure borders,” 76 percent want the secure kind.
As for Trump’s cardinal promise to “build the wall,” 60 percent support “a combination of physical and electronic barriers” on the southern border and 69 percent want Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to continue its work and not be abolished — despite the left vilifying it as the Gestapo. In fact, 70 percent want even stricter enforcement of immigration law. That includes deportations: 64 percent say those who come into the country illegally should be “sent home” rather than “allowed to stay.” That also applies to parents who cross the border illegally with children in tow: 61 percent say they should be sent home.
And while 88 percent believe families entering the country illegally should be kept together, 53 percent want them held in custody until their case is adjudicated. That figure rises to 55 percent supporting detention for illegals without children. So much for “catch and release.” And on sanctuary cities, an astounding 84 percent oppose their policy of not notifying federal immigration authorities when an illegal alien has been taken into custody. These results put into bold relief just how extremist the Democrats are on these issues.
On Trump’s tariffs, 68 percent believe the U.S. should take steps to address the colossal trade deficit with China, even at risk of a trade war with Beijing.
Perhaps even more alarming for progressives deeply invested in trying to delegitimize Trump via the Russia investigations: 59 percent of those polled say the investigations are “hurting” as opposed to “helping” the country, 59 percent believe “bias” against Trump “played a role in launching investigations against him,” and 64 percent favor the appointment of a second special counsel to investigate the investigators.
It’s evident that despite the nonstop anti-Trump war waged by countless forces, the president and his policies remain considerably popular. The public is largely aligned with his agenda, has become accustomed to his unconventional style and appreciates that he’s smashing the corrupt status quo, improving their lives and doing what it takes to enhance the nation’s security.
Throughout Trump’s brief but stellar political career, one thing has held true: The more he’s attacked, the more he thrives, the more the public rallies to him, the more success he enjoys. Instead of damaging him as intended, the relentless attacks merely bolster him, particularly when joined with the public’s endorsement of his policies. This, of course, only generates even more fury from his adversaries, who know they’re stuck in the infinite purgatory of their futile resistance.
Meanwhile, the great silent majority is pretty well satisfied with the direction of the country — and with the singularly unique president leading it.
Monday, July 02, 2018
ABOLISH ICE? NO WAY!
In the wake of the turmoil over the separation of children from their illegal immigrant parents, Democrats call for the abolition of ICE
By Howie Katz
Big Jolly Times
July 2, 2018
For weeks now there have been mass protests over the separation of children from their illegal immigrant parents. The turmoil has included protesters demanding that Immigration and Customs agency (ICE) be abolished. Democrats have joined the protesters in their demands that ICE be abolished.
Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) ad Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont), all potential presidential candidates in 2020, have now called for the abolishment of ICE. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who sent shock waves through the Democratic Party by defeating 10-term Congressman Joe Crowley in a NYC primary, made the abolition of ICE a key platform in her campaign.
President Trump has warned that if ICE were to be abolished, “Crime would be rampant and uncontrollable.” Now that’s pure hogwash. The overwhelming majority of the illegals are not burglars, robbers, rapists or murderers, nor do they join gangs. Trump also says that he has “watched ICE liberate towns from the grasp of MS-13.” More hogwash. While the Border Patrol may have stopped some MS-13 gang members from getting into the U.S., it is the FBI and local police that have been busting up the MS-13 gangs.
President Trump’s balderdash aside, there are very good reasons why ICE should not be abolished. Without ICE there would be no Border Patrol officers to stop illegal immigrants from entering the U.S. at established border crossings or to intercept those who have managed cross the border elsewhere. The Border Patrol is doing the best it can to stop the wave of illegal immigration and should be commended, not abolished.
The separation policy, which has led to the demands that ICE be abolished, is stupid and entirely unnecessary. The parents, for the most part, are not going to be sent to prison, their only crime is having entered the U.S. illegally. The detention centers should have been set up like the detention centers that held Japanese-American families after Pearl Harbor.
If the truth be known, the only reason children are being separated from parents is to discourage families from Central America and Mexico from trying to enter the U.S. illegally.
The policy of separating children from their parents, although recently rescinded by President Trump, could result in a devastating blow to the Republicans in the coming mid-term elections.
A stupid policy is no reason to abolish an important and effective agency. Abolish ICE? No Way!
NOTE: I want to add that passions have been inflamed by misleading TV newscasts that leave people believing the Border Patrol has been ripping babies from the arms of their mothers.
By Howie Katz
Big Jolly Times
July 2, 2018
For weeks now there have been mass protests over the separation of children from their illegal immigrant parents. The turmoil has included protesters demanding that Immigration and Customs agency (ICE) be abolished. Democrats have joined the protesters in their demands that ICE be abolished.
Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) ad Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont), all potential presidential candidates in 2020, have now called for the abolishment of ICE. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who sent shock waves through the Democratic Party by defeating 10-term Congressman Joe Crowley in a NYC primary, made the abolition of ICE a key platform in her campaign.
President Trump has warned that if ICE were to be abolished, “Crime would be rampant and uncontrollable.” Now that’s pure hogwash. The overwhelming majority of the illegals are not burglars, robbers, rapists or murderers, nor do they join gangs. Trump also says that he has “watched ICE liberate towns from the grasp of MS-13.” More hogwash. While the Border Patrol may have stopped some MS-13 gang members from getting into the U.S., it is the FBI and local police that have been busting up the MS-13 gangs.
President Trump’s balderdash aside, there are very good reasons why ICE should not be abolished. Without ICE there would be no Border Patrol officers to stop illegal immigrants from entering the U.S. at established border crossings or to intercept those who have managed cross the border elsewhere. The Border Patrol is doing the best it can to stop the wave of illegal immigration and should be commended, not abolished.
The separation policy, which has led to the demands that ICE be abolished, is stupid and entirely unnecessary. The parents, for the most part, are not going to be sent to prison, their only crime is having entered the U.S. illegally. The detention centers should have been set up like the detention centers that held Japanese-American families after Pearl Harbor.
If the truth be known, the only reason children are being separated from parents is to discourage families from Central America and Mexico from trying to enter the U.S. illegally.
The policy of separating children from their parents, although recently rescinded by President Trump, could result in a devastating blow to the Republicans in the coming mid-term elections.
A stupid policy is no reason to abolish an important and effective agency. Abolish ICE? No Way!
NOTE: I want to add that passions have been inflamed by misleading TV newscasts that leave people believing the Border Patrol has been ripping babies from the arms of their mothers.
COP KILLER WHO BLASTED HIS WAY OUT OF FRENCH PRISON IN 2013 ESCAPES AGAIN
Notorious killer Redoine Faid escapes French prison by helicopter
sky news
July 1, 2018
A notorious French criminal serving 25 years for murder used a helicopter to escape from a prison near Paris.
