My Central Jersey – by Suzanne Russell

Nearly 5,000 weapons were taken off streets in New Jersey following a two-day gun buyback program last weekend in Newark, Camden and Trenton.

A total of 4,775 guns were turned in for cash, according to Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino and Acting U.S. Attorney William Fitzpatrick. Union County residents were encouraged to participate in the Newark program.

Turned in were 1,973 handguns, 1,142 shotguns and 1,025 rifles. A total of 129 assault weapons were received and received the highest payout of $200 each at buyback events at Antioch Baptist Church in Camden, the Friendship Baptist Church in Trenton and the Greater Abyssinian Baptist Church in Newark.    Continue reading “NJ gun buyback effort nets 4,775 weapons”

The Hill – by Max Greenwood

New York federal prosecutors subpoenaed Kushner Companies, the real estate development company owned by the family of President Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, over its use of a visa program that offers green cards to wealthy foreign investors.

The subpoena was received by Kushner Companies in May, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, and regards the company’s use of the EB-5 visa program to finance a development in Jersey City, N.J., called One Journal Square.   Continue reading “Kushner Companies subpoenaed over use of visa program: report”

NBC News

The Justice Department unveiled a new unit Wednesday to tackle the national opioid epidemic and announced that it is dispatching a dozen federal prosecutors to hard hit states like West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Florida and Ohio to combat the crisis.

“If you are a doctor illegally prescribing opioids for profit or a pharmacist letting these pills walk out the door and onto our streets based on prescriptions you know were obtained under false pretenses, we are coming after you,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “We will reverse these devastating trends with every tool we have.”   Continue reading “DOJ Unveils New ‘Opioid Fraud And Abuse’ Unit To Combat Crisis”

CBC News

After just a few minutes standing at the end of Roxham Road, where Quebec and New York meet, the first asylum seeker appears: a lone man in a taxi seeking to make his way into Canada.

Ten minutes later, another taxi, this one carrying a family of four.

Over the next hour, three more taxis, a minivan and a shuttle bus.   Continue reading “Waves of asylum seekers keep coming at illegal border crossing in Quebec”

RT

Female recruits for the Nebraska State Patrol were forced to undergo exams that were “medically unnecessary and sexually invasive” before being hired, according to a lawsuit filed by one trooper.

State Trooper Brienne Splittgerber, 37, filed a civil rights lawsuit against the Nebraska State Patrol, the state of Nebraska, two former patrol heads and various other people, accusing them of permitting and covering up the sexual assault of female candidates, according to the Associated Press.   Continue reading “Nebraska Patrol accused of forcing female candidates to undergo vaginal exams”

Mail.com

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela’s president defiantly dismissed allegations that official turnout figures for the election of an all-powerful constituent assembly were manipulated, accusing the international software firm behind the claim of bowing to U.S. pressure to cast doubt over a body that he hopes will entrench an even more staunchly socialist state.

In his first meeting with assembly delegates Wednesday night, President Nicolas Maduro not only stood by the official count of 8 million-plus votes cast in Sunday’s divisive election, but proclaimed that an additional 2 million people would have voted if they hadn’t been blocked by anti-government protesters.   Continue reading “Venezuela president disputes vote tampering allegation”

Mail.com

TAUNTON, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts woman who encouraged her boyfriend to kill himself in dozens of text messages and told him to “get back in” a truck filled with toxic gas faces up to 20 years in prison when a judge sentences her on a charge of involuntary manslaughter.

Michelle Carter was convicted in June by a judge who said her final instruction to Conrad Roy III caused his death. Juvenile Court Judge Lawrence Moniz will sentence Carter Thursday. Carter was 17 when the 18-year-old Roy was found dead of carbon monoxide poisoning in July 2014.   Continue reading “Woman to be sentenced in teen texting suicide case”

Mail.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has embraced legislation that would dramatically reduce legal immigration and shift the nation toward a system that prioritizes merit and skills over family ties.

Trump joined with Republican Sens. David Perdue of Georgia and Tom Cotton of Arkansas to promote the bill, which so far has gained little traction in the Senate. “This legislation demonstrates our compassion for struggling American families who deserve an immigration system that puts their needs first and puts America first,” Trump said during an event Wednesday in the White House’s Roosevelt Room.   Continue reading “GOP plan to slash legal immigration wins Trump’s support”

World Events and the Bible

WEB Notes: Sanctions have been implemented against Iran in the past, but not against a branch of their armed forces. This is a remarkable escalation and it very well could be the next major step toward a conflict with Iran. It is going to happen, it is written.

While most attention has been focused on the Russia elements of the bipartisan sanctions bill signed by President Trump on Wednesday, the legislation also – for the first time – targets Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for its support for terrorism.  Continue reading “Bill Signed By Trump Targets Iran’s IRGC For Terrorism – For The First Time”

KXAN – by Andy Jechow and Lauren Lanmon

HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — The vaccination debate unexpectedly came to the Hays CISD Facebook page on Monday following two posts about a planned “emergency response and mass vaccination drill” at Hays High School.

The bioterrorism drill, from 7:30 a.m. until noon on Tuesday, took place in the high school parking lot, involving area first responders and volunteers. Hays County says they hold this kind of drill to practice the emergency distribution of relief items, vaccinations and medication and health assessments.

“This particular scenario was based upon an anthrax release in the county,” said Hays County Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Mike Jones. “We take that as a terrorist event or bioterrorism.”
Continue reading “How a bioterrorism drill turned into a vaccination debate at Hays CISD”

New York Post

Four employees with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) have been accused of producing fake IDs for illegal immigrants in exchange for cash.

In October 2015, state police received an anonymous letter alleging that a corrupt RMV clerk was selling stolen identifications and drivers’ licenses, according to the Justice Department.

After investigating, authorities found that a number of RMV clerks, along with outsiders, operated an identity theft scheme and arrested six people on Wednesday.  Continue reading “DMV workers made fake IDs for illegal immigrants: feds”

The Tennessean – by Amy K Nixon

Three Cheatham County Sheriff’s deputies have been placed on administrative leave after a Pegram teen filed suit in federal court accusing them of using excessive force while he was being held at Cheatham County Jail.

Jordan Elias Norris, 19, has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court accusing the deputies of deprivation of civil rights, citing the use of excessive force and failure to protect after he was repeatedly stunned with Tasers in the jail in November 2016. He suffered more than 40 pairs of Taser burns, many of which are unaccounted for by authorities, the lawsuit states.   Continue reading “3 deputies placed on leave after lawsuit claims excessive force was used on teen inmate”

The Baltimore Sun – by Kevin Rector

For the second time in as many weeks, Baltimore police body-camera video has emerged showing what defense attorneys say is officers planting drugs on a criminal defendant.

Josh Insley, a local defense attorney, released the footage Tuesday, a day after the Baltimore state’s attorney’s office dropped all charges against his client based on concerns raised by the video. Insley said he believes the video shows officers “engage in what appears to be a staged recovery of narcotics,” and that he will be pursuing legal action against the police department.   Continue reading “Attorney for woman in drug case says body-camera footage shows officers planting drugs”