Philly Baptist Church Minister Says Trump\’s Opportunity Zone Program is Working (video)

Rev. Todd Johnson, \”Trump changed Philadelphia for the better, people are waking up to pandering Dems.\”

PHILADELPHIA, PA (February 15, 2020)–Appearing on

\”Fox & Friends: Weekend\”

, Reverend Todd Johnson, of the

First Immanuel Baptist

Church

said Saturday the Opportunity Zone in the city of brotherly love — created by the 2017

Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

— is working.

According to the

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

, Opportunity Zones are designed to spur

economic

development and

job creation

in distressed communities throughout the United States by providing tax benefits to investors who invest eligible capital gains by making an appropriate investment and meet other requirements.

(CONTINUE TO READ)

Watch the latest video at

foxnews.com

Pennsylvania Suing Delta Auto for Consumers

HARRISBURG – Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced today that his Office has filed a civil lawsuit against extended automobile warranty company Delta Auto Protect to get money back for consumers and repair shops which fell victim to its car repair scam. Delta is operated by Omega Vehicle Services LLC and its managing member Charles Seruya.

The

lawsuit

alleges the company advertises and sells vehicle service and repair contracts to thousands of consumers in multiple states from a virtual office in Exton, PA, but refuses to honor the contracts it sells and, after accepting payment from consumers, refuses to cover the necessary repairs promised under contract.

“Many customers of Delta Auto Protect of Exton have complained to my Office, and they’re not happy,” AG Shapiro said. “From phone calls to emails and letters, consumers have let us know how unresponsive this defendant has been to them. This rude and illegal treatment of customers is unwarranted. We are listening, and we are taking action to get their money back.”

The Attorney General said he wants restitution for Delta customers who:

Paid for warranties and didn’t get the coverage they were promised,

Paid out-of-pocket costs to repair their vehicles, and

Tried to cancel their policies but didn’t receive refunds.

Shapiro said he is also seeking restitution for repair shops that didn’t get paid.

The lawsuit says Delta advertised “24/7 customer service” to entice sales, but when consumers and the repair shops called about missing payments, the company dodged them, re-routed their calls, left them endlessly “on hold.” They also failed to return messages.

In some instances, Delta placed a condition on payment that required a consumer to remove their negative reviews of the company. Multiple consumer complaints allege the company failed to pay refunds for contract cancellations.

“I’ve been calling this company almost every week for the past year and it has failed to pay for the repairs on my car,” said Carolyn Ames, a customer from Germansville, Lehigh County. “Delta is impossible to reach. If I do get through they hang up and they never return my calls. I’m so glad to know Attorney General Shapiro is standing up for consumers like me and is taking action to get my money back.”

AG Shapiro is urging any consumers who believe they were victimized by the defendants’ business practices to

submit a complaint

with the Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, calling the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-441-2555 or emailing

scams@attorneygeneral.gov

This complaint has been filed in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas by Senior Deputy Attorney General Karen C. McRory-Negrin.

# # #

Philadelphia Bar Association\’s Statement on Alleged Racially Derogatory Remarks by Judge

PHILADELPHIA, PA –

In response to recent reports that Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Judge Mark Tranquilli is alleged to have made racially derogatory comments about a black juror,

Philadelphia Bar Association

Chancellor Hon. A. Michael Snyder (ret.) issued the following statement:

“The Philadelphia Bar Association, and its members, have long been committed to the

imperative of respect for all individuals. We cannot, and will not, tolerate comments by a jurist which reflect racial bias or disparagement. The allegation of any such comments by a judge demands a full investigation.

“We condemn the comments alleged to have been made by Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Judge Mark Tranquilli. We join with the Allegheny County Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Bar Association in demanding a full and complete investigation of the alleged conduct.

“Such comments, if made, reflect an intolerance and lack of respect for all involved in the judicial process. The fair administration of justice demands that everyone, of any race, ethnicity or gender be treated with dignity and respect.

“We cannot expect our citizenry to respect the judicial process if members of the judiciary do not demonstrate a respect for those who appear before them.

“We must remember that justice denied to one is justice denied to all.

“Therefore, we anticipate a full and appropriate review by the Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board. We further anticipate a speedy and just resolution of these charges.”