Redoine Faid's break-out has triggered a huge manhunt around the French capital.
It is his second escape - last time he blasted his way out of jail with hidden explosives.
France's justice ministry said Faid's escape on Sunday only took a few minutes and nobody was injured or taken hostage at the Reau Prison just south of the French capital.
The ministry said an armed commando landed in a helicopter in the courtyard as the prisoner was in the visiting room of the prison.
A union representative at Reau Prison, Martial Delabroye, told BFM television that two men dressed in black, wearing balaclavas and police armbands entered in the prison to look for Faid.
He said they used a grinding machine to open the door that leads to the visiting room.
The helicopter was later found abandoned in the town of Garges-les-Gonesse, in the northern suburbs of Paris.
Faid is believed to have fled by car along with his accomplices.
French prosecutors have opened an investigation but it is not the first time Faid, 46, has gone on the run.
In 2013, he blasted his way out of prison with explosives concealed in tissue packets and was arrested at a hotel six weeks later.
Faid was jailed for 25 years for the death of a young policewoman killed during a botched robbery in 2010.
In the 1990s, Faid led a criminal gang involved in the armed robbery of banks and armoured vans transporting cash.
He was arrested in 1998 after three years on the run in Switzerland and Israel, according to French media.
Faid was freed in 2009 after serving 10 years in prison and at the time he swore he had turned his life around.
He penned a confessional book about his life of crime and embarked on an extensive media tour in 2010.
But he was suspected of masterminding an attempted armed robbery in 2010 that led to a high-speed chase and a shootout with police in which 26-year-old policewoman Aurelie Fouquet was killed. He was arrested in 2011.
Faid, along with two accomplices, was convicted for the murder of the policewoman.
EDITOR'S NOTE: I see a blockbuster movie in the making. My pick to play Faid is Jason Statham.
sky news
July 1, 2018
A notorious French criminal serving 25 years for murder used a helicopter to escape from a prison near Paris.
Redoine Faid's break-out has triggered a huge manhunt around the French capital.
It is his second escape - last time he blasted his way out of jail with hidden explosives.
France's justice ministry said Faid's escape on Sunday only took a few minutes and nobody was injured or taken hostage at the Reau Prison just south of the French capital.
The ministry said an armed commando landed in a helicopter in the courtyard as the prisoner was in the visiting room of the prison.
A union representative at Reau Prison, Martial Delabroye, told BFM television that two men dressed in black, wearing balaclavas and police armbands entered in the prison to look for Faid.
He said they used a grinding machine to open the door that leads to the visiting room.
The helicopter was later found abandoned in the town of Garges-les-Gonesse, in the northern suburbs of Paris.
Faid is believed to have fled by car along with his accomplices.
French prosecutors have opened an investigation but it is not the first time Faid, 46, has gone on the run.
In 2013, he blasted his way out of prison with explosives concealed in tissue packets and was arrested at a hotel six weeks later.
Faid was jailed for 25 years for the death of a young policewoman killed during a botched robbery in 2010.
In the 1990s, Faid led a criminal gang involved in the armed robbery of banks and armoured vans transporting cash.
He was arrested in 1998 after three years on the run in Switzerland and Israel, according to French media.
Faid was freed in 2009 after serving 10 years in prison and at the time he swore he had turned his life around.
He penned a confessional book about his life of crime and embarked on an extensive media tour in 2010.
But he was suspected of masterminding an attempted armed robbery in 2010 that led to a high-speed chase and a shootout with police in which 26-year-old policewoman Aurelie Fouquet was killed. He was arrested in 2011.
Faid, along with two accomplices, was convicted for the murder of the policewoman.
EDITOR'S NOTE: I see a blockbuster movie in the making. My pick to play Faid is Jason Statham.
LOTS OF LUCK!
Prince William 'pledges to make peace in the Middle East his lifelong project' after historic five-day trip to the region
By Tim Stickings
Daily Mail
July 1, 2018
Prince William has said he will make it a 'lifelong project' to secure peace in the Middle East, it has been claimed.
At the end of his historic five-day trip to Israel, Palestine and Jordan the Duke of Cambridge is said to have vowed to achieve a 'just and lasting peace'.
He is reported to have told aides that he would 'forever honour my commitments' to the people he met on the trip, according to the Sunday Mirror.
During his stay in the Middle East he met Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, president Reuven Rivlin and Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas.
William is reported to have told colleagues: 'This is the start of something new. I will forever honour my commitments to the people I have met.'
A Palace source told the newspaper: 'The politicians who affect this younger generation's lives may only be in office for five, 10 or 20 years – but William knows his duty is for life.'
The Duke of Cambridge was said to have been 'moved very deeply' by speaking to Israelis and Palestinians and is now determined to 'do what is right'.
Kensington Palace declined to comment when approached by MailOnline.
Officials had stressed the visit of the future king was non-political and focused on building relations with young people.
His visit came at a particularly sensitive time after US President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as capital of Israel, outraging Palestinians and sparking deadly clashes on the border with Gaza.
William met with two Holocaust survivors, Paul Alexander and Henry Foner, who as children had escaped from Nazi Germany to Britain as part of the 'Kindertransport' programme.
He also made a poignant pilgrimage to the final resting place in Jerusalem of his great-grandmother, Princess Alice, famed for saving a Jewish family from the Holocaust.
During the trip he was also shown a picture of his wife Kate and her family taken when she lived in Jordan in the 1980s.
Kate's family moved to Jordan in May 1984 when she was aged two and her sister Pippa was just eight months old, after father Michael, a British Airways manager, relocated to the Jordanian capital of Amman for work.
The Duchess of Cambridge did not accompany her husband on the trip as she is on maternity leave following the birth of their third child, Prince Louis.
EDITOR’S NOTE: It looks as though Mahmoud Abba s may have found a new friend. But Willie will soon find he is plodding through a muddy pasture knee deep in sheep shit.
Lifelong project? That's what it will likely be.
By Tim Stickings
Daily Mail
July 1, 2018
Prince William has said he will make it a 'lifelong project' to secure peace in the Middle East, it has been claimed.
At the end of his historic five-day trip to Israel, Palestine and Jordan the Duke of Cambridge is said to have vowed to achieve a 'just and lasting peace'.
He is reported to have told aides that he would 'forever honour my commitments' to the people he met on the trip, according to the Sunday Mirror.
During his stay in the Middle East he met Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, president Reuven Rivlin and Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas.
William is reported to have told colleagues: 'This is the start of something new. I will forever honour my commitments to the people I have met.'
