'Freshman Daughter Drop Off' — Old Dominion University's Sigma Nu Frat Suspended During Probe Into Sexually Suggestive Signs

Hmm... And the frat boys didn't think they'd get suspended?

At NBC News, "Crass, sexually suggestive banners "welcoming" freshman women to a Virginia college last week have sparked outrage and led to the suspension of at least one of the school's fraternities."

Plus, at WTKR News 3 Hampton Roads, Virginia, "Sigma Nu Fraternity suspends ODU chapter after display of offensive banners."

Hat Tip: Memeorandum, "Banners hung at home near ODU prompt response from University President: 'I am outraged about the offensive message...'"

Sara Sampaio on Becoming a Victoria’s Secret Angel (VIDEO)

Watch: "Portuguese supermodel Sara Sampaio talks about how she was discovered, auditioning for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and her journey to becoming an Angel."

Hey, summer's winding down. It's never too late to prepare for that smokin' fashion show, heh.

IndyCar Driver Justin Wilson Has Died

Man, you just never know.

At the Washington Post, "IndyCar driver Justin Wilson dies from head injury suffered in race."

And watch from yesterday, at AP, "IndyCar Driver Justin Wilson in Coma After Wreck":

British IndyCar driver Justin Wilson remains in a coma and in critical condition after a piece of debris that broke off another car hit him in the head at Pocono Raceway yesterday.

GOP Establishment Plotting Against Donald Trump, Working to Force Him Off Primary Ballots (VIDEO)

I thought Republicans are supposed to about rugged individualism and equal opportunity for everyone.

Well, not Donald Trump, it turns out. They don't like him and are looking to devious ways to drive him off the ballot.

Pretty reprehensible, not to mention cowardly.

At Politico, "State GOP leaders plot to tie Donald Trump’s hands":

Amid mounting concerns about Donald Trump’s candidacy from the GOP establishment, Republican leaders in at least two states have found a way to make life a lot harder for him.

The Virginia and North Carolina parties are in discussions about implementing a new requirement for candidates to qualify for their primary ballots: that they pledge to support the Republican presidential nominee — and not run as a third-party candidate — in the general election.

The procedural moves are clearly aimed at Trump, who pointedly refused to rule out a third-party run during the first GOP debate.

They come amid Republican fears that the real estate mogul is gaining strength in the primary contest, and that his jeremiads against undocumented immigrants will alienate Hispanic voters. Despite coming under a hail of criticism in recent weeks, Trump has held steady atop state and national polls.

John Whitbeck, chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, said the proposal was among many that the organization was considering as it sketches out its ballot access requirements for the 2016 GOP primary. The ultimate decision, he said, would be made by the 84 members who comprise the state party’s central committee, which is slated to meet on Sept. 19. The requirements must be submitted to the Republican National Committee by Oct. 1.

If implemented, Whitbeck said, the provision would be similar to ones the party adopted for statewide races held in 2013 and 2014.

“It happens to be one of the things that we are discussing for the 2016 primary,” said Whitbeck, who expressed confidence that Trump would eventually commit to supporting the GOP nominee.

The Virginia proposal has earned the support of Ken Cuccinelli, the state’s former attorney general and 2013 gubernatorial nominee, who has been promoting the idea to members of the state party central committee. He has also been in touch with Whitbeck.
“Anybody who wants to seek the Republican nomination should have to commit to supporting the ultimate Republican nominee,” Cuccinelli said in a Monday interview. “I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

In North Carolina, Republican Party officials are considering a similar move, and are already in talks with lawyers about how best to implement it.

The topic recently came up during a meeting of state party staffers and is expected to be discussed more extensively on conference calls during the coming weeks. One state party official said a lawyer would soon be drafting language for a provision asking each candidate to support the nominee...

I mean really?

This has gotta be one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. So, state GOP leaders are going to "plot" against the Republican frontrunner, with the most recent polling showing Trump up at 32 percent? These idiots cannot be serious. *SMH*

Still more.

Plus, "GOP insiders to Trump: Enough already."

Elderly Russian Man and Former Boxer Knocks Out Two Drunken Thugs Who Tried to Rob Him (VIDEO)

This is great!

Watch: "Russian thugs pick the wrong old man to try to rob he's a boxer."