Beware of Social Security Scams

NEWS FOR OLDER AMERICANS

(NAPSI)—Calls and e-mails from scammers pretending to be government employees are widespread. Social Security phone scams are the #1 scam

If you get a threatening call from someone saying they are from Social Security, it is from a scammer.

reported to the Federal Trade Commission. Chances are you, a friend, or a family member have received a call like this.

You don’t have to be receiving benefits to become a victim. You may get a call saying there is a problem with your Social Security number or account. Everyone, regardless of age, income, and geography, is at risk. Scammers will try to scare and trick you into giving them your personal information or money.

Is It A Scam?

The best way to protect yourself and your money is to recognize a scam. Scammers use intimidating language and often offer a “solution” to fix what they say is a serious problem with your Social Security number or account. How can you tell when it’s a scam? Social Security will not:

• Say your Social Security number has been suspended.

• Promise a Social Security benefit approval or increase in exchange for information.

• Call to demand an immediate payment.

• Insist you pay a debt without the ability to appeal the amount you owe.

• Require payment by retail gift card, pre-paid debit card, Internet currency, wire transfer, or by mailing cash.

• Ask for your personal information.

Scammers prey on your fears. The stories they tell you would scare anyone. No matter how horrible the story, if they do anything above, it’s a scam.

What Should You Do?

If you receive a suspicious call, the safest thing for you to do is:

1. Hang up!

2. Don’t share personal information or make a payment.

3. Report the scam to the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General at

https://oig.ssa.gov.

And, if you receive such threats via e-mail, delete the e-mail and do not click on any links or download any attachments. Even if the e-mail or an attachment contains Social Security’s seal or names of real people, ignore it. Then, report the scam.

Other Tips

How about if Social Security needs to contact you? Generally, they will mail you a letter and only contact you by phone if you have requested a call or have ongoing business with them.

Usually, Social Security will mail you a letter that contains telephone numbers for contacting them. You can also contact Social Security by calling 1-800-772-1213 or visiting

SSA.gov

Scammers are always looking for the next way to trick someone. No matter how someone might try to scam you, learning the warning signs shared here can go a long way to protecting yourself and someone you care about from identify theft and financial loss.

If you think you have been scammed, don’t be embarrassed. Report the scam to Social Security’s Office of the Inspector General at

https://oig.ssa.gov

and share this important information with your family and friends.

Aramark Cause Coffee to Benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of America

Aramark volunteers participated in a beautification project to support the Boys and Girls Club Nicetown location, in Philadelphia, during the company’s global day of service, Aramark Building Community Day, last September. Today, Aramark announced it is donating a portion of sales from javia®, its private label coffee, and Reserve by javia, its new, premium line, to Boys & Girls Clubs of America. (Photo: Business Wire)

PHILADELPHIA–(

BUSINESS WIRE

)–Each year, Aramark provides over one billion cups of coffee and 400 million cold drinks to workplaces around the country. This year, Aramark is donating a portion of sales from javia®, its private label coffee, and Reserve by javia, its new, premium line, to Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Reserve by javia and javia coffees have been designated as a “Good Cause Coffee,” where a portion of sales is donated to local non-profit organizations. Now in its fifth year, the “Good Cause Coffee” campaign has donated $500,000 to various community centers across the country.

Aramark became a corporate partner of Boys & Girls Clubs of America in 2019, and this year will focus the “Good Cause Coffee” dollars on supporting their mission of helping all youth achieve great futures. Boys & Girls Clubs of America, which had its beginnings in 1860, help keep kids and teens safe after school by providing a positive environment where they can learn, play and grow. The organization’s goal is to enable all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.

\”We are so excited to be the beneficiary of Aramark’s ‘Good Cause Coffee’ this year,” said Chad Royal-Pascoe, National Vice President, Corporate and Cause Partnerships, at Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “These donations will help us reach more youth and give them access to the tools and resources they need to succeed in life. We are so thankful to Aramark and their commitment to great futures.”

There are more than 4,600 Boys & Girls Clubs across the country that serve over 4.7 million young people. Many of Aramark\’s employees volunteer at these Clubs through

Aramark Building Community

, the company’s global volunteer and philanthropic program. Going forward, Aramark is exploring ways to work with the Boys & Girls Club, to integrate health and wellness and workforce programs – which are the focus of Aramark Building Community – into activities at the Clubs.