A Palace source told the newspaper: 'The politicians who affect this younger generation's lives may only be in office for five, 10 or 20 years – but William knows his duty is for life.'
The Duke of Cambridge was said to have been 'moved very deeply' by speaking to Israelis and Palestinians and is now determined to 'do what is right'.
Kensington Palace declined to comment when approached by MailOnline.
Officials had stressed the visit of the future king was non-political and focused on building relations with young people.
His visit came at a particularly sensitive time after US President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as capital of Israel, outraging Palestinians and sparking deadly clashes on the border with Gaza.
William met with two Holocaust survivors, Paul Alexander and Henry Foner, who as children had escaped from Nazi Germany to Britain as part of the 'Kindertransport' programme.
He also made a poignant pilgrimage to the final resting place in Jerusalem of his great-grandmother, Princess Alice, famed for saving a Jewish family from the Holocaust.
During the trip he was also shown a picture of his wife Kate and her family taken when she lived in Jordan in the 1980s.
Kate's family moved to Jordan in May 1984 when she was aged two and her sister Pippa was just eight months old, after father Michael, a British Airways manager, relocated to the Jordanian capital of Amman for work.
The Duchess of Cambridge did not accompany her husband on the trip as she is on maternity leave following the birth of their third child, Prince Louis.
EDITOR’S NOTE: It looks as though Mahmoud Abba s may have found a new friend. But Willie will soon find he is plodding through a muddy pasture knee deep in sheep shit.
Lifelong project? That's what it will likely be.
AUF WIEDERSEHEN TROOPS?
Trump weighs up options for a potential large scale withdrawal of military from Germany amid growing tensions with Chancellor Angela Merkel
By Jessica Finn
Daily Mail
July 1, 2018
The Defense Department is looking at a large scale withdrawal of US troops from Germany after growing tensions between President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The Washington Post reports that Trump was taken aback by the number of US troops in the country, which is currently around 35,000 and is said to have complained that other countries were not paying enough to NATO.
Some European officials are said to alarmed at the possibility of US troop movements and wonder whether it is merely a negotiating tactic ahead of a NATO summit in Brussels.
Trump is expected to criticize US allies for insufficient defense spending during the summit.
Additionally some US officials have also tried to dissuade Trump from taking action.
However, US officials, who spoke to the Post said that thus far the exercise is still in the internal exploration phase and no military brass is involved as of yet.
Trump has also frequently vented his frustrations that NATO members are failing to abide by the two per cent GDP defense-spending level and has threatened to pull out of the 29-member alliance on multiple occasions.
The National Security Council said it had not asked for a formal analysis on repositioning troops: 'The Pentagon continuously evaluates US troop deployments,' a statement from the NSC said, according to The Post.
The statement added that the 'analysis exercises' were 'not out of the norm.'
'The Pentagon regularly reviews force posture and performs cost-benefit analyses,' Eric Pahon, a spokesman for the Pentagon, said in a statement.
'This is nothing new. Germany is host to the largest US force presence in Europe, we remain deeply rooted in the common values and strong relationships between our countries. We remain fully committed to our NATO ally and the NATO alliance.'
Despite the statement from the NSC, Trump has said he disagrees with continuing the US's participation in NATO.
'My statement on NATO being obsolete and disproportionately too expensive (and unfair) for the U.S. are now, finally, receiving plaudits,' Trump took to Twitter in 2016.
Tensions between Trump and Chancellor Merkel escalated during the G-7 summit last month.
Trump reportedly threw Starburst candies to Angela Merkel during the summit as the German Chancellor pressured him to sign a joint statement.
Trump initially resisted signing the statement but later agreed, pulling the candies from his suit pocket and saying: 'Here, Angela. Don't say I never give you anything'.
The President later changed his mind a second time, ordering his advisers not to sign the communique during an angry Twitter outburst.
Trump has also suggested pulling troops from South Korea as well, according to previous reports.
'We lose money on trade, and we lose money on the military,' Trump said in a speech March.
'We have right now 32,000 soldiers on the border between North and South Korea,' Trump added. 'Let's see what happens.'
By Jessica Finn
Daily Mail
July 1, 2018
The Defense Department is looking at a large scale withdrawal of US troops from Germany after growing tensions between President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The Washington Post reports that Trump was taken aback by the number of US troops in the country, which is currently around 35,000 and is said to have complained that other countries were not paying enough to NATO.
Some European officials are said to alarmed at the possibility of US troop movements and wonder whether it is merely a negotiating tactic ahead of a NATO summit in Brussels.
Trump is expected to criticize US allies for insufficient defense spending during the summit.
Additionally some US officials have also tried to dissuade Trump from taking action.
However, US officials, who spoke to the Post said that thus far the exercise is still in the internal exploration phase and no military brass is involved as of yet.
Trump has also frequently vented his frustrations that NATO members are failing to abide by the two per cent GDP defense-spending level and has threatened to pull out of the 29-member alliance on multiple occasions.
The National Security Council said it had not asked for a formal analysis on repositioning troops: 'The Pentagon continuously evaluates US troop deployments,' a statement from the NSC said, according to The Post.
The statement added that the 'analysis exercises' were 'not out of the norm.'
'The Pentagon regularly reviews force posture and performs cost-benefit analyses,' Eric Pahon, a spokesman for the Pentagon, said in a statement.
'This is nothing new. Germany is host to the largest US force presence in Europe, we remain deeply rooted in the common values and strong relationships between our countries. We remain fully committed to our NATO ally and the NATO alliance.'
Despite the statement from the NSC, Trump has said he disagrees with continuing the US's participation in NATO.
'My statement on NATO being obsolete and disproportionately too expensive (and unfair) for the U.S. are now, finally, receiving plaudits,' Trump took to Twitter in 2016.
Tensions between Trump and Chancellor Merkel escalated during the G-7 summit last month.
Trump reportedly threw Starburst candies to Angela Merkel during the summit as the German Chancellor pressured him to sign a joint statement.
Trump initially resisted signing the statement but later agreed, pulling the candies from his suit pocket and saying: 'Here, Angela. Don't say I never give you anything'.
The President later changed his mind a second time, ordering his advisers not to sign the communique during an angry Twitter outburst.
Trump has also suggested pulling troops from South Korea as well, according to previous reports.
'We lose money on trade, and we lose money on the military,' Trump said in a speech March.
'We have right now 32,000 soldiers on the border between North and South Korea,' Trump added. 'Let's see what happens.'
LEFT IN BLOODY CLASH WITH THE RIGHT IN PORTLAND
Antifa and Patriot Prayer clash in downtown Portland, Oregon riot
by Jennifer Dowling and KOIN 6 News Staff
KOIN
June 30, 2018
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Two opposing protest groups -- Patriot Prayer and antifa -- clashed in what turned into a riot in downtown Portland Saturday.
