The Chinese Communist Party Is Setting Up Cells at Universities Across America – Foreign Policy

The Chinese Communist Party Is Setting Up Cells at Universities Across America – Foreign Policy: "In July 2017, a group of nine Chinese students and faculty from Huazhong University of Science and Technology participating in a summer program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) formed a Chinese Communist Party branch on the third floor of Hopkins Hall, a campus dormitory.
The group held meetings to discuss party ideology, taking a group photo in front of a red flag emblazoned with a hammer and sickle, according to a July 2017 article and photos posted to the Huazhong University website.
...The exchange students at UIUC were also asked to report on any potentially subversive opinions their classmates may have evinced while abroad, according to the student.
“After we went back to China, we had one-on-one meetings with our teachers. We talked about ourselves and others performance abroad,” the student says. “We had to talk about whether other students had some anti-party thought.”
Illinois is not alone. 
Party cells have appeared in California, Ohio, New York, Connecticut, North Dakota, and West Virginia. 
The cells appear to be part of a strategy, now expanded under Chinese President Xi Jinping, to extend direct party control globally and to insulate students and scholars abroad from the influence of “harmful ideology,” sometimes by asking members to report on each other’s behaviors and beliefs..."
Read on!

The Death Of Retail Real Estate Continues: 77MM Sq.Ft Of Shopping Space Closed In 2018 Already

The Death Of Retail Real Estate Continues: 77MM Sq.Ft Of Shopping Space Closed In 2018 Already
"Retail real estate carnage is going to continue this year with no signs of slowing up, as Bloomberg reported this morning that over 77 million square feet of retail real estate has closed this year and that 2018 will easily pass 2017’s record of 105 million square feet closed. 
The latest example was the fall of the once massive Toys ‘R’ Us name:

The fall of the Toys “R” Us chain, with more than 700 U.S. stores, shows how much retail real estate has changed in just the last decade. When KKR & Co., Bain Capital, and Vornado Realty Trust took over the company in 2005, the buyers justified the $7.5 billion price, in part, because of the supposedly valuable properties that came with the deal."

Don’t Botch the Steele Dossier Story Again, GOP - American Greatness

Don’t Botch the Steele Dossier Story Again, GOP - American Greatness:

"Comey repeatedly refused to answer questions about the dossier posed to him by Grassley and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), claiming he couldn’t answer publicly. But that was utter buncombe. There was no reason for Comey’s obstinance; at one point, Grassley became so frustrated with Comey that he raised his voice and uttered, “egads.” When Graham asked Comey if he was familiar with Fusion, Comey replied, “I know the name.” (You know the name?!) He then told the senator he “could not say” when asked about Carter Page and the dossier.
Here is one question the Republican committee members did not ask Comey: Why not? Why can’t you answer in an open setting? The dossier had been published in BuzzFeed in January; it was not classified. The committee knew that Steele had worked for Fusion GPS and had Democrat benefactors. So why didn’t the senators press him to answer?"

Verbatim: Weinstein Pulitzer Praise ... and Kendrick Lamar Lyrics | RealClearInvestigations

Verbatim: Weinstein Pulitzer Praise ... and Kendrick Lamar Lyrics | RealClearInvestigations
" The New York Times and the New Yorker won a Pulitzer Prize this week for their coverage of sexual abuse on the same day that Kendrick Lamar became the first rapper to win the prestigious award. 
Here are laudatory quotes about the sexual-misconduct Pulitzer, alternating with lyrics from Lamar’s prize-winning album, “Damn.”

Quote:“For explosive, impactful journalism that exposed powerful and wealthy sexual predators … bringing them to account for long-suppressed allegations of coercion, brutality and victim silencing, thus spurring a worldwide reckoning about sexual abuse of women.”
-- Pulitzer public-service citation naming Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey of the Times and Ronan Farrow of the New Yorker.
Kendrick Lamar Lyric:
Today is the day I follow my intuition
Keep the family close – get money, fuck bitches.
-- From the song “Yah.”

 Quote:''By revealing secret settlements, persuading victims to speak and bringing powerful men to account, we spurred a worldwide reckoning about sexual abuse that only seems to be growing.''
-- Dean Baquet, executive editor, the New York Times.
Lyric:
Girl, I can buy yo’ ass the world with my paystub
Ooh, that pussy good, won’t you sit it on my taste bloods?
-- From “Humble.”

 Quote:“Grateful for every brave source, for Jodi and Megan, and for a tireless @NewYorker team that stood by this story when others tried to bury it. This moment gets called a reckoning, but we just started telling the truth about old abuses of power. Thanks to all who keep doing so.”
-- Ronan Farrow on Twitter.
Lyric:
Girl, you look so good, it's to die for (die for)
Ooh, that pussy good, it's to die for (on fire)
-- From “Loyalty.”