“Our Refreshments team is pleased to offer a high quality, whole bean coffee program, with Reserve by javia, along with our traditional javia coffees. We’re delighted to be able to energize not only workplaces, but also a very deserving cause,” said Jim Frost, President of Aramark’s Refreshment Services division. “As North America’s leading office coffee provider, we’ve made it part of our mission and promise to give back to the local communities in which we live and work.”

Aramark’s commitment to people is a core part of the company’s sustainability plan,

Be Well. Do Well

, focused on positively impacting people and the planet. Aramark’s people priority is to facilitate access to opportunities that will improve the well-being of the Company’s employees, consumers, communities and people in its supply chain. Building on current work, Aramark continues to help people develop careers and livelihoods; access, choose and prepare healthy food; and grow communities, businesses and local economies. Aramark also offers various Fair Trade Certified™, Rainforest Alliance, Certified Organic and Shade Grown coffee brands that are committed to sustainability.

About Aramark

Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) proudly serves the world’s leading educational institutions, Fortune 500 companies, world champion sports teams, prominent healthcare providers, iconic destinations and cultural attractions, and numerous municipalities in 19 countries around the world. Our 280,000 team members deliver innovative experiences and services in food, facilities management and uniforms to millions of people every day. We strive to create a better world by making a positive impact on people and the planet, including commitments to engage our employees; empower healthy consumers; build local communities; source ethically, inclusively and responsibly; operate efficiently and reduce waste. Aramark is recognized as a Best Place to Work by the Human Rights Campaign (LGBTQ+), DiversityInc, Black Enterprise and the Disability Equality Index. Learn more at

www.aramark.com

The Rodger Stone Case: Where Is \”Lady Justice\”?

WASHINGTON, DC–This week saw new controversies related to the Roger Stone case with four top DOJ prosecutors resigning from their posts in protest of AG Barr’s call for reducing Stone’s sentence. Scroll down to see how Judicial Watch has taken an active role in exposing the FBI’s misconduct in raiding, targeting and prosecuting Roger Stone.

From FOX News:

DOJ Prosecutors Resign After Top Brass Reverses Course on Roger Stone Sentencing

(2/12/2020)

Four career Department of Justice prosecutors abruptly withdrew from their postions in an apparent dramatic protest just hours after senior leaders at the DOJ said they would take the extraordinary step of effectively overruling the prosecutors’ judgment by seeking a lesser sentence for President Trump’s former adviser Roger Stone.

Here

From Judicial Watch:

Judicial Watch Sues Justice Departmet for Roger Stone Raid Documents

(4/19/2019)

The Judicial Watch FOIA request and subsequent lawsuit was in part prompted by the extraordinary and exclusive video access to the raid and arrest of Stone obtained by CNN. “That we’re being stonewalled suggests that someone has something to hide,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

Here

Targeting of Trump’s Team ‘Worst Corruption by DOJ in Modern Times’

(1/29/2019)

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton: “I don’t think the Justice Department would have brought this prosecution of Roger Stone but for the Mueller special counsel operation, which is geared at trying to destroy President Trump.”

Here

Documents Show Andrew Weissmann Leading Hiring Effort for Mueller Special Counsel

(5/14/2019)

“These documents show Andrew Weissmann, an anti-Trump activist, had a hand in hiring key members of Mueller’s team – who also happened to be political opponents of President Trump,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said.

Here

Hunters! Please Remove Temporary Deer Stands from State Wildlife Areas

DOVER (Feb. 12, 2020) – With Delaware’s 2019/20 deer hunting seasons having ended earlier this month, hunters are reminded to remove their portable deer stands from state wildlife areas by Saturday, Feb. 15. Any stands found on wildlife areas after that date will become the property of the Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife.

Hunters may temporarily set up portable stands starting Aug. 1 each year and remove them at the end of the season – doing so with the knowledge that placement of a deer stand on a public wildlife area does not provide exclusive rights to hunting from their stand. Under state wildlife area rules, no parts of portable deer stands can be nailed or bolted to a tree. Hunters are also prohibited from cutting any vegetation or branches to hang a stand or to clear shooting paths on a wildlife area.

For more information, please contact the Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Wildlife Section at 302-739-9912.

What You Need to Know About Vampire Energy

(February 15, 2020)–)–Have you ever wondered why all your energy saving efforts seem not enough? Is your electric bill still hiking up? Well, you might have something lurking in your home. This monster is leeching

energy from your sockets and money from your pockets.