Portland police called the gathering a riot after officers observed assaults and other criminal behavior during a Patriot Prayer march downtown on Saturday. They said failure to leave the area could result in arrests.
Patriot Prayer had a permit for a Freedom and Courage rally and march, but police revoked that permit when the groups began to clash shortly after the march started around 6 p.m.
People were lighting firecrackers and smoke bombs and throwing eggs and water bottles into the crowd. Police used aerial distraction devices, pepper spray and pepper balls in an effort to disperse the clashing protesters.
Patriot Prayer regrouped at Terry Schrunk Plaza but the Federal Protective Service later closed the park and ordered everyone to leave. A smaller group of protesters gathered again on SW 3rd between SW Clay and Columbia, where another brief scuffle ensued before the remaining protesters loaded onto a bus and left the area.
"Today was good in terms that we showed that there's a political move right now to have the police stand down in order to impact free speech in some of these big cities. Portland's the last city on the West Coast that's doing that, so we just have to keep hitting it -- I don't see what else to do other than that. We'll make Portland so ugly in terms of how they allow these protesters to charge us when we have a permit. The police stood down, we were told they would not stand down, so we have to challenge it," organizer Joey Gibson said before leaving.
Four people were arrested during the events Saturday:
--Luiz E. Marquez, 46, arrested in connection with a June 3 protest on charges of first-degree theft, 3rd-degree theft and 3rd-degree assault
--Tusitala "Tiny" Toese, 22, arrested in connection with an investigation that started on June 8 on charges of 4th-degree assault
--Donovan Flippo, 23, arrested in connection with investigation that started on June 8 on charges of 2nd-degree disorderly conduct
--Matthew Braddock, 37, arrested in connection with investigation that started on May 31 on charges of 2nd-degree robbery and 3rd-degree assault
KOIN 6 News also saw a man named John, who identifies with the left, being taken away and handcuffed. He said he was cited for failing to obey and released a short time later.
"It was definitely targeting based off of political ideology, I don't hide that I fall on the left side of the political spectrum, but I'm also respectful of those on the right," John said.
A family who went to counter protest Patriot Prayer said they were there because of President Trump's stance on immigration.
"Their kids shouldn't be separated from their parents like that," Eudardo Martinez said. "It's not right."
An officer was injured by a projectile and taken to the hospital but the injuries are believed to be non-serious.
"Portland Police planned for today's protest so that people could exercise their First Amendment rights to speech and assembly," said Deputy Chief Bob Day in a press release. "We seized numerous weapons early on, and interceded and separated people when necessary. However, once projectiles, such as fireworks, eggs, rocks, bottles and construction equipment were thrown and people were injured, we ordered people to disperse."
Before the riot
Hundreds of people with the Patriot Prayer group gathered at Terry Schrunk Plaza while hundreds of opposing protesters, including antifa, gathered at Chapman Square for rallies before the march.
"A lot of people are saying you know, transgenders and queers are being oppressed in America, no. They have their festival, three days are dedicated for them, their Pride festival, but when you say you're a conservative, people look at you like you're a freaking terrorist," Toese told KOIN 6 News before he was taken into custody.
Participants were met with strict security as they entered the plaza.
Patriot Prayer organizer Joey Gibson said they brought busloads of people from Vancouver to Portland for the event.
Gibson said people were in high spirits and excited to have a "great day in Portland."
A group called Eugene Antifa created a Facebook event called "Defend PDX: Patriot Prayer's violence must end"
"It is very important that antifascists keep up the pressure so that we can stop them once and for all," the Facebook page says.
"There will be a significant law enforcement presence in Downtown Portland, due to past threats and acts of violence between these different groups, both locally and nationally," Portland police said.
Police were already dressed in riot gear before the 4 p.m. start time in preparation for the protests.
They said because of those threats, people should not bring weapons to any event. PPB said officers made probably cause arrests and seized weapons.
A similar clash of protests happened in Portland on June 3, the anniversary of a 2017 face off between those groups. During that demonstration, fights broke out and several people were arrested.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Daily Mail reports that a flash-bang grenade was tossed into the melee and that four people were transported to area hospitals by ambulance, three with minor injuries and one with a serious but non-life threatening injury.
by Jennifer Dowling and KOIN 6 News Staff
KOIN
June 30, 2018
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Two opposing protest groups -- Patriot Prayer and antifa -- clashed in what turned into a riot in downtown Portland Saturday.
Portland police called the gathering a riot after officers observed assaults and other criminal behavior during a Patriot Prayer march downtown on Saturday. They said failure to leave the area could result in arrests.
Patriot Prayer had a permit for a Freedom and Courage rally and march, but police revoked that permit when the groups began to clash shortly after the march started around 6 p.m.
People were lighting firecrackers and smoke bombs and throwing eggs and water bottles into the crowd. Police used aerial distraction devices, pepper spray and pepper balls in an effort to disperse the clashing protesters.
Patriot Prayer regrouped at Terry Schrunk Plaza but the Federal Protective Service later closed the park and ordered everyone to leave. A smaller group of protesters gathered again on SW 3rd between SW Clay and Columbia, where another brief scuffle ensued before the remaining protesters loaded onto a bus and left the area.
"Today was good in terms that we showed that there's a political move right now to have the police stand down in order to impact free speech in some of these big cities. Portland's the last city on the West Coast that's doing that, so we just have to keep hitting it -- I don't see what else to do other than that. We'll make Portland so ugly in terms of how they allow these protesters to charge us when we have a permit. The police stood down, we were told they would not stand down, so we have to challenge it," organizer Joey Gibson said before leaving.
Four people were arrested during the events Saturday:
--Luiz E. Marquez, 46, arrested in connection with a June 3 protest on charges of first-degree theft, 3rd-degree theft and 3rd-degree assault
--Tusitala "Tiny" Toese, 22, arrested in connection with an investigation that started on June 8 on charges of 4th-degree assault
--Donovan Flippo, 23, arrested in connection with investigation that started on June 8 on charges of 2nd-degree disorderly conduct
--Matthew Braddock, 37, arrested in connection with investigation that started on May 31 on charges of 2nd-degree robbery and 3rd-degree assault
KOIN 6 News also saw a man named John, who identifies with the left, being taken away and handcuffed. He said he was cited for failing to obey and released a short time later.
"It was definitely targeting based off of political ideology, I don't hide that I fall on the left side of the political spectrum, but I'm also respectful of those on the right," John said.
A family who went to counter protest Patriot Prayer said they were there because of President Trump's stance on immigration.
"Their kids shouldn't be separated from their parents like that," Eudardo Martinez said. "It's not right."