Dow Dives 588 Points to 18-Month Low Amid Global Market Selloff

Following-up from earlier today, "Dow Falls 1000 Points on Opening Bell."

At the Wall Street Journal, "Dow Industrials Tumble 588 Points to 18-Month Low Amid Global Market Selloff":

U.S. stocks tumbled on Monday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping to an 18-month closing low in a tumultuous trading session that saw the blue-chip benchmark briefly plummet more than 1,000 points.

The Dow plunged as much as 1,089 points in the first six minutes of trading before paring losses as traders said mutual funds and other investors began stepping in to buy up beaten down stocks. More than 13.9 billion shares changed hands, making Monday the largest volume day since August 2011.

The Dow industrials ended down 588.40 points, or 3.6%, to 15871.35, its lowest closing level in 18 months.

The S&P 500 dropped 77.68 points, or 3.9%, to 1893.21, joining the Dow industrials in correction territory, defined as a decline of 10% from a recent peak. The Nasdaq Composite fell 179.79 points, or 3.8%, to 4526.25.

Traders attributed the early morning drop in part to big investors scrambling for ways to protect themselves against losses outside the U.S., as well as to a cascade of automatic selling by retail investors. Traders said the sharp morning declines triggered so-called stop-loss orders, which are designed to protect investors by instigating a sale once a stock falls to a certain level. They are typically used by brokers who manage money for retail investors.

The Dow’s tumble marked its largest one-day point decline ever on an intraday basis, as intensifying growth fears sparked steep stock-market losses world-wide. Large retail brokerages hosted calls with their legions of financial advisers, encouraging them to stay calm and possibly buy beaten down companies. Mutual funds and hedge funds also began scooping up stocks, traders said.

“When a big selloff comes, it tends to be herd mentality,” said Ryan Larson, head of U.S. equity trading for RBC Global Asset Management. “But once that herd gets out of the way, there can be some very good buying opportunities.”

Many investors said they remain optimistic about U.S. stocks and stepped in to buy shares.

“Stock prices have dropped sharply and fears have increased sharply,” said Kate Warne, investment strategist at Edward Jones. “But it’s really important to keep in mind while stock prices have changed and obviously emotions have changed, fundamentals for the U.S. haven’t changed. Even with China selling sharply and emerging markets selling off, we’re still seeing solid U.S. economic growth.”

Investors stampeded into relatively safe assets such as U.S. government bonds, the Swiss franc and the yen. The 10-year Treasury yield, a foundation for global finance and a key indicator of investors’ sentiment toward growth and inflation, was 1.997%, down from 2.052% Friday. Yields fall as prices rise.

Fears that China’s economy is slowing dramatically sparked the heavy selling in stocks around the globe in recent days. Beijing’s unexpected move to devalue its currency two weeks ago raised the alarm that the world’s second-largest economy may be in worse shape than many had thought. Since then, weak economic data have fueled worries that a drop-off in Chinese growth could cause a global slowdown...

Still more.

California Citizenship

As the national political system responds to the GOP presidential race and controversies over birthright citizenship, Democrats in California continue to push the envelope on the Mexifornication of the state.

And this is why a lot of folks are bailing out. I connected with a woman from the 2010 tea parties on Facebook, and she moved to Utah. There's a classic old political book called "Exit, Voice, or Loyalty," and exit seems to be the increasingly popular option for those looking to preserve their liberties and maintain their moral selves. California's gone to the dogs.

At the Los Angeles Times, "California gives immigrants here illegally unprecedented rights, benefits, protections":

It started with in-state tuition. Then came driver's licenses, new rules designed to limit deportations and state-funded healthcare for children. And on Monday, in a gesture heavy with symbolism, came a new law to erase the word "alien" from California's labor code.

Together, these piecemeal measures have taken on a significance greater than their individual parts — a fundamental shift in the relationship between California and its residents who live in the country illegally. The various benefits, rights and protections add up to something experts liken to a kind of California citizenship.

The changes have occurred with relatively little political rancor, which is all the more remarkable given the heated national debate about illegal immigration that has been inflamed by GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump.

"We've passed the Rubicon here," said Mike Madrid, a Republican strategist. "This is not an academic debate on the U.S. Senate floor about legal and illegal and how high you want to build the wall.... [The state] doesn't have the luxury of being ideological.... The undocumented are not going anywhere."