How Does It Work?

Vampire energy, also known as standby loss, idle current, or ghost load, refers to the energy being unnecessarily leeched by gadgets or appliances when you leave it plugged in. These products are consuming energy even when not in use. On average, one household can waste more than £86 each year. It is a terrible waste of electricity and money.

Who Are the Culprits?

ATTENTION Pennsylvanians! You can now request mail-in ballot for any reason

By Kim Jarrett |

The Center Square

A voter steps from the voting booth Nov. 6, 2018, after casting his ballot in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.

Matt Rourke / AP photo

HARRISBURG, PA (February 14, 2020)–Pennsylvania voters will be able to mail-in their ballots for the first time in history without a reason, but county election officials say they are not sure how it will affect the upcoming presidential primary in April.

The Secretary of State’s Office is accepting applications for the online ballots starting this week and will do so until April 21, a week before the primary. Voters will need to have a driver’s license, the last four numbers on their Social Security card or have an acceptable form of identification like a military ID card or passport. Counties must begin processing mail-in ballots on March 9, according to information for the Secretary of State’s office.

Mail-in ballots were part of an election reform package passed by lawmakers and signed by Gov. Tom Wolf in 2019 that gives voters a 50-day window to return their ballots. Voters can still ask for an absentee ballot if they have an illness, will be out of state or have another reason they cannot vote on Election Day.

Unlike absentee ballots, voters do not need a reason to want to vote by mail. They can visit their county elections office and ask for a ballot and are allowed to fill it out in person. Some election officials are concerned about the strain on county election staffs.

“County voter registration offices do not have the staff or resources to serve as an early in-person vote center, and that is what Act 77 is going to turn us into,” said Forrest Lehman, director of elections for Lycoming County at a hearing of the Senate Majority Policy Committee last month.

Voters can turn their ballot in as late as 8 p.m. on the day of the election. That timeline has some county election officials concerned about the delay in results and what voter turnout will be.

“We don’t know how many ballots we are going to need to send out,” said Timothy Benyo, chief clerk for the Lehigh County Office of the Election Board at the hearing. “We don’t know how many ballots are going to be returned. We don’t know how many people are going to show up at the polls.”

Twenty-eight Pennsylvania counties are also using new voting machines for the first time in the presidential primary, which could cause further delays in getting results.

Act 77 also gave voters 15 extra days to register before a primary or general election. The deadline to register for the April 28 presidential primary is April 13.

republished by Gloucestercitynews.net with permission of

The Center Square

Guest Opinion: 75 percent of illegal immigrants skip deportation hearings, hiding out in US

OPINION: WASHINGTON SECRETS

Paul Bedard

| February 07, 2020 10:35 AM

More than 7 out of 10 illegal immigrant families ordered to be deported have skipped their court dates and remain in the United States, according to federal statistics.

In just 10 courts, some 36,115 illegal immigrant families ordered out from September 2018 to January 2020 never complied with a requirement to attend their hearings and instead are hiding out in the country, according to a Justice Department report from the Executive Office for

Immigration Review Adjudication Statistics

The report, according to an analysis by the

Center for Immigration Studies

, found that during the period, 47,925 families were denied asylum and ordered deported, but 75% didn’t attend their court hearings to get the order.

The statistics are the latest in a long string of reports that have detailed how illegal immigrants disappear into the U.S. once they enter.

“Their failure to appear suggests that they simply gamed loopholes in our immigration laws to gain entry into this country, to live and work indefinitely,” said former Immigration Judge Andrew R. Arthur, writing for CIS.

“There is nothing wrong with people looking for a better life generally, of course, but the problem in these cases are that (1) they put themselves and their children in danger by entering illegally to begin with, (2) they gave money to criminals and cartels to be smuggled into the U.S., (3) they are swelling immigration court dockets with hearing dates they never attended and likely never planned to attend, and (4) they make it harder for legitimate asylum seekers to get protection in a timely manner, which would allow those aliens to start a new life free from fear and protect their family members still abroad. Oh, and illegal entry is a crime,” he added.

The report said that as in the past, some 9 out of 10 immigrants seeking asylum into the U.S. were denied.

Over the 15-month period and 10 courts studied in the report, judges completed 52,646 cases resulting in deportations of 47,925 — a 91% removal rate.