An officer was injured by a projectile and taken to the hospital but the injuries are believed to be non-serious.
"Portland Police planned for today's protest so that people could exercise their First Amendment rights to speech and assembly," said Deputy Chief Bob Day in a press release. "We seized numerous weapons early on, and interceded and separated people when necessary. However, once projectiles, such as fireworks, eggs, rocks, bottles and construction equipment were thrown and people were injured, we ordered people to disperse."
Before the riot
Hundreds of people with the Patriot Prayer group gathered at Terry Schrunk Plaza while hundreds of opposing protesters, including antifa, gathered at Chapman Square for rallies before the march.
"A lot of people are saying you know, transgenders and queers are being oppressed in America, no. They have their festival, three days are dedicated for them, their Pride festival, but when you say you're a conservative, people look at you like you're a freaking terrorist," Toese told KOIN 6 News before he was taken into custody.
Participants were met with strict security as they entered the plaza.
Patriot Prayer organizer Joey Gibson said they brought busloads of people from Vancouver to Portland for the event.
Gibson said people were in high spirits and excited to have a "great day in Portland."
A group called Eugene Antifa created a Facebook event called "Defend PDX: Patriot Prayer's violence must end"
"It is very important that antifascists keep up the pressure so that we can stop them once and for all," the Facebook page says.
"There will be a significant law enforcement presence in Downtown Portland, due to past threats and acts of violence between these different groups, both locally and nationally," Portland police said.
Police were already dressed in riot gear before the 4 p.m. start time in preparation for the protests.
They said because of those threats, people should not bring weapons to any event. PPB said officers made probably cause arrests and seized weapons.
A similar clash of protests happened in Portland on June 3, the anniversary of a 2017 face off between those groups. During that demonstration, fights broke out and several people were arrested.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Daily Mail reports that a flash-bang grenade was tossed into the melee and that four people were transported to area hospitals by ambulance, three with minor injuries and one with a serious but non-life threatening injury.
COLOMBIA TO ERADICATE COCA PLANTS BY DRONES SPRAYING ROUNDUP
With pressure from the United States, Colombia will reinstate its practice of spraying glyphosate (Roundup) to eradicate coca crops
telesur
June 26, 2018
Colombia’s Minister of Defense says the country will reinstate the policy of eradicating its coca production with glyphosate, this time with the help of drones.
Luis Carlos Villegas announced on Monday that the government will reinstate its practice of fumigating the illicit crops with glyphosate, an herbicide that Colombia’s Constitutional Court prohibited in 2015 arguing it threatens the health of local communities and the environment.
Villegas, trying to quell fears regarding the chemical’s negative health impacts, said that by using drones to disperse the Roundup creates “half the concentration of the poison that the planes had," saying that "the risks to people and the environment are quite mitigable."
In 2015 the U.N. cancer research center labeled the potent weed killer, devised by Monsanto, as a probable carcinogen.
Tractors will also be used to rid areas of the crop, said the defense minister.
Villegas added on Tuesday that the National Council of Narcotic Drugs still needs to authorize the drone use, but that 10 teams will start the practice by next Wednesday.
Even though he hasn't taken office yet, Colombia’s president-elect Ivan Duque said Monday he welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump’s support for his planned "head-on fight against drug trafficking," and eradication of the leaf.
James Carroll, acting director for the U.S. National Drug Control Policy said in a press statement Monday, "President (Donald) Trump’s message to Colombia is clear: it must reverse the record growth in cocaine production," adding that the country "must do more … to improve its eradication efforts."
The strong statements come just as the White House released a report showing that coca leaf cultivation grew by 11 percent over last year and is at an all-time high. Coca production has been on the rise since 2012.
Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos said on Monday that "there is a smaller (coca production) increase than expected."
Referring to the 2016 accord he signed with the former FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) the head of state said, "The important thing is to have a strategy and for the first time you have something viable and effective to combat this scourge more effectively."
The Colombian president added, "For the first time we have a plan, a vision and we can be effective thanks to peace, and we have to be very honest: without that peace, a structural solution to illicit crops would not have been possible."
Santos went on to describe the fight against drugs, as a 'static bicycle', since "we fumigate one day and the next day he was back on his feet."
For decades small-scale farmers, particularly those located in Colombia's coastal regions where the state was largely absent, produced coca in order to make a living wage. Santos’ peace agreement with the FARC was supposed to provide coca farmers about US$400 a month for two years of coca-free farming followed by a one time $US3,000 lump sum to help them start a new crop or business, according to the L.A. Times.
However, his administration has hardly been able to keep up with the pledge. Neither has it been able to protect small coca farmers and activists who are being killed by paramilitaries hoping to grab their coca production and land.
The president also pointed out that the problem of drugs is not only the responsibility of Colombia but that "consumers continue to consume and now legalize the consumption of many of the drugs," which is why it must be a global struggle "to combat that scourge".
According to the L.A. Times, the U.S. government has spent some US$10 billion in its Plan Colombia to counter coca and cocaine production and trafficking in the South American country since the year 2000. At the same time, U.S. consumers make up 92 percent of Colombia’s cocaine market.
telesur
June 26, 2018
Colombia’s Minister of Defense says the country will reinstate the policy of eradicating its coca production with glyphosate, this time with the help of drones.
Luis Carlos Villegas announced on Monday that the government will reinstate its practice of fumigating the illicit crops with glyphosate, an herbicide that Colombia’s Constitutional Court prohibited in 2015 arguing it threatens the health of local communities and the environment.
Villegas, trying to quell fears regarding the chemical’s negative health impacts, said that by using drones to disperse the Roundup creates “half the concentration of the poison that the planes had," saying that "the risks to people and the environment are quite mitigable."
In 2015 the U.N. cancer research center labeled the potent weed killer, devised by Monsanto, as a probable carcinogen.
Tractors will also be used to rid areas of the crop, said the defense minister.
Villegas added on Tuesday that the National Council of Narcotic Drugs still needs to authorize the drone use, but that 10 teams will start the practice by next Wednesday.
Even though he hasn't taken office yet, Colombia’s president-elect Ivan Duque said Monday he welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump’s support for his planned "head-on fight against drug trafficking," and eradication of the leaf.
James Carroll, acting director for the U.S. National Drug Control Policy said in a press statement Monday, "President (Donald) Trump’s message to Colombia is clear: it must reverse the record growth in cocaine production," adding that the country "must do more … to improve its eradication efforts."
The strong statements come just as the White House released a report showing that coca leaf cultivation grew by 11 percent over last year and is at an all-time high. Coca production has been on the rise since 2012.
Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos said on Monday that "there is a smaller (coca production) increase than expected."