Democratic lawmakers and immigration activists, with diminishing opposition from the GOP, continue to seek new laws and protections. These measures include cracking down on employers withholding pay from low-wage workers and expanding state-subsidized healthcare to adult immigrants without papers.

These new initiatives face obstacles, but backers say such hurdles center on the hefty price tags of the programs, not political fallout from the immigration debate.

California officials have been spurred into action in part by the lack of action in Washington to overhaul the nation's immigration system. The stall in Congress has motivated advocates to push for changes in state laws. But they acknowledge that their victories are limited without national reform.

"The reality is, despite the bills that we've done, there are up to 3 million undocumented immigrants that still live in the shadows," said Assemblyman Luis Alejo (D-Watsonville), chairman of the Latino Legislative Caucus. "Their legal status as immigrants does not change — only Congress can do that."

Karthick Ramakrishnan, a public policy professor at UC Riverside, calls what's emerging "the California package": an array of policies that touch on nearly every aspect of immigrant life, from healthcare to higher education to protection from federal immigration enforcement.

Other states have adopted components of the package; Connecticut, for example, offers in-state tuition and driver's licenses, and passed legislation known as the Trust Act to help limit deportations before California did.

But Ramakrishnan said California is unique in how comprehensive its offerings are...

How unique ... and how morally bankrupt.

Still more.

The Radical Left's Morally Bankrupt Meme Saying 'You're on the Wrong Side of History'

From Jonah Goldberg, for Prager University:

Dow Falls 1000 Points on Opening Bell

At Zero Hedge, where else?

"Blood on the Streets: Down Dumps 1000 Points at Open, Biggest Drop Since Lehman." Also, "#BlackMonday Now Trending on Twitter."

And at the Wall Street Journal, "Dow Jones Industrial Average Plummets More Than 1,000 Points, Then Pares Losses":

The Dow Jones Industrial Average briefly plummeted more than 1,000 points on Monday, marking the index’s largest one-day point decline ever on an intraday basis, as intensifying growth fears sparked steep stock-market losses world-wide

The blue-chip benchmark dropped as much as 1089 points at the open before paring some of its losses. It was recently down 516 points, or 3.1%, to 15941.

The S&P 500 dropped 55 points, or 2.9%, to 1914, entering correction territory. The index hit an intraday low of 1866.86.

The Nasdaq Composite tumbled 150 points, or 3.2%, to 4555 after earlier dropping as low as 4292.14.

Investors stampeded into relatively safe assets such as U.S. government bonds, the Swiss franc and the yen. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note dropped below 2% during Asian trading and recently was 1.976%, the lowest level since April.

Before the market opened, Dow futures, S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures triggered circuit breakers after falling at least 5%.

The New York Stock Exchange operator NYSE Group Inc. invoked the rarely used “Rule 48,” which relaxes some trading rules in a bid to ensure a smooth opening to trading. The rule is instituted when trading before the start of the regular session is especially volatile.

At the market open on Monday, a slew of single stocks and exchange-traded products triggered single-stock circuit breakers, which are initiated when there is a price drop of 10% or more in a five-minute period.

Fresh signs of a slowdown in China, the world’s second largest economy, have jolted stocks, bonds, currencies and commodities in recent days. Investors were further rattled Monday by the lack of fresh steps to stem the selloff over the weekend from Chinese authorities.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the Chinese central bank was preparing to flood the banking system with liquidity to increase lending, the latest in a series of measures designed to give the flagging economy a boost.

“A lot of markets abroad have seen a low amount of liquidity so investors are turning to the U.S. market to hedge,” said Jeffrey Yu, head of single-stock derivatives trading at UBS AG. Before the market opened, traders said futures volumes were extraordinarily heavy.

While the selloff began as an emerging markets story, with China’s stock market offering very little liquidity to investors due in part to technical stock-trading halts, investors have had to turn to the most liquid market to sell, which is the U.S., Mr. Yu said.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which has heavy international exposure, entered correction territory on Friday, defined as a decline of 10% from a recent peak.

Investors are increasingly skeptical that the U.S. Federal Reserve will raise interest rates at its meeting next month, amid growing turmoil in global markets and plunging inflation expectations.

A gauge of 10-year inflation expectations in the U.S. government bond market fell to the lowest level since 2009. Fed officials have said they intend to pursue policies that will enable inflation to rise to its 2% target in the medium term...

