No-one seems to know why Americans are dying of ‘heart attacks’ during vacations in the Dominican Republic, but many people are beginning to suspect intentional poisoning by hotel workers.   Another mysterious death today:

(Dominican Republic) The son of a New York hospital technician who died suddenly in her room at an all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana says Dominican authorities are resisting doing toxicology tests and pressuring him to have her body cremated or embalmed before its return to the U.S.

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More indications of the growing financial exit to avoid the predictable response from totalitarian moves by Beijing.  [Backstory – Backstory] Now we see reports growing of mass financial moves out of Hong Kong, as billionaires see the looming shadow of Red Dragon closing in…

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Some Hong Kong tycoons have started moving personal wealth offshore as concern deepens over a local government plan to allow extraditions of suspects to face trial in China for the first time, according to financial advisers, bankers and lawyers familiar with such transactions.
One tycoon, who considers himself potentially politically exposed, has started shifting more than $100 million from a local Citibank account to a Citibank account in Singapore, according to an adviser involved in the transactions.
“It’s started. We’re hearing others are doing it, too, but no-one is going to go on parade that they are leaving,” the adviser said. “The fear is that the bar is coming right down on Beijing’s ability to get your assets in Hong Kong. Singapore is the favoured destination.”

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President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump become the first guests of Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako at the Imperial Palace.
The formal state dinner is the first of the era of Reiwa and intended to highlight an even stronger bond and alliance between the United States and Japan.  The formal dinner included toasts from each nation and the Imperial Household Orchestra playing the ceremonial anthems of both nations.
The dinner menu: •First Course – Consommé a la Royale, •Second Course – Turbot a la Meunière Sauce Tomate, •Third Course – Cote de Boeuf Rotie, •Fourth Course – Salade de Saison, •Fifth Course – Glace Mont Fuji, •Sixth Course – Dessert of melon and grapes.

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During remarks by U.S. President Trump he called the unique relationship between the United State and Japan a “treasured alliance” and quoted ancient Japanese poetry.
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Shine on you crazy diamond….

RIP Tim Conway – Story Here

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A horrific historic and cultural loss. The 850 year old architectural masterpiece is a central monument to the Catholic faith. A spokesman said the entire wooden frame of the cathedral has come down, and the vault of the edifice could be threatened too. ‘Everything is burning, nothing will remain from the frame,’ Notre Dame spokesman Andre Finot told French media.

The 12th-century cathedral is home to incalculable works of art and is one of the world’s most famous tourist attractions. Pictures showed enormous plumes of smoke billowing into the city’s skyline and flames engulfing large sections of the historic building as firefighters struggled to contain the inferno.
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AOC Denies Being a Puppet Candidate, She’s Not Being Entirely Truthful…

Amid growing revelations surrounding Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as a puppet candidate, enlisted by a group of far-left activists, Ms. AOC tweets a firm denial.

(AOC Tweet – Handler Saikat Chakrabarti Tweet)

Unfortunately, the AOC denial breaks an Alinsky rule.  When a leftist breaks an Alinsky rule, the opposite of their claim is generally accurate; counter-intuitively affirming a stronger likelihood Representative AOC is actually steered by a group of leftists.
The evidence to support the puppet proposition is quite strong, albeit somewhat overblown in construct; and unfortunately for Ms. AOC, the evidence that does exist completely reconciles what is factually visible.  However, the issues are more nuanced that most are willing to admit.
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Chairman Lindsey Graham appears on late-night-interuptus to discuss his Senate Judiciary investigation into allegations of FISA abuse, etc.

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This post is not here for the same old religious arguments that have taken place for years. It isn’t a forum for you to expound upon your scorn for Catholicism or formal religion. Pass on by if this post is not to your taste.

Debauchery. Bacchanalia. Floats, costumes, beads and masks, and lots of drinking and partying. That’s what we think of when we hear the term Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday.
There is a lot more behind it. Also called Shrove Tuesday, it marks the last day of the liturgical calendar before Lent begins.
After Catholicism spread throughout Europe, many cultures celebrated the final day before Lent began in ways unique to that individual  culture. Eggs, and milk were finished off in one day, giving rise to the term Fat Tuesday. In Poland, such things as lard, sugar, eggs, and fruit were forbidden during Lent, and the beloved  pączki became a special treat for Fat Tuesday, and in Detroit they still sell many thousands of them to long lines of people.
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These clubs (RNC & DNC) are so predictable, sometimes you just have to laugh. They follow an entirely predictable script.  After #8 entered the race CTH shared how the governors (actual executive experience) would now enter the race.  It is simply the same club sequence that is always followed: first congressional reps; then Senators, then Governors, then ‘outsiders’ and the club’s ‘chosen one’.
The congress critters are the noisy bunch, they set the lane perimeters (farthest left and farthest right). Once established, the high-brow step forward (the seasoned executives carrying the club platform), they set up the actual interior running lanes.
The goal of the governors is to use specific platform mandates (ie. the lanes or “specific interest groups”) to gain overall club registration.  [Voter support for the race]
Governor Jay Inslee (#9) brought the progressive environmental platform book. He’s recruiting the climate change activists.  Now Governor Hickenlooper (#10) brings the legalized dope platform book. He’s recruiting the national legalized marijuana coalition.

WaPo – John Hickenlooper, who served two terms as governor of Colorado, announced Monday that he is running for president, touting his accomplishments in a state that moved to the left during his time in office.

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Tonight President Donald Trump addressed a reception audience celebrating National African American History Month in the east room of the White House.
Joining President Trump on the stage was First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Second Lady Karen Pence, Clarence Henderson, Catherine Toney and Bob Woodson.

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