Referring to the 2016 accord he signed with the former FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) the head of state said, "The important thing is to have a strategy and for the first time you have something viable and effective to combat this scourge more effectively."
The Colombian president added, "For the first time we have a plan, a vision and we can be effective thanks to peace, and we have to be very honest: without that peace, a structural solution to illicit crops would not have been possible."
Santos went on to describe the fight against drugs, as a 'static bicycle', since "we fumigate one day and the next day he was back on his feet."
For decades small-scale farmers, particularly those located in Colombia's coastal regions where the state was largely absent, produced coca in order to make a living wage. Santos’ peace agreement with the FARC was supposed to provide coca farmers about US$400 a month for two years of coca-free farming followed by a one time $US3,000 lump sum to help them start a new crop or business, according to the L.A. Times.
However, his administration has hardly been able to keep up with the pledge. Neither has it been able to protect small coca farmers and activists who are being killed by paramilitaries hoping to grab their coca production and land.
The president also pointed out that the problem of drugs is not only the responsibility of Colombia but that "consumers continue to consume and now legalize the consumption of many of the drugs," which is why it must be a global struggle "to combat that scourge".
According to the L.A. Times, the U.S. government has spent some US$10 billion in its Plan Colombia to counter coca and cocaine production and trafficking in the South American country since the year 2000. At the same time, U.S. consumers make up 92 percent of Colombia’s cocaine market.
Sunday, July 01, 2018
CANADIAN STOLEN CREDIT CARD CAPER GOES WRONG
Woman's attempt to escape from RCMP ends with fall through convenience store ceiling
Spruce Grove is a small town of 34,000 Canadians just west of Edmonton in Alberta Province. When the owner of a Reddi Mart convenience store there suspected that Richard Pariseau and Brittany Burke were trying to buy a can of soda with a stolen credit card, he called the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Here is the surveillance video of what happened next:
Pariseau faces eleven charges, including resisting arrest and using a stolen credit card while Burke faces three charges including obstructing an officer and mischief under $5,000.
This caper was a teaching moment for Brittany. I'm sure that by now she knows that a sheet rock ceiling won't support her ample ass.
Spruce Grove is a small town of 34,000 Canadians just west of Edmonton in Alberta Province. When the owner of a Reddi Mart convenience store there suspected that Richard Pariseau and Brittany Burke were trying to buy a can of soda with a stolen credit card, he called the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Here is the surveillance video of what happened next:
Pariseau faces eleven charges, including resisting arrest and using a stolen credit card while Burke faces three charges including obstructing an officer and mischief under $5,000.
This caper was a teaching moment for Brittany. I'm sure that by now she knows that a sheet rock ceiling won't support her ample ass.
HOW TO MAKE JURY SELECTION MORE EXCITING
A Florida woman shows up for jury selection with foil packets of coke concealed in her cargo pants
On Monday 39-year-old Kristine Mittler of New Port Richey, Florida returned to the West Pasco Judicial Center to see if she had been selected for jury duty. As Kristine passed through the security checkpoint - bzzzzz – the metal detector alarm went off. Sheriff’s deputies found two folded foil packets in the pocket of her cargo pants that had white powder inside. The powder turned out to be 0.6 grams of cocaine. A subsequent check of her straw hat tested positive for meth.
Poor Kristine was busted for possession of cocaine, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Well now, you can’t blame a gal for trying to make jury selection more exciting. Had she used small plastic freezer packets instead of foil, she could have taken a few snorts during a piss break. If nothing else, that would have kept her awake during those dull proceedings.
Unless Kristine cops a plea, she will soon have to sit through another boring jury selection, this time for a jury that will decide her fate.
The meth possession charge seems awfully weak ….. that is unless Kristine could smoke her hat. Likewise for the paraphernalia charge. That charge usually sticks only for drug dealers caught with numerous pieces of foil, not for some user with two packets of coke.
Piling on charges is not uncommon though. It is usually done when the suspect has pissed off the arresting cops. In Kristine’s case it was probably done to get her to cop a plea with two of the charges dropped.
On Monday 39-year-old Kristine Mittler of New Port Richey, Florida returned to the West Pasco Judicial Center to see if she had been selected for jury duty. As Kristine passed through the security checkpoint - bzzzzz – the metal detector alarm went off. Sheriff’s deputies found two folded foil packets in the pocket of her cargo pants that had white powder inside. The powder turned out to be 0.6 grams of cocaine. A subsequent check of her straw hat tested positive for meth.
Poor Kristine was busted for possession of cocaine, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Well now, you can’t blame a gal for trying to make jury selection more exciting. Had she used small plastic freezer packets instead of foil, she could have taken a few snorts during a piss break. If nothing else, that would have kept her awake during those dull proceedings.
Unless Kristine cops a plea, she will soon have to sit through another boring jury selection, this time for a jury that will decide her fate.
The meth possession charge seems awfully weak ….. that is unless Kristine could smoke her hat. Likewise for the paraphernalia charge. That charge usually sticks only for drug dealers caught with numerous pieces of foil, not for some user with two packets of coke.
Piling on charges is not uncommon though. It is usually done when the suspect has pissed off the arresting cops. In Kristine’s case it was probably done to get her to cop a plea with two of the charges dropped.
TWISTED AND MORE THAN A LITTLE SICK
by Bob Walsh
John Coltharp and Samuel Shaffer are buddies. They live in Utah and belong to what is generally referred to as a Doomsday Cult. They married each others daughters, age 7 and 8.
Shaffer, 34, has just been convicted of child rape and child sodomy. Instead of spending his later years banging his child bridge he will be spending 15-life as a guest of the people of Utah. Under current guidelines he will spend actually a minimum of 26 years in the slammer.
Shaffer, who is one of the co-poohbahs of the Knights of Crystal, a LDS church offshoot, married his 7-year old daughter off to Coltharp who is scheduled to be sentenced to prison in about five weeks.
The girls were located after Coltharp's ex-wife called the cops when he kidnapped their four children. The cops found the girls stashed inside of 55 gallon plastic barrels on the property where they were ordered to hide to avoid police. The girls were hospitalized for dehydration and exposure..
John Coltharp and Samuel Shaffer are buddies. They live in Utah and belong to what is generally referred to as a Doomsday Cult. They married each others daughters, age 7 and 8.
Shaffer, 34, has just been convicted of child rape and child sodomy. Instead of spending his later years banging his child bridge he will be spending 15-life as a guest of the people of Utah. Under current guidelines he will spend actually a minimum of 26 years in the slammer.
Shaffer, who is one of the co-poohbahs of the Knights of Crystal, a LDS church offshoot, married his 7-year old daughter off to Coltharp who is scheduled to be sentenced to prison in about five weeks.