Obama Administration Drives Syrians Right Into the Arms of Islamic State

From Ambassador Frederic Hof, at Foreign Policy, "America’s Self-Inflicted Wound in Syria":

On Aug. 16, Syrian regime aircraft bombed a vegetable market in the rebel-held Damascus suburb of Douma, slaughtering over 100 Syrian civilians and wounding some 300 more. Many of the victims were children; it was one of the deadliest airstrikes of a brutal war. This is far from the first regime-committed atrocity in a Damascus suburb: Exactly two years ago today, Bashar al-Assad’s forces launched a chemical weapons attack in Ghouta, which killed hundreds. In the case of the Douma attack, President Barack Obama’s administration reacted with its usual pantomime of outrage: strong verbal condemnation, condolences for the families of victims, and a plea that the international community “do more to enable a genuine political transition in Syria.”

A genuine political transition in Syria, however, is not right around the corner. Yet every airstrike by President Bashar al-Assad’s regime is fueling radicalization in the Syrian here and now. The only clear winner in the Douma abomination was the pseudo “caliph” of the so-called Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, a hardened criminal who recruits followers courtesy of the Iranian-sponsored Assad regime’s atrocities and Western complacency. Iran and Assad know exactly what they are doing by bolstering this evil. The West, meanwhile, is complacently unresponsive.

Every barrel bomb dropped on defenseless civilians by regime helicopters is a recruiting gift to Baghdadi, the head of a vicious criminal enterprise that combines the worst aspects of al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein’s Baathism. Every Syrian child killed by barrel bombs or starved to death by regime sieges convinces others that if the “international community” can muster nothing but words, perhaps the self-styled caliph can offer protection. Eager to help rid its Syrian client of credible, nationalistic opponents, Iran consciously supports a program of mass murder that only gives Baghdadi power in Syria and in the Sunni Muslim world at large.

For Obama, who has said that his goal is to “degrade and ultimately destroy” an organization known variously as the Islamic State, ISIL, ISIS, and Daesh, Assad’s atrocities ought to provoke a reaction that extends beyond the same tired rhetoric. They do not. This is because Iran — the object of the administration’s courtship — is fully enabling the mass homicide strategy of its Syrian client.

In its single-minded pursuit of a nuclear agreement with Iran, the Obama administration adopted a Syria policy rich in rhetoric and empty of substantive action. Until June 2014, when the Islamic State used its bases in Syria to overrun much of Iraq, the administration could use the indifference of the U.S. and European publics to Syria’s agony to duck the fact that Assad had continuously undermined the White House’s credibility — ignoring the president’s loose talk about how Assad had lost legitimacy and the chemical “red lines” that ought not be crossed.

Getting a legacy-boosting nuclear deal with Iran was everything for the Obama administration. Nothing should be done in Syria that would offend Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ support for Assad’s mass murder strategy. Offending them — or so the theory went — might cause Iran to walk away from the nuclear talks and forsake a monetary cornucopia in sanctions relief and foreign direct investment.

Public indifference toward Syria’s hellish humanitarian crisis still prevails. But by committing the United States to a war against the Islamic State, the administration found its task complicated by the fact that Assad’s atrocities and his lack of legitimacy had created the very vacuum in eastern Syria filled by Baghdadi and his followers. From the beginning of the uprising, Assad had proclaimed himself a bulwark against terrorists: Yet even as his forces gunned down peaceful demonstrators, he ejected extremists from regime prisons, seeking to inject them directly into the bloodstream of the revolution. The Islamic State became the Assad regime’s enemy of choice; an adversary that would supplement regime attacks on nationalist rebels, only engaging regime forces in combat when they sat atop something they wanted, such as an oil field, a military base replete with weapons stockpiles, or a town filled with priceless antiquities...

Keep reading.

Hat Tip: Israel Matzav.

France Bestows Legion d'Honneur on Amsterdam-Paris Train Shooting Heroes (VIDEO)

These guys are awesome.

At the New York Times, "Americans and Briton Who Thwarted Train Attack Receive Top French Honor":

PARIS — President François Hollande of France on Monday awarded the Legion of Honor, France’s highest award, to three Americans and a Briton for their role in stopping a gunman on a high-speed train traveling to Paris from Amsterdam on Friday.