Quote:“Without the reporting of the @nytimes and the @newyorker—and the brave women and men who spoke up about the sexual harassment they endured at the hands of powerful men—there would not be the critical national reckoning underway.”
-- Eric Schneiderman, New York state attorney general, on Twitter.
Lyric:
If I gotta slap a pussy-ass nigga, I'ma make it look sexy
If I gotta go hard on a bitch, I'ma make it look sexy
-- From “Element.”
Read all!

Data collection is way bigger than Facebook: How companies are spying on kids through school-issued devices – Lumen Student News

Data collection is way bigger than Facebook: How companies are spying on kids through school-issued devices – Lumen Student News:
"Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s recent appearance before Congress is raising the public’s awareness about how the world’s largest technology companies handle users’ sensitive personal data...
...What they didn’t discuss: How Facebook and other tech giants including Google, Apple, Microsoft and others collude with the U.S. Department of Education and local schools to build a massive database of information on students that’s exempt from federal privacy protections.
Political columnist Michelle Malkin points out that the data collection “exploded after the adoption of the tech-industry-supported Common Core” federal education standards.
“The recently passed Every Student Succeeds Act further enshrined government collection of personally identifiable information – including data on attitudes, values, beliefs and dispositions – and allows its release to third-party contractors, thanks to Obama-era loopholes in the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act,” Malkin wrote..."
Read it all!

Lunch video-----Little Pink House Trailer #1 (2018) | Movieclips Indie

Noon-toon

DHS nets 225 deportation targets in New York sweep - Washington Times

DHS nets 225 deportation targets in New York sweep - Washington Times:

"Deportation officers arrested 225 immigrants in a targeted sweep in New York City and the surrounding area, officials announced Tuesday, saying they had to go out into communities because so many localities are refusing to help Homeland Security identify illegal immigrants in their prisons and jails.
At least 60 of the people U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested in last week’s enforcement had been released by local police despite being sought by ICE officers.
“ICE continues to face significant obstacles with policies created by local officials which hinder cooperation between ICE and local law enforcement,” said Thomas R. Decker, director of ICE’s deportation office in New York, who said the operation nonetheless “was a great success.”
Among those nabbed were migrants with rape, manslaughter, firearms and drunken-driving convictions, or who landed on the sex offender registry because of their criminal history."

Another new bureaucracy!-----Registration fee being considered for kayaks, canoes, and paddle boards - UPMATTERS

Registration fee being considered for kayaks, canoes, and paddle boards - UPMATTERS: "LANSING - The idea of a registration fee for those who use kayaks, canoes, and paddle boards is being considered by the Michigan State Waterways Commission.
In a unanimous vote at a February commission meeting, members endorsed a resolution that will "register all rigid-hulled kayaks and canoes at a rate not to exceed $10 per year."
The resolution comes after growing concern over boater safety.
...The Waterways Commission says the fee would help "support the efforts of search and rescue personnel in their efforts in identifying the current owner."
...The resolution and proposal are to be discussed and debated at an upcoming April 25 meeting in Lansing."

VIDEO: Black man demands free Starbucks coffee as 'reparations' - white barista immediately complies - The American MirrorThe American Mirror

VIDEO: Black man demands free Starbucks coffee as 'reparations' - white barista immediately complies - The American MirrorThe American Mirror:
"A white Starbucks barista undoubtedly violated company policy when she handed over a free coffee to a black man who demanded it in the name of race “reparations.”
Bryan Sharpe, who goes by “Hotep Jesus” on Twitter, filmed himself going into a Starbucks store to demand a “free coffee” because they’re “racist.”
“I heard ya’ll was racist, so I came to get my free coffee,” Sharpe says in the video to the white barista taking his order.
“I saw that!” the girls responds.
“I heard you guys don’t like black people, so I came to get my Starbucks reparations voucher,” Sharpe continues.
“Not our store,” the barista says.
“Is that a real thing?” she asks him. “I mean, I’ll give it to you, I saw that on my Twitter last night and I was like, what the f*ck!”
“I need a free coffee,” Sharpe tells her, taking advantage of the stupidity of the company.
“I’ll give you a free coffee,” the barista says.
“That’s what I’m talking about! This is justice,” Sharpe says sarcastically. “This is justice. This is what I’m talking about.”
The barista went onto to offer his choice of milk and flavoring."

#1 This day 1959-----The Fleetwoods - Come Softly To Me

Michigan State student gov shoots down American flag proposal

Michigan State student gov shoots down American flag proposal:

• Michigan State University's student government recently rejected a resolution to install flagpoles with the American and Spartan flags in residential areas of campus.
• Although a survey of MSU students revealed broad support for the idea, some student senators expressed concerns that the American flag is not inclusive enough, suggesting additional flags for international and LGBT students.