The girls were located after Coltharp's ex-wife called the cops when he kidnapped their four children. The cops found the girls stashed inside of 55 gallon plastic barrels on the property where they were ordered to hide to avoid police. The girls were hospitalized for dehydration and exposure..
MORE FUN AND GAMES IN THE BRONX FOLOWING THE BUTCHERING OF 15-YEAR-OLD
Man busted for punching out pedestrian in the Bronx blames the victim
By Graham Rayman
New York Daily News
June 29, 2018
The suspect busted for punching out a 37-year-old man in the Bronx and then taking pictures blamed the victim in a statement to police, court records show.
Luis Rivera, 22, claimed in a police interview that Fernando Levano was yelling at him moments before Rivera hammered him in the head at about 6 a.m. on June 18 at Aqueduct Ave. and Buchanan Place in University Heights.
“The guy was yelling and I was like, ‘I don’t even know you,’ ” Rivera claimed to police, according to the criminal complaint. “He came back and I was like ‘That’s how it’s going to be?’ But he just kept going.”
Rivera added, “I just hit him. I was angry. The guy was laid out. I took some pictures on someone else’s phone. I know I fucked up very bad.”
His punch dropped Levano to the sidewalk, and his head hit the concrete. Levano was passed out for 10 minutes before an ambulance reached the scene, the records show.
Rivera exchanged high fives with another man in the aftermath, and they both smirked, a video shows.
As Levano was sprawled out in the crosswalk, a group of people, including a woman believed to be a local crack addict, walked over to pick the man’s pockets and take his phone and ID card.
Rivera surrendered Thursday afternoon at the 46th Precinct stationhouse after the NYPD released video that showed him attacking Levano and then taking a cell phone picture of the helpless victim as another thief combed through the man’s clothes for valuables.
Cops previously released video showing Rivera walk up and deliver a devastating right hook to Levano’s head.
Levano suffered a severe brain injury from a skull fracture and remains in critical condition at St. Barnabas Hospital.
His brother, Cesar Zuniga, 31, said Thursday that Levano had headphones on and thus couldn’t hear what Rivera was saying to him.
Rivera was charged with assault. He is being held in the city jails on $15,000 bail or $20,000 bond. His next court date is July 17.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Last week in the Bronx, 15-year-old Lesandro Guzman-Feliz was butchered to death by at least eight machete and knife wielding thugs. Now you have bystanders rob the unconscious Fernando Levano after he had been sucker punched by another Bronx denizen.
It sure looks like that shithole, the Bronx, is inhabited by a bunch of sub-humans.
By Graham Rayman
New York Daily News
June 29, 2018
The suspect busted for punching out a 37-year-old man in the Bronx and then taking pictures blamed the victim in a statement to police, court records show.
Luis Rivera, 22, claimed in a police interview that Fernando Levano was yelling at him moments before Rivera hammered him in the head at about 6 a.m. on June 18 at Aqueduct Ave. and Buchanan Place in University Heights.
“The guy was yelling and I was like, ‘I don’t even know you,’ ” Rivera claimed to police, according to the criminal complaint. “He came back and I was like ‘That’s how it’s going to be?’ But he just kept going.”
Rivera added, “I just hit him. I was angry. The guy was laid out. I took some pictures on someone else’s phone. I know I fucked up very bad.”
His punch dropped Levano to the sidewalk, and his head hit the concrete. Levano was passed out for 10 minutes before an ambulance reached the scene, the records show.
Rivera exchanged high fives with another man in the aftermath, and they both smirked, a video shows.
As Levano was sprawled out in the crosswalk, a group of people, including a woman believed to be a local crack addict, walked over to pick the man’s pockets and take his phone and ID card.
Rivera surrendered Thursday afternoon at the 46th Precinct stationhouse after the NYPD released video that showed him attacking Levano and then taking a cell phone picture of the helpless victim as another thief combed through the man’s clothes for valuables.
Cops previously released video showing Rivera walk up and deliver a devastating right hook to Levano’s head.
Levano suffered a severe brain injury from a skull fracture and remains in critical condition at St. Barnabas Hospital.
His brother, Cesar Zuniga, 31, said Thursday that Levano had headphones on and thus couldn’t hear what Rivera was saying to him.
Rivera was charged with assault. He is being held in the city jails on $15,000 bail or $20,000 bond. His next court date is July 17.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Last week in the Bronx, 15-year-old Lesandro Guzman-Feliz was butchered to death by at least eight machete and knife wielding thugs. Now you have bystanders rob the unconscious Fernando Levano after he had been sucker punched by another Bronx denizen.
It sure looks like that shithole, the Bronx, is inhabited by a bunch of sub-humans.
PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY COPS SHOOT MAN TRYING TO RETRIEVE THE GUN THAT FELL OUT OF HIS WAISTBAND WHILE HE WAS TRYING TO BREAK UP A FIGHT
Associated Press
June 29, 2018
PORTLAND, Oregon -- A witness to a fatal shooting in Portland says officers shot a man who tried to break up a fight.
The gunfire happened early Friday outside the Cheerful Tortoise, a sports bar near Portland State University.
Video sent by a bystander to KOIN-TV shows university officers at the scene of a fight involving several men. During the scuffle, someone yelled that there wasa a gun. Then shots were fired.
Witness Keyaira Smith tells KGW-TV the man who died was trying to de-escalate the fight. While doing so, a gun holstered on his hip fell out. He went to pick it up and was shot.
The Portland Police Bureau is handling the investigation. Sgt. Chris Burley confirms that university officers responded to a disturbance outside the bar. He has not provided details about how the shooting unfolded.
The names of the officer and the person killed have not been released.
Against the objection of protesters, the Portland State University Board of Trustees voted in 2015 to have campus officers carry firearms.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Although a tragic mistake, this looks like a righteous shoot.
June 29, 2018
PORTLAND, Oregon -- A witness to a fatal shooting in Portland says officers shot a man who tried to break up a fight.
The gunfire happened early Friday outside the Cheerful Tortoise, a sports bar near Portland State University.
Video sent by a bystander to KOIN-TV shows university officers at the scene of a fight involving several men. During the scuffle, someone yelled that there wasa a gun. Then shots were fired.
Witness Keyaira Smith tells KGW-TV the man who died was trying to de-escalate the fight. While doing so, a gun holstered on his hip fell out. He went to pick it up and was shot.
The Portland Police Bureau is handling the investigation. Sgt. Chris Burley confirms that university officers responded to a disturbance outside the bar. He has not provided details about how the shooting unfolded.
The names of the officer and the person killed have not been released.