The three Americans — airman First Class Spencer Stone, 23; Alek Skarlatos, 22, a specialist in the Oregon National Guard; and their friend Anthony Sadler, 23, — received the honor in the gilded halls of the Élysée Palace, where they were joined by Chris Norman, 62, a British consultant.

“One need only know that Ayoub El Khazzani was in possession of 300 rounds of ammunition and firearms to understand what we narrowly avoided, a tragedy, a massacre,” Mr. Hollande said at the ceremony, referring to the suspect in the attack, a Moroccan who is in police custody and denies that he had planned to stage a terrorist attack.

“Your heroism must be an example for many and a source of inspiration,” Mr. Hollande added. “Faced with the evil of terrorism, there is a good, that of humanity. You are the incarnation of that.”

After his speech, Mr. Hollande pinned the Legion of Honor medal on the three Americans, who wore khaki slacks and polo shirts, bringing a casual touch to the ornate ceremony. Airman Stone, whose thumb was severely cut by the gunman, still had his left arm in a sling as well as a bruised eye.

The three friends were on a tour of Europe that included stops in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. They had originally intended to spend Friday night in Amsterdam but changed their minds and boarded a high-speed Thalys train to Paris. Shortly after the train crossed the Belgian border into France, they heard a shot, saw a gunman with an AK-47 and rushed to stop him.

A French citizen who was the first to tackle Mr. Khazzani but who has declined to be identified will receive the honor at a later date, as will Mark Moogalian, 51, a passenger with dual French and American citizenship who struggled with the attacker and is recovering from a bullet wound.

The courageous responses to the presence of a gunman drew attention and praise from around the world, especially in France, where many quickly encouraged Mr. Hollande to award the men the Legion of Honor, which was created by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802 to reward “outstanding merit.” Several senior officials, including Prime Minister Manuel Valls and the head of the French rail company, attended the ceremony on Monday.

PREVIOUSLY: "2 of 3 Heroes Who Stopped Terrorist Attack on Amsterdam-Paris Train Hail from California (VIDEO)."

U.S. Federal Reserve Dithers on Rate Hike as Markets Throw Tantrum

At IBD, "Fed Dithers On Hike As Emerging Markets Throw Tantrum":

The global market sell-off intensified Friday as investors digested the growing disparity between economies poised for expansion and those at the mercy of global headwinds.

Turbulence is accelerating as the Federal Reserve steels itself for its first interest-rate hike in nearly a decade.

Emerging markets are taking the brunt of the sell-off, partly in anticipation of Fed "liftoff," but commodities and debt from oil-dependent countries have also been hit hard. The iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (ARCA:EEM) tumbled to a six-year low Friday. The Shanghai Composite sank 4.4% after a Chinese manufacturing index hit a 77-month low....

As the turbulence accelerates, it raises a critical question: How can the Fed pull the trigger in such an unsettled environment?

Central bank policymakers were asking the same question at their July meeting, minutes released Wednesday revealed.

"Some participants also discussed the risk that a possible divergence in interest rates in the United States and abroad might lead to further appreciation of the dollar, extending the downward pressure on commodity prices and the weakness in net exports," the minutes noted.

Back in May 2013, a suggestion from then-Chairman Ben Bernanke that the Fed would begin to taper its bond-buying program roiled emerging markets. Amid this "taper tantrum," policymakers delayed the start of winding down quantitative easing that September. The Fed finally pulled the trigger on the taper in January 2014.

The Fed in July clung to its assertion that it would be ready to hike at any meeting when economic data offered a critical mass of evidence for higher rates. The minutes repeated policymakers' belief that inflation would get back to their 2% target "as the labor market improved further and the transitory effects of earlier declines in energy and import prices dissipated."

Note that this report came out Friday. This morning's news makes things that much more urgent. See, "How the Market Rout Is Turning Wall Street Upside Down."

How the Market Rout Is Turning Wall Street Upside Down

Investors are flocking to U.S. Treasury securities.

At the Wall Street Journal:

The winners and losers on Wall Street are being upended.

After stock investors suffered a sharp decline last week and investors flocked to the relative safety of U.S. Treasurys, bonds are once again getting the upper hand, defying market sages who predicted tough times ahead in the vast debt market due to the prospect of rising interest rates.