The Michigan State University student government recently shot down a proposal to install more U.S. flags on campus, arguing that Old Glory lacks inclusivity.
...no American or Spartan flags mounted on flagpoles exist in the neighborhoods,” the proposal stated...
...“What I proposed was having all or [sic] MSU student's [sic] countries’ flags flowing through the wind together, whether the flags are smaller and on the same pole or larger and on 113 [different poles], whatever gives the MOST effective impact to cost ratio while not alienating anyone,” MSU student Ryan Aridi told Kelly in an email obtained by Campus Reform."
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You ought to know!

TRANSPARENT AS MUD: Obama Administration Spent Record Dollars On Legal Costs To Keep Information Private | Daily Wire

TRANSPARENT AS MUD: Obama Administration Spent Record Dollars On Legal Costs To Keep Information Private | Daily Wire:

"According to an Associated Press analysis, the Obama Administration, led by a president who claimed in 2013 that it was “the most transparent administration in history,” spent a record amount of money to defend its refusal to release federal records under the Freedom of Information Act.
As CBS News reports, during the last year of Barack Obama’s tenure, his administration spent a record $36.2 million on legal costs, which broke the record it set the previous year. CBS News added, “It set records for outright denial of access to files, refusing to quickly consider requests described as especially newsworthy, and forcing people to pay for records who had asked the government to waive search and copy fees.”"

Walter E. Williams: A Mayor's Most Important Job — The Patriot Post

Walter E. Williams: A Mayor's Most Important Job — The Patriot Post: 
"When World War II ended, Washington, D.C.‘s population was about 900,000; today it’s about 700,000. 
In 1950, Baltimore’s population was almost 950,000; today it’s around 614,000. 
Detroit’s 1950 population was close to 1.85 million; today it’s down to 673,000...
...A similar story of population decline can be found in most of our formerly large and prosperous cities. 
...During the 1960s and ‘70s, academic liberals, civil rights advocates and others blamed the exodus on racism — “white flight” to the suburbs. 
However, since the '70s, blacks have been fleeing some cities at higher rates than whites. 
It turns out that blacks, like whites, want better and safer schools for their kids and don’t like to be mugged or have their property vandalized. 
...At the heart of big-city exoduses is a process that I call accumulative decay. 
When schools are rotten and unsafe, neighborhoods become run-down and unsafe, and city services decline, the first people to leave are those who care the most about good schools and neighborhood amenities and have the resources to move. 
As a result, cities lose their best and ablest people first. 
Those who leave the city for greener pastures tend to be replaced by people who don’t care so much about schools and neighborhood amenities or people who do care but don’t have the means to move anywhere else. 
Because the “best” people — those who put more into the city’s coffer than they take out in services — leave, politicians must raise taxes and/or permit city services to deteriorate. 
...Big cities can be revitalized, but it’s going to take mayors with guts to do what’s necessary to reverse accumulative decay. 
They must ensure safe streets and safe schools. 
They must crack down on not only violent crimes but also petty crimes and misdemeanors, such as public urination, graffiti, vandalism, loitering and panhandling."
Read all!

AM Fruitcake

Lawmakers Send Criminal Referrals for Clinton, Comey, Lynch, McCabe

Lawmakers Send Criminal Referrals for Clinton, Comey, Lynch, McCabe:

"Republican lawmakers on Wednesday sent a slew of criminal referrals to Attorney General Jeff Sessions for a number of Obama administration officials and senior FBI employees for violations of the law in connection to the Clinton email and Trump-Russia investigations.
Specifically, they sent criminal referrals to Sessions for: former FBI Director James Comey, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Attorney General Loretta Lynch, former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, as well as FBI Special Agent Peter Strzok and his lover, FBI lawyer Lisa Page, for separate violations."

History for April 19

History for April 19 - On-This-Day.com
David Ricardo 1772 - Economist, author, Ole Evinrude 1877, Eliot Ness 1903


Frank Fontaine 1920, Hugh O'Brian 1930 - Actor ("The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp"), Jayne Mansfield (Vera Jane Palmer) 1932 - Actress ("It Takes a Thief")


1775 - The American Revolution began as fighting broke out at Lexington, MA.


1892 - The Duryea gasoline buggy was introduced in the U.S. by Charles and Frank Duryea.


1933 - U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a proclamation that removed the U.S. from the gold standard.


1943 - The Warsaw Ghetto uprising against Nazi rule began. The Jews were able to fight off the Germans for 28 days.


1951 - General Douglas MacArthur gave his "Old Soldiers" speech before the U.S. Congress after being relieved by U.S. President Truman. In the address General MacArthur said that "Old soldiers never die, they just fade away."


1989 - A gun turret exploded aboard the USS Iowa. 47 sailors were killed.


1993 - The Branch-Davidian’s compound in Waco, TX, burned to the ground. It was the end of a 51-day standoff between the cult and U.S. federal agents. 86 people were killed including 17 children. Nine of the Branch Davidians escaped the fire.


1995 - The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, OK, was destroyed by a bomb. It was the worst bombing on U.S. territory. 168 people were killed including 19 children, and 500 were injured. Timothy McVeigh was found guilty of the bombing on June 2, 1997.