Against the objection of protesters, the Portland State University Board of Trustees voted in 2015 to have campus officers carry firearms.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Although a tragic mistake, this looks like a righteous shoot.
UCLA PROFESSOR MUMMIFIED BEFORE HIS DEATH
Professor Doran George, who taught in UCLA’s LGBTQ and Disability Studies program, suddenly croaked while mummified in TV exec’s sex-dungeon basement
Doran George, 47, was a professor in UCLA’s LGBTQ and Disability Studies program. George, a Brit, was also an accomplished dancer. On November 22, Doran visited the LA home of Skip Chasey, a Hollywood TV executive. Doran and Skip skipped down to Chasey’s sex-dungeon basement. Skip mummified Doran by wrapping him in plastic wrap and gaffer's tape. Whatever bondage sex play the two were engaged in came to a sudden halt when the good professor suddenly croaked.
Chasey is known in the BDSM (Bondage and Discipline, Dominance and Submission, Sadism and Masochism) community as Master Skip. He is a co-founder of People of Leather Among You (PLAY) which has the motto: “Blood may be thicker than water, but leather is thicker than blood.”
Master Skip has given more than 250 different speeches and workshops on BDSM. He can now tell his audiences that perhaps it is best to follow the ancient Egyptian practice of mummification after death, not before it.
LA cops found no criminal wrongdoing in Doran’s death and have closed their investigation of the bondage sex play by the two weirdos.
Alas, UCLA is now short one professor in its worthless LGBTQ and Disability Studies program.
Doran George, 47, was a professor in UCLA’s LGBTQ and Disability Studies program. George, a Brit, was also an accomplished dancer. On November 22, Doran visited the LA home of Skip Chasey, a Hollywood TV executive. Doran and Skip skipped down to Chasey’s sex-dungeon basement. Skip mummified Doran by wrapping him in plastic wrap and gaffer's tape. Whatever bondage sex play the two were engaged in came to a sudden halt when the good professor suddenly croaked.
Chasey is known in the BDSM (Bondage and Discipline, Dominance and Submission, Sadism and Masochism) community as Master Skip. He is a co-founder of People of Leather Among You (PLAY) which has the motto: “Blood may be thicker than water, but leather is thicker than blood.”
Master Skip has given more than 250 different speeches and workshops on BDSM. He can now tell his audiences that perhaps it is best to follow the ancient Egyptian practice of mummification after death, not before it.
LA cops found no criminal wrongdoing in Doran’s death and have closed their investigation of the bondage sex play by the two weirdos.
Alas, UCLA is now short one professor in its worthless LGBTQ and Disability Studies program.
SANDWICH DELIVERY GUY DELIVERS BAD NEWS
Jimmy John's delivery guy reveals to girl that her long-distance boyfriend is CHEATING after she put in a special surprise order for him and the eagle-eyed fast food man spotted a naked woman on his couch
Daily Mail
June 29, 2018
One Jimmy John's customer in Iowa is thanking a delivery guy from the sandwich chain for catching her cheating boyfriend in the act.
Kayla Speer, 23, wanted to surprise her long-distance boyfriend of three months with a sandwich delivered to his home while he was 'studying' for finals.
However, when the delivery guy arrived to the boyfriend's home three hours away from Kayla, he got more than he bargained for. He caught him with a naked woman - who wasn't his girlfriend.
Kayla took to Twitter Wednesday night to share her story about how the sandwich giant helped expose her cheating boyfriend.
Kayla, who works as an exercise specialist in West Burlington, Iowa, said she was in total shock when the delivery guy came over the phone to deliver the news.
In her series of tweets she wrote that she texted her unnamed boyfriend saying 'hey, foods on the way for you. Please leave a tip,' but he did not reply and she assumed he was sleeping.
She later received a text from her boyfriend thanking her for the food.
However, the Jimmy John's delivery boy called her and asked if the order was for her boyfriend.
When she responded that the man the food was delivered to was indeed her boyfriend, the delivery driver responded: 'Look, we usually don't do this, but I think you would like to know... when we walked up to the door to your bf's place we were able to see into his apartment and he was in his boxers with a naked woman on top of him on the couch.'
Kayla said that she was extremely upset and confused.
In her tweets, Kayla thanked Jimmy John's and the delivery driver for exceptional customer service.
'Not many would do what that delivery driver did, and I’m very grateful he called me and was honest about the situation,' she wrote.
The official Jimmy John's Twitter account read Kayla's story and even offered to cater her 'break up party'.
'I’d love to cater your breakup party! Let me know when and where! Please DM me your address and contact info and I’ll make it happen!' the sandwich company wrote.
As for Kayla and her boyfriend, it's safe to say they are no longer together.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Come on Kayla, give the guy a break. He was obviously just studying for his Anatomy and Physiology exam. Why else would he have a naked woman on his couch?
Daily Mail
June 29, 2018
One Jimmy John's customer in Iowa is thanking a delivery guy from the sandwich chain for catching her cheating boyfriend in the act.
Kayla Speer, 23, wanted to surprise her long-distance boyfriend of three months with a sandwich delivered to his home while he was 'studying' for finals.
However, when the delivery guy arrived to the boyfriend's home three hours away from Kayla, he got more than he bargained for. He caught him with a naked woman - who wasn't his girlfriend.
Kayla took to Twitter Wednesday night to share her story about how the sandwich giant helped expose her cheating boyfriend.
Kayla, who works as an exercise specialist in West Burlington, Iowa, said she was in total shock when the delivery guy came over the phone to deliver the news.
In her series of tweets she wrote that she texted her unnamed boyfriend saying 'hey, foods on the way for you. Please leave a tip,' but he did not reply and she assumed he was sleeping.
She later received a text from her boyfriend thanking her for the food.
However, the Jimmy John's delivery boy called her and asked if the order was for her boyfriend.
When she responded that the man the food was delivered to was indeed her boyfriend, the delivery driver responded: 'Look, we usually don't do this, but I think you would like to know... when we walked up to the door to your bf's place we were able to see into his apartment and he was in his boxers with a naked woman on top of him on the couch.'
Kayla said that she was extremely upset and confused.
In her tweets, Kayla thanked Jimmy John's and the delivery driver for exceptional customer service.
'Not many would do what that delivery driver did, and I’m very grateful he called me and was honest about the situation,' she wrote.
The official Jimmy John's Twitter account read Kayla's story and even offered to cater her 'break up party'.
'I’d love to cater your breakup party! Let me know when and where! Please DM me your address and contact info and I’ll make it happen!' the sandwich company wrote.
As for Kayla and her boyfriend, it's safe to say they are no longer together.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Come on Kayla, give the guy a break. He was obviously just studying for his Anatomy and Physiology exam. Why else would he have a naked woman on his couch?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)