U.S. Treasurys maturing in at least a decade have handed investors a total return of 3.2% this month through Friday, according to data from Barclays PLC. The S&P 500 lost 6.1% in the same period. Total return includes price gains and interest or dividend payments. Year-to-date, long-term Treasurys have returned 1.8% compared with negative 3% for the S&P 500. The last time bonds outperformed stocks over a full year was 2011.

The moves come as many investors rip up their playbooks for what might work for the rest of 2015. Fresh jitters about the global economy are giving U.S. government bonds an unexpected boost, once again wrong-footing investors who were convinced the three-decade-long rally in Treasurys was over. Gold and European bonds are also benefiting, while emerging markets and commodities bear the brunt of the selloff.

The scramble for the safety of Treasurys—amid broader financial-market turmoil spurred by worries about the slowdown in China—has sent the yield on the benchmark 10-year note back toward 2%, its lowest since April. Many traders and investors say it is likely to pierce that level if concerns persist.

The yield on the 10-year note dipped below 2% during early trading Monday in Asia as the region’s stock markets sold off broadly.

On Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average entered a correction, roughly defined as a drop of 10% from a recent peak, capping a tumultuous week in which global stock markets slumped and many emerging-market currencies hit record lows against the dollar. U.S. crude oil dipped below $40 a barrel for the first time since 2009, reviving worries about low inflation. The broad selloff in risk assets followed China’s decision to devalue its currency, triggering the yuan’s biggest fall in two decades.

Still more.

And from a few minutes ago, "Markets Rout Continues; China Shares Fall 8.5 Percent; Oil Hits New Lows."

Markets Rout Continues; China Shares Fall 8.5 Percent; Oil Hits New Lows

It's going to be a rough week.

At the Wall Street Journal, "Global Stocks Fall Sharply Amid Concerns About the Chinese Economy":

The rout in financial markets intensified Monday, as global stocks and commodities extended last week’s steep declines.

European stocks and U.S. stock futures dived after a sharp selloff in Chinese shares accelerated, wiping out gains for the year. Oil prices continued to drop, while Treasurys gained as investors sought the relative safety of government bonds.

Fears that China’s economy is slowing dramatically have sparked heavy selling around the globe in recent days. Beijing’s unexpected move to devalue its currency two weeks ago raised the alarm that the world’s second-largest economy may be in worse shape than many had thought. Since then, weak economic data have fueled worries that a drop-off in Chinese growth could cause a global slowdown.

The Shanghai Composite sank 8.5%, entering negative territory for 2015, having risen as much as 60% to its June peak. Japan’s Nikkei benchmark tumbled 4.6%.

Investors were further rattled Monday by the lack of fresh steps to stem the selloff over the weekend from Chinese authorities. The Wall Street Journal reported that the central bank was preparing to flood the banking system with liquidity to increase lending, the latest in a series of measures designed to give the flagging economy a boost.

Futures indicated opening declines of more than 3% for the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500. The Dow entered a correction on Friday, falling 10% from its recent peak, following its worst week since 2011. Changes in futures aren’t necessarily reflected in market moves after the opening bell.

The Dow, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite Index all posted their worst one-day percentage declines since 2011 on Friday.

Keep reading.

And here's the report from last Friday, "China’s Devaluation of Yuan Jolts Global Markets: Greece and Its Creditors Agree Terms for a Third Bailout, But Some Details Remain Unresolved."

California's Electric Vehicle Subsidies Slammed as Giveaway to the Rich

But of course.

The green leftist shakedown industry stands to gain from this giveaway, not minorities and the poor.

At the Los Angeles Times, "State's electric vehicle program blasted as a giveaway to the rich":

Hundreds of Californians with household incomes of $500,000 or more have collected state subsidies for buying electric and hybrid cars under a program that is criticized as a taxpayer handout to the wealthy.

State regulators, in response, plan to restrict the subsidies to Californians who earn less than $250,000 or couples taking in less than $500,000. But that standard is also under fire from some lawmakers and anti-tax activists, who ask why subsidies worth up to $5,000 are given to people who can already afford the cars.

"The state should not be diverting … taxes on low-income and middle-class families to benefit wealthy drivers," said Senate Republican leader Bob Huff of San Dimas.

Money for the subsidies comes from a surcharge on vehicle registration fees and a portion of the smog fee paid by California motorists. There were no income limits for the subsidy when the program was enacted in 2010.

The average household income in California is just over $60,000, noted Kris Vosburgh, executive director of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. Subsidies for residents who make $250,000, he said, amount to "welfare for the rich" and "a slap in the face to average Californians."

"Clean" cars typically cost more than those that run on gasoline. State authorities say they are trying to find the right balance between providing an incentive for the growth of the electric car industry and helping low- and moderate-income drivers buy the vehicles.

"Our policy objective here is to rapidly increase the percentage of zero-emission vehicles in the state," said Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board, which oversees the state's Clean Vehicle Rebate Program.

Since its start, the program has provided $242 million in rebates to 114,702 people who bought or leased electric or hybrid cars.

Data from the Center for Sustainable Energy, which runs the program on behalf of the Air Resources Board, shows that 7,056 people who live in economically disadvantaged census tracts have received a subsidy. Combined, they collected $14.8 million, less than 6% of the total disbursed.

A survey of 15,432 rebate recipients who were willing to report their income ranges, also conducted by the center, found that 959, or 6% of those Californians, had household incomes of $500,000 or more. About 28% made between $200,000 and $499,000, and 43% earned $100,000 to $199,999.

About 23% reported an income of $99,000 or less.

About 15% of those surveyed said they bought a Tesla. The price of an entry-level electric Tesla Model S starts at about $75,000 before rebates. The manufacturer's suggested retail price for an electric Nissan Leaf is $29,100 before any rebates.

"There are a good number of people for whom the rebates were not the driver of that purchase," said Michelle Kinman, an advocate for Environment California, part of a coalition that supports the program to help people who cannot afford a clean vehicle. "They would have made the purchase without the rebates."

Last year, state Sen. Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles), now the state Senate leader, had legislation signed into law by the governor that directs the state to put 1 million low- and zero-emission vehicles on California roads by 2023.

It also directed the Air Resources Board to set eligibility caps based on income and to provide higher subsidies for low- and moderate-income communities and consumers.

The board recently agreed to increase the size of subsidies available to low-income residents, but the money must still be approved by the Legislature and is not expected to take effect for four to six months...

Still more.

Blue Jays Rout #Angels 12-5, Sweep Series

Following-up, "#Angels Fall Out of Contention in American League West."

So, the Angels got off to an exiting start on Sunday, scoring 5 runs on the bottom of the first, and looking like their pre-All Star game selves. But it wasn't to be.

At LAT, "Angels' promising start fades quickly in Toronto rout":

After Sunday's 12-5 shellacking administered by the Toronto Blue Jays, the Angels did not open their clubhouse for about 30 minutes after the final out, an unusually long delay.

Before anyone went in or out, there were problems to work through.

"We talked about a couple things," Manager Mike Scioscia said.

There was a lot to talk about. Sunday was the Angels' fourth loss in a row, a stretch in which they've been outscored 44-12. Even for the high-octane Blue Jays, the weekend was unprecedented: Never before has Toronto scored 36 runs in a three-game series.

In the field, the Angels committed two more errors, making six on the series. The offense finally asserted itself, then shrunk back over the final 25 outs. For good measure, there was a base-running gaffe.

The Angels have slid to third place in the American League West, 5 1/2 games behind the first-place Houston Astros, and 1 1/2 behind the Texas Rangers in the wild card.

Facing that, the team held its closed-door post-mortem. But the problem, said Scioscia, is not one of work ethic or confidence.

"I'm not going to comment on what was said and what we're trying to accomplish," Scioscia said. "But there's no doubt that the confidence that this team has, has to show up on the field."

"The leadership in there is fine," Scioscia added.

Afterward, at his locker, first baseman Albert Pujols declined to speak about the meeting.

"That's not your guys' business," he said.

He declined to speak about any building frustration.

"Frustration? Why?" he said. "It's a tough weekend. Now you're going to put words in my mouth? I'm done talking."

Little could be said that the Angels' play didn't say already. Sunday's start did actually inspire hope. In their first trip through the lineup, the Angels batted 1.000. They tagged knuckleballer R.A. Dickey for five runs in the first inning, powered in part by a run-scoring single from C.J. Cron, a run-scoring double from Caleb Cowart and a run-scoring triple from Mike Trout. They led 5-1.

The Blue Jays would lead by the third inning.

Right-hander Garrett Richards gave up runs in the first four innings. For the first three, the Blue Jays mostly singled him into submission, but in the fourth, Jose Bautista blasted a home run so far that Richards already had the next baseball and had returned to the rubber by the time it landed, some 440 feet away...

More at that top link.

Migrants Mass at Serbia-Macedonia Border

They're moving through Greece to Macedonia, pretty much with the green light from Greek officials.

Remember, the first-contact nation is responsible for refugees under EU rules, so if initial receiving states let refugees pass through with a wink, then migrants will move on to next door neighbors and start a border crisis there. This is why some consider the migrant crisis an existential threat. No nation has an unlimited ability to continue to accept outsiders.

Rinse and repeat.

At the Wall Street Journal:

Thousands of migrants gathered at the border between Macedonia and Serbia on Sunday, after Macedonian officials allowed them the day before to cross into their territory following days of high tension and clashes.

The move is likely to add to the pressure on Serbia and Hungary, two main transit countries for Middle Eastern and African migrants attempting to reach Northern Europe.

During the night, about 40 private buses ferried the migrants from the train station in Gevgelija, near the country’s southern border, to Tabanovce, at Macedonia’s frontier with Serbia. In normal driving conditions it takes around two hours to cover the distance.

Authorities had also set up at least two trains to cross the country. In recent days, at the Gevgelija station, taxi drivers were available to take people north for about €100 ($114), according to migrants interviewed there.

In letting the migrants enter relatively freely, Macedonia reversed an earlier decision to effectively seal the border with Greece, leaving thousands stuck on the Greek side in difficult conditions.

Tensions rose so high that police used stun grenades, batons and tear gas to control the crowds late last week. Authorities then tried Saturday to regulate the flow, but were quickly overwhelmed and decided to open the border, allowing as many as 2,000 people to cross.

“On Saturday the migrants [at the southern border] managed to put so much pressure that they got in,” said Ivo Kotevski, spokesman for the Macedonian Interior Ministry. “But we aren’t letting everybody in, and we won’t.”

Indeed, Macedonian authorities again tried to regulate the flows on Sunday, allowing only about 50 people at a time to cross. More than 1,000 migrants have crossed the border so far, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

The flow of migrants toward Macedonia’s southern border is likely to continue, the Macedonian government and aid groups said. The number of migrants, mainly fleeing war and persecution in Syria and Iraq and entering Greece from Turkey, has shot up in recent months, making the country the main entry point into the European Union.

Nearly 142,000 seaborne migrants have arrived in Greece since June 1, according to the International Organization for Migration.

According to the U.N., some 124,000 refugees and migrants arrived in Greece by sea between January and July this year, a 750% increase from the same period last year. The vast majority aims to cross the so-called Balkan corridor—an area stretching from Greece to Hungary—to reach Northern Europe.

“We are trying to let the people in according to our capacity,” said Mr. Kotevski, the government spokesman. “But I am very worried because the migrants’ pressure from the Greek border will continue to be high.” Aid groups expect thousands of seaborne migrants to arrive at the southern Macedonian border in the coming days...

More.

Sunday Conversation with Emily Ratajkowski

At the Los Angeles Times:

Sunday Conversation: Emily Ratajkowski making model-turned-actress flip work http://t.co/prZkClUK3p pic.twitter.com/VQujiBDyQh

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) August 22, 2015

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Rose Bertram Reveals How to Take the Perfect Selfie (VIDEO)

Very sweet.

Satanic Temple Worshipers Drown Planned Parenthood Protesters in 'Mothers' Milk' (VIDEO)

At first I thought they were really pouring milk on protesters, as we had nationwide protests against Planned Parenthood yesterday.

But this is a "theater" protest, where devil worshipers dressed in white pretended to be protesting Planned Parenthood, while the Satanic Temple ghouls poured milk on them, supposedly representing mothers' milk.

Pretty sick, either way. One signs reads "America is not a theocracy. End forced motherhood."

At the Washington Examiner, "Satan worshipers drown women with milk in Planned Parenthood counter-protest."

And here's the video, "The Satanic Temple - Political Theatre Against Pro-Life Day of Protest." (Be sure read the comments.)

More at Texas Pro-Life, "Planned Parenthood had their own supporters at ‪#‎ProtestPP‬ rallies today. Satan Worshipers."